Everyone seemed to enjoy last week’s exercise in joining the dots, so let’s have another round, which is even more astounding. Townsville City Council re-staffing is becoming more and more like a masked ball – who are some our new Walker Street masters really? The ‘Pie scratches into the mud.
And we drop in to Adele The Impaler’s virtual office for a startling glimpse of her world view that unemployment is a plus for Townsville.
Our favourite bankrupt ends up in hospital after an argument with a tree. The tree won.
And the G20 circus casts the sensible German head of state Angela Merkel as the spokesperson for everyman when it comes to the world champion ‘tweeter twit’. Which also prompted The ‘Pie to revisit a different era, when a President spoke mature English to make hilarious jibes at the Russians.
But first …
Be Warned, Hanson Is Hovering
What is it with Pauline Hanson and things that fly? The matter of who bought and owns her campaign plane still remains unresolved in many minds. The ‘Pie was always worried from the safety aspect, because it most likely had a tendency to lean violently over to its right wing.
Now she’s in the aviation naughty corner again for deciding to fly a drone off her South Townsville balcony during the week. Perhaps she was showing solidarity with the Games of Drones across in Walker Street, as she displayed a Trump-like childish delight in flying what is essentially a toy … and for no reason at all, not even a hokey zinger in sight. But her querulous little-girly squeaking on social media as she maneuvered the craft high above the street sent social media into immediate hyper-ventilation. And they could be right, she could cop a $900+ fine from the aviation regulators for her tomfoolery.
Even Bentley was alarmed.
But despite all the huffing and puffing, it was worth it for Waleed Aly’s classy putdown on The Project when he said, quote:
‘I’m sick and tired of people coming to this country and breaking our laws’.
Adele The Impaler Young Looks On The Bright Side
Our Council CEO makes her bid for the Mother Theresa Compassionate Cup.
As a CEO implementing a callous sacking regime at the Townsville Council, CEO Adele Young obviously is looking for a positive to ease the community anger towards her. So she took to cyber space to trumpet how lucky we are to have so many unemployed.
Somehow, one can’t imagine Ms Young has a future in crisis management. Any management, really.
The Council Clean-Out: It’s Not Who’s Going That’s The Worry, It’s Who’s Coming
Seems Jenny Hill’s screeching about thinking local, buying local, doing whatever can be done locally to boost our ailing economy applies to us, the great unwashed, and not to her exalted self. Is Townsville destined to be run by remote control from the south? And controlled by Labor’s yesterday’s men (and women).
Following on the unique situation of the specially-selected council Procurment Manager working out of her office in Melbourne, we now also have a Fly In-Fly Out offsider for the CEO herself.
First the Procurement matter. First, here is how Local Government rules describe the job.
Local Government Procurement (LGP) provides a fully-integrated procurementservice to councils and associated organisations. The bulk supply arrangements established by LGP are a cost-effective solution to supply councils with the goods and services they need.
Surely face-to-face meetings, even the occasional site inspection, would be expected to be part of the job. But now we have the unprecedented situation that our head of Procurement, Juliana Tiong, is ‘procuring’ for the council from her home office in Melbourne.
Ms Tiong accepted the job as offered by the chummy Ms Young, , moved here but quickly ‘discovered’ she couldn’t stay here, unable to make the move to Townsville with her child or children, for reasons not known. So she announced she was returning to Melbourne. Now at this point, it would be an unfortunate turn of events for her at a professional level, but these ‘unforeseen’ difficulties crop up from time to time, and positions are re-advertised. But Ms Tiong didn’t resign, to allow someone else to become a resident and fill her position. (And procurements people aren’t that hard to find, The ‘Pie is told.)
Her chum the CEO, agreed that she could do the Townsville procurement job from her home office – in Melbourne. It is assumed that the CEO’s BFF, Mayor Mullet, didn’t raise any objection.
That if nothing else, that sets a precedent that means we could have all sorts of departments run by people in Adelaide, Sydney or Oodnadatta – or Mumbai for that matter. There is no such thing as a one-off in local government, there are only precedents which give others legal grounds to argue they should be allowed the same privilege. Why Ms Tiong is regarded as having to retain this position in these extraordinary circumstances has not been explained, but one thing is for sure. She owes The Impaler and The Mullet big time.
But this could just be the start. In an even more , the new Community Relations manager is Stephen Beckett. This is how The Impaler made it known.
From the CEO today: I am also pleased to announced the appointment of Stephen Beckett as General Manager, Community Engagement. Stephen has extensive experience in both Government and private sector. He has most recently worked as a senior manager at advisory firm Next Level Strategic Services. Previously he has held positions including Manger of External Relations at public sector super fund QSuper, and served as Deputy Chief of Staff, to Premiers Anna Bligh and Peter Beattie. Stephen will commence duties on Monday July 31st
And don’t worry about Beattie and Bligh, this from notes of Next Level Strategic Services old website:
Stephen was recently involved in the forward team for the 2015 State election supporting the then Leader of the Opposition who was subsequently elected as Premier.
So NOW we’ve got him. Wow!
