Yup, you read it right … when independent councillor Fran O’Callaghan criticises Mayor Mullet’s budget, her rudeness, and her lockdown statements … instead of replying, Mayor Mullet goes the bully biff and complains to the Office of the Independent Assessor (OIA). The Magpie reports on this growing council bust-up – because you can be sure the Bulletin won’t.
The three day Townsville ‘shockdown’ … it’s no longer about public safety in this city, it’s about politics. And like so much of modern politics, it’s utter tripe, in both substance and how it is reported.
The hilarious Bulletin up-sell of its downsizing, disguising as best it can the latest stage in its effective withdrawal from Townsville and eventually snuffing out of the already shrivelled existence of the city’s sole newspaper.
And looking overseas, one of the world’s most notorious war criminals dies, getting a hero’s send-off from western mainstream media
Plus our regular pictorial week in the USA, an engrossing video that’s literally out of this world, and some clever and not so clever advertisements … the usual mix, you know the drill (including the usual request for donations to help meet the costs of the blog, but you already know that part of the drill, so The ‘Pie won’t mention it this week).
So first…
Jenny’s Really Got The Jitters …She Knows The Jig’s Up
We’ll let Bentley take pride of place to succinctly sum up the mayor’s new nightmare.
Let’s not mince words here … Jenny Hill is and always has been a spiteful tin pot political dictator who has never brooked any opposition to her highly questionable management of the Townsville City Council. She has gathered around herself, by dint of a promised easy pay packet, a group of fawning sycophants who meekly bend to her will.
Now there will be some who will disagree with that view, but they may need to revise their opinion in the light of the latest development within the council ranks. The sudden appearance of capable opposition to her dictatorial rule has forced Mayor Mullet to reveal her true colours. And the revelation is as unappetising and unsurprising as it is disgraceful.
Clr Fran O’Callaghan
That opposition is the non-political, well reasoned arguments of the independent councillor for Division 10, Fran O’Callaghan, who has posted some very unflattering but highly pertinent opinions about the TCC budget. And also about the weasel words from our simpering mayor, for desperately trying to make political hay out of the covid sunshine. Not that Clr O’Callaghan, a grazier and businesswoman who holds a science degree in Quantity Surveying, would use such language to voice her informed concerns about council matters, particularly the 2021/22 budget. But don’t you worry, ma’am, The ‘Pie always has the colourful language side of things covered, heh heh heh.
We reported the opening salvo in this new community battlefront last week when Clr O’C refused to be bullied in a council meeting by a high handed Jenny Hill, but it turns out Clr O’Callaghan had only just started. She soon followed up with this, s reported in Magpie comments on Wednesday.
Councillor Fran O’Callaghan Division 10
A drill down on the $40m TCC Covid support package.
At my first Ordinary Meeting on 24 February this year, the Mayor mentioned in response to the petition submitted by Phillip Thompson OAM MP regarding the pedestal charge, that the Townsville City Council had provided $40 million in Covid support. This pricked my attention and I felt compelled to check out this figure to ensure its accuracy. Emails were sent to the CEO over the ensuing months asking the questions and the information that I have obtained so far to date is that three of the major items making up the $40m support were:
1. $15m in early payment to suppliers by trading terms being changed from 30 days to 14 days. I was not advised that this was additional or new work.
2. Breaking up $12.5m of work into smaller packages. I was not advised that this was new or additional work.
3. Support Local Campaign promotion $3m – 600 businesses registered – assuming 5k benefit per business.
So the above items are classed as a “generous pandemic support package”.
In my view you cannot class $15m that you pay to suppliers 16 days early as $15m in support. You can only class the cost of interest lost for 16 days as the support.
In my view you cannot class $12.5 m of contracted work broken into smaller packages as $12.5m in support. You can only class the cost of the process of breaking those packages up into the smaller packages as the support.
In my view you cannot class a promotional register to buy local as being $3m in support as you assume that each of the 600 businesses benefited by receiving $5k of trade from being on the register. You can only class the cost of setting up and maintaining the register as the support.
My generous estimate of the cost to the Council of implementing the above three items is a grand total of $1.5m, so in my view, and I’m sure many other peoples views, that is the amount of support that was actually provided.
I raised this issue again in last weeks Ordinary Meeting so if I am provided with any further information proving what I have said in this post is incorrect I will amend the post.
And that really started a mayoral foot stamp, but instead of calming down and having a grown-up discussion to try to refute the claims, guess what? Mayor Hill resorted to her old political ploy of making a complaint to authorities – in this case the Office of the Independent Assessor – a complaint about an independent councillor expressing her views, which were clearly open to public correction by the mayor. And the claim that what was said was ‘false and misleading’ cis more than a bit bloody rich coming from this woman. Anyway, the issues could be transparently confronted and argued by the mayor without trying to intimidate with officialdom. in any event, even if it was false and misleading, it is only a problem for the Assessor if it could be proved that it was INTENDED to be so. Otherwise, no one could ever voice an honestly held opinion about anything and about any matter with the billy club of such authority hovering over their heads.
Clearly Clr O’Callaghan is made of sterner stuff than Jenny Hill has hitherto encountered , because she was having none of it, and galloped on, offering an icy blast about the mayor’s lock-down rhetoric, and foreshadowing a planned motion seeking council relief for local businesses.
Mayor Mullet’s sum total of useless statements during the lockdown was the oldest guarantee that people panic.
Mayor Mullet should take her own advice, support for Clr O’C’s stand has been instant and widespread. And Jenny knows it.
Our mayor is truly worthy of the theme song ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered.’
The Townsville ‘Shockdown’ – What a Crock
Another totally unnecessary kick in the cods for Townsville business, with a spurious lock down a signal moment in displaying that the political tribe has lost its head. Masks sure, why not, limited numbers and distancing, ok if you think it will help, but a bloody lock down? In a city that has been fortunate enough to suffer virtually zero effects of the virus, such a move was just spiteful political grandstanding.
And the one aspect that greatly puzzles The ‘Pie: there has been no running commentary on the severity or hospitalisations of those found to have the new Delta strain, just infections. Particularly useful and revealing would’ve been a running scorecard of this information since this Queensland lockdown was called, and especially one in Townsville, where basically fuck all has occurred. Seems there could be a good reason for that – the only thing The’ Pie has heard about this new voodoo variant is that it is much more transmittable than the initial strain. But there have also been brief reports that it is not as severe as the other variants, and that might lead people to -well. say, see an small aeroplane flying and want to go for a drive … or attend an indigenous funeral.
media observer Margaret Simons
But it’s not just politicians who need to reassess their roles in what can only now be an historic clusterfuck of ineptitude, over-reaction and unnecessary economic pain. One article worth reading is by one of the country’s most respected reporters on the news media itself, Margaret Simons. She asks some very difficult questions of certain sensationalist sections of the media, questions that no doubt will never be answered.
