The ratepayers have been shafted again. It was all meant to be a secret, quietly slipped into brief mandatory public view before a curtain was drawn over it, attracting no comment. Classic silly season stuff, dropping in questionable moves at that time of year when people are distracted by other matters. Naturally, the Bulletin obliged with its usual silence – let alone questions – but the issue didn’t fool Fran O’Callaghan, who called it out. It’s a proposal that multiplies the murkiness of the V8s tenfold. The ‘Pie has the details – and just a question or three.
Inside the Bulletin bubble: the paper’s end-of-year review of ‘top stories’ says more about the Bulletin than it does about Townsville. Especially considering a couple of glaring omissions.
But if a look back is timely around now, this week The Nest features some of Bentley’s best in 2023.
And a Magpie World Exclusive: : French cultural group seek damages and a cease and desist order against Australian indigenous artists, claiming cultural appropriation.
The Magpie and Bentley are taking the holiday week off, we figure you’ll all be too busy to read this load of old tosh, but rest assured, as for the past 13 years, The ‘Pie will still stand watch in the wheelhouse, alert for other silly season story-drops someone will try to put over us. From Benters and The ‘Pie, have a great Chrissy tomorrow, bring in the New Year with style, and we’ll see you all again the first Sunday of 2024.
They Haven’t Got A Fucking Clue
There’s a bit of a side story to this yarn in that Astonisher stenographer Leighton Smith reluctantly lobbed on us during the week – reluctant because he wouldn’t have had to interrupt his Christmas shopping were it not for Fran O’Callaghan – and The Magpie – forcing him to seek a statement for transcribing from the mayor.
Firstly, that makes the assumption that Pink will be a success … which it may well be, but it isn’t yet.
If you thought the V8s are a continuing financial train wreck, then this is ten times worse news for Townsville ratepayers. It raises multiple questions, none of which are likely to answered (or even asked by the Townsville Bulletin) but make no mistake, we’re staring down the barrel of more massive wastage of public funds. Much to her chagrin, the timing of the news has been forced on the campaigning Mayor Mullet, and therein lies a tale exposing the Bulletin’s damaging incurious and timid role in this community. It all started a week or two ago, when, after the Bulletin failed to report the matter in question, Fran O’Callaghan called the mayor out on the issue.
There was no reaction and certainly no inquiry from the Astonisher, until The Magpie amplified the claim in the blog a week or two ago. And the resultant PR handout (called a story in the paper) reveals it to be a worse scenario than Clr O’Callaghan suspected. For the past year, the ratepayers of Townsville have been paying lord knows how many tens of thousands of dollars to a Sunshine Coast crowd called BASCO to do the inevitable ‘survey’ (outcome clearly pre-determined) and present a gold-plated report grandly titled Townsville Events Strategy Blueprint 2024-27. The upshot of all the hoopla was a simple and obvious suggestion the council apprently was unable to come up with by itself: set up an events board outside the council, a conclusion the mayor has clearly asked it to reach. As Leighton Smith so faithfully transcribed:
“Townsville City Council voted in November 2022 to investigate the establishment of an events board with Townsville Enterprise Limited (TEL), engaging the services of independent experts BASCO Consulting. After developing an events strategy and investigating the establishment of an events board to further enhance major events, BASCO presented the council with the Townsville Events Strategy Blueprint 2024-27 in November. It recommended that the council hand over major events management to TEL from July 2024, and establish an events advisory panel with council representation – which was endorsed by councillors.
Townsville Enterprise chief executive Claudia Brumme-Smith said the major events attraction panel would work with Townsville Enterprise to secure more large-scale events such as Pink.”
You may well think that a sensible idea to keep the council at arms length from promotional ventures, and thus avoid risking ratepayers money on speculative ventures.
If only that were the case.
The Events Panel (whatever the that actually is) will effectively be an arm of TEL, which you’ll recall, is currently funded by $750,000 of council funds annually. And more will be needed for this side gig, which will include ‘council representation’ and without a doubt, the continued presence of consultants BASCO, at a cost which will be -natch – commercial in confidence. That said, BASCO boss Bryn Skilbeck says he has strong Melbourne experience in the events area, but there he was dealing with cashed-up entities like the Victorian Government and the Melbourne City Council. Townsville is a very different kettle of mullets. But one suspects, like Frank Poullas before him, he saw in Mayor Mullet a desperate, campaigning sucker waiting to be not given an even break.
And now we have Claundia ‘Ms B-S’ Brumme-Smith in the mix, wittering on with unintelligible gibberish designed to inform us of nothing.
Ms Brumme-Smith said TEL had done a lot of community research, and understood that the younger generation was looking for more entertainment content for their age group. Well, duh. FFS, woman, If you’ve done such research, why did we have to pay BASCO for a result The Magpie could have come up in an. afternoon with a six pack of Kilkenny Brown.
“Women in the community want more cultural and music events, and for our footy fans we have a few more surprises in store as well,” she said. She said the new events strategy would increase the speed in securing events, proactively engage with promoters, improve coordination and scheduling, and locate funding sources. A detailed screening process would be carried out for major events, focused on generating national awareness for Townsville.
That last sentence defies any plausible explanation of what it actually means in English. But Leighton must’ve understood it, he didn’t seem to think it was worth a question.
As said, unintelligible buzzword bullshit. And it’s going to cost you, dear ratepayer – dearly.
The Nest will be watching this one closely.
Here’s A News Tip For You, Leighton
Why has the proposed Hilton Double Cross Hotel next to the stadium apparently fallen over? You were adamant in comments here and in. the paper that things would be underway ‘before the end of the year’. Shortly after you made this bold statement, three or four demountables turned up at the site, and were fenced off but there didn’t appear to be aby project managers or construction types to be seen at any stage. NO,W those demountables have gone, to somewhere unknown for reasons not known either. The site looks forlorn and windswept, you almost expect tumbleweed at any moment.
So, Leighton, you seem to have the inside running. A call to Mayor Mullet or Dolan’s mate at Focus Pacific might get you a good little story … providing you first clear it with the mayor.
Notes From Planet Bulletin – Sometimes It’s What Isn’t Said
Pink is coming, Steve Price is leaving, Ewen passed, a tourist died in an accident, a brothel opened and we voted on Townsville’s cutest toddler. But kiddy crime gets barely a mention when the Astonisher gives us its version of the year just gone.
This traditional end of year round-up by the Bulletin, listing what these goofs believed to be their top five stories of each of the past 12 months – with a (pathetic) extra ‘hidden gem’ thrown in as monthly afterthought – is stark testimony to the paper’s priorities. And view of the community. The paper hides behind the ‘most read’ qualifier, determined by clicks not news value but there in no way this is not a selective roll call.
There’s a host of recreational trauma and medical stories, (one of the few national stories, the cochlear implant cock-up at TUH is rated an afterthought hidden gem in April) – worthy notings like Pricey retiring, Harpic dissing crime victims, a tour of a new brothel and all sorts of murder and mayhem are in there. We also are bizarrely informed that the Bulletin’s the #2 story in June was ‘Vote Now;Townsville’s Cutest Toddler’ – how that even qualifies as a story shall remain a mystery between the click counters and the circulation gnomes.
