Could it be that the secretive private lobby group The Local Government Association of Queensland has finally cracked the big time, set to rake in up to $88million from the Government’s promised $880 million COVID recovery plan? There’s plenty of reason to believe so, but also a sinister reason we’ll never know the real extent of any rort.
A wave of assassinations of Queensland local councillors is so imminent that Minister Stirling Hinchliffe is rushing to change the relevant laws to protect our elected representatives. (No not joking, that’s his publicly stated stand.)
Another one bites the dust … indigenous health services in Townsville boot out (sorry, allowed to resign) another executive their board failed to properly vet.
Curfew kerfuffle … The LNP’s call for a kids curfew in Townsville and Cairns has everyone’s panties in a bunch, but not one person has mentioned an ‘outside the envelope’ solution proposed and acted on by a forward thinking judge in Townsville 15 years ago.
And speaking of good plans, The Magpie wants your opinion on his own cunning plan to solve the dilemma of developer and union political donations … it really is simplicity itself.
But first …
Be Strong. Just One More Week Of Having Our Intelligence Insulted
Bentley for one is a tad weary of it all …
And The ’Pie wants to know if the gals are having a little Ladies Who Lunch in-joke with us … or is this widely circulated pic photoshopped over the traditional party colours.
Isn’t labor traditionally red and the LNP blue?
Until a few days ago, this disgraceful beads and blankets campaign – ‘here, looked, a shiny new highway for you … only take 15 years too build’ …’no don’t listen to her, here’s one inland freight route that’s lots better’ has gone out of its way to steer clear of any policy that may actually require fairly immediate action – except perhaps voluntary dying, which has been a passing thought for anyone following this Hobson’s Choice farce. Super highways take decades to build and take untold billions of dollars, which is nice, but many here in Townsville won’t have a car to drive on them if something substantive isn’t done about juvenile crime across the city.
The Daily Astonisher seems to have just discovered a crime wave to be exposed.
When the juvenile crime issue suddenly loomed on the campaign radar here and in Cairns, Cairns Labor MP Michael Healey made the ‘look over there, not here’ statement of the campaign when he blamed youth crime on John Howard’s baby bonus scheme of 20 years ago!! A long bow, right or wrong, how is that helpful in the situation NOW? It was a pathetic party politics cheap shot effort from a man in a party that has consistently been a headless chook on the issue in Townsville during their term in office. It was raw racist dog-whistling that does not a skerrick to actually address and right the issue. At least the Premier had the decency to tell Healey to pull his head in.
Which brings us to the question of that curfew idea. The ’Pie could go endlessly on this one, but will spare you this time, and simply say it is bullshit and totally unworkable. This could turn out a bigger boondoggle than those bloody bail houses.
Over the years, all sorts of suggested solutions have come and gone, but strangely, no one has recalled the lead given by Judge Clive Wall QC way back in 2004 here in Townsville.
Judge Wall, a man who, as far as was allowed in the arcane world of jurisprudence, called a spade a bloody shovel, often put the noses of sensitive legal types sideways, but on July 21st 2005, he really set the common sense cat amongst the pouting pigeons of the bar when heard the case of two Charters Towers kids – barely teenagers – who, late one night, set fire to a vagrant sleeping in a park. But they had a very reasonable reason for doing so … as they told the judge, they were ‘bored, the town is so boring’. So it was assumed that while it was wrong and they would be punished, it was really society’s fault for letting them down and allowing them to become ‘bored.’]
But the good judge wasn’t having any of that lop-sided nonsense , and in a 26-page compensation judgment, caused an uproar when he issued the following orders (NB apart from the victim, only initials are used because of the age of the children, who could not be identified).
- That TM pay compensation of $1,000 to Neil Anthony Nielson. That
compensation is to be paid by instalments of $10 per week over a
period of 100 weeks commencing on Monday the 8th of August and
each week thereafter. The compensation is to be paid to the Registrar
of the Childrens Court at Charters Towers for payment by the
Registrar to Mr Nielson at an address to be provided to the Registrar
by the Townsville office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
- That WE pay compensation of $500 to Neil Anthony Neilson. That
compensation is to be paid by instalments of $10 per week over a
period of 50 weeks commencing on Monday the 8th of August and
each week thereafter.
Prosecutions.
- That KM pay compensation of $500 to Neil Anthony Nielson. That
compensation is to be paid by instalments of $10 per week over 50
weeks commencing on Monday the 8th of August 2005 and each
week thereafter.
Judge Wall also ordered that copies of his judgment and orders be sent the Dept of Communities and the ATSIC Legal services.
You can read the full proceedings here.
The Magpie was in court for this judgment, and well remembers the parents, who until then had been complacent and indifferent to proceedings, got the jolt of their lives with the sudden sheer shock, the dismay and the howls of outrage that the judgment caused.
Now that was 2005, and there was a lot of jaw-boning when this hit the headlines … most of it from the usual suspects. Of course, Judge Wall’s lead was not one any craven political party had the guts to endorse. And now, 15 years on, we have an insulting dog’s dinner of a curfew idea, special police patrols and silly ‘beads and blankets’ calls for police helicopters and the like, all the while as politicians and wrist slapping magistrates give us bail houses (now reviewed) boot camps (ditto) ‘back to country’ utter nonsense, and general misery for a population just trying to get on with a life that in Townsville is hard enough as it is.
A pox on all their houses.
But the bottom line is this … holding parents responsible for their children behaviour, well-being and whereabouts could easily have been a very sensible template… and indeed, still could be … if the do-gooders of this city, indeed this state, decided to do some of their good doings for both victims and the law abiding, tax paying men and women and their families of Queensland. Judge Wall was smart enough to structure the payment of the fines commensurate with the ability to pay without imposing an unreasonable burden on the parents, allowing them to appeal the judgment.
Parents can be fined if their kids don’t go to school (that’s on the statute books anyway) so why not hold them responsible for letting kids run wild after dark?
Maybe Jenny Hill Wasn’t Even At The Fatal Accident Earlier This Year
At least that was the startling suggestion by a Townsville Bulletin reporter this week. This from comments during the week.
The Magpie
October 20, 2020 at 10:12 am (Edit)
The Allegedly Files
Regulars will be aware of The ‘Pie’s war on certain words being misused in the Townsville Bulletin (and elsewhere), particularly ‘allege’ and its derivatives. On most occasions, the Bulletin’s mistaken use of the word is just superfluous, galling but harmless, simply idiotic. In this almost illiterate paper, The ‘Pie has read ‘the alleged body’ and ‘the alleged collision’ etc – it is a word chucked at everything to do with courts and police in the mistaken belief that it is invariably a legal shield (in many instances, it isn’t) should the paper be sued or otherwise involved in any subsequent action.
But reporter Madura McCormack has taken this ignorance of basic English to a comic new level in today’s Astonisher in this story.
Ms McCormack makes a public fool of herself when she pens this opening paragraph.
‘Alleged involvement’? What are you suggesting , Madura? In accepted terms of everyday English, you are saying that Jenny Hill possibly was not present, or somehow not involved in the collision? Which will come as a surprise to even Clr Hill herself. (She no doubt wishes.) Even without ‘alleged’, the sentence would in no way apportion blame or make a judgment on Clr Hill’s culpability or otherwise, so it is completely unnecessary . By ignorantly inserting it, you suggest an impossible scenario – that maybe she had no involvement or wasn’t even there – thus making a complete ninny of yourself.
FYI
allege | əˈlej |
verb [reporting verb]
claim or assert that someone has done something illegal or wrong, typically without proof that this is the case
It is alleged that the Bulletin has some sub-editors somewhere … best have a word with them, Madura, or we might have to conclude that you are an alleged journalist.
But It’s Not Just The Astonisher Making Cock-Ups
The LGAQ-funded news website InQueensland decided to do a puff piece on how the jobs outlook isn’t too bad in the ‘ville after all. But something didn‘t look right to former The Magpie, who is a former Sydneysider.
The Magpie
October 23, 2020 at 3:06 pm (Edit)
To accompany their number juggling story (the core information from Peter Faulkner’s reliable research reports), some optimistic gurgling about Townsville being – FFS – a ‘boomtown’, InQueensland displayed this photograph with a caption indicated it was in Townsville.
Well, now, we certainly are a boomtown if so many of us can afford to travel down to Sydney to stand around in our masks texting mates back home. Note the phone number on the sign in the pic … ahem … that would be …
Wonder if that clinic treats gunshot wounds to the foot?
OK, Try This Out For An Idea (Seriously)
The Magpie believes there is an easy and fair way to solve the perennial problem of political donations.
This dilemma, real or perceived, revolves around the seeking of later favours by donors, be they developers or unions and so on.