Judge for yourselves, it’s only a three minute read.
But the end, the only thing we can do now is laugh … bitterly. Like the funny blokes at The Shovel.
The Bulletin Tries Vainly To Find An Upside To Downsizing …
Remember that oft-quoted American saying “When you’re being run out of town, get to the front of the mob and make it look like a parade.’ Well, that’s about the sum of the Bulletin trying to make a positive out of its dramatic shrinkage into its new Walker Street cubbyhole.
But the strain of the impossible task to put a positive spin on the move was way too much for reporter Leighton Smith, and his hilarious opening line.
‘A STUNNING view from floor-to- ceiling windows overlooking the CBD’s Perfume Garden was one of many reasons why the Townsville Bulletin’s move to a new home has been so sweet.’
(Gasp, wheeze, chortle, snurffle … gawd, spare us!!)
A WHAT, Leighton? In a city rightfully boasting ‘stunning views’ of The Strand, and from Castle Hill and Mount Stuart out to Maggie Island and the waters of the GBR, and from any number of CBD high rises like the Suncorp building towering above your new digs, you decide that the Perfume Garden offers a ‘stunning view’. Mate is that all ya got, really? And ‘sweet’?
But not satisfied with making a complete goose of himself with that description of a little CBD armpit of a park, often host to parkies and derros, Mr Smith dragged his boss, the paper’s GM Suzanne Wilson, into the comedy, when he tells us:.
“Beyond the office’s spectacular view and proximity to the courthouse and Townsville City Council, she loved the office’s monochromatic finish, saying it was fresh and modern.”
In other words, no money for a updated fit-out, not even a new paint job. And perhaps the only way the view could be described as ‘stunning’ if it is applied to the occasional activities of the wallopers cleaning out those cantankerous parkies.
This move gives further credence to rumours circulating – and predicted by The ‘Pie 11 years ago – that the Bulletin will eventually become a thrice weekly insert in the Courier Mail. Sooner rather than later, it seems.
Now Some Cheering Local News
A stalwart on the Townsville small business scene has made a massive vote of confidence in a derelict site whose neglect has been bemoaned for a dozen years or more.
Many will know the abandoned and shuttered old store/café at the far end of Pallarenda’s main drag. And even more folks will remember old Magpie mate Maurizio Collesel – he and his late mum were much loved fixtures of Flinders Street East for decades with their convenience store and later adjacent wine bar and bricked rear dining courtyard next to The Exchange.
Well, Big M has been quietly beavering away on the Pallarenda property he acquired some time ago, and locals and visitors are soon in for a treat … a new café with outdoor dining and coffee overlooking the park and the top end of Pallarenda Beach is getting close to opening. An exclusive peep.
Wow, just bloody WOW Maurizio, you deserve every success you will surely garner from this eye-catching turn-around.
Other Matters Noted In Passing
Now, you Trump defenders, tell us again why the Republican Party are not Nazis.
Overseas travel will never be so simple again … and leaving will be even more of an ordeal than returning currently is .
Nor will travelling in Nanny State Australia be as carefree as it once was. If there was any doubt that the Nanny Staters have us in their icy grip, get a load of this completely infantile piece of bullshit.
The ‘Pie can only offer this to the moist little group of people who reached this absolutely daft ruling.
Donald Rumsfeld Is Now Enlightened About One Of His Unknown Unknowns
Unprosecuted war criminal Donald Rumsfeld, who died last Thursday aged a comfortable 88, was the architect of ‘Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction’ buffoonery (there weren’t any, or any evidence of any and he knew it) that led to the invasion of Iraq in 2003. In his deliberate stratagem to scapegoat Saddam Hussein, whom he well knew was not the man behind the 7/11 attacks on the US, Rumsfeld shielded the real culprits, Syria and Saudi Arabia, for venal economic reasons. At the cost of thousands of American dead and wounded.
But at the core of Rumsfeld’s mass murder of his own citizens as well as of ‘the enemy’, lies one of the most deadly pieces of sophistry in modern history. Five months after 9/11, looking for a justification to send thousands of American troops to their unnecessary slaughter in Iraq and later Afghanistan, Rumsfeld told Americans: .
‘There are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns—the ones we don’t know we don’t know. And if one looks throughout the history of our country and other free countries, it is the latter category that tends to be the difficult ones.”
That established pscycho/philosphical statement is true, but used in this context, it became just cynical and deadly sophistry. Well, now, one of history’s modern war criminals has confronted the final ‘unknown unknown ‘… and those left behind grieving losses he so criminally caused can only hope that there is some sort of justice and retribution in that final ‘unknown’.
But Buffeted and Battered As It Has Been. Recently, Old Glory Will Be Fluttering Proudly Across America Today
Because it is the 4th of July, Independence Day. There could be a lot of sour jokes made about that phrase, but let’s be generous and start with gentle cartoon that made The ‘Pie laugh at its silly innocence (remember silly innocence?)
But then of course, the American penmen took a darker turn, as befits the times.
Perhaps Not The Star Ship Enterprise But…
… all the more mesmerising because it’s the real thing. This is a 25 minute tour of the orbiting international space station. Truthfully, The ‘Pie thought he’d just watch the first few minutes and move on … but he got hooked. If curiosity about this new frontier fascinates you, you will be hooked too. One for when you’ve got the time.
Finally, The Top Marks – And Question Marks – Of Advertising.
Clever advertising has moved well beyond just clever words, although they’re still needed most of the time. But visual makes you do a double take …
…
… others just make you guffaw at their cleverness ..
… then there are those you more hear than see (bet you’ll be humming that all day now) …
Then there’s stating the obvious to help the developmentally delayed among us …
… but lateral thinking is always a winner …
but sometimes, words need to be carefully thought through, otherwise, you get – from this (from a TV ad) …
… the arresting line ‘And you can be assured that every drop of A2 milk comes only from Queensland cows and Queensland farmers.’
Ummm … ah … no, forget it.
………………
Another week gone, lots of fun to be had comments throughout the week, join in the rough and tumble. And if you can help out with some sorely needed financial support for the Nest, that would be greatly appreciated.