But a couple of things that aren’t mentioned gives a clue to the growing irrelevance of the Townsville Bulletin. Not a single mention that the long-standing mayor of Townsville has a serious challenger in Clr Fran O’Callaghan. They say petty politics is beneath them but send out a photographer at the mmerest whim of Mayor Mullet.
The list marks the arrival of Aldi and the impending arrival of Pink, and the departures of Ewen Jones, and a backpacker road accident victim on Maggie Island. But in June, when the backpacker accident and the cutest toddler were listed,insult was added to injury when there was not a single mention of another passing of greater effect on the city, the premature death of one of their own, the much-loved columnist Shari Tagliabue.
Shari Tagliabue
The ‘Pie doesn’t mention this because Shari was a former colleague and friend, he brings it up because Shari was a one-off talent, with a high profile as an entertaining, informed and witty observer of all things Townsville and elsewhere. She was also unflinching, courageous enough to often go against many a Murdoch mantra in the interests of the community.
The Bulletin wasn’t able to drop her column, it was so popular. And when she departed the paper with a fine and dignified final column shortly before her death, it was on her own terms, a typically realistic look at the reality of her own situation.
Shari Tagliabue’s contribution to Townsville is often underestimated, and should not be so carelessly forgotten.
The editor and the staff , carpet bagging blow-ins most of them, cannot plead ignorance for this omission. Shari regularly – or stopped just short of – calling out the paper’s piss-poor reporting on certain issues.
Paper of record, my arse.
Bentley’s Unique Take on ’23
The penetrating Bentley pen had us all laughing through the year, with his views from Walker Street to Canberra. a selection from his best.
A Heart Stopper For Harpic
Reckon the old cardiac paddles were needed for Aaron Harper when this lobbed on FB during the week.
WORLD EXCLUSIVE -French Demand An End To Indigenous Art
The claim, under the French appellation d’origine controlee laws has been issued by the Le Syndicat du Les Chemin Elevatrice et Mous Poignets du Les Garcons Nancy Tres Jolie. This organisation represents the legacy and estates of French artists, including the originator of pointillism, Georges Seurat, the cove who invented – frog experts say revived – pointillism – i.e. dot painting – technique in 1886. They supported their claim with several examples of the technique.
“Monsieur Seurat’s technique of painting with dots is deeply embedded in French culture, and has been part of La Belle France national character for millennium. Those who are not of French origin, imitating this style are committing cultural appropriation”, the claim states.
“While Monsieur Seurat is said to invented the technique, art archaeologists now believe he only revived it.,’ the claim argues. ”Experts say cave paintings from the Palaeolithic period in the Dordogne region of southwestern France clearly show the technique was in use by our ancestors and spiritual forebears. These cave paintings are up to 20,000 years old, and are therefore sacred, being so deeply embedded in French culture. They must not be appropriated by those who do not at least say they identify as French”, the claimants state. ‘First Champagne, wines and cheeses, now our sacred art is being exploited by other, including indigenous Australians
The claim also carries the threat that if their demand for an immediate cessation of ‘trade in illicit outback art’ is not met, their government has agreed that French manufacturers will start making their own Hills Hoists and swimwear (Le Smuggliers du Budgie) and ban the import of Chinese made kangaroo and koala teddy bears.
The initial reaction in Canberra was ‘Huh?’ but a later communique said the Woke Tuggers Faction (WTF) among parliamentarians was in urgent conference for the most appropriate response.
It is widely believed that any damages amount – to be called ‘reparations’ and expected to be in the billions – will be thrashed out in Paris over a two week high-end conference by a 25 strong delegation led by Linda Burney, Marcia Langton and Lidia Thorpe. Prime Minister Albanese has already indicated he will check if he is over-flying Paris at the time, and if so, will break his latest journey to pop in for afternoon tea to Voice his support for suitable reparations. .
Dotty all round.
America – Not So Happy, Not So Merry
A Colorado court has ruled that because he committed sedition and supported the January 6 insurrection, the former Mobster president Donald Frump isn’t allowed to run again for the top job … or any government job for that matter. No one is cheering too loudly yet because the ruling is yet to be appealed to the Supreme Court, a Trump fiefdom from his White House days. Anyway, the country is too distracted by the holiday season, and the spectacular fall from grace of Rudy Giuliani. His defamation of two eleecion workers has forced to file for bankruptcy, and has repercussions even in the world of Santa Clause.
And Two For The Road For Christmas ’23
…….,….
As he said, The ‘Pie will be on a watching brief and will pick up anything noteworthy for The Nest’s return in a fortnight. And sincere thanks to all those who have contributed material for The Nest over the year, and to those who have materially supported this weekly effort. Couldn’t be here without you, greatly appreciated.
From Bentley and The ‘Pie, a very Merry Christmas and trust we will all have a great New Year.
Happy Festivus to the Magpie and motley crew of contributors.
Right back at yer, Squeaker.
Christmas Greetings to the Pie , his family , commentators on this blog . Christmas behind bars for 70 . 3 Marginal Labor seats , Police given resources arrests follow . Aaron , Les , Scott let this City down resulting in financial / mental burdens households . Yet another Council Committee , Panel , Entity and from the Mayors spin doctors full of Townsvilles ” best and brightest minds ” .no doubt . Current Council debt $600 mil will be an anchor on Townsville ratepayers for 20-30 years . Add highest rates in Queensland weighing on ratepayers / investment .
Will Jimmeson be on the new events committee?
Merry Xmas Pie and wishing u well for 2024
Thanks for your blog and all that it takes to produce and maintain as you do
Thanks, you’re welcome and Merry Christmas.
I would have thought the decision to hand over the management of Major Events acquisition, assessment and support [and funding] from Council to TEL would be welcomed by Cr Fran, if not by many others in the community. It appears to be the latest step in the privatisation of government functions that has seen Council divest itself of road making and maintenance capacity to outside, sometimes out-of-state contractors, some parks and gardens maintenance the same way, building and construction assessment and oversight to private ‘certifiers’ and much decision making around ‘future development’ to outside consultants. The more this happens, and it has been happening for decades now, the less actual local decision making is done by a council that is left with only ‘roads, rates and rubbish’ – just the stuff that campaigning Cr Fran would like to confine herself to.
The ‘Pie can’t speak for the counillor – she’s proved she can do that a treat without any help – but The ‘Pie gathers her underlying concern is not the new entity or its allotted tasks per se, but the SECRECY surrounding it – and other council matters. The issue of transparency. The persistent refusal for straight talking, which is undoubtedly the result of thinking which isn’t straight.
Even Mooney used to take the community into his confidence, and that’s why for most of his terms he brought the community along with him. Jenny Hill is too dense, lost in a fog of her own ego, that she is unable to embrace the concept.
Cr Fran can speak for herself and she does. In her own words she says: “The decision ***which I voted against***, hands over this aspect of Council work to TEL from 1st July next year”. So, besides being vocal about the lack of transparency (I get that), she is actually opposed to the proposal itself.
