Melbourne Skops get done

[Slayer]

I don't think anyone would dare piss off the Greeks in melbourne

Ethnic bias claim
Tim Vainoras

02Oct06

THE state Labor Party has been accused of discrimination after rejecting moves to establish a new Macedonian branch in the federal electorate of Scullin.

Despite the nationality being the second largest ethnic group in Whittlesea, the Victorian administrative committee knocked back an application to start Scullin's ninth ALP branch.
The Thomastown West Macedonian branch, which aimed to be independent from ALP factions, needed 23 votes from the 33-member committee but received 19.
â€*Lalor resident and ALP member for 10 years Sasha Nackovski is spearheading the move to establish the branch.
He said no reasons were given for the decision, which he claimed was made ``purely on a discriminatory basis''.
``It was designed to deny the Macedonian community the opportunity to form into a strong and cohesive political group in Scullin,'' Mr Nackovski said.
Whittlesea Council West Ward councillor Stevan Kozmevski, who is of Macedonian background, also slammed the decision, saying it was a ``smack on the jaw for Macedonian community members''.
``It's mainly for the elderly citizens that we have within our community who would prefer to be able to speak in their own language on political issues,'' he said.
Sitting Scullin federal Labor MP Harry Jenkins and Victorian ALP state secretary Stephen Newnham said they would not comment on internal matters.
â€*Scullin has 753 ALP members over eight branches, including three ethnic branches representing Greek, Italian and Turkish backgrounds.
According to 2001 figures, 6112 Whittlesea residents or 5.4 per cent were born in Macedonia, making them the second largest ethnic group living in the city behind Italians.
Mr Nackovski said Mr Jenkins and local state MPs Peter Batchelor and Lily D'Ambrosio did not respond to letters asking them to support the branch.
``There are people, including parliamentarians, who will do all they can to deny the Macedonian community the chance to form a strong political organisation,'' he said.
RMIT University politics and public policy lecturer Benno Engels agreed, saying that sitting MPs and factional bosses feared a Macedonian branch could determine future pre-selection outcomes.
``It's entirely an issue of political control internally within the party,'' Mr Engels said.
``If you're not aligned to the Macedonian concerns that are being expressed in that community, then all of sudden then whoever is the sitting member could be in real trouble.
``By not letting their branch get up, you prevent a problem from emerging.
``Whereas if you let them filter into the existing branches you can dilute their threat.''
In March, Mr Jenkins won a close pre-selection battle the first in a safe Labor seat for 20 years against ALP state organiser Nathan Murphy, with just 51 per cent of the vote, to contest the next federal election.
Mr Nackovski said the branch would continue its fight to be registered and a petition was being sent to Macedonian community groups.
The Scullin electorate covers Lalor, Mill Park, Thomastown, Watsonia North and parts of Bundoora, Epping, South Morang, Plenty, Diamond Creek, Greensborough and Yarrambat.
*Do you think the ALP should allow a Macedonian branch in Scullin? Email us at whittlesea@leadernews papers.com.au or write to us at Unit 5, 18 Sherbourne Rd, Briar Hill, 3088.

http://www.whittlesealeader.com.au/a..._wpv_news.html

I think everyone should email whittlesea@leadernews papers.com.au and tell them that they don't want a Skopjian branch..I'm sure plenty of Skops will be writing in, but if we have many Greeks writing in then the general concesus amongst the Australian population will be that the Skopians are just bringing trouble and we don't need them.