When a bullying judge makes it personal in court, quite often the innocent victims of the bile are litigants and defendants who just unwittingly chose a legal team with whom the judge has a personal score to settle. But when it comes to disciplining the errant beak, the judicial crowd is as bad as the Catholic Church is with priests. Is it time for independent oversight?
So just what did Judge Guy Andrew do and say … The ‘Pie posts the transcript … and parts of it reads like Monty Python meets The Two Ronnies. Loopy stuff.
With so much COVID cash floating about, Mayor Mullet polishes up the begging bowl and seeks funds our long delayed entertainment center. But why Dean Park? Will political spite rob us of the best option?
In a decision made some time ago, Coralee O’Rourke announced this weekend that she will not contest her seat in next month state election. But Labor is now in panic mode … The ‘Pie is told that the front runner for the gig WILL NOT run this time (smart move) but two potential candidates should make you afraid … very afraid.
And it would be comforting to know we have a expert medical eggheads in charge during the pandemic, but seems Queensland isn’t the only place where we ended up with a scrambled egghead … Canada takes that prize.
(Bentley is on a two week break.)
Political Shenanigans To The Bitter End
Seems the wheels have really have come Labor’s bandwagon in Townsville. It appears that Coralee O’Rort’s resignation announcement this weekend was no last minute decision, she has known for some time that she wouldn’t be running again, but, good Labor trooper that she is, blatantly lied when she insisted as late as last week they she would be in the race. this was supposed to give Labor time to have a suitable replacement to ready to be introduced.
Well, The ‘Pie’s sources inside local Labor say O’Rort had made a deadline and went ahead the announcement without any suitable left wing faction replacement in sight. There has been speculation Cathy O’Toole’s former staffer Stephanie Naunton was a likely successor, but The Magpie has been told that, given the state of the state, Naunton isn’t willing to take one for the party this time around – a losing gig first time up can be a real career killer.
It’s certain The Tool herself will not opt for further political suicide – she interpreted a dream she had, apparently, but YIKES!!! Messagebank Walker and even his son Kyle have been mentioned. It seems that certain rules regarding the lack of a plebiscite will knock Les out of the running, but not Kyle, although whether even the obtuse Les Walker would let his son be thrown to the wolves is a matter for him.
No, The ‘Pie’s information is that Labor have jettisoned certain party membership requirements – which is several months minimum membership – and has been wheedling and hand-wringing around has been desperately canvassing some folks with what passes for a high profile locally, including several sportsmen.
There talk about someone who isn’t even a party member will be parachuted in. If that happens, then it is confirmed that a disdainful Labor hierarchy really so think we just fell off the turnip truck. But, oh, wait … then again, we did vote the current three stooges in, didn’t we?
Notice Anything Unusual About This List?
No Townsville seat mentioned! So the smart money down south (this from the Courier) says Scott Stewart unlikely to be turfed out. Interesting assessment.
When Judges Lose The Plot …
… they generally never lose their well remunerated jobs – up to around half a mill per.
After many years covering the legal industry from the outside, The Magpie never thought he could be dumbfounded by any carry on in court. But he was wrong.
Judge Guy Andrew
Judge Guy Andrew managed to outdo the reigning crown disgrace of the Federal court, the emotionally stunted Sal Vasta, with a performance in a family court matter that was simply jaw-dropping.
The issue at hand was a relatively innocuous and unremarkable matter of a property settlement and domicile rights of a child. But in what appears to be a ‘get even’ exercise of unequal court power, Judge Andrews laid into the father’s legal team in an unprecedented manner rarely heard in court.
Graeme Page QC was targeted by Judge Andrew
The ‘Pie’s information from the Legal Long Lunch News Bureau (always reliable) is the unverified suggestion that Andrew has in the past crossed swords with well respected barrister Graeme Page QC, (the father’s barrister in the case), when they had been at the bar together in Brisbane. And it’s suggested that Andrew, elevated to the bench just last year, decided he would use the massive imbalance of power a judge wields to get in a few retributive licks.
(Editor’s note: Graeme Page has subsequently contact this blog, to assert he never knew, met or opposed Guy Andrew when at the bar.)
Boy, did he ever … but in the process, he came across as an unhinged ninny intent on bullying and browbeating Page and his solicitor rather than deal with the matter in hand. On one occasion, there was a long hectoring attack regarding the word meaning of the word ‘just’, which had no bearing whatsoever on the matter, and then there was a long ramble about whether Mr Page had made the required bow when the judge entered the courtroom. And Andrews flew into a rage over two pages in a dossier being upside down.
In the end, the father was upset with outcome because he claimed the judge’s boorish and loopy behaviour (The ‘Pie’s words, not his) had robbed him of the chance of a fair hearing, and appealed the decision.
The Appeals court agreed … in the strongest possible terms. In just one of the icy blasts they delivered was this:
…a fair-minded observer might well think that his Honour bore significant animus towards Queen’s Counsel. Equally the primary judge’s treatment of the father’s solicitor, when he took over the conduct of the hearing, was hectoring, insulting, belittling, sarcastic and rude and that conduct too would, in our opinion, lead the impartial observer to the relevant apprehension (of bias against the father).
In the legal world, that’s really strong stuff.
If this is the sort of thing that flips your wig, here is the entire transcript, but for those seeking a short sample of strangeness of all this, check out paras 76, 79, 84, 87, 97.
A certain amount of pompousness as well as pomp goes the territory of being judge, one would think they have a continuous loop running through their minds of the jingle ‘You Ought To Be Congratulated’. And some insist on a high level of obsequiousness from the bar table. That’s all part of the fun of courts to the uninvolved observer, but all this goes well beyond that. And results in totally unfair collateral damage to the litigants.
So What Happens Now
Judge Andrew has been sent to the judicial naughty corner in Brisbane, currently inhabited by judicial fruitcake Sal Vasta, where he will be ‘mentored’ in how to behave like a judge.
But if he doesn’t measure up, will he be sacked?
The short answer is no, the removal of a judge requires an act of parliament, and is rare indeed … only once in Queensland history … Sal Vasta’s father Angelo got the boot in 1988, not for bad behaviour on the bench but for his friendship with suspended Queensland Police Commissioner Terry Lewis. Many regard his removal as a political knifing, because he had a lot more ability than his idiot son.
But the problem here is whether an independent body should be appointed outside both the legal and political spectrum to handle matters such as this. Currently in some ways, it is worse than the deeply dangerous practice of the police investigating themselves. At this highest level of judgeships, the legal profession tends to look after its own as much as it can get away with. Solicitors and barristers often ‘cop it sweet’, because appealing a badly behaved and bad tempered judge (with a good memory) is seen as a career-endangering and unprofitable pursuit.
The ‘Pie is reliably told there is currently a female judge in Cairns with a fearsome reputation for rudeness and belittling counsel. Her reputation for vindictiveness should her rulings be questioned is said to be to the point where the local legal folk rarely appeal her decisions. Funnily enough, one of the matters this judge had overturned in mentioned in the above transcript.
This intimidation does not sit well with the overall and generally fair, respectful and equitable administration of justice in Queensland.
Well, Suppose The Mayor Can Only Ask
The latest Townsville begging bowl project- a concert hall/cultural centre and car park, will, according to an early planning document that floated into The Nest this week, cost a cool $315 million. That is $315,000,000 – $20million more than the Total Tools Stadium. This document was lodged as a DA.
Well, good luck with that, Mayor Mullet, one can but hope you simper in the right direction.
But a concert hall- cultural centre and car park sure, but is Dean Park the place for it? The Magpie reckons our mayor is up to less than transparent tricks again, should this project get much further. The whole thing is disguised to build a car park for the stadium, which as a solo project, wouldn’t stand a chance.
The history is interesting.
First it was to be Central Park along Ross Creek, but that was scotched on several grounds, including available size. as not big enough.
Then it was somewhere adjacent to the stadium until Lancini stepped in and got his nonsense CBD-killing Centre of Excellence approved.
