The old curse may you live in interesting times doesn’t even start to cover it around here. The Magpie tries to sort where the hell we are, and what sort of hell we are headed for, with our new mayor who has …ahem … a few issues.
Hell hath no fury like a Murdoch paper scorned … and iditor Gas Carvey is on the revenge trail after Troy Thompson pantsed her by beating her much favoured Jenny hill at the polls.
Our reigning buffoon Aaron Harpic Harper has dragged himself into the fray, giving himself a severe beating yet again – metaphorically, he’s now black and blue as well as Pink.
Plus lotsa miscellaneous larfs and our regular American gallery.
Lot of new readers this week, seems The Magpie’s exclusive about Troy Thompson’s DV and mental health history attracted many more than the usual lawyers vainly looking for a payday. So for those new to the site, The Magpie’s Nest has been published every (almost) weekend for the past 14 years. It’s primary purpose is unashamedly parish pump about Townsville – particularly things that the wholly compromised Murdoch-owned Townsville Bulletin won’t tell us because for the most part it has been in the Mayor’s pocket for most of those years. But we stray further afield from time to time, into state, national and international affairs – we have a regular US feature of the best cartoons of the week from the doodlers in the States. The ‘Pie is aware that many newbies will quickly tire of this diet, so thanks for visiting but the Magpie is resolute that he will provide locals with truths that they are being denied by a boondocks power elite. There’s been a few victories over the years. Readership numbers, which have been a steady few thousand weekly over the Nest’s existence, have never been a primary consideration, the prime motivator has always been ensuring the availability of the information others won’t disseminate. This blog does not accept advertising, has no invisible financial support from shadowing daddy Warbucks (I wish!!), and as The ‘Pie is a retired journo who lives solely on the Aged Pension, its continuation depends on the occasional donation (not tax deductible) from readers to help meet blog costs. Feel free to avail yourself of this feel-good facility before you leave, the big ‘donate’ button at the end of the blog is always there.
The AccidentalMayor: The Story So Far
How it happened.
Leading contender to topple Jenny Hill, Clr Fran O’Callaghan is forced to drop out of the race due to ill health. Troy Thompson and Harry Patel remain the only other candidates. Thompson is out on the ground, making all the right noises that voters want to hear. – no matter that some of the are uncosted nonsense.
Four days before the election and despite the possibility of inadvertently boosting Hill, The Magpie chose to publish information that was in the public interest that Thompson had tried to keep hidden.It involved some DV matters in his past and his treatment for mental health issues. The ‘Pie believed all this was information that the electorate had a right to know before the election, along with his history of financial. incompetence and possible fraud. He also lied about his disendorsement as a One Nation candidate in 2020 … the selection committee discovered he had lied about his business past and had not declared nhe had changed his name, so rescinded his endorsement.
Perhaps this all played a role in Jenny Hill and her team being so cocksure of victory, they completely missed the mood of deep dissatisfaction within the community while she continued to campaign on secondary or irrelevant issues – nothing new to say about the North Railyards development debacle of her own making.and talking about issues far from the electorates mind like the remote possibility of suburban brothels in residential streets. So she and her team skate blithely into the swinging door of voter anger about high rates, infrastructure maintenance and crime. Her connections to an almost dysfunctional Queensland Labor Party no doubt also played a role.
The result took everyone including The Magpie by surprise.
The fact that perennial lovable but joke candidate Harry Patel got 10,000 votes was perhaps the real injury to the insult Hill suffered. And although results can’t be officially declared until. Tuesday this week,(the deadline for postal votes), Harry’s 10,000 possible preferences will not change the result … anyone who voted for him would 100% NEVER preference Hill.
But no one was more surprised than perhaps Hill herself than the Townsville Bulletin and editor Cas Garvey (known as Gas Carvey, Iditor in this blog). The paper – known here as the Daily Astonisher – had dropped any pretence of objectivity and heavily endorsed Hill, making veiled disparaging commentary about her opponents and non-Team Hill council candidates. Like this, published on election day last Saturday.
You don’t get it much more wrong than that, adding further humiliation of a massive kick in the slats the iditor copped from voters.
Iditor Garvey went into denial, when it was clear that Thompson had trounced Hill. So distracted she allowed an hilarious typo into the headline of her editorial the Monday after the election.
‘… who will us for the next four years?’ will ‘what’ us was the obvious question. This seemed like one of those inane surveys so beloved of this paper. So were we meant to insert our own idea of what was in story for us … leading contenders would be ‘ignore’, ‘patronise’ or above all others ‘fuck-us-over’.
But suddenly, the cracks and hubris in the now certain Thompson mayoralty began to appear and the circus got into top gear. In an act of sheer immaturity, Thompson announced on his highly guarded and selective FB page that he would no longer ‘communicate’ with the Bulletin because they had worked against him and ‘defamed’ him. Which was interesting beyond just a mayor telling the local media – ergo much of the electorate – to go fuck themselves. Because the truth is that the the Bulletin had full access to material The Magpie published in the week running up to the election – from the same source – but declined to publish it. You’d think he’d be grateful, and that the paper eventually had to follow The Magpie’s lead but only after the election and the feud started..
All that changed when Thompson went on the attack against, and all sorts of investigative stories started to appear. Some pretty low even for this paper like this flimsy effort …
… which was highly tenuous and very selective interpretation of some campaigning messaging. But the paper didn’t mention the highly suspicious Thompson claim a few years ago that if the government stumped up the money, he would built a sporting and recreation complex in a local park which would ‘conservatively make $12million profit in the first year’. This from the bloke who says he’sgoing to put the city’s finances in order. Nor has anyone looked closely at the spectacularly failed Australian Regional News venture – which is believed to have attracted a government subsidy for media diversity – that quickly went belly when the dough ran out. His partner in this venture was another oily local urger, Mark Dunworth, who was bad enough to be sacked by his former partner Warwick Powell. But far more serious and concerning was this weekend’s story which The ‘Pie knows from other material including videos, is essentially true.
More on this later.
But then just to add a little more chaos to this monkey’s acid-drop party, Aaron Harpic Harper, who had been nastily pranked by Thompson at Parliament House during the 2020 state election, decided to use the cowards castle of Parliament to get some revenge and tell lies about a matter of history.
The member for Thuringowa claimed he had just learned Thompson had attacked his wife’s appointment as the local ambulance boss, calling it a case of nepotism. The truth of this is that he was ‘reminded’ of the matter, not ‘just learned, because multiple sources confirm that Harpic knew full well about this claim, a claim that had some oxygen because it had been the subject of a flimsy nothing-to-see-here investigation by Labor influenced bureaucrats. Harper was just having a cheap ‘coward’s punch’ from the parliamentary benches, knowing it was probably his last opportunity before he inevitably tipped out October. Getting tips about honesty from Aaron Harper is akin to getting menu suggestion from Geoffrey Dahmer.
So now we wait for Tuesday, to get the potentially disastrous outcome official.
Here’s An Unpleasant Possibility.
Uh oh,.
Labor had its hand up the back of Jenny’s skirt, but have we got another undeclared puppeteer calling the Troy Thompson shots?
The revelation that Thompson is cozying up to the fancy dress far-right fringe group My Place , a group on the outer edge of society and sanity, points to such a possibility.
An interesting point that our redneck mayor-in-waiting makes is despite saying he wasn’t, yes, he was disendorsed by One Notion, nothing voluntary about it. BUT HE MAY WELL STILL BE A MEMBER OF PAULINE HANSON’S ONE NOTION PARTY. And want to get back in her good books.
That letter only says his candidacy was revoked … it doesn’t say anything about revoking his party membership. He was found to have ‘lied by omission’ when applying for the candidacy, but that doesn’t necessarily carry with it expulsion. Many apply to be candidates but are rejected, but it does not, nor should it by fiat, affect their membership.
So that in fact means that Troy Thompson may remain a member of One Notion, and still harbours all the policies of that party – just like Jenny rejecting her team and herself as mayor as being Labor.
SO COULD PAULINE HANSON NOW CALL THE SHOTS FOR THOMPSON? Or worse, she makes Thompson’s minder that creepy paedophile James Ashby. Please come back, there is at least two angry parents would like a word with you, Jimmy boy, even after all these years.
The Magpie’s View
(This blog isn’t grand enough for “An Editorial’)
On the evidence available, and with a bullshit detector of many years use, The Magpie’s view is that Troy Thompson is simply a not very clever con man who has lucked out in the these unique circumstances. It is inevitable he will trip himself up one way or another, but it will be to our detriment and civic shame when it happens. And just to be clear, The Magpie has never met, spoken to or even sighted from a distance, Troy Thompson. His knowledge of him is solely from empirical documents and myriad trusted sources, and so the old bird hasn’t been tainted, deflected or otherwise glibbed over by him in person.
So, to those who say ‘C’mon, give the bloke a go before you condemn him,’ The ‘Pie says NO ABSOLUTELY NOT, he will not ‘give him a go’ . The leadership of this city is not an office that should be given over to a chance , or ‘a go’. The ‘Pie will NOT endorse this untrustworthy person to use the mayoral office – which is responsible for the reputation and perceived viability of the city – to somehow prove glaring history of error, some on the edge of criminality, is wrong. Any such refutation should have been open and apparent before he could get anywhere near the scarlet robes trimmed with possum fur. It is clear with comments coming into this blog Thompson has a band of obfuscaters and leeches around him, trying to muddy the waters.
SO NO THE MAGPIE WILL NOT ‘GIVE HIM A GO’ …. but he will continue to give Troy Thompson a ‘going over’ with the truth, to expose the shonk that The ‘Pie believes he is.
Poor fella, my city.
Oh, FFS, Harpic – Really?
Aaron Harper proves he is a vacuous fool and a tool. His pants-wetting toddler-like excitement over the Pink’s hugely successful extravaganza (with which he had exactly nothing to with attracting) now offers insult to anyone allowed to read his FB page.
40,000 people have come to Townsville? Plus the majority of those 1500 workers will be Pink road staff.
So a simple question, you simple-minded oaf.
Where are almost 40,000 people staying? At last count, Townsville had at a stretch, just over 4000 hotel beds
Certainly, the Pink concerts will be a wonderful and welcome boost to some business sectors, but truth of the matter is that most of those flocking to the sell-out Pink shows are local people, and on a casual view on the streets and subsequent reports, a goodly chunk are pre-pubescent or young teenagers. Mainly girls, with mum in tow for a bonding exercise. All good stuff. But unlikely travellers from elsewhere.
But when a third rate soon-to-be ex-politician tries to garner some reflected glory with insulting crap like this says volumes about why so many problems face Townsville.
Overall, it has been our privilege this week to consider an old saying: Instead of giving a politician the keys to the city, it might be better to change the locks.
Looks Like The Bulletin”s Weekend Magazine Follows The Paper’s Deadline Policy
In this case, almost a year late with the news.
Ex-journo Chris Hammer has come out of nowhere to be acclaimed as among this country’s top crime writers, indeed he rates highly on international lists too. The ‘Pie has read all six books, starting with the now televised Scrublands. A master of intricate plots and pacey writing that isn’t trite, Hammer could well end up our greatest crime writer. So, good to see an article on him … but hang on a sec …
Ignoring the possible confusion that The Seven is his sixth book and the third to feature familiar characters, the phrase ‘out this month’ shows that mag editor Bettina Warburton has carried over the paper’s sloppy style to her domain … because The Seven was released last year … and The ‘Pie bought his copy around last July or August, eight months ago. Nothing of import turns on this. Just typical, that’s all.
Sound Like Fun
It also sounds like a paid tour of Flinders Street east on a Friday night
Meanwhile,In America …
Some folks have been kind enough to say they appreciate the Magpie’s style of approaching subjects, especially most often with humour. But the old bird is but a babe in the woods in that area – he knows this as an aficionado of that particular acid brand of devastating well-turned-phrase of writing as exemplified by Marina Hyde and John Crace in the London Guardian. And who doesn’t love a Pommy with seething rage and clenched fists who lets fly in elegant prose against a chosen target. Here is a masterpiece of acid penmanship from another lesser known English scribe … about this blog’s favourite international subject.
In the States themselves, there is a glimmer of hope that people are slowly waking up to the dangerous and demented Trump agenda.
Finally ...
Tasmania is confident it is will enter the AFL competition in three or four years time, and despite controversy over the AFL price being that the government build a new stadium, the Tassie Devils franchise last week released the uniform, colours and logo. A men’s and a women’s team is planned. Needless to say, there were many an armchair critic concerning the logo and the name. But the best chortle. was a wit who said on Twitter ‘ that Tassie logo for the shirts should also be put on the front of the women’s ‘shorts.’
Probably funnier than when The ‘Pie decided the best name for the Cowboys female side was the Cowpokes.
……………………
What a bloody week, that quite enough. But as usual have your say in comments, its free and fast if you need to get something off your chest on get on someone’s tit.
The button to help out with a donation is below.