Anyway, have a safe and peaceful break. Before we know it there will be local government elections.
In the spirit of Christmas, the ‘Pie will refrain from pointing out what a biased, paid fuckwit you are. Fran did NOT vote against the proposal per se, she voted against the lack of open discussion about in the council.It was presented as a fait accompli and the choice was yes or no, as usual.
But you knew that, but it goes against you directed narrative. You’re undeclared allegiances are worse then the Bulletins.
Hey Dud Cheque, are you the same anti-Fran campaigner who goes under the name of MAX in text the editor?
You sound awfully similar.
You’re not also Light-On in disguise, are you?
Merry Christmas to you and Bentley, Pie. Thanks for always keeping an eye out for ‘rogue waves’ out there! As I’ve read in the past…”Anyone can take the helm in calm seas’ !
Merry Christmas, mate, and thanks for all the wise words over the year.
The handing over of local entertainment from council to TEL smells like a boat ramp rubbish bin at the end of a long weekend.
For the past 2 years the council’s flagship entertainment event, the North Australia Festival of Arts (NAFA) has been lauded by Jenny Hill and her mates at the Townsville Bulletin as a roaring success, but I’m prepared to bet that it cost ratepayers millions.
For a start, it appeared there were a lot of mostly tits and bums shows cobbled together in the name of “arts”.
Over the past 2 years I have attended 8 NAFA shows (no tits and bums – I’m too old to care) and all of them had a lack of bums on seats.
The best was Ross Wilson of Daddy Cool fame who remarked during his show, while shaking his head, that he had never played at an Arts Festival before. The worst was an entertainment precinct set up in the park at the end of Palmer Street (near the pathway to the Cowboys stadium) which at peak time on a Saturday night attracted just a handful of people (apart from staff, of course, who outnumbered the punters). The fact that Councilor Ann-Maree “Gushing” Greaney described this NAFA precinct as having – wait for it – a fantastic vibe, should give ratepayers a hint as to how council rates its entertainment efforts.
So now we move on to the new TEL arrangement. I’m happy to wait and see where it goes – so long as Greaney, her fellow council entertainment guru Liam “Scooter” Money and the Mullet have absolutely no involvement.
If barrow loads of money weren’t involved, this would be a hoot. The thought of any of the luminaries you mentioned mixing it with the Chugg’s and other promoters of the entertainment world conjures up delightful images of said Townsville reps returning without their shirts and panties lowered – all the time believing than done a fantastic job with ratepayers dough.
And Doug, did you Ms B-S’s mention that one of the board’s tasks will be ‘to locate funding sources’. One will undoubted – in fact already admitted – will be Walker street and your rates.
This is going to stop being amusing very quickly.
Merry Christmas Doug, we’re in for an interesting ’24.
Merry Xmas Pie, i’m all the way from Singapore where for the first time in awhile my wife feels safe walking the street’s ( not like home)
The new infrastructure here is going up everywhere , maybe Giggles and Jenny should come here and check it out how things get done and with only one Stop & Go person on the job not 6/7 like at home, i tell you what the price of Alcohol is terrible, a bottle of Scotch you can buy at Dan’s for $47 is $170 maybe that’s how they pay for their infrastructure?
Seasons greetings to M-Pie and all contributors, a few days of peace hopefully. Drive carefully and stay dry behind the wheel please.
Merry Christmas Pie!
While we might call ‘lightweight’ a journalist, we certainly can’t put the word investigative in front.
As for council’s tendency to privatise everything, which to me is against labor ethos she hesitant to privatise waste collection. I think the AWU have hold of her tits on this one.
Abso bloodyloutely, the farming out of Council jobs will have the Unions salivating! There won’t be mass reduncancies at Garbutt any time soon and just what will the already under stressed Council workforce do to fill in their days?? Madam Mayor must have rocks in her head to push this through??
Merry Xmas Magpie and Bentley, I hope you have an enjoyable festive break.
Spielcheque, aka Elusive Butterflog, 2024 is shaping up to be your year – the year of the fuckwit. You don’t like Fran because she outs your Labour mates. Crooked, deceptive shonks now trying to hide even more expenditure by flicking money and resources over to TEL who will absorb that money and hide costs from view. Something that is difficult for Council to do. No wonder our debt is between $600m to $700m and growing by the day. Disgusting.
My first time commenting, but long time reader.
I also wish all contributors a Merry Christmas and safe 2024.
To Magpie, your contribution to this city is invaluable as you unravel the trials of our city.
May your Christmas be special, and look forward to reading your articles in 2024.
Thanks and to you too.
Merry Christmas to you too Pie, and thank you for providing the means to keep the bastards honest.
I look forward to 2024 and trying to shame the Townsville Bulletin into providing fair and balanced coverage of the council election.
Almost impossible on track record, I know, but we live in hope.
Cheers and beers!
Merry Christmas Magpie and Bentley. Enjoy your time off and thankyou once again for your unwavering efforts to keep us, the great unwashed informed and educated. Your efforts are very much appreciated by your loyal nesters.
Reciprocated … in spades. Merry Christmas.
I haven’t looked into this page for years
As a point of note I’ve seen the privatisation of services in britain decades ago under Margaret Thatcher and also essential council services being farmed out to private companies – it never really works out. Companies are there to make PROFIT, many council services are often already being run on a shoe string and it would be hard to find savings that would justify the privatisation of rubbish collection and other services, plumbing etc. The other problem is you reduce your workforce where decades of experience walks out the door and you de skill your workforce – when you need them most they just don’t exist anymore. In my opinion it’s dangerous game to play even if it’s used to get rid of unions. Sometimes privatisation can be used to cut the dead wood out of council departments problematic people with a bad attitude or lack of work ethic.
As a footnote when british rail was privatised there was uproar when someone jumped infront of a train at the station and the private company refused to halt train services so emergency crews could remove the body. The trains just ran through the patch time after time in full view of passengers. The outcomes of privatisation can take decades to become fully understood.
That said entertainment isn’t what I’d call an essential service and if it gets farmed out to the private sector you could at least try and see what happens (?).
Well, hello there, Guy LTNS.
The Mapie agrees wholeheartedly with you comments in general, but the last line needs a little clarity. The ‘Pie would definitely agree if the private sector was the sole driver of events, only seeking perhaps in-kind support from the council once something is secured … but never requiring public money. If only that were the case here, but it is not. This mayor, with the help of compliant and often career stepping-stone TEL management, has bastardised Townsville Enterprise into a cynical extension of council but without any direct responsibility – or culpability. So any funding or activities seeking events from TEL itself is made possible by the annual $750k TCC subsidy. And there is the matter of the budget allocations already promised by the council for this events agenda – history suggests the amount, and the dumbed down rationalisation of it, is as predictable as the path of a cyclone. With consequent ultimate damage. That is a far cry from privatisation.
With our bogan mayor having a say in future ‘attractions’, be ready for Townsville to try and follow Perth’s example of giving over the stadium to that brain-dead World Wrestling stadium hoopla.