The current system is devised to thinly disguise official bribery, later backed up by urgers and spivs who remind politicians of the support their party has received. And this is undesirable in a democratic society, right? It can leave the segments of the community at the mercy of unelected, cashed up self-interest groups, right? Which , on either side of the political divide, isclearly is wrong – right?.
But it remains desirable that individuals, organisations and groups have the right to make political donations within whatever guidelines are set. Broadly speaking developers and other capitalist groups to the right and those representing the workers and more socialist policy parties to the left.
So what to do? Why not try this?
A special office is set up with the Electoral Commission of Queensland, (ECQ) which itself is about as watertight and trustworthy as we can get in this state. This office is specifically created to be the ONLY place where political donations can be made by anybody. It’s charter demands total secrecy, because the mechanism works like this. The donation is received from an identifiable source … let’s say, either a developer or a union … and that donor receives a receipt for tax purposes issued by the ECQ guaranteed under legislation as bona fide that the money has been received for distribution to a nominated (but unnamed) party or individual.. The donor has indicated where it wants the money to go, so the ECQ passes on the money to the appropriate party/politicians WITHOUT ANY REFERENCE TO WHO DONATED IT. The money can then be spent as the recipient sees fit, but of course within current or changed legislative guidelines.
Now, under these circumstances, the donor can say what he likes to the politician or party, but can in no way, under restrictions imposed, prove that they provided the donation.
This way, we’re back to interested groups and organisations supporting the two main opposing ideological political groupings because of broad policy beliefs, not for specific favours.
And then perhaps we could stop calling all developers crooks and unions stand-over thugs.
The Palaszczuk Government Believes Local Councillors Are In Danger Of Assassination …
…or at least Local Government Minister Stirling Hinchliffe thinks so.
Recently in this blog, mayoral succession laws were discussed, asking what happened in the event that Jenny Hill is disqualified from office over criminal charges.
The answer was pretty simple under the current law, that the person who came second in the mayoral election, would be asked to step in, and if not available, so on down the line.
A couple of days after that, Hinchliffe, the Minister for local Government, was a guest at the annual conference of the private lobby group, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) held on the Gold Coast.
LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam
The ratepayer-funded hootenanny was organized by LGAQ CEO Greg Hallam, the man who opposed to corruption investigations into the Ipswich and Logan Councils.
This from comments during the week.
The Wulguru Wonder
October 20, 2020 at 9:16 pm (Edit)
I read that Minister for Local Government Stirling Hinchliffe has announced at the LGAQ conference that should Labor be returned they will be scrapping their recently introduced rule allowing the runner up to fill a council or mayoral vacancy arising within 12 months from the date of election.
Hinchliffe said mayors across the state have expressed fears that the new rule posed a risk.
“There was one element that was not raised at all during consultation and that was individuals saying that there could be a risk that someone could do physical harm to someone in order to advantage someone else,” Hinchliffe said. “That’s what some mayors were raising … that was not an issue that had been raised before, but I respect that if that’s a genuine fear that people have raised, then that’s an issue.’
LGAQ president Mark Jamieson said the runner-up rule was unfair.
“Our real concern is that it really undermines democracy,” Jamieson said.
- The Magpie
October 20, 2020 at 9:43 pm (Edit)
The Magpie is not being flippant and means it literally when he said he was opened mouthed when he heard that on the TV news. An unbelievable piece of of bullshit …. without ANY doubt, brokered by the increasingly sinister LGAQ …. which basically means Hinchliffe has drunk the LGAQ KoolAid that local agitators in Queensland would seriously considered assassination or organised physical attacks to incapacitate an elected mayor just so the runner up to take the position. The last thing the LGAQ would want is someone on a council who isn’t on side with their rorting agendas. This is an astounding bit of political grovelling to a particular audience, because he made this baseless claim AT THE LGAQ CONFERENCE ON THE GOLD COAST. It is an insult to all Queenslanders, a piece of craven political karma sutra policy making … dick-sucking while back-flipping. Because Hinchliffe’s own government passed the current succession legislation just a few weeks ago! And let the ‘Pie make the point (because you can bet no one else will) if Hinchliffe was dog-whistling that violent aboriginal communities could consider violence as a political weapon, let him say so, but don’t tar the rest of the Queensland community with this dog-wagging-the-tail exercise.
All that said, The Magpie agrees that the succession legislation was a massive mistake to start with, and a by-election is the only reasonable way to go.
But watch out for the LGAQ, it’s an influential lobby group which has conned local government across Queensland to sign up for it’s self-interested agenda which offers absolutely no benefit that wouldn’t accrue anyway to the average ratepayer or citizen. And the last thing that shady crew would want would be someone in the line of succession who may not fall into line with it’s rorting agenda (Local Buy, LGAQ Insurance, InQueensland news site, all money grabbing scams) Remember, this is a private lobby group, with no connection of government oversight or accountability under any legislation, except laws that do not force it to be financially accountable or open about its finances. They cop millions in council membership which ratepayers fund for not just nonexistent benefit but actually actively detrimental gouging.
The LGAQ is out to become financially powerful and, according to Senator Malcolm Roberts, is a corrupt organization, cleverly using its position to lobby for laws that will enable them to make even more money for doing absolutely nothing.
Like this.
There is little doubt that Hallam and the LGAQ will, if such a levy were to be passed, position themselves to administer it for Queensland councils, always keeping a requisite 10% for themselves, as they do with Local Buy.
But that is chicken feed when we read stories like this, which the LGAQ is lobbying hard for with the Palaszczuk’s government.
Hallam is no doubt drooling out of both corners of his mouth at the very thought of tens of millions that could be coming his way, because even if the money isn’t directly allocated for distribution through his organsation, council members will use various LGAQ services for contracts and ‘feasibility studies’ and the like … always keeping a tidy little chunk for themselves. To the great detriment of both the ratepayers and the taxpayers of Queensland.
Senator Roberts has already detailed several rorts involving councils and the LGAQ. And it is little wonder that Hallam made the early call on the corruption investigations into Ipswich and Logan councils as ‘witch hunts.’
As said here before, Mr Hallam, you were right, they caught a lot of witches, though, didn’t they?. You seem a tad worried you might next on the list?
Speaking Of Hanky Panky (1)
Another one from the week’s comments.
The Magpie
October 22, 2020 at 6:17 pm (Edit)
AT LAST, A PRIME MINISTER WE CAN BE PROUD OF.
The Magpie’s heart soared today when he saw this story.
Scott Morrison’s firm and uncompromising stand on this issue now surely means that under his new found moral outrage, he will be applying the same standards to Sports Rorts Minister Bridget McKenzie, to Deputy PM and Nationals leader Michael McCormack for the new Sydney Airport land rort (on his watch, the Feds paid the Liberal party donors who owned the land $30million when it valued at just $3million) and to acting Immigration Minister, Alan Tudge, whom a court found had acted ‘criminally’ by unlawfully keep a person in jail.
Yup, you can bet there’s a good old clean-out about to start. Prime Minister, you will be soon known as Go Go Scomo – better late than never.
But better do it quickly, because if you tarry, people will start using the H word … Hypocrisy.
Speaking Of Hanky Panky (2)
Remember this fellow, Dallas Hure-Little, from a Magpie blog few weeks ago.
Mr Hure-Little was the recently appointed CEO of the Townsville Aboriginal & Islander Health Service (TAIHS), and his unique management style appeared to ruffling a few feathers. In that recent blog, The Magpie asked a few questions about what the board knew of strange reports from Cairns that had followed Mr Hure-Little to Townsville, and what probity checks were done on that and his claimed educational qualifications.
Shortly after publication, there were rumblings coming into the Nest that Mr Hure-Little was ‘considering his legal position’, which The ‘Pie took to mean vis-à-vis the published questions.
But nothing eventuate until this week, when apparently Mr Hure-Little decided discretion was the better part etc, and resigned from TAIHS. He said he was sorry to be leaving but didn’t say why, just that the board had accepted his resignation.
It will be interesting to see if the unique ‘cultural’ structures that form a background to indigenous boards in areas like this will allow them to tighten up their screening procedures. After all, they are funded by public money.
The Trump Train Wreck Continues Apace
The third presidential debate (the second was cancelled because the Trumpanzee had a hissy fit when it was proposed to be a ‘virtual’ affair) was slightly more sedate – a word rarely if ever seen in the same sentence with the words Donald Trump – than the first global embarrassment. But the old entertainer was still there, and came up with the quote of the night when talking about the COVID deaths in the USA.
‘I take full responsibility. It wasn’t my fault, it was China’s.’
It’s was a week when the satirists practicised their hilarious dark arts to be best advantage.
The ‘Pie also spotted a ‘Caption The Cartoon’ contest in the New Yorker. This was the illustration …
… and The Magpie suggested:
‘Bet you can’t wait to tell the President we have found a virus cure … but perhaps best not to mention the side effects, Professor.’
