Those who think Anthony Albanese is the captive of dark, left wing inner-urban latte sippers aren’t awake. He’s got their number.
Any one notice something significant that was missing from the weekend announcement of federal funding for a Townsville hydrogen hub.
The Townsville Bulletin surrenders its last claim of a community asset to be taken seriously – and delivers an astounding, previously unimaginable insult to Townsville in the process. And The ‘Pie is not referring to one of the most thoughtless front page stories that the paper’s juvenilia could possibly come up with.
Fightin’ Fran O’Callaghan, the Division 10 firebrand councillor, hasn’t had a laze about over the break … she’s already been asking difficult questions. The Nest presents a round-up of some of the most pertinent matters she raises.
And the US carnivale of cu .. err .. cuckoos continues apace … we present our regular scathing gallery.
From The Magpie’s littered desk: first a sincere apology for The ‘Pie winning the techno-klutz award last week, when a simple incorrectly ticked production box fouled up the link to the Nest. Great bloody start to the year, eh? Anyway, after being amended, regulars managed to come on board as we waded on into another year of – sadly – same old, same old. So pull on the gumboots and push on into our murky mullet-infested pond.
Albo Wants The Voice To Get Strep Throat
As disquiet grows over the not surprising tactical shambles of the Voice campaign, Anthony Albanese is displaying all the hallmarks of a seasoned political player who can read the electorate accurately.
What, to those who try wedge politics, seemed to be a dilemma for Albo and Labor is playing out beautifully for him. He has to be seen to actively support the concept of an indigenous voice being enshrined in the constitution because that was a campaign promise, and kept the luvvie candidates of all stripe on side. And as Bentley points out, he’s putting on an Oscar-worthy performance when Jacinta Price claimed a voice would promote racial division in Australia.
And that word ‘mystery’ holds the key to Albo’s performance, not that he actually used that word. But he is aware that the general public will not countenance a ‘pig in. a poke’ referendum, being asked to vote for something that interested parties have refused to outline … because they can’t agree. And Albo says at every opportunity that the final working outcome of the a successful Yes vote will be decided after the referendum. He might as well walk around the post-note stuck to his forehead saying ‘vote no’. Seriously, what PM wants a totally unnecessary super lobby group throwing a spanner in the government mechanics of the day, when a traditionally formed lobby group would achieve exactly the same outcome. The main difference is, that when there is the inevitable explosive fractious falling out among the fragmented indigenous ‘tribes’ and the lobby collapses, it isn’t an expensive and obstructive boondoggle around the neck of good governance. The groups go back to brawling and the government gets on with governing – in both cases for better or worse, but without silly delays that constitutional considerations would cause.
Former Liberal Premier of Victoria Jeff Kennett made a strong point over and above whatever form the Voice could take, when he argued “it is one thing to recognise our First People in the constitution, but it is another thing to give any one group of Australians an advisory role to the federal parliament and have role enshrined in the constitution. Why do we not, through a referendum, a new Chapter 1 in the constitution that simply states ‘The Commonwealth of Australia recognises that Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders were the first people on our Continent. All other chapters then subsequently re-numbered.’’
It is hard to imagine that any fair minded Australian would not vote for Kennett’s proposal. And he ends by expressing The Magpie’s (much maligned by some) view from the outset: “ I want serious constitutional recognition of our First Peoples and the details of the legislation which will establish the Voice being made public before the referendum is put to the people’.
The Magpie again says with the conviction of experience, if this is not the way we go to the poll, it will surely and deservedly fail. Bullying and slurs are never good arguments, and are rarely winning ones.
So It’s Come Down To This …
Well, Caitlin, actually, no you’re not fun. Far from it. News Ltd’s contempt for Townsville and regional news in general could not be plainer. But you’re a brave gal with no shame boasting of being responsible for the content of this publication.
Not even a message from the editor, which would be bad enough, but from someone with a bullshit title who, as far as The Magpie has been able to discern, no claim to any journalistic distinction as a mentor or trainer. Except of course, that she is ‘fun’. But it’s a clear indication of what the money men on the Holt Street counting house thing of this community.
And as if that wasn’t enough, we get this insult during the week from a journalist who doesn’t even work here … Alison Paterson, whose News bio uproariously tells us that she is renowned for reporting with compassion and integrity (yeah, right) works for the Cairns Post. This from Friday’s comments.
| The Magpie 11,406 approved email hidden; JavaScript is required 2001:8003:f362:8300:a9cd:225:574f:e3f2 |
Submitted on 2023/01/13 at 10:59 am | In reply to Nit Picker.What sub-editor? Seriously they’ve just given up, absolutely no thought given to the overall community expectation of a serious paper and community sensibilities.  In this case, the spelling mistake – monson – in the secondary headline is bad enough, but what about the callous juxtaposition of a serious life-threatening forecast scenario under a trite story with a weak punning headline that you can just sing your blues away. It is a sure bet that the three hoofers in the pic – no doubt all locals and maybe with personal stories to tell about floods – are appalled that they appear so prominently in this fucktangle of a story.Both stories are legitimate, one far more important than the other, but a cardinal rule of print journalism from day dot has been the danger of juxtaposition. That usually meant a sharp eye for any jarring positioning, BUT FFS THIS IS DELIBERATE, UNDER THE MISAPPREHENSION THAT IT IS CLEVER.
But hey, a front page slip, stop carrying on, let’s just move on … and we do, to page 3, where the callous flippant disregard is compounded with again the two stories melded into one.
And dancing up a storm geddit, geddit? crikey, you missed out ‘come hell or high water’. These pricks – certainly the iditor – have most likely never seen or experienced a monsoon or a cyclone, and seem to think it’s a laughing matter. One wonders if karma will have a salutary lesson in store for this callous crew of juvenile thinkers. Probably not, unlikely they own property, pay insurance or have a family in a threatened business. they just write about them. |
Not The Bulletin This Time But The Curious Snail
Well ya gotta admit, from a sub-editor’s point of view, headlines don’t come much better than this – it ticks nearly all the boxes that are the holy grail of front page aficionados.
It got violence, death, pets, sex and mystery (eloping) and a touch of immigrants and racism (one of the dogs was a Rhodesian Ridgeback). All it is missing is sport and music – but the latter may have covered by impending wedding bells.
Interesting
Good news from Albo in Townsville this weekend.