Not a good week for Premier Palaszczuk , CMO Jeanette Young and on the home front democracy . The CMOS,s snap lockdown and requesting people who had been in hot spots like Magnetic Island , Cotters markets get tested which resulted in 8 hr wait times at testing centres and 48 hr delays in results . The Pie is right , the number of tests and results should be declared and used in future modelling for lockdowns . The CMO,,s “i dont want to see any 18yr olds die from Astra Zeneca ” is being used antivaxxers sharing her video resulting in one Victorian COVID testing clinic staff subjected to abuse . Left Wing Peter Van Onselen quoted Jeanette Young as ” self serving and reckless ” and verballing the PM . Brisbane is out of lockdown with restrictions for weddings / funerals and visitors to your home but crowds will be at the Broncos game at Suncorp Stadium today . On the local front , reporting an independent Councillor for simply representing her Division doesnt pass the pub test . Is it just a coincidence that Message Bank couldnt get the sewerage issues at Wulguru fixed for years but not even a year with a new independent Councillor and some media attention $10 mil lands the budget .
Greetings from SEQld,
It seems that football fans cannot spread or catch Covid19, but patrons of hospitality venues can.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-04/queensland-coronavirus-football-business-covid-restrictions/100263746
It is these inconsistencies that make people less willing to tolerate and comply with Covid19 restrictions.
One can only hope that Donald Scumsfeld boarded the Styx River boat without a coin in his mouth.
No freebee’s from Charon, so the epitome of evil Rumsfeld, can wander the underworld for 100 years.
He’ll have the less than generous company of all those poor bastards who he lied to about “the mission”.
The Townsville Bulletin shamelessly continues its not-so-subtle censorship of news and comment to protect its favourite advertisers.
To prevent the editor claiming he knew nothing about Cr Fran O’Callaghan’s revealing investigation into the council’s covid spending figures, last week I emailed a copy of her Facebook post not only to the editor but also his secretary.
Still waiting for the story to appear.
Then Jenny Hill has one of her regular rants in the online edition and readers are not given the opportunity to comment on it.
The paper’s beloved NQ Cowboys got belted 38-0 by the Knights last night but at 9am this morning not a word about it on the Townsville Bulletin website.
One can only assume the sports editor is waiting for a media release from the Cowboys spin doctors before reporting that the Cowboys were destroyed by two former Cowboys players the recruitment and retention committee let go – Kalyn Ponga and Jake Clifford.
Clifford, who was ditched mid-season to make way for former Broncos half Tom Dearden, ran rings around his replacement, who looked second rate at best.
Can’t wait to see how they spin this one in Monday’s paper.
The North Queensland Cowboys brains trust will be in damage control next week, and not just because of last night’s game.
Having two players they dumped pull their pants down in last night’s 38-nil debacle wasn’t the only embarrassment suffered by the club’s Recruitment and Retention Committee.
In a game on Friday night Chad Townsend, the 30-year-old halfback the Cowboys recently signed on a multi-million dollar 2 year contract, gave fans a taste of what they can expect when he pulls on a Cowboys jersey next season.
For those who haven’t been following the goings-on at the Cowboys “Centre of Excellence” Townsend couldn’t get a run in first grade at his club so he switched to the Warriors for the remainder of this season, before joining the Cowboys next year.
The match report on the Dragons last gasp win over the Warriors reads in part:
“Put it down as one of the brain explosions of the season. With his new side up by eight points with six minutes remaining against a down and almost out St George Illawarra, Warriors halfback Chad Townsend inexplicably attempted a field goal. It never looked like hitting the mark and instead went dead, gifting the desperate Dragons a seven tackle set. They used the unexpected momentum breaker to score two quick tries, forcing the game into golden point where Corey Norman stepped up to nail his own one-pointer to seal a thrilling 19-18 win at an empty Central Coast Stadium. An embarrassed Townsend later admitted he thought his side was only up by six and wanted the extra one-point buffer.”
With his loose grasp on matters mathematical he will fit right in at the Cowboys, who are still using the imfamous Rabieh Krayem formula to calculate crowd numbers at home games – count the heads and multiply by 2.
He’d fit right in at the Astonisher, too, with maths like that. And the dumbest move of the season so far – even if he had kicked it, the collapse was too evident to change the result.
Question: is the Centre of excellence under warranty and can we get our money back?
Great job by your mate at Pallarenda Pie, I have always been amazed at the wasted opportunity of the Rowes Bay foreshore, even the golf club down there is stuck in the swamp, why the clubhouse isn’t up near the road overlooking the beach is beyond me, guess that’s just the way Townsville people think.
Rowes Bay only gets a bit lakey in heavy rain, and the course is in fine winter condition, the club has some of the best ground staff in the business, considering they are working with a mostly sandy flood plain top and the constraints of being in a national park. Swamp it ain’t. And the view from the club house up the 18th green and fairway at sunset is one of the small joys of life.
Completely agree about the ground staff at Rowes Bay, what they have achieved in recent years on that golf course, in that environment is remarkable.
It’s a bit rich of people complaining about that photo by NT Tourism when they fully embrace their slogan.
“C U in NT.
Princess Anna being called out by Channel 7
https://7news.com.au/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/queensland-premier-in-tense-exchange-with-sunrise-journalist-after-covid-question-c-3277413
Queen of the girls club Nanna Anna is totally rattled. That’s because she had to go ‘off script’. Politics s hate that. She was obviously scared she would slip up. The COVID lockdowns are bullshit. And the she got caught out because the reason for the shutdowns are because the hospital system is so fucked that it wouldn’t handle a dozen or two sick people. That’s why we are getting locked down in our home prisons. To hell with these morons.
With every vindictive action Mayor Shill takes, she highlights the fact that she is a selfish and childish parasite that does not deserve to represent a good, hard working, long suffering community. We deserve to be represented by honest, accountable and transparent Councillors, cue Fran. But no, instead we have a pathetic Mayor who would rather shut down someone who made an honest appraisal of a misleading and deceptive budget. That’s how highly we, the ratepayers, are thought of by Jenny Hill. If ever there was a reason for people to be outraged by our lazy Mayor, this is it.
The Hill/Ralston duo need to be forensically examined with every single decision they make, or with every single report they produce or action they take. Pulled apart, dissected, unpacked, whatever you want to call it. Fran is the one to do it!