And Let’s Leave You On A Musical Note
The creative juices started flowing for one song writer when she realized the words ‘pathological liar’ scanned perfectly with Billy Joel’s classic ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire.’
Clever stuff …and absolutely true.
…….
A week to go to marking your x on the ballot, so last chance to have your rant in comments, just dive in, it’s easy to do. Almost as easy as helping keep the Magpie blog aloft with a much needed donation to put some air under the wings, the donate button is below. right now, it would be greatly appreciated.
LGAQ audited annual report 2018 is interesting reading . Mayor Hill attended 10-10 board meetings and I’m sure she would have utilised her travel allowance to do business for Townsville and directors paid $86,100 and President paid $125,500 . Ceo Greg Hallam $357,479 . Controlled entities like Local buy trading made $748,000 income and Peak services $1.6 mil along with all the membership fees paid by Councils across Qld , T.C.C, $450k ? . Stirling Hinchcliffe local Government Minister announced he asked his department 17/12/2018 to investigate LGAQ due to the petitions he has received . Based on the amount of Mayors in jail , Councils replaces , Councils under CCC enquiry clearly there is an issue and the million $ budget blow outs like Palm Island Council I gather Qld tax payers picks up the tab .
Sent you an email Pie.
Jatz, haven’t received it.
Each week when I read about all the parasites like the LGAQ and the Govt boards stacked with low life losers and grubs, I feel all the time I spend ensuring I pay as little tax as possible in this country is time well spent.
Absolutely Cankers , total facade + wasted $ . Qld health are advertising for board positions for Qld hospital boards in Qld newspapers with applications going to a well paid recruitment company . What’s the point because Tony Mooney and Labor Qld will decide who they owe favours to or who works behind the scenes for the party .
Magpie, the cops I talk to are in full support of the idea of a partial curfew as it gives them a tool to at least stop and chat with young people rather than waiting until they are in the stolen car or going through some old lady’s house.
A person going home from work at Maccas gets a friendly wave while the toe rags doubling on a $5000 bike with a bag of tools and gloves over their shoulder get diverted off the street and away from grandma’s house and car.
It will be a wake up for Family Services or the bail houses when they start getting the phone calls to pick up their charges.
Will the idea need to be developed and resourced properly, will it most likely not be a universal cure, is it worth a go – yes to all.
Your genuine concern cannot be accommodated in such a simplistic scenario that is somewhere close to the 1940s Hollywood idea of policing. these kids aren’t Andy Hardy up to some larks. And if you read the stats, it is car thefts that are the main problem , no need to worry about fully kitted burglars.
While your concerns and suggestions are genuine, ‘resourced properly’ holds the key, because to enforce a curfew will take hundreds more officers (we have to leave some free to attend to other matters, DVs, accidents, and the dozens needed nightly to look after violent drunks non Via Vomitorium etc) and simply returning them to their homes without some mild punishment will make it a game for these kids, who will be laughing up their sleeves about hilarious exploits of giving coppers the runaround. And add to ‘resourced properly’ a big chunk (millions in fact) to defend legal challenges from the human rights and the aboriginal industry folks.
And BTW, there is nothing The ‘Pie knows of that currently stops bluebags from ‘stopping and having a friendly chat’ … the friendliness depending entirely the attitude of the ‘young people’. The police already have the ‘tool’ you speak of. It is sad but true that a curfew without real teeth will simply make the police a kiddy taxi service.
How about instead, random house checks and if those known to police aren’t home without credible excuse, fine the parents.
I like the suggestion in today’s Bullsheet, where we already have a viable place for those truants in the Cleveland Youth Centre of Excellence. After all, its fully staffed, secure and if the holding pens don’t have creature comforts it may become unpopular to visit? Just to get the villians off the street can only be a move in the right direction. I recall in my youth, the Coppers would break us up if we were hanging around the local milk bar in any numbers – names and addresses were taken, then the direction ” Piss off home, if I see you again tonight, there WILL be trouble” was given which I can attest to most certainly was painful!! The Coppers were a force to be feared in those times unlike now! Oh, for the GOOD old days!!
A copper even just telling one of these snotty little grubs to ‘piss off home’ could eventually end up in a law suit and disciplinary action against the officer for cultural insensitivity. And these kids don’t hang around ‘milk bars’, more meet outside hardware stores for a bout of chroming.
Many I know in the QPS including immediate family or also supportive of the policy, providing the centres they are taken too are resourced, youth workers, liaison officers etc and follow ups to households, fines etc are part of the process. As you say the issue is the police can get a call that half a dozen of them are out the front of someone’s house at 2 in the morning, but they have no authority but to move them along, which means they just end up at another place, it is not illegal to be walking the streets at 2 am. Whilst the cars are the primary target they have a playbook that is far more serious than just the keys, with many going straight to the kitchen for a knife before the key hunt takes place, in case a confrontation occurs inside the dwelling. They try and pick houses with bedroom air conditioning running and you will also hear them whistle as they walk the streets, looking for where the dogs are. The curfew may not work or it might work, but the reality is the status quo is complete failure so why not give it a try, either that or we just accept the fact the place is a lawless shithole and move to somewhere else.
Is it getting to the stage where we have to introduce a beefed up Castle Doctrine like some other countries and Australian states (SA)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine#Australia
LGAQ wants to look at the levy applying to Australian Tyre Manufacturers? On the ball as usual,there are no Australian Tyre manufacturers,and has not been for a few years now !
I’m not sure about this tyre levy bs. I saw on LinkedIn last week one of our Chamber members spruiking a new Townsville business that will be recycling old tyres for bitumen to be used on the highway rebuild. Why do we need a levy if the tyres will no longer be waste?
Very good edition of the blog.
Also, I find the alp transport announcement of a public transport funding plan for the tcc very interesting
I wonder if it is for a karma bus for tcc management
Rumblings within the Cairns City Council and local community lead to CEO and Director resignations.
Any learnings here for Mullet and TCC.
https://www.tropicnow.com.au/2020/october/23/the-inside-story-of-cairns-councils-executive-exodus
Very good reporting by Tropic Now.
Yes indeed all very interesting. Mr Andrejic has worked previously for Cairns Port Corporation, Cairns Airport Corppration and Cairns Council. He has a relationship with Sleepy Bob that stems back to the Port Corporation trough. In fact, when the Cairns airport CEO/Scotsman rolled Andrejic, Sleepy Bob created a plum position for him with Council. From that role he beacame CEO. So the falling out is actually quite spectacular, however Manning is a useless twat and Andrejic is a stubby short of a six pack. As for Reaston, she slid along many greasy poles in her climb to the top tier trough and she was never rated much good at anything other than smiling and wiggling her ass.
A question, Sleepy Bob (who is no doubt the Brad Pitt of our commenters). You denigrate someone named Sleepy Bob, but call yourself ‘Sleepy Bob? Big night last night watching the footy, mate? And sounds like Ms Reaston may have beaten you to the job on merit, leaving you to bite your bottom lip and wistfully watch her departing form.
Dear ‘Pie,
Judge Wall’s punishment handed down to the two Charters Towers snots, and by default to the snot’s parents, was well before the Youth Justice Act. Could a Judge impose such a sentence in today’s legislative climate, even if they were so inclined?
Believe so. They just don’t. But could be a bit behind will check.
Rooster head Hure-Spittle must have struggled to correct all the BS in his LinkedIn profile? Is that why he (it) resigned, busted for telling porky pies? Or was he/she disgruntled with the poor bathroom lighting in its office and couldn’t apply its makeup properly? From what I’ve heard on the street – no loss. Not many disappointed that he is going. It was another failed attempt by the health department to kowtow to the politically correct drivers of diversity who continue to insist on either a female, homo or indegenous person be promoted into top government positions, regardless of whether they have the skill and ability to do the job.
Not really the language The ‘Pie would use to describe the situation, especially the nonsensical homophobia – The ‘Pie does not know of any suggestion that gay people should be actively promoted beyond any ability they may have, but what is clear and correct is that one’s sexuality should not be a bar to anyone’s job prospects, except perhaps nuns and pole dancers. But the core of your foaming essay is correct. Quota politics in all spheres of life has gone too far … especially wittering on about glass ceilings for women. Doesn’t wash in a state where we have the choice of two females as our next premier, probably half the total of Queensland mayors and councillors are women, and senior council jobs right up to CEO are abundantly filled with females. nationally, both in the public and private sectors, the gals are doing just fine … there would be very few exceptions that got there for what’s between their legs and not their ears, and they are matching the blokes in extra curricular sexual hi jinx, rorts (hi, Minister McKenzie) and outright criminality.
I tend to agree with Dallas Cowboy. Our department went from 50/50 to 80/20 female employees. As many men are applying for vacancies, but very few are making it through.
