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Pledge for regional newspapers

Stefan Bradley

THE Premier, Daniel Andrews, has promised country newspaper owners that the government will take out full-page advertisements each week in every regional newspaper across the state. The pledge came during Mr Andrews’ surprise appearance last Friday at the Victorian Country Press Association Conference in Melbourne. Mr Andrews said that regional newspapers were the lifeblood of country communities, giving a voice to important local issues and delivering news that is dedicated to serving local communities. “A re-elected Labor government will strengthen and protect the future of regional media, with guaranteed advertising revenue for regional newspapers in every corner of our state,” he said. “More than 1.5 million people live in regional Victoria, with more people migrating to the state’s regional cities and communities every year. “Whether it’s a bushfire, a flood emergency or a global pandemic, time and time again we have seen regional newspapers step up and serve their communities in incredibly important ways. “Labor is doing what matters - backing regional media outlets with guaranteed advertising revenue so they can keep supporting their local communities.” The Premier’s media team told the Gippsland Times there was no specific dollar amount on the policy at this time, but said the guarantee builds on the unprecedented level of support delivered for regional media throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic. “Throughout the pandemic, the Labor Government spent more than $20 million to support regional media outlets through advertising, supporting jobs and protecting local news,” a spokesperson said. Currently, there’s no specific timeframe for the first weekly full-page advertisement, but as an election commitment, it is expected to be implement sometime next year. The Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, said The Nationals and Liberals in government would continue to support regional media and help inform regional Victorians with

The Gippsland Times’ sister publication, Latrobe Valley Express, ready for distribution.

Photo: Liam Durkin

relevant government advertising. “As a former regional journalist, there is no one more supportive of regional media than me. I’ve continued to support local media through my small advertising budget since the challenges brought on by the pandemic in early 2020 – just as all of my Nationals colleagues do,” Mr O’Brien said. “While all government advertising should include regional newspapers, one has to be a bit cynical about this government announcement given the millions being poured into every possible medium by this government, particularly in the city. We shouldn’t forget Victoria’s independent AuditorGeneral found Labor had breached regulations by running partisan ads funded by the taxpayer to support their federal Labor colleagues during the 2019 election.” With costs of paper and production growing, many regional and rural mastheads are struggling. During the early days of the pandemic, some publishers closed their newspapers permanently due to a sudden reduction in advertising and no events or sport to cover. One such publication was the Yarram Standard, which ended its print run after 145 years’ of continuous publication.

Dental care promises

Stefan Bradley

UP to 32,000 Victorians needing priority dental treatment will be able to access a $500 dental voucher scheme to be introduced if the Coalition forms government at this month’s state election. The scheme will allow Victorians to receive dental care at a private clinic. The Liberals and Nationals have also pledged $200 million in additional funding over four years to go towards public dental services. The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, said with 64,000 Victorians currently waiting on critical dental care, more needed to be done to improve the situation. “The Nationals in government will implement a new dental voucher scheme to cut wait times and improve health outcomes,” Mr O’Brien said. “Our solution is to provide up to 32,000 Victorians in need of priority dental treatment a $500 voucher to allow them to access care privately. “This will halve the number of Victorians on the waitlist for critical dental care within two years and reduce the risk of flow on health issues for those patients.” Mr O’Brien said the evidence was clear that poor oral health had a big impact on other areas of life. “I am regularly hearing from Gippslanders whose lives are severely impacted by their inability to access timely dental care,” Mr O’Brien said. “I am being told of vulnerable locals who are not only struggling with constant pain, but also the financial, social, and mental health implications that poor oral health can result in due to missing work or school, finding it difficult to eat or drink and even negative impacts on self-esteem. “It is clear that this is an important issue that needs a real solution, which is what The Nationals in government will deliver.” The Australian Dental Association Victorian Branch (ADAVB) welcomed the announcement. “Waiting times to access public dental care have surged from 20.3 months in 2018 to 26.7 months in June this year,” said ADAVB president, A/Prof Warren Shnider. “These clinically unacceptable waiting times have a significant impact on the oral health of patients, which in turn compromises their general health. “The pandemic lockdowns prevented people from seeing the dentist, and the oral health of Victorians is suffering as a result. We are calling on Labor, Greens, minor parties and independents to support this positive measure to improve oral health in Victoria.” The Labor candidate for Gippsland South, Denise Ryan, said the Liberals couldn’t be trusted on dental services, claiming they had cut more than $280 million from public dental services in Victoria. “Matthew Guy’s Liberals have failed to listen to the experts or consult the workforce. A Productivity Commission report found ‘ad hoc use of fee-forservice vouchers has not resulted in systemic improvements in user choice or the effectiveness of public dental services’,” she said. The Productivity Commission report was released in 2018. It looked at possible reforms to human services. One of the report’s key points was that public dental patients have “little choice in who provides their care and most services are focused on urgent needs”. Ms Ryan’s campaign said the Victorian Budget 2022/23 allocates $322.7 million in funding to public dental services. “In December 2021, a $27 million package was announced to deliver more check-ups and treatments for another 40,000 people across the state, helping public dental providers to catch up, targeting waiting lists and providing immediate access to public dental services and treatment for people who had deferred or delayed treatment during the pandemic,” Ms Ryan’s campaign said.

Lib candidate sacked over church furore

From Page 1

ON Saturday, leader of the Liberal Party, Matt Guy, released a statement saying that he had spoken with Ms Heath “to advise that she will not be sitting in the Liberal Party Room following the election” in response to the 60 Minutes and The Age investigation. Despite Mr Guy declaring Ms Heath will not sit in the Liberal Party room, Ms Heath is almost certain to be elected to the state Upper House, as she is first on the ballot for Eastern Victoria, and with early voting already open, she cannot be disendorsed or removed from the ticket. Mr Guy claims he was unaware of certain aspects of what was reported by The Age and 60 Minutes on the weekend, despite reports on Ms Heath circulating in the media for months. Stratford musician and former The Voice Australia contestant, Michael Harrington, is running for The Nationals for Eastern Victoria, and on the Upper House ballot for the Coalition. Asked on Saturday about The Age story, Mr Harrington told the Gippsland Times that he didn’t know enough about the situation to comment in detail, but said it was not his job to “proselytise about people’s morals”. “That is totally a case for Renee Heath herself, and whoever is associated with herself at the Church. That is not a matter for me. I don’t know the ins and outs well enough.” Mr Harrington’s comments were made before the 60 Minutes report aired. Reason Party candidate for Eastern Victoria, Dean Barnes, said the revelations on the 60

Until Saturday, Renee Heath was Liberalendorsed candidate for Eastern Victoria.

Photo: Facebook

Minutes report “were nothing short of harrowing and deeply disturbing to watch”. “That this is happening, under a dark shadow, right here in our community has left me stunned and shocked,” Mr Barnes said. “I commend all those who have spoken out for their courage and bravery.”