Then The Hive project on The Strand was the pick until the mayor had a major falling out with Griffin, one of the principal developers – it is said she also made certain demands regarding move of the council offices to the Strand, but that hasn’t been confirmed by Magpie sources. Griffin are no longer involved in the Hive site and haven’t been for the last three years.
Now with COVID cash on offer for all sorts of things, Dean Park is the go. But here’s the question … is it the right site? This DA is an apparently scaled down project, with any convention/exhibition components unsuitable and unsustainable, according to yet another council appointed consultant. And the new DA and costings are a Taskforce NQ Recovery project, so you can work out for yourself the level of honest debate there will be about this..
A related document also landed in The Nest a few days ago … a 2017 discussion paper called The No Case for Central Park. Many of the points argued by the Hive developers apply to Dean Park.
But not to worry, The Bulletin will get to the bottom of all this.
Seriously, You Have To Ask What Were They Thinking (1)
A fun time was had in comments last Tuesday.
The Magpie
September 1, 2020 at 10:55 am (Edit)
Has the funny numbers fairy is at it again down at the Astonisher? Is Caitlin Charles the latest reportert to be sprinkled with magic mathematical moon dust. This story today …
… starts off thus …
The ‘Pie is first to admit he is no ‘rithmetic genius, but trying every conceivable formula, he cannot make out what the bloody hell this weirdness means.
Can anyone enlighten the old bird?
- Mangrove Jack
September 1, 2020 at 11:22 am (Edit)
Perhaps 1483 hours / 24 hours = approx 61 days until voting
- The Magpie
September 1, 2020 at 12:35 pm (Edit)
Yup, get a gold star for your forehead. See Non Aligned Worker comment and Magpie reply.
- Non Aligned Worker
September 1, 2020 at 12:21 pm (Edit)
Magpie, nearest I can get is that there are 61 days until the election. That equates to 1,464 hours, not minutes.
There are 1440 minutes in a day.
Buggered if I know where the numbers came from.. Alternate universe perhaps?
- The Magpie
September 1, 2020 at 12:33 pm (Edit)
Ah ha! Think your right … because Ms Charles wrote the story yesterday (Monday) and was timing it from when she wrote the story, not when Bulletin readers … all eight on us …we would read it. 1,464 + say 19, depending on the time yesterday she wrote it = 1,483 – but she still managed to cock that up, confusing hours with minutes. But the strangest thing is the idiotic irrelevance of it all, even if she had the hours/minutes right.
Perhaps a more relevant coincidental connection could be that 1,483 just happens to be the number of blunders in the Bulletin in the past two years/months/weeks/days … multiple choice, take your pick.
Seriously, You Have To Ask What They Were Thinking …(2)
An old bloke gets snotted by a self-righteous cyclist on the Gold Coast, then the assailant rides off into the sunset. Coppers want to chat to the puncher, and luckily, there’s a photo been snapped of our hero. So the Courier Mail , always civic minded, offers a hand to find the bloke and publishes the photograph.
Well done Courier, great fuckin’ help.
One commenter said ‘I saw him recently building a fort in Minecraft.’ (a clever joke for our under 50s). As it turns out, the bloke turned himself in the next day, and has been charged serious assault, which raises another question.. In Queensland, even the slightest biff to anyone over 65 has to be a charge of serious assault, but this old bloke went to hospital with a broken jaw … surely that AOBH.
Seriously, You Have To Ask What They Were Thinking …(3)
Addled Eggheads abound with the coronavirus.
We thought we had the world champ of addled eggheads in Dr Jeanette Young, our Chief Medical officer. Among her more famous rulings was banning a traditional Anzac flypast of single seater vintage fighters. It was such fun watching her trying in vain to justify this brain fade, when she told the media:
“There is no health risk for someone getting in a plane, of course there isn’t,” Dr Young said. “But the health risk is if one person does that, then someone else will say ‘well maybe there’s no health risk if I go on a drive through, if I do this’.
“If you looked at each individual thing in isolation you would say ‘yep that’s fine and that’s fine and that’s fine’.
We still haven’t a clue what she was on about, but then today, The ‘Pie discovered a rival for Dr Young’s discombobulation, this woman …
Old jokes comes to mind about three paper bags for sex ‘one for her, one for you and an extra in case hers comes off ‘.
And this one ….
Our Canuck quack’s somewhat creepy suggestion of masked sex is one thing, but she seems to have coined a different euphuism for having a good old Aussie root … ‘an in-person sexual encounter.’ And she adds pleasuring yourself is best of all as far as COVID is concerned, presumably so long as you don’t breath heavily on yourself or cuddle yourself too closely when it’s all over.
But hey, maybe your taste for the exotic might run to this, especially if you’re a fan of the movie ‘Alien’, this must win an award in the Best Mask awards.
From The International Desk.
Now He Kills Jokes Too
So much for ‘vote early, vote often’, it’s now official Trump policy.
The Trumpanzee still manages to occasionally startle, as when he announced that because he believed there would be widespread voting fraud if mail-in votes were allowed, people should vote twice, once by mail and once at the polling booth. And he was serious, thus assuring there most certainly will be voter fraud.
But he continues to provide rich fodder for the other professional jokers in the USA, the cartoonists and satirists.
And If All This Is Driving You To Drink, A Couple Of Farewell Thoughts For The Week
…….
Boy, comments are getting more fun every week, if you don’t already, give it whirl, no names are collected or even known, just pick your own moniker and get stuck in. And if you can spare a few dollars for this upkeep of this weekly missive, donations are always welcome and often sorely needed. The donate button is below.
Glenn Doyle should be spending the next 2 months door knocking Mundingburra with one simple theme, “I am a police officer, I locked them up, Labor let them out” . With Idalia now in the seat of Mundingburra and getting hit nightly by these little bastards, if the LNP are ever going to change anything in this town Mundingburra is the key.
The danger, Cankers, is that all we will change is the face of the local member … once a seat is secured by any political party, electoral amnesia sets in. It’s a shame Dale Last isn’t in a Townsville seat.
Isn’t Dale an ex-copper and member of a political party Magpie? I think your logic got caught in your underwear there old mate.
Huh? Think it’s your dainties you’ve got in a bunch there, Old Timer – that is EXACTLY my point.
Or has The ‘Pie missed something?
Sorry, Barely, but that was a sort of serious inquiry … what did you actually mean, The ‘Pie doesn’t get it, but is always open to instruction (and strict discipline – from the right person.)
I thought you were saying that getting an ex copper to run for the LNP was a bad idea, then lamenting that Dale Last was not available (an LNP ex-copper)- which seemed confusing to someone still adjusting his red wine to caffeine ratio.
I’m still a little confused, but no more than usual.
See where you’re coming from now, but its the wrong direction. Just saying that a ex-copper like Last would be deadly serious about kiddy crims. New bloke might be, too, wouldn’t be hard to be more serious that the disgraceful current holes in the air.
Pity Hill doesn’t stand. Last Mayor to do that got dumped on his proverbial ass ( Mooney ).
Trouble with is that if she loses, she will still be mayor and will have been picking up her $250K+ salary while away campaigning. They’ve got the scam sewn up, have our pollies.
Hate to rain all your parades, but a couple of things to remember come election time: (a) the footy finals will be foremost in most voters minds, a happy distraction from the general unhappiness and a boon, even if accidental, for the incumbents, and (b) what is the biggest threat – crime or Covid-19? You can bet your bottom dollar both major parties know the answer to the second question.
Hahaha, why would people in Townsville be distracted by the footy finals? It is a tad academic this year.
well the courier mail didn’t miss in todays paper. Palachook isnt happy about orort leaving. Just 40 words to describe her efforts in her terms as minister, no mention about cancer. And whats more damming is in her 40 word thank you, no mention of anything the minister actually did or contributed to qld. On a ministers pay for 8yrs and nothing to show for it. Just goes to show what Townsville voters can achieve.
