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One of the main reasons the ADI Site is being developed is because of the support for the development by the local branches of the Australian Labor Party.
The local State Members of Parliament all belong to the Labor Party and have graduated to State Politics after stints as Councillors with Penrith and Blacktown Councils. It must be understood that the major political parties have local branches and branch meetings are attended by rank and file members and elected politicians at Federal, State and Local Government level. When a policy position is adopted, as in the case of local ALP support for the development of the ADI Site, strategies are developed to pursue this policy direction at all levels of government. Power brokers within these branches drive the policy direction. Thus the reason local Labor has never seriously opposed the development. Alan Shearan is the Member for Londonderry. The ADI Site is contained entirely within the seat of Londonderry. Alan Shearan won the seat of Londonderry in a bi-election following the death of Jim Anderson the long time ALP Member for Londonderry. Jim Anderson, a former Mayor of Blacktown Council, was one of the strongest supporters of Lend Leases development of the ADI Site. Jim Anderson played a key role for Lend Lease and ADI Ltd by speaking in support of the development, working with Lend Lease to assist them promote their development within the local community and ensuring the developers had an open door to State Ministers. There are several examples of Jim Andersons involvement in assisting those wanting to develop the ADI Site, including:
Karyn Paluzzano is the Member for Penrith. Ms Paluzzanos seat adjoins the ADI Site at the Northern Rd. Many thousands of her constituents will be affected by the development of the ADI Site yet she is mute on its development claiming it is not her issue because the ADI Site is not in her electorate. ADI RAG has attempted to meet with Ms Paluzzano on several occasions to discuss matters but have never yet been able to meet with her or, at the very least, had any of our phone calls and correspondence answered by her. Ms Paluzzano's head in the sand policy on ADI is appalling. Her predecessor, Faye Lo Po, took this issue seriously and, unlike Karyn Paluzzano, who toes the Party line, spoke out against several aspects of the development. Diane Beamer is the Member for Mulgoa. Diane Beamer is also the Minister for Western Sydney and the Minister Assisting the Minister for Planning. Her seat is to the South of the ADI Site. The ADI Site falls within Diane Beamers portfolio as Assistant Planning Minister. Diane Beamer has always supported development of the ADI Site. Diane Beamer is a former Penrith Mayor. She was married to Federal ALP Senator, Steven Hutchins. She is now partnered to a senior journalist from the Sydney Morning Herald. To show the incestuous nature of Labor in Western Sydney, she has on her staff a Penrith Councillor, former Mayor, Greg Davies, and David Fisher, her Policy Advisor for Western Sydney, who fulfilled the role of Media Officer for the ALP's Federal Candidate for Lindsay, David Bradbury at the 2004 election. ADI RAG believes that there should be levels of separation between the NSW Planning Ministers office and local and federal governments. There appears to be a real conflict of interest with Greg Davies. Mr Davies is outspoken in support of the development of the ADI Site in the Council Chamber and has attended several forums organised by ADI RAG, including one attended by his boss, with the aim to simply heckle and disrupt. Other local ALP members include Richard Amery, the Member for Mt Druitt and; Paul Gibson, the Member for Blacktown. All ALP State Members in Western Sydney support development of the ADI Site. |
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