Only our mayor will call it ‘art’.
Merry Chrisrmas from me too, I hope you have a restful break and come back in 2024 ready to take on the world, we’ll at least Townsville.
The ‘Pie will be there, rarin’ to go, Jenny. your support is greatly appreciated. Hope you’re having a great day … and a great new year coming up.
Have a MERRY one Pie. I’ll drink to your health (later in the day). HAPPY new year to you and yours. Al
And to you too Al … and why the wait? Baileys for breakfast I say. But with CocoPops.
Yeah merry Christmas to all.
Merry Christmas Pie, keep up the good work, lets work to show the present regimes the Door in 24.
Have a great day old fella, and let’s hope your sentiments come true.
Merry Christmas and HNY to the Mischief and the leading Mischief Maker.
Exactly to same sentiments right back atcha Grumps.
Merry Christmas to Malcom, Bentley, and the customers of Ma Kelly’s laundromat. May your festive season be enjoyable.
May you all have a very Merry Christmas. I am sure that I will be reading many positive and favourable comments about Fran and David Crisafulli throughout 2024.
Fresh back from doing some heavy lifting in Cairns. Have a merry Xmas you lot and spare a thought for our hard working diggers on assignments in far away places, and not so far away places.
SGH
Spielcheque is either a high paid Government bureaucrat or paid by one to comment supporting Team Hill . I noticed Prins increased staff numbers by 109 last year . Perhaps part of his separation deal is Nous efficiency Council downsizing deal again . Jimmy Olsen didn’t report on Council savings on July event management changes or where the $ are coming from to attract big events . Team Hill Councillors transparency . Were you provided with costings before you voted ? . Axing of Palaszczuk for Miles no polling increase . Scott Stewart’s office is closed to the 15 th Jan , Les 8 th , Aaron runs his electorate on via Facebook .
Editorial Alert:
The Magpie’s computer is seriously on the fritz … it has taken me an hour to even get here. Multiple problems appearing over the past few days, but will continue to try to publish comments. But if it crashes completely, will be off the grid until fixed. So if there is no first Nest on January 7th, please bear with me until I can get this sorted.
But while I’ve got you, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
Merry belated Christmas Magpie, Bentley and to all and, as someone who knew her a little, I strongly agree with your words re Shari. Thinking of her loved ones this Christmas.
Apologies if I’m incorrect but, back when it actually did something, didn’t TEL have a role in securing events as part of its Tourism mantra?
I’m referring to the period where Richard Power was in charge and, whilst I may be wearing rose-coloured glasses, it seems to me the current TEL does little except burden the ratepayer.
Perhaps the acronym needs revision. Rather than Townsville Enterprise Limited, TEL could now stand for Townsville’s Embarrassingly Limited.
This, of course, despite the genuine efforts of many including you Magpie.
Nuthin to do with me, mate.
But yes, TEL was originally created to hav a promotional entity well at arms length from the council. Worked well un til Mullet became mayor, and then she just drew it into her circle of influence an d control, and farmed out positions as political patronage … how else could a goof like Kevin Gill, a failed executive in the corporate world, be allowed anywhere near it.
Well said Scoop. The origins of TEL are sound. The issue is that the Mullet has molested it and ruined it. TEL has Gill the dill as Board Chair, along with the Mullet on the Board. That combined with the incompetent Claudia Bumme-Smith who is more interested in showing off before the cameras with her almost all girl team. TEL has lost its purpose and identity and hopefully after March we will have a different t looking Council who will have new direction and put the axe through TELand hopefully punt the TCC CEO also.
“SHOW HILL THE DOOR IN 24”
Shit! I thought the astonisher had grown ‘a pair’ with the headline “Modern mullet comes a cropper”. But alas, it was a puff piece about Cowboys players hair styles. Same old same old.
And now they’re just being smartarses with their headlines, when we expectantly read on only to learn that this is part of the Bulletin’s new found interest in Mt Isa.
We’re such a sophisticated, grown-up city, aren’t we?
Very professional? Not even the simple courtesy of at least including the URL?
Yes, try booking one of our 2 taxi’s and enjoy waiting 4 hours for it to turn up (maybe)! Gill the dill had years at Townsville airport in which he could’ve installed more car spaces but he was neutered by his Gold Coast airport masters. Airports make their most money from car parking and aircraft landing fees and they still couldn’t get it right. Fuckstickles.
Pie,
Dill’s legacy to TSV,God help us!
Have a terrific Festive Season and thank you for your blog
Cheers
Thanks, and your welcome.
Thanks readers, for the Christmas greetings. I hope you get as much fun out of the cartoons as I do creating them. My apologies for any offence suffered as a result of my sometimes less-than-flattering portrayal of individuals, but sometimes I just can’t help myself. And for the record, I love this town, despite the somewhat ‘dodgy ‘ administration. Lets make the most of 2024.
Only 12.5% of workers are members of a trade union. How on earth can evil bastards like Bulloch wield so much power over our government? It’s not as if they can threaten them with instructing their members to vote for the LNP.
Grumpy, you obviously don’t understand how unions work. Put it another way, only around 1% of the population own 99% of the overall wealth, yet that 1%, the minority, wield extreme power over the 99% majority. No different with Unions. As you say, allegedly only 12.5% of workers are part of a trade union. That, in reality, is quite a lot of power and a large number.
Wouldn’t that depend entirely on the nature of that power? Law changes, especially outlawing secondary action (i.e. a union striking in support of strikers although not directly affected itself) have removed most of the most corrupt of union tools. The core action – withholding of labour – has a diminished effect as the numbers shrink.
Jeff – Harpic only got 36% of the primary vote. . Preference games were played. Imagine the conniptions if I were to suggest that voting not be compulsory at all.
What The – “Just Vote 1” Why was that? Why did Labor blindside with the CPV in 2016? Why does the LNP hate it so much? Cui bono?
CPV (Commercial Passenger Vehicles)? What’s a Victorian taxi commission got to do with this? Or is The ‘Pie missing another meaning?
Compulsory Preferential Voting
Or
Cardio Pulmonary Ventilation – which is probably more apt in our circumstances.
Princess – nothing “alleged” about it. Recent stats fresh from the ABS. Apart from that, your comment is nonsense. What’s the correlation between the division of wealth and union power? 12.5% is a statistical insignificant number. 87.5%, on the other hand, is a fucking great majority. The real reason for the undue influence is, of course, money. The proceeds of union corruption and organised crime is the one of the most significant factors in Labor’s ongoing success – that and dills such as Morrison. Sleazy tricks such as compulsory preferential voting also serve to allow them to ooze and slither into power.
How is compulsory preferential voting a trick? It plainly and simply determines which candidates have the support of the electorate.
Oh, you sweet innocent little thing, you.
What the? You need to refresh your memory on how Ricky Muir with less than 1% of first preference votes managed to slither his way into a $200k + a year senate seat.
What The – https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-21/compulsory-prefential-voting-returns-qld-parliament-passes-bill/7348172
Note that, at the time, it meant 5 extra seats for Labor.
