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Labor Copies Another Liberal Party PolicyThe Bracks Government has introduced a light-weight version of the Liberal Party’s CountryLink policy, Shadow Minister for Country Victoria Philip Davis said today. By Phillip Davis - 18th April 2006 - Back to News Mr Davis said it was a pathetic and embarrassing attempt at copying a Liberal Party policy and country Victorians would not be fooled by the Bracks Government’s Victorian Business Master Key initiative, which has been dubbed "CountryLink-Lite."
On 22 March 2006, the Liberal Party announced it would provide $11 million for up to 40 CountryLink shops to be established around country Victoria, providing a one-stop-shop service and access to a range of bill payment options, registration forms, information on government programs and access to government assistance payments such as Centrelink.
CountryLink will also provide access to these government services over the phone and the internet through state-of-the-art data collecting technology.
Yesterday, Labor’s Minister for Small Business, Andre Haermeyer, announced his initiative which he described as "a new, one-stop, online shop with all they (small businesses) need to know to comply with state and federal regulations". (Source: Media Release, Tuesday, 11 April 2006)
Mr Davis said that this announcement is nothing but an embarrassment for the Bracks Government.
"Andre Haermeyer would have done better to implement our entire CountryLink strategy rather than a pathetic, dumbed-down online version that only assists small business," he said.
"CountryLink leaves Andre Haermeyer’s Victorian Business Master Key initiative for dead, in that it offers face-to-face interaction between everyday country Victorians and the three levels of government.
"CountryLink will be available for all country Victorians, whereas CountryLink-Lite will only assist business owners."
The Liberal Party recognises that access to the internet can be limited in remote areas, comes at a greater cost and regardless of where people live, they require and deserve the same access to services as those living in Melbourne or larger regional cities.
"The Bracks Government’s pathetic online service will be useless to country Victorians who have no internet access and those who simply choose to conduct their business face-to-face," Mr Davis said.
"Yet again, the Bracks Government has been caught out attempting to give country Victorians a sub-standard service instead of addressing the real needs of country communities.
"Back to the drawing board Mr Haermeyer - perhaps you should take another look at the CountryLink policy and the great benefits it will deliver to country Victorians."
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com
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