More revelations about spin doctoring by Madden and his planning department surfaced in the last week of February in the form of an internal memo from a media advisor accidentally sent to the ABC.
 
Madden subsequently "counselled" then "re-deployed" the adviser, whose memo detailed, among other things, a plan to release a planning report on the controversial Windsor Hotel re-development and then publicly cite community reaction to support a pre-determined decision to block the scheme.
 
Listen to the full versions of Madden’s defensive radio interviews on Feb.26, courtesy of the Marvellous Melbourne website - first with
Jon Faine (ABC 774)  - www.vimeo.com/9744001
and then
“Jon, er, Neil” Mitchell on 3AW  - www.vimeo.com/9752386
 
The ABC TV news stories on Feb 25 & 26 are also worth checking out:     www.vimeo.com/9732178    www.vimeo.com/9771435

SOS Media Release 21.11.08

ALP internal conflict over new residential zones shows city needs new councillors to stand up to Brumby

Save Our Suburbs has discovered that a number of dissident Labor MPs are concerned about the undemocratic nature of the State Government’s proposed new residential planning zones and potential voter backlash against suburban Labor MPs.

A critical paper on the new zones was posted on the website of Essendon Labor MLA Judy Maddigan. The same paper was also one of over 400 submissions on the new zones to the Department of Planning and Community Development.

Other Labor MLAs who signed the document include Carlo Carli (Brunswick), Steve Herbert (Eltham), Rob Hudson (Bentleigh), Janice Munt (Mordialloc) and Bob Stensholt (Burwood). However, the Maddigan website was removed several days ago.

SOS president Ian Quick said that the document was another sign that the Brumby Government had lost touch with voters and was riding roughshod over residents’ rights, with a particularly poor record on genuine community consultation.

We have notice quite often that the Victorian Local Governance Association (VLGA) seems to be just a media department for the ALP State Government.
What typically happens is that they get advanced notice that the State Government is doing something, then they pre write a glowing media release about how good the government is..

Take the accidentally released email today (below) -

"Embargoed until 6am Tuesday 28 October 2008
Responding to the State Government’ s announcement to amend and clarify the application of proposed Section 78D of the Local Government (Councillor Conduct and Other Matters) Bill 2008, VLGA President Cr Beth Davidson said “ …sometimes you just have to stick your neck out to get results.
“ The VLGA took the lead in expressing strong concerns at the democratic barriers contained in the Bill, calling for amendments and greater clarity.
“ The Minister has listened to our concerns, and we now feel vindicated by the State Government’s reaction.
“ Incumbent Councillors and new Candidates can now confidently stand at the forthcoming elections knowing that their prior participation in democratic debate will not be constrained by the Bill.
“ The VLGA will seek further discussions with the State Government prior to the 2012 elections to argue that the effective date of future provisions should also be limited in the same way as today’s announcement, “ Cr Davidson added."

From this we can conclude that the State Government is making an announcement in the morning, and the VLGA - as a media unit of the Government - have their press release ready. Pity they sent it out a day early!

by SOS President Ian Quick
Update: this was defeated in the upper house!

The Brumby State Government is moving to restrict resident activists' ability to represent issues if they get elected to a local council, by widening the definition of 'a conflict of interest' to an undemocratic degree in amendments to the Local Government Act.

It will be a deemed a conflict of interest if they had EVER made an objection or submission in relation to a matter being considered at a council meeting, so they would not be able to participate or vote on the item.

For people like me, who have made so many submissions to council that I've lost count (well over 50) - what would there be left to vote on? Would the only thing councilors could vote on be things they have no interest in?

And at the same time the proposed amendments specifically exempt state government employees from having a conflict of interest if items before council relate to or impact their place of work!

The Melbourne Times (8/10/2008) has just published a good article about this naked attempt to curtail democracy:

Conflict of interest bill would restrict councillors
BY BIANCA HALL
COMMUNITY activists elected to local government could be sued for voting on contentious issues under a bill being considered by Parliament.
The upper house is due to vote on a revamped series of laws governing the conduct of councillors in two weeks.
If the bill is passed, any councillor who makes a submission or objection on an issue his or her council votes on would be considered to have a conflict of interest. Fines of more than $ 11,000 apply.
Under the new rules, councillors would be prevented from objecting to a range of matters they could be expected to vote on.
Save Our Suburbs president Ian Quick is a candidate for November's Yarra City Council election. Mr Quick, who regularly lobbies councils on planning and transport issues, said the new law "removes councillors' ability to make submissions, let alone objections, on a wide range of issues".
He said it was "a typical move by this State Government to muzzle democracy" and "an attempt to silence councillors who are also members of community groups".
Under the bill, councillors would be prevented from making submissions on matters including council budgets, local laws and planning schemes and then voting on those issues - or even being present during a vote.
Councillors' family members would also be barred from making submissions on community issues.

Last August, transport and planning lecturer Dr Paul Mees bluntly criticised the authors of a 2007 Department of Transport report on privatisation.

Then, on May 20 this year, the Age reported that "Melbourne University has demoted one of its most outspoken academics after a complaint against him by the State Government...".

The University should have investigated the veracity of Mees' comments BEFORE action of any sort was contemplated, but it removed the podcast of his presentation from the University website without even consulting him first or informing him of the official complaint.