A, B and C run for Thuringowa. A is LNP.; B is a fat, lazy prick and is the ALP candidate; C is a young, semi-good looking, vain airhead that has been encouraged by her Labor member parents to run and actually thinks she has a chance. C says that she supports neither party and is an independent. In truth, she is secretly funded by ALP members and hands out how to vote cards encouraging people to vote C, B, A in that order. Comes election. Worthy candidate A gets 42% Dumb c**t candidate B gets 38%. 10% of the good citizens are dumb enough to vote for our bimbo, vote as her how/to’s state. 10% stuff up and their votes are invalid. Harper – I mean candidate B – wins on first preferences 48/42.
If candidate C had not run and those who voted for her voted in line with those who didn’t, A would have defeated B 46/42 (roughly).
Actually based on a true story.
Need help with the concept of donkey voting and why the order of candidates on the voting paper is important? Ask someone else, you dumb bastard.
Hahaha … you enjoyed writing that, didn’t you, Grumps?
That smokey smell is coming what is left of a very burnt ‘What the?’
Ricky Muir was elected under a group voting ticket, and those were abolished thereafter. Got anything else?
Making up imaginary scenarios doesn’t support your argument, Grumpy. Having said that nothing that you said couldn’t apply to other voting systems so again, what’s the trick?
Imaginary?
Sorry, mate. I don’t think I can assist you further. I can’t fix stupid. Please seek professional help.
The alternative of first past the post could also be deemed unfair. If we take four candidates, three receiving 24% and the winner getting in on 28% of the vote, leaving 73% of the electorate without their preferred candidate.
The likelihood of that scenario working out exactly is slim, but it could. Our problem is the running of stooge candidates by the Parties, pre-arranged to direct preferences to their sponsor.
Then there was the One Nation candidate who didn’t suggest a voting preference, so most of his supporters gave their preferences to Labor, possibly in a donkey vote. WTF? I think that’s how we got Wranger O’Foole.
And no, I can’t back that up with references.
Of course we could try Tassie’s Hare-Clark with the Robson Rotation that is a mind boggling system where vote values change.
No system is perfect.
Yes. The example isn’t particularly relevant though as it doesn’t speak to a specific problem with compulsory preferential voting. Stalking horses could be found in any system of voting.
As they can be on Nest comment threads.
Perhaps The ‘Pie has misunderstood, he believed the example, colorful though it was, was fact.
Grumpy – stupid is claiming that compulsory preferential voting is a sleazy trick and being unable to substantiate the claim.
WT – Yet another goose who thinks I am obliged to RSVP their smug and supercilious posts. Sorry, Sweetie, I have better things to do than fret over posts made in this blog. And I certainly do not have to “substantiate” anything – least of all to you, you pious prick.
Do yourself a favour and look into the history of the introduction of CPV. No warning, no consultation, stifle/outright gag debate, not notifying the electorate of your intentions prior to the recent election. Yeah, I’d call that tricky.
Remember the “Just Vote 1” campaign? I resent being tricked into declaring a preference for candidates whom I despise at risk of being disenfranchised if I refuse to do so. Under the previous system, you could choose to “just vote 1” or list out your preferences. Didn’t suit the Comrades, though.
Why do you think the Bolshies rushed this through in the dead of the night, so to speak? Cui Bono?
At the risk of sending you into conniptions, I might declare that I don’t think voting at all should be compulsory.
So there.
Oh I see – the trick is how it was introduced as a surprise amendment to a sneaky trick by the opposition. I guess the moral is FAFO.
Government employees have far higher percentages in unions than private sector – teachers, nurses, police, firies, ambos all have their own unions. A lot of clerical staff and corrections are in the Together Union. The government won’t want any of these unions threatening strike action coming into an election, so will be bending over backwards to get any outstanding EBAs signed.
They have to be kidding.
Question: what is the difference between The Townsville Bulletin and the below average click-bait drongo’s Facebook page?
Answer: drongo FB pages are more entertaining (and often more literate).
I’m still waiting to vote for Townsville’s Best Tradie’s Bumcrack.
Question: what is the difference between theTownsville Bulletin and any clic-baiting drongo’s Facebook page
On 27th December, as we were packing up the holly and ivy, Magnis was having another bad hair day:
“On 22 December 2023 (Sydney time), the Court of Chancery in Delaware granted the request by Magnis to cancel the 2 January 2024 hearing and to accept the resignation of Magnis-appointed directors Mr Frank Poullas, Ms Claire Bibby and Mr Giles Gunesekera from the Board of LLC [the holding company that owns most of the New York battery factory]. Formal court orders in relation to the Court Proceedings are yet to be handed down.
Following the resignation of Mr Poullas, Ms Bibby and Mr Gunesekera, the Board of LLC now comprises two C4V-appointed directors (being Mr Shailesh Upreti and Mr Mike Driscoll).
Magnis’ decision to request a modification of the prior status quo order and the cancellation of the 2 January 2024 hearing was made to afford Magnis the ability to focus its efforts on arranging the potential retirement and replacement of the Credit Facility1 (and therefore to seek to preserve the value of its investment in the Battery Facility2) rather than on costly and time-consuming litigation.”
Seems Frank just keeps on diggin’ and diggin’.
Hope his lawyers got money in trust.
He’s definitely becoming earnest!
Have a nice day … I am.
Townsville highest crime rate , City living in fear . Bought to you by Les , Aaron , Scott + Palaszczuk / Miles Government . Insurance renewals are following with price increases based on risk cars + 40 % / homes up to $4,000 . landlords will pass on insurance renewals + Team Hills 2.5 times inflation rates increases . Any sweeteners Team Hill for March 2024 ? . Surely Rates , transparency must be part of Fran’s campaign . $600 mil debt .
Is Grumpy ok? What an angry human being. Grumpy – go for a walk, smell some flowers, do some volunteer work for homeless people, take some Valium and have a sleep. Just do something before you have a brain aneurism or drop dead from a heart attack mate!
That you, Swampy?
Actually, Dirty Andrew, I am bed-ridden, suffering from bout number four of Chinaman Fever, but having fun teasing sophomoric tosswombles. Oh, and GFY, you patronising wanker.
The ol’ Magpie heart is warmed by the wealth of season’s greetings expressed here.
Grumpy, seasons greetings. Interested to know if you have been vaccinated? How far apart have your bouts been?
All the vax – 4. Last in February this year. First two about six months apart before that. Why?
Wear a mask you muppet. Only an idiot catches it 4 times. Safety first
Haven’t masks been found to be not just useless, but could possibly promote other disorders? Or so The ‘Pie thought he read in a reliable site. And they’re no guarantee of immunity, so be nice about it, eh? And yes, it wa the SCIENTIFIC that was reported in the article (which I can find but am looking for), not some drooling nutcase who followed Trump’s advice and drank the Kool Bleach.
Gr, just curious about performance (effectiveness) of vaccinations. I had four but only recently had first bout of Covid – fortunately mild and short-lived.
Like many of your comments. heh heh heh
HNY!