But, boy, is Bulletin iditor Craig Herbert lining up for a kick in Jimmy and the twins when Mayor Mullet reads the story (wherever she is). You see, in typical Bulletin style, the story is by a reporter travelling with the PM, filed for national consumption no doubt. And no one alerted whoever the Saturday’s dozing duty journo was to insert the mandatory gush from the mayor. And the council didn';t even have a media release ready … and still haven’t. Weren’t the council given a heads up on this? oh, dear.
Assume the position, Mr Herbert.
It seems certain some mobs are ready to dive in, given the pretty clear guidelines for the grants.
And now the focus shifts to the availability of water … creating hydrogen requires shit loads of water, but one imagines Mayor Mullet has that covered, given she is experienced in providing loads of shit water to the city generally. This somewhat technical paper is still understandable enough to pinpoint some of the problem facing hydrogen manufacture.
Clr Fran O’Callaghan Has A Few Words To Say, And A Few Questions To Ask
No Jenny, Prins, Tony, she’s not going away … and we’re watching from above to watch your newest round of bullying and arse-covering.
It’s going to be a busy year for Clr Fran, who is already flying into the anomalies, lies and deceit of the TCC hierarchy, specifically of the rodent-like attentions of Hill, Bligh and Ralston. And while there’s enough present day bedlam to about which to raise queries, Clr O’Callaghan has decided to look back at some highly dubious behaviour in the past. She’s been a busy gal, here’s some of the recent posts on her FB page.
Ding Doing Goes The Pell
So paedophile protector George Pell is no more, and will be farewelled with lavish (and eye-wateringly expensive) ceremony in the Vatican, which will be a must watch for the faithful in the hovels of South America and the shanties of Africa. Then it will be back to the country he disgraced to be entombed in Melbourne. Why anyone would even suggest that the Australian taxpayer should foot the bill to being his carcass back here defies any rationale … Pell did nothing positive or admirable for this country, just rising to the top echelon of a secular corporation that has a diminishing number of ‘shareholders’ here. And his ‘corporation’ hasn’t paid any tax in this country ever, so it was a cheek even to ask.
But it’s a sensible move that he will not be cremated … be a bit redundant really, given his record and the teachings of retribution of his very own Church.
Party Politics: Doing The Perrottet Political Polka
In NSW it’s not so much wedge politics, more Wedgewood politics, with a sturdy teacup weathering the latest inconsequential storm.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet
As shining insincerity goes, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet did a sterling job of getting out in front of a threatened campaign disaster in the next couple of weeks. Stealing a march on a rapacious media and a sleazy interest group, a ‘penitent’ Perrottet acted on a tip off and ‘voluntarily’ outed the fact that he wore a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday party.!!
That would be 20 years ago, for you folks clutching your pearls.
He showed all the required trembling lip and glistening eye the occasion demanded, and the media duly wetted its pants. Which said much more about the media than it did about Perrottet’s fashion failure all those years ago.m You can bet his regret was sincere only in that he rued that such a matter had come to light, but he’d been wedged into his ‘confession’ by a lobbyist’s dirty tricks. Perrottet is locked in a battle to the death with the NSW poker machine lobby, which is rabidly opposed to the NSW Libs promise to clamp down on what is one of the greatest social disasters ever in Australia, allowing pokies into pubs.
This is state campaign time, so it’s a bit hard to believe Dom suddenly had an attack of conscience out of the blue … the whole thing is cynical puffery from both sides.
Some points worth considering: with a metaphorical but stereotypical shrug, even the Jewish Board of Deputies, who usually treat this sort of thing at 160dB, kept it down to below 60, merely saying had he confessed this a bit earlier would’ve been a bit nicer. That reaction was the true measure of the importance of this story. And it was a nice little nipple twist for the poker machine grubs when the state opposition refused to call for Perrottet’s resignation, staying well away from the issue. The media were running out of steam.
So here’s what you do, scribes. No one has suggested that Perrottet has or ever did have even the slightest Nazi/fascist leaning, and it was almost certain that his choice of costume was prompted by poking fun, not promoting malice. Those who still naysay that Nazi’s should not even be figures of fun and ridicule should start calling for the banning of Dad’s Army, Hogan’s Heroes and. Chaplin’s The Great Dictator. And another thing – it was a private function, held in private, so let’s see the media try and get hold of a guest list and canvas if anyone was actually offended and left the party. If not, then they too should come under the censorious and hypocritical media spotlight … might be some prominent folks by now in that bunch.
But be careful, hacks, you might suddenly find you’re taking on some of your own executives. And some of them certainly have Nazi tendencies, eh, Rup?
In The US, Thing Just Get Loopier
More classic classified cock-ups, and a tweet or two of interest in this week’s gallery. The first is an exchange over the false rumour that the government was planning to ban gas stoves because of dangerous fumes (FFS!!)
And Finally … Two For The Road
The latest in our continuing series: Not When I Went To School, Coles.
…and guess to going ask Caitlin for a job at The Astonisher … and get it.
…………………
Plenty of material for opinion in there, which you can express in comments … just choose a clever name and comment away to your hearts discontent … comments can be received 24/7. And for reasons of consistency, we have retained the donate button from last year, to ensure the generous among you aren’t deprived of your addictive pleasure of supporting The Nest.
In Fran we finally have an elected representative shining a torch around the council’s dark corridors of dodgy dealings – and the irony is that we can thank the Mayor and the Labor Party for her emergence as a genuine community leader.
After all, if Les “Memory Loss” Walker hadn’t been parachuted into what was (then) a safe State Labor seat, Fran would have remained just another voice in the wilderness.
And if Jenny Hill hadn’t pulled a swifty in not automatically appointing Fran as Walker’s replacement on council (as the candidate who finished second to Walker at the Local Government election), another hand chosen Labor puppet would have more than likely been elected to fill the vacancy.
It is now history that voters, pissed off at Hill for bending the rules, voted Fran onto the council.
In yet another case of Hill shooting herself in the foot, Fearless Fran would have been just another insignificant voice on the Labor stacked council, but the Mayor couldn’t help herself, repetitively reporting her for imaginary code of conduct breaches.
All this has provided Fran with a much higher public profile than she would have gained had the Mayor just ignored her. It’s not as though Hill needed the numbers to push through her many questionable deals over the past couple of years (Landsdown battery factory/packing shed, $4 tin sheds on Castle Hill, $6 million boardwalk from nowhere to nowhere etc, etc, etc, etc)
So a huge thank you Jenny, for highlighting what a real councilor can achieve, and showing the community there is an alternative to dictatorship.
