Dino's Election Diary
24 Nov 2007 - Will be in New Norfolk handing out 'How to vote' cards and then going around to other booths to where my supporters are. Will be at the Italian Cultural Centre for a celebration at 6.30pm onwards. All welcome!!! Media called me since they realise that I am a dark horse in this election and they (like we have realised) see that I have a big chance at getting a Senate seat. They want to know where I am and where we are having the celebration. Interesting that they finally see that there is a great deal of support for me.
23 Nov 2007 - Last minute deliveries to supporters. I also met Mick and Chris for a final strategy meeting. I have received over 250 sms and email messages from around the state. There is even one from a friend in Taiwan who has just voted for me! The support is deeply humbling. Gave more flyers to community groups. So many people are supporting me to make the Senate Independent.
22 Nov 2007 - This morning I attended court with a great friend and supporter Steve Fisher, an advocate for taking action against paedophiles. The Tasmanian Court was to hear a decision against paedophiles behind closed doors. We were trying to stop it as we believe it should be an open process. Later in the day I meet with the team. At night I meet with another of my friends Steve from the Greek Community. Together we meet lots of wonderful people from the Greek Community who want to know what I stand for. It’s great to have my multi-lingual pamphlet to give them.
21 Nov 2007 - Early morning meeting with some supporters who need my advice about a work place issue. We spend a bit of time together and then I go back home to check e-mails and ring back people enquiring about my policies. Some of their questions are very specific but I am okay with letting them know what I believe. They are so supportive!
20 Nov 2007 - Today I am off to Launceston again to chat to the Italian Pensioner Club in Prospect. Many of them have already had my pamphlet delivered in their letterboxes! But I now have an Italian and Greek version of my pamphlet which I pass around. Its great meeting with these people. Some even remember my family in Hobart and one pensioner said he knew who I was as he had met me 19 years earlier on a tour to Hobart. He does have a good memory. Back home to Hobart late afternoon.
19 Nov 2007 - Again it’s a day on the phone. Many people are starting to call me and ask me for my opinions on various issues. It’s great to talk to people. There are heaps of enquiries every day now.
18 Nov 2007 - Today is my niece's birthday party and it’s great to see the whole family and spend some time with them. They really are great! Then its home to organise letterboxing and placards.
17 Nov 2007 - Early in the morning I set off for Hobart again. I want to get back to see the family and to attend the Wilderness Society Rally against the Pulp Mill. There are so many people there. Unfortunately I don’t get back in time to see union float in the Christmas Pageant, but I am told it’s a lot of fun and looked really good. Rest of the day is spent at home on the phone!
16 Nov 2007 - Today I pick up more pamphlets from the printers. I drive to George Town to deliver the pamphlets and placards and then on to Launceston. I attend the Arthritis Foundation Quiz. I sponsored two tables - one from the Northern Suburbs Community Centre who needed a good break and night out and the other was a collection of business people, union activists and myself. It was a great night with lots of fun had by all but for such a worthy cause. I was able to win an auction of a wonderful penguin print by Gayle Ellen Burnett. Nicky will definitely like it!!! Tim Cox was a great commentator and since I sponsored a raffle prize I was then asked to pick out the tickets.
Back home the Unions Tas float for tomorrow's Christmas Pageant is being prepared at our place by union workers. Nicky rings me and tells me it looks great.
15 Nov 2007 - Today is spent in the car delivering pamphlets. I drive from Glenorchy to all the way down to Cygnet. Everywhere I am stopped and chat to people. Later at home I spend a lot of time putting my thoughts down on various topics which will become my policies. I want these to go on to the website. People need to know what I believe in.
14 Nov 2007 - I spend a lot of time on the phone today organising more pamphlets.
13 Nov 2007 - Meetings, meetings, meetings. When will it stop!! I love the support however, and there are so many people doing letterboxing. Wow....!
12 Nov 2007 - I seem to run from one meeting to another. It gets really hectic but I still manage to sit down with Nicky for lunch. In the late afternoon I also meet up with Mick and Chris for another team meeting.
