Scott's list of five factors which shape the prospect of independents like Cate Molloy in Noosa is a sound list. But the overriding imperative for candidates who have broken away from the drip-feed supplied by our party duopoly is for infrastructure and organisational support.

About forty candidates in Victoria who have either run as independents or never previously been party members are running in November's state election under the banner of People Power. A common brand, some collective infrastructure, and an alternative mode of "leadership" are felt to be necessary to create something approaching a level playing field for candidates who want to place themes of accountability in government and reform of political processes on the agenda.

It's a model which falls somewhere between a federation of independents on the one hand, and the centralised party structure of the Lib-Lab type on the other. It's probably the best organisational mechanism for driving the initiative of people around the country like Cate Molloy in Noosa.

Vern Hughes
vern@peoplepower.org.au

When push comes to shove, Ms Molloy is losing nothing. She would have lost the next election on her government's policy, so if she is expelled from the ALP all it really means is she can join the Greens.

The more pertinent question is why our political leadership has created the mess in the first place, that now, we are told, requires the destruction of two rural communities, the loss of good agricultural land and incalculable damage to the environments downstream and to Hervey Bay into which the Mary River flows.

In the last 15 years, as a result of policies by both the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments, the population of South East Queensland by 1,000,000. Last December 8, the Queansland taxpayers paid for a full page advertisements in Brisbane's Courier Mail (and I suspect, other major capital city dailies). It included:

Four million Queenslanders

Today: 3,999,865

Tomorrow: 4,000,000

(Row of photos including baby's face, farmer, blue collar worker workers, attractive female scientist with eyes focussed on test tube, etc)

Queensland's population will reach four million people tomorrow, Friday 9 December.

If you ar visting or thinking about a move to Queensland, you will already know we are the nation's engine room, Our population growth is only rivalled by our economic and employment growth. We now account for 19.5% of Australia's population.

Tomorrow's milestone and our economic success reflect that Queensland is the place to invest, work, live, work and play.

...

To all Queenslanders, I urge you to warmly welcome our new arrivals.

Peter Beattie MP
Premier and Treasurer

---

Perhaps Peter Beattie should have first thought to ask the residents of the Mary Valley and Rathdowney, before he decided, on their behalf, to extend his welcoming hand to yet another million residents, which he somehow plans to cram into South East Queensland by 2026, and for whom they are now expected to sacrifice their farms and their communities in the hope that the necessary water can be provided.

Good on Cate Molloy for standing up to Peter Beattie, and others with seemingly Stalinist mindsets in Queensland branch of the Labor Party, on behalf of her community.

Living in Ms Molloys electorate I feel that she has no hope in the next election as either an independant or member of the Labor Party. This is not due to the dam or labor policies, it is due to the Molloys.

Yes Molloys plural. (anyone remember Ivan's spectacular failure last election?). Scott should remember well.

The Sunshine Beach Surf Club had Ms Molloy as Patron, now she has been "banned" from entering any surf club in Australia. She obviously does not play well with others. In fact she is embarrasing.

Steve Maddern (http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?article=4591#44928),

I think the issue of Government accountability, democracy and free speech are far more important than whatever alleged indiscretions may have caused Cate Molloy to have been 'banned' from Australian surf clubs.

She deserves our admiration and support for having had the guts to stand up to Peter Beattie and to those powerful vested interests that Beattie is serving.

Let's all do whatever we can to make sure that Cate Molloy is still the sitting member for Noosa after the next Queensland state elections.

daggett.

not allegations facts http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200605/s1651506.htm

Ms Molloy will note be getting my vote next election based purely on local issues. Her original power base came from the surf clubs and the Sunshine Coast Uni intellectuals. She was seen as a better alternative to Davo and his fishing spots and won the election. She has now lost all of her power base and will fade away into the Uni.

I note the member for Gympie (where the dam is going to be built) is an independant and is quoted as saying many residents are in favour of the Dam.

My parents who live near Cooran will have a great view of the new lake.