Bring on the next election.
I still can’t fathom how all of mullet’s advisors and political whisperers are not telling her that not giving Fightin’ Fran the requested information, makes the mullet look dishonest and not transparent.
A good pollie spends their political capital on doing unpopular things at the time with the knowledge it will be better for the city/state/country in the long run. the mullet is burning hers by working harder to stop one councillor from trying to be honest about the council’s dealings.
They probably do. And have. But she does like to think she knows best, and rarely listens to advice. An intelligent and humble person would have learned and amended their ways.
Labor Love fest Friday night with both Aaron and Scott getting photos with Albo on their fb pages but where was our Hydrogen Champion Les ? . Again at the $70 mil Hydrogen announcement both Aaron and Scott behind Albo . Had the book stores run out of Prime Minister for Dummies . Been a howler of a few weeks for Aaron who runs his electorate via facebook taking on the Catholic Church and this week a well respected Townsville businessmen whose firm has been doing Townsville Business Confidence surveys since 1991 . Seems Aaron knows better than the hundreds of local businesses who complete the survey who say business confidence has plummeted in the City . He particularly was upset with these comments ” March qtr 2023 a reduction in planned capital expenditure by local businesses who feel they have sufficiently invested to meet current demands ” .
And now the focus shifts to the availability of water … creating hydrogen requires shit loads of water.
It seems no Pollie or Greens seems to want to address this rather large elephant in the hydrogen room. Please tell me given that water on this planet is a finite quantity once you split off & burn the Hydrogen atoms how are they going to replenish or recreate the lost water which is globally in short supply? Whole thing is a furphy
The thing is, Peter, having applied energy (electricity from solar panels, say) to split the hydrogen and oxygen in water, when you ‘burn’ the hydrogen gas in an engine it simply recombines with oxygen (from the atmosphere) and becomes water again, releasing most of the energy pumped into it in the first place. Amazing eh? We did this hydrolysis thing in the science lab at high school and burned the hydrogen gas off as it was produced. It is not a furphy.
Peter old mate. to quote Magpie “no need to clutch your pearls”. Water is not a finite resource although some may argue that its component parts are. To answer your question I used a technical device called a Google and found this explanation by the New Scientist journal: “When atoms of elements collide into each other in space, they can form compounds, such as water. To make water, one atom of hydrogen and one oxygen atom combine to form a hydroxyl ion. The hydroxyl ion can combine with a second hydrogen atom, forming a stable molecule that doesn’t react further – H2O.” Thats water to you and me.
One thing The ‘Pie recollects from early schooling was being told that for all man’s self-regard and growing scientific knowledge, the one he can never and will never be able, to do, is actually destroy any physical piece of matter so it no longer exists … change it, sure, morph it, combine, but he can never make it no longer exist.
I’m going to throw a spanner into your theory and say that helium is one thing we might run out of. Because it is so light, it goes escapes through earth’s atmosphere.
As New Scientist says H2 “can” reform in to H20 but not always.
Water used in Townsville to make H2 then get shipped to Korea does not help Townsville’s water needs, it make it worse.
Allright let me take this slowly for you. H2 gets used in Korea and leaves water Vapor. That Vapor rises as steam and goes into the clouds which make rain which runs into rivers and then the ocean. The ocean is all joined up with the ocean here. Warm air here makes our ocean evaporate and become rain. Tell me you do not really think the Koreans are keeping our precious water.
Slight terminology mistake. I should have said ‘electrolysis’ not hydrolysis.
Ralston needs to wear a skirt. Complaining about being bullied and harassed by Fran. Ha. What a softcock.
Head of content and probably thinks she’s doing a great job.
Saturday’s Astonisher broke the news that a new revised “upscale” Hilton Garden Inn hotel will finally be built adjacent to the Cowboys stadium.
The use of the word “upscale” to describe version 3 of this long promised development is interesting. Garden Inn is a third rate Hilton brand hotel and a far cry from the “luxury” Hilton originally proposed.
It was downscaled to a Double Tree (Hilton’s second tier hotel brand), and now we’re getting a Garden Inn, which is regarded internationally as Hilton’s budget brand.
With the Townsville Casino’s new $88 million 5-star/137 room resort, boasting “premium accommodation, world-class dining, a luxurious day spa, and a stunning rooftop pool deck and bar with panoramic views across the Coral Sea to Magnetic Island” due to open later this year why would anyone want to stay over near the old railway yards in a 3-star joint?
Budget conscious families will obviously pack it out on the 12 weekends Cowboys home games are played at the stadium and maybe for the V8 Supercars (if they can find anyone who wants to go) but it will be interesting to see what happens for the other 339 days of the year.
Hope ratepayers and taxpayers aren’t going to be propping up more events at the stadium.
Well, fun ahead, now that a timeline has been given … let’s see what excuse they come up with this time. See Dolan hayes old slippery business partner is still involved.
191 rooms, 98 parking spots and no other parking within cooee on event days. Good luck with parking lotto!
Damm unimaginable architecture, looks like a box on posts. Maybe that’s to keep it out of the Ross Creek rising water due to global warming. Says a lot for the lack of creativity and forward thinking by TCC Planning Dept to try to get a iconic building on this site.
Not even minibars just a 7/11 in the lobby. Very classy.
Maybe the Pie can answer this. When is an editorial not an editorial? A couple of times this week the iditor has taken a lead story and ‘copy & paste’ and plonk it in the paper as his editorial. No other comment.
I’ve been keeping track of this lazy habit for months now, which is another clear disconnect of the Bulletin from Townsville. When the editorial is penned by someone basically ignorant of underlying perspectives of the community, Herbert is probably playing it safe (and, as said, lazy) by simply regurgitating a story earlier in the paper and adding just a couple of trite lines. Some choices of subject have been head scratchers.
Perhaps The Nest should start running a series entitled ‘The Educating of Aaron Harper’. Last week the Catholic Church slapped him down, this week just gone, he wades in against a respected business analyst’s balanced judgement of the city’s economy.
So good to see that some scathing home truths were rammed home for this disgraceful lunkhead … he’s been firmly sat on his arse once again, by another senior business Townsville person.
There are too many facts, figures and percentages in Kopittke’s reply for Harpic to understand it. He isn’t that smart. He is just full of piss and wind and bluffs his way though life. And as the Pie mentions, Harpic has once again been shut down by someone more experienced in business and with a higher I.Q.