Hey there D Cowboy, did you in fact mean homo sapien in your post? I want to give you the benefit of the doubt. If you meant the other, then you belong in the stone-age, not in this time or century!
Hello if you made an error, pluck the hell off if you didn’t!
I don’t think race or orientation come into the conversation. He overstated his resume, for sure, and the price to pay is losing a good job. A true test of character will be whether or not he can learn from this.
Blah blah blah poor Mr Little overstated his resume and now will he overcome this minor incident and become a stronger person? WHO GIVES A SHIT. He was awarded a position he was never qualified for and I question what checks and balances are in place that should’ve prevented this ever occurring? The reality is that Health saw the application of a gay indegenous man and they gave him the job based on that. And I stand by what I have previously said having worked the past 28 years in Government – don’t bother applying for a job unless you are gay, indigenous, have autism or are female. These are the new ‘unofficial’ prerequisites. A world gone politically mad and insane where the best candidate is no longer judged upon their actual skill and real qualifications.
‘Health’ had nothing to do with it. The ‘Pie understands that he got the job after some last minute lobbying among the board by certain ‘aunties’ and ‘uncles’ played the usual indigenous game of tribal favouritism.
Ah! Nepotism.
Or was it MERIT. Mates Employed Regardless of Intelligence or Training.
What about being an amputee member of an obsquer non-christian sect? Would that help?
Oh pleaseeeee!
Everyone knows that with the Labor Government we currently have to put up with its jobs for the boys, or girls, so long as you’re part of the Labor “family”.
A good example is the Screaming Midget who has gravitated from a cushy council job to a State Government appointed snout-in-trough appointment.
Stay turned for Little Pattie to get the TCC CEO gig and Kevin “rhymes with” Gill to move from TEL chairman to take Little Pattie’s place as TEL CEO (on a salary more in keeping with his former gig as Townsville Airport CEO).
Anything is possible when corruption rules.
Any place I can place a bet against that call as the odds of that happening are 1 million to 1
Give him a break, Gavin, we all suffer a little prejudicial enthusiasm. So when One legged Tap Dancer wants to stamp his foot, he just looks like he’s hopping mad.
Q. What do you call a one legged Morris Dancer.
A. A Lagerphone!
Little Pattie as TCC CEO? I think you will find minimum educational qualifications required which she don’t have.
OK, glib stuff, but those educational qualifications are what, and she has what qualifications?
Pattie has a QUT qual (might be a bachelors) in public relations and marketing. CEO‘ of a large organisation like TCC sometimes get through on an MBA. But considering the role manages a substantial asset base and financial budget, more likely a financial background requiring Accounting.
Thank god for that …. but would The Impaler stand up to your requirements? being a Labor sympathiser is certainly a pre-requisite around here nowadays.
Impaled had a PR degree and was studying law at Bond while at TCC.
Neat trick, qualifying (or trying to) after the fact.
I’m with you OLTD. Standby for the appointments to the Hospital Board. Labor know no bounds when it comes to nepotism and jobs for their mates.
Well, sure, but that’s not the exclusive preserve of labor, Have you ever heard of a Labor person getting a seat at a trough when the conservatives are in power? Anywhere? in some ways, there is absolutely no difference between parties.
Not a lot of comments on the blog about Greg ‘Jabba the hut’ Hallam and I’m surprised with that. The LGAQ has morphed into an almost mafia like organisation. Greedy self opinionated Council CEO’s and Mayors rely on the LGAQ to issue annual awards and trophies to Councils, which in turn tickles Councils ego’s and gives them status credits around the State. Narcissists and egotists love that sort of shit and they also hope it leads to bigger future opportunities. In return, Councils use LGAQ recommended procurement practises and in fact use some of the LGAQ’s recommended businesses to conduct consultative work and other matters. There is basically a big swirling pool of money spinning through everybody’s hands. The LGAQ gets its 10% and everybody is bathed in money. The LGAQ is long overdue a proper financial and procedural audit. I suspect this has not happened previously due to the inevitable (and in some cases the known) can of worms that it will unveil. There is a number of consultants on the LGAQ books which do work for and on behalf of Councils and those consultants are ex Mayors and ex Council CEO’s, labor affiliates and Labor supporters and so the list goes on. One giant family of trough dwellers and complete shonks.
Hi may resemble Jabba but he is as nimble on his feet as Fred Astire
he plays both sides of politics ,is well entrenched in local government politics
both sides need him for his local government and regional issues
He will also prosper in change
That could be said nof many on the political fringes, but that doesn’t change his sharp practices of self-interest that verge on illegality … certainly ethical decrepitude.
Magpie, while you’re no fan of Jenny Hill, you’re stance on not commenting personally on the events surrounding the driving charge nor accepting commentary from others is to be applauded. Apparently other usual suspects not so principled. Dis-endorsed PHON candidate Troy Thompson recently posted on his Thommo’s Tales FB page a number of unsubstantiated and patently erroneous points. True to form, the Tinfoil hat wearer Newey shared it on his TRRA page. Not unexpectedly, the disaffected ‘haters’ came out in force on both pages. While FB can truly be a stain on society, the detritus who inhabit their pages are a stain on the sidewalk.
The Magpie’s stance on Jenny hill’s troubles is that he is a fan of fair justice being allowed to take its course. Mr Newey can follow his own course in his desperate battle against RDS (Relevance Deprivation Syndrome).
The “caregivers” of kiddie crims who allow their kids not to attend school and to wander the streets at night should be charged with child neglect. Their welfare payments should no longer be deposited in cash in their accounts but rather paid in the form of a welfare card. So these “caregivers” are forced to budget and spend welfare money on essentials not drugs, gambling and nonessentials. If caregivers continue to neglect their kids the kids need to be sent to special boarding schools. The federal government needs to prioritise the implementation of the welfare card nationally, to break the toxic cycle of neglect.
I suspect these children come from 4th generation Centrelink families, and the neglect has filtered down through many generational changes. The parents are most likely just as damaged as the children. What we need is the one thing we don’t have – jobs for everyone.
What makes you think many of these dysfunctional parents want to work? The majority are too busy embracing their victimhood, urged on them by disgraceful so called leaders.
Yes Pie and most of them barrack for Richmond cos they can spell Tiger and not much else!
My point was jobs for the young people coming through. The parents? Probably beyond help I suspect.
fair enough.
The parents could be taught to spell cat
Well done, ‘Pie!
Which particular disgraceful leader did you have in mind? Don’t tell me, I think I know – perhaps the one with ‘race’ in the name – dis gRACEful dame, or perhaps dat gRACEful dame. Someone once mentioned a Tracey and another the Voraceous Lady but neither of that brace (links to headline of this week’s blog) could be the one.
Did someone say homo, or gay? I’m with you brothers, or sisters, or whatever you may be! Dallas, are you scared of us and is this why you tar and feather us with your blog remarks?
IMA, no I’m not scared of you at all, what is there to be scared of? I just like shortening words that’s all – ‘The Magpie’ becomes ‘Pie’, Homosexual becomes ‘homo’, Scott Morrison becomes ‘Scomo’ and Jenny Hill becomes ‘Mullet’. Does that offend you? In fact, to your dismay I have a relative who, for better of words, is a homosexual and he calls himself ‘fag’ and ‘big queer’. Do you think he needs correcting or requires a dressing down, so to speak? We live in a politically correct society filled with sooks and Softcocks. People need to harden up.
‘Softcocks’? Now the reputed readership of ‘retirees’ is offended. Or do we just need to harden up.
Congratulations Mr Pie on your mention on Media Watch this evening, good stuff!
Waiting for the Herogram from the Astonisher. But good non MW for exposing this crap article.
Imagine anyone watching that last night who was thinking about moving to Townsville for some reason or even visiting the joint, most would shake their heads in disbelief as the rap sheet on these low life’s was read out, well done Townsville Bulletin, pack of Dickheads.
Yes, while pleased to see the Bulletin outed on national TV, The ‘Pie was at the same time sad for the further damage to our city – not just the crims, but the low life local paper.
The ‘Pie hears that the current iditor, former photographer Craig Warhurst, isn’t a bad bloke at all, in fact is quite liked … and therein lies a problem … good editors need to be respected, even admired but not necessarily liked. One gets the feeling that being lumbered with a staff of poorly trained pole climbers, he is bombarded with inane ideas like this one …
… and is the one to cop ALL the flak. Especially when the story isn’t by-lined beyond saying it was by ‘Townsville Bulletin’. As editor, that’s fair enough, and maybe it was YOUR idea, anyway. But Craig, have you sought out the reporter who told the crime victim complainant she couldn’t care less for mentoring.
That too is part of your job … unless of course you think that is a fair response to someone forced to leave the city because of being a victim of one of your ‘hottest 10 crims’. Surely YOU could care less, because this is a tick in the wrong column for your professional standing and creditability in this town. And elsewhere. But sadly, maybe not in Rupert’s world.
