And they fooled at least one person … Cas Garvey, iditor of the Astonisher. The subject: that tired old ‘slow news day’ special, a breakaway North Queensland state.
But Maybe we can’t blame the poor gal, this week Ms Garvey was greatly distracted by sperm counts and men’s balls … literally.
Did former TCC CEO Prins Ralston demand his pound of flesh … and then some …. when he was – ahem – ‘on the job’ in Walker Street?
Surely there is a limit to the financial bullshit we are asked to swallow … the latest pipeline revelations demand a full inquiry.
And Bentley is has popped back in for a welcome visit, pointing out a tricky problem for US/Australia relations under the new maniac.
As usual, any help you can offer to help defray Nest costs will be as greatly appreciated as it is greatly needed. The donate button is at the end of the blog.
Ketterwauling
That old poetic prune of yesteryear, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, once famously wrote ‘how can I love thee, let me count the ways.’ Let The Magpie update for the use of the Townsville Bulletin iditor Cas Garvey: “How can I insult you, let me count the ways.’ Her insul tally is almost reaching the same dizzy heights as Troy Thompson. But the latest effort scores on several fronts all at once, a stellar performance, in the form of Friday’s front page.
This is a greater beat up than Les Walker ever copped , and is delusionary on a grand scale, matched by the outright and deliberate lie at the centre of thr words. All magnified by being on the front page.
Before we move to the story itself, let’s look at the headline. It reminds The ‘Pie of when the Lone Ranger and Tonto were surrounded and outnumbered by angry injuns., and the Lone Ranger said ‘Looks like we are in trouble, Tonto.’ To which Tonto so famously replied, ‘What’s this WE business, paleface?’
The ‘Pie was puzzled at the early appearance of this perennial non-issue, because he has never seen anywhere at any time, any suggestion that a majority support any breakaway move a new state. So, gosh, something must have changed for this to suddenly hit the front page, better check out the story.
WOW, you beaut.
Oh, wait a minute. Hmmm … as expected, this exciting agitation in the general populace to ditch Brisbane are the findings of a poll on the subject, which also tells us people are clamoring for Townsville to become the new capital. Cor, that won’t be ‘alf show ‘em up in Cairns, mum, begood for the local economy, an’ all, too, by gum.
So what are the numbers for this conclusion to be reached? Reading down, we learn …
So the Astonisher thinks a poll of 913 people is a fair enough sample out of 5,529,292 Queenslander for front page treatment…. even though it turns out only 42% were in favour of this daft idea which is never going to happen. That means 383 folks cared enough to put their banjos down and kicked the dogs off the verandah long enough to answer the city slickers questions.
Robbie Katter, who was once but no longer the custodian of the Katter Family marbles, instigated this publicity stunt, and added to its attractiveness with the idea that the executive of the new state should be split between Townsville and Cairns. Yes, really.
And Cas Garvey yet again fell for it.
Oh, Cas, Cum On!!
Christ, talk about over-sharing … and on the front page.
This is a highly personal and intimate yarn about a bloke who was shooting blanks, in fact, it was worse, he had no ammo in the magazine, but a medical procedure in Melbourne resulted in him fathering twins.
Putting aside there seems to be a word – ‘with’ from the headline, we are told in loving detail a lot of stuff we had no right – and for most of us, no desire – to know. It is not news of any community import, and dumbs down the perception of its readership to a couple of housewives gossiping over the back fence. And one wonders why we need to know that his wife is an ageing chubster who would never get a job at Steggles. Did the poor woman know this was part of the story?
“David, diagnosed with azoospermia while Lindsey, at 37, had a low ovarian reserve, producing fewer than five eggs per IVF cycle. Additionally, her age and weight posed further challenges to egg quality and pregnancy success. .”
Yes, sure, the kids do look beautiful and the proud Dad also seems to have overcome another life challenge, when he tells us: “I am a shy person, and really haven’t talked much about my infertility.” Good to know, Dave, you’ll be the hit of the dinner party circuit now.
Look, good luck to you Dave, but sorry, but your story is not one to dominate a front page of a supposedly serious city newspaper. In fact, it is ideally suited to the Saturday ‘all girls together’ weekend magazine insert edited by mum Bettina Warburton…. she would no doubt have been eager to snap on the journalistic surgical gloves to probe these matters.
And Cas, you can’t even claim this for your ace investigative staff, reporter Jackie Sinnerton is the Courier Mail health roundsperson. One wonders if the couple realised they would get this treatment in their hometown.
However, let The Magpie tell you, Dave and Lindsay, the above has been written not in any way diminishing the reality of your story, it’s about the paper’s judgement of its treatment of personal details and prominence. How the paper goes about its business is a reflection of its regard for the community, and its handling of this yarn reaffirms that it is so often not a serious publication.
And Cas, your headline writers don’t help, with laboured stuff like this.
But If You Want To Go Into Personal Details, Cas …
… you could go all News of the World and check the salacious gossip that drifted into the Nest during week, and on inquiry, was confirmed by a second source as a well known Walker street water cooler favourite.
Time and date unknown but did ex-TCC CEO Prins Ralston get some after-hours staff assistance with his desk top … not the one on his computer, his actual desktop? Story goes he was caught in flagrante delicto while getting on top of some after hours business, and made certain threats if it was ever mentioned around the office. Which, of course, it immediately was, but no one was game to say anything outside until now. Of course, Cas, we understand that since this was still the Mayor Mullet era, you may already know all about this but have chosen not to mention it. (And The Magpie does not suggest The Prince’s horizontal dance partner was The Mullet …. clearly too long in the tooth and not limber enough for the required gymnastics ).
Or perhaps, Cas, you could get Bettina to do a colour piece on the head of the local RAAF unit in Townsville. He is apparently a married man, whose husband is in the Army. Something for everybody in that, showing how far we’ve come as a society down the years.
But you could clear up a nagging question of protocol … is he addressed as ‘sir’ or as ‘ma’am’.
There Comes A Time When COVID As An Excuse Is Well Past Its Use-By Date
… when the weight of facts must lead to an inquiry, and censure as necessary.
This was already on the honker bigtime, when ratepayers were told they would be paying an unexpected $80m towards this mismanaged fuck-up, (thanks to the ego of Camerton Dick) but now the new government has the opened the books, the stink is such that it demands an investigation. Covid cannot be trotted out as a reason for this blow-out from $195million to more than $500million …. that’s around a 150% increase.
And while the focus will be on the Palaszczuk/Miles decisions and Treasure Cameron Dick’s prickly ego maneuverings of political posturing, it is to be remembered that Jenny Hill was a Labor knob polisher. There must surely be some tricky questions lying ahead for her and for those Team Hill councillors who remain in Walker Street. Culpable council executives probably won’t be around to face the music, having drifted off to a well cushioned retirement … cushy enough to drift off-shore if things get too hot. And hot they are likely to get, this goes beyond the usual government overspend, there seems to be a strong element of criminality is sums like this.
Calls for an administrator will only get louder and more insistent if the books aren’t opened publicly, here and in Brisbane.
And a late message into the Nest from a generally well informed regular reader says:
| Jenny |
Magpie, I know it’s a bit late in the day for this edition but I have found the Agenda for the TCC meeting next Wednesday and anyone who is really, really interested in Council financials should take a look. There are reports available online now for Capital projects quarterly update, Budget variance report and Queensland Audit Office 2024 Final Management Report, amongst other things. That last one is a doozy. |
A Left-Handed Compliment For The Astonisher
It is a sad fact that most of the good writing in the Townsville Bulletin is in the Letters to the Editor. Even when one doesn’t agree with the basic sentiment of an issue, letters are usually well reasoned and grammatically (mostly) correct. And occasionally, The Magpie is moved to flatter the paper by reprinting a constructive contribution.
Recently, the Astonisher printed a mildly fascist opinion column of alternative facts and outright flapdoodle from regular flapdoodler Erin Molan.
Most glossed over the column and quickly forgot it, but one person wasn’t going to let the dangerous call to extremism go unchallenged. So last Wednesday, the following letter was published.
The ‘Pie has said it before, but Cas Garvey doesn’t have a local opinion columnist to take the place of the late and much lamented – and much read – Shari Tagliabue but there are several letter writers who demonstrate they have both research ability and the intelligence to express themselves without stooping to Magpie-esque crudery. Surely she could perhaps get up a rotating roster of guest columnist across a wide spectrum from among the half dozen good letter writers to the paper.
Mr Mellon’s letter could well have been written by Shari, it was her probing, goading and humorous style. Letting someone like Mr Mellon loose on the local scene, employing his attention to detailed research, would be interesting to say the least .
Although if Mr Mellon is who The ‘Pie thinks he is, he might have to do it under a pseudonym for Townsville issues.
The ‘Back To The Future’ Advertising Fail Of The Year
Being the latest with the newest is always a thing for those clever clogs in the advertising industry … but an excess of enthusiasm and too many coffees can blind anyone to reality.
Recently, The ‘Pie was idly looking around used vehicles for sale. He is aware that his 1997 Toyota Corolla , which, like The Magpie, himself is much loved but getting on a bit, and that it would be prudent to start having a look around at the market. That would be the bottom end of the market, around the 3-4K mark. Slim pickin’s, as one might expect, but then, he suddenly came on a curious offering …. a 2008 SUV of exotic make (Peugeot), worth a look, but first the price, ah, let see now …. . clutch the pearls, sacre bleu, WTF, gasp!! ... $39,990!!
Even though the ad was not in the Townsville Bulletin, The ‘Pie thought that it must be a typo. But no, that was the asking call, and it wasn’t a cock up, no one was lying, it was indeed a 2008 Peugeot for that price.
Yup, some finger-snapping, forehead tapping George Costanza in the company’s ad agency – you know the type, who wears a bow tie with tropical shirts and holds his vape stick with thumb and index finger – somehow thought it was a good idea to call a 2024/25 car model a ‘2008’.
For which he/she/they earns The ‘Pie’s self explanatory award.
Bentley At His Best
While all countries try to readjust their posture towards the new presidency, personal posture is the problem for one Australian in Washington who didn’t remember that in the world of diplomacy, being right can often be wrong.
Trump Unchained
The Guardian’s Marina Hyde
Others have said it better than The Magpie ever could, so he will leave one of the better judgements to a much better writer, Marina Hyde in The Guardian. She ended her thought piece during the week about the debacle with this ‘back to the future’ prediction.
“Now, the mainstream press can reveal the most damning evidence about Trump and it goes nowhere. His supporters either never hear those revelations – because they get their news from Trump-friendly TV and social media channels – or, if they do, they flatly dismiss them as lies.On this basis, allow me to make one more prediction, which is that Trump’s dysfunctional relationship with power will once more lead to objectively terribly bad events, probably a lot sooner than last time. And at that point, large numbers of senior figures will wonder how on earth they ended up forgetting they’d been here before. So the biggest ones should be feeling unsettlingly exposed to risk even now, in the moment of victory. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice … I would say they know how that one goes, but they seem to have made the fatal mistake of forgetting.”
One has a sneaking feeling that a little part of all cartoonists around the world are secretly rejoicing at the result, and they’ve wasted no time limbering up. Of particular interest was the mobster president’s reveal of his Cabinet of Curiosities.
And Finally …
The cost-of-living crisis is evident everywhere.
…………
So passes another week of the increasingly interesting times in which we now find ourselves. Feel free to vent in comments, because it is free. The donate button to help out with Nest costs is below.
Yet again only a few weeks after issues raised in the Magpies Nest on Councils finances and inability to complete projects the new State Government request a ” please explain ” to Council on a possible further $80 mil blow out on the Haughton stage 2 pipeline . In contrast Peter Honeycombe stood up for those invitees at the opening of the new Telstra office / warehouse cbd built ” the project is on time on budget ” . Time and credibility is running out for Councillors / Executive as either they find cuts in the budget to get it into the black and cover the blowouts or the Crisafulli Government will tie conditions to funding or bring in an administrator . No other Queensland regional Council is hitting ratepayers on rates or large increases to resi approvals like T.C.C. .The hypocrisy of Council for ratepayers to fund a Council entity to the tune of $1 mil + thats suppose to advise business when Council cant manage theirs .
“No other Queensland regional Council is hitting ratepayers on rates or large increases to resi approvals like T.C.C. .”
Really? The data says otherwise.
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/payments-rates-and-permits/understanding-your-rates/rate-comparisons
Need to be careful taking this material at face value, especially when it is a defensive publication rather than an independent assessment. It may well be right, but then, the starting base needs to be taken into account and whether there is selective inclusion of water, relevant valuations etc in some and not others, for instance.
But anyway, in the end, any comparison, no matter how it comes out, is meaningless … what’s good for one goose’s particular circumstances isn’t relevant to the ganders situation. Would it be so outrafeous to mandate an upper limit on rates anywhere, and force the council to trim its largesse on re-election projects?
Slightly more accurate than Mike’s allegations
Like most stats they are made up to suit an argument, at the very least they are very skewed. Base rates are calculated on the unimproved value of the land so I would like to a least see that factored in a comparison.
Lies, damn lies and statistics. A council which charges what we do for the low level of service we provide does not give the same relative value as somewhere like Rockhampton, Toowoomba or others where rates are turned into parks, gardens, good planning, building developments, and safe cities. Townsville rates are just poured into the black pit of despair that Hill and her successive predatory CEOs dug for us.
Ducks Nuts , you must rent do you otherwise if you looked at your rates notice they reduced the early discount by 5 % . Then theres the rate increase so total most suburbs + 9 % , 27 % the last 3 years . When I pay bills I normally go from the notice or invoice and pay vs marketing spin front the supplier .
Naww good for you Mike that you could pay within the discount period. In the current economic climate not many people can, so the discount is irrelevant. Perhaps have a chat to council and ask how many ratepayers are on payment plans.
I swapped to monthly payments for rates. A lot kinder on the hip pocket than finding $5k twice a year. (No I don’t live in a flash suburb, just a big block).
…. of cheese?
The mayor said voluntary administrators should be appointed to the media as the annual report was released, drawing attention to capital projects, some 2100, and that we complete 50 a year. He also spoke about big blowouts and that Haughton is not the largest, so Lansdowne it must be. Jenny Hill, Scott Stewart and past and returning councils should be investigated.
‘administrators should be appointed to the media”? We have punctuation for a reason, Mike.
true that
And that’s irony.
The person assisting Prins with his desktop was walked out of Council. I believe it was reported by a reader in February 2023. She can now be found at the TAFE.
Ducky, Same thing happened out at Fleet Services Workshop at Webb Dr. Apparently no dismissal’s or like. Happened around the same time.
Bahaha well it wouldn’t be the first time
Just remember, no one sacked Adele or anyone she was getting desk support from. For example a particular senior project manager and executive officer.