Of interest was Harpic’s digs at Kid Crisafulli. Very similar style to Elusive Butterflog’s style.
LNP won’t win government with Crisafulli at the helm Princess!
Read my lips!
Who would you choose, if that was your side of the couch?
Hi Aaron. Now why would I want to read your lips, it’s impossible to see them as they are buried up the Mayors ass.
Do you think Harpic deliberately mis-spelled David Crisafulli’s name 3 times, or is he really just that ignorant, he doesn’t know?
Doesn’t care.
Good old Harpic, pathetic parasite has sucked on the public tit his whole life, just a germ, wouldn’t know about employing people, calculating risk and market expectations. Townsville over the last few years is a classic example of what happens when business loses confidence, government of all levels can pump the economy as much as it wants but if business and people don’t feel confident the spend is worthless, hence our pathetic house prices and lack of business investment.
You know, credit where it is due. Harper is on record as saying he doesn’t care what others say …. an d ain’t the truth. he just doesn’t care, a loopy law unto himself.
TCC must have got the gauges at Ross River Dam working, 83.94% full at 1.00pm today. It’s only mid January and the wet season usually doesn’t really set in until late January so chances are that theres a lot more rain to come. I know my neighbours are getting nervous about this and are hoping that Jenny knows when to open the dam gates to release water early ( like Sunwater did a couple of months ago at Weivenhoe Dam) so that she doesn’t flood us again.
Seems Astonisher iditor Craig Herbert has heeded the Magpie’s warning of a Mayor Mullet clod hopper in his nether regions for not including her in the Albo hydrogen grants story was enough for him to spring into action. The online Astonisher now has a photo of The Mullet and Albo. Nice catch-up. Now try and tell us you’re not Mullet-whipped, Craigsy.
They just lie, and lie, and lie.
I saw the TV announcement by the PM on Saturday, and only saw our mayor when he had finished she was standing behind and way off to the left appropriately), but Albo stopped and engaged her for several minutes.
Don’t want the Nest to become a grey version of FB self-indulgence, but The ‘Pie cannot resist anything genuinely funny. So although he is well and truly over … in fact, never really interested – in the demented antics of Ginger and his minge, the funnybone has taken over and he offer these for your delectation. (Dunno why, but the hat one is my fav.)
Maybe its time for him to change his name to Harry Fitz-Wales?
What???
Bit early to be on the retsina, isn’t it, Achilles?
P’raps it was the dregs of the Ouzo?
I am not the sharpest pencil in the case but if the Voice got a yes vote and was introduced to parliament could I then ask for a Middle aged , grumpy ,over weight heterosexual voice and if I dont get one could going to court being an option because as one group has one. Just a thought.
And on Landsdowne I believe experts are still working on a safe way to transport the Hydrogen and isnt Landsdowne at the headwaters of the town’s drinking supply.
Thanks back to the sharpener for me
Bad news for Idalia residents – the dam is more than 80% full and Jenny Hill has returned from holidays.
Think you might’ve done the reading to early …at 9.50 today, it is listed as 90%. Two more days of rain like the last two and she’s the full bottle. The positive side is that it should dispose of the Blue Green Algae for the time being.
Yes that is the question everyone in Townsville should be asking, why haven’t the Townsville City Council begun releasing water from the poorly designed and dangerous Ross River Dam, another catastrophe waiting to happen. If people want to know why our insurance premiums are so high then look no further than the neglect by local officials in taking action to prevent the dam flooding the town once again, why do the operators of Wivenhoe have the authority to pre-emptively release water but the operator of Ross River dam can’t, what a fucking disgrace.
Disaster Planning chief Jenny Hill said on tv news last night that the dam was more than 90% full but she had no plans to release any water. If I lived in Idalia i’d be getting out the water wings.
The dam had water release begun yesterday evening and it will go on for some time until the rain event finishes. At present council are playing it by the book.
A notice went up this morning on the Disaster Management website:
“Activation Level
Operation:2022/23 Wet SeasonStatus:Alert
The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group (TLDMG) has moved to “Alert”. This is in response to the Ross River Dam Emergency Action Plan activating overnight, and the middle gate opening 25cm to discharge water.
Alert is a heightened level of vigilance due to the possibility of a disaster event in the Townsville area of responsibility. No action is required; however, the situation will be monitored by authorities to assess the potential of the threat and to activate the TLDMG to a higher level if required.”
CivilEngineer, since Cantankerous has seemingly left the field, do you have any idea how to connect height of the water in the dam (ie. against the AHD) with the percentage capacity? Is it possible to make a release at “84%” or does water not flow over the spillway until 100%? This discussion about the timing of water releases is pointless if no one here, in the ‘Nest, knows this critical detail or where it can be found.
So Palm, you are admitting that you too have been making pointless ‘points’, because you don’t know either. Interesting debating style. Might have been more useful finding out the answer yourself and sharing with us, rather than some obscure attempt of discrediting the discussion of a very vital subject.
Magpie, I have never claimed to know the connection between the height of the water and the percentage of capacity. Cantankerous did just that and you seemed to go with that flow to make your unremarkable point, although you had a bit of reservation:
“Perhaps The ‘Pie is misunderstanding the technicalities and bureaucratic bumf here, but is it correct or not that prudent early releases at least offer more – or at least – longer opportunities to control both waters and evacuation orders/advisements?”
You can’t make a prudent early release if the water can’t flow over the spillway when you lift the gate. Cantankerous claims that water flows over at 84%. I’m asking where he got that idea – that’s all. Someone must know the answer. It may be that water does not flow over the spillway until 100% capacity is reached. In which case the prudent early release is exactly what is happening now and could not have happened any sooner. It’s a simple question, at what percentage capacity does water flow over the spillway?
Anyone?
Cantankerous, management guidelines for the dam are set out in the September 2022 Ross River Dam Emergency Action Plan. At p.33 it states:
Manual Operation and Early Releases
Once the EAP has been activated to the lean forward level it is possible to operate in manual mode and open the gates and conduct an early release of up to 350m3/s water without exceeding the capacity of the river and inundating properties. However, this early release of water was found to have minimal to no impact on the peak flood levels for a major flood.
The decision to operate in manual mode shall only be made by the IC after considering engineering and flooding advice from the DSTDM and FODM on the potential impacts to the dam and community. If operated in manual mode, only early releases will be permitted and all gate opening levels as required in table C3 shall be followed as the water rises to these set levels. The gates shall not be operated in manual made with the intention of holding back water to minimise downstream flooding as this compromises Dam safety.