Judicial misbehaviour may not be of interest to many but we should realise that those who end up paying are those you have to finance an appeal. An appeal in any matter can cost in the range of 100 000 without to many issues
It should be consider that any one of us could be dragged into a matter and seek a judicial solution at some time of our life , whether it is a commercial family or criminal issue , even a minor tax matter could be dragged through the courts and cost appellants a small fortune
We must have confidence that the judicial are acting appropriately and we will receive a fair hearing
Good headlines say it in a nutshell … and this one from the INQueensland site nails it in just 13 words.
https://inqld.com.au/opinion/2020/09/01/palaszczuk-sticking-with-plan-to-keep-herself-in-by-keeping-everybody-else-out/
There must have been some targeted polling to say that public sentiment was on Nanna Anna’s side. She is on the nose in the tourist hubs, she is certainly on the nose anywhere north of Bundaberg, where there hasn’t been a confirmed community transmission in months and no cases at all apart from one of two miners coming back from PNG and in hotel quarantine and merchant navy going straight to hospital.
Looking at the Convention Centre estimate for the NQ Recovery Taskforce, two simple things Struck me. Firstly Council are still supporting local business with the Brisbane AECOM team and the Sydney-based CorDell involved rather than any of the eminently qualified and experienced locals.
Time and time again some people in TCC measure others around them by their own astounding incompetence and decide that they need to go out of town for advice. A cultural fringe at its worst.
If they fucked off (as Coralee has now shown them how) the city and the whole region would be immeasurably better off.
Indeed. So many of these ‘vision thing’ decisions are being made by people who treat us like lab rats in a town planning symposium. And none them want to live here permanently, to enjoy the fruits of their sterile academic grand plans. And we have a tone deaf mayor who jack boots her way through the community, because she hasn’t the character, charisma or wit to even realise the destruction she is wreaking on our future.
The Village at Oonoonba is a classic example, some worthless fuckwit sitting in an office in Brisbane who will never have to put up with the shithole they create, designing an estate with no yards, streets so thin you can’t park on them, so the footpaths and parks are full of cars, boats, trailers of Townsville bogans. Townsville is not Brisbane, people here don’t take public transport, they have cars, boats, trailers, I take the dog for a walk through there and half the footpaths are blocked by cars, I see people with young kids having to go out on the roads to get around the cars blocking the footpaths, it’s a disgrace, no one from Townsville would have ever designed that.
I totally support local firms being engaged, but I have to disagree with you here, ‘tank. Locals would have designed it that way if that is what the developer demanded. Maximum amount of saleable parcels please, seems to have been the intention of the development, not functionality.
Cajun, the developer in this instance is the Qld Government- town planning rules that every private developer has to stick to don’t apply to them.
The only area in which the Village is compliant with any planning scheme is the bit in the planning legislation which reads that the state can exempt itself from any provision of the planning scheme.
The Village is a ghetto in the making. Some of the blocks currently for sale are less than 125m2 with a 5m frontage. There are a shocking number of dual occupancy residencies in there care of the spivs that were flogging NRAS properties. Interesting to see that the flood report on their website hasn’t been updated since Feb 2019.
It’s unfathomable that anyone would buy there, it is a flood disaster waiting to happen. And it is an undeniable fact that when standards are lowered in developments, people who don’t mind lower standards generally are economically attracted to these places. This obviously does not apply to The Village at the moment, but it has the potential to face such problems in the future.
Hi NQ Gal. I haven’t seen this Village development yet, hope to be up that way for a few days when borders open again after the election. From what you are describing sounds distinctly like what Stockland tried to do at North Shore with the Mode development but they are at an average of 200sq m. Last time I drove past that in February when I was in town still plenty of vacant blocks. Seems the market didn’t like it there what makes them think it will work at Oonoomba with even smaller blocks?
Oonoonba? WTF? Who would want to live there? It’s a toss up re which is worse, the Ross or bloody Oonoonba!
That would be the Plucker of Yarrawonga?
Spot on NQ GAL, what they tried to achieve and what they have achieved are 2 different things. The original stages had a mixture of blocks with all the blocks backing into Fairfield Waters duplicating the fencelines and sizes, they are quite nice, and the next couple of stages werent too bad, but now it is a shithole. You can’t create high density blocks of land so small there is nowhere to park, Townsville hasn’t got young professionals and urbanites catching buses to work and walking the dog of an arvo, it’s bogans, tradies and defence people, with all the shit that comes with them, why the hell people chose to live there and stick all their shit out in the street is beyond me.
Not sure the defence housing people would have anything to do with this development, would they?
The proposed fiasco in Mundingburra for ‘High density Housing’ is under the Honourable ? Stirling Hinchcliffe….no community consultation,no signs on the allotment for proposed development so people have 30 days to lodge an objection like a private developer would have to do,plus all the other bullshit council roadblocks ! They ride roughshod over the community,and it sucks !
But hang on, the voters always get it right, don’t they?
On the face of it, it appears that the proposal for the convention and cultural centre at Dean park seems feasible. But, it requires government funding with constant cap in hand. The interesting thing is the timing for commencement, 2023, what a surprise, around the time for campaigning for the next local elections. However, the Hive concept is closer to the other attractions such as Reef HQ and Museum along with a short walk to the CBD. The even more attractive thing about the hive concept is that it was going to be privately funded, not tax payer.
Just reading the bit about the proposed new concert hall/cultural centre/car park but we NEVER see mention of a new more central and accessible building for the Townsville Museum. These people have so much in storage because they’ve nowhere to display it; their premises are continually at the mercy of floodwaters after a significant downpour; and unless you’re a bloodhound, you’ll have trouble finding the location!!
Numerous approaches to Council, who “auspice” them, have not ever received anything positive or understanding in return – not even a little bit. It’s something else that could go into the city centre (the old Burns Philp building?), and in this case, something worthwhile.
North Yard railway sheds, if only they’d drop the nanny state progress-killing ‘remediation requirement’. Which is utter bullshit.
Pie, The old railway station would make an excellent art galllery or museum.
indeed it would, and maybe get a grant to tear down the jarring and totally inappropriate ‘addition’ which screams bureaucratic indifference to heritage.
Hold on a second Magpie. The QR Annex is, according to my sources, “an iconic tropical interpretation of the Cold War Post-Stalinist ‘Brutalist’ architecture movement which embodies all the love and care that Brisbane governments have for the people of Townsville”
It is as relevant a symbol today as when it was built and should be preserved to show what our southern masters believe we deserve.
The QR Annex has been vacant for years, and the pretty much all of the offices on Flinders St for QR are vacant too.
Once home to hundreds of jobs these disappeared in the Labor government’s sneaky assets sales program under the “Renewing Queensland Plan” back in 2009.
I think you will find thousands of railway jobs have gone from Townsville over the last few years. We complained about the QNI jobs but not the railway ones.
All of the grand plans and TCC won’t consider putting up lights to the correct brightness for colour TV.
Supposed cost $10 million. (grossly exagerated number)
The lights used at Cazalies in Cairns were obtained by using their existing lights and adding two new towers.
Having the lights let them host the recent and upcoming AFL games.
Townsville engineering firms have the capability to manufacture lighting towers and headframes and Townsvilles civil contractors could install them.
No interest from TCC, TEL or any of our tourist bodies in getting anything beyond same old, same old.
To sum up, the current mob will always find a reason not to.
And don’t get fussed about Aussie Rules, it is cricket. that could be enabled … touring warm-ups, possible shield fixtures and most importantly, a bid for a couple of Big Bash games each year. Playing at night in the tropics is surely a given.
NAW, There are some beaut towers at 1300Smiles for relocating.
Oh, you sweet old innocent, there will ALWAYS be a reason why such a sensible suggestion cannot be done, especially at a stadium now in disuse and replaced by Total Tools because of the vastly overstated lie of ‘concrete fatigue’.
Ala Sorry I ignored the less expensive and logical option.
