Peter Batchelor

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Peter Batchelor (born 1950) is an Australian politician. He has been an Australian Labor Party member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly since 1990, representing the electorate of Thomastown. He is the state Minister for Transport, Manager of Government Business in the Legislative Assembly.

Prior to entering politics he was the state secretary of the Australian Labor Party from 1983 to 1990. Before that he worked for a time at the Furnishing Trades Union.

While state secretary of the Labor Party, Batchelor was involved in a scandal surrounding the 1985 Nunawading by-election. He was accused of distributing misleading how-to-vote cards which claimed to be a vote for "nuclear disarmament", leading voters to conclude they were voting for the Nuclear Disarmament Party. [link] Unilateral nuclear disarmament was a popular cause within the Left during the 1980s. Police investigated the matter and Batchelor was not charged with any criminal offence.

Unfortunately, Peter Batchelor has been met with fierce critisism following the release of the 'Transport and Liveability Statement'. The Public Transport Users Association slammed what was offered and have called for his resignation. The largest environmental campaign in Melbourne had started. The problem being that a lack of rail extensions, continued construction of freeways and the poor privately owned tram and train network in Melbourne will ensure a bad future for all Victorians.

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