Well said and totally agree however who be responsible for undertaking such a task? Surely if she can get rid of the ccc, nothing is impossible for the harpy.
Councillor O’Callaghan stated logic of the net benefit to the Recipients being the value added with respect to covid support seems logically logical.
The $40 M appears to be a huge over reach.
Im not privy to the rules of engagement and the use of the public arena beyond the Council meeting to air such differences but I Would not be surprised that HWTM will have found some little gem within the statutes to clip the good Councillor behind the ears.
The Council meetings are public and a decent media would be locking on to these matters and seeking questions.
I suspect the wash up will be the content raised by Councillor O’Callaghan will have merit .. her use of the public forum may be her achilles heel ,, not that i agree that that is correct if it is found to be.
Equally there are plenty of statutory position that can be drawn upon if Councillors are found to be misleading .. As such if the content that Hill has sprouted is deemed incorrect or misleading in itself than this is an issue that could be pursued by O’Callaghan against Hill. Thats logical isnt it?
There are also the internal auditors and the ombudsman that Councillor O’Callaghan could also extend her enquiries thru.. i am sure .
An FOI on the CEO response seems fitting .. maybe there should be a fighting fund set up for FOI enquiries .. not spurious but genuine enquiries when there is a stench that is too great to ignore ..
That an elected councillor, with no party political obligations to anyone but especially the mayor, could be silenced from an alternative point of view is one of the few things we really should outraged about. And The ‘Pie cannot believe that by challenging one side of an argument is what councillors are normally elected to do, and are free to discuss it with their constituents.
Of course, one cumbersome why around this is the old literary device of framing every accusation as a question, as in ‘Don’t you find it strange that ….etc’, or ‘Would it be possible that ….etc’. Chucking in a few ‘presumably’ would also assist this go-around.
But it shouldn’t be so. Jenny is too deep in the arcane, spiteful and power-playing Labor Party playbook to see she is openly thumbing her nose at a duly elected councillor, and therefore the people who voted for her. Nothing like making folks stand ankle deep in human shit in their own backyards to ‘enfluence’ the vote.
Can only agree with all of that Pie
Hill is a spiteful soulless piece of work to be sure but she is across the statutes and play book of local government
As said not something that i have real fix on .. there is just something nagging in the back of my mind though that the fact that some attempt at quantification has been publicly aired without being resolved/ clarified internally thru the Ceo ( if that is indeed what has happened)may be where this horrible wench is leveraging from
I think that this is such an important break from what appears an ongoing dictatorship that it would be a shame to see it a lost effort due to some stupid technicality.
I truly hope Councillor wins the day on this one ,, and yes .. finally a break regardless if the outcome of this chess move
It is a shame that Fran understands and acts with probity, otherwise The ‘Pie would be suggesting go arounds to get her issues out into the public domain. Perhaps matters penned by her and published here under another name or some other stratagem. And a word of timely advice for Clr O’Callaghan … if the Office of the Independent Assessor puts her in the clear to make such posts – which one would expect in a democratic country – be alert and watch very carefully whenever your in the councillors’ car park. Accidents happen you know.
The TCC Audit Committee is an advisory committee only so a bit of a toothless tiger really.
Current membership of the Audit Committee means that nothing is really going to happen to questionable financial polices, procedures or practices let alone being made public.
The current internal auditor has been there for years and probably wouldn’t say anything against Jackboots Hill fearing losing his job or being moved sideways into a mundane job elsewhere in council.
https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/about-council/council-meetings/other-groups-and-committees/audit-committee
A FOI (freedom Of Information Application in Qld Costs $46.40 to Any Govt Body ie Council, ( You can download the Application Form ) & you must get answer in 30 days If it is refused you have the right of appeal . Some Items may be radacted ie That is blacked over . I did one to the Council in 2012 Re-Council Debt & borrowing’s . I did not recieve an answer within the time limit so i rang the Council Was Rather Rude And that Les Burton CEO at the Time Advised it was Still Being Processed. Next Day It was Hand delivered By a Courier .& Published in the TSV/B the Next Day (Sat) If Many people who comment on this Web Site did FOI’s To Various Government bodies we would all get a clearer understanding of Govt/Council l decisions
While The ‘Pie heartily agrees with your basic final sentiment (and for the record, FOIs are beyond The ‘Pie’s financial capability), it is worth pointing out that in this day and electronic age, why 30 days? And cone to think of it, for the same reason, why any cost at all? Keeping the tyre kickers from overwhelming the system may have merit as an answer, but the request process could be devised to filter out a lot of the ratbags.
It’s so unfair. We’re not allowed to blackface up, but a Latino of colour can white tit and tummy-up.
The ‘Pie should be outraged and offended, but he just checked in the mirror … us Magpie’s have the best of both world, so go suck.
So, are you white with bits of black, or are you black with bits of white?
The old bird, in his younger days, was happy to get a bit of either.
Excellent answer Pie !
Why did the Salvation Army Choir cross the road?
To go to Suncorp Stadium and sing in a COVID Safe place….
What?
Pie,
Read this again.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-04/queensland-coronavirus-football-business-covid-restrictions/100263746
There is no Covid19 in a NRL stadium.
Mr. Pie…while the Mayor continues to run this city like her own fiefdom, the Bulletin and Townsville Enterprise conspire to market this city as a “business basket case. ”
We expect this sort of garbage from the Bulletin’s “gun” reporter Caitlan Charles, but really, this is comment Caitlan, not reporting.
“TOWNSVILLE breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Premier announced the lockdown would be lifted as of last night.
But today, the region wakes to businesses and a tourism industry in turmoil, a three-day lockdown and the eyes of the country on Townsville has done “significant” damage to the city’s brand.”
I won’t comment that maybe English is Caitlan’s second language considering that second par.
But… I thought TE was supposed to promote out city…how naïve was I?
This from the CEO, Ms. Claudia Brumme-Smith…
“Townsville Enterprise CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith said the damage done to the city could not be downplayed and warned some businesses could shut up shop for good.
“Whilst we respect and understand the decision for the lockdown, from an economic and destination brand perspective the damage is significant,” Ms Brumme-Smith said.
“We are at a critical point for what the future holds for Townsville’s business recovery and travel sentiment.””
“Travel sentiment”…what the fuck does that mean?
But Ms. Brumme-Smith, our promotional “leader,” instils confidence in all those thinking about visiting, or, relocating to Townsville by saying…
“Ms Brumme-Smith said what happened in the next 24 to 48 hours could be the difference between some businesses remaining operational or closing their doors for good.”