Who ever the woman is she obviously suffers from a condition called ‘ anosmia’ , the Moggs has been told Prins stunk like Pepe` Le Pugh, but hesitant to say ‘pole cat’ because none of my brethren would be so unkempt.
What a lurk hey? $600k + expenses for a part time position as TCC CEO, wonder if he claimed on his entertainment expense account for his romp or two or maybe 3.
Any wonder TCC finances are in such a woeful position.
Has the pipeline returning the treated water from the Cleveland Bay sewerage farm been commissioned and used or is another of the last councils money into the ground effort
There is a lot of truth around this, alas, the newspaper would never tell these stories.
Well, the paper would if it involved Prins having prostate cancer and was shooting blanks.
So Ralston screwed Townsville when he consulted with Nouse when his work led to the shafting of many staff. Then he screwed Townsville as CEO by fluffing the finances of Council and sinking the region further into debt. Now we find out that he was literally screwing a staff member. What a fucking grub. I’m glad he fucked off back to Brisbane.
Be aware it is not proven, but where there’s post coital smoke, there bound to be firings. And that’s what looks like having happened.
Pie,
Post Coital Smoke!
What a Cracka .
What,no lube……….
Not sure how (or even if) the Townsville Bulletin and other News Ltd publications reported the riots in Amsterdam last weekend but for someone who is intensely interested in how the media works it sure raises some questions. For those not familiar, the arrival from Israel of more than 3,000 Maccabi Tel Aviv fans for a UEFA soccer match set up a post match street confrontation which was then intentionally dishonestly reported. The world’s most ‘reputable’ media disgraced themselves.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvTyg1kJGzM
Great find. Brilliantly professional dissection of the event. And although only a mention at the end, the issue of laws regarding disinformation pose major threats to real information – and therefore what impaired freedom we still enjoy – if the laws are framed as a government sledgehammer if they so choose. This video spells out exactly what those dangersvare.
Jenny – can’t you hear the dog whistle – or do you just want to broadcast it? I’m away at present but will respond as soon as I get back. In the meantime, you keep listening to Radio Palestine.
Hey Harpic, on 3 March 2015, you changed your profile on Facebook from Aaron Harper – Labor for Thuringowa to Aaron Harper MP. Three weeks after the 2024 election where you had your arse kicked, you still have the title MP after your name. You are no longer a Member of Parliament so may I suggest that you lose the title completely or replace it with FL. This is misleading advertising and will be reported to CCC. If TwoNames can get reported for misleading voters, so can you chump.
Problem there Kenny he’s not standing for election, so he can call himself whatever he wants. And why shouldn’t he, we do. heh heh heh.
But if he uses an official crest or email address, that’s a different matter.
It’s funny that people say the Townsville Bulletin have a bias towards Labor, or the LNP, when it’s pretty clear that the paper has a bias towards the Katter Party, and will uncritically print any brain fart that they come up with.
It’s not bias in the case of the Kattertonics, it’s laziness in the pursuit of populism.
There’s another nothing story from the Katters in today’s paper. He’s good at feeding the chooks.
Pie, please cease and desist from mentioning Prins doing the horizontal on the desk with an un-named female and then casually throwing in the name ‘Mullet’ !
Some things read can burn holes in the brain thus making one shudder at a vision of such a possibility ! My Weetbix went very soggy too !
Prins, always looked greasy and dishelvelled after meetings, I would think his activities weren’t just limited to the desktop.
After all Prins knows his way around many a boardroom table, the latest being Powerlink where his old mate The Mullet has joined him.
So who’s knows what goes on behind closed doors…
Corruption is rampant in all forms of government in this country. It’s caused by greed and no one will ever stop it, now or in the future. And every week the government take 30% out of my pay to help pay for it.
HA HA HA HA
It’s no fucking wonder people are moving to other countries to live. They may be corrupt too, but it costs a third of the price to live.
Reading the news about the further blowout in costs around the Haughton pipeline duplication I reached for this week’s Magnetic Community News for a reiteration:
“One of the key commitments Phillip Thompson made before being elected in 2019 was $200M in Federal funding to complete the Haughton Pipeline, which was refused by the former Labor-led Council and Labor State Government due to a lie about how the funding might affect its GST allocation.
“The refusal by former Mayor Jenny Hill and the Labor State Government to accept federal funding due to political games has now cost our community hundreds of millions of dollars,” Mr Thompson said.
“The price of this project has gone from $180M to half a billion dollars, and it is taxpayers who are having to foot the bill.”
Leaving aside for a moment the “lie” and the mayoral “refusal” – as if Townsville council and ratepayers ever had any option but to agree to the necessity for the pipeline – how does a government, at any level, contain and control the cost of any major project? We saw how the stadium cost 20% over the so-called budget. We see various metro road tunnel projects with seeming ‘cost+’ arrangements. As for the ‘Inland Rail’ thing Vic-NSW-Qld or the AUKUS submarine thing – there isn’t a big enough number. So if the Queensland Treasury has been keeping tabs on the Haughton job – and it must be because all the invoices must go there – it has always known that “taxpayers” (presumably Queenslanders) were going to foot the bill. So the Crisafulli government, now in charge of the Treasury, will have to pay the final instalment for the Haughton pipeline unless it determines, in its wisdom, that Townsville ratepayers have not done enough. Phillip Thompson won’t be much help.
Jenny, I am usually in awe of your insightfulness.
In this case however you are just prattling. If the job had just been done instead of the Political argy-bargy it would have been finished at least 12 months ago and been operating by now. Labor totally stuffed it up as well you know. Have a nice day. (Should have just been stage 1 in any event, also as you well know.)
Russell, you seem to have overlooked a couple of pipeline components that seriously undermine your thesis. In order for the basic Haughton 1 duplication to become ‘operational’ (ie. capable of delivering a doubling of the ‘top-up’ to a drought-reduced Ross River dam), besides the actual 1800mm pipeline, three more components would be required:
1. A much larger lift pump at the Clare Weir on the lower Burdekin River to deliver greater volumes to the Haughton Channel,
2. A major earthworks upgrade of the Haughton irrigation channel itself to increase its capacity (estimated at the time to cost $50m),
3. Installation of a new larger capacity stilling basin and the main pump at the Haughton River to push the water over to the Ross River catchment.
None of those components have been built. They will not be part of Haughton 2 which has more pipeline and one only pump at the Clare Weir..
The other question is about urgency. Townsville has a notoriously extreme climate regime taking us from near record drought in 2017 to record floods in 2019. The Ross River dam is currently at 74% with a likely wet season just around the corner. The pipeline, even if it was ‘operational’, would not be switched on – and may not be for years, even decades – unless some other use is found for that new water, like rapid suburban growth or Lansdown industry for example. We had to have the pipeline but we don’t need it right now. Quandary eh? Expensive eh? Who knew?
That Jane Arlett’s initial proposal was visionary, to drought proof the future of a city destined to become Queensland’s second most important socio-economic centre. Jenny Hill derided the idea (‘there is no water crisis’ on the initial orders of her Brisbane overlords, who changed their minds and she adopted Arlett’s core campaign plank as her own.
But your last point is THE point …. we did not know that was going to be 150% more expensive than the ‘experts’ calculated. And there definitely should not be any localised ‘user pays’ argument about the ratepayers $80m contribution, which was never mentioned and never voted on (until the last election). A water-secure Townsville benefits the whole state, in fact the whole nation, and arguments about self-entitled whingeing local tightwads is front bar pig ignorance.
Even Jayne Arlett’s plan from 2015/16 contained financial landmines that would likely have caused the same headaches we face today. An article in the Bulletin on 23/1/16 revealed a willingness to put the city into $80m debt to duplicate the Haughton pipeline:
“The existing Haughton Pipeline was the first stage in a project to connect Townsville to the [Burdekin] water supply.
“Stage two has been on the cards for eight years at the council and it absolutely should have been built by now,” Ms Arlett said.
Currently, the council has budgeted $80 million to build the $160 million pipeline in the 2019-20 financial year.
Ms Arlett said she would ensure work began this year, if elected at the March 19 election, and was confident she could secure further funding from governments.
But if that was not forthcoming, she said she would borrow the extra $80 million.
She would structure loan repayments so future residents, the main beneficiaries, would pay for its construction.
Pumping to the Ross River Dam costs between $22,000 and $27,000 a day – about 30c per rateable property.
But the current pipeline can only pump up to 130ML a day, which is well below the city’s average daily use of about 180ML.”
No doubt state and federal governments would have come to the funding party but no one then, or now. has been able to control cost blowouts on ‘government’ jobs. Rorting just seems to be par for the course.
Now you’re really stretching your credibility, Jen Jen.
You’re Arlett quotes arec all from campaign statements, and are not necessarily matters that could or would have happened at that time. And Ms Arlett had no overlord pulling the strings had she got into the mayoral chair.
You’re suggestion of inevitability is just mischievous gum flapping … really, you just couldn’t be that silly to mean it. Seems you just can’t resist finding something you googled and reaching the wrong conclusion … in other words, you just can’t shut up about anything.
The “pipeline” will cost maybe a billion or more.
I briefly joined the WFTAG water for townsville action group. Listened but they had pipelines on the brain. I put forward the cost issues and how WATER RECYCLING was the fastest, cheapest most effective way of getting extra water to townsville in the short term AND long term. There were other concerning issues with the group so I just left.
Anyway water recycling is the way to go and there you have it. I’ve been saying that for what, at least a decade.
Feeling better now petal, you got to have a dig at the LNP and Phil Thompson. Just can’t help being the Labor troll that you are, can you? The fact is this towns finances are in deep shit and the vast majority of that situation can be attributed to Jenny Hill. How moronic that Hill and Ralston are now serving on the same board. What a fucking joke that is.
Hope their not hot desking in the modern manner.
The rumours around the part time CEO slipping a length to the TCC staffer have been around for a while. If true, she must’ve been desperate and had a penchant for men then have bad B.O and smell like vindaloo’s. Of interest was that she was a fruitcake also, nobody was sad when she ‘left’. My guess is that the Prince wouldn’t have been so stupid and unprofessional, but then again we are talking about TCC. Hopefully the astute Joe McCool will keep his ferret harnessed and not bring the council into disrepute.
Nice name change.
As regards the danger of Joe McCool emulating his predecessor, perhaps we should defer to Winston Churchill statement when informed he’d left his fly buttons undone after visiting the toilet, observed that ‘do not be concerned, dead birds don’t fall out of their nests.’
Tony Abbott went one better with his (little) budgie smuggler.
Gas Carvey is one of a long line of Iditors who have consecutively failed the newspaper. It’s no surprise as there is no real skill required anymore as most articles are rebadged Courier Snail articles. You don’t need a proper editor or local journalists when most articles are cut and pasted from the main header in Brisbane.
Jenny,
Did you send donations to your mates ‘ Morons 4 Palestine’ to help with their protest against the Myer annual Christmas window display?
Anyway I have a lovely thoughtful gift for you for Chrissie a boxed set of DVD’s ‘50 years of activism – NQCC ‘ proudly sponsored by TCC. You’ll see a couple of familiar faces from Maggie who share their selective memories of the Island and their group’ ‘Island Voice’ seems age has fogged their minds and they have been loose with the truth.
I have taken the name to use in the Nest.
Back in the day they were known as ‘ the secret 7’ because they used to hold their meetings in the local phone box.
Try not to get too emotional watching your mates pumped up ego’s.
Remember it’s another waste of ratepayer dollars.
Jenny (Elusive Butterflog) is used to dealing in cash donations directed towards select Labor councillors. Jenny is a shill.
Rudd was a tosser as a PM and even moreso as an ambassador. Real diplomats know how to control themselves, lest the current foe becomes the master, etiquette 101
Rudd is a sociopath and a narcissist. He craves attention from the high end of town and will do anything to receive it. After all, he and Therese are multi millionaires many times over. It’s not the money he craves, it’s the fame. His emotional outbursts against Murdoch and News Corpse are amusing. And now his comments about the orange man are coming back to haunt him. Gutless Albo doesn’t have the spine to punt him, and I think Trump will bay for his blood. My guess is that Rudd will pull the pin and run back home to Aus.
You’ve convinced me that Rudd and Trump have a lot in common, we should keep him as ambassador!
Can’t agree more Prince R, Rudd and Swan were the very worst tag team of Canberra inmates to ever be in charge of the country and treasury. Swan had never had a real world role as a fiscal manager at any level and Rudd hands him the keys to the Treasury ! Go figure !
Ego maniac Rudd always liked to hear the sound of his own voice adding a well groomed beard to enhance the perception of a learned professional. He and wife rorted the government insider info side of things rocketing them into millionaire status with her government funded business.
He’s shit in his own nest now(sorry Pie) and I agree that Trump will drop the hammer and punt him.
The down side of course, is we get the little ego maniac fucker back on Australian soil looking to find a position that allows him to educate us on the error of our ways. Based on latest ABC News reports maybe as an adviser to Allan Jones !
TCC needs go into administration
I agree.
As I’ve been saying since 2010
Council needs to pay back its debt
Council needs to cut back on its spending
If you look at the Council as a business hard decisions need to be made regarding spending – what we spend on ie COST / BENEFIT.
WAGES : paying upper “management” including councillors high wages just doesn’t make sense given the collapse in KPI over the years. It’s why I’ve always thought simply getting retired people in as councillors, let them run the ship. The wages of the management in Council need to take a haircut of say %15 across the board with that % growing bigger as you march up the pay scale
Wages of a business will often contribute around 1/3 of the outgoings. Frontline workers should be exempt from this wage cut because they actually DO something – however weekend grass cutting and the like needs to be curtailed. Realistic goals need to be set for front line workers , following the Korean model , you need a flattened payscale pyramid and a situation where “managers” take an active part in work. It’s the disconnect of issuing unreasonable orders from air conditioned offices- you aren’t the one roasting in.the sun.
Risk management seems to be based around adding more pages rather than having core understanding of those risks and acting appropriately.
The key take way is stop ALL further loans, reduce the massive spending, reduce unsustainable wage bills.
Ah, there you are, been waiting for you, Guy. The ‘Pie believes he can help in your quest for enlightenment.
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1690502368393659
Council needs to go back to basics and do what they are responsible for under the Local Government Act ie water, roads, sewerage, parks rubbish and rates. If it’s not a responsibility under the act, then ditch it eg the millions of dollars spent on community grants and sponsorships and the staging of events. Review the Perc Tucker Art Gallery, Civic Theatre undertake cost recovery and cut back the hours of opening of the libraries and again undertake cost recovery for libraries programs. Question why council spends ratepayers funds on things such as School Holiday Programs.
Radical thoughts and actions but drastic action and pain needs to be taken to reduce the cities debt and replace/repair the ageing infrastructure.