Harpic and his salivating over singer Pink on Facebook is embarrassing and childish. His continually wearing outrageous and queer pink jackets and pink clothing is testament to his lack of maturity. Throw into the mix his constant emotional outbursts, which includes foot stamping and being close to tears, you end up with Townsville’s greatest moron. Well, there are quite a few morons but Harpic takes the trophy for the past week. Bring on the October state election in which the 3 blind Labor mice will be gonski.
If Troy Thompson is successful and starts exposing the labyrinth of mils $ spent on entities / pet projects / labor deals will the remaining Team Hill Councillors say ” we didn’t know ” ? . Will Kurt , Suzy , Russ , Anne Marie , Liam , Rachel ditch the rotting carcas of Labor locally . How far will they go to avoid transparency and how complicit they were . As far as the Townsville Bulletin editor hundreds of negative comments on the paper posts have been deleted from their social media . So much for ” Freedom of speech ” . The editor should be moving on without Jennys stipend .
Russ is gone
The’Pie hopes you only mean electorally?
Maybe he will leave town to after being beaten by some unknown lady named Vera who happens to be in Labor to
You don’t have freedom of speech on someone else’s page.
The ‘Pie never thought he’d agree with you, but that is correct, like this blog, where all comments are curated and either approved or otherwise. It’s a private area run by the owner who must take sole responsibility for content (especially if people are anonymous). At least The ‘Pie doesn’t block people.
MD, the only certainties from Team Hill are Ann-Marie, Kurt & Susie. In divisions with a third candidate, a don’t think a lot of second preferences will go to Team Hill candidates.
The Townsville Bulletin knew about Troy Thompson’s connections to My Place before the election, so why didn’t they report on it before the election? Not being able to get an interview with the group isn’t a good reason. Kristian Price was also My Place backed, along with Alan Sheret and Michael Edmonds.
I’d suggest Mr Thompson is not a member of My Place and met with them as volunteers were hard to come by. Like any group, they saw the writing on the wall, and have asked him about many things.
Amaroo, water quality, Julian Assange, fluoride etc, I’m sure he will address all things raised over his tenure as mayor. I for one want to watch the councillor interaction.
Jesus flouride? Let’s hope Thompson is as toothless in office as the hooting hillbillies from My Place.
Maybe you should attend a My Place meeting. Also do some research on the benefits of fluoride.
Back in the early 1960s, the debate raged in Tamworth about whether it should be among the first to introduce fluoride to the water supply (NSW town Yass was the first in Australia in 1956.). Those against it argued the reasonable grounds that it was government interference in private lives … that if you didn’t like approve of the idea, you couldn’t ‘de-fluoride’ your household supply.The opponents made the reasonable argument that it should be a choice, as fluoride tablets were readily available. Even after it was introduced in 1963 .. several years ahead of Sydney … the argument raged on and tests were endlessly done. This led The Magpie, then a fledgling newsreader to once tell a startled audience that ‘Scientists have found foreign orgasms in the Tamworth Water Supply’. This faux pas wasn’t eased by the fact that the local reservoir area was somewhat of a lovers lane.
Oh Dear, Ms Keam, your true colours are a ravishing shade of batshit crazy. Mr Thompson has no jurisdiction over anything Julian Assange. The water quality in Townsville, is second to none and there are scientists who monitor this on a daily basis. And only raving lunatics believe conspiracy theories about fluoride.
DN, after Newman foolishly gave LGs power, re fluoride, so many of them took it out of their water supplies after hysterical campaigns by these My Place nutters.
Jeff MyPlace Australia has only started since covid. Pre covid, we just had a range of conspiracy nutters. Now they have a home.
As much as I dislike Jemny, she stood her ground and refused to take fluoride out of our water. Which means kids in Townsville have very few dental cavities compared to other local government areas.
https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/social/inside-the-my-place-antigovernment-conspiracy-group-targeting-councils/news-story/d987bd91f1e821752ac3c372c8477bfc
https://youtu.be/HS5XLKxhwDg?feature=shared
Yeah, what a dead letter issue.
“My Place Australia” is NOT “far right wing”, from what I’ve seen it’s a mixed bag of what I’d term “individualists”. They seem to be similar to the constitutionalists that have become masters in the workings and legal technicalities of the Australian constitution. As for fluoride in the water system it’s got a very chequered history stretching right back to ww2 I could say more but it just makes people scared and angry especially if anyone points out that dumping fluoride in the tap water was a unilateral decision – no one has been asked if it’s OK to do it.
As for the candidate Michael Edmonds , he was too much for the “my place” people and they distanced themselves from him – from what I’ve heard whilst campaigning he was loud, abusive, toxic and creepy; making a beeline for any lone, blond woman that dared to step foot in the ECQ station. Given his behaviour we dodged a bullet.
From what I’ve seen on line Thompson HAS addressed all points of accusation, unless concrete evidence is provided it seems just another fabrication. It’s a smear campaign – provide us with the smoking gun evidence and we can make a better appraisal. I’ve heard way too many smears against people over the years on both sides of the aisle.
On a couple of occasions, he has addressed one accusation with a lie, and on others careful wording leaves us none the wiser. But uptoyou if you want play dice with the well being of your city.
DV – “Masters in the workings and technicalities of the Australian Constitution”? No, they are fucking not. I am guessing that you are no lawyer or have not read any of their batshit-crazy dissertations. Or the constitution itself. Tell me about “driving” and “travelling”. Or maybe name one case where their looney arguments was successfully argued in any Australian Court.
You expect Thompson to talk about Julian Assange … what the fuck has that got to do with running the city? And since, outside your lunatic circle, did fluoride become a burning issue? Is Thompson going to declare himself a sovereign citizen? Erica, would you care to tell us how many of the My Place agenda items you expect Thompson to broach in council? Here’s the list … and if he doesn’t, will each non-mention be a broken promise from a campaigning liar?
“Wonderful night last night at our meeting. Lots of reflection from our candidates and prospective new mayor from their election highs & lows.” – Jeanie Zonta
Moderator · 22 March at 08:45 My Place Townsville
It appears Erica Keams also has connections and backing from this same group
Someone on Jenny Hill’s campaign team made a gigantic stuff-up.
As detailed by the Magpie, the Townsville Bulletin knew about the Troy Thompson allegations days before the election, so why didn’t they publish details in the interests of informing the voting public?
Could it be that Hill’s advisors were so convinced the mayoral election was a foregone conclusion that they told the editor not to publish for fear of being accused of smear tactics?
After all, she was up against two virtual unknowns who didn’t spend a cent on newspaper or television election advertising.
Contrary to some suggestions the bloke who has masterminded Jenny Hill’s past election campaigns, Labor wheeler/dealer Dolan Hayes, was definitely involved again this time around. Seven Townsville’s news vision of Labor’s election night party,/wake, featured all the usual suspects, including Dolan and local Labor powerbroker His Radiance, Tony Mooney.
So did they put the brakes on the Thompson allegations, or did Jenny shoot herself in the foot – again?
The stuff-up will surely now be included in the next edition of “Local Government Elections For Dummies” under the sub-heading “Tips for losing an election 101″.
The biggest problem with what The’Pie agrees is a spot-on analysis of Labor facing accusations of smear tactics if the Thompson allegations were aired in the paper … that was a valid concern, especially since the majority of the dirt file was in Labor’s hands (the Libs have one similar but had no dog in this fight). No, the biggest problem was that the paper could be told what to do – especially that they have a blow in ninny in charge. We have a newspaper so full of self-interest that they decided to be a player rather than an honest observer …. the Townsville Bulletin has completely nullified any claim to being serious journalists. And Townsville shouldn’t forget, even if it is the only paper in town.
Maybe instead of a mayoral D-notice the Bulletin just dropped the ball?
“Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.”
Or as one Aussie politician famously said (was it keating?) ‘When it’s a choice between conspiracy or cock-up, always back cock-up.’
But don’t agree.i mean, howe the fuck do you miss something like that is you’re a serious paper reprting on the most important stories of the past four years? I think not.
“If you’re a serious paper”!!
Well said Doug. I reckon they sat on the ‘dirt file’ as they genuinely didn’t think they would need it. Without Fran in the running for Mayor, and with two apparent dunderheads challenging on a limited budget, Hill and her supporters thought she had it in the bag. Releasing dirt files always comes with an element of risk that it might backfire. Of course now that she is staring into the political abyss she has pulled the trigger on having the dirt file released. Anyone associated with Townsville knows how spiteful and vindictive she is.
Or maybe they were just sick of her modus operandi gutter politics?
My only hope is that Twonames Thompson manages to fluke reversing a few of the Rotten Mullet’s greater stuffups and vanity projects before he steps on his own dick and gets turfed out.
I think it was said here that Hill used to be the luckiest politician alive with a natural disaster turning up every time she needed a distraction or to win an election. But now we have the Stephen Bradbury of politicians beginning his term already skating on thin ice (and probably not even sure which race he is in).
God (or whatever else helps you get to sleep at night) help us all.
Twonames is going to get a rude shock in his new role as Mayor. He is telling people on his Facebook page that the Mayor gives direction to the CEO and executive, just like in the private world. I see a number of breach of conduct complaints being made very rapidly.
The ‘Pie has become very sanguine about Mr Thompson’s no doubt temporary elevation … and disloyal as it may be to the long suffering residents of this town, TheMagpie is going to enjoy watching … and reporting … the wild eyed spin into the turf.
He might get cut down with his ideas of telling the CEO and executives what to do by thr Local Government Act and regulations
https://www.statedevelopment.qld.gov.au/local-government/for-councils/governance/local-government-legislation
Why not? Mullet and Mooney both did.
Erica (we are assuming Ms Keams), if you can provide documentary evidence of your allegations and claims, The ‘Pie will be happy to publish them. They are way too damaging and outlandish for The ‘Pie to disseminate them without proof. As it stands from your unpublished ravings, you are a pretty good picture postcard of the very real danger and chaos that a Thompson mayoralty offers. But The ‘Pie isn’t too alarmed … both you and Thompson’s clear ignorance of how the Local Government Act works is likely to make short work of you imposters.
And two bits of advice: get help, and get some English lessons, particularly spelling and grammar.
You know, on second thoughts as a public service, The ‘Pie has decided to publish some of your unpublished comment, with the grossly defamatory and totally evidence free allegations deleted, to allow folks an insight to what they face.
Thanks Magpie, but I’ll let Mr Thompson demonstrate to us all what type of leader he will be.
It has been reported, the paperwork given to TB was one Kieran Walsh & supported by Dan Ryder, Councilor Batkovic’s partner. Imagine that.
It’s interesting when you scrape the surface, what I do know about Mr Thompson is he revoke his membership as he did not want to be party aligned, and did this in a formal letter to the ONP. So that is yet another smear.
I’m looking forward to what will be a good 4 years in the local council house, before Mr Brady Ellis challenges with the LNP support, and funding, Mr Crisafulli wants him in there.
The My Place friendship, I’m informed is just that, people who Mr Thompson met and all are keen to see if some of the issues he has consulted about are worth looking at, like the water supply on the island and the substandard fix up.
I think we have far more underlying issues with the city than Mr Thompson. He will be solid in leadership, he is well read and is excited, which is something we haven’t seen in recent times.
Have a good day.
As stated… the persons/person calling herself “Erica “ is not me and I have no knowledge of any claims or allegations to which you are referring?
Please acknowledge your reading of this comment and reply.
Erica Keam
Independent Candidate
Division 9
OK, the proximity of your name in another comment and the comment from Erica led The ‘Pie into error. A distinctive name so it was obviously chosen purposely by the fruitcake wishing to embarrass you. And me.
Apologies.
Sounds like Dolan has been up to his old tricks.
Dolan is too smart to align himself with damaged goods like Hill. He would be keeping a wide berth from the beast wearing purple. Also, Hill may have LG support, but not State support. She is toxic and Labor aficionado’s know it.
Dolan Hayes is an open orifice to any running pipe of proteinated sustenance. Especially if there’s a dollar involved. He’s not picky at all.
E.K.,
Imposters have been on the rise in the comments to the point where some contributors, having been trolled by imposters posting falsehoods, have quietly left the nest.
As a public figure who may wish to remain active on these comments section of the Magpie’s blog, email him on a way forward. Deep down, The Magpie is a most reasonable and trustworthy bird, at least in my experience.
Look, I have tried to let people work out simple fail-safe without broadcasting it because it will not work if announced, but FFS, pretty simple. Have a think about it. Remember, all comments are read by The ‘Pie before they are published – or not. And can be modified before publication. Think about it
There is an old saying about assumptions. I would hate to see someone’s name besmirched because of a bunch of numpties being an ass.
Team Jenny Hill had 150,000 in campaign funds. Most came from the 10,000 each candidate pays + 20,000 from the Queen of them all. Additionally, AWU paid 10,000, so did McDonalds Townsville Group
150,000 and to only actually win 3 seats by the looks…
Wow, where to start.