Pie you’re dreaming if you think the
Labor government will hold judges to account, they cannot control the public servants.
The major of recent COVID cases in Queensland are government employees – Nurses (who should know better) and prison guards.
Eh? And eh?
The ‘Pie never suggested the impossibility under our parliamentary system that the government should ‘hold judges to account’ … the separation of the parliament and the judiciary must not only be but be seen to be separated, as is required in democratic societies. But that does not preclude – indeed, should encourage – an independent and open oversight body a sort of legal industry version of ICAC or the CCC, to handle complaints at this level. The legal industry is too professionally incestuous for the general public to have confidence any closed shop action after appeal court rulings like the one cited in the blog. All we get is bullshit words like ‘mentoring’, which is the pompous way the legal fraternity avoids the all-too-common term ‘counselling’, maybe even ‘bollocking’ would be better but we have no access to evidence of that either … if someone is appointed to that sort powerful position, shouldn’t the mentoring be before the fact, rather than be belatedly realised as necessary after thousands of dollars and emotional turmoil for litigants and professional denigration of respected practitioners? The ‘Pie remembers he watched with admiration as Judge Durward QC carefully grew into his position after being elevated, being very careful to never disadvantage any party appearing before him in the District Court. Even Guy Andrew must know he deliberately misused his position in the most egregious way, unhinged by animus even … if he doesn’t, then he really should be removed by any means necessary. Same goes for daddy’s little trooper Sal Vasta, an even bigger disgrace because he actually jails people on the flimiest of pretexts, all sentences which have been overturned.
And what theb hell do you mean when you say COVID nurses ‘should know better’? Know better than, working shift after stressful shift, to contract such an insidious virus. One wonders about you, Darryl, you do not exhibit any of the admirable qualities that Mr Kerrigan displayed in The Castle.
Infection control is a simple process for health workers, they have the training and the resources but they get complacent.
I have seen too many medical professionals outside the hospital in scrubs.
Staffing levels are through the roof in Queensland with no to low cases numbers.
“Infection control is a simple process for health workers . . .”
That would explain why so many health workers get infected. And if, as you say, they get “complacent”, then it isn’t so simple after all.
I have a close affiliation to the legal fraternity. The family lawyers and barristers appearing before Guy Andrew have been concerned with him since he started. I understand he was a senior barrister with Legal Aid prior so I don’t know how his appointment could have gone so wrong. He is responsible for a number of younger lawyers being too scared to appear in his Court. His behaviour has been terribly disrespectful to the Industry and hopefully he can be ‘mentored’ into a better Judge. I understand that outside of work he is considered quite a decent chap.
Indeed. The ‘Pie has heard all those points about Andrew that you make … it is almost certain this was an extremely ill-judged (pun intended) personal get square attack. And like they say in court so often, that may be a reason but it is never an excuse.
As much as I have empathy for O’rort, if she is ill or is battling cancer, that’s not good. it does amaze me however that these Politicians are happy to do there 3 (or 4) years and then pull the pin 2 months out from an election. It happens all the time. And when they do this it is obvious they are rorting their position andnonly in it for a few golden years of easy money.
Poor Anna, another one of her girl team let’s her down. There is this ridiculous push for more women in politics yet you have O’rort quitting, Trad is incompetent, Anna is incompetent, even the Freckle is incompetent. So much for ‘girl power’. Idiots!
To be fair, Trad is not incompetent, just vile, arrogant, self serving and totally corrupt. It is important to be accurate in our discussion.
Yes, she is – in politics in this and many other countries, being found how is regarded as ‘incompetence’.
A former Cairns Barrister and ex Skytrans airlines legal eagle and former Cairns Chamber of Commerce ‘business leader’ Anthony Mirotsos, goes to trial at the end of the year. He is alleged to have a history of dodgy dealings or working for shonky businesses.
You should know, Bad Boy, that there is more than one former Cairns barrister that are facing serious criminal charges.
The Cowboys won a game!
The Cowboys won a game!
Oh, good, now they can dry their tears.
Their new “Satisfactory Performance Centre” already paying off?
They only won due to an unforced error by the Dragons (by Hunt – shades of 2015!!!) But, to give them their due, they grafted and showed a little spine. Adequate at best.
Christ what do you bloody want? Read Shari Tagliabue’s column in the weekend Astonisher and stop bloody whinging.
Nonsense. I have supported the club through some pretty ghastly times since the very first game. Most players last 5 years with a club. – with very few exceptions. By not trying their best, or simply just turning up on game day and yet demanding unquestioning adulation, is disrespectful to the club – and its members. And to say that I can’t call out this or point out the realities is ludicrous.
So winning a game isn’t enough for you, it has to be qualified and damning with faint praise (‘adequate at best’). Detailed critical analysis of a top performing team is one thing, but when the Cowpats come out in front, cop it sweet and look to next year. You make it sound like winning is only marginally better than defeat.
Well, that didn’t take long, did it? A tried and true formula, tested through trial and error (mainly error) on a larger council, so why not?
And there’s a big UH HO! in there too, when we read:
The council will also seek high-level quality technical expertise from other stakeholders paid a fee for service.
“Palm council simply cannot match the depth, expertise and knowledge of organisations many times our size and budget.
“Providing our staff with oversight from better qualified best-in-class professionals would improve our service delivery immediately and give much-needed development opportunities for our Palm staff at an affordable price.”
It’s more than a shrug of ho hum more jobs for the boys, it opens the door to introduce Labor mates to have influence on the Palm Council, which she not be so quickly dismissed … Palm Island has played a crucial role … in at least one instant, a deciding role … in the outcome of the seat of Townsville in state elections. Maybe too late for this coming one, but there are those who like to play the long game.
The Imapler is part of the new wave ‘team girl power’ movement. Unless you are a female, part of the rainbow movement or you are ‘’on the spectrum’ you don’t qualify for decent jobs anymore. Diversity gone mad. Most Government departments have even set KPI percentage points for how many nut jobs, homosexuals and women they want employed. Forget whether you are actually qualified or experienced as that part is irrelevant. But don’t worry as that group will be superseded shortly as word on the street is that Trans and non-binary folk are the next big push for workplace positions. Again, I don’t care what a person’s gender is but the diversity movement brigade has gone fucking mad.
So as a transgender disabled aboriginal lesbian, I’m a shoe in?
For jokes like that, you sure need a shoe in. Guess where.
Absolutely, you get the job hands down!!!!!
And then people why we have incompetent governments, simple, we’ve willingly been loading crazy people into important / critical positions of power. The stupidity and destruction is relentless and does not stop until the entire system is torn down to the atomic level.
Phrases and words that scream bullshit when in the same sentence as this woman:
Responsible decision-making
Rapid decision making
Systems, policies, procedures, expertise, and operational expertise, governance, financial focus
Quality expertise on a fee for service basis – bet the old tried and true mates she’s hired before are all rubbing their hands together with glee. Let’s see the Darwin, Adelaide and Labor crew move in to Palm.
That would be a move up the social stratum for the Labor crew.
The smiling assassin strikes again.
Regarding the labor mates – do you think any of them are actually going to live there and have Palm Island as their address for the electoral roll? I would have thought that sackings would have lost them more votes than they would gain?
Not in The ‘Pie’s experience of indigenous groups, it will depend entirely on which ‘mob’ sacked employees belong. To see how all this nepotism and cronyism works, look no further than the Indigenous health service rorts, at one stage controlled solely for the benefit of one Townsville ATSI family.
And Labor mates will do and go where they are told, woth the carrot of future riches on the gravy train, deserved or not.
It’s important to remember that you can both live and work in Townsville for PIACC. They have an office in Garbutt where the nice people go and get their money without ever having to live on the island itself. A rort within a rort.
I’ll bet Adele only flies in when she has to and spends her days in her mainland home as much as possible.
Old Skool confused? the assassin is the director of business services tcc. This article refers to the impaler at palm Island.
From The Townsville Daily Cock-U … sorry, Astonisher.