The simple and obvious reasons that the TCC spends so much money on those things it really has no business funding is because for a decade or more we have a Labor council.
The fact is many activities being funded by council are unsustainable.
Yes – I know this will make people scream ( again) but the damage was done by first by tyrell and every council since the amalgamation.
Cut the management numbers, cut management wages. Reduce spending, stop all further debt taking
Its the only way.
GUY : You Really are a complete Fool . The Tax Implications of any Retired Person working either Part Time or full time would come into vogue . But as a failed Fridge/ Stove Mechanic you would not understand these implications I under stand you are not Currently Employed… You really are a Idiot …
Has it occurred to you the wages of these people that will save townsville will be minimal and tax implications will be minimal ? – wake up.
Given the debt crisis cut the wages of councillors and jettison unsustainable costs / assets.
Focus on crazy things like making sure basic services are functioning.
I’m a great believer that it will be the retired people that can turn this ship around
Seems that Charlie Darwin’s evolution theory may need some fine tuning. If disgusting, foul mouthed, 10% Paleolithic Lidia Thorpe is the result of (alleged) 60,000 years of dubious evolution!
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/breaking-news/senate-censures-lidia-thorpe-after-royal-protest/news-story/a87b27b937c8848fae0eda73c85f026c
The ‘Pie is a bit ambivalent about Thorpe’s action. She is an aboriginal independent senator, and as such, has the right to voice her opinion about royalty. She was being true to her elected position and no doubt spoke for her claimed race. The Magpie does not agree with the time and place or the overall manner which lacked the claimed dignity of her cause. That she’s basically a bikie’s mole willing to have undeclared conflicts of interest in her parliamentary duties and a loud mouthed showoff is not relevant here.
The outburst somehow reminded The ‘Pie of another anti-royal, Oscar Wilde and his witticism about fox hunting – “The unspeakable in pursuit of the inedible’.
At least Oscar’s retort was clever, subtle and acceptable criticism. This vile, self appointed “Voice” should consider how she, her race and “her” country will be viewed by the rest of the worlds civilised viewers.
It’s really all about her, if she had any true love of OUR country, and her race she would not allow the rest of the world to see the dregs, by which many will judge her race.
If we plebs were to utter the same in public there are some fairly serious consequences, but she is protect by the very institutions which she vilifies.
Yup.Those institutions are known collectively as ‘democracy’.
And it is never up to the criticised to decide what criticism is acceptable. That’s not how the game works, mate. The criticised can react however they like, but they don’t set the parameters, the law makers and dispensers thereof do that.
Does that mean that I can publicly all her a fake (10%) Aboriginal, yo-yo knickers who needs to be trained in how to express an opinion like a MP should have the decorum to do so.
She is an embarrassment to Australia and to the very cause and people she claims to represent.
No it does not mean you can.
Looking around at the system and the voters of Australia this place is looking like a suicide cult. Things get worse and people are fine with this – until they are directly affected by the problem. It’s the reason I just gave up the ghost and stayed out of the situation until stupidly agreeing to run for council yet once again. You grow tired of people not giving a damn then wondering why things grow worse at an exponential rate. Want things to get better ? Vote in a more responsible way, if you don’t understand much – stay away from the ballot.
Thorpe is an “independent” senator only because she was kicked out of the Greens for lying and generally being a grub. Think how hard it must be to be shit enough for the Greens to throw you out? She was only elected as a senator because the system encouraged fringe parties and loonies.
Encouraging the fringe of society is how preferential voting works in a two party system
When I was walking around door knocking I was explaining this to people – its important to have an open and honest conversation with people.
49 % vote party A
49 % vote party B
You need to capture the votes of the fringe 2% to survive and this is why things have never been more dangerous
Lidia Thorpe gives me a soft-on, and I think she is a loud mouthed racist grub. However, I do think that the Royals are a pack of snivelling c#nts and I support Lidia’s disdain of the pompous and arrogant parasites. Society does not need these royal douche bags and hopefully in the future when there is an economic collapse of WW3, their spoils will help feed the masses. One can only hope and wish.
Something for everybody there.
Terry,
You seem confirmed in your opinions and seemingly well motivated. Perhaps you could take up where Mr. Fawks was forced to leave off. Guy to his friends. You have time to prepare. 5th of November seems to be a preferred date. Don’t forget your matches.
Or you can just gob-off about an admittedly rediculas system that has provided us with a stable parlamentry system.
Pie, I know you don’t like people posting what’s on Twonames Facebook page, but I cropped this little bit in regards to the upcoming Council meeting;
ORDINARY MEETING AGENDA:
1. Upcoming Leases
2. Policy Review – Water Services
3. Policy Review – Legal Services
4. Capital Projects Quarterly Update – October 2024
5. Treasury Report – October 2024
6. Budget Variance Report – October 2024
7. Queensland Audit Office Final Management Report 2023/24
8. CONFIDENTIAL – Human Resources Matter
Items 4 to 8 look interesting. I wonder if the Councillors have had adequate time to digest project, audit, and financial matters? Have finance continued on their course of guilding the lillie or is Joe McCool pushing transparency around financial matters? And of course item 8 is another ‘human resource’ matter.
Item 8 – Is the new Organisation Management Structure (Operations); all the documents are attached on the website now.
Townsville’s councillors need to start interrogating the staff and the bullshit commentary that goes in the capital works variances. We are one third of the way through the financial year and they are already 30% behind where they budgeted. Some of the projects are already forecast to definitely go into the next financial year. The commentary gives no specifics so the public and councillors getting treated like mushrooms and will any of the councillors publicly stand up to the executive and tell them the public deserve to know the information? Instead of the behind-closed-doors workshops.
The Queensland Audit Office report shows the councillors and executive really don’t know what they’re doing with the controlled entities. There are no councillors on either board of NQ Spark which council is a 50% shareholder or the Railyards where council is the 100% stakeholder. I cannot understand why the council isn’t running the Lansdown precinct as a beneficial enterprise either. Then maybe the ratepayers wouldn’t be left with the millstone strangling us.
As always, a succinct point of view by Circus Fan. Team Hill were fooled by their overbearing sergeant Major Jenny Hill for years. Adele and then the stinky Prins also spoke with forked tongues and hid a lot of financial ‘bad news’. It’s up to the councillors (if they have the capability) to dig deep and asked pointed questions in the chamber. The days of just swallowing other people’s shit is over. Time for the councillors to imitate fearless Fran and ask the needed questions, demand evidence, and at the very least use their fucking brains to see what is really going on. Too many years with heads up asses and tapping their twinkle toes and hoping things will fix themselves.
“The days of just swallowing other people’s shit is over.” Don’t we all wish this applied to Cas Garvey and the Astonisher.
C.f.,
Do any of the councillors have the education and qualifications to be board members and the experience to effectively interrogate these project and financial managers?
Not a smart arse question. Being in the board room is one thing. Understand the issue and it’s associated politics is another.
Point in case, our current crop of councillors approved parking meters for the Strand without the foggiest notion of the ‘politics’ of the issue.
Understanding million dollar project management and budgeting is another level. Do any of our councillors have the capacity to competently and fearlessly participate? If not, who is to oversee these projects on the ratepayers behalf?
The councillors are not there to participate at the ‘project management and budgeting level’ of the parking meter matter. They should have been there to realise and act on the almost universal sentiment (call that resentment) of the Strand decision. That’s why they failed, being so far removed from the everyday life of this city, not because they don’t understand spreadsheets.
I think Vera Dirou has done a pretty good job of representing the community. We’d be better off with 11 councillors with the right values than 11 project managers.
You have to be kidding. Talk to the general public many don’t even know who Vera is. That said, the police in Wulguru didn’t even know who their local councillor was either, the mouth from the south isn’t winning votes, but loves the show pony lifestyle.
Re K. Rudd. One of his nicknames is Pixie.
‘A small, pert, mischievous person’.
He has a number of others which readers can google, if interested.
Tp The Magpie, he’ll always be the Milky Bar Kid.
Ducky, how about ‘nut grass’ – pops up where you least want it. Rudd is a pest. And that other cockhead Swann is in charge of a massive chunk of our superannuation as Chair of Cbus, who incidentally is under investigation and it’s been revealed they have very poor governance. Well done Swanny you loser.
But Swanny was deemed to be the “World’s Best Treasurer” in 2011 by some self important group.
yup, we all had a good laugh. A goose masquerading as a swan.
There’s nothing more dangerous than a dumb copper. No, we’re not talking about the hero who tasered a 95 year old rest home resident to death (subsequently) because she was carrying a knife around as she tottered about on her walking frame. He’s on trial at the moment.
No, The ‘Pie speaks of the NSW uniformed idiot who spoke to the media about the Alan Jones charges … this galoot, and later, the female NSW Commissioner whoever she is, told the ABC cameras how courageous the ‘victims’ had been in coming forward, and praising them to the heavens for their ‘bravery’.
‘Victims’? Has the trial been held and the verdict is in? Or did these idiots mean ‘witnesses’ or ‘complainants’?
The Commissioner then said she was sure there were others out there who have similar stories to tell ‘ and now would be a good time to come forward’. That’s the most damning shopping expedition The ‘Pie has come across in years.
Anyway what they have done is taint the whole process now, encouraging false claimaints after an easy buck, raised questions of bias and how the investigation was run, and possibly coaching complainants – these are the legal bullets of gold these boofheads have handed Jones defence team on a platter.
Absolute fuckwits. And there must be consequences for them.
So true Pie, what happened to the usual multi overuse of alleged?
trial by media, kind of ironic really
Jones trial by media has been going on ever since he was caught red handed and red faced in a London dunny decades ago.
Much like yourself Magpie. Weren’t you discharged from TEL because of the inappropriate behaviour, yes, your secret is out.
Care to us the employment dates, chum?
That gets the Boofhead Award of the Week, Troy. The ‘Pie has NEVER worked for Townsville Enterprise. (Basically, in terms of achievement, no one ever has, but that’s another story.)
However, if some dribble blurred your keyboard and you meant the TB, similar suggestions made in the Australian newspaper cost News Corpse close to a million dollars in legal fees and damages when they lost a defamation trial on the matter. And here is a fact, once and one time only. Throughout the four days of the trial before a jury, it was never alleged or challenged that I had resigned from the paper, and was not sacked, a departure partly in disgust at the grossly dishonest performance of the then editor and now proven serial plagiarist, Peter Gleeson.
Looking forward to your next allegation.
Typical that you would accuse others and divert your poor employment status to another, but know I have seen you many times and believe the people I speak with, you are nothing but a drunk, your toxic behaviour is nothing new and many know you worked for a period at TEL, please don’t lie, at least not on this, there are plenty that know you well. I would love Troy’s pay packet, but no, I am just one of those you have accused in the past, not our mayor.
So you admit that spite and vengeance are the motivations behind this nonsense. The ‘Pie challenges you to produce employment dates and duties for anything I have ever done for TEL. In fact, any evidence I ever worked fo the outfit, even way back when it was worth working for. It will no doubt surprise them as much as me. And I do not know, or ever have known, anyone called Anthony Morris. Oh, please, tell us you’re not hiding behind a cowardly false name to make your amusing personal remarks, are you?
As to your other demented maunderings, remember, every accusation is a confession.
100% Pie ! I’m definitely no legal eagle but I almost spat out my shiraz last night watching the 6:00pm news as the coppers mouthed those words to the world. I thought they stopped burning witches some time ago after a few locals muttered ‘Yeah, they’re guilty, light the pyre’ !
Hello ‘Pie,
Townsville Council in the news again for overpaying termination payments and other failings. The State Government really has to dig deep to expose and correct the failings and neo-corruption of the Hill years.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-19/townsville-council-staff-paid-over-and-above-terminations/104615890
Should be a fun council meeting today.
“Auditors find Townsville council executives, staff member paid ‘over and above’ termination entitlements”
https://amp.abc.net.au/article/104615890
The meeting is tomorrow.
Our poor Townsville on the front page again..
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-19/townsville-council-staff-paid-over-and-above-terminations/104615890
Townsville making the news again.
I would expect TT to make hay with the findings……cos he’s all about transparency and integrity….right?
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-19/townsville-council-staff-paid-over-and-above-terminations/104615890
Seriously, this could be the fabled straw that broke the back of this council camel.
I agree sack the lot start again I think they are well a truly cooked this time.
This must surely be the final straw that will break the back of this camel council.
Can anybody confirm The ‘Pie’s belief that the councillors have to approve such settlements.And more importantly, if such approvals are voted on in one of this council’s infamous closed sessions about HR matters.
If this is so, not only do need an administrator, we need a proper forensic examination of the past financials, and not by those foot dragging incompoops, the CCC … and it would be a joke to get the OIA involved. There must surely be some element of criminality in all this.
Thompson can take little satisfaction from this, he will surely be gone along with the rest … and come a new council election,m he can take his chances if he likes, but that is only if in the meantime, the LNP government hasn’t passed threatened stringent laws about eligibility criteria.
And aren’t acronyms always the cause of grim laughter … one of the council termination overpayments was to the manager of Business Services (MBS) and the TCC acronym can mean Townsville Correctional Centre.
Using TT (Ti-Ti) as the acronym for our illustrious Mayor is ideal, as in Tagalog/Filipino it mean penis-cock-dick etc
Pie, this is where it gets complicated. The finance department/CEO etc do the number crunching, the back of house stuff. They, or an executive manager, then put a report together that Councillors are asked to sign off on. The issue is that the Councillors are not the ones who crunch the numbers and extrapolate the data used to come up with the redundancy figure. The Councillors just see the final report/recommendation and say yes or no to it. I can’t believe I am saying this but I don’t blame the Councillors for the overpayment, that figure was crunched by others on the TCC payroll.
The lack of governance and mistakes in regard to the overpayments is indicative of deeper financial issues within this council. To put that another way, this incident is a major red flag – what else have they fucked up?? Forget the national audit office as they only skim the surface, it’s time for KPMG style audit to get to the bottom of councils issues. As ratepayers, we should be might pissed off that grubs like Ralston and Hilder walk out the door with more than they are entitled to. This is a very serious matter.
Yes, Mopsy, very serious but what are we paying councillors ridiculous salaries for if not to closely examine these things? And a terminiation payment would surely be a stand alone figure, and raiose a questionn ornbtwo and make even ZMa Greaney ample buttocks clench in surprise.
If it was a surprise, amirite?
Rollmop has the right of it here. Councillors might be able to scrutinise the headline figures, but unless they are provided with the length of service, contractual specifics, rates, other entitlements, and the back end calculations then given the time and professional expertise to pull the figures apart, they have to go on the advice of the finance team. Anyone who has ever worked at TCC knows how inaccurate pays are.