I had never heard of My Place. I hd a look on their web site and probably agree with 50% of where they align thamselves. But there are also points that look crazy. Anyone had direct experience with these people?
I think one of the issues that has not been discussed is that Townsville had about 25% of voters not turn up to vote.
Don’t they say that you get the government that you deserve?
I’ve come up with a name to give Troy Thompson a bit of an intellectual look.
Everything sounds like you’ve joined the elite if it’s in Latin. So, in honour of him being 2 people in one , off with the far right pixies , and like a career baker who is asked what they do and “I’m in bread” seems the logical answer – his fighting name should be ‘Duo capita’ .
Nah Swami, I think Pie has gone with twodicks, I mean twonames!
So what we have is a fully fledged Cooker as our Mayor. Looking forward to him telling our councillors what to do. Can we run a book on when the first Vote of no confidence will be.
That is a massive weapon the councillors will hold, most whom one doubts are ‘coachable’. The council chamber experience of Paul Jacob is going to most entertaining. Hopefully, Thompson will find himself just another vote of 11, and one wonders if he has some delusions about mayors having a presidential veto power.
You know, anyone else getting the feeling that despite Townsville further being a laughing stock, this lookslike being fun.
Jacob swayed by the Deputy Mayor position?
KK, In an interview on ABC radio with Micheal Clark, Jacob did mention that Thomson had offered him the deputy position if he was elected. Jacob recognises that this cannot happen and it has to go to full council meeting to be elected deputy.
As others have stated on here Thompson will have to study up on Council processes and policy.
… and general reality.
Would all the new councillors be silly enough to vote for another Labor person to be Deputy?
The Labor part would only mean a toothless tiger, with no ability to be b influenced by the party.
Given Jacobs antagonistic history with the outgoing regime I think they might.
I am reading the tea leaves on our local council, so i am putting on my tin foil hat and hiding in the basement. Let me know when it’s safe to come out please Maggers. As a side note, I betcha Tony Twonames is a Trump lover.
I’ve just had a look around the My Place Townsville web site.
I am surprised that they are not concerned about the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide (DHMO)
https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/chemical/matter/properties-matter/practices-science-interpreting-safety-information#:~:text=Dihydrogen%20monoxide%20(DHMO%2C%20SF%20Fig,%2C%20and%20disease%2Dcausing%20agents.
One would imagine that Pete Newey would be a member. Is tin foil their standard dress code?
His insultingly misnamed Townsville Residents and Ratepayers Association site has hosted bigger cookers than My Place.
No, but there is a widespread concern around methane gas emissions in council chambers.
For those wondering why Bentley has poked his nose into this one this weekend, there’s a good reason … and boy, doesn’t The ‘Pie know how he feels.
No business persons would run against HILL as we all know how vindictive she would be if she won .
It’s just unrewarding to do developments in Townsville, also the state of maintenance it the city assets is appalling.
Something now that everyone should remember: The Magpie is sure this idiot wil fall over on his own in the not too distant future – could be wrong, this is Townsville after all, but his stumbling block will be state LG laws. If that possibility happens with one year of the declaration of the poll, that means a new election for mayor. So it might behoove some people who have hitherto shown reluctance perhaps to be ready to put their hand up, and pull us out of the shit. Actually a short sharp dose of an administrator wouldn’t be the worst outcome.
The only way for any other candidate to oppose Hill and go unscathed,
is for an even BIGGER narcissistic sociopath to beat her.
She only knows violence.
Under slightly changed circunstances, Fran would’ve beaten her, and she is none of those things.
Quite right.
Speaking of post-Fran.
Not speaking any ill of her!
Seems someone is having fun at my expense…
Team Hill related potentially?
Thank you to a friend with time on her hands today alerting to my being roasted on this blog post…
Meanwhile I have been quietly getting on with my life.
Who ever the imposter may be I suggest you pull your head in and post comments under your own name.
With gratitude
Erica Keam
Independent Candidate
Division 9
The more I’m reading about the views and beliefs of our newly-elected wombats and this goofy My Place, the more I am hearing “Sovereign Citizens Lite” I have had a fair bit to do with these idiots and have formed the view that they represent a danger to life on this planet. They are all convinced that they are privy to some special knowledge and have a deep understanding of the intricacies of Constitutional Law and (for some reason) Maritime Law. Believe it or not, they harbour Holocaust Deniers in their ranks, which pretty well puts them in league with the Neo-Nazis. What they sprout is ludicrous gobbledygook. They can be amusing in that they are basically stupid people who are convinced that they are the cleverest people in the room and don’t understand the laughter directed at them. . It is perhaps very telling that the USA – of all places – has deemed their ilk to be domestic terrorists. They are behind at least two multiple murders in Australia in the last two years. What the fuck have we done?
Jesus Grumpy, when are you going to admit that half of the population are lizard people from out of space, disguised as humans. We need the Sovereign citizen crazies to hunt them down. It wouldn’t surprise me if Mayor Troy was a scaley guy himself trying to infiltrate Walker street to collect human brains…unfortunately he won’t find any at that address.
If Troy Thompson is a clandestine alien, not much of a disguise.
G,
These people have always walked amongst us. What has happened is social (?) media that enables them to find each other and organise. On the flip side there is social media that allows mainstream people, that’s us, to shine a very bright light on them, exposing them as the anti-rational, anti-science, anti-social, potentially dangerous individuals that they are. They thrive in their own dimly lit echo chamber. Shine the light upon these deluded people to dilute their message and influence. If left to grow and fester, well in the Disunited States, it is called MAGA.
Same for religious doomsday cults.
Quite looking forward to see the new line up in council.
We all know it is the bureaucrats that run Walker St, hopefully some of the dead wood ones that have been lingering around the corridors for years will decide on an early retirement or a change of scenery, quite a few spring to mind.
Ofcourse there is our FIFO CEO Prins Ralston?? He may decide Brisbane or Gladstone has a better climate??
Then there’s Jenny’s, Chief of Staff and her 3 well paid advisors, will they be delegated to the filing room??
We will still have Cr. Greaney as our Division 3 councillor but things could be worse.
As for our new Mayor he was always going to be interesting after seeing him on an interview on the North Queensland Freedom Network, but it looks like the residents of our fine city have voted him in.
But most of all I am looking in seeing a couple of left wing Green Groups over here on the island squirm and then try to suck up to him with their hand out “Give Me A Grant”… it will be priceless.
Happy Days
Let’s hope the public gallery in the Council chamber has sufficient seats to hold all these citizens who have suddenly taken an interest in TCC proceedings.
Jenny, the proceedings are streamed live so accessible to all who have a computer or phone and can be enjoyed in the comfort of your pj’s. Plus you get to read all the agenda items and attachments before the meeting. Those who availed themselves over the past few yrs have had to opportunity to see Jenny shamefully in action especially her behaviour after Fran was elected.
Joany, councillors sitting around the big table in the chamber will be more or less unaware of the online audience, and thankful for that. There is nothing like the physical presence of a real human audience to lift the performance of those other humans who have chosen this role and been voted into it. Audience participation, or the lack of it, is absolutely critical in the political process. The last few years in Townsville has been characterised by an almost complete absence of physical political oversight and the impact is obvious. Local media (including the Magpie’s Nest and its bevy of commenters) has been absent from the chamber and there is virtually no local news from individual councillors about individual divisional events or issues. It’s no wonder no-one has a clue about their local patch. We have become conditioned to having an occasional perve at our screens, between all the other shit we look at, and wrongly think that this informs us. It doesn’t. This latest election has demonstrated that to us in spades. If we want open, transparent government we have to physically occupy the space where government operates. If we aren’t there then we have to rely on the thoughts of others – who probably aren’t there either.
Audience participation? At a Council meeting? What, do we stomp and cheer, throw eggs, boo loudly?
All of the above.
Grumpy, the chairman (ie. the mayor) is quite entitled to invite questions on notice or directly from the floor. I have seen it happen in the chamber, but not for a very long time. Perhaps the new guy will do something different? It is what we have been asking for. Something different.
Not under Hill you didn’t – at least not direct from the floor. Every time Fran O’Callaghan wanted to make ask a question, Hill told her it out to be submitted in writing two days before the meeting.
Jenny, so much of TCC executive business was conducted in Committee or in private meetings before the public Council meeting that the public elements of the process have been largely meaningless. Add an overlay of Commercial-in-confidence and people might as well have stayed home watching reruns of Friends on Youtube.
You may be being slyly humorous suggesting ‘Friends’, but perhaps ‘The Big Bang Theory’ might be more appropriate. It’s the only place you’ll see a genius.
Following on from the previous in these times post (magpie blog 17/3/24) –
In most modern awards you will see the following words -‘ In computing overtime each day’s work will stand alone’ . All workers know, you work more than 8 hours in a day, you get paid overtime for that day. It’s a sacred thing.
If you are threatened because you wont work overtime unless you are paid for it, that’s adverse action as described last week. There is also jail time in s676 of The Fair work Act for intimidating or coercing a worker who might contact the commission, which includes conduct by bosses or managers in s355(c) and (d). https://www.legislation.gov.au/C2009A00028/latest/text
Many employees take phone pictures of their time sheets if they have done overtime to match them with their pay slips. This is passed word of mouth. It’s the right thing to do. If an employee steals from a company its criminal fraud or stealing. Knowingly underpaying is the same. Then there’s the FWA wage theft provisions.
Under s535, employers must keep records for 7 years. And if they are hidden or destroyed- they bear the onus of disproving the allegations. It takes conscious decision making (forgery) to alter automatic payroll software. To bolster your case, get PH numbers of workers in the same boat or who have left or been sacked. Their slips and sheets can help show a course of conduct. If you do your own tax on my gov, and it says by clicking you accept you did overtime you didn’t do , the wrong info was given to the ATO.
For those who may have thought I was Erica Keam, you couldn’t be further from the truth. I live in Kelso, not Hermit Park.
I do think Erica should’ve beaten Liam, the other two in the race put a stop to it, but at least she is about her community, and not from dad’s army. 4 weeks vs 4 years, and she’s that close.
And Hill didn’t get 150,000 that’s a crock, the budget was 130,000 set by ECQ. Hill was told long ago by power brokers from the ALP she was cooked, she should retire, she went against their advice, and now look at where we land, she’s in shock and her team were forced to fall on their sword too, bet they wish they weren’t in that team now.
Fusco will go for state, Ryder too, for Katter. Young Nick was seen handing out HTV cards for Team Jenny Hill at Wulguru, so left it is, clearly.
Clarification please: what $150k are you talking about? Hope it is not her mayoral salary, because you’re way off.
The maximum eligible salary for the mayors of Ipswich and Townsville will climb 3 per cent from $218,647 to $225,206 from July next year. The commission awarded a 3 per cent pay rise for the mayors of Cairns, Mackay, Redland, and Toowoomba, with their maximum remuneration to increase from $192,410 to $198,182.18 Dec 2023
She also gets a motza (at least $30k, The ‘Pie has been told) for her gig at the LGAQ. And perhaops someone might ask if she gets/got any lolly for being deputy chair on the TEL board.
And your big reveal about Hill and her Labor prospects have been consistently reported in this blog for the past 10 years … she was cactus after two unsuccessful stints at higher office. And when she first ran for mayor, a lot of the backroom crew wren’t happy with party affiliation being too prominent… they all knew what a basic fuck-up she was.
The $150,000 was in relevance to a comment about the Mayors campaign funding, not her salary. She had a limit under the ECQ, though I believe the financial commitment was gathered for her by power brokers.
My place supplied most volunteers and scrutineers for Mr Thompson. Hence, he was well staffed throughout prepolls and covered 32 of the 47 prepolls on the day. Impressively, every booth had multiple signs, some even out numbering Team Jenny Hill.
I like the ‘Not Erica’ play on words, though that is my real name. And no, it’s not Keam’s, from what I have seen, she’s a good one.
Regardless, I will go on record and say Thompson is a better communicator than Hill, he will surround himself with good people, and Mr Jacob’s will be voted deputy, as he has spoken to most councillors and candidates already.
Perhaps The ‘Pie might change ‘Not Erica’ to ‘Not Too Bright’.
You send in a comment in which inter alia you tell us that Thompson ‘may be’ looking to his ‘legal mate on the Gold Coast,Mr Bill Potts’.
You then repeat, apparently word for word, the exchange in comments allegedly between local boxing trainer Derek Webber and (for unlikely reasons) the Ville Resort Casino that would be the subject of Thompson’s purported call to Mr Potts.
