On Friday 5 March the Tasmanian Electoral Commission conducted a draw to determine in which order candidates appear on the ballot paper on 20 March.
We had all worked hard to ensure that, with 100 nominators, Andrew was included as a 'Grouped Independent' which means he was in the draw to be listed in the first section of the ballot paper, alongside the parties. This gives a tremendous advantage to an Independent. And all parties hope to be drawn for the coveted first column on the ballot, a position which is believed to be advantageous for picking up the 'donkey vote' - people who simply number the boxes left to right across the paper.
After an impressive and fairly elaborate set-up, little blue balls containing the names of those eligible were rattled around the ballot box and then drawn, one by one. The first name to be drawn - and so the first name to appear on the ballot paper - was Andrew Wilkie! The local newspaper journalist standing behind let out a whistle. "Hm, that'll have an impact," was clearly the meaning.
So. We have all of the ducks lined up. First position on the ballot. A 12-year old Labor Government truly on the nose with even hard-core Labor voters. A Liberal alternative which is not a real alternative in the minds of many. The Greens who cannot win a majority of seats and so form government. And nearly a quarter of the electorate still undecided about how they will vote.
Andrew's chances are still a long shot. It has been a long time since an independent was elected to the lower house in Tasmania - since they reduced the size of the Parliament from 35 to 25 in 1998. But if ever there was a chance it is now. Good luck Andrew! We are doing our best to support you.

On Sunday 22 November the first fundraiser for Andrew's campaign was held at Smolt in Salamanca.
Mercury columnist and barrister Greg Barns introduced the event and Andrew to those who hadn't met him. Andrew also spoke. Both made the point that politics will only change for the better in Tasmania when the three-party stranglehold is broken. A genuine Independent in the lower house would go some way to achieving that.

Their message was well-received, and over drinks and nibbles Andrew was able to talk in more detail to supporters. More fundraisers will be held between now and the election. Thanks to everyone who donated their time and money to make a successful event!

Campaign Update November 2009

Welcome to the November report on Andrew Wilkie's independent candidature for the seat of Denison at the State election expected in March 2010. You've received this email because you're either a supporter of Andrew's campaign or might have a particular interest in it. I'm sending these bulletins out every month, but if you don't want to receive them please reply to me (Kate Burton, Andrew's wife).

Policy
During the last month some important public policy issues have been on the boil. Andrew's position is as follows.

Water and sewerage reform
"The Tasmanian Labor Government has bungled the implementation of water and sewerage reform. The anomalies and inequities in the reform need to be addressed. The 10% cap on price increases must be enforced. And subsidies for people on low incomes need to be increased to offset any price rises."

Voluntary euthanasia
"I would have voted in favour of the 'Dying with Dignity' Bill last week because I believe strongly in voluntary euthanasia so long as it is strictly regulated. Any fine tuning of the proposed legislation would have been done during the committee process if the bill had received majority support in Parliament, which unfortunately it didn't."

Publicity
Since the October newsletter Andrew has had some good media coverage. He was a guest on ABC Radio Tim Cox's Friday Forum on 23 October.

A Letter to the Editor of the Mercury from Andrew regarding poker machines was published on 31 October. The unedited content was:

"The Mercury has again highlighted the terrible harm done by poker machines in Tasmania and raised the issue of whether or not governments have the right to ban them ('The liberty of losers', Mercury, October 30).

But the newspaper gives too much credit when it says our politicians are starting to listen. This week's much hyped draft pokies legislation is a tinkering around the edges of the problem, aimed simply at neutralising the issue politically in the run-up to the election.

Look at the facts. The Government did virtually nothing about the Productivity Commission's report into problem gambling in 1999 or the Social and Economic Impact Study into Gambling in Tasmania prepared in 2008. Nor does it intend to implement most of the Tasmanian Gaming Commission's 2008 recommendations aimed at reducing problem gambling. Meanwhile, Budget Estimates show increasing State revenue from the pokies in future years.

For the record, Labor, Liberal and Greens all support the continued operation of poker machines in Tasmania. All are letting us down on this issue."

Another Letter to the Editor of the Mercury, this time on the pulp mill, was published on 5 November. The unedited content was:

"The State Labor Government continues to bend over backwards to support Gunns' Tamar River pulp mill and the Liberal Opposition is no better. Mark my words, if I'm elected to the Parliament I will be the next Government's worst nightmare on this issue."

Events
On Sunday 15 November Andrew participated in the commemoration of the 8th anniversary of the tragic sinking of SIEV-X with the loss of all of those on board - 353 asylum seekers en route to Australia.

51,000 leaflets were distributed to letterboxes in Denison during the week of 9-13 November. These have stimulated very positive feedback on Andrew's campaign.

With the election coming closer there are more opportunities for Andrew to attend policy forums to listen to people's ideas and concerns and to present his views. Recently he attended the TASCOSS-sponsored public transport forum in Glenorchy on 3 November. And on 26 November Andrew will attend another TASCOSS event on multicultural issues in Tasmania.