But we all should at least know what mechanism is in place to reward ‘over and above’ payment and what KPI criteria exist. Whatever it is, it doesn’t seem to exist in this case, because ‘over and above’ means added on at a later date to the contract. It has long been a favourite federal government rort that managers rate themselves on a system that dictates their departure package.
The only staff member over whom the Council has any authority is the CEO. If you review media reports from the time of the good Dr’s exit, you will see that TT publicly proclaimed that Prins had resigned. This raises the question: why would he be entitled to any compensation? In fact, Prins would be required to give the Council notice of his departure, not the other way around and yet he was gone within weeks.
If, as TT claimed privately but widely at the time, he was the catalyst for Prins’s exit from TCC, it is reasonable to conclude that Prins agreed to the demand only if TT agreed to frame it as a resignation and include an ex gratia payment well in excess of his contractual entitlements. You are correct that such a payment would indeed require Council approval. A review of Council meeting agendas from the time of the “resignation” shows no mention of confidential HR matters. I also note that Councillor Price has been vocal in the comments section of the Townsville Bulletin article today, placing the blame squarely on the mayor for this issue.
It is fair to assume that Prins’s final act was to outmanoeuvre TT and walk away with a substantial payment from a community he had already severely mismanaged. He also knew that the walls were closing in and pretty soon everybody was going to know that his tenure was a complete disaster and he had no fucking idea what he was doing. The question remains: was the decision made properly? Without Council approval, I would argue it was not.
In terms of payments to executive staff, the CEO has the authority to manage termination payments (other than his own), provided they are in accordance with the terms of the contract. I note that the ABC article mentions two executive staff members receiving ex gratia payments. Typically, Councillors would only become aware of such payments when the figures are published in the annual report, as required in accordance with the Local Government Act.
Looking in detail at the annual report, the major projects; Lansdown, Haughton and Ross River (P31 are there), no mention of the Northern Rail Yards, nor NQ Spark, all of which were mentioned in the auditor’s report, interestingly, neither of the companies held by shares, NQ Spark and Northern Rail Yards has a council board member, and the financials are vague at best. 41 completed jobs (P32) mentioned as completed in the annual report. Attention must go to the 2100 reported outstanding capital works projects, and the assumed rate of completion, these are 40 years away from completion going by current completion timelines. This is just to catch up and there is no mention cost on these projects, very worrying signs for ratepayers, and clear reasoning why jobs are not being completed. Capital works projects ‘in limbo’ do not show in the annual report, nor in the budget, so it would seem to be a great game of if we the ratepayer don’t see it, it doesn’t exist. I’m all for audited books, but it is what isn’t reported, isn’t identified that worries us. If the ex-CEO, Prins can be linked to the poor decisions, including Jenny, then one may assume there is a potential to claw back some losses, and potentially some criminal intent exists.
Agreed Mike, but don’t count on any criminal charges being laid anytime soon, or at all. We have all seen, and are seeing, how loath the CCC and the government are to prosecute criminal accountability … the proof being that Troy Thompson is still mayor.
Time will tell, and these people are all running out of time. If only our media put the pressure on the council and councillors like the people did with the parking meters. One can only hope this leads somewhere and some are held accountable.
Actually, this could be the catalyst for widespread public action, protest and representations even greater that the narrowly avoided Strand parking meter debacle. Because this issue, unlike the parking meters, is not a matter of choice, it directly affects ratepayers money and the swingeing rate rises they have copped. It also impacts on the Crisafulli Government’s political will to help this city back onto some sort of equilibrium.
100% agree with you on that point. Remember we are just finding out that the Haughton pipeline has crept up to $500M and no-one saw it coming. The Lansdown project is said to be greater. Our Premier certainly has a reason now for a reset for the lot, and he can show how Townsville is under his remit directly, by appointing an administrator hand-picked. Deals with all the problems in one swoop.
Mike, at least with the Haughton pipeline under construction it’s possible to see something for the supposed $500m ultimate cost, even if no-one saw it coming (which is hard to believe actually – there are plenty of people in government offices who watch the invoices coming in). With Lansdown though, it’s hard to see (at the moment) where a cost blowout could possibly come from. So far the state and federal governments are picking up the tab for raw water connection and storage and intersection roadworks. The TCC has constructed a new internal road at its own expense and there is a delicate matter of some ‘facilitation’ for the Magnis battery diddle. Apart from that why do you think the potential cost blowout for the Lansdown project is “said to be greater” than the Haughton scandal? Said by whom?
The ‘Pie thinks the two issues … Lansdown and Haughton Pipeline … are inextricably linked in background dealings. Legal criminal Cameron Dick joins the sizeable band of have done over the ratepayers of this city right royally.
Just read through the council documents on the website for Wednesdays meeting. The Qld audit report notes under the first item that there is a significant deficiency with employee separation payments. (Item – 24CR-1). It would appear the CEO (Prins), CLO (Julie Hilder) and Director of infrastructure (Seren McKenzie) received large payouts. Page 122 of the 2023/2024 annual report states the termination payments are $2.65M, opposed to the previous year of $215k, I assume the top 3 took the bulk of these. The auditor has made it clear there are no policies around this at the moment.
It looks like Joe Mc Cool is starting to unravel the mess bit by bit now that he is C.E.O. It will be very interesting what else comes out. I am sure that when he was deputy he would have been getting his ammo ready when he was deputy but couldn’t do much then but look out now. I reckon that the re-elected Hill councillors might be gonna have some sleepless nights as they are complicit in everything that happened.
Reasonable comment (unusual fromm you, but there it is) but what’s all this waffle about ‘deputy’? Do you mean ‘acting’?
Sorry pie I spent too much time following the U.S.
Yep, I have been saying that this council should have been placed into administration just after election. But, people out there only had the unpopular mayor in their sites. These directors fucked everything they touched, and got a golden handshake.I still believe, the current councillors knew of the problem, and once again, tried to sweep it under the carpet. They had the expectation, that hill would be elected again.Dig deep enough, they will find other anomalies, that just don’t quite add up. Poor, financial management, and bad decisions, put this council in this position, and the people that created it, get rewarded. Gotta love the top end of town.
There might not be policies in place, but surely the individual employment contracts would state what payouts would be if they left of their own volition. If there were overly generous amounts in the contract, nothing can be done, but if the payouts exceeded the contract amounts, heads need to roll (without a payout).
The separations of the 3 execs who resigned after TwoNames became NightMayor involve “Deeds of Separation” . That implies that these were more than voluntary resignations. Most likely, they were resignations that could be deemed “constructive dismissals” (ie when someone is put in an untenable position by being given instructions to do things that fall outside their jobs, or even laws). In cases like this, to avoid a Fair Work Complaint, or some other form of legal comeback by the employees, a “Deeds of Settlement” is either offered or negotiated to end all compensation claims. So a hypothetical example would be if Prins was given unlawful instructions by the NightMayor, he might resign, giving his 4 weeks notice. But then retain a lawyer, who might be seeking compensation based on a “Constructive dismissal” basis that might include a payout for the remainder of the office holders contracted term.
Methinks the resignations were anything but voluntary, and that the payouts are proper. On the basis that some legal exposure has arisen based on how the resignations came about. Now who has experience in creating legal exposure issues and had just arrived at Council?
A well thought through hypothesis, but, at the end of it all, it remains just a theory with many intangible “if”s.
Townsville rate payers class action against councillors?
To my knowledge managers that breath the rarified air of upper management understand that they can be fired at any moment for any reason – that justifies the high wages. Government managers are a different beast though, one federal government manager leaving government this year gets something like half a million a year or so until the day he dies – it’s why Australia is fucked.
SCOOPED!!! Utterly, completely and on a story that was there for all to see.
Cas Garvey and the Bulletin vaudevillians left knocked kneed and cross-eyed by this young lady.
ABC NQ reporter Chloe Chomiki will not get a Walkley for her excellent story on the financial woes of the Townsville City Council, but she should be lauded for her diligence and timing, which were rewarded for a simple careful reading of a document available to all media.
In the process, Ms Chomiki showed up the Bulletin as the empty husk of a newspaper. If that sounds harsh, it is fair comment, because whispers, snippets of information and tell-tale signs about this disgraceful mess have littered the fax machines and in-boxes of the Bulletin for months, even years. But never once has there been a serious attempt to report the facts.
And to show just how wrong footed the paper has been caught, at the time of writing (5 hours after the ABC story) the Bulletin is yet to make a single mention of this situation of inestimable significance to Townsville.That’s an Ice Age in time in this cyber world.
Was the paper’s continued reluctance because of the populist fraudster and Bulletin enemy #1 Mayor Troy Thompson wanted these suspected matters looked into? (Even that fraudulent stopped clock is occasionally right, his call designed to make him gain undeserved respect in comparison with Mayor Mullet.)
There was an inevitability that the facts Ms Chomiki’s would come to light, but the Bulletin was in no hurry to spend time and money letting us know anything about this scandal. There was plenty of smoke over past months and not just some informed comments here in The Nest. Like this on Reddit.
It is the sort of thing real journalists would do anything to have a crack at it. Was the usually competent Chris Burns on holiday, or just assigned to the opening of the latest ice cream parlour?
Those councillors who signed off on these payments may well be watching their budding careers vanishing into the receding distance. AS THEY BLOODY SHOULD.
All that said, one small criticism if The ‘Pie may, Ms Chomiki.
In your story, which now has national coverage, your brief note that CEO McCabe’s standard response ‘declined to comment’ always leaves the suspicious public with a lingering doubt that there may have been some complicity on his behalf, and he is scrambling to cover his arse. (The public are like that Chloe, worth remembering.)
So as a matter of fairness, perhaps a mention that when these payments were mooted and made, Joe McCabe had only just been appointed acting CEO, and was not at that time even full time. The said payments were almost certainly agreed to internally well before the final box ticking. Having one of the recipients of ratepayers largesse, Prins Ralston, as the sign-off was handy, wasn’t it?
And on top of that, McCabe was obviously distracted from his new duties by the egregious threats, claims of victimization, personal attacks and disruptive bullshit from Troy Thompson.
Whatever, Ms Chomiki, you can now proudly wear your new office nickname of ‘Scoop’.
Great job by Chloe, good to see a reporter doing her job, and getting into the details, much better than the rubbish produced by Ms Garvey in recent times. There are certainly more questions than answers. I think it is clear to all that these issues all come from the past terms of local government, under Jenny Hill and Prins Raulston, and the result is pretty clear, we are facing administration, this includes a possible dissolution of councillors. Is there value in administration, it would certainly sort through the weeds, ask questions of previous decisions made, perhaps even hold people accountable, is it any wonder Jenny was so upset to lose, she had not enough time to clean up the chaff. No point asking Thompson or the councillors, but there is merit in putting some pressure on Batkovic, Greaney, Mooney and Rehbien, they can’t avoid questions, they served for at least 4 years, they saw it.
Come to think of it, here’s a question: if an administrator is called in, does the council have to be dismissed just on that fact alone?
Anyone? If not, we have a ready made-to-measure situation, with Nanny McPhee already fulfilling a somewhat lesser role.
Of course, if an investigation is launched and any sitting councillors are implicated, it is assumed if one goes all goes.
A real journalist, don’t find them much anymore,. Usually opinions without substance.well done, now let’s see what the outcome will be????
Is Townsville Council in debt? It’s no secret.
In the TCC agenda for Wednesday’s Council meeting, under Officer Reports, Item 5, Treasury Report – October 2024, Report Information it lists:
Money Council Owes
Debt as at 31 October 2024 – $364.3m In line with budget
‘In line with the budget’. Oh, well then, no prob.
Jenny, I am perplexed. My understanding was that TCC was up to its neck in around $600 to $700m? Can you confirm that the actual debt is half the amount?
Mike Douglas, what says you, what is the full amount of debt that we are in?
Cheers, Percy
Percy, I didn’t give you an opinion on the TCC debt. I gave you the numbers that the Council officers produced and presented to the councillors for their consideration. Why don’t you check the figures yourself (and the accompanying documentation) at the same source – which is the Agenda for tomorrow’s TCC meeting?
Food Trucks covering her arse. It wasn’t me!!
The real amount of debt is clouded. Without access to the creditors list of the Queensland treasury corporation and the money they owe, no one actually knows.
The QTC is the body in qld that lends money to councils / schools / Queensland stadiums etc , until 2013 I could see an accurate figure for the amount owed by TVL council. After 2013 i think the list of borrowers became secret – no member of the public is allowed to know – the QTC used to show the borrowers list in its biannual report. I’ve rung up asking but there’s apparently only one lady that can help me and she’s never available she’s sick, on holiday, maternity leave, personal day, on lunch.
I knew 10 years ago the QLD was obviously bankrupt because they had started hiding basic information. As the years will continue you’ll see more of the wheels come off the train – massive taxation and inflation is on the way with only more disinterest from the public.
Resistance against parking meters worked because there were enough people walking up and down the strand on a Sunday morning who actually gave a damn and would sign the mandate against the meters. As I would explain to people – we need to recognise that attacks on the community need to be recognised and acted upon rather than simply dismiss the problem because it doesn’t affect you , you are removed from the problem by say 500m. Something happening in the far distance have a habit of getting closer and more relevant as time processes.
The debt was as reported, but no ‘outstanding’ capital project amounts were given, from what is being tossed around, these are substantial amounts. The QTC loans were briefed to councillors in council, then in the annual report and the auditor’s report. If I recall correctly, we had to borrow against the $100M QTC overdraft as we ran out of cash prior to rates going out, we only just cleared that debt last month, this came with an interest component.
Mr McCabe is more than capable, but I think we are too far gone to bring this back. Depreciation was undervalued, assets missed, water infrastructure past due, assets like convention centre is bleeding money for maintenance, and a recycled water facility built and unused due to no clients.
Here we all are, worried about the terminations, but I think the real concern is he was the person who put us in this position, and if anything, a termination payment may have saved us from further debt created by him and his team. Let’s hope we can claw it back once administrators and investigators are appointed.
Jog our memory here, but wasn’t the entertainment sold off to Chris Morris?
The TECC has joint ownership between The Ville Resort – Casino and The Townsville City Council. It was part owned by the previous Jupiters Trust but has been a JV for at least a decade.
Pie, Devalued by council to $zero and then handed back their 20% to The Ville.
Jenny , Page 106 Council annual report . Council liabilities $574.6 mil of which $372.4 mil is to Qld Treasury . Council asset valuation increased by $710.3 mil . Is the valuation increase another area that the auditors are worried about ? .
Nice work ABC comrades
What the fuck does that mean, numb nuts?
Gulags all around, my shout
My understanding is: When a council goes into administration, elected councillors are either suspended or removed, and a government appointed administrator takes over council operations and decisions.