Grumpy, GFY – Good for you? Strange mixture of compliment and insult in one sentence. Must be the meds and alcohol combination.
https://i.postimg.cc/QMH6b0xh/IMG-0861.jpg
A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OUR READERS
I like the hide of Armaguard demanding the reserve bank bail them out because of the demise of people using cash to make their every day purchases. Wake up Armaguard, For The Times They Are a Changing. Get your arse into gear and find another niche transport role. This one is going the way of the dinosaurs. As a cash carrier, I always withdraw my week’s allotment from the bank and when it is gone it is gone. When Optus shit itself I could still buy bread and milk and if there had been a paper I could have bought one of those too. The reserve bank did not bail out the teams when transport became motorised nor did they bail out taxi owners when Uber reared its ugly head. Why should they bail you out?
Totally agree.
HiBeam, which firm delivers cash money to or from your bank? If the bank is paying someone they will surely find a way to pass on the cost to you.
Fuck Armaguard. Adapt or become extinct. The reserve bank is printing less cash as the world’s governments clamp down on tax avoidance. Most cash that remains available is kept in Chinese business owners safety deposit boxes, kept under wogs bed mattresses, or buried in plastic containers in the gardens of drug dealers. Give it 10 years and a 100% cashless society will exist and big brother will see where every cent of our money goes. Peter Newey told me so.
My missus came down with the flu on Christmas Eve and has been suffering since.
Two covid tests were negative, but the symptoms appear to suggest Influenza A.
A friend told us that it takes 2 weeks to recover, and that it’s worse than covid.
My wife agrees, and she’s experienced both.
Happy New Year, Pie, and the motley crew who contribute to your blog.
I was going to celebrate at the Ardo Rooftop Bar but decided to save the $300 NYE price and watch the fireworks from my balcony with a couple of bottles of red and a dozen oysters.
Saved $230 to use on the punt tomorrow.
Happy days.
So according to the editor of the Courier Mail:
Data from the Regional Australian Institute found that the city of Townsville experienced a 500 per cent increase in residents in 2022, the largest increase of any regional centre in the county.
I must have missed those 1M folks moving to town.
Seasons greetings to you Magpie. Hope your 2024 is happy and prosperous.
Keep up your great work on the local chaos in the car theft capital of Queensland .
Just a point regarding overseas developments.
Why has there been a lack of reporting regarding farmer protests in Germany and France ?
With no disrespect to you, Magnus, it is probably because our own problems being to the forefront, no one around here gives a fuck. From what The ‘Pie has read, both are matters of internal unrest with little effect on good old Oz, which snoozes along in the agricultural world, only grunting almost awake by the occasional short sheeting by China or some halal boofhead in the mid-east or Indo.
But Magpie, some of your readers do give a fuck. You should broaden the scope of what you write about. Big Gina and Twiggy are also buying up all the farms in Australia, so it is a serious moot point.
This blog was created to primarily report on Townsville and region matters, because of the neglect and bias of The Townsville Bulletin, and the lies, incompetence and rampant self-interest of – inter alia – Jenny Hill. Any number of publications and news sites cover national and international matters, they have the budgets to do so, anything that occasionally appears here on matters beyond Queensland borders are opinions or facts repeated from already published reports. And besides, despite your presumably well meaning view, The Magpie can just about guarantee no reader comes to The Nest to read about such matters as you mention … in fact, even avid readers of the MS media wouldn’t give a fuck about issues like that.
(Trump is a different matter but we’ll leave side of The Nest’s editorial policy on that until some foaming lunatic wishes to display publicly their insanity – hiding behind the anonymity of an assumed name, of course – with support for the most dangerous, destructive and stomach churning waste of our species of the last 50 years.)
Pie , is it just me but as we get closer to the Council and State election we seem to have new contributors trying to divert attention ” look over there ” a very successful Labor strategy for years . 10 mths out State Election messagebank contribution to crime , cost of living , homelessness is two posts on how he cooks Ham and Ribs . Has Aaron Harper worked out after Kirwan was named crime suburb of Townsville that voters are worried about their safety not a new big Police hub at the old stadium . Fran TTE ( emailed to Magpie ) today that Council isn’t a charity and Team Hills $10-$50 k handouts need transparency from a Council that plans to lose $3.45 mil this financial year .
It would be great if you could stop the gallery of American cartoons every week, there are plenty of good and relevant Australian editorial cartoons out there.
The Magpie hereby withdraws the gun from your head and no longer insists you view them … he now allows you to skip them.
Australian cartoons, while generally excellent, are readily available elsewhere, and The ‘Pie only occasionally re-posts them, but the contents of our American gallery are not readily available here, and gives a mostly clever, entertaining, sometimes terrifying, and skilful temperature of how the nation of most importance to Australia is coping with its on-going democratic crisis. Well worth The ‘Pie’s considerable effort.
The American cartoons are as readily available as Australian ones, and anyone who is interested can find them elsewhere. The fact that it takes you considerable time to round them up is evidence that you should stop doing it and focus on more relevant local news and Austrlaian issues.
Looking forward to your new blog. Please post the link.
Notice that no one has said a word in defense of the cartoons? They’re just the lengthy section you scroll past to get from the news to the comments.
Notice how no one has bothered to engage with your opinion … and btw, the gallery is the last major thread on every blog. But The Magpie doesn’t need defending from lazy wannabees. You really have some sort of unhealthy fixation with the ‘toons, which is your problem with an obvious remedy.
Mag Mag, Big Gina and Twiggy buying all the farms! Do you know what percentage of Aussie country they own compared to overseas people, companies, and CCP type enterprises? At least they are Aussies, and I applaud them keeping some Aussie Companies in local ownership
Magnus, why not just give us a link to an article.
Plenty of other things closer to home to worry about
Townsville has a higher indigenous crime rate than other heavily indigenous communities such as Cairns, Mt Isa and Rockhampton. This proves that Team Hill has lost the war and should be ashamed of this sad statistic. Useless, spineless, incompetent charlatans.
March 2024 is our opportunity to send these arrogant politicians packing. They do not deserve another term. They have wrecked Townsville over the past 3 terms and they need to be voted out of office.
Not sure of the rationale of that comment. Councils are very limited in what they can do to deter crime, but The ‘Pie agrees, a cynical Hill has come late to the anti-crime party for electoral reasons alone.
Immanuel, it’s a bit rich of you to slag off individual elected divisional councillors as “useless, spineless, incompetent charlatans”. How the fuck would you know?
It is said that in his early days your namesake was dissuaded from certain philosophical positions that were “the pillow for the lazy mind”. You could reflect on this.
Hello Stealcheque, I appreciate your candour. I am a long time viewer but infrequent poster. The way you defend the current crop of moronic Councillors proves that you yourself are as crooked as a dogs hind leg. Either that or you are a beneficiary of Councillor favours. Cheerio
Pure cant.
Looks like Fran has saddled up and is about to hit the campaign trail in earnest. This letter in today’s Astonisher is in reply to what The Magpie suspects is a turncoat former supporter who had his male chauvinist ego dented.
Christ, the new Kiwi Government isn’t wasting time mucking about with honeyed words.
