Campaign starts

By Jade Lawton
THE campaign for the 2010 state election is off and running.
State Opposition leader Ted Baillieu toured the Gembrook and Bass electorates on Monday, meeting with residents and business leaders to discuss the issues facing the growth corridor.
Mr Baillieu was accompanied by Eastern Victoria MP Edward O’Donohue and recently endorsed Gembrook candidate Brad Battin.
The Liberal trio visited Berwick Station early Monday morning to promote one of the party’s key election promises of Victoria Police officers manning every station across the metropolitan network.
At 9am, they talked to locals going about their shopping outside Coles Lakeside, before a sojourn with outgoing City of Casey Mayor Geoff Ablett at the Berwick Bowling Club later in the morning.
Mr Baillieu listed public transport, the unpopular and flawed GAIC tax and the Kooweerup Bypass as some of the key issues in the region.
“Obviously public transport is a huge issue,” Mr Baillieu said.
“After 10 years in office (by Labor) and more than $3 billion we’ve got a public transport system that’s collapsing.”
Mr Baillieu said the Liberals would employ 940 Victoria Police Protective Service Officers to man stations across the network from 6pm to the last train.
He said Mr Battin, a former policeman, shared his view that community safety issues were critical in the lead-up to the election.