So, X-amount of Townsville businesses are going to go broke courtesy of a three-day, half-lockdown, according to someone who has never, NEVER, been in business herself.
I suggest, Mr. Pie, that this woman, who has been in this area for five minutes, and, obviously has the ear of the Mayor and the backing of the Bulletin, is…poisonous!!
Can we, please, bring back Little Pattie??
Call it serendipity or just the fates, but somehow, The Magpie is not surprised that we now have a Ms B-H at the head of TEL.
But poisonous is a bit too strong, as you say, she hasn’t been around for long, but knows she has to say something in the current climate to appear relevant. Regarding the current matter under discussion, ‘vacuous’ might be a more suitable word. Good to see the CofC taking a sensible lead in suggestions for improvement.
But again, early days, and Ms B-S may show some spark of introducing credibility to the Dudley Do Nothings. (Stop laughing!!)
It was only a matter of time until Ms See BS and her talents became evident at Dudley’s Unicorn factory her colleagues at the Port were jumping for joy when she left
Elusive Butterfly questions how a business can go broke over just 3 days . Just questioning whether you also have ever owned and operated a business EB because the issue is rolling losses and outstanding debt caused by the previous lockdowns . Not sure why Oliver Brown the Strand is closing but the ATO after holding off for months have started initiating wind ups forcing banks as secured creditors to also act so expect more closures around the City . The Queensland Government has stated they would only consider compensation if lockdowns were 7 days or longer and where are the 3 local State MP,s as SOO week they were falling over for media shots in their Maroon Jerseys . Like Crime , our 3 State MP,s should be nicknamed “Umbrellas ” as they are there when it shines but as soon as it rains they disappear .
Oh my God! Has anyone heard from the 3 local pollies on our local lockdown? How embarrassing and out of touch are they, and please can we shut up the CHO, boy it’s starting to sound like a Steve Price record.
Just read the Cowboys game report in today’s paper and as predicted, no mention of the way their two star rejects, Kayln Ponga and Jake Clifford, made our players look like reserve graders.
Interesting also that supercoach Wayne Bennett has blamed the clubs themselves of the one-sided thrashings over the weekend, including the Cowboys embarrassing 38-0 loss.
In a story on news.com.au, Bennett says:
“I’m not going to name names and not going to name clubs but if you look at some of the decisions they’ve made, some of the things that have happened to players … I wouldn’t want to be at that club and I know if I was in that club I wouldn’t be playing very well.”
Don’t expect to see that story in the Townsville Bulletin anytime soon.
I see that Nanna Anna and Deputy Smiley are still pushing for a quarantine facility at Wellcamp. Them Wagner boys must really support Queensland’s Labor party pretty damn good. So even though the Government site at Pinkenba is nice and close the Brisbane airport Nanna Anna would rather the facility be further away. Again, Palasczuk is prepared to disadvantage Queensland for political gain. The reason she doesn’t want Pinkenba is because the Liberal party have suggested Pinkenba. Somebody please piss this woman back off to Poland and let her take Smiley and Jeanette Young also. Fucking fools.
Nice little unnecessary racist touch there, Arthur/Martha, but it begs the question, why do you hate the Poles so much to wish that on them?
Not racist at all old mate. Heritage is Polish so I thought that would be a good place to send her. If I wanted to be evil I would have said to send her to Christchurch, Detroit or Moscow.
If you wanted to be really evil, you could’ve said certain parts of the Upper Ross.
Or perhaps a backyard in Wulguru about 2 hours after heavy rain starts?
Or a family reunion in Germany
It was once a very nice place, and then came social housing, or should it be antisocial housing.
You would think a place called Pinkenba would appeal to this bunch of pinkos.
Then again with a meaning that apparently refers to a place of tortoises, perhaps it is still applicable.
It’s near where the old Brisbane airport used to be. Great hotel called ‘The Pink’ back in my younger days, where all the airport workers and wharfie’s would go for drinks and a private lap dance or just view the topless waitresses as they brought you a beer. Of course these days that is politically incorrect and you would likely be served beers by a poofter, a trans or a granny with Alzheimer’s.
Great to see you’ve got a handle on change social mores.
It’s refreshing to see that Mislam Sam is now taking advice from the CEO of Palm Island, Adele Dung, the cousin of Jeannette Dung, wait until the latter becomes the Queensland Governor.
Pie
You have me worried. Are you well? Did Cardi B’s knockers knock you out?
The Astonisher’s tempting morsels today included Fran Can getting another referral and a long-awaited protest from the Astonisher about information hidden under the ‘commercial-in-confidence’ skirt.
So far, no intel reports on the Blog.
Jackboots Hill has missed a golden economic development opportunity. Why hasn’t she suggested that the government rebuild the old Quarantine Station at Pallarenda; close to the mirage Townsville International Airport and the Townsville University Hospital and it would have a significant positive impact upon her fiefdom.
Cries, What wrong with ‘Garden Settlement’ as a quarantine site.?
Uh ho, moving blues?
For a couple of hours now, have been unable to access the Bulletin online edition. Don’t tell us that there are teething problems with the links between the new cubby hole and the printing press hall on Flinders Street West? There were similar glitches when te system was introduce way back when (always had pretty in-house wire benders … sorry … techs, so wasn’t a big problem then).
Anybody else got the same problem?
I’ve been trying to get into the digital Bully since 5am with no luck. In frustration and in a effort to maintain my morning breakfast read, I got onto the Courier Mail instead.
After flicking through, it occurred to me the layout and stories are not too dissimilar to our own local rag except for one glaring omission… there is not one Harvey Norman ad. Which got me thinking, if News ltd had no Harvey ads to publish in the Mail, maybe the kids in Townsville were stumped for material for their own paper hence the “Townsville Bulletin Digital Print Edition is currently unavailable – Error 20″ message we are receiving.
I’ve tried sending a message via Facebook, with no response, also not a word on their Facebook page, maybe they are talking a leaf out of the ALP playbook, keep the bastards in the dark!
Hey Magpie, Nothing diong on my digital subscription as well. Current time is 10:00am. Wonder if we will get a credit for non delivery? What is happening with the Ghost Who Walks? (I just can’t call him Mr Walker anymore for obvious reasons)
yeah, paper’s got problems, no one immune from the tech gremlins.
Re Walker, wasn';t aware there was anything on-going – and that would be the Ghost Who Talks … and talks … and talks.