Go NZ! Great to see a reversal in these ‘woke’ fuckwits agendas and a return to normal processes. Hopefully similar will occur in our country one day. The obsessive focus on Aboriginals, women first, and queers is nauseating. Let’s return to a normal way of life where all are equal. And a return to gun ownership is also need. John Howard the fuckhead
FYI there’s no ‘e’ in Gunny.
It can be spelt however I wish for it to be spelt.
‘… said Humpty Dumpty to Alice’.
What a motley crew of bloggers in 2024! Some angry and odd people commenting in the Nest. This is going to be an awesome year. People are becoming unhinged already. Time to grab the beer and popcorn.
Welcome back aboard, motley crew member.
Personally, I’m looking forward to how many changes of names Elusive Butterfly (Spielcheque) will morph into this year! And I am really anticipating the anger he/she/it/trans will display every time David Crisafulli is mentioned. Talk soon….
Trans is not a pronoun
Correct, but it might as well be.
Another great use of tax payer money:
https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/how-a-big-new-solar-farm-became-a-stranded-asset-20231219-p5eshb#:~:text=A%20perfectly%20good%20solar%20farm,good%20use%20of%20taxpayers'%20money.&text=Under%20a%20blazing%20sun%20in,more%20than%2034%2C000%20solar%20panels.
You’re 100% correct https://michaelwest.com.au/afr-slams-solar-project-fail/
A very good riposte to the AFR article, but it is a shame that Michael West wrote it for the more financially literate and not for the general understanding of the (mythical) ‘average man on the street’. For instance, and ABS, please advise if the Magpie has it wrong, the West article is saying in basic terms … ‘the solar farm was built for a specific purpose (the mine generators) and for a specific time frame, which it fulfilled to complete expectations. It saved large amounts of mioney and emissions. It wasn’t meant to be there forever.’
Is that a correct summation?
Councilors Ann-Maree “Gushing” Greaney and fellow Team Jenny Hill member Liam “Scooter” Mooney must be worried about losing their ratepayer support in March.
Cr Greaney was on Seven News last week urging everyone to recycle their Christmas gift wrapping paper.
Nothing wrong with that of course, but her recycling rally came more than two days after Christmas, when 99% of the wrapping paper had already been dumped in bins.
For example, on Boxing Day the huge recycling bins at my apartment block were full of wrapping paper, which would suggest Greaney was preaching to the converted.
It’s called trying to look as if you’re doing something (with an election looming), which also appears to apply to Cr Mooney’s promise this week of a dedicated dog park.
From what I’ve seen since he was elected to council, the dog park might just be his main claim to fame.
Will be interesting to see what the other councilors come up with in the next couple of months.
Doug , people of Townsville have long memories how Team Hill didnt challnge the State Government or Aaron / Scott / Les on crime until the last couple of months . Will it be a rotation of Team Hill photo opportunities Liam Mooney Dog Park , next week ? whilst the candidates for the election struggle to get any media exposure from the Astonisher . Why would Team Hill Councillors care . Even with some of the highest rates increases in Queensland this mob cant get out of the red with $3.54 mil Council loss projected 2023/24 . Team Hill Councillors voted against Frans motion transparency on $200,000 tenders .
Mike, you mention candidates for the election struggle to get any media exposure from the Astonisher. Apart from Cr Fran and the Jacobs pair, do you know of any new blood that has nominated? The media can hardly cover an empty field.
Spielcheque , you don’t live in Townsville do you ? . Townsville Bulletin already featured Brady Ellis division 10 , Rachel Armstrong division 8 , Rachel Phillip Division 2 , Paul Jacob and others that have announced they are running . Media has mentioned unanswered questions asked by independents in Council meetings . You havnt read comments on social media from candidates that have sent unpublished letters to media . Whats the balance of Councillors being featured team vs independent in Council promos ? .
Slight correction, Mike. I don’t live in the Townsville Bulletin. If you think these new-blood candidates need publicity then why don’t you mention them in your regular despatches? It’s not as if the Magpie hides them under a bushel.
Liam Mooney is the reason we have the engine block on a tripod masquerading as “art” permanently installed at The Strand.
Yep, Mr. Pie.
Just what Townsville needs?
“Twin City Hotel opens Star Group’s largest liquor warehouse and gaming room
A new gaming room and a liquor warehouse with NQ’s largest cold room, are the latest parts to open at Townsville’s Twin City Hotel – a contender for Australia’s largest pub.”
Leighton Smith
less than 2 min read
January 3, 2024 – 1:04PM
Townsville Bulletin
The ‘Pie sees what you’re saying and agrees, but this is a broad social issue across the country. The ‘Pie has long believed if we are to have poker machines (a total ban would be good, they are simply automated preying on the gullible), they should be restricted, as they used to be, to registered clubs who use the profits for community projects, teams and charities. That is the only fair and decent way to use ‘involuntary taxes’. The greatest social rift in this country came when publicans – of all classes of people!! – were allowed to install them to reap massive profits and cause such widespread social damage. All so the various state governments could reap more income from the less able of the general populous.
And please, don’t anybody pop up with a string of cliches about ‘Aussies love a punt, it’s part of our character, a social tradition, part of the fabric of our national character’ etc etc. You see, ‘having a punt’ means giving suckers an even break, giving them a chance at success in the form of certain information and options to inform the eventual bet. But poker machines don’t do that, just give you the option to bet big or bigger … they are designed and calibrated as theft machines, based on the intellectual and educational susceptibilities of the strata that can least afford it. Operators KNOW that the dribs and drabs of the 87% returns will mostly be immediately ploughed back in to the dream of the ‘big one.(You don’t see too many wealthy people become poker machine addicts, and there’s an obvious reason for that.)
And that’s all exacerbated when mixed with booze.
There is a very sick underside to sections of Australian society, and this is one of the worst examples.
Another downside of these damn parasitical machines is they have shattered the ambiance of most pubs.
Also the probability of the player sitting in front of the hypnotising machine for extended periods may more easily consume “over the limit” ales too.
If the machines get banned then the “socially ill” will simply find something else to piss their pensions up against.
There needs to be more education, perhaps replacing the Ladbrokes ads.
The problem with the logic of your comment is that the ‘socially ill’ (maybe lonely a factor) are entitled to do whatever they want with whatever legal income they have … but that should not entitle avaricious mega-companies preying on them, by inventing, promoting and encouraging them to voluntarily surrender their income in such a base and cynical way.
All legalised forms of gambling are crooked or loaded astronomically in favour of the house, but the pokies really make absolutely no pretence of even offering anyone a chance of walking away with a worthwhile win. Because they know even jackpot winners will in a very short time plough it all back in again.
So it’s a case of supply and demand?
Surely if you know, and I know, that there’s no chance of winning, then others should too, and if they don’t then some community education needs to be undertaken, something beyond “gamble responsibly”.