If I remember correctly, the government had to pass a regulation or similar to sack the Ipswich and Logan Councils.
In both cases an administrator was appointed and he had the powers of a full council.
I remember that there was discussion about amending the legislation to make removing a council easier but I don’t know if these amendments eventuated.
Has anyone seen any articles about how these two cities are getting along and the affect administration had on them?
So even in defeat the like of Messagebank, Harpic and Cupcake still haunt our wallets as they continue to “suck on the teat of State Government” (to borrow a phrase from Harpic).
And the Queensland Former Parliamentary Member’s Association want it to be doubled because of the time of year these people are sacked by the voting public, as well as access to career counselling.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-19/losing-queensland-mps-to-get-transition-payout/104613124
Grubs!! But unfortunately it’s above board.
In my experience people resigning don’t usually get to negotiate beyond contractual requirements. However, when people are told they are no longer required & forced to sign separation deeds etc it’s usually because there is a bigger, more expensive problem that organisations (with toxic cultures and protected species in the form of ‘permanent’ employees ) don’t want to deal with. Keep moving people on who are trying to change culture and work ethic rather than deal with the toxic parasites. I think there would be many examples of this at TCC over the years …
And the worst out of all this is that Prins bailed when he saw that he could no longer cover up the finances. And of course he gets rewarded with a generous severance and the c#nt now serves on a board with Hill, his partner in crime when it comes to fucking councils finances. Just as lamentable as Wayne Swann in charge of a trillion in Aussie superannuation. A FUCKING JOKE!!!
If it wasn’t for the courage of Jo- Ann Miller, the former member of Bundamba, the Ipswich would never have got sacked. She labeled them an Outlaw Local Government Gang. She was a lone wolf in her quest for justice, and got kicked in the teeth by her own party.
Could you imagine the three weak gutless puppets that just got booted out here doing the same thing?
How many stories do we need about the porn star who wants to sleep with 1000 schoolies? How low can the Bulletin sink relying on such prurient drivel to fill their columns?
For Christ’s sake, big Mac, don’t challenge them!!!
Christ, that porn star would be like throwing a toothpick up a hallway. 1000 schoolies you say? I hope they have their tetanus shots and have taken their anti-syphilis medication.
The older male toolie used to be one of the biggest issues at schoolies. Looks like older female fansoonlie is now in the mix.
The Council is fucked. Its finances have been getting worse on a yearly basis. There has been successive mismanagement for as long as I can remember. We are now at the end of the road. I’m interested to know what the state government advisor is reporting back to Mr Crisafulli. Twonames might get his wish and the council may be put into the hands of an administrator and the councillors sacked. What a shit-show. Who wants to do business in Townsville? Not me.
Like him or not, perhaps this is the Premiers opportunity to clean house. Appoint an administrator, remove executive, strip out the fat and remove councillors. In my experience, whenever I need something done, I ring the councillor, or customer support, its then referred to the right area and I get contact and action, where possible. Councillors as a whole do very little in the process, so they won’t be missed. It also removes out team Hill remnants. This may well be the golden ticket for Mr Crisafulli to clean house, and get Townsville well on track, invest in Townsville.
Just read the news feed about the former executives of the TCC getting paid more than they were entitled to when they bailed.
My guess is was hush money. At least in the Director of Infrastructure & Services case.
As for the Prince, I believe he was just another puppet that got rewarded for not poking the bear. I don’t think the new CEO will be any different. Time will tell.
However it’s the responsibility of councillors to ensure the council are operating according to the Local Government Act. There are five current councillors that were in charge at the time.
Has there ever been a case where a CEO or an executive has ever exposed corruption within a council? They would never get a job again. That’s the reality.
Aussie, if you watched the live council meeting you would have seen Cr Batkovic ask a specific question about responsibility for ‘signing off’ on those three severance packages. She was told that it is done by executive management and has nothing to do with councillors. They are not responsible. When she asked if there was any investigation of the matter being undertaken she was brushed off by the CEO. It appears there are limits to what an elected councillor can be told and those limits are decided by the CEO not the councillors in the chamber.
Correct observations and reasonable paraphrasing. The ‘Pie’s thoughts coming shortly, been beavering away for the past hour.
Big day today, council meeting in a few hours time. Will the Mayor push for an administrator to sort out councils mess? Will he come up with some new plan to get even with his fellow councillors? Revenge is sweet and the psychopathic lying mayor has revenge on his agenda.
Wonder what Joe McCabe will have to say today about councils finances? Will he play dumb or will he lay councils cards on the table?
Will the local newspapers report on today’s issues or will they remain neutered?
Beer – tick
Popcorn – tick
Comfy armchair – tick
Let the shitfight begin!
If what I just heard from the CFO at the council is correct, the council staff are being openly dishonest to the councillors and community.
The CFO said to the Mayor, IF the loans are approved from QTC to build capital projects, then there will be no need to use the $100M working capital facility before the next rates run.
Now here are some facts from council’s own reports:
1) Councils forecast borrowings for 2024-25 is $100M, but this is in addition to the $100M working capital facility.
2) Council’s monthly operating expenses are about $38M or about $1.25M a day. Operating expenses are wages, salaries, contractors. These are NOT capital works costs.
3) Council’s unrestricted cash in bank at 31 October was $44M or about 35 days of operating expenses. Meaning the council is out of unrestricted cash on around 5 December.
What this all means is that if Council is not going to need the working capital facility to meet their operating expenses, then council is using debt – that is long-term debt – to fund its daily operations. That is the $100M outlined in the debt policy meant to be used to fund capital works projects. Long-term loans are not meant to be used for operating expenses.
This will make council’s financial sustainability even worse!
Yup, it all sounded like that. Pleased you covered that aspect of the meeting, all reasonable points discussion you make.
Fucking unsatisfactory!
The termination overpayments are a (bullshit) confidential matter and we are never to know why they were made and who signed off the approval.
Reasonable suspicion; The Jenny Hill inner circle lining their pockets as they slithered off to their next rort.
Not sure you’re with us, Sad Sack … the overpayments are not confidential (or how come we know all about them) but what is secret is how they came about. And that is unlikely to remain secret – confidential – for long given the circumstances.
If there is stonewalling about how it happened, then a wholesale clean-out of Walker Street staff is merited – it has been established that – in this matter at least – the councillors were in the dark as much as anyone of us.
Whether it’s true or not, it’s always simpler to dismiss everyone and let the courts handle it. This has long been the government’s go-to approach; they just needed an excuse. I’ve pointed this out more than once as the standard operating procedure. Everyone wants closure on this, and it also feels like a bit of karma.
But you ignore the question of fairness. The simple way is often the unfair way. We all from time to time sneer at councillors – often through ignorance, some through jealousy and occasionally because they deserve it – but they voluntarily went through the walking-on-coals experience of an election campaign, and unless linked to some wrongdoing, do not deserve to be discarded in some cavalier fashion because it’s the simplest way of handling a situation.
I don’t set the rules for what’s fair or not, but there’s not much fairness or righteousness in government. As they say, it’s about looking out for yourself. Honestly, many of them have it coming. I don’t share your view of idealistic citizens who believe in self-sacrifice for the greater good. My message to the councillors is from Braveheart.
“The Lord tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he’s pretty sure you’re fucked.”
Dumb response …. pffffttt!!!@
Any updates from the Council meeting?
Surely that’s notnreally you. But yes, on it’s way.
WHO GOT WHAT AND WHY?
Suzy Batkovic asks the question on every ratepayers lips …. but gets stonewalled by ‘the rules’. But at least we have the assurance of that executives awarding themselves unexamined hefty bonuses won’t happen again.
And CEO Joe McCabe for some reason wimps out for some reason, refusing to answer a straightforward and reasonable question the answer to which Townsville ratepayers are entitled to know.
Clr Batkovic led the charge on asking tricky questions when the Queensland Audit Office Final Management report 23/24 came up for discussion. She was champing at the bit when the matter was opened up for councillor discussion, and went straight in.
She asked who signed off on separation agreements, and when McCabe confirmed it was the CEO,
Clr B went on: ‘So to clarify, the employee separations do not come to councillors, as it’s an operational matter?”
McCabe: That is correct.
Clr. B: Who signs off on the CEO’s separation?
CEO McCabe, looking a worried man, (he knew this was coming), gave a complete non-answer by reciting the policies council adopted last September to give more oversight by councillors on these matters. The new policy will be adopted at the next council meeting.
But Clr B is not someone to be toyed with by such an ingenuous answer, and refused to be deflected.
Clr B: So that ‘s in place now, but prior to that policy coming in, who signed off on CEO separation?
McCabe: (Indistinct but probably) I’ll take that on notice.
That was the first wimp out, there is no way McCabe doesn’t know … it was either himself, or there has been a major breach of regulations by someone else signing. He is clearly soiling his dainties because he is now clearly in the crosshairs of this matter.
But Clr B let that one through to the keeper, knowing all her questioning would be in the public domain and the problems belonged to the CEO (and presumably Sewell in the legal department).
She then asked if in any of these negotiations’ legal advice had been sought on the matters, and if so, was the legal advice external.
Again, the CEO, playing pigeon to the Batkovic cat, ‘took it on notice’.
Again, what he really meant was he needed time to see if there was a way out for him.
Clr. B then questioned why councillors were not provided details of these matters, even if such details remained confidential.
Clr B “I don’t understand what councillors wouldn’t be privy to understanding how these were itemised and this all came about and what that looks like, because at the moment, we have a total amount and I don’t know how it all looks and who got what and why’.
McCabe: “Regarding what information wasn’t provided to councillors, I will take it on notice.”
Clr Batkovic ended her target practice by saying she welcomed the newn TCC policy that will be clear about termination payments over and above what is agreed in employment contracts ‘because it was tremendously concerning to read (about that).”
(Quick explainer for those not familiar with all these officious s metaphors – taking something on notice is a pompous way of saying I don’t know and will find out and get back to you. Which the speaker often doesn’t do without again being prompted.)
But Joe’s discomfort was over yet, and it showed that he was a bit rattled when Clr Robinson asked a perfectly straight forward question whether any investigation was underway into the overpayments. On McCabe’s signal, legal boss David Sewell was quick to jump in from the sidelines, advising that it would inappropriate to answer that question.
But why? A simple yes or no would do no damage to anyone – unless it was no, then the shit would really hit the fan.
Was Sewell’s advice of secrecy perhaps hide his own the slackness and/or complicity in this rorting – he must surely have seen the final documents for legal approval. . And tell you what David, you needed that little Magpie slur, because if it’s an external investigation, you are in it yourself, up to the armpits.
But it was a question from Clr Dirou which elicited the a most interesting reply from our legal waffler when she asked just what would trigger a payment over and above the termination agreement. ‘if it was an employment contract, you’d think you’d need to pay as per an employment contract’, she said.
Sewell knew where this was going, but then got tangled up in his own skipping rope.
He said it was not uncommon for payments be above contractual arrangements in certain circumstances.
“For instance, there may be potential litigation relating to that termination, and litigation can be expensive relating to terminations, and there’s always the possibility of unfair dismissal or adverse action.’ So the council can be buklkied and threatened into an overpayment, is that it?
Sewell droned on for some time with statements of the bleeding’ obvious, but that opening line might give a BIG clue as to why the overpayments under discussion were made by executives well seasoned in the riches of litigation … they know, win or lose, how the very threat can blackmail councils and corporations into extortionate payments.
This is nothing new, it goes on all the time, but when it’s a council, they at least, if not the public, are entitled inform elected councillors what has happened to the money for which they are responsible. Any why.
Mr Sewell (who is never going to threaten the celebrity speaker circuit.) gave the game away as he droned on:’ “I’m not saying termination beyond contract is necessarily unlawful or a bad thing, it is just that you need to have appropriate processes and procedures in place for those kind of settlements.’
But, but, Dave, old mate, if such terminations are not unlawful or a bad thing, – that is, they are based on solid legal grounds – how come they can they be challenged with extortionate threats.?
Could it be that the terminations were made on bad legal advice? In-house legal advice?
Could it be possible you’re in it with all the others, up to you neck and sinking.
Slippery Joe certainly went to the toilet with his trousers still on when Councillor Batkovic asked the questions. And to hide behind the chief legal officer highlighted the CEO’s backbone integrity. As slimy and flexibly as a mangrove pod.
How can Townsville get so dudded so often for effective city management and governance?
Pie, hilarious comment on the chief legal officer’s public speaking prowess.
The discussion around termination payments was fair and reasonable. But this issue, from a ratepayers perspective, is very concerning and unpalatable. Ratepayers are kicking the tin for this rort. Nothing short of outrage should be the ratepayers response.
It will be interesting to see if our so-called local media run with this, and it will be interesting to see if the councillors hold Joe McCool to account and pursue their questions on notice down the track.
I just had a look at the replay. Mr Sewell mentions that sometimes a payment above an employee’s entitlement could be given if there was a dispute surrounding the termination of an employee to save legal costs.
The question is though. Was there a dispute, and what could it have been about? Did the Director of Infastructure & Operations challenge or disagree with decisions made inside council and got the boot or resigned because she could no longer fit in. It stands to reason the legal department would have been involved and decided an ex-gratia payment might be the easiest way out of the problem.
Yes and I agree, it was great to see Clr Batkovic questioning the CEO
Like I said previously
It appears we have another weak CEO that doesn’t want to rock the boat.
Well done Vera Dirou for asking that good question. I couldn.t believe it when she actually asked a question because she usually only 2nds every motion and that’s it but it shows that all the Councillors are now awake to what’s been going on and are getting concerned which is good . Pie, did you notice 2-names eyes light up when the words un-fair dismissal and litigation was mentioned by the legal man. He could see $$$ signs. His eyes lit up like a kangaroo in the spotlights.
The ‘Pie also noticed his disrespectful behaviour of fiddling and typing on hi computer whil e the regular prayer was being said. Whether one agrees with it or not, you at least show respect for those who do.
I would like to suggest that at the next council meeting when the Priest opens in prayer, perhaps he pray for council in the chambers to be transparent, honest, and accountable. He could pray for Troy Thompson to come clean about his previous lies and dishonesty, to repent and seek forgiveness. I mean, why else would you need to open in prayer?
The Sky Pilot today did that in so many words, but without names.
In TCC meetings past Sky Pilots various have, in so many veiled words, prayed for Council honesty, transparency, and openness.
It seems the power of prayer ain’t what it used to be, if it ever was.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to see how many Townville resident go to Christian churches. Or even identify as practising Christians. This regular forced bow to superstitious barbarism … which is what religion is … may well be against a majority of the populace. perhaps just drop the whole meaningless flapdoodle?
Dirou has made a few significant stands and shown she has good values.