Mr Magpie, I don’t think Non Aligned was talking about the Floored Walker.
OK, who then?
Cynicism is such an inadequate word when it comes to our dear Mayor Mullet, but Christ, does she know how to play the game of deceitful council politics. Especially against a wide-eyed innocent like Clr Sue Blom.
When The ‘Pie saw this, he laughed so hard he almost did himself a mischief.
OUTRAGE over the secret cost of State of Origin Game One on the Townsville community has sparked a push to change commercial in confidence rules.
Division 2 councillor Sue Blom and Mayor Jenny Hill will draft a motion to take to the Local Government Association of Queensland conference to push for more transparency when spending ratepayers’ funds.
Townsville City Council was unable to reveal how much money it spent on the Origin bid and events with a commercial in confidence clause put in place.
While the game was expected to generate millions, with the official dollar figure still unknown, there was concern it may not benefit the community as much as initially thought.
So here’s what has transpired.
Last week, Clr Sue Blom tried to table a motion to stop the mostly arrant nonsense of hiding council expenditure in sensitive areas behind bogus claims of the matter being ‘commercial in confidence.’ After an awkward few moments of mock surprise, the Spider then said to the Fly, ‘No, no , oh, dearie me, no no, m’dear, I have a much better idea. Let’s you and me buddy up, gals together and all that, and write a motion on this very pertinent issue – and put it to the the Local Government Association of Queensland conference next October.’ With a straight face and a gobful of unmeltable butter, Mayor Mullet explained that in that way, the matter could be decided for the benefit of ALL councils in Queensland, rather than just Townsville. And Mayor Mullet enjoyed the cherry on top of this flummery that she is now seen to be ‘reaching out’ and embracing ideas from n ‘independent councillor.
So our independent councillor from the northern beaches withheld her Blom bombshell, and agreed to the idea, not ever – or even now – realising how effectively her bomb has been defused.
You see, Susie, darlin’, Mayor Mullet is on the LGAQ board, which, as a money making lobby group, knows how to orchestrate conference votes to get the desired outcome. And do you really believe that that a conference of Queensland mayors is going to vote for more transparency of their financial matters, when across the state, there have been instances of on-going rorts, featherbedding or at best slack accounting practices.
But wait, there’s more.
Even IF the conference were to pass some sort of water-down, ambiguously worded motion IT WOULD BE TOTALLY POINTLESS. The LGAQ is a private, money-making (and financially unaccountable to the public) lobby group and has absolutely NO POWERS OF ENFORCEMENT. Well, none short of expelling any council that doesn’t toe their line, and that is not going to happen with this truly venal organisation which rakes in untold millions (and they are untold) getting a cut of from council contracts, provision of insurance cover, and from technology services, from which they also get a handsome cut with the technology services being outsourced to a favoured company. And that doesn’t even touch on the millions of dollars in membership fees it charges its 70 or member councils.
Jenny Hill is right at home on the board of the LGAQ.
But it is nice to see that our mayor is brimming with enough confidence to assume she will be there in October and not … well, somewhere else.
May be I can help Sue and the Mullet draft this resolution:
“That all expenditure by local government entities and local government-owned entities (including LGAQ) will be transparently and completely reported to the community within 90 days of the funds transfer.”
Now they have saved all that time, the ladies can go to the pub for a pleasant counter-lunch.
After years of plans and consideration and magnificent inactivity from Les, tenders for the Wulguru sewer and rising main have been released.
Well done Fran for lighting a fire under council which has finally gotten some action. This doesn’t mean it will actually be build but it is a step by the Mullet and we minions. There is plenty of time for this to go to shit so to speak just like the Southern Suburbs Rising Main which had as many false starts over the years as one of Magpies nags. It too was going to solve all the sewerage woes of Wulguru and Annandale but has only been a marginal improvement in flow management.
After seeing all the Boofhead Dragons players being fined by Government and clubs of around $300,000 for partying on weekend in middle of COVID in Sydney, maybe the money from fines should be put in a fund and used to help Small Businesses survive the lockdown instead of going into Government and clubs coffers, and maybe also be made to do community service in small businesses for 40 hrs each just so they can see how hard these owners/ families are doing it.
And furthermore maybe all fines across country that is collected by states go to this fund also.
What were the Dragons players thinking, it is very very risky for 12 blokes that have just played footy with 22 other blokes sweating and snotting on each other for 80mins +refs + trainers etc, then go and have a private BBQ.
How sneaky is this insidious delta variant of COVID that it waits to infect people at BBQ’s.
TCC tender release this morning
“Supply and construction of Wulguru Diversion Gravity Sewer and Rising Main.
The sewer system that services the western/southern portion of Wulguru has capacity issues. The capacity issues have resulted in sewage overflows occurring from the gravity sewer system near the intersection of University Road and Stuart Drive every wet season. To rectify the sewage capacity issues Council has investigated several options to divert sewage out of the existing gravity sewer system and/or undertake upgrades to the existing sewer system. The scope of this tender is to divert the gravity sewer sections and the rising main as indicated in the specification and the construction drawings.”
Be a good tender to win, if you fuck it up and people are still walking around in shit during the wet season just blame the residents for “ apparently running stormwater into the sewer system” like Jenny Hill did.
There was a big explosion in Wulguru last night, maybe it was the H2S in the sewer exploding.
Cr Blom has either gone across to the dark side, or proven that hairdressers should stick to what they do best.
Anyone who can’t see that the mayor has pulled another swifty should be put on the undercard for Messageblank Walker’s next punch-up at Via Vomitorium.
The Townsville Bulletin doesn’t have appear to have published any information on this sleep apnoea machine recall. If you’re using one, then you’d better check your machine
https://amp.nine.com.au/article/35e6609c-7a4f-4253-adb5-863d77991bee
So details of Tin Ear Morrison’s Spotify account have been revealed. The devout Pentecostal predominantly plugs into Christian rock – with several playlists dedicated to religious songs, including Scomo’s Worship, Gospel Christmas, Hillsong United, and Top 40 Christian Hits.
This country has gone fucking mad. A Pentecostal faith healer as PM and Tonato Head Joyce, a religious man who loves feeling up women and rooting staff at work! One can only imagine how Scotty and Steve from Belgian Gardens swap similar playlists.
So what’s in your playlists?
Are you seriously so desperate to attack Morrison that you need to troll his spotify account? There is so much right in front of your face to attack with this buffoon without stooping to gutter attacks – next you’ll be inspecting his rubbish.