Getting the message yet? If not, you will now when you learn that one Richard Holliday has been slotted in as Senior Executive Officer to the – ta da! – CEO. That would be The Impaler. But it would appear at best, Dicky-boy will be on hand only on weekdays, if that, and will be a FIFO man – at council expense – as he makes his weary way to The Gold Coast and back. Dicky-boy is a card-carrying member of the ALP and the ex of former ALP Assistant Secretary and former Brisbane City Councillor Linda Holliday . The Gold Coast Bulletin has on occasion described him as the only man who can put the Gold Coast back on track, and he has been involved in several mayoral elections down … despite mixed outcomes, the paper dubbed him the ‘mayor maker’. One gets the vibe that his gatekeeper role for The Impaler is part of an overall more obscure strategy. Be interesting to see his travel expenses, because it is hard to believe that such a deeply embedded labor mover and shaker will be content standing around Townsville holding his willy on weekends.
And you can bet the wall of insulation against future shocks will grow even bigger around the CEO and the mayor by the day.
Maybe Ms Young and Mayor Mullet figure the appointment of all these abundantly credentialed folk fresh from the Labor’s Sheltered Workshop Jobs Agency will wow us yokels with their exalted presence. Sadly we’ll have to wait almost three years to find out how flabbergasted we are … and then we can only turf out The Mullet and her turgid crew.
All this from a mayor who bought her ratepayer funded vehicle in Brisbane and had us pay to have it freighted up here, all because of a spate with a local dealer who refused to put in a false insurance claim for her. Buy loco, maybe?
And While We’re Joining Dots …
Here’s a few tidbits for further contemplation.
More than a few people around town have been wondering how the Wingate Properties development finally got through council, after having been rejected more than once on the grounds that it’s Rasmussen development was outside the City Plan guidelines. Well, it’s been bruited about of late that Wingate Property’s boss Stephen Williams was and is great mates with erstwhile Ipswich mayor and money courier Paul Pissale . They owned a Brisbane apartment together which was the scene of exotic parties years ago. Wingate Properties is believe to have started out in Ipswich, and although William’s company got a couple of interesting developments got through council, Pissale always has denied in best Emperor’s new clothes fashion, that there was a conflict of interest.
Now our own Mayor Mullet has not hidden her admiration and good friendship with Mr Pissale, and has in the past vowed to copy his approach to local government. That is reflected in her recent statement regarding the aforementioned council appointments, to wit:
‘That’s what it’s about, getting away from traditional local government thinking and bringing in people of industry with new types of thinking,” Cr Hill said.’
It is suggested that Mr Pissale was the one to introduce Mayor Mullet to Stephen Williams, maybe, maybe not.
What is a fact is that Mr Williams is obviously a man who does not take no for an answer – Wingate donated around $57,000 to Team Jenny Hill in the last election. Obviously no dill and using the tried and true two bob each way in political donations, he dropped more than $70,000 into Jayne Arlett’s war chest (whatever good use she put that to was not apparent during the campaign).
Now this was after Mayor Hill apparently persuaded the Townsville First mob to reverse their decision on the development, overrule planning staff and approve 1400-house project. No one is really sure why.`
BTW, Wingate’s PR guru is one Mickey Baker, who is Mullet advisor Dolan Hayes’ brother-in-law. Funny ol’ world aint it? Things are so chummy around this town, it really does give you a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Down In NSW, They’re Changing The Rules –
And that’s a dilemma for some, especially in corrupt NSW.
Speaking Of Fuzzy – More Gore-y Details
No one can say that the boorish warned-off financial scammer Craig Gore, is going around the bend. The sad truth is that he failed to TAKE the bend.
Recently, after leaving the Hinchinbrook Restaurant owned by a Passage Holdings, who say they’ve disowned him as a consultant, Gore managed to have an argument a tree, which the tree easily won.
Despite being just a few metres from home, Gore did enough damage to himself to end up in the Innisfail Hospital for a while. The vehicle was said to be a write-off.
Gore is cooling his heels in Cardwell under a magistrate’s order until he appears in a Brisbane court next Friday to answer a dozen fraud charges. Coppersnabbed him as he was trying to leave the country for Sweden, where his tax-evading wife lives.
Merkel The Magnificent
OK, so she’s no glamour, but Germany’s Angela Merkel is The ‘Pie’s pin-up this week. Hard to believe that Teutonic bluntness could be so appealing, but her reaction to world leaders – particularly Trump and Putin – has delighted the world. One photograph in particular started a world-wide caption competition. Just loved the winner. And her eye-roll when Putin was ‘mansplaining ‘something to her was classic.
Angela you angel!!!
And the wife of the Polish President got one back for Angela, who’s hand Trump had refused to shake during her US visit. Accidental or not, delicious!!!
And There Was A Time …
Funny thinking back how some people thought Ronny Reagan was a bit of a joke president. But at least he was articulate. He made a speciality of making jokes about the Russians … in actual speech. Enjoy and remember the good old days.
That’s it for this week, lots of other stuff for later. And don’t forget the comments during the week, have your say, comical or otherwise. And if you feel it’s worth it, visit the Donate button below. Thanks