Really hate to appear like I am supporting TCC, but the sad truth is that defending an unfair dismissal claim in the Industrial Relations Commission can cost say $100,000 and if it goes on to Court maybe 3 times that amount on top. The person who was fucked-off has no costs if they represent themselves but the fucker-off needs a big legal team and often has costs set against them as the burden of proof is on the employer.
A smart-arse fucked-off person knows this and claims an additional severance payment just under this amount knowing that it is cheaper to give them “fuck off” money rather than defend the organisation. This is really easy if it is public money.
Perhaps a legal beagle can explain it better but that is my experience.
(Sigh). THAT is exactly the core point that The ‘Pie made in his council notes earlier.
And the answer lies in not making an unfair dismissal. And don’t think you’re right that a complaint doesn’t face any costs, especially if they lose – well, that is, maybe the individual may not, but the council would not be stuck with costs in the normal run of these things.
By the way Very good summary of todays meeting.
It will be interesting to see how Joe McCabe deals with the fallout of the recent ANAO audit findings and the overpayment of executive entitlements. Either Joe will be transparent and publicly right the wrong, or he will become a secret squirrel like previous CEO’s and cover over Councils transgressions. Time to bring in the administrator as this council has hit a new low. Hope Crisafulli is watching all of Townsville unfold.
The only thing Joe has to worry about is did he sign off on any of the terminations, and what information he had, given the turmoil he’d walked into. But more to the point, as incoming acting CEO wa he more or less conned into signing of on thief Ralston’s rort.
A Request.
On the small screen on my electric tablet I cannot clearly make out the faces of most of the councillors during the live streamed TCC meetings. They seem to sit in the same places so, my request is, will someone in the know provide a list of the councillors in sitting order left to right as they appear on the live stream. It would be much appreciated.
Booth, go ahead and ask the TCC – it’s not ‘the blogs’ issue………
This would help me too.
Johnny boy, when watching the meeting, bottom left screen, left to right is Suzy Batkovic, Kurt Rehbein, Andrew Robinson, Liam Mooney (empty chair today) and Brady Ellis.
On the right screen, from left to right is Paul Jacob (empty chair today), Brodie Phillips, Ann-Maree Greaney, Kristian Price and Vera Dirou
And you can never actually see who’s talking. The ‘Pie had a bit of a chortle when he thought Batkovic was talking but when he looked at her she was taking a swig from her (presumably) water bottle, it was actually Ma Greaney.
Why aren’t the Councillors made to stand up when they speak which is pretty normal practice in meetings I would have thought.
Why? It would make the electronic set-up more cumbersome, and anyway, why?
ScoobyDoo, thank you.
Mr. Pie, Ms. Claudia “Bullshit Baffles Brains” Smith has been at it again.
This is possibly her crowning glory in the haze of garbage she keeps throwing at us.
As usual, she is claiming responsibility for the Pink concerts…nothing to do with her or her useless organisation at all… which, apparently, injected $40 million into the local economy?
$40 m…mind-blowing stuff.
Her arrogance is breath-taking!
But, that’s just the tip of the iceberg, as her and Gill “The Dill” demonstrate what complete charlatans they actually are.
https://www.townsvilleenterprise.com.au/news-media/news-centre/townsville-enterprise-secures-2-5bn-in-investment-for-2023-2024-financial-year/
The Magpie will make some observationnis due course, for whatever that is worth, but for now, two matters raised in this utter confabuklation.
First, and a serious question, an serious answer – if there is one – would be appreciated.
What the fuck does this mean? This wins some sort of twaddle buzz speak award, but what the bloody hell is ‘the national sovereign agenda’? i for one have never heard of it.
With a strong commitment to advocacy, investment attraction, and project support, the region is positioned well as leaders in economies of scale, and importantly – as strategic partners in the national sovereign agenda ahead of the 2025 Federal election.
Help, someone enlighten the old bird.
What does it mean?
Good grief, it is clear.
A woke virtuous university educated all inclusive progressive activist on drugs.
Alfred, your comment is as meaningless as what you’re trying to elucidate.
Translation into NQ English “Shit Happens” QED!
If TEL was responsible for bringing Pink to Townsville, then how come TEL misses out on a mention in this Queensland government media release.
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/98459
Listened to the full Council meeting . CEO , directors , senior executives . Yes we over paid ex senior staff a couple of mil $ but we won’t tell you Councillors who approved them . Don’t worry we are implementing a policy so it may not happen again . It simply doesn’t pass the pub test and just one of many items / issues costing hundreds mils $ in blow outs / mismanagement that will continue to rack up debt and rates increases . It sends a clear message to the Crisafulli Government Townsville Council has major issues . Councillors / Mayor have to push back and make CEO / Directors / management accountable / transparent .
Fair comment, Mike, except it was made clear today that the councillors voted on amounts, but they were unassigned bulk amounts from what we’ve been told. It is fair to say they didn’t realise what they were actually approving because it was presented as a bulk matter. Or at least that’s how The Magie understands it.
That is how this crooked council executive present all their variations. Whether it be staff or projects. In bulk with no detail with a $$ figure attached and then in the officer’s recommendations they ask the matter then become an operational matter and any other changes are dealt with by the CEO or other execs.
Once that occurs, the executive staff are given carte blanche to deliver whatever the fuck they want and just report on the $$ figure variance to the approved budget. There is no accountability for the staff to deliver the projects that the budget was approved for, and because of that original recommendation that the matter becomes operational – the councillors are not allowed to get involved in operational matters.
To tie that in with the redundancies or platinum handshakes those grifters that Jenny Hill allowed to infest the council received, the councillors may well have been presented with a budget line item of $2.6M for termination payments and that the CEO is entrusted to distribute as required. That leaves the shit-show we have now.
Council is backed into a corner, time for state to step in, appoint an independent administrator and investigations team. Go back 3-4 terms and start fresh. If the premier wants to make Townsville a thriving city, there’s no better opportunity than now.
What I can’t work out is when the councillors were given the total pay-outs to approve why didn’t one of them ask for them to be itemised upon they could have asked how each payment was arrived at and why…or did the Hill just put it straight to the vote without any discussion .We will never know.
Mayb they did and her given a snow job by buzz worded bullshit from staff and Hill. In fact, that is almost certainly what happened, even if some of the councillors had some vague reservations (which is extremely unlikely).
Mike, you make your criticism (and ours) perfectly clear when you say:
“It simply doesn’t pass the pub test and just one of many items / issues costing hundreds mils $ in blow outs / mismanagement that will continue to rack up debt and rates increases . It sends a clear message to the Crisafulli Government Townsville Council has major issues”.
Alongside the overpayments matter being discussed here is the far more impacting issue of the multi tens of millions blowout in the cost of the Haughton pipeline duplication, only some of which, surely?, can be put down to the incompetence of our council or for that matter, state government politicians. How for instance is the government (local or state) notified that the contractor/s will need another $50m or $100m? By what method does the public service (Treasury, State Development, Premiers, whatever) decide that it’s all above board? The Crisafulli government, just like the one before it, has all the invoices, quotes, receipts, everything relating to the financing of the project on the table in front of it. They don’t need to ask TCC and TCC can’t hide it anyway. I agree. Out with it! Put the whole stinking mess of government/private enterprise boondoggling on the table so we can all face the music.
“Can I ask you, Magpie, why you’re so fond of Toney Mooney? What makes you support the idea of his son, Liam, continuing the family legacy by becoming a councillor? Toney’s been struggling with his health dept job, and some people argue that he’s led the town into debt. He doesn’t have much experience outside of local government, and I’m aware of some of his business dealings. Liam’s a nice guy, but he doesn’t have any experience beyond local politics. You don’t seem to be too concerned about any of this—why is that?” I have always been curious, honestly, it seems out of character for you.
Haven’t a clue what you’re on about, you have greatly confused yourself.
The ‘Pie is unlikely to ‘be fond of’ a person who perjured himself under oath in an attempt to make damaging lies as a witness for News Corpse in The ‘Pie’s successful defamation action against The Australian. Mooney has disliked The Magpie ever since his days at the Bulletin, mainly because I refused to be a Mooney acolyte, and dared criticise some of his actions. To Tony, loyalty meant you had to have the willingness to turn a blind eye, and only ever disagree in private. That is the antithesis of what being a journalist is about. And The ‘Pie has never been a member of any party, and is strictly an issues based voter
But that also means that The ‘Pie must (again) point out that a person’s private opinion of me does not influence my professional opinion of them. And it is impossible to deny that Mooney was the most positive influence in establishing Townsville as a modern city rather than an amusing backwater. His Radiance has a thin skin and certainly no sense of humour, but only a fool would deny his place as a pivotal figure in this city’s growth. I care more about accuracy in history than about what Tony Mooney thinks of me … I simply do my best to record things accurately.
And the one (to my knowledge) mention of Liam Mooney carrying on the Mooney ‘legacy’, was neither an endorsement or a criticism, it was simply an observable fact.
As for experience in politics, so what, that could be seen as a positive, given all the whingeing you and others (including The ‘Pie) do here. Besides, neither did Mooney Snr have any worth mentioning when he started climbing the greasy pole.
As all but the blindly biased and ill-informed would know.
cheers, thanks for that. I did mean real world experience not political experience.
TC, “real world experience” is always in the eye of the beholder. Tony Mooney obtained an honours degree from JCU and became a teacher at a local high school. Whilst there in the late 1970s he ran for council in what was in those days a first-past-the-post election with a big field of candidates. I think he came eleventh, the first ten got in. From their number the ten elected Perc Tucker to be mayor (that’s how it was done back then). Mooney continued as a teacher. A while later, Perc Tucker died in office. Mooney was then asked to fill the vacancy and his (public) political career began – he had for years been a very effective operative for the ALP in Townsville.
At least ten years as an elected and re-elected councillor and the same again as mayor must count as ‘real world experience’ and justify the letters after his name – although for some they mean nothing. Oh well.
So government high school?
Local Government?
state government health dept?
++++
all but 1 sem to be government?
Not real world in my opinion.
As for Liam none.
TC, so what are your KPIs for ‘real world experience’? Be a tradie and run a small business for a few years? Be a professional (doctor, lawyer, accountant, IT person) in practice for a few years? Run a farm, underground mining team, school, home nursing business for a few years? Or get into politics asap, learn on the job, climb the greasy pole and see it as a craft or profession in its own right like almost every PM, premier and senior politician in history? In particular, learn how to get elected – that’s the hardest part and you, TC, wouldn’t know where to start despite your decades of so-called real world experience.
Agree with Mike Douglas. Lots of theories, what ifs and maybes re: the overpayment scandal.
Fact: Certain high ranking bureaucrats tendered their resignations to TCC ahead of their agreed contractual tenures.
Fact: Some unknown bureaucrat signed off on an additional gratuity to be paid to those individuals.
Fact: No accusation has been made by anyone that the resignations were forced.
Fact: No reasonable factual explanation has been tendered justifying the overpayments.
Fact: Misuse of Public Monies is looked on by the courts as a very serious matter (not minor as suggested by someone).
The whole thing smells of corruption and fraud by those the ratepayers employ. Trying to trivialise the issue by saying there were no policies in place is unacceptable.
Once again, in the absence of a reasonable explanation to the contrary, it would seem that fraudulent action/s may have occurred. And that, in short, is stealing.
The matter cannot be let unresolved.
A perfect summary of the situation Jeff.
If the additional payment is discretionary there’s probably nothing to be done except put a policy in place going forward.
Hopefully, that will be the last time anyone commenting here uses the bullshit term ‘going forward’, instead of the sensible ‘in future’. Grrrr!!
Totally agree Pie. The correct term is “moving forward”. Going forward indeed!!
Don’t get The ‘Pie goin’, sport.
It may be that the State Government advisor in the council was appointed to sort out more than the just the issues surrounding the new Mayor.
The shit has truly hit the fan now. This will test the integrity of the new government. May be a good time for the Premier to appoint a new person in charge of the CCC too.
The advisor is doing his job, the council has become very process like, not many are stepping out of line. The advice is working, they are all working to a common goal and getting decisions made. That is not dysfunctional, it is working. In a hostile council, it is actually working. The issue now is, if Thompson is gone, it will be a feeding frenzy, these councillors will turn on each other, and Cr. Jacob will be first, then Price. That will remove the weaker links. Be prepared a spill has commenced, MA Greaney will be the deputy, Suzy the acting, and that means we are back where we started, team Jenny Hill didn’t go anywhere. Thinking back, it was a shame Fusco went with Team Hill, he would’ve been a great pick for division 10, and if he was independent, he would’ve beaten Ellis hands down.
Fanciful.
The CCC needs an enema to get rid of all the bad shit. It was set up by Labor and has rarely performed in the interests of the public.
In the original CJC, it was known as “Cunts, Just Cunts” because it was used by the Beatty Govt to persecute members of the law enforcement arms of the CJS.
Don’t tell me to provide proof, it was too long ago. Those of us who lived through it were always apprehensive whenever the bosses suddenly left town.
For those flogs on here especially Keith
That saying twonames is telling the truth and being transparent. who do you think signed off on it (Prins ) c.e.o certainly didn’t. Only 1 other person that has the power can do it. After watching twonames on the news you can tell he is passing the buck.and certainly not being transparent at all. And good on Cr. B for asking the question. After watching it online twonames wants to say something about it before it begins.he new he was in the shit then. THIS CLOWN HAS TO GO. Every rate payers should write to the new premier and express their concerns.
It is a lot deeper than that. On what grounds can the mayor actually be removed, remember, he was elected by democracy. Truth or not, he has to go through a process, and that can only be a legal process. The Premier’s local government minister can remove him, but this is open to litigation, and remember there is already a discrimination matter pending, so it will be a tough one. The best solution is often to pay them out, if they choose to go, otherwise it is court, and that is the longer of the 2, and often comes at a far greater cost. Payout the 3.4 years and say goodbye to the mayor, or go to court, but this will go on for at least the term, it’ll cost more in court, and time, not taking away the city’s best interests.
ABC News is reporting that an arrest warrant has been issued for Indian shyster Gautum Adani, for fraud. Another Mullet reign disgrace?
Warrant issued in USA; Mullet chose to ‘deal’ with this bloke and was ‘wined and dined’ by him at the time he was up to no good. Airstrip anyone?
trip to India with all the trimmin’s, ma’am?
Jenny Hill’s mate is in a spot of strife. Gotem Adani;
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-21/gautam-adani-indicted-in-new-york/104628238
Now tell me the Adani airfield deal was all on the up and up. Christ, this town has been hammered by serial arsesoles.