So Not Too Bright, your claim is not backed up by FB cut and paste attachments, we only have your word for the exchange, and you expect The Magpie to repeat the possible slander? Thus making The Nest curator just as guilty should an adverse finding be made. None of this is going to happen of course, for several reasons, the foremost being that it probably never happened, or if it did (the Ville Casino … c’mon!), it is almost certain it was a fake handle by one of Townsville ample store of fuckwits… on top of that the alleged slur was against Mr Webber, not Thompson … and Thompson allowed it in comments on HIS FB page, so he could well be held responsible for the any adjudged defamation too. Although, that said, The ‘Pie almost wishes such a confrontation would come about – a shonky new mayor up against Townsville’s biggest employer and premier Australian businessman who is more cashed up than anything Thompson could even imagine would be wonderful sport.
Loved your old fashioned puff of ‘going on record’ (oh, Ewica, your so important (sigh)) but what faint praise … a dog howling because it’s too lazy to get off the burr it’s sitting on would be a better communicator than Hill ever was. And being a good communicator involves said communicator convincing others of the truth of his argument. Good luck with that.
All the above considered, from now on, any further comments from you will go under ‘Not Too Bright’. Or maybe ‘Ewica Boo Hoo’. Yes, yes, like that one. please post accordingly.
Bill Potts is a likeable strutting popinjay and a better than average Goldie lawyer. However, he is far too smart to get mixed up with crazy-arse SovCits.
Interesting that Potts is described (unreliably) as a good friend of Thompson. Maybe a former client, perhaps.
Team Jenny Hill certainly did receive 150,000 in donations, in fact it was 153,550, though their expenditure was capped at 139,510 (set by ECQ).
https://disclosures.ecq.qld.gov.au/Map?resetNav=true
Haven’t bothered to calculate their actual expenditure… because you know, they sucked.
Pie has his hands full with all this. Poor bugger
I hear. ya, I hear ya.
Had a chance to do a bit of digging on Twonames and the iPRO Solutions saga
It looks like iPRO Solutions was a technology development company like many, many before it and like many today struggled to turn a good idea into reality.
The investors providing a large part of iPRO’s day to day cashflows ran out of patience and maybe enthusiasm for the ideas, deciding to end the relationship “BTI has reluctantly decided that it will not provide additional investment to the company and that the best course for investors is to facilitate an orderly sale of the assets or wind-up by an administrator” I found this comment here https://announcements.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20170705/pdf/43kfn10082cbx7.pdf
An orderly sale of the assets took place on 7 August 2017 where IPRO was acquired by the Xperior Group.
All of this is boring as bat shit everyday business stuff where some businesses are successful and some are not. In 2023 there were more than 700 insolvencies.
The break up of TJH and rates not going up for 4 years has to be a good thing.
Townsville Magpie, can I respectfully ask why you host this blog, which seems to attract a broad church of mixed opinions, including outrageous accusations, commenters hurling abuse, slanderous remarks, sometimes a range of balanced views and general chaos?
I understand that you are a respected retired journalist of advancing years, why………?
Why not?
Saint Peter just answered his own question …….
Saint P, In the years I have been reading and contributing to this blog I found the ‘Pie’ to be quite an educated and humorous writer. His use of the English language makes him quite a ‘wordsmith’
Even when he is insulting one gets a bit of chuckle.
Anyhow when health is not the best, how else can you “keep the bastards honest”
very kind words, Ala, thanks. And of course, very true as well heh heh heh.
Piss off and don’t read the blog if you don’t like what is written.
Good god!! Really, gunny? We in love again?
Magpie, I think that with a little bit of work we could be besties mate.
A relationship that would make The Magpie feel like Prometheus. But The ‘Pie gave up imaginary friends yonks ago.
The advertisements in the Bulletin make more interesting reading than news … well, the paper certainly thinks so, anyway. Here’s a selection of the very best advertisements from today’s Astonisher …all in the first few pages.
And it’s great fun to see a variety of ersatz journos try to twist these advertorials into some sort relevance t news. They fail every time, but still it’s fun to see just how far those who call themselves journalists will debase themselves. The nearest any of these comes to fooling readers is the first one, which sounds like a new industry coming here … only to discover it is a solar panel installers company starting up in Townsville.
And don’t get The ‘Pie wrong, they are all worthy businesses, employing people and going about their various roles … but there is no way in a city that fancies itself as a growing metropolis can these be considered news.
The goofs who write this stuff are actually in the employ of the advertising department, and these ‘stories’ are leverage for future arm twisting (‘Hey, we put in a nice story about you, how about being fair and buying some real ads?’)
Or alternatively ‘you pay for an ad and you also get a favourable story’
Junk journalism
Actually, Jonesy, your sequence is probably right.
Wonder how long it will take Light On (and his underemployed ALP hanger-on partner) to get run out of town.
Now that he isn’t getting pre-written stories spoonfed to him by Mullet and Hollandaise, he’ll be seen as sorely lacking.
I see Quinbrook and Brian Restall have slathered out from under a rock again. Looks like Grace Grace is supporting it now.
Only one more sleep. I can hardly wait.
I expect the media pack have set up around the hen house, and satellite links established.
Tomorrow I will rush to the television set in the hope of seeing the first of Donald Trump’s chickens coming home to roost. ????????
Expect a lot more of this sort of thing.
Bugger! Most disappointed.
Justice delayed is justice denied, and there has been too much delay.
Magpie, why the hate for Twonames, at least he has answered the bulk of questions, even if only in part on his page. I have never seen Mullet respond on her page.
I have to admit, his socials were very well directed, in particular the take down of Margie, Mark and the almost successful attempt on Mooney.
What happens if Twonames continues to shut out the Bulletin, that would have to be the papers biggest client in Townsville by a country mile. (Except Harvey Norman that is). I think it could go very badly for the editor and the paper financially, I can’t see him moving away from socials, it’s been successful, given he has 2k followers in 9 weeks. It’s taken Hill 8 years to get 8.5k.
I note the mullet has gained on him tonight, 2,741 is his lead now, she’s not out yet.
Hate suggests an unthinking blind animosity for no reason, whereas The ‘Pie has clearly laid out his concerns here, and he does not believe a single word Thompson says (given his untruthful record) unless he provides proof about the past and costings and plans for the future. So far, only vague waffle of what people wanted to hear, no substance at all. His threatened bull at a gate bullying attitude to fellow councillors and council staff doesn’t bode well either.
And you … and probably Thompson himself … are woefully ignorant of how the council works under LG regulations. Do you imagine he calls in some media department bum polisher and says ‘and no advertising in the Bulletin.’? That is so deeply ignorant as to be laughable except it’s not funny, it’s stupid and self-defeating flapdoodle. It might have worked to a small extent with Hill if she so chose, through longevity and wider political clout, but this boofhead is about to enjoy some very short sharp lessons in reality if that his his mindset.
And if he is so arrogant to imagine taking on News Ltd is a positive progressive step, which will enhance the progress of this city, he deserves everything that is coming his way, which will be plenty and none of it good. Nor for us poor suckers, who ended up with a conman mayor by accident.
No not Twonames, it is good to understand your position though. After what has been written, I’d be surprised if he talks to the Bulletin again, he has a lot of support around the place, and I’m sure he will be taking it on board, campaigning is over.
People in town know who put the information forward, and people simply don’t care, they are happy to see the end of Mullet. He may be the Bradbury of politics, but it’s a change from what was there, and blind Freddy would’ve won, timing is everything.
Regardless, the Labor Party is dying a painful death. The LNP will clean sweep the 3 seats, and that with an LNP federal member sends a message to each way Albo. I wonder if Fusco will now run for katter, he’s a good egg that one.
That whole comment is the oxymoron of the week …. deeply shallow.
Dear Duminic
Council has legal obligations to publish certain things in the local paper. Poor old twonames is about to be a giant laughing stock. Oh wait.. for many of us he already is.
He clearly doesn’t understand the local government act.
He doesn’t understand purchasing obligations. You can’t just buy local willy nilly, there must be financial justification for your choices.
Shutting out the local media is akin to shitting in your own boot. No matter how bad they are.
He struggles to understand the separation between state and local issues.
And more than half of the primary vote wasn’t for him. In other words, more than half the people think he’s not the right bloke for the job.
That is the most succinct summation of this situation so far.
Dommy… Is that a chocolate Easter Egg. They melt in the sun.
Did the astonisher get its dates wrong with the two full pages from Council ” Townsville our Playground ” in todays paper ? . Council budgeted to lose $3.5 mil this year so is it over hang from the previous Mayors commitments ? . I note Team Hill trolls Spielcheque , Elusive butterfly have disappeared . Looks like Saint Peter is an early entrant Labor troll State election .
Still here MD.
And, if you think I’m a Team Hill or Labor troll, you need help!
Two full pages of picture puff advertisement in the Bullshittin today from TCC. Who are they trying to convince and what are they trying to convince them of. It is also fact wrong when they say Townsville has two stadiums, it is three by my count: Total Tools, Riverway, Murray Stadium nd four if you count the Entertainment Centre. Clowns.
I can see there are plenty of faults with most recent council, including its mayor, but it’s not difficult to see what will result from a “anything else at all costs” approach. Can you trust the new guy to do the right thing for the community any more than the last one?
We’ll soon find out.
Hopefully with councillors not beholden to the mayor for their survival, they will be willing to call TwoNames out on anything not passing the pub test.
If they don’t, then nothing has changed except the shade of the pig’s lipstick.
The Guardian .au has a extensive story on their home page/ web site today (26/3/24) regarding Troy Two Names …
A link would’ve been polite.
But here it is anyway.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/26/backed-by-5g-truthers-exiled-from-one-nation-banned-from-parliament-now-troy-thompson-looks-set-to-be-townsvilles-mayor
And here is part of thatstory worth remembering. He’s trashed already with an overstated half truth and ignorance.
Guardian Australia has seen messages on an encrypted app where an MPT member announced the group was “keen” to “support” Thompson and other independent candidates who had attended their meetings.
“In this election, we need to mobilise all our resources to help these independents get into council,” they wrote.
“With the right independents in council we have a chance to address … fluoride, 5G, cashless initiatives, smart city plans, WHO/WEF/UN control.”
The member then laid out a “coordinated approach”, asking for volunteers to attend polling booths, stand with signs, hand out how-to-vote cards, do letter box drops and act as scrutineers to oversee the vote count.
“If you can help in any way please reply to this email address or you can put your name onto the list at our weekly meetings,” they wrote.
In other posts, MPT members talk about observing the vote counting at polling booths and organising spots to be filled in a pre-poll volunteer roster.
Thompson has also been interviewed by the North Queensland Freedom Network and asked about his thoughts on fluoride being added to Townsville’s water supply.
The Guardian posted this today.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/mar/26/backed-by-5g-truthers-exiled-from-one-nation-banned-from-parliament-now-troy-thompson-looks-set-to-be-townsvilles-mayor?utm_source=newsshowcase&utm_medium=gnews&utm_campaign=CDAQhJyRi93aodyMARjU-MmtroLH77gBKhAIACoHCAow1OuiCzCX9roD&utm_content=bullets
From my experience in marketing, I think you will find that the most powerful influence in the Townsville council elections was the humble community Facebook page.
Most suburbs have them and they provide information and opinion on important local matters like flooding, juvenile crime (real time warnings about where kiddy crims are operating); local road accidents, traffic hazards, and potholed roads (plenty of them); and recently who’s running in their division in the council election.
Given the Townsville Bulletin’s obvious bias, people in the suburbs either don’t read the paper, or are aware that it blatantly supports Hill.
Local television news is a joke, full of stories about animals and stuff that is happening thousands of kilometres away, and the outdated letter box propaganda gets tossed in the bin.
Team Jenny Hill suffered serious damage in the suburbs, which have been neglected for years while Hill wasted millions of ratepayer’s money trying to revive the CBD.
Thats my take on it as well. Our FB page Burdell is followed by a lot and there was outrage the way Sue Blom was treated by the Team Hill mob. Sue posted local content regularly and always answered queries. When some people that live outside our division were saying Shari would win because of her campaign with Hill, that made people not vote for her. In fact the dislike was very obvious on FB. The young lad Brodie who has won has been tirelessly working away in the background and has gone into bat for our division on more than one occasion. We see ratepayers money splashed in the CBD and we cannot even get safety issues in our neighbourhood sorted, never mind the debacle of the local council pool. We have km’s of walks and one toilet.
From my experience in marketing, I think you will find that the most powerful influence in the Townsville council elections was the humble community Facebook page.
Most suburbs have them and they provide information and opinion on important local matters like flooding, juvenile crime (real time warnings about where kiddy crims are operating); local road accidents, traffic hazards, and potholed roads (plenty of them); and recently who’s running in their division in the council election.
Given the Townsville Bulletin’s obvious bias, people in the suburbs either don’t read the paper, or are aware that it blatantly supports Hill.
Local television news is a joke, full of stories about animals and stuff that is happening thousands of kilometres away, and the outdated letter box propaganda gets tossed in the bin.
Team Jenny Hill suffered serious damage in the suburbs, which have been neglected for years while Hill wasted millions of ratepayer’s money trying to revive the CBD.
Another quirky possibility … and it certainly is a possibility given the engagement demographic of much of Townsville …. that Thompson got a lot of votes because people thought he was Phil.
