THE embattled Victorian Brumby government has been caught out in an embarrassing media campaign to ensure the ageing Windsor Hotel is denied a major planning application through a sham public consultation process.
Already struggling in the polls, the Brumby government was late yesterday forced into a contrived backflip with Planning Minister Justin Madden blaming one of his media minders for concocting the documents supposedly without Minister approval.
In an email entitled “Minister for Planning Justin Madden Media Plan” was inadvertently sent to the ABC.
It details how the Planning Minister’s head media advisor had planned to use the cover of a sham public consultation process to reject an application to build a 25 storey tower as part of the Windsor Hotel’s redevelopment.
The cheat sheet included plans for Minister Madden to set-up a “misleading association with Essendon Football Club to promote the government much-trumpeted respect agenda”.
Mr. Madden a former Essendon footballer is transferring to the seat of Essendon for November’s state election. The document also recommends that as part of Justin Madden’s campaign for this year’s election the “Minister go to an oldies home with a young person”.
The document stated: “Windsor Advisory Committee report is expected to recommend that development go ahead,” the email stated. “Strategy at this stage is to release it for public comment, as this affects the entire community, and then use those responses as reason to halt it, as we have listened to community views.”
Opposition leader Mr Ted Baillieu said Minister Madden must be sacked.
Mr Baillieu has called the Windsor Planning scandal a “cynical hoax”.
“He’s clearly out of touch with the community. He doesn’t listen,” Mr Baillieu said. “He’s already been sanctioned by the Upper House for misleading the Upper House and ignoring the community.
“This minister has a reputation for ignoring the community and this is just proof that that’s actually his agenda, to ignore the community, to not listen, to demonstrate a lack of respect and a lack of integrity.”
The revelations sent the State Government into yet another round of media damage control.
Mr Madden denied any decision has been made on the Windsor Hotel proposal.
He stated late yesterday that he has appointed an independent probity auditor to oversee the application process.
“I am doing this so that the companies involved can be assured there is an appropriate and impartial process in place,” he said.
Ironically, the Victorian government has been openly fighting the suggestions that Victoria needs an ICAC like anti-corruption watchdog.
However, the latest Brumby government fumble has its critics stating the planning scandal surrounding the Windsor is just another reason why Victoria needs an independent Corruption body.
Australian Property Journal