The SBS documentary about Andrew's 2003 controversial resignation from the Office of National Assessments about the war in Iraq will screen at 8.30pm on Wednesday 18 November. The program is called "The Perfect Whistleblower" and is being rated by the newspapers as a "must-see".

Please don't forget the fundraiser for Andrew's campaign at Smolt, in Salamanca, on Sunday 22 November. The event starts at 2.30pm and will be introduced by Greg Barns. Cost is $30 a head which includes drinks, nibbles and a small donation to Andrew's campaign. Additional donations will of course be very welcome!

If you have been forwarded this bulletin from a friend and would like to receive it directly, email us and we'll add you to the list.

If you need to contact Andrew or me email
wilkie.andrew@bigpond.com
burtonkm@bigpond.com
or phone 0400 818 625.

Campaign Bulletin October 2009

Welcome to the October report on Andrew Wilkie's independent candidature for the seat of Denison at the State election expected in March 2010. You've received this email because you're either a supporter of Andrew's campaign or might have a particular interest in it. I'm sending these bulletins out every month, but if you don't want to receive them please reply to me (Kate Burton, Andrew's wife).

Policies and positions

In the last week more controversy over the 'Tasmania Tomorrow' education debacle has emerged. Andrew's position on the so-called reforms is this:

'The Tasmania Tomorrow education reform has been ill-conceived and badly implemented. It is good to look for ways to improve things, but such reform must be based on expert advice and not the whim of grandstanding politicians. The reform should be stopped and experts - including teachers - appointed to sort out the mess.'

Publicity

You might have noticed the Van of Numbers cruising the streets - there's a good chance that you or someone you know has spotted it. And Andrew's billboards have moved - the 'Pokies destroy lives' billboard from New Town to Rosetta, and the billboard stating that the Government is 'Bungling, dishonest and uncaring' from North Hobart to New Town.

Andrew strongly reaffirmed his opposition to Gunns' Tamar River pulp mill in a speech read on his behalf at the anti-pulp mill rally at Beaconsfield on Sunday 4 October. Hopefully this will help to counter the disinformation being spread in some Greens circles about his stance on the pulp mill. Andrew also had a letter published in The Mercury on Sunday 11 October about the costs of political campaigns. The text of both can be read here: www.katemburton.com/campaign-2010/

On 18 November SBS is expected to screen a documentary about Andrew's 2003 public resignation from the Office of National Assessments as a whistleblower over Iraq. For anyone interested in Andrew's behind-the-scenes story this doco is a must-watch! The screening date is to be confirmed but we'll let you know if it changes.

What you can do to help

We are still after more volunteers to hold Kitchen Cabinets to raise money. A Kitchen Cabinet is a fun way to let people know about Andrew's campaign. Just invite people you know to your house to meet Andrew over a drink/dinner/bbq and pass the hat around.

Thank you to everyone who is working hard to collect nominations to ensure Andrew appears as a Grouped Independent on the ballot paper. This important part of the campaign is going well and it is certain that Andrew will have his own column alongside the major parties - a crucial prerequisite for a chance of success. Please return your sheets to Andrew as soon as you can. We will keep collecting signatures though because we need more than 100 names to have a safe buffer in case some people end up being ineligible as nominators (eg they're not enrolled to vote in Denison).

You can boost the campaign in others ways too. Simply spread the word - tell your friends, family and colleagues about Andrew and the campaign, and feel free to forward this email. And drop into the shop to pick up a bundle of campaign leaflets to give your friends and acquaintances. Posters will be available before too long so please let us know if you want one for your front fence.

Finally, keep an eye on Andrew's website which will keep you updated on his policy statements.

If you have been forwarded this bulletin from a friend and would like to receive it directly, email us and we'll add you to the list.

If you need to contact Andrew or me email
wilkie.andrew@bigpond.com
burtonkm@bigpond.com
or phone 0400 818 625

www.andrewwilkie.org

A message from Independent candidate for Denison Andrew Wilkie

I oppose this pulp mill - I always have and I always will - because it is not pollution free, it is not water and energy efficient, it is not sustainably supplied, it is not located where the locals want it and it was not assessed by a process we can trust.

I remain appalled by the stench in the air from the corruption about this project. Corruption in that the Lennon/Bartlett Governments lack the inherent integrity to govern in the public interest; prepared instead to bully, deceive and abandon proper process in the pursuit of their misguided goals.

The Bartlett Government simply doesn’t understand the meaning of the term ‘good governance’. Some of the key players don’t even seem to understand the value of the appearance of good governance.

This issue is about right and wrong and about the importance of putting the public interest in Tasmania ahead of a handful of commercial interests. After all no company, regardless of its size or the weight of its political patronage, has any right to jeopardise our economic, social or environmental future.

The heroes of campaigns past have shown us what can be achieved by ordinary people prepared to stand up to power for what is right, regardless of the odds. This time around we share the power to vote down the majority rule of the Bartlett Government and to replace it with a new Parliament prepared to seize the moment and overturn all approvals for this stinking mill.