The operation of the gates in manual mode, and the release of water before the Dam has reached FSL level of 38.65 is outside the scope of this EAP.
We all feel much safer for your assurances. Cannot understand what went wrong last time.
My “assurances”? That’s just a quote from the text book. If you cannot understand what happened last time (2019 I presume?), who can forget the deluge that filled the dam to nearly 250% capacity, including 400mm in one day over the catchment itself. The Inquiry into the management back then used words almost identical to the ones used in this 2022 EAP: “However, this early release of water was found to have minimal to no impact on the peak flood levels for a major flood.”
In other words, no matter who by or when the floodgates were opened, it would have had MINIMAL TO NO IMPACT on the extent of flooding in the town. The Ross River dam was simply overwhelmed.
What you say is accurate in itself, but seems highly selective reporting to deflect the basic argument, because you are talking about a comment made in the event of a MAJOR flood. If I read this comment thread correctly, we are talking about using early releases of non-flooding amounts as a prudent measure against serious flooding-well occurring, and harm done if it doesn’t. And also, in the case of the monsoon floods, we would’ve seen that those calling the shots had don e all they could as the disaster developed to alleviate matters – although in the end, nothing much would’ve helped, according to the government sponsored report. The point there being even it it wouldn’t have ultimately helped, early releases would have done any, because they would’ve remained within the confines of the Ross River. Palm, the overwhelming feeling is that Jenny Hill could have at least tried. But it’s clear she NEVER got up to speed, let alone be ahead of the game.
Magpie, General Patton appears to be discussing material as written in the Report. Amongst other things it sets out, for a general readership (not bureaucratic bumf) four different scenarios to try to tease out the effect on flooding of different dam management strategies including earlier releases and ‘manual’ interventions. It points out that because of already occurring flooding of the creeks downstream of the dam (Stuart, Gordon etc) and the effects of the incoming tide near the mouth of the Ross River, there is actually very little capacity in the river channel to make early releases that would make a difference.
Please read The ‘Pie’s rationale again. “Very little’ is still some ‘capacity’, and a prudent move for several reasons at that stage of knowledge and forecast.
Exactly my point, the EAP is deficient in scope that it ignores the effect of the 16% volume between the spillway and full capacity that trigger releases, it is essentially saying in a flood event some houses will flood anyway and the extra dwellings that will be flooded by not releasing water early can go fuck themselves, the council value the 16% storage over damage to people’s property.
Perhaps The ‘Pie is misunderstanding the technicalities and bureaucratic bumf here, but is it correct or not that prudent early releases at least offer more – or at least – longer opportunities to control both waters and evacuation orders/advisements? And if you’re right, Cankers, Madam Mayor could have her granny pants sued off her if she prioritizes water storage over inevitable flooding – something she cannot defend now with her soon, maybe later this year, sometime, eventually – I’ll ask Annna – pipeline can replenish the city’s needs.
The Mullet can hide behind the EAP and has every right to do so, it is the guiding policy on the operation of the dam. The question that was never answered after 2019 and still not to this day is what the levels would have been if water was released at the spillway height of 84%, rather than waiting for the level to reach 100%, all we here is the effect would be minimal and no real impact but what are the numbers, why can’t they tell people what the exact heights would have been, because for all of the people, and there were thousands who only had 100mm or so through their homes it would have made a huge difference. What the council in conjunction with the state Govt have decided is the approx 40,000 megalitres of water stored between the top of the spillway, (84%) and 100% capacity is of more value in revenue to the council they are willing to risk flooding to peoples homes to keep it.
Exactly the point …. or more, the question …. The ‘Pie is asking.
Cantankerous, I can’t find a reference anywhere that the spillway height of the dam (34.656m AHD) = 84% capacity. You may be correct, I just can’t locate that piece of information.
If you look on Councils website there is a sketch under the Frequently asked questions which shows the different percentages at different water levels. RL 38.65 is over 100% and according to the EAP causes the centre gate to open 250mm.
RL34.66 is the top of the concrete spillway and equivalent to 31% capacity.
Now you trying to baffle we engineering ignorant with simple maths. If the is supposed to flow at 32%, what’s all that in a previous comment about automatic opening at 100%? Are you ignoring that it could be manually opened much earlier …. which is the point many here are trying ask?
I suggest you google 2019 IGEM review of Ross River Flood. It has got some great information and graphs. The day the rain started the dam was at 65% full and hit 250% in < 9 days. Over 12 days Townsville rain exceeded the yearly average of 1143mm.
I doubt small early releases for 1-2 days would have made much of a difference with this volume of water.
Section 6.3.2 is interesting "The areas which experienced flooding would have had an additional 0.5m depth of inundation should the dam not have existed".
My take is the dam saved potentially thousands of houses from flooding. The flood map in the report shows a large breakout at Riverway with half of Kirwan underwater.
What are you talking about, can’t Jenny find any smarter media barrow-pushers than you?
Your entire comment oh so conveniently talks with the wisdom(?) of hindsight, but the crux of the matter is simple: prudent foresight by smart disaster managers was washed away with inept dam management (don’t by the whitewash government report), your ‘doubt’ is neither here nor there, but the point is no one knew where this was going to go, so the prudent and responsible action would’ve been to release water early. And if that proved fruitless, then at least we would all have seen that there had been an effort to do something. In no way would it have made things worse. You know, releases like they’re doing now. And why the fuck are you waffling on about the dam … the dam’s existence or manner of construction was never in the debate on this issue, it was a solid fact, and of course it saved hundreds of homes from damage or at least worse damage, we would expect nothing else. It’s done it before and will no doubt do it again, unless we discover too late the rumoured original design flaw causes it to fail.
Patton, thanks for the TCC dam management site tip. It contains all the relevant info.
Are you sure you’re not just thanking yourself?
Christ, Magpie. Why would I bother? You can always check IP addresses if you really think there’s some conspiracy.
Just an innocent question. heh heh heh.
The latest from the Townsville Daily Irresponsible.
The bulletheads at the Bulletin are at it again, openly encouraging and lauding dangerous behaviour that they themselves regularly warn against with strongly worded messages each wet season from senior police and SES bosses…. KIDS, DO NOT PLAY IN FLOODWATERS.