The Bulletin can count my digital subscription as collateral damage from this shameful artical. I was on the fence as to whether to re- sign or not. This piece of shit decided it for me. Thank you
The ‘Pie would happily follow suit, except it is both unethical and unfair to criticise something without reading it. It is an unwelcome but necessary cost The Magpie has to bear.
” poorly trained pole climbers” what a great slogan for most of the parties for the next election
Congrats! Magpie, for featuring on The Media Watch. Magpie score 1; The Astonisher score zero.
Thanks, Mike, pleased that this deeply offensive stuff got the airing it deserved.
Is there a link for those of us who missed it?
https://iview.abc.net.au/video/FA1935H038S00
or just go to ABNC iview, then news and then media watch
Another link to the story
Well done Pie
https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/crims-new/12815528
found it https://iview.abc.net.au/show/media-watch
Looking forward to your article about Townsville’s hottest pests and my inclusion
Happy to provide risqué pics
Happy for you not to.
Probably be hard to see anything on a small iPhone screen.
Mate you are a Dickhead
right back at you , there’s two for the highway
No surprise that the Astonisher’s iditor did not respond to Media Watch’s enquiry. I wonder wether there was an “Oh fuck!” moment for him, or would he have been oblivious to the national spot light?
There is the possibility bthat he was ordered by the ‘brains trust’ in Sydney or Brisbane to come up with the Hottest crims locally …those would be the same brains that have foisted on us the plethora of ‘The Best Of …’ reveals, acd the Top Ten Burgers/fish’n’ chips/ dog groomers/ hairdressers/plumber’s bum cracks.
will check when have a chance if the Hottest Crims was run anywhere else, or canned when the Townsville reaction was so scathing.
The Townsville Bulletin’s “Hottest criminals” was featured on Media Watch tonight, as was the Magpie’s exposure of this shameful editorial salute to the crims who are destroying our city. Townsville has been reduced to a laughing stock by an editor who worships shock journalism and the advertising dollar. Typical News Ltd. All is lost until we get a new honest mayor and a newspaper that serves the people rather than the Mayor and the big end of town.
One again Nanna Anna is playing politics with the border reopening, by making an announcement the day before the election. I’m guessing that the announcement will go along the lines of “my strong government action blah blah blah, flatten curve blah blah blah, it is reopening and please vote to return my inept government tomorrow”.
And that douchebag Peter Beattie has popped up to have his say about border closures too. Why doesn’t he just fuck off and take another overseas posting, perhaps in Antarctica or Siberia. I’m sure there are plenty of rorts still awaiting him.
The way Politics works, is some of the ex Politicians remain in the background, and hold significant power in the Party. PB left the public eye, but never went away.
NEWSFLASH: You heard it here first.
Craig Gore guilty of six counts of fraud. Bail revoked, and will be sentenced in November. Likely to get a few years, and have to serve at least 18 months.
Found not guilty of six other charges.
From white shoes to black rubber thongs. How the mighty fall.
Gore had his day in the sun, now will have a spell in the shade.
Guilty of six cases of fraud, not guilty on the other six. Does that make him only half guilty?
No – but it sure makes you something.
If the NSW police can ban certain people from moving around Sydney with further court orders to come, why the hell can’t the Qld courts make orders that certain residivest criminal little snots be required to be at a nominated address after dark.
It is not a case of the police having to patrol and chase the snots, just a case of random checks at known addresses.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-27/nsw-police-crack-down-on-sydney-crime-families/12817618
Totally agree Dave, surely a sentencing beak can impose curfew and no contact or association with known offenders as a condition of bail and suspended sentences?
Totally agree, but make the parents responsible, in essence, make them the corrective service officers to ensure their kids remain at home at night. That way, we won’t have to be paying through the nose to do their moral jobs for them.
That said, here’s another reason why any curfew will create an almost instant logjam in the courts …. if parents make the kids stay at home, this is what they face for enforcing their responsibility. From a legal website.
Disciplining children – what you need to know
Long gone are the days where the wooden spoon or canes are acceptable forms of teaching your child a behaviour lesson. Recently, we have acted for a number of parents who have been charged by police following them disciplining their child, sometimes in ways that would have not only been acceptable, but common practice 20 years ago.
What are the laws in Queensland around smacking or disciplining children?”
A person in Queensland can be charged with assaulting another person if:
1. they strike, touch, or apply force of any kind to the other person;
2. the assault was without the person’s consent; and
3. The assault was not authorised, justified or excused by law.
The law set out in section 280 of the Queensland Criminal Code allows parents (or people in the place of a parent, including school teachers) to discipline a child in their care with force that is reasonable in the circumstances. Section 280 states:
It is lawful for a parent or a person in the place of a parent, or for a schoolteacher or master, to use, by way of correction, discipline, management or control, towards a child or pupil, under the person’s care such force as is reasonable under the circumstances.
There’s that word “reasonable” again. What is reasonable can differ between each situation, and all of the circumstances must be considered. Some important factors include:
• The way the punishment was given (e.g. smack, punch etc. and which part of the body (e.g. arm, buttocks, head));
• The amount of times it was given (e.g. one smack vs 10 smacks);
• The age, sex and physical and mental condition of the child;
• The standards currently prevailing in the community;
• Previous treatment of the child by the parents and the history of the relationship between child and parents; and
• Whether the forced used was only by way of correction and not retribution.
If a person crosses the line of reasonableness, they can face charges of assault or (if they have used an object such as a wooden spoon or a cane) assault occasioning bodily harm whilst armed with a weapon (which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment).
We have acted for clients previously charged with assaulting their children in situations where the force used was not reasonable in the circumstances. An example of such a case can be found here.
Being charged (and convicted) of an offence involving violence against your children can have a ripple effect into other areas of law including:
• family law proceedings;
• domestic violence proceedings;
• child safety proceedings;
• your ability to hold (or apply for) a Blue Card required for working with children;
• other employment-related cards, tickets or obligations to regulatory bodies.
Allegations of violence against your child can also see domestic violence proceedings being brought against you. Domestic violence protection orders are generally in place for five years and can include strict conditions such as limitations on contact with the people named on the order.
Charges of assault, particularly against children, are dealt with seriously by the police and the courts. It is important you obtain specialised advice so that you:
• know your rights before speaking with police;
• gain an understanding of the court process and your options;
• receive personalised advice in relation to the nature of the charges against you and your prospects in fighting the allegations;
• receive advice in relation to how to mitigate penalty, where you are pleading guilty; and
• have an experienced advocate for you in court and in all dealings with the prosecution.
We’re totally screwed, if that’s the legistiture; how did that concoction of unbalanced anarchy come into legislation?
Oh! of course no Upper House to review and balance with a tad of common sense.
No guarantee an upper house would deliver common sense, most around the country are home to left wing socialist freeloaders who would be right behind this sort of legislation.
Noted.
Most parents do not have a problem with the courts. Why should the snots and their parents be treated with kid gloves? The snots and their parents need to learn the meaning of the word ‘responsibility’.
Just read Diamond Nick from Hitchinbrook not happy with LNPs curfew for northern stay outs. Once in, or should we say, should Klapper Pals be returned, there will be their usual RRRRRrrrrrr, background noise only, with the ‘Required Stimulus for Queensland’ and introduction of Daylight Saving, as per that glossy 43 and a half page COVID Economic Recovery Plan, Pals Candidates have been carrying around for every photo opportunity.
Is the Astonisher really buying Deputy Mayor Molachinos spin that “ Councils fiscal responsibility and smart financial management “ was the reason that Covid impact was only $10 mil and Council deficit was only $3.9 mil for the 19/20 yr . COVID restrictions were only 3 mths of the 19/20 financial so based on Molachinos version of fiscal responsibility that would be a $40 mil impact to 20/21 . The Astonisher needs to dig deeper and seek professional opinion as T.C.C, debt is spiraling past $400 mil and ask what actions Council are implementing .
Good luck with that … reporters busy with the Best Three Headed Calves of 2020.’
Molachino is too stupid to even know what financial management is, the bloke is a brainless dunce, truly an imbecile, would have been something someone wrote for him on a bit of paper to say.
“Mayor to appoint Advisor” sounds a lot like “Dolan come home” to my untuned ears.
Perhaps Jenny is carving out a space for her go-to fix-it man to deal with whatever crap might be about to go down for her. Opportune timing with the potential for ALP jobs to dry up from next week.
Doubt she could afford him.
The Bullsheet story suggests that the position is at zero cost as it replaces a previous lapdog (sorry policy advisor).
The advisors main job may well be driving the mayor around town.
Now that’s fucking funny. Gold!!!