11 Nov 2007 - Today the family drive up to Launceston with me. I attend the Global Warming rally organised by local community groups. It’s a good turn out. I am feeling exhausted but am spurred on by people’s beliefs and their care for our planet. After the rally and a quick bite to eat we head home to Hobart.
10 Nov 2007 - I continue to organise letterboxing and deliver more pamphlets to my wonderful supporters who are hitting the pavement and wearing out their shoes to help me! I do feel overwhelmed with the support. It’s very humbling.
9 Nov 2007 - Today is Friday and it is Sacred Hearts School Fair - last year I was away in Queenstown and I did not participate and contribute to the fair. My children made me promise that I should definitely do this fair ... so I spend most of the day organising and cooking the pasta and sauce!
I have great support in my wife Nicky and a great friend Katrina who is already helping in my campaign. They sold about $750 worth of pasta and the students benefit from this and the many other parents who are doing and have done a great deal more with the school. It makes me think that schools obviously need more funding if parent help like this all over Tasmania is relied upon by the school! If elected I will ensure that proper resourcing of all schools (especially the schools with more needy students and parents) are funded much more, and the ones not needing it not funded as much.
8 Nov 2007 - Today I spend the day organising more meetings, T-Shirts and for the first time I have 'How to vote' cards. I organise them to be printed on recycled papers. My printers have done an awesome job and are so helpful.
7 Nov 2007 - I have already run out of the 10,000 flyers and have ordered another 5,000 and these have mostly already been earmarked for the 15 or so people that have called to do letterboxing!!!! This is truly amazing!
More phone calls, more people supporting me. Have had more organisations supporting me in the background that want to be anonymous. I think that people feel intimidated sometimes and do not want to go public in their support of an Independent. I will make sure that people feel that those people that are the silent majority have a voice in the Senate.
Have organised the How to Vote Cards and have also, as per Mick Cooks idea, had T-shirts organised for printing that say "Is Dino- Is Good! Vote Senate Independent etc..." This is a good idea and everyone that I speak to about it feels that it is really great! Many people will be covering the major booths in Tasmania and will wear these! People are already saying that they will want to keep them and pay for them! They have done enough and I will give it to them for nothing!
Have also spoken to several business networks that are disillusioned with the election and want to support me! This is amazing!
6 Nov 2007 - The pace is really going now! Tuesday is more phone calls, more letterboxing more meetings with people and organisations! It is great! Many people are ringing wanting to letterbox their areas. So many that I am going to have to get more flyers again already!!! The people at NewPrint are being so very patient.
I am also getting many people who have real and immediate problems at work or in organisations or with the Council or State Government or with other Federal Government agencies that need immediate help. I try to help them as much as possible... I also promise that I can help them as best I can after the election and some I connect them with people who can help them. There is a real need for people to get help instead of what happens now.... Some people pretend to help others and do not much and the situation gets worse! I do not think many Senate Candidates (who are not in the Senate yet) leave their campaign to help people in need!
5 Nov 2007 - Absolutely frantic Monday. More flyers needed 10,000 of them! There are problems with the TV commercial (apparently the approving body does not understand that I am an Independent Senate Group!! They do not know the rules!) All gets sorted ok though. Have meetings with community groups and supporters and co-ordinators of my campaign in Launceston and Devonport.
Things are really taking off in the North and the North West. So much support, so many people volunteering to help me as an Independent Candidate. People really want Independence in the Senate and they feel I can deliver that! And I will....
Anthea in Launceston is really energetic and there are some amazing things planned by my friend Mike in Devonport, Ulverstone and Burnie! It is fantastic.!
4 Nov 2007 - Sunday, and I take the family out for brunch. Family day again but always time for phone calls and organizing letterbox dropping, commercials and other campaign processes.
3 Nov 2007 - More pamphlet dropping today at Port Arthur and Cygnet. In total, I have delivered 7000 pamphlets to my supporters ready for letterboxing. Group voting ticket is sent into the Australian Electoral Commission. This has been a very difficult period and it has been so bad that I turned off my mobile! This whole matter of preferences by parties should be changed so that people themselves should pick the Senators they want.