The over-burdened coppers, emergency services folk and health & hospital workers must be as pleased with a front page advertisement to increase their job load. But, hey, it’s just a front page pic, we’ll let that go, there’ll surely be a more responsible approach inside the paper.
Nope …. just wall-to-wall ‘floods as playgrounds’ pics galore … and not one single solitary word about the reality of major hazard, especially for young people. Nor a single comment from any authority figure about this very real danger.
And it’s not as though the ninnies at the Bulletin aren’t aware of this, it’s one of the on-file stock standard stories that comes around every year. Just seems a good pic trumps good sense and responsibility under the current mortuary staff.
Drowning is just one of the hazards posed by times like these … as the Bulletin itself tells us.
A very different message should be loud and clear from a community newspaper that really was ‘all for us’. Kids and parents need to be reminded forcefully of the dangers.
The Magpie a killjoy? Here’s some information from a specialist site:
Flood water is dangerous, disgusting and dirty. Itis a hazard to your health, safety, and It could be deadly. Flood waters can be extremely dangerous. Here are the top reasons why you should avoid contact with flood water.
Raw Sewage (think Wulguru, folks: Magpie) is germ infested containing disease-causing micro-organisms like E Coli, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Hepatitis A, Cholera and more. Open cuts and wounds can become severely infected by contaminated water. Raw sewage can contain urine & feces (poop), Feminine sanitary products like tampons, toilet paper, and whatever has been flushed down the toilet or down the drain is raw sewage!
Hazardous Waste
Flood water can contain hundreds of different chemicals that are harmful for the body. Examples are: Vehicle fluids like oil, gas, and anti-freeze. Dead & decaying animals, decaying & rotting vegetation, runoff from industrial and manufacturing facilities which can contain toxic chemicals & runoff from farms and pastures that can contain pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and animal waste.
Sharp and dangerous Objects
Flood water picks up everything in its path and is generally murky and muddy. Sharp and dangerous objects pose potential risks as they are hidden from sight and can puncture the skin. These objects could cause tetanus, E. Coli, and staphylococcus (staph infections) and/or could cause you to fall and get tangled or severely injured.
Also the ever present melioidosis, especially in muddy areas, like a saturated lawn!
This self-righteous Brouhaha about a 21 year old going to a costume party, 20 years ago.
Those baying and braying should take the advise of a famous Jewish leader, sometime ago, “You without fault cast the first stone”,
Jim Molan dead.
One of the true patriots in the Senate. I knew him when we were both Army Officers. A great leader with an incredible mind.
Vale Jim Molan
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/17/liberal-senator-jim-molan-dies-aged-72-after-sudden-decline-in-health
When flying other aircrew referred to his as Gentleman Jim. He was highly respected. When asked why he would want to leave flying and return to the infantry his reply was to the effect, “I will have no chance of being Chief of Army as an aviator. “
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/jim-molan-australias-newest-senator-has-blood-on-his-hands,11171
And then there is the other side which I believe is closer to the substance of the man.
A refugee advocate is hardly going to write a fair and balanced article but would cater for the biased who want their prejudices echoed back to them.
By the way, did you know the man?
Oh, shit. Although she didn’t have enough to put up with. But knowing your determination and fighting spirit Fran, you’ll overcome this. So sorry to hear of it.
I don’t know if Fran reads this blog, but if you do Fran we wish you a speedy recovery over the coming weeks and months. No doubt you will fight this challenge with the same zeal that you fight for your constituents. Best wishes.
All my best wishes Fran in fighting this!
For once, the Bulletin gets its act together with a front page story on Fightin’ Fran
Be interesting to know the timeline effect on the Astonisher’s breaking of the news. The ‘Pie understands from a TCC deep throat that the mayor and CEO were informed about 8am yesterday, Fran posted at 9.30, and The ‘Pie at 10.39. It’s unconfirmed but understood ABC local radio had something just after midday, and Master Bates from the Bulletin somewhat later … about two hours.
Gone are the days when the Bulletin were leaders of the pack,
And the ‘Through Gritted Teeth Chalice For Shining Incerity Award goes to ….
The mayor inadvertedtly left out ‘… and a speedy return our bosom in the council chamber, to continue working with us towards our mutual goal of council transparency and accountability.’
And as for that subliminal slur that Fran was too discourteous to inform Her Gloriousness herself before telling the great unwashed – only learnt from a social media post – is interesting. It seems the CEO is due for a grim chat with madam mayor if what she says is true (always a question) … since, according to one of The Magpie’s Walker Street deep throats that he was informed – presumably as a courtesy by Clr O’Callaghan – a couple of hours ahead of the councillor’s FB post. Why he left his mistress*** in the dark – if he did – was either courageous or dopey. Indeed it’s quite possible Fran, a stickler for process, may well have cc’d the mayor.
*** mistress as in the political not actual sense, as far as The ‘Pie knows. Even the remotest possibility of what a union of that nature would might accidentally produce is the stuff of a Stephen King novel.
You spoke earlier in a thread about the pipeline. I’m wondering if the information I got about the pipes being delivered the wrong size is why Jenny hill has not released water. Storing water because the pipes can’t be connected?? Just a question is why I’m writing in again.
Now you mention it, and using the distractions of the seson and all that, we didn’t give enough attention to that claim. Can you send it again with any new information, well worth investigating.
Actually, given the seasonal distractions, it would seem we didn’t give enough attention to your suspicions. Sent it back in and let’s chew it over again.
I’m starting to think that Palm Sunday is Dolan Hayes.
Christ, Regular, you’ve waited until 17 January 2023 to start to think. FFS.
It’s a copy and paste job from my comment a few weeks ago. My info is coming from TCC water.
I’ve been giving this info for you to have a dig around with in new year. I thought that when I was told this information it was Christmas and new year’s holidays so not much work anywhere was being done so take that into consideration.
It’s been quite a long time for the second stage pipeline pipes being stored in a holding yard on Tompkins rd. I’m sure they arrived in November or earlier. The info I have is that they are not the correct size. Have you heard anything about this through comments at all or other sources? If it’s true then why haven’t we been told there’s been a mistake? We aren’t talking about a small amount of money and especially because we have to foot the bill for the second stage in our rates. 79 million if I remember correctly. Happy hunting magpie. For all our sake I hope I’m wrong.
This whole area has gotten as tight as a fishes bum with no one talking so I cannot confirm at this moment.
Maybe somebody posing as TCC could call the pipe manufacturer and get them to confirm whether the delivered pipes are the correct ones?