Aww, come again Pie? That’s a wild claim old mate. Wider than Robin Hoods hand bow at full extension!!!
Most of these community pages were started by, and are often run by, people with links to One Nation, KAP or other less desirable groups. Hence the constant push of crime as a major platform. Some pages have admin who have had run ins with police and are anto police, and some of these pages encourage and allow some outrageous statements from contributors. They are a powerful medium for reaching the masses, and creating unrest.
Some no more outrageous than what SOME folks write and have published on this blog, Nuts!
Like what? Example?
Like your reply, Pie. You think you are above the law and judge, jury and executioner! By all accounts you used to be an approachable, balanced and fine individual. What happened?
Your knowledge of The Magpie’s personal history is seriously flawed. Your scurrilous comment, accusing this old bird of being – at any stage – ‘approachable, balanced and a fine individual’ – is an actionable slur. Advice is being sought.
Pie, my recollection of your days holding court at Poseurs Bar on a Friday night in Flinders St, is that you were indeed approachable, balanced (depending upon what time it was) and a fine individual if well fed and watered at the time!
That would depended entirely on your level of being fed and watered at the time.
Bullshit!!
D.N.,
In some regards, to the motivations of those running local community FB sites, I think you are being a bit harsh.
In the last 9 months I have spent just under $4000 improving the security of my home. I was not influenced by One Notion or the KAP via a community FB site. I was influenced by, over the last 2 years, 7 houses within 500m of my place, (that I know of, there could be more), were broken into with 4 cars stolen AND the fact that Harpic, Slimey Smiley, and the Puddleduck before him, put the rights and welfare of the thieving snots before my rights and welfare.
Perhaps have a read of these Facebook groups instead of your comic and you’ll see what I mean. No one is denying that crime is an issue. I’m referring to the mentally deficienct call to arms and war whoops that are common on these pages and encouraged by some of the administrators.
Not a single word on the socials from Mullet and/or her team.
Folks are still going around town asking ‘do we have a mayor yet’.
Could have played her hand better.
Interesting story about Ruben Cotter’s injury on the back page, it then says go to page 39 for the full story, every other footballers injuries are mentioned, not a word about Cotter.
There must be an election in the air. I just got my first bit of electioneering in the mail box from the LNP. It seems we have a lady standing against Old Canvas Back.
Shouldn’t be much of a challenge for her!
That’s no lady. That’s Janelle Pool, the long time copper and generally good person from what I’ve seen in my limited dealings.
She’s one of the goodies.
You not paying much attention HiBeam? LNP have candidates in all 3 – Mundingburra, Townsville and Thuringowa
I am well aware of this,but I live in Div.8 and so am interested, and remarked on what is happening here. No doubt the others will have an easy run on the rails too.
She might be the one to turn a few labour voters?
Gee the EQC are dragging out things today. Almost 3pm and still don’t have any updates on the make up of the Council. Even divisions with only two candidates, and no preferences to count, haven’t been officially declared.
Don’t they have to wait for close of business in case a postal vote comes in? Then they can start distributing preferences etc. I don’t expect a result until tomorrow.
Think you’re right.
Agree W.M.,
Recently the ECQ has provided very limited spectator excitement.
Could be 3,194 last minute postal votes coming in for Jenny Hill?
The scope of this review needs to be widened to include the updating of website voting figures and related matters.
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/99965
White mouse, we are very busy down at ECQ headquarters. We have a huge staff shortage and to be honest, the workload it interferes with our downtime and unplanned coffee breaks. We also have to try and decipher names written on the voting forms that make references to ‘sergeant major’, Kim Jen Un, and ‘purple doona’. We assume this refers to Mayor Hill. So please be patient with us while we process the Townsville voters ballots.
Is Livio Regano , ch7 Qld weatherman about to go under the bus?
Tonight he said strangely “It’s my INTENTION to be back tomorrow night”
Livio notoriously hates having to show people’s sunset pics taking up his weather slot time. Every time he has time off he is replaced by a woman who does it.
Cord Flares… The woman won’t be replacing him any longer. She will be too busy as the new Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Council.
She is a very, very bright lady.
Division 1, 4 and 5 have just been declared tonight.
1 – Paul Jacob (Change/Labor)
4 – Kristian Price (Independent)
5 – Vera Dirou (Change/Labor)
Do you reckon Mooney Jnr could be in trouble on preferences? Given the anti-Jenny tsunami, and some residual anti-dad sentiment, driveway fighter Liam could be blown away … (see what The ‘Pie did there, geddit, geddit oh forgeddit.)
Pie, it’s possible but all messaging from 90% of candidates was just ‘vote 1’. There was definitely no preference deals in Div 9. Ms Keam needs 821 preferences from just over 3000 votes. Possible, but unlikely. Best of luck to her though.
No preference deals, maybe not even casual discussions, but given the massive groundswell against the Mullet and her team, it stands to reason that many would go to the trouble of making sure Mullet was last, and marked their papers accordingly. Like shooting a hanged man just to make sure.
I assure you, Mr. Pie it was no trouble to cast a preferential vote. In fact, it was a pleasure! To write in the little squares “1”, “2”, and a “3” validates my time in Grade One all those years ago.
Hmm, maybe.
Wonder if Liam is going to be at all humbled by the fact that, when he walks into a room with 20 people, there will be 12 there who don’t like him.
Nah – probably not.
Molotov, baby Molotov.
Grumpy; maybe he would if each of them held blowers?
Liam walks into Sunday diner at home and pretty much no one likes him so the Townsville Chambers is a piece of cake.
Not sure what that means.
His parents probably haven’t told him yet that he nearly lost. Still got his nappies on, and seems mostly illiterate.
Easy, What site do you have that shows the declared vote ( asking for a friend)
NAW; the ECQ website – https://results.elections.qld.gov.au/2024QLGE?divisions=072
The rest should be declared today (Wednesday). As preferences in those Divisions with more than 2 running, will be distributed (if any/many).
Can’t see too many results changing. Division 2 looks all but decided. No preference deals for Mayor, 10 or 9 but there was in 3 and 8. That’s if voters followed how to vote cards.
So the results currently are:
Team Hill Labor – 2
Change Labor – 2
My Place – 1
Undecided – 6
hahahaha … good one.
Hill concedes
Team Hill Labor – 2
Change Labor – 2
My Place – 2
But hang on, seems Caitlin Charles mucked up her timings, with commenter bullshit reading bit more than hours before the stated time on th story.
At this moment, still 12 minutes to go before he hear the news.
Honestly, unfavourable comparisons with pub chook raffles come to mind … yet again.
But as to the concession of Ms Hill … she did the gracious and professional thing and congratulated Thompson on conning his way into the mayoralty (not her words exactly but we know what she meant) and other winners across the board. It is just a shame her dignified farewell included a scripted hagiography, no doubt penned by her own crew if not herself), a litany of mostly imagined benefit to the city. While no one expects Mrs Hill to ponder her myriad missteps and missed opportunities, The ‘Pie will pick up on one matter only.
From the Astonisher story: quote “For me, the most important achievement was fighting for and securing almost half a billion dollars in funding to construct the Haughton water pipeline to the Burdekin River to drought proof our city, funded by the state government,” she said.”
Well, you’ve gotta give the gal points for chutzpah, considering in 2012, she campaigned vigorously and scathingly against opponent Jane Arlett’s inspired call for pipeline the BFD to drought-proof the city. The Hill campaign was littered with ‘water crisis, what water crisis, there is no water crisis.’And then to claim she went out and secured half a billion dollars (she didn’t, it was Brisbane’s idea) to build – ergo – unnecessary infrastructure deserves an Oscar for the Best Bullshit of the Year. And in fact somewhat of an own goal.
And she wasn’t even competent enough to ensure the damn thing finished years and years later. And still isn’t.
But, hey, she’s gone and this blog has more pressing things on its agenda than to host a vulture’s feast picking over the carcass of a dead and decayed mayoralty.
I think they must be updating the time as they update the story. When I posted it said the story was four minutes old.
Yeah, that’s possible that they do that, but then the why was the story updated as being the latest at 12.54 … at 12.25?
Oh I get your point maybe they’re running on NSW time.
That’s even worse, the sane states are a further hour ahead.
Pie I never thought I would want to look at an image of the Mullet again, but this is the image I have been waiting for. The Mullet in (almost) tears knowing she is gone, her kingdom has crumbled and the peasants don’t love her anymore. Yes we know, she only ever did her best for us all.
I am hoping it is a real shot and not had the photoshop treatment, or that new AI app to make it look worse for effect.
What a great day for the City I once loved.
Prefer this one?
Chris Condon put his own exclamation mark ending the dictators rule.
That photo is perfect for her. She’s screwed so many people over the years who have suffered more pain than her Crocodile tears. Karma has caught up with you lady.
It’s official … Jenny Hill has retired to spend more time with her money.
I see in the CM today that: “An independent review into the local government election was already scheduled to take place with the ECQ appointing consulting firm Nous Group late last year at a cost of $165,000. But the review has been expanded to include the two state by elections.
Nous Consulting conducting an independent review.
Don’t think so.
Yeah, right.
Ala, I would sell my share in Nous if I was you. They will be dropped like a hot turd if LNP get in October.
As we continue to decode the ALP lexicon we see the use of “independent” really means “not us, just one of our mates” in the context of reviews.
As of 10pm tonight, after the deadline for postal votes, Jenny Hill still trails Thompson by more than 3000 votes, so there will not be any late surge in Hill’s favour. That part of the election is done and dusted.
Tomorrow, if they’re not too busy having coffee or enjoying a long lunch, the preferences from Patel will be counted and we’ll finally get a result.
I agree with the Magpie’s theory that people who voted for Patel would not have given their preference to Hill, so we wait patiently and see if election interference is possible in Queensland.
Being an eternal optimist, I doubt there will be any surprises.
The Bulletin is updated.
Townsville is now over this Hill and now with only a minority in the chamber the armchair crew should not even be able to secure the deputy.
The FIFO CEO will be cashing out his chips soon enough.
Thank you Fran O’Callaghan.
There’s still a chance it will be 6 Labor affiliated councillors but 2 of those being Change will make things fun. I think Jacob for deputy because of his experience and his history of not being coachable in the Hill era. The new councillors probably wouldn’t support a Team Hill deputy but they would eat crow and support him.
The reasons you give FOR Jacob to be deputy are EXACTLY the reasons Thompson may not be happy if that is the outcome.
In the wild conspiracy vein, do you think Thompson threw his hat into the election mayoral ring hoping to attract some attention at State level for the future (not actually wanting the mayor gig) and underestimated the voter blowback against Mullet.
Now he’s saddled with the local top job which might not have been his actual intent !
No, Jatz, he’s a con man who looked for main chance, found it and lucked out, copping about a quarter of a mill per. Trouble for Twonames is that it most surely isn’t going to last too long … if it does, it ain’t gunna be pleasant for anybody. And there’s noway he would want to get to state level .., pretty sure he was under the delusion that he would be flying under the radar at LG level. The Magpie will be happy to be part of making sure that isn’t the case.
I reckon he could get a One Nation or Palmer endorsement for state, I don’t think they’d be too fussy about his past now that he has an electoral win under his belt
Well, that would be good, he’d have no hope of getting to George Street.
Pie, isn’t twonames currently banned from entering the Qld Parliament? So, if he was successful he might have to remote in online!
Are mayors sworn in Parliament House? Genuine question, don’tknow.
I believe they take an oath of office at Council Chambers, Pie. Maybe the CEO administers it to the Mayor, then the Councillors? Happy to be corrected.
Thanks Jenny , Mark and Team Hill for the $600 mil + debt which could take ratepayers 30 yrs to pay off . No doubt the new Mayor + deputy will be keen to flush out any more financial surprises . Mad Margie Chair of Finance Committee let’s hope financial governance was in place as the City has had two sitting MP,s use Parlimentary Privilge to sledge Council and incoming Mayor + print + digital media .
Mike the new Mayor is bringing with him a barrel of surprises. So I wouldn’t get too comfortable.
I hear people are chasing down his army records – he says in that interview he did with the NQ Freedom Network that he personally spent 5 years in the military in Perth. In Signals, Swanbourne, and (his spelling) Carakatta and Freemantle, SAS. I reckon the massive army family in Townsville be pretty pissed off if anyone finds out the truth – because it is surely going to be different than reality. He says he has two degrees – I wonder if anyone will actually check what and where from lol. He is like a dung beetle, picking up shit and rolling it out the door. But I wonder when the shit piles so high he cant budge anymore.
Well DA, we’ll all have to wait and see. He’s got the chair at the moment and obviously hasn’t commenced in the role.
Perhaps we should just ‘hush a while’ and see what occurs, rather than give him a heads up to what may be happening behind the scenes?
Bugger that, he should be made aware from the get-go that his insulting claims and lies have not been appreciated, and a small army of honest people are on his case. And that will always be a problem even if he turns out to the greatest civic mayor since Fiorello La Guardia.