QUOTE:
“His defence lawyer, Frank Andrews said the man was sexually abused by his father and a neighbour when he was a child. Mr Andrews said his client could not read or write and was bullied as a child.”
Ummm, that lawyer would be barrister Frank Richards. Seems you had the errant judge from last week on your mind, which anyway, is Andrew (no s).
3 stolen car smash outside the unmanned Kirwan Police station at 2.30 am this morning with the culprits being picked up by the fourth Stolen car . At least Aaron the re-training paramedic is on call to assist accidents in the Thuringowa electorate over weekends .
They crashed into an innocent fourth vehicle and attacked the occupants with steel bars. Scott Stewart says we are getting drones to monitor car hooning. Maybe get the US Defence drones which are missile equipped so we can take out high value car thief targets as well?
maybe take out Stewart and Harpic while they’re about it (O’Rort’s retired to the bunker to avoid flak).
I’ve since read that the ‘innocent’ fourth vehicle may have been a Facebook vigilante trying to make a citizens arrest. Probably not too smart when there is six of them with iron bars. Unless you’re Spiderman of course …….
I’ve been amazed that four stolen carloads of crims ram another car off the road, stomp on it and smash it up, assault the occupants and put them in hospital, and all the paper and police care about is that the hospitalised people may have been following the stolen cars as “vigilantes”.
If my memory serves well enough, “Vigilante” comes from Italy where ordinary citizens were expected to be vigilant and help Authorities keep the peace or fight fires when they were unavailable. Now it’s a bad thing.
Quite often in language, some words don’t change but their meaning does. ‘Enormity’ does not mean huge, it means ‘monstrously evil’, but lazy don’t-care-close-enough-is-good-enough social media now makes it accepted to mean huge. So while vigilante may have once meant a sense of social duty along the lines of Neighbourhood Watch, for a long time now it has had clear connotations unlawful retributive actions by ordinary citizens by-passing the law with no authority to do so – except the very dangerous ‘citizens arrest’, which in essence means hold someone against their will until the cops arrive. Even then, said citizens had better be sure of their facts and proofs, otherwise they themselves will be up shit creek legally.
The vigilantes in this matter, while they and some other bogans may see them as failed heroes, they are fact just as lawless as the people they are chasing. And ramp up the danger to other road users tenfold. By all means, follow, observe, stay in touch with police to offer location assistance (in this case ‘We’re right outside, Constable’.) But putting yourself in hospital doesn’t help the community you say you are trying to protect, and you will waste valuable police resources because coppers have to do it by the book and you end up in the court, as a very recent example showed.
Coppers aren’t cowards or shirkers, they are woefully undermanned and stretched, and live life on the line … while the real villains, law and policy making pollies, are tucked up in their cots.
You are completely right. I can only blame a very bad day at work.
All tidied up now, and remains up because it is indicative of the frustration in this town about the lack of political will in curbing these ignorant, slum-bred mongrels.
I understand that many of these young ‘crims’ are juiced up on ice. They may be young and little but very dangerous.
No need to worry, Harpic is on to it!!
Townsville Bulletin tonight.
Labor MP has admitted “it’s time” to clean up the city’s crime-riddled streets, less than two months out from the state election.
Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper is calling for a specialist police operation to crack down on car thieves, coming out of the pre-election woodwork.
Has Aaron Harper been in a coma and just come out of it? Now? Staring down the barrel of a career ending defeat next month?
Totally disgraceful.
Aaron bloody Harper calling for specialist police? FFS! The problem is Labor, the courts and the bloody Youth Justice Act (so called).
I think this was alluded to a while ago…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-08/queensland-mother-denied-bail-over-alleged-funeral-fraud/12641258
In my day’s I never got caught. Being a vigilante is for the movie not in real life. The police should be allowed to do there job but unfortunately they are hand tired because of the political handringing that has occurred with Labor and the socialists of the world. Labor has to go. You cant even defend your own home. And after seeing yesterday’s front page of the dead black kids mother pissing the funeral money away i have no sympathy anymore for what happens to these grubs
The real Charles Bronsan would not be posting on a blog, he would be reloading rounds for Wildey.
I wonder how long it will be, Charles bronson, before the so-called Vigilantes organise themselves into larger groups – mates on call so to speak.
This is the second occasion I am aware of where someone has gone out looking for their stolen car only to have the stolen vehicle ram them. On the other occasion known to me it, was two grown men pursuing and only one stolen car so the not-so-brave little children didn’t take them on.
Every-one’s getting a bit tired of all this car theft and the inability of the Police and the Legal System to actually do anything about it.
Do love the hypocrisy from the Labor government on assets sales.
They forget we can Google and see ALP governments in Queensland sold motorways, ports, airports, railways, banks, insurance companies and the TAB and much much more.
The truth is the Coalition is nearly as bad. Little Johnny Howard sold OUR telecommunications network back to US under the guise of T1. That is a con job if ever there is one. Queensland is an ALP state because the Coalition tried to sell Ergon and emulate the disaster that was SA and Victoria. At the time Ergon contributed three quarters of a Billion dollars to the government annually. I’m not an economist but my understanding is you sell liabilities not assets.
And let not forget it was the coalition that sold the vitally strategic Port of Darwin, and the sinister Australian water rights rort, to the communist Chinese government.
The biggest difference in asset sales is disclosure, it seems the ALP like to mislead people, while the LNP have been open about what they want to do and why.
From parliament yesterday.
The Australian Labor Party sold $16½ billion worth of assets of the people of Queensland after it told them it would not do that. It has a habit of misleading the people of Queensland. It sold the Queensland Motorways for $3 billion. It sold the Abbot Point coal terminal for $1.8 billion. The member for Inala—our present Premier—was sitting around the cabinet table when it sold QR National for $4 billion. It sold a whole lot of energy assets and sold the Golden Casket. It sold Sungas. It sold Sun Retail. It sold Allgas for $530 million—$16.5 billion worth of assets of the people of Queensland without telling them
Don’t you think you say who you’re quoting, Dougie?
John Howard and his minion Nick Minchin also sold off Sydney airport for $3.6b and in the process gave away $1b per year in revenue. Then that other fuckwit Peter Costello along with Howard sold off all of our Gold! Absolute criminals and incompetents.
I tend not to dip into party politics, I loathe all of them more or less equally (although the Mad Katter and his many family interests are a pet hate), but in fairness if we confine ourselves to Queensland it is only Labor which has sold assets (very quietly) while loudly attacking LNP for proposing the same thing.
Nationally and in other jurisdictions it may be a different matter, but here it is the ALP which has sold the farm.
Are we forgetting that a certain prime minister who gave us the recession we had to have, namely Keating, sold off the CBA and left us with a $100B debt, It took 10 years to pay that off. Yes the Libs did sell the items mentioned here previously, but at least they got the budget back into the black and set up a future fund, then came Rudd, Gillard, Rudd with overpriced school halls and filling dead peoples bank accounts with our money while pretending to save us from the GFC. The point that I am alluding to here is that the resource rich State of Queensland cannot produce a budget for us mere mortals, but has revealed that we are $120B in debt and rising, and that was before the China virus hit. They now are going to borrow more billions for the forthcoming pork barrel exercise, with no idea how to pay it off. Never let Labor union hacks and staffers near a cash register. Fasten your seat belts, if Private Cupcake, Harpic and maybe Message Bank Walker are returned, get ready for some nice new taxes, more Public Servants, new beer and circuses LED lights leading to the stadium, water pipe lines leading to nowhere and fake battery factories to power unreliable solar panels.
Sad news for those of us who frequented Caseys back in the day – Alex Szanto the head chef died on the weekend (f…..g cancer) – he is survived by wife Tracey and family – RIP
Caseys? The ‘Pie is not familiar with it, any details?
I believe Casey’s was at the old Midtown Motel.