Off you go, then. Let’s know how it comes out.
They might be for the branch line to the unicorn battery hen factory.
Actually, you jest, but you just might be right, Tradie.
Pipe down, if your ‘info’ sources in TCC Water have got the low down surely they can tell you what the “size” problem actually is? Are the supplied pipes too long, short, thick, thin, wide, narrow, imperial, metric? Or were you at the other end of the bar when the rumour started?
Perhaps he was at the other end of the bar, involved in a conversation about long, short, thick, thin, narrow, imperial, majestic, a great fit, etc. However, it was discussion with a comely young lass he had bebubbled, and had nothing to do with the Burdekin project.
Go take a lie down mrs palmer. You asked what is wrong with the pipes. If they are too long well that would save money because you don’t need to buy as many. I personally don’t care what’s wrong with them I care that nobody is denying that they are the wrong size or confirmed they are correct size. You’re making a big huff to old mate pipe, why don’t you stop wasting your time on the blog and email Jenny. Or ask her tomorrow morning when you report back to her. You’re trying to call out a TCC worker who might have been down the pub making up a story. Well why haven’t they put the pipes in the ground?? The first stage never sat around as long as these ones have. Lots of questions Jenny’s not answering again
The pipes are the correct size DN 1800 just like the first 30 KM they bought and installed for stage 1. It would be pretty hard to F that up considering there are hundreds of drawings, and the manufacturer is making thousands of lengths.
If the pipes are too long thats good because it means TCC will have lengths left over spare at the end of the job and all they have to do is cut the last pipe to length once installed at the pumping station.
They are probably in storage as no one is going to build haul roads and dig large trench’s through cane farms during the wet season. You might as well throw your money away. Also there is so much work on, getting hold of a contractor for such a large pipe project will be difficult in this environment.
And you know this how?
So your asking a Dams Engineer at Sunwater to put his career on the line and possibly face deregistration, personnel litigation and criminal prosecution if they operate outside the EAP and release early and get it wrong.
What benefit will they get from not following the approved plan Zero, nilch nadda. What protections do they get operating outside the EAP, zero.
These is guaranteed way to fuck your life as an engineering because under the Queensland Professional Engineering Act you are personally responsible for the decisions you make.
They dragged two poor operators through the courts for 3 years over Wivenhoe when they did everything by the book and i the end dropped the case.
Ross River has an upper and lower catchment if the gates are opened up too high and too early with significant rain downstream you can flood homes well before the dam hits 100%. BOM forecast are consistently wrong even 24 hours out and often rainfall in Townsville City is 50% to 100% higher than the dam catchment. Just check the cumulative Totals from the weekend.
Where are all the kudos for the operators not opening early this weekend as the dam got Fuck all rain Saturday and Sunday while Townsville got smashed. Dam only peaked at 105% on Thursday.
Christ, where to start? As The ‘Pie understands the rules, the Disaster Manager (probably not the correct title, but a great name for Mayor Mullet) has the final call, acting on or against engineers’ advice. And ‘against’ is always the most personally riisky with a person who sees everything she does through a political lens. Could be wrong saying that, but if I am, what’s the point of her getting under the feet of the ultimate decision maker? Just to show off her hi-vis ‘boss’ vest? Besides, she claimed she was the one who made the decisions, on advice, – advice you now say was coming from someone more intent on covering their arse than take an independent decision involving an action that have had no effect at all, on behalf of the community.
And your final line proves The ‘Pie’s point: what harm would it have done to open the gates on last weekend as a prudent (and reassuring) measure rather than waiting for another possible threatening ‘event’ to unfold faster than could be handled?
And you want kudos for someone looking at a manual and doing their job? Should they get pinned with a Participation Medal for turning up and doing their highly remunerated job?
Does it actually rain on your home planet.
Being an engineer with Townsville Council lately means your life is already fairly fucked up so the bottom of the well is closer than the top. But I hear what you are saying General.
I heard the story about the piples being the wrong size too, but from a different source. I figured nobody could make a stuff-up on that scale so put it in the bullshit basket.
Maybe there is some truth in the rumour after all.
I’m sure Jenny Hill will be happy to clear this up for us in line with her transparency pledge at the last election.
Re your article on 27th November 2022.
I suspect the Mayor’s extraordinary attack on her labour colleagues was a result of a unsuccessful meeting with one of the MP’s. It may have been that she was asking for a favour outside legislation and was refused!
It may also be the case that the TCC is making decisions outside their powers!
Interesting. Like what? In what sphere?
From the TCC dashboard
Operation: 2022/23 Wet Season
Status:Alert
The Townsville Local Disaster Management Group (TLDMG) has moved to “Alert”. This is in response to the Ross River Dam Emergency Action Plan activating overnight, and the middle gate opening 25cm to discharge water.
Alert is a heightened level of vigilance due to the possibility of a disaster event in the Townsville area of responsibility. No action is required; however, the situation will be monitored by authorities to assess the potential of the threat and to activate the TLDMG to a higher level if required.
Would The ‘Pie be accused of being cynical if he said it would appear the TLDMG and Mayor Mullet are themselves on ‘high alert’ about the now close scrutiny of their actions by social media sites, includes the well informed readers of The Nest? But anyway, a little transparency is better than none.
California (State of Fruits and Nuts) is proposing to give each Black American $5million, because their descended from slaves. Even though California was never a slave State.
Maybe that proposal could be included in “The Voice” debate?
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/equality-not-elitism/san-franciscos-plan-to-give-5-million-to-black-residents-slammed-as-racist.
You can bet some are way ahead of you there, Heel.
If it happened here, can you just imagine the stampede to bribe DNA testers and tribal elders to board this loopy gravy train. Of course, we would expect the indigenous population to stop using our hospitals and modern medicine, vehicles and roads, give up the tinnie with the outboard and .22 and hunt for food in bark canoes and avoid any farm products made possibly by agricultural practices introduced by the invaders.
If its going to be fair, what happens if one parent is black and the other white, or other variants and in different shades right up (or down) to octeens?
Do they get varying amounts of cash based on a percentage? of course the DNA tests would be covered by Medicare!!
As Desiderata says ‘Don’t distress yourself with imaginings’.
Ain’t never gunna happen here … and highly doubtful it will in California. Let;’s not make a meal out of this one.
Thanks to Max
When driving past at 1150 sighted about four or five police cars parked in the vicinity of 24 Palmerston Street, and another
police car well down the driveway and one police officer on the footpath outside the address. I did not stop to say, “Hello, what is going on here?”