Do 180° and 360° count as degrees?
DA, did Thompson say he was a member of the SAS? Is that a direct quote or is it just said by someone that Thompson said that? Just asking because there’s a lot of rubbish going around.
I do not know who said what to whom, but soldiers from a whole variety of different Corps are posted to the SASR in administrative support roles without the requirement to undertake special forces training.
Supplied for your deeper understanding.
Ah, txhank you, has certainly helped The ‘Pie’s deeper understanding.
So if you’re running for mayor and want to impress people, you mention SAS without any detail, and let folks see the hero.
And oftentimes, to win us to our harm the instruments of darkness tell us truths, win us with honest trifles, to betray’s in deepest consequence.”
Clever old codger, that Banquo ghostie chappy.
Q. What was the name of Lady Macbeth’s dog?
A. Spot
Out, damned spot! out, I say!–
There’s a job waiting for you, writing headlines for the Astonisher. Or maybe you already do.
Troy Thompson
Education
Griffith University
Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.), Accounting and Marketing
2000 – 2005
Curtin University
Bachelor of Science (BSc), Occupational Safety and Health Technology/Technician
1990 – 1993
Licenses & certifications
Chef & Signalsman
Australian Army
Issued Dec 1989
Worth checking maybe?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/troy-thompson-for-mayor-7299b562/
You are aware that people put their own stuff up on link In and no one actually checks it.
k.,
Thanks for the link.
Anyone, what the fuck does the extract below tell us? A degree in weasel words, or writes the horoscope for Business Monthly magazine, perhaps?
“Lifestyle goals and complexities” ….. horoscopes for the nudist community? Strewth!
Troy’s time in the Army was not so long that he was introduced to Joint Service Publication (JSP) 101, Staff Duties. (The Defence Force Writing Guide……clear concise unambiguous correspondence and all that guff. )
So here is the extract.
Director
Business Accelerate
Jan 1996 – Present 28 years 3 months
Australia
Focused to deliver quality business advisory services with efficiency and accuracy to provide valuable insights and ease any compliance burden. Our clients have a diverse range of business needs, lifestyle goals and complexities to consider.
Rotten Luck… that would be this err… business.. that has a Facebook page and an undeveloped godaddy website.
https://www.facebook.com/share/5Ha2HcrBBoniXKFX/?mibextid=qi2Omg
Page created in Sept 2022
Has had an ABN since 14 April 2021 and a registered business name sine September 2022
January 1996 my arse
Also Community ASA which is supposed to be an Aitkenvale based community organisation is registered in 4817. Probably to a Greenwood drive address. Can anyone explain what verifiable links this has to the Mr Aitkenvale Sports Association?
Thanks. Interesting if TroyT brings to Council the Business Accelerate philosophies dripping with that overabundance of positive affirmations.
The next 12 months is going to be interesting.
Ducky its also worth noting that the website provided on the Facebook page is not registered and seems never to have been to Twonames or anyone else.
Registration seems to be overkill for people like this. Its as if it’s irrelevant and doesn’t apply to them. A bit like facts.
Mr Thompson and his delightful girlfriend can be linked to a number of dodgy businesses, Facebook pages, claims etc. I see some have been used as fake “supporters” of his campaign. Mr Thompson has overestimated his abilities and underestimated how much actual transparency a role in public office requires. I do hope he has a plan for when the crazies he has relied upon to gain office realise what he is.
Twonames is a certified Inventor:
https://patents.justia.com/inventor/troy-joseph-birnbrauer
Which gives a ring of truth to his claims of a having a degree in Occupational Health and Safety.
As far as I can ascertain MSPH Pty Ltd (formerly called Hillview Property Investments Pty Ltd) was voluntarily wound up in 2011.
Now do Australian Regional News.
An Alice Springs promotional video inviting travellers to visit and stay a while in the town and other places in Northern Australia. Safe travels.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-27/alice-springs-cbd-violent-unrest-todd-tavern-attacked/103638080
In the same vein, The Magpie wondered whether this was praise or an insult.
They should all be black listed!
Thought it would be a hoot to attend the first council meeting with the new line up.
TCC web site advises that meets program TBA after the election.
I’ll keep watch.
It is now 4pm and there have been no updates to the EQC website, despite the Purple Doona already conceding the Mayoral Race.
Not the EQC – how many coffee breaks have there been today?
We’ve had many coffees today, along with numerous adhoc breaks and an extended lunchtime also. We aren’t quite finished yet and will try to stretch things out until the end of the week.
Molly the Magpie needs to be reunited with her family, let’s start a petition.
What are you talking about?
Good grief Malcolm,
You must be the only person not following and overwhelmed by this important national tragedy.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-26/molly-the-magpie-surrendered-to-wildlife-authorities/103635186?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web
You had to remind me, didn’t you? The hussy just winged off, and for a bloody Staffy, no less. Thanks, The ‘Pie is back in turmoil again – and she’ll probably want half the Nest.
Ding dong the witch is dead. J Hill has conceded defeat. I’m so happy. And her ‘team’ has been broken up. Maybe now this town can begin to heal and change for the better. Absolute deadwood and incompetents that have finally been dismantled.
Mr Thompson has a lot of respect to be earned, and that will take time. It will also take time for our city to flourish and for the new council to be embedded. Although Thompson sounds like a shark with a murky background, I am prepared to give him ago.
Also, under legislation the new Council is allowed to dismiss the CEO if they see fit to do so. Hopefully Ralston gets pushed out the door.
Seriously PD if I had the opportunity I’d drive those piles right up your uneducated arse. Hill was on the nose and several of her team wore the consequences. But have genuinely looked at the quality/resumes of the new councillors? Vera Di’who’. Didn’t put a corflute in the ground nor did she get out into her community once. A labour left nobody drafted in by Jacobs, her resume is bereft of any inkling she has what it takes to deliver ‘change for the better’. I witnessed her devouring a 9-pack of KFC at pre-poll. FFS. Kristian Price, an angry, troglodyte with an axe to grind having blamed council for closure of his pizza shop. His behaviour on pre-poll was atrocious. Bullying and threatening, misogynistic comments toward volunteers, and he cannot even spell. He didn’t last two months as a labourer on the port before he was booted (I have on record). So another resume chock full of capability to bring about change for the better. Thompson….well I side with Magpie, which is rare. Brody and Brady are both reasonable and capable and given time will do well. So you pile driving FW, you like the uneducated, bored and uncaring majority of Townsvilleans put your hatred of Hill ahead of any reasonable assessment of candidate quality. You reap what you sow. And by the way it’s not Hills or Cooks or Molachino’s fault that shit candidates stepped up and took their positions. It’s the voting public’s for not educating themselves. God help Townsville for the next 4 years.
The ‘Pie hasn’t yet great the populace with his wise assessment of the councillors … he will look at tis in sunday;s blog when the fullmake-up should be known God and ECQ willing.
But there was an outcome that wouldn’t have been the worst .. if several of Mullet’s folk got back in, they’d be knock-kneed and covering their private with their hands, shivering in the the nakedness of being exposed to us as just what sort of people they really are and what they really think.
Don’t if that would’ve been productive, but it sure would’ve been fun.
Gomer, you hung around PrePoll long enough to see Vera devour a bucket of KFC – what were you doing there and who were you barracking for? Was it one of the Hills or Cooks or Molachinos that shit candidates stepped up to and walked all over because the general public had had enough? Anyway, no one’s going to die because the old mayor and a couple of her acolytes got rolled. The new ones will learn soon enough. You can have a go next time and find out if you have the smarts.
Seriously, what have ECQ staff been doing for the last week. I know they had to wait for postal, but surely in the divisions with 3 or more candidates they could have the preferences of the last placed already sorted and ready to add to the other candidates totals.
Word is spreading around Townsville that the purple doona wearer has finally conceded. Is their true? Please please please let it be true!
That just about sums the interest many Townsvilleans have in the most import even in the city. But yes, Con, at about 10.30 this morning.
Interesting that the mayoral election outcome has been ‘declared’ by the ECQ seemingly without an official distribution of preferences count.
About the official preference count, looking at the Div10 result where Brady Ellis has been declared the winner, I see there is a special note added on the ECQ website page which says, “The official distribution of preferences is underway, and the elected candidate has received a majority of votes. The full preference count will be published upon completion.” This special note is not present on the mayoral vote.
Love today’s Astonisher Idiotorial, weeping buckets over the demise of the Mullet. It’s literally accepted Twonames declaration of war so will be interesting to see the outcome.
At this stage, I can’t see they have the journalistic tenacity to bring down a master conman, as demonstrated by their gullibility to accept anything over the last few years.
How is Thompson going to communicate with ratepayers if he won’t talk to the rag?
Perhaps he will get his own website platform together and communicate directly. Perhaps he will invite the Townsville tax payers to meet with him. We don’t need a Bulletin.
Is that Thompson’s plan that he has directed you to float here, you frizzled-brained fuckwit (and that is perhaps bumping you up the IQ scale into low double digits)? So no independent professional observers to hold the ‘powerful’ to account, you don’t need them? Just leading questions from moist, wild-eyed emotionally stunted acolytes, eh? There goes 250 years of Fourth Estate democracy. The Townsville Bulletin is no beacon for journalistic integrity, but a con man like Troy Thompson is capable of exercising the type of deceit that attracts real journalists from afar. he already has, if you’ve noticed.
You’re dead wrong … any community needs an impartial sober voice to report and, in appropriately signalled columns, analyse matters, so we DO NEED the Townsville Bulletin … but the Bulletin of old, with mature and experienced leadership, which doesn’t take its orders from Brisbane, Sydney or New York. And understands the underlying needs and desires of the community … and its moods.
Because of the paper’s slow conversion to triviality, irrelevance and bias has been a creeping emergence, the people of Townsville haven’t realised that the Townsville Bulletin, wholly controlled by by outside influences (if it chooses) is as big a problem for our well being and future as much as Jenny Hill ever was.
At least the new mayor, being independent and having no ‘team’ to command, will not prevent individual councillors from having their own relationships with the local media. Print journalists, if there are any left at the Bulletin, will have to work harder because presumably they won’t be fed PR porridge from the mayor’s office. It won’t be Troy Thompson’s council; it will be our council. We elected it.
THAT IS NOT THE WAY BIT WORKS JENNY.
It is unlikely he would try, but Thompson could face severe regulatory sanctions if he directed that the Bulletin be crossed of the council media list. That sort action, apart from surely being being illegal, is Fascism 101 … and seriously, on available evidence, Thompson isn’t smart enough to even be a fascist. And if he did try a stunt like that, the big boys down south … and not just the might of News Corpse … would weigh tout de suite.
Taking him at his word (brave bird here!), Thompson has only said HE won’t be ‘communicating’ with the Bulletin. Let’s hope that he, mayor or not, understands the distinction between ‘he’ and our council.
Sorry Magpie, but I never suggested Thompson would ‘cross the Bulletin off TCC’s contact list’ and I doubt whether he meant that either. He and the Editor of the Bulletin are obviously at cross purposes at the moment and they both will have to come to some sort of accommodation. We can watch them stare each other down over the next few weeks. They appear to be made for each other. She will fold first. He will not be gracious about it. That will be business as usual.
Jeff, there are numerous ways to convey messages to the ratepayers, Mr. Thompson and his team has just proven it with a low budget social media election campaign.
Once he is sworn is a Mayor, it will be up TCC Communications & Media departments to keep the ratepayers informed.
He won’t be writing his own media releases or even speeches for that matter.
Media conferences will be called and all media, Television, radio are invited to attend not just the Townsville Bulletin.
Interviews will be done with radio and TV programs.
TCC have experienced communications staff who can produce their own videos and work their social media platforms. They do their own quartlerly print publications and ofcourse there is also letterbox drops and hopefully more public meetings.
Gone are days where local print publications are the go to for information.
As for the current Editor (?) of the Bulletin, Ms Gravey will soon join the long queue of the revolving door at the TB editor’s desk.
Again, you are advocating a ‘pick’n’choose’ media policy.The ‘Pie has explained elsewhere why this is unlikely to happen, and what. will happen if he does, but what is alarming is that you seem to think it not only possible but maybe desirable to boycott the Bulletin.
And what would spell even bigger trouble for Twonames is if issued such a directive (and the media department didn’t seek independent legal advice on it). Under those circumstances, journalists are likely to stick together in one sense, and the Bulletin would always be alerted to any such media events. THEN, if they showed up AND WERE BARRED, Mr Thompson would face some very tricky legal questions and almost surely be found unfit for office under LG regs.
The people have spoken and we have swapped a Rotten Mullet for what looks like a Bag of Old Prawn Heads. All shells and no substance. Let’s see how long before he starts to rot under the heat of the spotlights.
Townsville got what it wanted and needed which was Hill gone. Now we have to pay the price.
