CASH FOR VOTES - FRANKSTON EAST
3 DECEMBER 2000
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In the wake of numerous "cash-for-votes"
stories this week, Raymond Hoser, the first Independent Candidate in the
Frankston-East by-election has confirmed that he too was offered money
in return for his preferences by both major parties.
Hoser's book, "Victoria Police Corruption"
(released on 2 August 1999) forced the Kennett government to call an early
election, and with about 1,000 copies sold in Geelong alone (lost by the
Libs by 16 votes) is generally regarded as the ultimate cause of the demise
of the Kennett government, in September last year.
Immediately following the September election, Hoser nominated himself as
the only independent candidate for the Frankston East supplementary election.
He remained the only independent candidate to have nominated up to the
second week of the campaign, whereupon about a dozen others nominated.
Hoser was approached by both major parties who offered to print his "how-to-vote"
cards in return for Hoser giving them their preferences.
Yesterday Hoser was shown on Channel Nine News saying that he was receptive to the offers on the basis that he'd receive the other
party's first preferences in return.
Hoser also told channels Nine and ABC TV that within days of nominating, someone from the Liberal side offered Hoser
money in return for withdrawing his candidature. Hoser asked how much he'd
be paid to which he was told "$1,000 cash", to which Hoser replied
he'd need at least $20,000 to $30,000, whereupon he was told that if he
took the money, he'd have to keep it secret.
Hoser refused to guarantee confidentiality, but said that he was prepared
to keep it secret until after the by-election.
On 7 October 1999 Hoser and other's who'd nominated as independents met
at Seaford for a photo shoot by the Frankston Independent newspaper. One
of the candidates had copies of the Liberal and Labor how-to-vote cards
that had been registered with the Australian Electoral Commission earlier
that day.
It appeared that they two had done an arrangement designed to shut out
all the independents, by effectively placing all the candidates in reverse
order to one another's party.
It is effectively impossible that such a complimentary arrangement could
have been arrived at by chance.
Hoser was placed midway on both forms, thereby guaranteeing him no hope
of success in the by-election.
It was then that he called off his supporters and save for media appearances,
gave up campaigning in Frankston. (Hoser's poor showing in the poll reflected
the fact that no money was spent campaigning, a mainstream media black-out
on reporting on him or his policies and that no one handed out how-to-vote
cards for him on election day).
However, in the early stages of the campaign Hoser was regarded as a very
serious threat, and through Steve Price on radio 3AW (in photo to the left), a concerted character
assassination campaign was carried out. Price and a series of set-up and
stacked callers vilified and defamed Hoser, falsely accusing him of serious
criminal and other offences.
Callers in favor of Hoser were screened out and not allowed on air.
However a number of dissatisfied callers then called Hoser to advise him
of Price's free Volvo and other alleged Contra-for-comment arrangements.
When 3AW refused to apologize to Hoser for the defamation, Hoser wrote
letters to the papers about 3AW's actions. 3AW's lawyers stopped the letters
being printed in Melbourne, but were unable to do so in Sydney and Perth.
They also threatened Hoser with a lawsuit.
Hoser then put Price into the ABA who in turn launched an inquiry into
Price. The allegations by Hoser against Price were found proven as correct,
as were further independent allegations against Price in his role as program
manager.
However Price wasn't punished by the ABA as the actions in the main fell
out of ABA jurisdiction.
In terms of the offers by the major parties to print Hoser's how-to-vote
cards in the Frankston-East by election, Hoser said he was initially advised
by several journalists to approach the major parties to do this and led
to believe that this was normal in politics.
Even now Hoser said he didn't think it was seriously wrong or at least
not in the context of far greater electoral frauds being perpetrated by
the major parties.
Hoser said "a greater scandal was how I was effectively blackballed
by elements of the so-called mainstream media who actively support the
two-party system and who didn't want a free-thinking anti-corruption candidate
or independent to get up."
Hoser said "The public are sick and tired of corrupt Liberal and Labor
politicians who simply line their own pockets and lie to the public. They
want to vote for someone who represents decency. However the media refuse
to tell them that people like this (including myself) are even standing
for election."
By way of example the Herald-Sun never once mentioned Raymond Hoser
by name in a story during the entire campaign, even though for the first
ten or so days of the campaign, he was the only nominated independent.
Steve Price of 3AW attacked Hoser's credibility with lies in order to dissuade
those who were otherwise disenchanted with the major parties and is on
the record as describing Hoser as a "whacko", thereby improperly
trying to place him in the fruitcake basket along with Elvis spotters and
UFO Worshippers.
Hoser said "These matters as well as certain corporate donations to
major parties, in return for contracts and the like, as documented in the
book "Victoria Police Corruption"
make the current how-to-vote card scandals look like a Sunday picnic.
For further inquiries phone: (Within Australia) 0412 777 211
Or go to:
http://www.smuggled.com/FE1.htm
and
http://www.raymondhoser.com
This release is published at:
http://www.smuggled.com/MedRel61.htm
A second release re cash for votes is at:
http://www.smuggled.com/VEC2.htm