How much is Council paying Nous for their consultancy on Taskforcenq the supposed think tank to move Townsville forward after COVID ? . Council has highly paid Senior Executives , Ceo , Economist and after a $3.6 mil loss Its needs a strategist to assist the Mayor . I’m sure Senior Business leaders in the City would provide their feedback for free but I doubt our Mayor or deputy Mayor would like to hear their report card .
I am not big on Facebook, but has anyone who is able to shed any light on the Capricornia Chronicle which has started to spam at least the Townsville and Mundingburra electorates with fake news putting an ugly spin on the LNP curfew policies by saying things like there will be youth detention centres in Garbutt and Railway Estate, pushing the discredited “police think it’s stupid” line, and generally polishing the ALPs balls.
Even their website Capricorniachronicle.com has popped out of nowhere in the past few weeks and seems a sham.
Surely it’s not legal?
If anyone from the LNP is reading this blog, you might want to have a look into it.
I heard (on good authority?), that when Rupert pulled out there were some ex Journalists framing up a replacement paper in Rockvegas. I’d say that would be it.
Looking at their website which has no actual news beyond a couple of out of date government media releases and cut and paste stories there is nothing to suggest they are doing anything but sponsoring anti LNP ads disguised as news into Facebook land.
While I’m on a roll, here’s a tip for John Hathaway. Parked in a different spot on Friday and found myself walking past the Townsville Small Business Disaster Recovery Centre next door to Council Admin building in the old commonwealth centre.
Opened with much fanfare by the ALP last year to save local small business into the future, and even with its own “Champion” it has been empty for probably six months despite the crappy sign still being up on the corner so I was glad to see people in the space.
Asked a lovely young lass who said they had nothing to do with the Disaster Centre which is still closed indefinitely and has no staff. As we go into another disaster season where the heck is our Captain Disaster and his/her team of merry persons?
John, drop in and try your luck or maybe call the number on the sign.
How long should they keep an office running to help small business recover from the 2019 flood event?
Unless you are also in a cushy government job Steve (which I think most of us suspect you are), you might be “woke” to what is a disaster of global proportions going on which is attracting support and interest from all governments – except the one with the closed disaster centre.
Earlier your complaint was that the centre wasn’t fully staffed with experts twiddling their thumbs around the clock waiting for upcoming hypothetical disasters, now you’ve latched on to the pandemic. Perhaps the need for a physical office is obviated in the current situation because business owners can just go online or make a call from their non-flooded premises or homes?
Barely…, I understand that the Small Business Recovery Centre still employs 2 or 3 staff members who are working from home. I am of the understanding that there is a problem or delays with their lease renewal. As you said, I hope it is sorted before the wet season.
Good to know.
Swinburne University with The Australian Population Research Institute have done a study on immigration. A survey whether Australians are in favour of it or not. I see we are categorised as ‘graduates’ and ‘non graduates’. Is that the same as saying educated and non educated? Why didn’t they just come out with ‘woke’ and ‘unwoke’
Because level of education attained is a measure that doesn’t require an entire survey in itself to elucidate. They don’t ask if you’re “old” or “young” in the age section. There’s no such thing as a “non educated” person over the age of infancy (present company excepted).
It’s also not a synonym for “woke”, whatever that means.
If you don’t know what ‘woke’ means, how do you know it’s not a synonym for ‘educated’?
FYI ‘woke’ is newspeak for those who count themselves morally superior in their social awareness. Has its roots in ‘awake (to)’ which takes a deep dive into PC conspiracy land.
Thanks – I was aware of some meanings of the term but not the particular sense Al was using. It’s become a bogeyman of the right like “politically correct” so who knows what ways the wing-nuts are using it.
In fact, The Magpie’s observation of the term ‘woke’ is sort of linguistically ambidextrous, and has become useful to both left and right ideologies, in either derogatory and laudatory terms. It’s origins though are with that gaggle of Frog fruit loop philosophers who seems to have sprinkled some Angel Dust in their Gauloise fags when devising Une Wheeze Jolie on reality.
Recommended reading (especially up your alley, Steve) is Cynical Theories by Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay – heavy going for an academic dullard like The Magpie, but worth it … no doubt a moire enlightened chap like yourself will whistle a merry tune whilst zipping through it.
To quote Des Houghton from the Courier Mail.
“For the benefit of the unwoke, being woke is a condition manifested by an inability to think individually, a shallow intellect and a desperate need for approval “
Was that from Des’s autobiography?
So obviously not a synonym for graduates/educated as you indicated above.
Nice try, typical tactic … the point was that you, by your own admission DIDN’T KNOW, so it doesn’t matter what the meaning, you ewere in no position to make that call …. there’s a job for you in the Labor backroom, mate. Oh, what’s that? Oh, you already work there? Sorry.
The Leaders Debate between the Chook and the Freckle was fantastic.
Chook was rattled by the Freckle behaving more like Trump interrupting a positive potential new leader.
I think the Chook’s polling is showing the COVID game has run its race and her favors to movie stars, footy players and Black Lives Matter protestors is bring her undone.
My prediction is a win for the Freckle. Then, within 12 months, she will be rolled by The Kid who will lead us for the final 3 years of the LNP’s tenure. She is useless, gutless and has no mongrel in her. The ‘women first’ #metoo bullshit has almost run its course and people in general are sick of hearing about it. We need to go back to having the ‘best person for the job’ actually doing the job, not have a woman because their are too many men, or have a gay person because they feel overlooked, or have an indigenous person because they first walked the land 6 million years ago or have a bipolar serial killer because people with mental health issues feel left out. Enough of this bullshit.
Very difficult to roll an election-winning incumbent – unless of course you’re a prime minister.
That’s true Pie. My thoughts are that she is unpopular, a loose cannon, and pretty much a soft piece of lettuce so I would imagine some internal faction fighting will see her speared within a year and The Kid jettisoned into her chair. I could be wrong and we are talking about sociopathic narcissists here so anyrhing is possible. Anyway, probably getting ahead of myself on this one. One step at a time is the order of the day…..
NB Jettisoned means thrown out. Just sayin’.
I think you mean Jetted in, not jettisoned! Then agan as words seem to have new reverse meaning thanks to the mindless Cheshire Cat wokes
I don’t know about that – NSW Labor was very adept at rolling premiers …
Sure, but The ‘Pie’s comment obviated just a back room bit of bastardy a la Gillard/Rudd/ Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison, but of course, if you’re going to get your boudoir jollies with a crook or some such scandal, of course premiers can and should get the heave-ho. But can’t see even the most demented colleague of these two Queensland adversaries ever contemplating an exploratory expedition to, umm, shall we say, southern climes.
Somewhat amusing how it has been revealed that one of KRudd’s little money making thinktanks has had financial and social dealings with one of America’s most famous billionaire Pedo’s – Jefferey Epstein. Perhaps KRudd also flew on he Lolita Express to ‘Little St James’ Island? It is funny how all these fuckwits hang around the same rich circle yet when someone like Epstein gets nailed everybody else scatters like cockroaches when you flick the kitchen light on.
And perhaps he didn’t. If you read the story beyond the headlines, it is the media’s usual tenuous grab at totally irrelevant beat up bullshit. The Magpie has always thought that the pomposity and self-entitled air of KRudd would seem him wear velvet gloves just to pleasure himself. In that department, doubt anyone has offered a helping hand.
Mayor Mullet was to appear in court today. Any news about when and where she is to reappear? Will she get to keep her passport during these proceedings?
Don’t know. Was she in the much ballyhoo’d list of ‘all those appearing in court today’ in the Astonisher?
And why shouldn’t she keep her passport? Jenny Hill is hardly a flight risk. Given her family, political and social ties to both Townsville and Australia, even if she has to travel abroad to put her business and property interests in order, there is no way she a Christina Skase.
They would have to drag her away by her mullet hair and purple doona yelling and screaming. There is no way she would walk away from the taxpayer trough (or flee overseas).
Due to appear on the 30th Dave. Today is the 29th. Bit keen there?
It’s only going to be remanded on to a higher court. It is at the ho hum stage of the legal process.
Bugger,
That’s what ‘deep retirement’ does to you. Now, where are my glasses?
You still got your passport Kelso? The one you use when you leave the Upper Ross and venture into North Ward? That statement is about as ridiculous as yours about The Mullets passport!
North Ward? Where’s that?
Bit of an over-reaction there, Pluckface, eh?
Magpie, i am referring to a earier FB post from Arron Harper (presume his media manager did not approve) of a verbal stouch at the polling booth with John Hathaway. While typically one sided was Aaron’s comments, it basically indicated that John told Aaron to shut his ‘pie hole’ after aaron told John and voters listening that using a police rank in a political voting was illegal under the current ECQ system. John was handing out the LNPs Muningburra representing how to vote cards with that verbal message according to to Aarron. Things got ugly with a few swear words and then Aaron turning his camera on John. Interesting that Aaron has since removed this from his FB page, yet later post indicate to this yet comments removed.