Twonames says he intends to shake the tree … never a smart idea when you’re standing underneath it.
Twonames is in for a baptism of fire. He will learn very quickly what you can and what you can’t do. If he shakes the tree to hard one of those apples might knock him out. He has a lot to prove so it’s going to be an interesting journey.
Today’s editorial and lead story on Jenny Hill’s demise yet again demonstrated the Townsville Bulletin’s bias.
Sooner or later the editor is going to have to wake up to the fact that she got the mood of Townsvilleans totally wrong.
In an editorial before the election entitled Talk Is Cheap, she referred to the hundreds of people sending negative texts to the paper as “the peanut gallery”.
No prizes for guessing who the “peanut” is now.
One of Gas Carvey’s most unwise and ignorant iditorials. Will have a word or two about that matter in the blog.
Completely out of her depth
First time here! What a toxic publication!
Perhaps take time to consider why the majority of people in Townsville voted for Troy and not Jenny. The hard working, tax paying people of Townsville have come together, with no financial back up or financial incentives and supported ‘time for change’, and they gave their time, freely, to attend the scrutineering of the vote. What does that tell you?
It tells us that the electorate didn’t want Jenny to the extent of voting in an out-and-out con man with a shady history that does not befit being the mayor of a major Australian city. They also voted for Thompson because he wasn’t honest about his background and the local media – except this ‘toxic’ publication – wouldn’t allow the electorate to be fully informed. He’s is pro tem our accidental mayor, and will have to be on a steep learning curve, bother personally and professionally to remain in his job … his pronouncements so far aren’t encouraging on either front.
You getting all moist about your hero cuts no credibility with the clear eyed, and you’re probably one of the My Place nutters. If you aren’t, then given your shallow intellect and analysis, you should be. You certainly don’t care about Townsville.
Pie, I think the newcomer was referring to the Arsetonisher as the toxic publication!
Not a chance. It was a clear declaration that Newcomer was a Thompson knuckle dragger.
Hey Magpie – why didn’t you stand for the Mayor position. It’s easy to be a critique, it is hard to be a creator.
You’ve got me, Newcomer … I’m lost for words.
Well, there may be time for you yet – who knows? I might even vote for YOU! I think you definitely have that creative edge. I bet your school report said ‘has great potential if only he could focus on his creative abilities and refrain from abusing the other children’.
You missed the point of what was an excellent gotcha joke.
Somebody tell him/her/it please.
Umm, Newcomer – you twat – dear ol’ Malcolm has lost the ability to speak.
Get it now?
He certainly has a lot to say though doesn’t he. Talks a load of BS most of the time, as do you.
Scary man.
Could be a woman, Grumps! Has a very sharp tongue!!
Majority? Newcomer your math and logic need some work.
Mr Thompson won by a narrow majority in the political sense. 46% vs 43%
However when used as you have, the Majority of people (as in more than half of the population) did not want Mr Thompson.
He only got 46.40% of the first preference vote.
And in fact 30,000 registered voters didn’t vote at all. Which likely means they went, fuck this, the options are so shit I’ll risk a fine.
Therefore, Mr Thompson does not have carte blanche from the community. A total of 87,944 people (57,944 people who voted against him, plus an additional 30, 000 who didn’t vote), will be watching him very closely. Plus all those people who voted for him who have since discovered his true nature. What does that tell you?
Those who did vote for him (except the demented weirdo fancy dress fringe) will also become increasingly nervous if he doesn’t get a grip.
Ducky, a note of personal thanks (seriously, sort of).
We don’t often, if ever agree, but The ‘Pie sincerely appreciates your occasional comment (e.g above) which saves The Magpie valuable time by expressing exactly the same thing … and almost as eloquently as the old bird.
So, hugs and kisses all round, mah, muh, mah … now back to swords at 100 paces.
Aww Pie it disturbs me that we agree. It’s hard not to on this, especially since I’m not a tinfoil hat wearing 5g fearing, antivax, flouride hating, deoderant hating, sovereign citizen nutter.
Send whiskey and I’ll agree more often. .. Laphroaig’s will do at a pinch.
Anyway… that’s enough of that. Swords at 100 paces… and turn!
…. and aim ….
Spin it how you like Ducky he got the majority. The majority is the majority! Isn’t that how this works? I dare say people voted for Troy because they did not want Jenny. That is how it goes sometimes. Thing is, isn’t is a sad state of affairs when people have to do that or refrain from voting completely because they believe there is no suitable candidate. It baffles me how a place like Townsville with all its finest are in such a position.
Hey Newcomer, get used to and over it. People VOTED FOR Thompson. I don’t think so. The VOTED AGAINST Hill. Troy Thompson…..wrong man, right place, right time. He will break so many of his half-arsed, ill-conceived pledges he’ll be on the nose before half his term is up.
Similar to the truth that oppositions don’t win elections, governments lose them.
I am used to it and over it. It’s the others on this platform who are having a difficult time it would seem.
Should you not be ‘Humble Newcomer’?
No!
Grumpy was being kind to you, because he realised you couldn’t handle big words tracheotomy or laryngectomy. You obviously are a newcomer, or might have remembered that when the operation in 2017 became public knowledge, several bottle shops reported a run on champagne .. especially the one out at Douglas. But you probably won’t get that either. (Sigh).
Hi Troy, welcome to the Magpie’s Nest. You will be closely monitored and scrutinised, and deservedly so. See you around…..
With Brady Ellis declared it’s
Team Hill Labor – 2
Change Labor – 2
My Place – 2
LNP – 1
Undecided – 5
Whose the other My Place besides Twonames?
I think I saw somewhere that Price was backed by them if anyone can confirm. Two more from the Hill faction make majority Labor.
Team Hill Labor – 4
Change Labor – 2
My Place – 2
LNP – 1
Undecided – 2
Pie; that would be Kristian Price. Even has a small donation recorded from them.
Kristian Price is a member of the group and posted several times in there about the election as well as posts by others mentioning him.
The Bulletin will ask him, so just be patient.
Will you be going to Myplace from now on? Have you been?
Bullshit, do the math. There’s only 11 places not 12.
Thanks sorry about that!
Unless you’re an American, or you speak with a lisp it’s Maths!
Ha! Good one Heel! That very punny
As of 4pm Thursday, the councillors stood as:
Townsville City Division 1 Councillor……….JACOB, Paul Thomas……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 2 Councillor……….HILLIPS, Brodie (undeclared but at 71.72% on preferences (80.32% counted)
Townsville City Division 3 Councillor……….GREANEY, Ann-Maree……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 4 Councillor……….PRICE, Kristian Mark……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 5 Councillor……….DIROU, Vera Emily……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 6 Councillor……….BATKOVIC, Suzy Rose……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 7 Councillor……….REHBEIN, Kurt Spencer……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 8 Councillor……….ROBINSON, Andrew David……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 9 Councillor……….MOONEY, Liam John……….(Declared)
Townsville City Division 10 Councillor……….ELLIS, Brady John……….(Declared)
Looking at some of these candidates they are a strange mob. Young Ms Dirou is certainly a chunky monkey and most of the rest look like they couldn’t light a bulb with their combined intelligence.
The first council meeting will be like commencement day at the special school.
Getting that assessment from the likes of you is like getting skydiving tips from a Russian dissident … or an Iraqui gay.
As I mentioned earlier I am keen to attend the first TCC meeting. Suspect many other Nesters. Do look for me. Short, overweight, bald, mild halitosis, and a friendly toothless grin. Look forward to meeting you.
That describes the majority of Townsville’s population.
Bullshit Ben, you’re just trying to keep us off your trail. Next you’ll be claiming you’re gay and speak with that gay tone!
Great to see real independent Andrew Robinson get up over ALP Rachel Armstrong in Division 8. After the paper called it for her she was trounced on preferences.
He is a smart bloke and a straight shooter. As an accountant with Main Roads experience of major projects he should see through the bullshit easily.
The rusty wheels at ECQ are very slowly turning, with three more councilors confirmed.
Brad Ellis
Ann Marie Greaney
Liam Mooney
Goodness only knows why Div 2 hasn’t been declared when Brodie Phillips got over 60% of the primary vote.
I would have thought being a “verb” would quite difficult, particularly compared to being a “critic”……….
Try that again.
I wonder how the committee heads will be divided up at full council?
Such a mix of agenda’s and personalities.
Those who miss out will be monitoring so we might have some genuine scrutiny.
Or we just get sloppy happy to be here what a surprise, let’s not stir the waters chair sitters.
Let’s hope for the former not the latter.
Lots of loverrrly lolly to be had as head of a committee 9that applies anywhere in politics).
I note that ‘lightweight Leighton’ has been relocated to the advertising and property department of the astonisher reporting on ‘best of’ and property and real estate while Burns is doing the political propaganda.
Division 8 has just been declared to independent Andrew Robinson
Except in the lead up to Elections, I’ve never actually met or seen a local councillor in my suburb other than when a local radio station was handing out free bread and iced coffees. Pretty sure I’ll get a message shortly when Rate increases are proposed.
So Mr Thompson has 30 days from the election date to disclose all gifts and donations received during his election campaign. This will be an interesting list
Well at least Mr. Pie will be on hand to report all the latest tidbits in his weekly blog. Cant wait to see Mayor Thompson dissected on a weekly basis. Oh the humanity.
Oh, the Hindenburg (our city).
Does anyone have a positive word about Mayor Thompson?
If Mother Teresa had won the Majoral position would there be any positive words on this discussion?
Reasonable comments are based on knowledge-based analysis. Mr Thompson does not provide any believable positive history for us to form an opinion. And since he hasn’t done anything as mayor as yet, basically, no, Winni. Not here anyway. Apart from the My Place fruit loops and large chunks of the other looney false-front Townsville Residents and Ratepayers Association (TRRA).
Mother Theresa Mayor? That would’ve been a genuflection election.
And while we’ve all heard about dead people voting Labor, haven’t heard of them putting dead candidates … well, not literally dead, anyway.
Nope, nothing good to say about Mother Teresa. She represents religion, and religion is a scourge upon society and should be done away with. Money grabbing charlatans. So old bird Teresa is part of the scam.
What you are saying is that she would’ve made an ideal mayor.
And nothing good? She has been dissed by some for various aspects of her life-long humanitarian works, but nothing good? Examine your words a little more carefully, as you lounge around in your Laz-E-Boy by the pool sipping a pina colada. Mother Theresa was a selfless human being, no matter what motivated her.
Having visited her (Mother Theresa) home for the destitute and dying (in Calcutta, India), I was a big fan and religion never came into it. She was one of the World’s true champions. I would vote for her dead or alive. Her Disciples are a hell of a lot more reliable than Hill’s and they only charged a few Indian rupees.
I wrote a positive word about Twonames (perhaps you didn’t read it, above):
Troy Joseph Birnbrauer is the patent-holder for a device designed to arrest the fall of people working in high places.
He is evidently capable of analytical thought and problem-solving.
He invented rope?
Pie,
I have a working at height safety kit (cleaning leaves out of high set gutters) and there is no rope. More complicated than that.
Rope has been used to arrest people falling. For first hand info ask Ronald Ryan or Edward Kelly.
True, but they got arrested before they were ‘arrested’.
DisTroy, have you looked at the patent? I particularly like fig. 20 Man on a Beam, and fig 21. Man who fell off beam, now bobbing on a rope tied to two bendy poles.
The patent office must laugh and laugh and laugh when they receive applications like this.
https://ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/7048090
It would not be wise to hold out that patent as evidence of common. sense or any connection to reality. In fact, the fabled Heath Robinson made more sense and was easier to understand than this pointless silliness.
Twonames is one of two people who own the patent. It does not mean he’s smart, he could just be conning again.
Having had a gander at that patent, smart is not a word one would associate with it. Technically competent perhaps but all for the purpose of building a Heath Robinson type useless invention. Be a weird thing to try some sort of con.
Hmmm, two names in the Possum Fur, a mix of Herman Munster and a Vampire!!!
Finally, Team Jenny Hill is a minority, though I’m sure Labor and its powerbrokers are getting to work behind the scenes.
Thompson is a voicebox, he would be best to remove the entire deck through a new CEO. Prins is a piece of work, everyone internally knows it.
The assessment of the rates is right, under Jenny General rates were to go up 4%+, per period, and the cash in bank doesn’t sustain the council overheads. Thompson is walking into a council that potentially should be reported to the CCC. I’d rather he just gets in and is allowed to tell us exactly where the money goes, I think he will.
The code of conduct will not be his friend, as the Team Jenny colleagues will have the traps layed. I’m prepared to ignore his past and just see what he can do with the mess left, in the least he’ll probably expose the real numbers
Another reasonable summation. The fact he is now the mayor, and the only thing we skeptical folks can do democratically accept the fact, be reasonable where we can, and watch him like a hawk. And yes, The ‘Pie agrees that if Thompson can get start delving into the financials – you can bet he’ll be heavily blocked at every turn by certain internal and eternal Labor interests – he will offer about the one service he appears capable of offering. If there’s been any bof the widely suspected skullduggery, the flow on will be automatic, but even not so, at least we should have a clear picture of Townsville’s true financial situation. And the background against which Thompson will try to set an agenda – that will depend on how successful he is at ‘coaching’ his mixed bunch of councillors, several of whom arefar from being dills who will tolerate patronisation in any form, including ‘coaching’.