Religion drives many leaders and in fact many people, personally I find it abhorent (don’t tell anyone I said that), but even people like the labor saviour Rudd bent the knees. Even the new saviour, Albanese, identifies as Catholic, granted non-practicising, but still can’t let go of that blankie.
Ooooh, touchy touchy there ‘God’. You say you aren’t religious yet you call yourself ‘God’ and you stick up for the PM when I bag out his faith. Ha. You are obviously a god botherer. Firstly, it wasn’t me who checked Scott’s Spotify, you idiot. And secondly, there is a major issue with politicians and religious beliefs as some of those beliefs can be biased and can be very odd which can cloud a leaders judgement and actions. Someone who is part of an odd religion (for example Morrison who believes in hands-on healing and speaking in tongues) could well and truly be a risk.
” …hands-on healing and speaking in tongues”? Sounds like the a precise definition of all politicians.
Agreed GOD about religion driving folks – I yell out ‘Jesus Christ’ multiple times in a given week!
speaking in bullshit applies to politicians and clergy alike
That’d be right, resort to personal attacks, says a lot about the character of the attacker.
If you read the post you will notice that there is more than enough to call out Morrison on than having to troll his spotify account. And yes I understand that you didn’t personally do this, but you did bring it here.
Still waiting for your condemnation of the other me botherers in Rudd and Albanese, but I suppose that doesn’t suit your political agenda
‘God’, you really are a twat. Albo is a non-practising Catholic and Rudd is Catholic. For all intents and purposes a fairly normal Christian denomination (apart from the Pedo priests). My issue is with the weird religions which foster weird beliefs as those beliefs can in turn affect a persons mental faculties. Any fool that believes he can heal literally touch a person and heal them is a fucking idiot. And the ‘speaking in tongues’ weird shit that Scotty boy is in to is just plain wacky.
Anyway ‘God’, don’t you have work to do such as heal the Popes damaged colon or kick some child mollestors out of the Catholic Church?
An innocent question without prejudice: please list the Judeo-Christian or Islamic religions that do NOT ‘foster weird beliefs as those beliefs can in turn affect a persons mental faculties’. The ‘Pie’s favourite is the one where you can commit any and all sins you like, go to a priest and confess, he absolves you (on behalf of a ‘weirdly believed’ sky daddy up there somewhere) and off you go, bright, shiny and as clean as a new penny … to do it all over again. Just about all religions mandate that you can prey on others during the week and pray on your knees on Sunday for forgiveness. Neat scam, dig deep here comes the tax free collection plate.
Pie, That sounds like like the ‘little snots’ and Youth Justice. Get caught, go to court, no charges and off you go again with a clean slate.
I’m fairly confident that the Wulguru Poonami team will be closely monitoring the shit rectification project so as to keep Team Mullet ‘honest’. Although, she would be furious that precious money has been budgeted for sewer works that don’t affect her residence. Precious dollars that she would have other wise blown on something irrelevant.
Heard an interesting story about why Townsville Bulletin subscribers were unable to read the online edition yesterday.
According to a mate at the pub, the editor was so enthralled with the vision splendid from his new office in Walker Street (drunks being rounded up and moved on from the adjacent Perfumed Garden) that he forgot to load the paper up on the website.
He only woke from his trance when his boss, Jenny, dropped in to help write the next day’s editorial.
Sounds like an interesting new variation of full body search.
Sounds about right Pie; COVID means hands off, so I guess the wallopers are using the tools attached to their large belts!
I’ve heard crickets from the nest about this follow up story.
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/another-complaint-lodged-against-tccs-maverick-councillor-fran-ocallaghan/news-story/defbbb07a618de178c907b99358d03cf
Pay wall.
The gaslighting by the Queensland Government is horrible
The relentless manipulating a society where innocent people are forced to question their thoughts and the things happening around them is pushing people to question their own sanity
Where is the Delta variant
UK are moving back to normal with more than 34m people getting AstraZeneca but the Qld CHO say don’t use it – it will kill you
Low level government employees singled out time and again for failures of the Premier, CHO and departments – remember the nurse in Emerald, or the casual receptionist
Where does it all end
When Waleed Aly, Peter Van Onselen and Andrew Bolt all say that spinster Aunt Jeanette has stuffed up with her comments regarding the A-Z vaccine, you know that she has really stuffed up. Who’d that through that Aly and Bolt would agree on something!
Hey Gal, she’s no spinster- has a hubby/partner, he is also a doctor/professor. They probably talk dirty every night (about germs that is)!
and a rather interesting family, of Dutch parents, her mother was in a Japanese internment camp during WWII.
Plucka – Anna isn’t a Nanna either, but she carries on like one!
THEY’RE AT IT AGAIN.
Have you irresponsible bastards not learned anything from the death of Jennifer Board last February?
The Bulletin continues to give tacit approval to vigilante actions, even although one such incident earlier this year cost a young woman her life, and another matter saw a man penalised for reckless driving in chasing and ramming a stolen car.
And in the latest case, ignorance or laziness again become the paper’s reporting hallmarks. From a front page story, clearly sympathetic to the vigilante …
… to an inside spread as the bloke states his view of the world, his actions and the unfairness of it all.
With not a single word of balance, the paper lets Fred Dart play the wronged hero, giving chase to a stolen car, talking on the phone to the police while doing so and reaching dangerous speeds in an urban area.
Wait a minute, Fredrick Dart? Would that be the Fredrick Dart who is numbered amongst Queensland 24 listed ‘vexatious litigants’ for persistently refusing to accept the rule of law. Yes, that’s him, and it’s a family affair, his mother and father on the same list.
Father Syd is one of the more infamous litigant pests Townsville has produced , and it seems his boy has learned well at his father’s knee, as he self-promoted himself in the Astonisher.
Mr Dart said he was “not afraid” to fight back against the system and stand up for something he believed in.
“Part of my growing up with my dad was stand up and be counted,” he said.
“If you think you are right, be upfront and prepared to pursue it.
“I thought I was right and I am going to give it a go. Worst comes to worst I still lose my licence, I still pay the $1200 fine.”
Well, Fred, you’ve stood up to be counted, you’ve been counted out and yet, like father like son, you don’t accept the magistrate’s ruling. While the paper makes you out to be a hero, and you claim your action were not those of a vigilante, the law and the dictionary beg to differ. A vigilante is described as someone who takes the law into his now hands without an alleviating excuse. And chasing a stolen car at high speed is not a reason a court is likely to consider.