2 Nov 2007 - Our Group Voting Ticket is due into the Australian Electoral Commission tomorrow, so the team meet again to analyze this whole process. Thank goodness for Mick and Chris, Mick is a whiz at this sort of thing, so I leave it in his capable hands to help with the complex process. At 12pm today, we find out who the candidates are in the Senate. There appears to be some new political parties!
The order of the ballot paper is also done at the Electoral Commission. Firstly, all the political parties are given a random number – ours is number 7. Then each number is given a random number that represents where that party will be placed in the ballot paper, our column is number 7…again! Number 7 is also my son’s favourite number!
I collect the 10,000 extra pamphlets from the Printers. Chris takes an extra 2000 and Mick takes an extra 500 immediately. I also manage to attend a former colleagues’ farewell at the Republic Bar.
Tonight we also attend the ABC Giving Tree Quiz night at the Derwent Bowls Club in North Hobart hosted by Tim Cox. Strangely our table number is 7! What a wonderful night and for such a great cause. There were various auctions and I bid on a prize which allows you to be a guest on Tim Cox’s discussion with Ross Solly on the ABC Radio – I won! Tim is such a great commentator.
1 Nov 2007 - Nominations have closed at 12pm today. We will see shortly who else is standing. Our team is now officially registered which is a huge weight off our minds. Today, I also go past the Printers to check out my posters. They look great. They should be ready soon. Now the Local Government elections are over, it’s time to start putting posters and banners up. A few supporters have managed to find me some prominent sites for the very large banners. Nicki leaves for work meetings interstate so I get to pick up the kids from school, something I always enjoy.
I meet with the Make a Wish Foundation to provide them with the $200 worth of cheques form the SPAGFEST charity event we held in Wynyard.
I attend the Hobart Zebra Committee dinner at D’Angelo’s. Great food, good fun and I also tried to see how we could try and help the Northern Suburbs Community Centres to get a dual cab for their services and programs in Launceston. My friend, Nicki from Tilfords is going to look into it.
31 Oct 2007 - More meetings and more delivering pamphlets. I even fitted in getting new tyres for the car (I have covered many kilometers already). I have already been able to deliver most of the 5000 pamphlets to supporters who are already letterbox dropping. I cannot believe the number of pamphlets are disappearing so quickly. I ordered some 10,000 more pamphlets from the Printers, it is good that they will be folding them this time! I put in the agent form in the Electoral Commission. Our nominations are in already.
30 Oct 2007 - Today is taken up by various meetings. I also start to deliver pamphlets to my supporters. Managed to fit in lunch with Nicki.
29 Oct 2007 - Met with the team again today. Mick Cook and Chris Smallbane have been such a support to me and their advice is invaluable. Noelene drops off 5000 pamphlets. They look great! There are lots of people that want to help deliver them. I bring the pamphlets home and the whole family get together to start folding. If I get any more, I may see if the Printers can fold them!
28 Oct 2007 - Sunday is the day of rest and a family day. Was nice to just stay at home and relax. Helped to recharge the old battery. Also managed to do the odd job or two. But even though it was a family day, I also managed to slip in a few phone calls to friends and supporters who have offered support and want to help letterboxing.
27 Oct 2007 - Another meeting with the team. Things are starting to wind up even more. Nicki rings me to inform me that one of my letters to the editor has appeared in the Mercury. My letter explains the difficulties involved in running for the Senate as an Independent rather than belonging to a Political party. Although it is difficult, it makes us even more determined to do well as we all believe deeply in the power of the people.
26 Oct 2007 - Today I visit the Australian Electoral Commission to lodge our Team’s Senate Nomination forms, as well as pay for our nomination fee. Because of changes to Electoral Laws in this election, the fee is $1000 for each candidate. We only have the agent form to provide and then it is all finalized. I cannot believe that we are close to finalizing this phase of the process. It’s definitely happening – Dino’s Independent Senate Team are going to be in the race.
25 Oct 2007 - Back to reality and the campaign trail. The Senate Independent Team meets again to finalise more action for the election.
22 – 24 Oct 2007 - I am going to take three days off from the campaign trail to attend my son’s school camp. This year it is at Dysart and we have to deal with 60 very excited school kids! This is my 4th school camp, so I am a bit of an old hand at it. Teachers are great and I try to help them where I can.
