Hi Mick
I know you say we have the numbers,things seem to be very quiet on the TV today Tuesday. What is happening as it seems to be a lot of transport back on the roads today.Have you had any progress with the list of demands, would really like to know how this is all going.Is every thing still on track with the shutdown. We support the shutdown and hope we achieve what we started out to do.

I don't know whether the Australian economy is deliberately being collapsed by economic hit men but the Federal government will not stop pushing this carbon trading industry scheme nonsense and wants to bring in carbon taxes in a hurry to kill off the transport industry and farmers. That is all they can talk about.
Democracy is very sick and dying as the controlled
media in bed with governments tells us what to do and what to think.

HEY MICK STILL PLENTY OF TRUCKS COMING THRU COONABARABRAN> CANT THESE DICKHEADS SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOIN EVERYBODY MUST STOP TO MAKE THIS WORK YOU HAVE %110 SUPPORT HERE

Scott Driscoll of the Retailer's Association just used those words again on the ABC. I wish he wouldn't because it is not true. He also said drivers should use consultation with the government.
Paul Lucas the acting transport minister said it doesn't seem that many truck drivers are striking , he wanted to talk more about the blockcade in the city, he said rego increases are necessary because of road damage.

STAY STAUNCH STAND STRONG

Stay staunch boys & girls, keep hearing from different opperation managers that we are doin' it the wrong way, as so clearly stated by so many others talk is cheap. actions are like a picture they say it all. the problem with the talking option is that to many of those that have been appointed as our so called spokes person's are no better than politicians, everytime that they open there mouth nothing but bullshit comes out. I have noticed that a lot of our so called consultants are ex military, the problem with these people is that there is no need for them to opperate within a budget. how the fuck can they then work out what is the most cost benifit way to run a commercial business, if as a owner you have the need to use the services of a consultant in relation to the new regulations that are coming in then i suggest that you check to see where there initial training has come from.
I have personally quit my last job as they keep pushing to drive through this stop work
for those that say I cant afford to have 2 weeks off , CAN YOU AFFORD THE NEW FINES THAT THEY ARE PROPOSING ????
We were all informed that this is what we should be doing 8 or more weeks ago
IF YOU DON'T STOP NOW DON'T WHINGE ABOUT THE FINES WHEN THEY BECOME A REALITY. YOU HAVE YOUR CHANCE STAND STRONG STAY STAUNCH, OLD SCHOOL ALL THE WAY.
NO GUTS NO GLORY

JASON

I will be staying out for the duration,
have been waiting for this shut down for the last 18mths, better late than never

The shutdown has made front page news in Dubbo, no doubt due to the influence of Leo Fardell and Pilons. Congrats and good luck!! Any news on the meeting held in Parkes today?

HEY, WHATS GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN THE TRUCK DRIVERS START SUING THESE LARGER COMPANIES BECAUSE CHAIN OF RESPONSABILITY WHEN THEY MAKE YOU DRIVE WITH THREATS IF YOU STOP YOU LOSE YOUR CONTRACT AND THEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, WELL THEN THEY ARE HELD LIABLE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED,AND TAKE THE MANAGEMENT FOR ALL. I'M A VERY PROUD TRUCK DRIVER FOR OVER 28 YEARS AND I THINK WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THE 70'S/80'S WHEN ALL WERE MATES!

i am very sad to say i was in toowoomba getting some maintenance done and had lunch at the bp on torr street there was just one truck after another coming out of brisbane of general and onion carters here we are with tippers pulled up running cattle out of grain and these idiots are feeding the people and no one will care if they can still get there milk and bread come on guys last time i looked the cattle in the feedlots dont give a shit about what happens i feel like the only people feeling any pain is us who have pulled up through loss of income what do you do loose money or go back to work like everyone else

Sick of the Bullshit
Letter to the Editor

2nd of August 2008

In response to Mick Pattel calling stoppage off

In last Thursday's Toowoomba Chronicle newspaper, page 5, it reads as follows –

Stoppage called off

A TRUCKING group protesting against demerit points and registration costs has called off its national stoppage.

The National Road Transport Forum (NRTF) organiser Mick Pattell said both the Queensland and New South Wales transport ministers were on holidays and unable to meet the group.

The industrial action, which began on Monday and was planned to last for two weeks.

Mr Pattell said the stoppage also had been hijacked by other trucking groups with different and vested interests including the Australian Long Distance Owners and Drivers Association (ALDODA) which began a protest on Monday against high fuel prices and pay rates.