Sorry if this has been posted already, I think I did see it somewhere. But what an absolute load of bullshit. Gill and Claudia are an embarrassment. Absolute crock of shit.
https://www.townsvilleenterprise.com.au/townsville-enterprise-secures-2-5bn-in-investment-for-2023-2024-financial-year/
At least one of the directors that received a big payout, was a train wreck, within council. Caused more drama, and created conflict with everything they touched. It was well known, that if hill lost, this person would be gone. This person also knew, and done everything in their power to create disharmony within different departments, to achieve their own objectives, to make it look good on their resume.I know a lot of people that were glad to see them gone. They need to look further, anomolies will surface, and then the people will see how disfunctional this council is.
Very careful to be gender neutral there, Rabid Pooch. So we will, assume it was a she.
Don’t tell us it was thisn person indulging in a little desktop dancing with The Prince?
No it wasn’t, that person left before .
There has been a lot of executives leave after a short time MDog
Could the Executive in question just been trying to do his or her job properly. It stands to reason he or she would have been disliked if that was the case.
No, this person was abrasive, and their way or the highway, even if it meant total chaos and disharmony, was not liked at all, from plebs to managers.
Walker St is a cluster fuck
Looks like Got-Em Adani has been issued an invitation to visit the USA to explain some characteristic business practices.
Bit like what he practiced here p’raps Jenny will give him a character reference.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/indian-magnate-gautam-adani-charged-in-us-over-massive-bribery-scheme/news-story/bd32d33e9a4be33b578e82e7e10993ae
Now tell me the Adani airfield deal was all on the up and up. Christ, this town has been hammered by serial arsesoles.
For way to long bird.
The best way to get ahead financially in Townsville (Australia?) is to become a crook. Throw morals out the window and openly lie to peoples faces and rip them off. It’s happened to me too many times even recently because I’ve often been too nice and trusting. After 40 years intense study I’m close to finally obtaining my Bachelors of Being A Bastard. Nothing will hold me back now.
The daily magistrates court list today in Townsville (Thursday 21/11/2024) names “Alan Mackenzie Sheret” for an appearance.
This is the same name and same spelling as the former div 3 candidate.
Does anyone know if this is infact the same person or only a coincidence with the same first, middle and last name living in Townsville?
I note, Mr. Pie, that the Fiji Airways will now fly out of Cairns to Nandi.
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/cairns/cairns-airport-to-welcome-new-triweekly-international-route-from-fiji-airways/news-story/e26bd8cbb37ebff0d6f9097b46788ef0
It means that eight international airlines fly out of Cairns to various destinations…Singapore, Bali, Japan, New Zealand, New Guinea, Hong Kong and China and now Fiji.
The hard working 15 staff and nine directors at Townsville Enterprise, led by Ms. “Bullshit Baffles Brains” Smith and the airport “expert” Gill, must all be scratching their heads and wondering … why do dozens of international flights leave Cairns each week, and, zero leave Townsville??
Zero!
Could incompetence be a factor?
Nah…couldn’t be. After all, TE is the body that brought Pink to Townsville.
Yep…apparently their greatest achievement in 2024.
I kid you not!
From their website…”Our Achievements…2024: Secured international artist P!NK.”
And that’s it…obviously a quiet year.
Why the hell would an international airline want to fly to our shitty town? It’s fucked here. You have castle hill and its bus depot, and the inbred magnetic island. That’s it! TEL and Council have failed in their task of making Townsville even remotely desirable as a place to visit. People, save your fucking money and go to Cairns – Daintree, islands, Kuranda and the Atherton Tablelands.
Townsville more of a place for a ‘driving holiday’ – drive up, get your car stolen, collect the insurance and then fly back home to buy a new car.
It is difficult for us to be inbred.
Try harder.
Troy Thompson now suspended for 12 months.
Paul Jacob becomes the acting mayor.
Now to see what Ma Greaney tries to do.
But this doesn’t explain anything yet. Is this some sort penalty, or is thgere an on-going investigation which is yet to reach conclusion? If not, and he simply returns next November, there is almost certainly going to be an even bigger shitfight which will not be good for Crisafulli. removing the mayor was a necessary move, but it is also necessary to make the situation clearer, and that a fairer outcome is in the offing. If Leahy doesn’t do that tomorrow when she talks to council … and the public … Crisafulli will have hit a massive road bump.
Great news, dipshit being stood down. Looks to me like they have the goods on him and they are just going through the motions. How long til he has a meltdown and unloads on his Facebook account?
Ha ha this shit just got real. Love it.
Don’t thinkyou’ve actually grasped what has happened.
OK, The Magpie mea culpa, didn’t read the more comprehensive report. There IS an on-going investigation still underway by the tortoise farm known as the CCC. Therein lies a different scandal, it is incomprehensible how a finding as to whether there was any wrongdoing by Thompson just simply cannot take this long … it is not the CCC place to worry about the legalities, a straightforward brief of facts to the government is all hat has been required – and then it’s the government’s problem, which, unlike the arrogant CCC lofty disdain for the general population, is subject to pressures of accountability.
But as the situation. becomes clearer, it in fact doesn’t. This is shaping up and a political pea and thimble trick, and the Crisafulli Government is teetering on the edge of being justly accused of jelly-back politics.
Note this from the latest Bulletin story:
In a statement sent late Thursday afternoon, Queensland Local Government Minister Ann Leahy said Mr Thompson “agreed” to be suspended from his position as Mayor of Townsville City Council for 12 months on full pay — about $250,000 a year.
“This afternoon, I signed off on the regulation which will remain in place for the full 12 months,” Ms Leahy said.
“The premier made it clear Mr Thompson’s position was untenable and I want to thank Mr Thompson for recognising this situation.
“This result is a win for the residents of Townsville who deserve stability and a functioning local government.
“The people of Townsville spoke loud and clear and we have listened and we have acted.”
Note that crucial bit again: “In a statement sent late Thursday afternoon, Queensland Local Government Minister Ann Leahy said Mr Thompson “agreed” to be suspended from his position as Mayor of Townsville City Council for 12 months on full pay — about $250,000 a year.
“This afternoon, I signed off on the regulation which will remain in place for the full 12 months,” Ms Leahy said.
So Thompson gets our $250K no matter what? No wonder this shitbox was so compliant, nay, eager to sign up.
If he gets to keep the dough, this is the very worse outcome for social justice and the rule of fair law. And sends a damning message throughout local government and the general population.
in other words, Townsville ratepayers are going to be slugged with a bill to accomodate an out-and-out devious swindler. If not the ratepayers, then the Queensland taxpayer.
This cannot be allowed to be the way things will stand.
To prognosticate, this gives the state government time to amend the legislation of what disqualifies a councillor from holding office. Queensland does not want to see its own version of George Santos get into parliament, and the local government legislation will follow, so no Queensland Council gets another Troy Thompson.
If not a prognostication, I quote Deadpool, I am making an educated wish.
But will it be retrospective?
And if not why not? It can hardly be allowed to be argued that ‘I lied before the legislation came in, therefore there’s nothing I have to answer for.’
I think yes, as it wouldn’t be the first time that new legislation was retrospectively applied.
If my memory serves me correctly, the recording of conversations without the suspect knowing was retrospectively applied.
With the level of interest this case has generated could certainly be argued for justification for retrospective application.
While it might be challenged in court, it would be a brave judge to side on the side of legislatively-not-wrong when the other side of the coin is outright fraud.
And the impostor is given a 12 month holiday on full pay. What a bloody joke on Townsville ratepayers.
Channel 7 news- TwoNames stood down for 12 months
on full pay
Yes, he won. Fortune favours the dishonest in Townsville.
I’d love to get that salary for sitting on my arse.
You don’t need 4 Aces, if they believe you’ve got 4 Aces!
12 months on full pay, I’ll bet the travel agents and restaurants around town are queuing up to assist the bludger in his hour of our need!
Getting out of town would be the smart move.
Suspended 12 months on full pay, according to Ch 9 with investigation ongoing
Birnbrauer is on full pay, yes and unfortunately paid for by us. But at least he is finally being pushed back slowly into the hole he crawled out of prior to telling untruths about his Defence Service history and Uni qualifications which mislead many of us to vote him into Council.
Just heard it on the wireless, and now on my electric tablet.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-21/qld-townsville-mayor-troy-thompson-suspended/104632436
At ratepayers expense Twonames and his current squeeze can enjoy, well the options are endless; The Greek Islands, Patagonia, The North West Passage, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Afghanistan, Antarctica (sorry penguins) or Haiti, all on ratepayers expense.
This is bullshit. Under these circumstances he should receive just enough that he does not starve and can purchase just enough dunny paper to meet his needs.
Let’s hope he’s smart enough to take your travel tips. The outrage is sure to make it unwise for him to prancing around town, he is likely to get free character readings on a regular basis. If not worse from those with anger management issues.
Troy has made the trip to the island a few times. We liked him.
That figures.
I of D, lift your standards !
You can have him oh island of women in comfortable shoes!
Next, the petition to rename Maggie South Lesbos.
The lights will burn late tonight at Walker Street.
First the CEO is crafting a reply to his questions on notice, uncomfortable that the spotlight is now upon him, when in mid-sentence, Paul Jacob is the boss and is in the Mayoral Office trying to find something that has not been shredded.
Jacob needs to fess up on the whole Adani airport shit before it all becomes public.
You’re memory OK there Kenny?
Could be wrong … and The ‘Pie is sure there will be plenty to put him right …. but the lack of transparency and Jenny’s autocratic and secret dealings on the Adani airstrip rort was the reason he resigned from council, and never linked up with Team Hill again.
Or is that wrong?
Yeah not sure what Kenny is smoking but Jacob is known for his stand against the airstrip
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/councillor-lone-dissenter-on-airstrip-funding/news-story/afa3277fd6a26dea328f2d7c26cb1af4
That’s correct but he must’ve been in the know otherwise he wouldn’t have resigned
RUOK, Kenny? That doesn’t make any sense, by any reading. Let’s put it another way – he found out about it, and was indignant that it was a secret, and thus resigned.
Throwing shade when a bloke for once does the right thing is a bit weak, mate.
Yesterday’s council meeting the subject of leases by various groups & organisations. One the raised my concern was the TPI Disabled Servicemen seeking to renew its lease at Dean St Carpark grounds. Questions were raised about future use would affect the lease. It seems Council have this space earmarked for the concert hall. I was under the impression that ‘community consultation’ was to be undertaken before that decision was made. Looks like Mr Richardson should be another executive that is shown the door.
A packet of black jelly beans to the enthusiast who sends a photograph of Thompson the Bad, boarding a plane, bus, train out of Townsville, to the Magpie.
Jelly bean hand over details can be discussed latter.
Thompson’s glued to Townsville. Mummy provides his accommodation and Michelle wet nurses him. He ain’t going anywhere. He will cling to Townsville the way a turd clings to a hairy asshole. He ain’t going anywhere.
Distastefully colorful, Percy, but do you realise you have just described Townsville as a hairy arsesole?
This reminds The ‘Pie of the re-worked joke reply he once gave a drunk in Poseurs” Bar one night when he vehemently announced that ‘Townsville is the arsesole of the earth’.
‘The ‘Pie asked, ‘So you’re just passing through, are you?’
While the merriment about Twonames Thompson being stood down is legitimate, I ask what opportunity does this provide for a truly legitimate candidate in the future, or conversely the labor party to promote a Jenny Hill clone?
There is an irony here, we only voted him in, to get “her” out!
A Greek tragedy not even in Melbourne or Athens.
And now an arrest warrant has been issued for Adani and his team, with the stock market reacting accordingly.
It may be a little sickening, the thought of Twonames receiving $250k for 12 months of sitting on his ass, but as has been mentioned, it’s part of the process that we have to swallow. Hopefully he will voluntarily resign at some stage, before his 12 month penalty expires. It’s a small cost compared to the long term gains we get by having him put on the bench. The State now builds its case. I can’t wait to see how this fool reacts to Council decisions that are made while he is sidelined. I’m predicting he will do a lot of public and behind the scenes shit stirring. Let the fun begin.
Let’s be clear about ione thing … or more correctly, Minister Leahy must be clear about one thing.
The 12 month suspension cannot be a penalty in itself – especially not on full pay – but a mechanism to sideline him whiled he is being investigated. Because if the government sees the full pay suspension is somehow the end of the matter, and they will soft pedal on any CCC findings, let me assure Brisbane, that will be the closest we will come to riots in the street. And if that happens, it won’t be about Thompson, it will be about the limp and uncaring LNP Government that will further leave Townsville twisting in the wind.
The existing uncertainty among potential investors will remain in place for either the 12 months (holding out the theoretically possible return of this shyster) ofr until he is removed because of CCC-deemed prosecution.
What an exciting piece of news to wake up to this morning, Thompson exiled from TCC for 12 months. Great news. Slowly and gradually the screws are being turned. $250k is but a drop in the ocean compared to the damage this buffoon could cause us over a 12-month period. This may be a long farewell, but hopefully today is the start of the long awaited end of Thompson. I’m so happy I could cry.
You’ll cry when The ‘Pie tells you but Thompson doesn’t think this is a farewell at all, and his reponse to the suspension shows he fully intends to return to Walker street. He thinks.
Anyway, no matter how much he glosses over it, TwoNames is STILL under investigation by the Tortoise Farm aka CCC.
As Twonames Thompson has only been stood down he can travel the world and can legitimately say, “Hello, I am the Mayor of Townsville.”
Furthermore, will the Councillor Profile on the TCC web site be amended to read Mayor, disgraced and stood down?
What the fuck is going on. The government acknowledges the new Mayor’s actions were not appropriate or in accordance with the Local Government Act. So they suspend him for a year on full pay. Is that what you call a punishment.?
I have a feeling there may be a lot more candidates running for Mayor next elections draped in Victoria Crosses and with a thousand degrees in their resumes.
The timing of this is questionable! I trust the new government aren’t selective, and try and sweep the overpayment issue under the carpet. My guess is the new premier still has some contacts in the council when he was there. I got the impression he is a decent man so this will test his integrity.
Good morning nesters and pre-Xmas greetings. Dear friends, just wondering if anybody knows whether Harpic, Messagebank and Cupcake have jobs yet? To be honest, I couldn’t give a fuck, however I am just curious. Perhaps they are waiting for TCC to have the administrator called in, councillors sacked, and then all three of them apply for the new Councillor positions? Oh the humanity…….
Reasonable question, but no matter what it means in Spanish, being curious IS giving a fuck.
Interesting wording in this article. It sounds to me like this isn’t just a casual staring down as Mayor. It’s being viewed as a permanent solution. It will be an interesting twelve months. Seems like very few want him back.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-21/qld-townsville-mayor-troy-thompson-suspended/104632436
“TC, wouldn’t know where to start despite your decades of so-called real world experience.”I wouldn’t take the job anyway, as I believe it tends to attract the lowest kind of parasite, to the positions.
Of course you wouldn’t take the job. But you almost certainly gave someone else your vote, sight unseen, no KPIs, so that they would take the job. Now you want others to take responsibility for your choices.