21 Oct 2007 - After a bit of a sleep in, I spend the day with the family. We have lunch together and start to get ready for tomorrow. I spend the afternoon doing some more organising – more lists and more phone calls! have a quick meeting with Mick to expand on phone calls which we have been exchanging.
20 Oct 2007 - Spagfest hits the Devonport Mall! Spagfest brings people together and everyone has a good laugh. It’s another good turn out! This time the Organisation to receive the funds raised is Gran’s Van. Mary Binks, former Mayor of Devonport, runs the mobile soup kitchen along with some very able volunteers.
"... The Gran's Van Team...".
On returning to Hobart, a very tired Senate Independent Candidate just makes it to the Tilford Zebras Trophy night. The atmosphere is friendly and electric and my tiredness leaves me as I assist handing out trophies. I even come home with a couple of trophies myself, one for being a committee member and the other for playing in the Zebras 3rd Division Soccer team.
19 Oct 2007 Today my family and I are off to Launceston. We had organised a Spagfest in the Launceston Mall with all proceeds going to the Northern Suburbs Community Centre. After the success of Spagfest at the Wynyard Tulip Festival the previous Saturday, I am really looking forward to today. Spagfest is a great success!
Donations and awareness for the Community Centre was fantastic! Even the media was there with great coverage from Win TV and the Examiner Newspaper. After a quick visit to the Community Centre, where we see first hand the great work that they do, we head off to Devonport for another Spagfest event.
On the way, Nicki answers my mobile and I pull over to take the call. As I take the call, I notice something moving on the other side of the highway. It’s an injured echidna. I quickly finish my call, and armed with a polar fleece and a cardboard box, I carefully cross the highway and attend to the echidna. I wrapped him in the polar fleece and scoop him in the box. On the way to Devonport, Nicki makes a few calls to Parks and Wildlife Services. They advise us to take the echidna to the Forbes Street Veterinary Clinic, which we did. The whole family says a prayer for our little friend knowing that we are leaving him in very good hands.
18 Oct 2007 - Finishing touches are made to the flyers which will be delivered to letterboxes. I have had so many people offering to distribute flyers for me. I feel very humble to have so much support.
17 Oct 2007 - The vision for the commercial is finalised and the script recorded.
16 Oct 2007 - I spend the day finalising action lists and lots of phone calls. I need to review the flyer that is being developed by a friend who is spending time formatting and developing the final version.
15 Oct 2007 - I spend the morning at the Workers Compensation Tribunal assisting someone with a serious work issue. This person is in need of help and cannot afford a lawyer (a fact that is lost in the Justice System that I feel needs to be rectified)
In the afternoon, I meet with a friend who is going to shoot my TV commercial for the election. We shoot some vision and organise for the script to be finalised.
14 Oct 2007 - After having travelled back from Wynyard the night before, I am up really early and off to the airport to farewell a cousin who has been visiting from overseas. At the airport, I meet some friends who inform me that the newspapers are saying that the Prime Minister is in Canberra. Later that day, the election date is announced – 24th November. It begins! Lots to do.
13 Oct 2007 - Speculation is rife that the Prime Minister is going to name the election date tomorrow. I have tried to prepare for this moment since the end of the last election in 2004. The media reports state that the Prime Minister has booked to see the Governor General in Canberra.
Despite this, my community work continues and I travel with Mick Cook to the Wynyard Tulip Festival where I have organised a Spagfest (a spaghetti eating competition for charity) It is a very successful day where teams of eaters from St Brigid’s School, Wynyard and the Union movements – Your Rights @ Work – teams have fun and eat their way to be crowned Wynyard Spagfest Champion and have a place in this years’ December Hobart Mall Statewide Spagfest Championship. All money raised at the Wynyard Tulip Festival Spagfest goes to the Make a Wish Foundation.
On our way back to Hobart, we stop to see a very good friend in Ulverstone, Mike Wickham. He is helping my campaign to make the Senate Independent.
12 Oct 2007 - The Senate Independent Team (myself, Mick Cook and Chris Smallbane) meet to discuss the Electoral Commission requirements and relevant paperwork to be completed.