Well, yes, up to a point … supply and demand isn’t always the imperative in a free market, though. Cigarettes are a good instance, and the outright ban on vaping an even more forceful one, both reasonable authoritarian responses saving people from themselves. And the drug trade is a glaring example of supply and demand economics at work. But agree that an education campaign specifically targeted at poker machine users would be a good start, going much further than the new gambling ads.
Strategies would be easy and abundant … raw statistics on poker machines would be a sobering thought-provoker, along with a few genuine sob stories. But of course, the AHA is one of the strongest lobby groups in Australia, and it would take a brave government to try to fiddle further with their pursestrings.
Estimates suggest that Australians lose approximately $25 billion on legal forms of gambling each year, representing the largest per capita losses in the world (Letts 2018; QGSO 2022). – https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-welfare/gambling
$25 billion of indirect taxation on the most vulnerable in society – each year.
Thanks for the stats, but your analysis is a bit off …. nowhere near all of that goes in tax, the publicans and the machine companies that lease the machines out (not many if any are owned outright, because new models are coming through all the time) all have their snouts in there. The AHA will argue that the polies employs thousands of people, whereas in fact they employ very few people … how many keepers does it take to feed the zombies in the zoo.
Operators know exactly the psychology behind gambling and exploit it to the max. Actually the “nearly won” gives as great a “feel good” hit as a win but if we win too often, we get bored. Its not in their business to be socially responsibly, they only need to practice within the bounds of the law. I recall Mr Goss being interviewed prior to the open slather back in the 90’s and incidentally, when the ABC interviewers asked tough questions. He was asked about the social implications of pub/club pokies etc, particularly for people who had moved to QLD as a method of managing their addiction they had developed in the southern states. (In QLD, they were able to “safely” pop into a pub with mates to have a beer or 2) His response was the govt would put in place social services to help people and their families if difficulties arose… Easy to see why that interview and especially the response has stuck in my mind! What cockamamie reasoning!
https://www.responsiblegambling.org/for-the-public/about-gambling/the-science-behind-gambling/
Elusive Butterfly, you don’t need to gamble because you have a regular supply of money that comes from Councillor bribes. We all know how much you love and revere Team Hill.
Oh, Drew Mudd, you are such a character!
You should actually stand for council given your very “original” thought process.
You’ll fit in very well with the other clowns!
Seems like the world has forgotten about a kid from Picnic Bay
https://x.com/BrokenAnthemUSA/status/1740539853140316428?s=20
Very good mini doco
Noticed an interesting style change in the Daily Astonisher of late, a departure from established practice emphasised in several stories today. The paper has taken a sudden interest in mayoral races around the place, doing puff pieces on the incumbents in Flinders Shire and Mt Isa. And of course we are treated to the obligatory free campaign ad about our beloved mayor, wittering on irrelevantly about a federal government policy on strategic minerals.
After the initial mention of all three women, when they are given their title of mayor and full name, they are thereafter referred to as ‘Ms’. Instead of Mayor (surname), which has been considered the proper and respectful form. And no gender bias at this paper … another story about Deputy Mayor Mark Molachino demotes him to Mr instead of the correct Councillor (Clr) after the initial reference. Which is just silly, we all know that the correct form address for the deputy mayor is ‘Frothy’.
Be interesting to see if this apparently universal downgrading of honorifics leads us to reading about other occupations – particularly religious orders, the military and the judiciary are similarly treated …. The ‘Pie is looking forward to the first time a judge is called Mr. The ‘Pie imagines it will only happen once.
Can you imagine calling a doctor by his first name, rather than prefacing his name with the word ‘Doctor’? Holy shit, there would be outrage! And while we are at it, our family has a close friend who is a priest. He knows that I detest all religion. Anyway, I call him by his first name, I do not call him ‘father’. It enrages my family, but the priest accepts it. I refuse to call him father as that would be a recognition of his religious standing, and I believe religions to be fanatical, fanciful, corrupt and perverted. No priest will be a father figure to me. So I call him by his first name only.
What’s his name? Pedo Pete, Fiddler Frank, Cloisters Kenny? Preying Paul?
There’s a few things I could think of to say to our “esteemed” judges, but I think Monty Python took the piss out of them the best https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q80ElML7KGk
mind you the original sketch was the best, but I can’t seem to find it.
sf, spare a thought for the federal judge hearing the Bruce Lehrmann defamation proceedings. Open to the public, live online, day after day and soon, after another couple of sessions dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s, having to bring down a decision one way or the other – which will likely be appealed.
Ummm, that’s what he’s paid – very handsomely – to do. Why spare a thought?
Because most of the time judges leave it to a jury to decide.
Logic is not your strong point, is it, Spieler? If, in your childishly simplistic notion, judges ‘leave it to’ a jury to decide, that suggests it is easier for a judge and therefore even less reason to spare a thought.
Well, I imagine it might be easier for a judge if he can leave it to a jury to make a decision but in this specific case the judge has the jury’s job as well. And if you had seen any of the live YouTube broadcast you would have noted that unlike the usual jury situation, in this judge-only trial the judge (acting as ‘jury’) gets the opportunity to ask questions about all sorts of stuff to help him clarify points he will need to consider. And each point he considers and adds to the list of reasons for making his final decision, will be a point of contest if either party decides to appeal the decision. Does your heart pump piss for him? I doubt it. Neither does mine.
Paging Spielcheque, paging Spielcheque, please report immediately to the Lost Plots Department.
I see the Blade Runner is out on parole. Remember:
Roses are red
Violets are glorious
Don’t sneak up on
Oscar Pistorius
Well it really didn’t take too long for Smiley to not deliver on his first speech https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99363 where he said:
We will meet together for the first time and I’m sorry, … there won’t be a lot of time for a Christmas break.
But I know they’ll agree with me when I say we need to get to work for the people of Queensland.
I will work relentlessly for Queenslanders every day I’m trusted with this role.
So quickly he said fuck it I am going on holidays and don’t care about Cyclone and flooding clear up in FNQ or storm damage in SEQ. Poor bugger needed a holiday after less than month in the top job, I hope he’s ok.
Pie, They done it again! Same story repeated on page 7 & 26 of the astonisher. Sent a note to the iditor to employ a proof reader. Will probably be banned for criticising such an august publication.
Yet again proves that the news is a sloppy nuisance to the Townsville Bulletin, something to fill the diminishing space left in between the pages and pages of ads. Of late, iditor Gas Carvey has adopted the brothel madam’s worldwide slogan of ‘just fill a hole’ – irrelevant snippets from anywhere thrown onto a page so that it at least looks neat, like combing the hair of a retard. The clear evidence of this can be seen with the most casual of flip through the paper.
The sad truth is that mega-graspers like News Corpse have community leaders everywhere by their tiny balls (or alternative) who are too cowed to speak out on behalf of their community. If the Bulletin were a locally owned entity, this and the other regular insults of incompetence simply would not be tolerated. But those same market forces that News Corpse quote as gospel are working against them, as people stop buying and reading what should be a vibrant community hub of information and informed opinion. And by creating that vacuum, self-appointed interests are not held to account, so the community is much poorer for it.
Magpie said “ like combing the hair of a retard.” Why did you have to bring Spielcheque into this?