Well everyone had better strap themselves in because the Electricity bills are going through the roof, one of my family’s business in Brisbane electricity bill for the year has gone from $19000 to $41000 a yr a rise of 123% we expected a rise but 123%, might have to buy a lot of candle’s. It was always going to be easy under Albanese!
Gee, I wonder why?
But then, we do have the Vroom Vrooms!!
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/groovin-the-moo-snubs-townsville-for-sunshine-coast-in-shock-move/news-story/28b525d99483e4a725c543d2da56b3c9
Silver Lady I presume
The excuse the promoters are giving is that Townsville is too far away and it costs too much to get here! So much for it being a regional festival. The southern end of the Sunshine Coast almost counts for a northern Brisbane suburb these days.
And there in a nutshell is your warm-up for the Olympic Effect.
Clearly Aaron Harper is feeling the heat as his 2023 plans are set out in todays Bully claiming he has $200 mil to spend . How many budgets ago was the $250 mil ring road ? . Arnt ratepayers paying for the $60 mil pipeline to Douglas water treatment plant ? . Aaron doesnt once mention cost of living costs for his electorate with Ergon State Government owned + 27 % , crime , access to see a doctor / elective surgery delays . Shows you how disconnected he is wanting 2023 to be a year of optimism and he claims he is a strong voice in Parliament delivering for the Thuringowa Community .
Aaron Harpic ranks very highly within the list of the most useless state Labor MP’s that have supposedly represented Townsville. His days are spent calling Anna Alphabet ‘fantastic’ and knifing Crisafulli. That’s it. That’s all that this muppet does.
Some peoples noses grow when they speak lies and bullshit. With Harpic, it’s his buccula that grows. Has anybody seen it lately? It’s amazing!
Buccula; ‘a layer of subcutaneous fat located at the anterior neck which is covered by sagging or stretched skin, creating a redundancy, making the owner appear as if he/she has a second or third chin’.
Wonder if this little lot will go straight through to the keeper?
Best laugh I’ve had this year!
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/nsw/celebrity-stoush-michael-clarke-and-karl-stefanovic-in-wild-scuffle-amid-cheating-claims/news-story/f937e4eeb61731dbf9b68cdc4500867c
(Sigh) Why the FUCK does this matter? To anyone – even the participants when they sobered up?
Adern jumps. Disqualified or scratched?
Rats and sinking ship were my first thoughts.
It is with regret that I learned this afternoon of the death of barrister Col White.
Although I have no details, I do know that Col, who was a friend of many years standing, had been battling an aggressive form of cancer for the past few months. I have no information as to how old he was.
My condolences to his family and his many close friends.
Not only among the longest established members of Townsville and North Queensland legal fraternity, Col was involved in many community organisations over the years, and had been an active member of both the Townsville Yacht Club and the North Queensland Club. He will be missed in many spheres on the local scene, and is a loss to the whole community.
I know many of Col’s friends and colleagues will read this, and we would welcome any comments or background on the contribution Col to our city.
Sad to hear of Col White’s passing Pie. I always found him to be a gentleman as well as a gifted barrister. He loved his sailing and you’re correct, he will be missed in the community.
The relocation of Defence helicopters is a bit of a blow for Townsville but let’s see where the politics take us
https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/army-to-move-battlefield-helos-from-townsville#comments
Another clear sign that Defence is becoming just another arm of the public service, move these assets closer to where they can be used for floods, bushfires, blocked toilets, peoples cars running out of petrol and any other meaningless task that our defence personnel have to provide, no wonder troops have left on mass and the defence force can’t recruit enough people, we are fucked if we ever have to go to war.
Hmmm. Haven’t seen the exit poll or any poll that quotes those reasons for not re-signing or signing up. Do you think there might be other reasons? Got any links?
My son had a gutfull of it and got out late last year, as have most of his mates over the last couple of years, sick of being treated like some quasi shit workforce for the country. He was highly trained infantry soldier with over a decade of experience and multiple qualifications and loved what he did but seldom got to use those skills in amongst the meaningless crap tasks they get lumbered with. There are that many getting out of defence his discharge had to be put back a month due to the huge numbers of members leaving the service, they simply can’t process them quick enough and now defence has a massive hole in its numbers, it’s in a dire situation.
Are Camels And Kangaroos excluded? The animal rights group PETA are outraged at this blatant discrimination.
Katter Party’s snap drive to expand membership is only for some.
Yes, they’re on the march …. Or the crawl and slither. But what if you gallop or hop, are you also welcome?
After being criticised for putting out a membership form that asked applicants to identify as only either male or female, the KAP hierarchy have seen the error of their ways, and apparently regret their callous, exclusionary discrimination. They have issued a new application form with an expanded choice.
A joke? Well, no more than Katter antics usually are, it is a genuine form as of this Friday afternoon … check it out for yourself at https://kap.org.au/
I admire their rejection of bullshit and their sense of humour.
Some people are quick on the business uptake, but here’s one that must be a record for reaction. Matching powder puffs coming next.
Anyone notice how Steve of Belligerent Gardens has gone to ground around here lately, although still posting on TTE in the Astonisher. He will airily wave a dismissive hand and say The Nest is not worthy of his insights, but The ‘Pie suspects it is more that he is licking his wounds somewhat. You see, it was Steve who called out The ‘Pie and others hereabouts as racists just because we refused to accept that to understand the Voice proposal in simple terms , we were required to read a 500 page report. A report by highly partisan and self-interested authors. As was obvious, he was wrong about that too.
This from Peter Van Onselen in today’s Oz.
There are hundreds of pages of details about the voice in the Calma-Langton report, but simply referring people to that document isn’t explaining how a voice will function. For a start, they propose multiple options. At the very least, people should know which one Labor is going for.
It’s just a wish list of ambiguous and disjointed brain farts into a cauldron of Hobson’s Choices.
More like a Chinese menu, on the subject of which, Gong Xi Fai Choi, everyone.
This is a commentary from “The Australian” the rest is behind a paywall, we now have “jerks” and other vulgar Yank intrusions into our vocabulary…..coz its cool man……
“Calling out all jerks, even nice guys can win at tennis
Australia’s Alex de Minaur, minus the cursing and minus the tantrums, is through to the round of 16 but can he keep his cool against arguably the biggest challenge in tennis? SUBSCRIBE to see the picture.”