Perhaps it’s time to reconsider the need for this level of government in our system. If the bottom feeders it attracts are any indication of its true nature, we should seriously reassess its value. words like liar, drunked,crook, and nepotism come to mind if i am being nice.
This is a rare case in the realm of the elected, and doing away with councillors (an undesirable and unworkable idea anyway) won’t solve the real problem … because the bureaucracy that would still be needed run things (as they please, and tough if you don’t like their decisions) is where the real thuggery and theft will still lie.
Still lie as in the same as the assholes we have today. Maybe but, may weed out nepotism?could bring a more educated asshole?
Like to have another crack at that comment in English? And nepotism? WTF?
Honestly we’d be a lot better off with one fewer level of government and probably local would be the best one to get rid of.
OK, and how would that work?
All the services get taken over by the state government, would be more efficient and less likely to get hijacked by local weirdos with e.g. anti-fluoride agendas
Oh you sweet little innocent you. Have you ever dealt with a government department, have you ever tried to argue against a PS decision, have you ever wanted something from a faceless bureaucrat who can ignore you without fear to their job or performance overview? And do you really want someone in Brisbane making the on-grounbd decisions for Townsville … or any regional city, town or village?
I’d be perfectly happy to have bureaucrats in Brisbane running things instead of Townsville City Council.
Yes, no doubt you would.
It may be the case that we don’t need to have a policy in place to protect future over payments.
Take for example Mr Richardson. General Manager Property & Fleet.
According to his ‘Linked In’ profile, he has done a course in ‘ETHICAL LEADERSHIP’
????????????????
Twonames has issued a Facebook statement this morning. I haven’t posted it here as per the Pie’s previous instructions. However I have copied one paragraph below;
“During the 12 months suspension, I have advised the Minister of my commitment to complete studies around local laws, the act, meeting procedures and policies to ensure the people of Townsville get the best outcome for the future”.
So is he undertaking a course or does he mean scrolling through Google? And if it’s a course, is it a formal qualification? And if it’s a formal qualification, will numbnuts post a fake qualification at the end of the course?
This bloke is still holding on. His statement also quoted the usual rhetoric about him being democratically elected bla blah blah. Seriously, this prick will be a thorn in Townsville’s side for years to come. Unlike a fart, he won’t vanish into thin air.
The opening line, which says he clearly intends to return to infest Walker Street again at the end of the 12 months, further proves that Troy thompson nis unfit for office. Because anyone aspiring to the mayoral robes would be fully conversant before any campaign with ‘local laws, the act, meeting procedures and policies’. This is not a qualification that needs a special course, anybody can do it. Knowing how not to fuck in meetings and the general role of mayor does NOT “ensure the people of Townsville get the best outcome for the future” … it is the minimum reasonable expectationn of ratepayers that their civic head already knows the basics of the rules BEFORE running for office. Fran knew the rules, regulation and requirements backwards, detail often learnt the hard way through the low slimyv tactics of the likes of Jenny Hill and her legal Lurch,Tony Bligh.
And yet all this knowledge of procedures and laws has only created unsustainable debt and golden parachutes for council management.
I see Cas Garvey is claiming credit for exposing Thompson’s lies and deceit.
The Magpie broke the story days BEFORE the election. That’s why i voted for old mate Pattel. Garvey either missed it completely or didn’t bother informing the public until AFTER the election.
Either way it was a monumental cock-up.
It was in fact far more irresponsible by the paper, because The Magpie can assure you that Garvey had exactly the same information as The ‘Pie, perhaps even more, but deliberately chose not to publish it. The initial information The ‘Pie headlined almost a week before the elections was about his DVO but only raising then growing suspicions about other claims to army service and educational qualifications. The paper only dived in after The Magpie had published that he thought the acid test would come on Anzac Day when the positioning of medals supposedly earned by Thompson would be on display. And when he was bare left chested, just wearing his forebear’s awards on his right side, the Bulletin started its campaign. Thoimpson went ballistic. And berserk, deciding to take on the paper, not understanding that while the Bulletin was diminished in the community’s eyes, it was not impotent. He soon became a national embarrassment through the News network exposure.
The paper may well have refrained from publishing any material before the election on legal advice and in the belief we more or less all shared that Hill was a shoo-in … after all, she had the tacit backing of the mighty Bulletin.
Whether this was a professionally ethical course to take is a matter for Ms Garvey.
Cas is a sub-standard editor. She isn’t unbiased and she is scared to print any story that will affect the papers revenue stream. A very weak individual. I rate her a big zero.
The Elephant – 30 June 2021 is the date ‘The Magpie’ first published Birbrauer being a grifter and troublemaker.
Very good informative coverage by the ABC https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-22/suspended-townsville-mayor-troy-thompson-vows-to-clear-name-qld/104633620?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2yNhy8NzSBtOSb64tYOuGRF5WsGO-Pn4YkqJWpHMzqTUP2Ge0in92j1zo_aem_ew7B3g50iqwFTEwdz6X_Ag
That puts into perspective why this is the worst possible decision of all, and is certainly a major blunder by the new Crisafulli Government. The deep prattling stupidity of the Leahy woman is just the latest insult to Townsville voters. While ‘outrageous’ be the new normal in places like America and Britain, we should stand against such egregious acceptance of official cowardice like this.
it is flinching, jellyback politics at its ethical lowest. The ‘Pie is going to let himself calm down a bit and will gonover the whole sordid dogs dinner on in Sunday’s Nest.
The show cause notice was a choice or suspend or terminate by Scanlon as reported in early October. Best guess is Thompson was nudged by his legal team with the first sitting next week, it takes it off the table for termination or suspension without pay. It’ll blow over in a week, then it’ll be Jacob removed for team Jenny’s team, Greaney & Batkovic, and we are right back where we started, in the hands of labor. Thompson now has a real reason for a payout, because if they couldn’t navigate the show cause, the minister just showed her cards.
Tell us exactly which councillors you think would vote to oust Jacob.
No you tell us why you think there would be any such vote?
I don’t think there will be one, Mike does, and he seems to have run the numbers to predict the outcome. I want to see his working.
So Local Government Minister Ann Leahy is quoted as saying:
“Yes, Troy Thompson wrote to me on Wednesday and requested that he be suspended, that’s probably a matter that you need to ask him.
“Look, that request was quite simple, that he made a request to be suspended, which is something that the premier has called for, that he stand aside, and that is something that he has done, and we thank him for doing that.
“I made a phone call to him late yesterday afternoon as a matter of courtesy and … he seemed to be in quite good spirits.”
So Govt didn’t do anything other than grant him his request? And I bet he was in good spirits – paid study leave for god knows how long…..
This is not the first time Leahy has made ingenuous statements which make her look like she is a ninny. She has no idea that Thompson would have had legal advice about possible scenarios, and Leahy has now idea gthat she may well have put the government’s foot in a bear trap.
I wonder if this might set a precedent for any Mayor in Qld. who’s getting a bit stressed and wants a break .All they have to do is write to the Minister and explain that they are not getting on with the councillors and staff and request 12 months leave on full pay. Too easy !
E,
This is bizarre beyond words. Is there vision of her making these statements?
It does not make sense to me. Twonames is defending himself vowing to return, and now we are to believe he, on his own initiative, requested and was granted 12 months holiday on full pay.
Something is wrong here.
It is more like Twonames could not show cause why he should not be stood down and he has been told to piss off (on full pay) to allow fresh air into the council chambers.
What is the saying? “When you are being run out of town, get to the front of the crowd to look as if you are leading the procession. “
Maybe, we should all ask our employers to be suspended on full pay??I know the answer I would get, there’s your dcm, now fuck off. Oh to be an elitist, and rub shoulders with the superior beings. They are all shit, and the arse stains look after each other, nothing but grubs, the lot of them. Do not care one bit, that we the ratepayers, and taxpayers, pay for this shit!
Here here!! What Mdog said.
Mdog,
Now don’t get MAD, but as and elitist and superior being I can tell you we are quite wonderful people. We do care, very deeply, well, a bit, about you ratepayers and taxpayers. It is you that fund our elaborate and exorbitant lifestyle.
I will share a secret just with you. You too can become elitist and a superior being. It is just a matter or attitude, not being MAD, and using nice words in your correspondence.
Here is a start for you to practice, Diplomacy, the gentle art of telling someone to go to hell in such a way that they actually look forward to the journey. Now off you go
Mr. Pie, I find it unbelievable that a just-elected government can make such a stupid decision.
Doesn’t say a lot for future decisions, of which there will be many.
This clown can now travel Australia, if not the world, doing local government research, and, claim every dollar spent as a taxable deduction…all paid for by the Townsville ratepayers.
The “Thompson Mess” just got messier!
Perhaps TwoNames can wander off down to the Hermit Park RSL in his down time. I would think that there would a long line of members down there who’ve actually sacrificed more than most of us know and would like to give him serious verbal uppercut or two.
To overstate your uni education history is one thing but to actually talk bullshit (and actually believe it) regarding your history of service record in the ADF is the bottom of the barrel stuff.
The bloke is a total grub and hopefully someone will persuade him to seek another line of con work before the next twelve months expires.
Heads up…keep an eye out for the old ‘ this has all been a very stressful experience for me and I’m seeking more renumeration from Townsville ratepayers’
This is far from over. Thompson will go after the human rights complaint, serious defamation, act breaches, and his advisor mate stitched council up well by getting replies in writing. The minister would be better to make an offer over the next 12 months, to release him from office by a deed of separation, the council legal know a thing or two about this process.
Yes, far from over, but it is not necessarily by your reading, Mike … and remember, the CCC investigation is still on foot.
And you’re half right … you can bet – Christ, it is so obvious – the minister has already made an offer, part of which is clearly $250k over a year with the likelihood sometime in between of a resignation ‘after reaching an undisclosed settlement’.
We’ve been had, well and truly. A bad start for Crisafulli’s time in office. Leahy is a cowardly incompetent who endorses extortion. She herself is under investigation by the CCC over a matter related to Thompson when she was in opposition. Part of that matter is that sh expressed the view that ‘there wasn’t anything much wrong with Thompson’s position (shortly after his election.)
Why would you make someone who is under investigation by the CCC for a matter related to a ministry, the minister for that portfolio?
Two reasons: you don’t want to go back on yet another campaign promise so soon after saying the shadow ministry would remain intact, and hope no one notices her indiscretion (a matter concerning political donations) until another reason is found to give her the Crisafulli Gucci. Or give her the hospital pass of Thompson, and be ready to step in as the strong decisive leader when she fucks up … as she has done.
Yet another campaign promise. What is it up to now? 7? One more won’t wouldn’t really have made a difference if it meant your minister was above reproach.
Spot on Magpie.
Thompson had only a few choices, be terminated or suspended. His legal team seem to have navigated through the system a way for Thompson to take control. Now if the minister steps back on the suspension, due to pushback, Thompson will be compensated. The human rights complaint will yield compensation. The fact the government are paying him, is they haven’t a leg to stand on. And even if the CCC is successful, he will have many areas to seek compensation from.
If Lane was his advisor, Crisafulli is exposed. Lanes partner was Natalie Marrs campaign manager, a direct link to the LNP, is it any wonder they are frosty.
Thompson also raised issues about the financial state of the council, jobs completed vs outstanding, vs QTC loans and deteriorating assets. Not to mention big blowouts, crisafulli had his chance to shut it down, instead. Thompson investigation will expose all. I think he has positioned himself well as primary whistleblower.
Shame he didn’t whistleblow on himself at the outset. In fact, if he hadn’t tried to make dumb fools of the electorate, taken charge of his issues and the surrounding narrative and not made big swinging dick claims, he would probably have won by a bigger margin and would not have the strife he has encountered. But he showed he would rather lie than take us into his confidence, and for that alone, he should never be near office again.
when you put it like that. true
Agree again.
Though, I think the best position for government is to pay him out, gag him, for the sake of the Townsville. I do believe we should be in administration, it’s clear there are many issues yet to come forward, maybe he’ll leave us with that, some information that’ll cripple us all.
But but Mr Magpie, Troy was democratically elected by the people. So in his world he can lie, bullshit, be deceptive, do whatever he wants because that isn’t an issue because he was democratically elected. The arseclown is living in another dimension.
The ‘Pie isn;’t the only one wishing he actually was.
Different subject
Airlie Beach is getting a Skyrail/skyway
Townsville gets COPPER STRING. HA HA HA
The tourists are going to be coming here in their thousands.
No it';s not … not nyet anyway. There are all sorts of approvals still required and things like sudden indigenous archeological discoveries and the endangered habitat of the Lesser Titted Burping Wombat Budgie are still be overcome.
“Oh you sweet little innocent you. Have you ever dealt with a government department, have you ever tried to argue against a PS decision, have you ever wanted something from a faceless bureaucrat who can ignore you without fear to their job or performance overview? And do you really want someone in Brisbane making the on-grounbd decisions for Townsville … or any regional city, town or village?” Are we talking about the same thing, when I talk to councillors here all I see in their eyes is vested interests?
You should’ve gone to Specsavers, mate.
I know, i went to OPSM cost me a small fortune.
Twonames has posted a ‘correct the record’ post on Facebook. He has a dig at Cas, mentions that he has been bullied, has an go at Labor and Hill, and also hints at, you are going to love this, writing a book! Plastic man has lost his marbles. Fool.
Dunno, he coukld be an author. He’s good at making things up.
There’s even a genre – fantasy fiction. Although the writing is usually more mature and the topics better researched.
But its a genre that features magic wrist watches.
Twonames attempts to correct the record, yet;
-fails to acknowledge he lied about military service,
– fails to acknowledge he lied about this lack of tertiary qualifications,
– fails to acknowledge his court proceedings against him for domestic violence
Fails to acknowledge he tried to blackmail councillors. And totally forgot apparently ()according to his TV interview) that he appeared in court on fraud matters.
A book?
I will wait for the musical stage play.
Let’s cast it.
Roseanne Barr to play Jenny Hill.
T.T.,
It is late and the Pie us probably flat out preparing for tomorrow’s blog, but here goes anyway.
A book? Years ago a bloke I knew, same profession as me, had a mental breakdown. As part of his mental health care plan he was encouraged to write a book on his career and other matters. He did, I attended the book launch and my copy, read once, is in the library. Not a great read but for him the process seemed to be helpful.
BACK TO THE POINT. I expect Twonames’ book will be part of his mental health care plan.
Will there be colouring in pages? Free crayons with each purchase?
And a book signing. Troy sitting there with that stupid grin on his face revelling in the attention.
Definitely no “Connect The Dots” pages. He cannot do that it seems. But I would think he would manage some word jumbles. But that’s just his normal writing style.