MEDIA RELEASE

Thursday March 8, 2012

The Australian Democrats are withdrawing from the by election for the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Niddrie. The by election was prompted by the resignation from parliament of former deputy premier Rob Hulls.

The withdrawal is due to our failure to correctly lodge the nomination form for the Australian Democrats candidate, Rob Livesay. We did present in good faith what we believed was a correctly prepared nomination form, but one of the six supporting signatories was not listed on the electoral roll as a Niddrie voter and the nomination has been disallowed. There was no time remaining to remedy this before the close of nominations, so we are obliged to withdraw.

“With no Liberal candidate and no Democrats candidate, Niddrie voters will have a very thin field to choose from on March 24,” David Collyer, Australian Democrats Victorian Campaign Director said.

“This is a stark reminder to voters of the need to advise the VEC and the AEC when they move house, even if the move is just to the next street.”

Media Contact:  David Collyer 0413 248 193

Niddrie By-election 2012

Media Release, Wednesday February 1, 2012

The Australian Democrats have nominated Rob Livesay to contest the by-election in the Victorian Legislative Assembly seat of Niddrie. Rob previously contested the seat for the Democrats at the last state election in October 2009.

“The key issue Niddrie voters will cast their vote on is Education,” Rob Livesay said today.

“The public school system serving Niddrie from kindergartens to year 12 is a disgrace. It is starved of funds, which means the classrooms are crumbling, the teachers discouraged and the children floundering. Further, the large number of special needs students who need but are not getting extra resources only makes the battle more difficult.

“The constant under-investment means our kids are really struggling to meet national objectives in literacy, numeracy and reading. Both Liberal and Labor skimp and crimp on providing basics to the citizens of tomorrow.

“Do we really want to create an underclass under-educated and under-achieving kids – marked because their parents chose to use the public system? Because this is exactly what current policies will do.”

Rob worked energetically with groups defending the Ballerrt Mooroop College, an aboriginal school, that lost facilities to a much-needed special school.

Rob is well known in Niddrie as a sport enthusiast, supporting local Aussie Rules and cricket teams at Airport West and Keilor Park, including advocacy for sports clubs to local government.

He is a member of Friends of Steele Creek, a lobbyist for the urgently needed rail link to Tullamarine Airport and a tireless supporter of local small business.

His three children attended Rosehill Secondary College.

The date for the by-election is yet to be decided by Premier Ted Baillieu.

Media contact and to interview Rob Livesay 0419 566 164 (after hours) or David Collyer 0413 248 193

robert.livesay@vic.democrats.org.au