Sykes to re-contest Benalla for the Nationals

The Nationals Member for Benalla, Bill Sykes, will re-contest the seat of Benalla in November this year after successfully nominating for pre-selection.

Dr Sykes said, “Put simply, it is a case of unfinished business.”

“We regularly help people sort out problems with State Government Departments – it is generally a matter of improving communication and often we suggest a common sense solution which is adopted.

“At a community level, successes include helping prevent the Toxic Dump at Violet Town, helping solve the Railway Crossing problems at Avenel and helping get air conditioning in more schools.

“However, there is much still to be done, such as achieving a fair deal from the decommissioning of Lake Mokoan; ensuring adequate funding for Neighbourhood Houses throughout the Electorate and of course striving for funding for roads such as the Whitfield Road and Creighton’s Creek Road.

Leader of The Nationals, Peter Ryan, said he was pleased that Dr Sykes had been pre-selected to contest the seat of Benalla.

“Bill Sykes has become an outspoken advocate for the Benalla region and he is one of the most effective Members of Parliament in Victoria,” Mr Ryan said.

“We have a State Government that is collecting $100 million a day in taxes, fees and fines and we’re not seeing enough of that money invested in key infrastructure in country areas. Too much money is being wasted on expensive advertising campaigns while local roads, school and hospitals miss out."

“I will be continuing to work with Bill Sykes to lobby the government to direct more of taxpayers’ money at important projects in regional areas, instead of focusing all of its attention on Melbourne.”

In addition to securing funds for infrastructure and services, Dr Sykes nominated better management of public land, reducing red tape, supporting business growth and providing opportunities for young people as key priorities for the next five years.

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And on those $100 million a day taxes, Bill has thrown out a challenge to you all in a letter to the editor of the Watchdog:

I wish to highlight to readers that the Bracks Government has an income of $100 million per day; nearly double what it was when it first came to power.
      That’s a lot of our money and in simple terms, equates to a little more than $400 million per year to each of the State’s 88 electorates, if it is distributed evenly.
      However, when you have annual subsidies to the Melbourne Public Transport system of over $1,000 million and the ‘Not So Very Fast’ Rail project has cost over $1,000 million, it doesn’t take long to realise that country electorates are not getting their fair share.
      It gets worse. Mr Bracks is spending $400,000 per day of our money telling us how good a job he is doing, and along the way, claiming credit for successes which have been achieved in spite of his Government, rather than because of it.
      I invite readers to nominate projects which they think would better achieve Mr Bracks’ often quoted claim of making Victoria a better place to work and raise a family.
      Suggestions can be forwarded to my office by fax 03 5762 4478 or email: bill.sykes@parliament.vic.gov.au or post 2/55 Carrier Street, Benalla.

Yours sincerely
Bill Sykes, MLA