Indeed it was, and it was packed favourite of those who lunch. The eponymous Casey was formerly of the Rising Sun went to the Midtown and thence, sadly to Magnetic Island, where The ‘Pie understands, things didn’t seem to work out too well. Fond memories, though.
M.P. It wasn’t to Magnetic Island it was to the Centenary Hotel and from there to driving a cab in Brisbane.
The best Lamb Shanks in town along with a good red !
MEMO TO TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN STENOGRAPHER CAITLIN CHARLES (please do not call yourself a reporter when you parrot stuff like the following.)
One of the first rules cadets were taught was that if you don’t understand something someone says, in person or in a media release, it is certain readers won’t understand it, either. So it is your job to question statements that do not clarify what the speaker means. Otherwise, what’s the point of publishing it.
Example is today’s story:
In his media release which you lazily just transcribed for your ‘story’ , Mayor Mislam Sam says in part:
‘The council (will) work towards raising more revenue, rather than relying on grants, which were used by Aboriginal shire councils that could not collect rates. There is leakage on the island, (there are) contracts that are being awarded that we can possibly deliver on. We are trying to get enough contracts where we can self-generate a lot of income.”
‘Leakage’? What does that mean?
And ‘ … we can POSSIBLY’ deliver on’? That phrase makes one suspect you may have misquoted Mayor Sam – did he actually say ‘that we CANNOT possibly deliver on’. Otherwise his voodoo economics statement makes no sense, suggesting his council would seek projects that they might only ‘possibly’ be able to fulfil.
Your job is to clarify by asking.
Oh, and another helpful hint, and in real newspapers is a rule, Ms Charles – when simply rewriting media releases and adding a bit of file background, NEVER put your name to it. It is both dishonest – you did no work to get the content, it could possibly leave you personally open to any defamatory imputations made in a media release, and it can also leave you open to the foregoing type of criticism.
What’s that? Oh, think nothing of it, you’re welcome.
Thanks, gn, fixed.
When I was in school 25-17=8. How did they get $7million deficit from what is printed in headline?
Just gotta luv the Astonisher and maths, always an entertaining challenge.
Palm Island Council has a budget black hole?
Black holes matter
NEWSFLASH: MEDICAL UPDATE
MP AARON HARPER COMES OUT OF COMA, BUT HIS CONDITION REMAINS HIGHLY UNSTABLE.
The others involved in the disaster which has severely injured Mr Harper – the people of of Townsville – remain critical.
Premier Palaszczuk says it is not time for people to become complacent and just be ‘alarmed’.
“We must maintain our blind panic with every few mild cases we announce,’ she said, warning Queenslanders not to be distracted from the virus by other irrelevant matters, like budget blow-outs, economic ruin, corruption and crime. ‘I’ll get around to those matters when I’m re-elected,’ she promised.
The biggest surge has been in the debt, thank you Anna, Dick and Trad.
The State Government has again failed to protect teachers.
The student who stabbed the teacher and student has previously violently assaulted staff and students at TCLC with no repercussions. Covered up by the government.
https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/crime/teacher-students-stabbed-at-townsville-community-learning-centre/news-story/8de52cbb835408e24639cef59a63838b
Just wait for more medical emergencies as our local members come out of their comas in time for the election.
The assaults statistics on teachers in Queensland are dreadful.
Harpic getting back to his old job at QAS is a two sided coin. While still an MLA he will be electioneering. When he gets booted out his qualification will allow him back to the QAS.
I wonder if Stewart will re-apply for his teaching job.
Teacher of what Ala? Was Stewart a teacher??
Principal of Pimlico High … and according to a good Magpie mate who taught there, was a pretty good principal, too. Classic case of the Peter Principle, someone promoted above their skill level.
Was Principal of Town High too. And apparently we’ll respected.
He was a pissweek lefty then who wouldn’t expel kids for behaving like arseholes and now as a political lackey he doesn’t have the balls to lock the little snots up for breaking into people’s homes and stealing stuff, just another spineless individual.
Having just read the transcript of the Judge Andrew case I just want to say that his just request that Mr Dwyer should use “just” just to add precision to what he was saying, that is, just as a qualifier and not a lazy filler. Mr Dwyer was just inadequate to understand just exactly what Judge Andrew was asking for. If precision in the use of English just can’t be demanded in a legal discussion, whether it’s just on principle or is something that had just come to the Judge’s mind, then judgments could justly just be questioned. There are many pointless filler words like “look” with which sentences can begin, and they’re generally used just to fill a gap while the speaker just orders his thoughts, which is justifiable usage. The Judge himself told Mr Dwyer to “just continue…”
Thank you Magpie for justly drawing attention to what wasn’t just a lot of fun to enliven the proceedings but just about hijacked them completely. I must say that I’ll just never use “just” in future without stopping just to consider whether the word “just” is necessary.
Just so.
yeah the qps flying squad are coming to Townsville to clean up the crime. Didn’t they come after Christmas to do the same then? OMG whst a vote chasing exercise. I wonder what made the premier decide this so quickly. October 31st maybe? Ive noticed no comments from the Labor party members on your blog this week. Pretty obvious there missing in action. Maybe they had be broken into and had there computers and phones stolen so they cant get online. Now that would be karma.
To pinch another bloger’s phrase, “this is putting glitter on a turd.” It is a pre-election stunt.
I have mentioned this before.
The police and the courts must operate within the legislative framework. The problem is the Labor Puddleduck Government and the Youth Justice Act, exacerbated by the total failure of our Three Blind Mice to truly represent our interests in the State Puddleduck Government.
I was flabbergasted when the Mulett was re-elected, gutted actually. Given this, I fear that the ever vigilant voters of Townsville will return the slothful Three Blind Mice and nothing will change. I hope I am wrong.
Bfd, at least you acknowledge that the Labor party members are “in action”.
They are always ‘in action’ – wheeling and dealing, signing off deals for wealthy local business influencers, milking personal allowances, going for trips and enjoying conferences, creating jobs for mates, influencing Board promotions, finding ways to enrich themselves by their position and power…..yes indeed ECQ (Townsville Labor Number 1 Fan), they are always ‘active’.
Actually, AJ (and Bfd who is slowly catching up), I’m a fan of Phillip Thompson and I will be lining up to help guide some of his $195 million to a place where I would like to see it spent. I’m gobsmacked that he seems to have a hold on the purse strings for what was originally going to be spent on the Haughton Stage 2 and I simply do not understand the process by which this pork barrel got left at his doorstep. Do either of you know? Do you care? He’s asking for suggestions. Why don’t you get in the queue?
Now, now, ECQ, that’s a tad ingenuous even for the likes of you. Thompson was gifted this dough by none other than your beloved Anna Palaszczuk, and her appropriately named Treasurer Dick by knocking back what was Fed money for the pipeline as a campaign ploy, using as an excuse a completely fabricated virtue signalling bit of bullshit about the money coming with downgraded GST money for Queensland. As you well know.
But the Morrison saw this as an unexpected opportunity out of the blue, and assured Townsville the money would stay here for projects to be determined under the guidance of the local federal member.
No wonder Jenny hill has her granny pants all in a bunch.
And you a fan of Phillip Thompson?
ROTFLMAO.
Mr Magpie, ROTFLMAO? Never got that one.
About the $195m. I don’t understand why the money wasn’t pulled back into consolidated revenue. But since it wasn’t and seems to be in PT’s back pocket, what about that mega gallery / arts complex / performance space you’ve been promoting all this time? Is it OK to get federal money for kulture or is that too “begging bowl” for the Magpie’s Nest?
Show me where, at any time, The Magpie has said that this money would not be suitable for the project you mention? in fgact, show us where The ‘Pie has named any project he thinks suitable for Mr Thompson’s largesse? But not surprised that you endorse the ‘begging bowl’ cargo cult mentality of entitlement we have suffered under for more than a decade.
But what The Magpie will say for the record that he believes it should NOT go in part or all towards Mayor Mullet’s brain fart Lansdowne project, which inexplicably by-passes the port-adjacent, vastly more suitable and accessible state SDA which has lain dormant for years, due to the machinations and inaction of the egotistical Jenny Hill.