Unfortunately for Aaron, he sees his career Dying Without Dignity.
I do believe he is going to be presented with a can of Harpic for his autograph should he have the guts to turn up tomorrow after he gave the crowd the finger, what a loser.
7 Local News. No mention of the mayor of Australia’s largest city in north Australia appearing in court today.
Mainstream news is shite and I can’t stand to watch it. So can you keep us updated on here as to what colour doona she wears for the court hearing? Cheers
Geeze, I think I’m done for in my seat of Townsville. Well, 6 years of heading nodding and standing behind others is about to come to end. Easy while it lasted though!!!
Gee I wish I follow the lead of my old mate Harpic and lined up a gig with my old employer if only my missus was an assistant commissioner
Shock – horror – tragedy – amazement – ASTONISHED!!!
Ummm, fellas, gals at the Bully bunker , isn’t that EXACTLY. what debates are about?
You’re all so bored and clueless, please, please get a fuckin’ grip.
Aren’t these politicians crooks;
Labor waiting until the day before live poll booths open before making their border announcement.
LNP waiting until 24 hours before live poll booths open to make their financial costings public.
Nothing short of deceptive, dishonest and manipulated tactics to hoodwink and deceive voters. It seems to get worse every election because they realise more and more that we are a wakeup to these shonks. Grubs.
Mullet court case adjourned until December 16th for mention.
Merry Christmas.
While I am ambivalent in my opinion of Mayor Hill, I must say I feel sorry for her in the current circumstances.
In no way do I mean to discount the death of Darryl Lynch but I think about a couple of close calls I’ve had over my driving life and I can’t help but think “there but for the grace of God go I”
Which was precisely The ‘Pie’s reaction when he saw the photo of a dejected, slumped-shouldered, in-shock Jenny Hill at the scene of the accident. The loneliest moment in anyone’s life. While The ‘Pie maintains a ban on speculation of the circumstances, he will allow himself to say that there is no way at all that Jenny Hill did anything deliberately (the idea is absurd, I know, but some people, really ….) so yes, there but for the grace of Big Daddy, stand anyone of us.
I don’t feel sorry for her. Not one little bit. He ineptitude as Mayor has cost many many businesses dearly. Her ineptitude as Mayor has seen rates rise which in turn makes locals suffer. Her ineptitude as Mayor (the hiring of The Impaler) saw many many Council staff lose their jobs with some losing homes and some having to relocate elsewhere. Her ineptitude as Mayor has contributed to us becoming a third world city filled with crime and piss weak justice. She has ridden the gravy train for years and always comes out looking cleaner than a newly minted coin. Nope, you won’t get one tiny bit of sympathy from me. The feeling around the floors of TCC is finally she may be shown the door! No tears. Too bad so sad….
The Magpie holds no brief (spoiler alert – not) for Mayor Mullet, but for any person to land in the position she is in now, on the human level, is completely unrelated to the matters you mention. No sympathy, OK, but best to shut up keep your gob shut, because such free shots say nothing about her but everything about you.
Oh Mr Pie, you do have a sensitive, caring and compassionate side to you lol. That’s good, and believe it or not I respect that. I too have a nice side to me, it’s true. But not when it comes to Politicians, especially ones like her. We all reap karma for the wrongs we have done, hell I have and I will likely reap more. But so will she. Eventually what goes around comes around…. now where’s my tissues!
What you say is correct, but as previously suggested, stuff a few of those tissues in your cake hole …
Those who know me know my loathing for Hill as a boss and as a leader. But the difference (I like to think) between most of those with their snouts in the trough and the rest of us is that we can separate the issue from the person and empathise at a human level.
I play the ball not the man (or the Mullet).
Perhaps things were different in your day oh shrivelled soul?
VALE, Michele Hyde.
It is with great sadness that I learned this morning that my friend, Michele Hyde, had passed away overnight. It is comforting to know her children were with her when she finally succumbed to a long battle with cancer.
Michele was my cross-the-street neighbour for many years, and we enjoyed a warm friendship.
She was well known, respected and liked as one of the top agents in the Townsville property industry.
She was a courageous woman who refused to buckle or whimper while battling one of the biggest scourges of modern life.
Vale, Michele.
From the Curious Snail today about the AFR rich list:
“Several high-profile Queenslanders have been punted off the nation’s rich list for the first time in decades as COVID-19 decimates businesses.”
My heart bleeds.
Who has been kicked off the list Pie? Gina Swinehart? Andrew Pine Forrest? Migaloo Palmer? Gerry Hardly? James Klacker?
So the 1% club has lost a couple of members. Boohoo. Fuck em…..
Their salty tears can ruin the upholstery of a Maserati.
Maserati’s are very ‘low brow’ in my circles. We all drive Lamborghini’s and Ferrari’s which have scotch guard protected seats. Not only are they water proof, but French bulldog hair can also be easily vacuumed up.
…after a night in Lovers Lane?
The Townsville sailing club is going to get $4 million from Puddleduck if re elected, meanwhile other sporting clubs in the burbs who have to battle away to keep the doors open get shit bits and tokens, guess what these clubs need to do is make sure they operate on a prime piece of dirt that developers want, an then whinge like fuck they will have to move, what a joke.
“Will get” might be too strong a word. It’s a desperate last moment punt for Scotty Stewart. If they don’t get up, nothing lost, and if they do get up it will be in the fullness of time, during the course of the next parliament, following a successfully business case, and then a snooze before lunch.
If they do get in,I would not want to be the Sailing Club hanging by my Goolies waiting for the money.Cue Crickets chirping………
NSW Central Coast Council suspended over $89M debt. How much is the TCC in the red?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-10-30/nsw-government-suspends-central-coast-council-over-debt/12832878
Central Coast Council has a stench of corruption for while. Don’t be surprised if more comes out on that one. Developers did well out of them as well. Pity as Gosford was a nice sleepy backwater till they accelerated putting high rise doxboxes up everywhere. They are trying to do same round Terrigal and will probably succeed when the older community passes on. Mind that there are still quite a few young families in the area. Have extended family in the trades game round there so have heard some things.
Jenny Hill appears in court.
So the process starts, with Jenny Hill’s careless driving causing death charge flicked on to another hearing on December 18.
A couple of things of note at today’s brief hearing.
First some unsurprising sloppy reporting by the Bulletin, which reported:
“The charge against Ms Hill can result in the courts imposing licence disqualification, significant fines and even imprisonment.It carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment.”
Changed in 2018 from 6 to 12 months (2 years if unlicensed.)
The other matter of interest is that there’s no ‘buy locally’ for LGAQ board member Jenny Hill when it comes to engaging legal defence. More the LGAQ doctrine of ‘Local Buy’ i.e. anywhere but your own community. Despite this city having the largest legal fraternity outside Brisbane, our mayor has opted for a big city firm, Brisbane outfit Gilshenan & Luton Legal Practice, with lawyer Callan Lloyd presumably flying in for the day from Brisbane for the gig.
10 years would certainly invite mitigation.
Could it be possible to mitigate it to 6 months?
Asking for the Bully
The Magpie is only surmising, but when someone is dead and you’re responsible, cannot see that happening. And remember, here we’re talking about the law, not the case.
Hill hasn’t been charged with dangerous driving causing death. She has been charged with driving without due care and attention causing death. Maximum of 1 year imprisonment.
Correct. Changed in 2018 from 6 months to one year, 2 if unlicensed.
Let’s not get ahead of the process but a couple of points to note
1 very few ever get maximum , sentences will be influenced by driving records and character
2 gilshenan and Luton are the go to firm in Queensland for misconduct white collar crime professional misconduct etc Ms Hill has been well advised engaging them
This process will take at least 18 months to play and don’t expect anything sensational .
Very well taken points, the essence of which The ‘Pie has been saying about the process from the start.
The Magpie’s comment regarding the location of the law firm is in no way a reflection on that firm’s reputation or ability, but more an ironic reflection on Mayor Hill’s trumpeting the false LGAQ ‘Local Buy’ rort, which sees anything but a local business get the various council jobs.
And of course we will not expect anything sensational from the Townsville Bulletin, just a sober facts-based, adjective-free accurate coverage of the process and the various proceedings.
But while we’ve got you, Georgie, perhaps nyou can clear up a couple of things. Read somewhere that ‘dangerous driving’ – NOT the charge against Clr Hill – is a criminal offence with much higher penalties than careless driving (‘without due care or attention’), which is the charge in question. Is the latter also a criminal offence? Or do we live in a state that deems that causing the death of a person is just a misdemeanour?
Again, just talking about the law, not the case.