But no, The ‘Pie will not ignore his past, and there’s probably more to be uncovered in that area about which he has already lied and twisted. To The Magpie’s mind and instinct, Thompson is an arch con man and in all likelihood, any good he does initially in council will be the equivalent of Mussolini making the trains run on time.
It’s shocking how many people around here are saying things like give him a chance and see how things turn out. He’s given us no reason to have confidence in him and the stakes are high.
C’mon ‘O’, he’s been elected through a democratic process, what exactly do you think we should be doing?
My dear demented Le Flic, no one has suggested some Trumpian vote rigging or irregularities, so thank you for your patronising homily about him being elected democratically. What OED is red flagging is that this con man is completely untrustworthy, and he’s already proved that is his first media conference. He has virtually admitted he was lying all along on one thing.
Well, fuckin’ DUH!!
Apart from some astute Nest readers NO ONE, certainly not the Bulletin, ever questioned how a city deeply in debt could afford to cut into a basic source of income with a rates freeze over four years which would cost around $200m.
AND NOW OUR JUVENILE, DUMB-ARSED MEDIA KIDDIES DON’T EVEN ASK THE MOST OBVIOUS QUESTION WHEN THIS CHARLATAN JUSTIFIES HIS WALK BACK OF HIS KEY VOTE-CATCHING PROMISE ‘BECAUSE OF INFORMATION FROM HIS THREE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOOKED AT THE SITUATION’.
THE QUESTION: Just when did you get this ‘information, and what was in it to make you now renege on your promise that you did not know before? When did this suddenly emerge? Even before you’ve set foot in the office, and you a supposed accountant? You’d be justified in asking the uni where you studied accountancy for your money back.
Mr Thompson, The Magpie states categorically you were deliberately lying on a populist platform throughout your campaign, because the maths showing the impossibility of your feel good freeze was there for all to see all along.
Sir, even beyond the accepted vagueness of political language, you are a STRAIGHT-UP LIAR … and a not very good one at that.
Some may be happy with having a proven liar and con artist as mayor, but The Magpie never will be. If you make a go of it, Lazarus will be envious.
I asked ‘O’, not you Pie. Now get back to your red wine bottle old mate.
What do you and ‘O’ now expect? Let’s be rational – we HAVE to wait and see what rolls out! HAVE TO! NO CHOICE!
PS – I know that rational does not fit with my character as a bumbling detective, but there you go, I’ve learned over the years (wait a minute, where have we heard that statement before)!
You ask here, you ask everybody, or start your own blog just for you.
And cheeking your landlord doesn’t enhance your prospects of staying around.
Has anyone anywhere here suggested that something should be done to block Thompson’s mayoralty? No. But you you genius suggest we have no choice. Well, thanks for the newsflash Woodward/Bernstein. We now all calm down. Thank nyou.
Tosser.
Pie, you really have lost the plot over this one. CALM DOWN, be patient and let this play out. You may well be right about twonames. Let’s wait and see! No need to hit the abusive button on me, I’m just as interested in this as you are!
Quote: “I asked ‘O’, not you Pie. Now get back to your red wine bottle old mate.’ And ‘calm down’, as though I’m off on some senseless rant where I’ve lost the plot?.
You get as good as you give around here, sooky. And I haven’t even started yet, if you keep it up.
Ok Westy, if twonames suspects, or finds corruption (past or present), then he must report it to the CCC. He said open and accountable, right? No choice there and if that happens let the ‘soiling’ begin!
The first thing I’d do if I were Two names, is give Fran a call and ask her where to start looking.
Fair call Kenny; good idea!
There is a comment by Twonames on FB that suggests Fran will form some part of the make up of Council. Advisor of some sort?
He could do worse.So could we.
From the Townsville Bulletin website yesterday (28th) …the Bulletin steps up to the plate.
“At his first press-conference as Mayor-elect, Mr Thompson referred to his frosty relationship with this masthead.
Mr Thompson has previously imposed a ban on speaking to the Townsville Bulletin and did not invite the masthead to his press conference.
The Bulletin attended to ensure the community was informed of his plans.
“Going into public office you expect digging and mud and all the rest and everything gets thrown and it’s not all mud, there’s some that sticks,” Mr Thompson said.
“I’m the first to say I’ve made mistakes in my life but you learn from your mistakes and you forward face.
“So dig and dig and dig but at some point there will be a line in the sand and I will stop answering.” ”
The full link but I think it will be ‘paywalled’
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/new-townsville-mayor-to-test-council-assets-rate-freeze-and-relationship-with-nq-media/news-story/199a1baacfb98b0d382c7c38ecbeddc8?utm_source=TownsvilleBulletin&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Editorial&utm_content=TVB_LATESTNEWS_AM-CUR_01&net_sub_id=278642499&type=curated&position=1
THAT does not fill one with confidence at all, it is the standard deflection of con men through the ages – making themselves the innocent hapless victims of circumstance and vicious media.
One lesson Thompson has obviously not learned is to NOT lie or spin about past matters if you’re running for public office, because you are bound to be found out. And TwoNames, you were making ‘mistakes’ here in Townsville the past few years, first, with a questionable partner, the Australian Regional News venture using government ‘initiative’ hand-outs until it went belly up. And the that ludicrous claim of a community recreational complex including ‘gaming facilities’ in a local park. In your public pleadings to burrow into the public purse, you made the ridiculous claim that your grand scheme would make a ‘conservative profit of $12million in the first year’. Profit generally being around 10-15%, your little castle-in-the-air therefore was going to generate a gross income of $100/$120 million in the first year? The only person who believed that was the Bulletin reporter who didn’t even blink let alone question that hokum. The ‘Pie suspects that those who put you up to being front man for this deeply flawed idea have also backed you as mayor, in the hope that you will try to revive the scheme (as community benefiting, probably – a courageous claim when pokies are involved) from the mayor’s office. We’ll be watching that one closely.
No mate, The ‘Pie is waiting to be proved wrong that you are a con man, and not a very good one at that.
Christ, this town can’t even get itself a top-shelf con man ….oh, wait a minute, sorry Prins, forgot about you for a second.
And just while The ‘Pie is in the mood to ask a few questions of our ‘victim mayor’, that explanation about changing your name doesn’t make sense.You said you married the woman Birnbrauer, you took her name because she was last in her family line, and (presumably)she wanted the name to continue down to descendants.
Noble stuff, but utter bullshit.
Even the dullest must realise that the woman could’ve been knocked up in or outside marriage by, say, King Billy Cokebottle, and the kid could still have the name Birnbrauer. It’s a choice, or isn’t it in Germany? By convention, marriage would change the mother’s name, but you changing to hers is irrelevant to what name the child carries. Or did she tell you differently?
Oh dear, the alternative explanation doesn’t look good for you, old chum: do not tell us that you got CONNED into a marriage that was bound to fail …
Interesting to note that in Mooney’s Division three people out of every ten DIDN’T EVEN BOTHER TO VOTE and then there was the Informal votes.
Yes, but there’s two ways of looking at that … maybe the 30% thought he was a shoo-in anyway, and did the lazy thing.
“The Bulletin attended to ensure the community was informed of his plans.”
That’s the funniest thing I’ve read on here in 6 months
Getting up Gas Carvey’s pantaloons may have been the best thing Thompson has done for the community in a long time … she’s on the warpath.
Birnbrauer as Mayor is running a big city. Has anyone been able to pinpoint any business ventures he has actually been proven to be successful in? I only ask this as some failed ventures have been publicised- do we have anything to offset those failures to give us some confidence in what he will be like as Mayor?
Ask him, he’ll think of something. Just don’t mention newspapers or recreational community centres.
Happy Easter everybody. Bad news, the Easter Rabbit won’t be coming this year.
https://images.app.goo.gl/1k6UWTaWrZ4yd5BV8
That’s a hare of the dog.
Maybe coz he inserted the Energiser batteries the wrong way around?
Hey St Peter & Newcomer! You reading this?
Can you sought out the ‘tin foils’ from the intellectual or more likely common sense?
FFS so many people acting all emotional on here over an election. Seriously, there are bigger problems in life to deal with other than worrying excessively about our new dodgy mayor. Ol Troy can’t fuck things up worse than what the Mullet was doing, can he?
Well, that is the unanswered question Soldier! And, we have to wait for the answer.
I tend to agree, Jenny was bad for Townsville, and held our city, businesses and others to ransom with her positions, built over a long period of time.
Thompson’s not even in the chair and people are out for him. We all know he’s voted in by the people as are 6 other newbies. As they say, it’s time for a change. Personally, I think he will clean house through a new CEO, and he has plenty of people on his side, the media trifle will always be there.
Having met him a few times on his campaigning, he’ll be a better figure than Jenny, and perhaps the person to bring down the empire built by Jenny. Either way, he’s the new mayor, if he says the books are bad, someone has told him that, perhaps the council is near insolvency, what if that’s why he can’t freeze, he has weeks to approve the budget set out by Jenny with no money in the TCC bank, the culture is bad.
I think the whole media team will be ditched, I can see comms being done internally and perhaps another sun type of paper, at least that’s what we all hope, because media is bias and corrupt
‘People are out to get him’? You mean you’re willing to ignore that basic dishonesty of the bloke over many years, and conveniently shoot the messengers for simply stating facts and questioning evasive answers. Sure , The Magpie went further with the rhetoric, this is a personal opinion blog (which some seems to misunderstand) but you seem want to wish away what The ‘Pie sees as a possible disaster, based on part performance and associations.
Look here’s what’s going to happen … when Thompson actually gets his feet under the mayoral desk, he will suddenly realise the reality of where he is and what his scope is … and pull his head in. He’ll do that to ensure he keeps his quarter of a mill per plus perks for at least the next four years. He’s clearly chased the main chance for years, and now he’s got it, now way will he let it go over a few pesky things like big noting promises, the main one which he has already broken.
What was Keating’s saying about always back self interest?
Westy if the whole media team is ditched who will replace them? Two Name’s girlfriend? I hear she’s a dab hand with social media.
Wonder if her name is Erica.
There are some sus comments on here from posters backing Thompson. I reckon Erica is popping up under different names. I also think ‘Erica’ is still Erica Keam. I don’t think Erica Keam thought that the Nesters would identify her, but they did. When she was outed she made a post as Erica Keam and claimed she was being misrepresented. I call bullshit as suddenly ‘Erica’ disappeared, so did Erica Keam, and now we have posters like Westy who is another new fan of Thompson and is more than likely Erica Keam. All roads lead to Rome.
The Magpie had private email dealings with Ms Keam before this name problem blew up, and can assure you she is not the poster under that name. She came across in private emails as an absolutely straight shooter, in a manner and writing style nothing like the dross from the poster.
So sorry mate, your comment was published only because you are a trusted regular, but this time, dead set wrong.
Does Troy Thompson play darts?
If not he will if he reads this week’s comments.
Waitx until he sees tomorrow’s Nest.
Looking forward to the expose, Magpie. Twonames could do himself a favour and read this blog and then respond/clear up some of the outstanding issues that Malcom has succinctly highlighted. Shower I won’t be holding my breath. I am still very happy that Frau Hill, Moccacino, and a couple of other dimwit Councillors got the bullet, but it’s just a shame that we have a new mayor with a proven track record of being dishonest and a shonk. Hopefully he is smart enough to send the TCC CEO packing and on his way.
The problem with is of course how can we believe anything he says.But if he sends in his version of issues raised here, it will be published unedited. But given the cupidity of his mob, any such submission will have to come with proof that it from him and not from some wannabee idiot.
He may have a problem sending the CEO “packing” as they are birds of a feather, the CEO may well have plenty of dirt he can use to “lever” his situation!
Correct The ‘Pie if he is wrong (rare but has been known) but don’t think Thompson himself has expressed any such sentiment. In fact, might be birds of a feather in a way you haven’t anticipated. Besides, it’s a council vote which is effectively the approval of a new CEO after a long application process, and more just letting the current CEO’s contract lapse than be renewed.
According to twonames’ blog, he won’t be sworn in until 10 April and until then TCC is in caretaker mode, under the direction of the CEO Prins.
We wait patiently. What a long haul this is!
April 1st not available?
1April is a public holiday – FIFO Prins is still outta town!
Pie, April 1 is Monday, a public holiday. Our local government employees wouldn’t be caught dead working on a public holiday. Besides, the part-time CEO will want to be present and he has probably gone to Hamilton Island or Bali for the long weekend. We all know how little actual work he does.
ECQ must be working over Easter. All seats now declared.