But the old bird is immensely enjoying the spectacle of Mayor Mullet … and you by extension … having her hand slapped off the tiller of MV Townsville, and hopefully steering us away from her usual financial reefs (Adani airport, anyone?)
And ROTFLMAO? The ‘Pie will leave that for someone else to bring you up to speed, because … well, because he’s still ROTFLMAO.
Mr Magpie, never suggested you would or wouldn’t support anything but since the LNP federal member is sitting on a bundle of pork – apparently dedicated to Townsville – one wonders whether an LNP state candidate could see a leg up here. The Deb20 campaign seems so lifeless and drifting there’s a worry that Labor doesn’t even have to try.
It is the LNP that doesn’t have to try, sport, Labor are burying themselves with daft and cruel covid rulings, destructive overkill on border closures, and ministers deserting the leadership in droves. Not sure what actually makes up ‘a drove’ but three ministers resigning in a week will certainly qualify.
You’re becoming an embarrassment, mate.
Is that the best you got? Even you can see the effect of what Labor is doing to Townsville and qld. I dont mind when you can have a decent debate on politics but you lot are just fucken dumb for supporting whats going on. How can you live with yourself really?
“Hello everybody, I am Fireman Trump. I am not going to tell the people in this house that the house is on fire. I do not want to cause these people panic. The fire will disappear like a miracle.”
Gotta love Phil Thompson stirring up Mayor Mullet and showing her flaws . The Mullet believes that Phils advisory group on spending $195 mil is a waste of time which is amusing because Phil actually has the $195 mil to do projects , his advisory group costs nil . The Mullets Taskforcenq hasnt delivered any projects , been running for months and how much is T.C.C. paying the Nous Group and ex Council Ceo up to a million ? . The proposed battery plant wouldnt even turn soil (if it happens ) for 2 years as well as her other supposed Precincts . Chasing rainbows our Mayor yet again .
Oh poor old Aaron Harper? It’s easy for all of us to bag him, but poor old poly has to go home at night and look his wife and kids in the eyes and tell them what lies he had to tell today! Put yourself in his shoes it must be hard( trying to keep a straight face)and his wife has to tie him to the 4 bedposts at night, just to make him lie straight in bed, must be tough being a labor poly.
While at the doctor’s today, President of an RSL Club told me that he had a call from Tony Mooney giving him some stick about backing Young Corey Davis in council elections this yr, and not supporting Liam( his son). He said Mooney told him he should not be taking a political stand in his position and was very rude about it – that’s the word straight out the horses mouth.
Published with reservations, because it doesn’t make sense. Mooney may be many things (like being so a witness who blatantly lied under oath in a court of law out of spite), but a fool he ain’t. So it doesn’t make sense that he would berate someone for not backing his son (which would be a political stand) , and then in the same breath, say it was inappropriate for that someone to take a political stand by backing Corey Davis. Knowing Mooney, The ‘Pie has little doubt a conversation took place, but doubt very much this is the way it went.
Hey Ghost, did you hear it directly from the horse mouth? Did it come second, or third hand? Or via the horses arse? Curious mate, you what rumours are like in this town!
Come on, Plucker. He was pretty clear who said what. An RSL President. Don’t blame him for not naming names, but a little better sourced that some of the posts here.
And somewhat narrows the field down.
deserting a sinking ship?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-10/anthony-lynham-senior-minister-palaszczuk-government-quits-staff/12648624
Interesting priorities.
Why go into it in the first place, surely one could see that the dual roles would be impossible? Now after picking up a few lazy mill on the public purse, while achieving exactly nothing, the doc goes off to rebuild some faces and his bank account. Operating on himself would be a big choice about which face he would fix.
and another one gone
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-10/queensland-tourism-minister-kate-jones-to-announce-retirement/12649658
oh, purleeese!!!
Wonder he’s got any tears left, after all those he’s shed for bushfire victims.
In other and brighter but related news, it seems Anna has let her inner blushing fan-gurl out long enough to let Tom Hanks into the state.
Maybe Tom, who is pretty handy with a raquet we hear, could give Ash Barty a bit of coaching, since Palaszczuk denied Barty’s coach an AFL-like exemption to join her from Melbourne. This resulted in forcing one of our most inspiring sportswomen to decide not to defend her French Open title.
Palaszczuk and Young’s only consistency is inconsistency.
Its pretty fucked either way.
The border closures are fucking more things up than they are solving.
The letter from the girl whose dad died is horrible to read and I can understand how she’d feel. Bullshit faceless politically motivated decisions.
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/TabledPapers/2020/5620T1615.pdf
She should have said she was with the AFL.
You’d think Queensland’s CMO was Dr Goebbels, not Young. Not a shred of sensible humanity, a disgraceful bureaucrat. She had the hide to say this afternoon the exemption was refused because funerals were a dangerous place for spreading coronavirus, this from the woman who gave special permission for 80 people to attend an indigenous funeral in Mackay at a time when the limit was 10. This is a very ugly, callous and unnecessarily heartless authoritarian ruling, where the ultimate call should have been with the Premier, anyway. But the increasingly isolated premier is proving to be a cowardly shirker, hiding behind the highly selective criteria of a discombobulated medical person.
Just been told Kate Jones not running again.
Not confirmed at time of posting.
Rats are jumping ship
Confirmed
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-10/queensland-tourism-minister-kate-jones-to-announce-retirement/12649658
… and the hits keep on coming.
I’m going to the pub on the strength of this
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/business/townsville-airport-ceo-kevin-gill-to-step-down/news-story/ea10a954e9d82cefee7af3ed59667266
Gill gone, is Hill next?
If only.
Jumped or pushed? Wouldn’t be surprised if it was health-related as lately he has been looking like a four day old corpse.
The Magpie wishes no one ill health, knowing only too well the stresses and privations it causes, so in that regard, The ‘Pie can only wish Mr Gill well. But if it is the case, it is an injustice of sorts, because he should have been gone for being the malign influence on this city, using his monopolistic position at the airport tied in with his role at TEL chairman to further personal business interests.
Be interesting to see what happens with the latter position.
He will be gone in due course from TEL as well.
Well, surely we can assume he’s not going to stick around … or else his new job will be interesting.
Just kicking the proverbial football around here. But with now three labor cabinet ministers announcing they will not be standing for re- election, all three being from the ‘left faction’. Would the CMMFEWU have anything to do with it, given they have pulled their support to the labor party.
Its pretty fucking scary when our only political parties are right wing
Can anyone copy and paste the article about Herr Gill leaving Townsville airport? I refuse to pay the Bullshittin a single dime. It’s about time. COVID is good for some things after all!! Add him to the list – Brisbane airport GM, Hobart airport CEO, Launceston airport GM, Cairns airport GM, Rockhampton airport Manager (late last year though)……
You’ve misunderstood the rules of the game … if the story is behind a paywall, the published link will presumably only open for subscribers. And that is fair enough, the paper is entitled to protection of its stories in this way, even if it was written verbatim from a media release.
And as a journalist, The ‘Pie will not be copying and pasting such property here … all the matters that appear in the blog and comments that are cut and pasted from the Bulletin are for the purpose of criticism, and rarely the entire item, an exercise which is by and large exempted from being considered the ‘theft’ of what is in effect News Ltd property.
Who cares what the rest of the story says, it will be drivelling shit as usual from the the Astonisher anyway, the headline says it all, the worthless perennial failure is leaving, hopefully leaving town as well, one less loser in the joint. Hopefully he swings by his old mate Jenny Hills house and takes that worthless loser with him, the town might have some chance of getting off the floor.
Well, the Labor ship is certainly listing – 3 Ministers now confirming that they are taking a life raft to get away from the S.S Labor Titanic. The Labor turd has lost all of its polish and only shit can be seen. Seems like the Freckle May win after all and she doesn’t have to lift a finger. Only a Cat 5 Cyclone to cross the coast before October 31 might give Anna a shot at victory. Poor ECQ, you must be crying into your tissues by now.