Lyn Bennetts Responds:

The Transport Industry Shutdown:

ALDODA actually began our protest in April 2008 which had been planned for a number of months before.

I Lyn Bennetts organized the first shutdown meeting on the 4th of May 2008 at the BP at Archerfield. Mick Pattel contacted me after this meeting and asked if he could join us in our shutdown.

Mick Pattel was the one hijacking the meetings after he used me to fund the advertising by way of printing and distribution costs to advertise our joint meeting in Townsville on the 24th of May 2008 almost three weeks after the first meeting; it was my efforts that advertised this meeting in Townsville that was to be held at 10 am at the RSL Club.

Mick Pattel then changed the venue at the last minute and I was kicked out of that meeting by his security guards whom he organized for an open meeting???

I advertised that meeting at my own expense and Mick Pattel would not allow me to address the owner drivers and drivers for whom this meeting was being held.

For verification of the donations received and the events that unfolded at his meeting including pictures contact ALF Wilson Journalist on mobile 040800930. As it turned out Mick has his own political party, the Southern Cross Party and Mick is the one that has always had the political agenda. Mick received $30,000.00 in donations to support the transport industry at this one single meeting; he then went on to hold another five meetings around the country; receiving more funding at each meeting. Mick Pattel uses people to advertise his meetings and then kicks them out in front of everyone to make it look like we are hijacking his meetings. Mick Pattel also did the same thing to Peter Schuback with the Toowoomba meeting his number is 0408458232 for verification.

As I didn’t want to divide the unity that we desperately need in this industry to succeed; I have made a point of not saying anything against Mick Pattel before this; accept to expose his southern cross party website; but instead of Mick Pattel backing away from this shutdown quietly he’d rather rubbish the hard efforts of ALL concerned and turn his back on his own supporters; well what’s new?

You may also like to ask Mick what happened to the other $170,000.00 that was donated to the shutdown from his other meetings for the use of owner operators and drivers in the interstate transport industry shutdown.

And if Mick is so much against the Australian Long Distance Owners & Drivers Association who is not owned by anyone and was simply set up to represent owners & drivers eight years ago; then why has he along with Melissa Armstrong and Tom Desmond registered a company with ASIC on the 30/06/08 in Toowoomba called the Australian Long Distance Owner & Drivers Pty Ltd ACN number: 131 960 088? The only ones they are hurting by stealing the ALDODA name is the Owners & Drivers that Mick is hoping to get the votes from to get him into parliament!
The only ones who stand to achieve or lose anything through the Australian Long Distance Owners & Drivers Association Inc is Owners & Drivers of this industry (Not me)

And just for the record Mick Pattel and Peter Schuback told their supporters to stay at home during the shutdown; so it's fair to say that the majority of supporters who were seen out protesting were actually ALDODA supporters; I'm not saying that others weren't involved I'm just saying that the majority were ALDODA so we must have done something right!

The only vested interest that I have, if you can call it that; is that I have been in this industry for 20 years; my husband has been in it for 29 years and his father for 45 years; this is a family business that has stood the test of time and thousands of people in this industry are suffering the same as we are. I have been fighting for better pay and conditions for eight years as the ALDODA spokesperson and one of the organizers of Blockade 2000 which achieved the chain of responsibility that ALDODA are now forming a class action on against the Government. I am now the QLD President (I do not receive wages or income of any kind from ALDODA) I pay all of the expenses out of my own pocket and it has cost me $20,000.00 of my own money to represent this industry and all I want is safety first and foremost, viability and sustainability for every owner operator and driver which this industry has never had since the history of the transport industry began.

I am not running in politics and I do not have my own political party and neither am I involved with one; and while Mick Pattel is busy climbing his political ladder we are all left stuck in an industry that has 370 deaths per year and thousands of owner driver and driver bankruptcies, closely followed by hundreds of marriage breakdowns and suicides.

All I have ever wanted is to UNITE the people on the same issues and Mick Pattel has done everything in his power to divide us. Mick Pattel called off his side of the shutdown; and what did we achieve? (Nothing)! We must continue with protests otherwise the future of our industry is doomed to financial ruin and monopolization.

This fight is NOT OVER; in fact it’s just BEGINNING!

United we WILL make a Difference!

Yours sincerely

Lyn Bennetts

Queensland President of ALDODA

Australian Long Distance Owners & Drivers Association

P.O Box 3190

Browns Plains LPO

Browns Plains QLD 4118

Mobile 0420984261

Fax 0732975887

Email l...@aldoda.com