Both charges are criminal offences
But remember , therefore , to be guilty of either the person charged must be guilty beyond reasonable doubt
The defence in most of these matters drills down into the facts including the behaviour of the deceased
I doubt there will be a committal and according all facts will not be presented a trial.
In view of current t backlogs and covid 19 induced slowdowns. I reckon after Easter 2022
Listen sport, your common sense and informed appraisals are threatening the hard earned reputation of this blog. The ‘Pie is watching you, mate.
But as you say, in that case, Mayor Hill is unlikely to plead guilty, even on some sort deal, because – and The ‘Pie is sure to be swiftly corrected if wrong – she would be be automatically handing in her ticket on the gravy train, mandatory ta-ta’s for being guilty of a charge that potentially carries a jail as a penalty.
The tourism industry in Queensland has been shattered by the COVID restrictions, Particularly the totally unreasonable extension after extension of the border restrictions (even today, it’s an authoritarian’s picnic) coupled with the unreasonable extension of a business shutdown in places like Townsville when there was no real or apparent reason to do so … it was, we were told, simply a whole-of- state issue, with no attempt to explain why.
And now The Magpie has learnt that Anna Palaszczuk totally commandeered Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ), pressuring them to drop everything and join her re-election campaign.
This took the form of her demanding the entire TEQ team to go flat strap promoting the AFL grand final, a one day event in Brisbane, with no whole-of-state ramifications. The AFL GF was a worthy win for this state from many angles, but the neglect of TEQ for anything outside the AFL bubble and the suffering tourism businesses outside the SEQ is unforgivable. The AFL GF was turned into a political stunt by the Premier, which, OK, good on her, but not at the expense of sucking dry the very industry that contributes so mightily to the Queensland economy.
Consider this: In May this year, the primary Queensland tourism body TEQ put up 26 tourism-related posts on their FB page … but in October, with the lifting of restrictions in sight and the ideal time to move to kick-start the tourism industry, TEQ posted just 9 tourism-related pages. The ‘Pie’s inside info out of Brisbane is that practically the whole TEQ team spent at least a month doing nothing else except market all aspects of the AFL grand final.
Even acknowledging this is one of the most cynical elections we have experienced – and isn’t that saying something – actions like these by Palaszczuk border on irresponsible, selfish Trumpish desperation.
I understand Puddleduck spent $35M to get and hold that scrappy game of aerial ping pong.
Which reminds me of a joke.
Chinese brothers Lee Ping, and Lee Pong invented a game using a small celuloide ball and round paddle bats. What is the name of the game?
Just this once only .. another one and you’ll be sent to the FB corner for morons.
A. Table Tennis.
Pie, Would that have been the catalyst for Tourism Minister Kate Jones pulling the pin.
No idea, but not likely. Wouldn’t have done her any electoral damage.
Tourism QLD had large slabs of time booked on Sydney media to run adverts for Qld from this weekend. Slots were pulled before 9am yesterday.
STOP IT … JUST FUCKING STOP IT.
This sort of absolute juvenile idiocy has no place in a paper of record … in fact, it has no place anywhere, but legitimising this abuse of both language and reader in a major news site is unforgivable. And so unnecessary. Chris Q, is this you doing this? You really do know better, surely. Three people ‘recovering in hospital’?
carnage | ˈkärnij |
noun
the killing of a large number of people.
Insulting fuckwits.
Hey honest question. Where the f%#@ did this Townsville University Hospital come from? Am not trying to disparage their good works but they are a general hospital and have been since the 1930’s. The added university bit seems a tad pretentious.
The Townsville University Hospital stopped using the term ‘general hospital’ when it moved to Douglas, and in what seems a common sense move since it is involved in medical and nursing training with JCU, recently added University to its title. Sounds about right.
Ditto; as per several rants from hades on the missuse of carnage!
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/sport/nrl/sex-drugs-and-a-cover-up-nrl-sits-on-explosive-complaint-20201030-p56a5o.html
Haven’t read this in the Cowboys Newsletter
Cheers Pie. I thought it was a media thing, obviously not.
Magpie i have questions about jenny hill im hoping you could help.
1. The next hearing do they read out the exact charges as well as the evidence that brought them to court
2. Will she plea. I understand if not guilty it does go to trial just wondering if she has to by law at the next hearing.
3.if she pleaded guilty then that would be automatic disqualification from council?
4. Any charges read out are they suppressed or can general public attend and able to post that without worry of prosecution. As it is only traffic offences not a murder trial or paedophile case where suppression orders may be put on.
Hope they are reasonable to ask and i am asking in general terms for yours or anyone’s answer and not to get an opinion of hill herself because alot of this dosnt seem right to me until a full story can be printed. Thanks
In order:
1. Charges are already known, seems unlikely anything more than being flick-passed on to another hearing date. but anything can happen.
2. No idea, and no at this stage, The ‘Pie doesn’t believe she has to enter a plea.
3. Possibly, might depend n the penalty. If it turns out to be clink (pretty unlikely but possible) she would by law be forced to resign.
4. Any matter that begins in open court stays that way unless the presiding beak slaps on a suppression order. And although this is somewhat more than ‘a trafficn offence’, can’t think of any reason for a suppression order, everything bar the police details is already out in the open.
. I should also ask if theres no suppression orders like you said does that mean that when charges are read out in court, does it also have the police prosecution give exact detail of what occured? Im only asuming this is common in any case of traffic offences like this one? Ive read alot of comments on here and elsewhere people really wanting to know those details of what happened. I know some just want it for spite but im very intrigued because its been somewhat kept silent from local media. Im a novice at this sort of stuff sorry if it seems im clueless. And no im not a bulletin journalist trying to get you to write my story LOL, just getting an understanding. I thought you and others here might have experience in court cases from past. Cheers for the answers above too.
The police allegations of what happened and Mayor Hill’s alleged culpability, will be aired at the appropriate time, and be fully reportable. The ‘Pie’s understanding is that that won’t happen before the mayor enters a plea one way or the other. It is what the police say, and, depending on her plea, the Mayor’s defence and/or mitigation argument that matters, and certainly not the various speculative efforts – most either way driven by wishful thinking and lounge room detective] – that are of no value and won’t be published here.
Went down the road to Central School to vote … decided it was time be light-hearted and hilarious, so collected how-to-vote cards from everyone except the anti-vaxxers, then announced – as best I could – I was voting for the Guilty Party, and they could guess smong themselves who was getting my vote. Inexplicably, hilarity failed to follow, it was a tough room as the stand-ups say, they just looked at me.
Went in, got processed and given my ballot, and just before heading for the booth, asked if I could cast a vote for Joe Biden here … the girl looked confused and ran her finger down the list and said ‘He’s not listed in this seat.”
Cast my vote and didn’t say a word as I headed for the car. When it comes to humour, I should’ve been an accountant.
Wished you had have voted at my booth! Great people from all sides represented, we had a great time.
All sides except ON, Palmer, IMOP, Greens and any one else
One trusts that is a ‘voting’ booth you’re talking about.
That’s funny. I did the same thing but announced my vote going to sir joh bjelke-petersen. The lady inside who served me was quite old and knew who he was, so she was quick to point out that he was not on the ballot paper.
With maths like these, Messagebank is destined either as a Bulletin journalist or is set to take over as state treasurer from that dick, Dick. $810,000, mate?
Or did you mean somehow that you will $810K to existing monies? Oh well, at least you got four ‘shares’.
Amazing community sporting organizations? I take it that community sporting organizations that fail to “amaze” get overlooked.
The over use of superlatives tells more about the speaker and less about their message.
The choices on the Mundingburra ballot are dismal but let’s hope the voters didn’t vote this buffoon in.
The ‘Pie sees you’ve left that wide open to interpretation.
Well Townsville, I don’t want to hear any more complaints about crime. You voted for four more years of the same
Salty
Here we go. Trad may be out. Be interesting to see if she does move to Townsville now. And, as suspected, Labour are romping it in. After what we saw in the Council election, I think this follows suit.
At the time of writing this reply(9.02pm) Sky is saying Trad has definitely gone. Also good to see the brainless twerp Costigan has been given the arse in massive fashion. And Walker looks likely to get up, so the good news there is he will spend a lot of time in Brisbane not answering his phone.
Yes and if les geys in, which is very likely now, tjat means mullet looses another hand rasier. Who came second in division 10? Im sure they wont be staying quiet if they see anything they dont like. Mullet might want to plea guilty to avoid the questions.
Long thirsty night watching results?
Oh! Queensland, you chose darkness, may your Grand-children forgive you.
Not sure anyone else was offering a torch, though.
I never want anyone her complain about your state government ever again. You had your chance
Buckle up strap in.
Cant wait for more crime higher charges and no employment
Good luck
All the LNP had to do was put the Kid in as opposition leader 12 months ago and it would’ve been a different election outcome. The fuckwits…..
Proof positive that there are more sludgers than contributors in Qld.