Abandoned ship a andone ship!! Politicians and politicians first abandone ship abandone ship!!
Try to restrict comments to English, please.
That is too funny !
Pie, you are too witty.
So, the ridiculous Queensland CMO is in the headlines again over this;
“Queensland’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has defended the decision to grant exemptions to film stars and sportspeople citing the economic benefits they bring to the state”.
Really, there is an economic benefit if they bring in COVID? This fucking ludicrous farce has gone on long enough!!! Annastacia Palaszczuk is a complete joke!! And Jeannette Young’s palpable actions have made her position untenable – children prevented from seeing dying fathers, single seater aeroplane flyovers not permitted, borders still closed and businesses going broke while suicides are out of control yet sports stars, the wealthy and famous are permitted to come to Queensland?? This has to stop!! Time for people to protest with their feet and stop these idiot politicians right now!!!
Yes, all true, but you miss the main and most damning question, which explains the headless chook approach by a ducking and weaving premier … what has a scientist, in the form of this doctor Jeanette Young, got to do with deciding what brings economic benefit to this state? Surely those decisions are made solely by those whom we have elected to run Queensland. The ‘Pie pointed out very early in the piece that Dr Young indulges every day in the Fallacy of Transferred Authority … her skill is medical, but she is making – that should be, is allowed to make – socio-psychological decisions on cultural values (relaxed restrictions on indigenous funerals, BLM protest marches), cognitive flow-on effects (flying single seater planes on Anzac Day will lead to people going for a drive, which was prohibited at the time), banning structured events at schoolies weeks around the state when kids congregating cannot be stopped, leaving hyped-up adolescents forced to make their own impromptu bad entertainment decisions, and, as you say, being inflexible on granting compassion to a handful of grieving or sick people while allowing celebrities and sport people and their families to flood in.
And then the Premier has the gall to stand up in parliament and make herself out to be a victim of ‘political bullying’ because the PM intervened with a polite request on behalf of Canberra citizen. And even then, while addressing parliament with the same trembling bottom lip, shovel off rersponsibility to Dr Young because she is ‘the one who makes the decisions’. For Christ’s sake, is Young running for premier? She might as well.
Hypocrisy writ large. Roll on October.
I’d suspect that Dr. Young is only a glove puppet scapegoat and that “someone else” has a hand up her bum making the lips move.
Dear OWL, that is a terribly disturbing thought, but you are probably correct!
That would make her a Muppet.
I think the LNP are very confident about winning seats in Townsville. A recent low key dinner in Brisbane for a Townsville candidate raised 50k in donations for the campaign.
I think you are going to see a very big go by the lnp candidates in Townsville
The ‘Pie agrees but certainly not anything to do with money raised outside Townsville, especially Brisbane. Ask Clive Palmer about that.
And having such generous donors in Brisbane tends to raise a few questions.
So old mate Kevin Dill is going to “step down” from his job at Townsville Airport.
Sounds like he was given the brush.
If he is actually stepping down, could it be to run the Adani Airstrip?
In any case let’s hope he also “steps down” from the TEL chairmanship.
Now wouldn’t that be a good look – a sacked executive still heading our … wheeze, snurffle, guffaw … peak economic and tourism body Townsville Enterprise.
Gill the Dill has been under some internal pressure for some time. His uselessness couldn’t be tolerated any longer so he bailed before being pushed. QAL also can’t justify too many airport positions in management due to nil revenue coming in so with Gill resigning, his manager of aviation steps up to Gills position and the manager of aviation position becomes redundant. But don’t celebrate too soon as Gills underling is an even bigger twerp than Gill. Both of these clowns have presided over an airport that has developed poor morale, poor stakeholder relationships, upset Qantas massively and contributed SFA to TEL and Townsville in general. Just another airport owned by hedgefund vermin hellbent on bleeding the local folk dry.
One takes it that you disapprove?
But more seriously, here’s the thing … the most insidious problem here has been the airport management of a monopoly linked closely to the chairmanship of TEL has been the problem, especially with Mayor Mullet holding the purse strings for TEL’s survival, the endless possibilities of negative-impact jiggery pokery has already been demonstrated. As a stand alone issue, the management of the airport isn’t seen in the same light.
The ‘Pie has always been of the opinion that Gill was actively urged by his southern masters to seek out the TEL board chairmanship … and remember, the only way to get on the TEL board is to literally buy a seat.
Is ‘the dill’ a card carrying member of the labor party? If so, maybe put his hand up for the labor candidate for Mundingburra.
I could be wrong, but I’m sure in the past I was told that to be a TEL director your ‘company’ had to donate something like $200,000. I would assume if that is the case then Townsville Airport Ltd would have made that donation and if Mr Gilly goes then that donation is null and void to his position. He, or the new company he works for, would need to make a new donation. I’m not sure if that was a yearly donation or a one off. I only know this because I was asked to joint TEL some years ago and it was then I was told about criteria to become a director.
Nope, that can’t be right. As The ‘Pie understands the arcane machinations of the Dudley Do Nothings, the QAL (or TAL or whichever) remains entitled to a seat on the board under their rules. Surely there could not be a legal basis for such an organisation to ‘undonate’ money it has already spent just because someone leaves or drops dead, even.
AN ABSOLUTE CLASSIC ….
now she’s the victim!!
Her quivering denial of the reality of leadership was replete with this piece of political sophistry …
“Ms Palaszczuk repeated her stance that the decisions on exemptions were up to Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young.
“These are very, very heartbreaking issues,” she said. “I don’t make these decisions.”
But you should … that is what you were elected to do. And Jeanette Young was not.
Ahh the victim card, I was wondering when that was going to come out.
Public servants advise ministers, they don’t make policy.
They do when they are Trade Union hacks.
Public servants write the Policy in the first instance.
Pie, so who is “Glen” as per Sarah’s letter to the Premier.
Alahazbin – ‘Glen’ is a story that I’m sure we are going to hear a lot more about. I bet the Opposition would pay a small fortune for that information prior to the Election !
Wouldn’t it be funny if Mullet was parachuted into the race for Princess Kate’s seat, as she is not as well known down there, can be hailed as the saviour of Townsville during last year’s flood and would allow her to be closer to her children. They are welcome her. If dreams come true, this will happen and she will win the seat so we would be rid of her. Hoorah !! Hoorah !!
Would it make a difference? Raccoons are territorial, and when one is removed another takes its place.
I would have thought that skunks would be a more apt description for most councillors.
C of C, no raccoons in Australia. Possums, but no raccoons ! Mind you possums are generally noisy, annoy the he’ll out of the family dog and basically piss everywhere. Bit like some local politicians in council really !
Thank you Captain Obvious on the Sir David Attenborough lesson ! Yes indeed, those possums can be very annoying.
The pink doona would scare the good and genteel people of Brisbane.
But the bogans in Logan would love her.
You mean the ones that voted for Trad? They would laugh themselves silly at the bogan clown.
And still the Catholic church is putting itself ahead of the safety of children. This open defiance of the law must precipate the removal of their, and all other religious bodies, tax free status.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-09-12/bishop-says-priests-not-allowed-to-break-seal-of-confession/12644454
Good to see these upstanding moral Priests being loyal to their word and refusing to break tradition and dob in a kiddy fiddler! After all, protecting the so-called seal of confession is much more important than protecting young children being sexually abused. The Catholic Church has made an outstanding contribution towards morals and ethics by taking this stand. The Pontiff must be so proud.
Labor soon to announce their new candidate for Mundingburra. Wonder what trough swilling, self opinionated, tow the party line ‘politician’ they will push before us this time???
Your job description leaves a pretty wide field.
10:1 on the Mullet
Do you mean 10 to 1 ON, on The Mullet taking on Mundingburra?
The ‘Pie will consider having a lazy grand on that.