Mate, cop it sweet, you got pinged by a speed camera, so really, take your losses … the fact that you were engaged in a dangerous pursuit (if the thieves knew you were after them, they would possibly have panicked and as we know, bad things happen in stolen cars). And hope the phone you were on was hands free, otherwise you might have faced a much more severe penalty.
And for those at the Astonisher who will say that Mr Dart’s previous stand-off with the courts is irrelevant, you are backing a person who is known to previously not accept the rule of law … readers should at least be entitled to known that, because anything Mr Dart says is open to more question than the normal speeding whinger.
You deserve a theme song, Mr Dart, how about’ Wrong Said Fred.’
Some body should be asking the questions why the medical emergency team are not vaccinated for COVID as if they were they would be avoiding quarantine.
Just so you know “medical emergency teams” or METs in hospitals are the elite highly trained medical specialist.
Why are they in quarantine, why are they not vaccinated as this leaves an entire hospital without highly trained medical specialist.
Another Queensland Health failure, not that it will be reported in Queensland……..
https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/qld-hospital-staff-in-quarantine-after-covid-19-patient-goes-into-anaphylactic-shock-20210707-p587op.html
One could also ask why CHO Jeanette ‘scraggy hair’ Young only got her first COVID shot a few weeks ago. Perhaps she has felt safe and protected under Anna Palletshit’s desk?
Juvenile and thoughtless “headline” verb in the TB on line..
Covid cloud can’t dampen killer weekend on the track.
Is Mayor Mullet driving in that race?
The Supercars NTI Townsville 500 is virtually untouched after a Covid-19 scare rocked the region. FIND OUT WHAT HAS CHANGED HERE >>>
Could someone in the local media ask the parasitic local state members, Walker and Stewart what the Qld state Govt are actually providing for the Singapore training area at Greenvale. This is a defence project undertaken by the Australian defence force in partnership with the Singapore Defence force, so why are the two local state govt parasites on the news claiming some sort of credit for the project, they have had nothing to do with it.
Because Tanker, that’s what parasites do – attach themselves where they are never wanted!
In their defence, the Queensland government did not prove its usual incompetent blocking self in signing off the lease of Crown Lands for the project.
As I understand it, all they had to do was transfer the leases but there was no reason to expect that not to be completely rogered.
Found this newsletter from the Queensland Office of the Independent Assessor and interesting read particularly when Mayor Hill is trying to discredit and shut Cr Fran O’Callaghan down.
Some of the media releases on the Office of the Independent Assessor are worth a read if you have the time.
https://www.oia.qld.gov.au/media-and-publications/insight/insight-edition-9
Well done Critical on disclosing our Mayors stance blaming Belcarra for not meeting developers has just been exposed as another rort . Honeycombes are doing over $400 mil of projects in Brisbane , Lancini and Peter Tapiolas have put their thoughts on the Mayor in print . The question begs , isnt Townsville City Council a developer and how many projects has Townsville missed because they may compete with Lansdown ? . As another insight to the financial understanding of T.C.C. who budget to lose $1.8 mil this financial year . If the Charity is fair dinkum that they will spend $50k on fixing a flood damaged and non used , graffitied building at Riverway , why doesnt deputy mayor Molachino accept it and save the ratepayers $ . Instead he says ” we have other people earlier who are interested in leasing the premises ” . Mark , ratepayers $ would need to be spent to bring the damaged building up to acceptable leasing level .
So, we’re to be subjected to a second week of the V8 Superpests.
Our 3 Labor drones and revhead mayor Jenny Hill think its great news for Townsville, but if you talked to the thousands of drivers who use Boundary Street every day of the week you’d get a much different response.
What really got my interest in today’s paper was this telling statement from Supercars CEO Sean Seamer:
“We’d like to thank the Queensland Government and Townsville City Council for again supporting this concept which allows Supercars to race at one of our favourite circuits on back-to-back weekends.”
So Jenny, given your new push for transparency, how much extra money did we ratepayers tip in to secure a second weekend of traffic disruption and noise?
I won’t even bother calling on Captain Underpants Stewart, Aaron Harpic or Messageblank Walker to reveal how much taxpayers funds were splurged to get a second dose of distruption. They are too busy solving our crime problems.
But the reality is that with Sydney out of the question due to the covid lockdown, the Supercars had to find somewhere to hold the races planned for the harbour city.
And with all the cars, equipment and crews already in Townsville, you would think Supercars would be paying us to put up with them for a second weekend.
But that would be common sense. Instead we’ve copped another pineapple.
Shades of the Townsville State of Origin game.
Bet Newcastle isn’t paying the NRL to stage Origin 3.
Is the Magpie away on holidays or got COVID? The nest has been very quiet this week.
Maybe for you.
It’s interesting what’s happening regionally with rental properties. Some locations have seen rent prices hikes by 30% in 12 months, driving people out of towns. Because of COVID in the cities and people now working from home, which can include any location, a perfect storm has erupted where those living in the regional towns and cities are being driven out. It’s a shit situation and something the Government is going to have to address because it is just plain wrong that people are being displaced and now enduring hardship because all of these softcocks are leaving larger cities.
To be honest the renters in Townsville have had it good for a few years since the economy collapsed when Jenny Hill got control of the Council, some properties have only recovered to the same rents from 10 years ago. The Qld Govt have completely failed on social housing, apart from building the odd block of ghetto flats here and there, so we now have subsidised renters competing in the market, and anytime the federal Govt get involved it’s a disaster, remember Kevin Rudds NRAS, just a complete clusterfuck, only a moron could think people can create affordable rentals in premium locations.
Rental Squeeze . Over 12 months ago when the Queensland Government announced changes to the rental laws the REIQ advised them that the changes swung too far into the renters favor and the landlords would sell up and get out of the rental market and they have . The State Government tried to make amendments recently to restore balance and they couldnt even pass those . Sadly the poor and disadvantaged will get caught up with this but Cantankerous is right as the alarm bells have been ringing on a rental crisis but our 3 State MP,s are too busy getting their State of Origin photos or Pit lane for NTI Townsville 500 . Most landlords even when they sell they are losing $ but they just want to exit due to rates , water, waste, insurance increases , body corporate .
Yep, agree with that. A lot of landlords ( myself included) are using this current spike in house prices to cash out and to try to make up some lost ground.
“Softcocks”? My son-in-law just moved here from Brisbane and he intends to work from home. 6’4”, 110 kg, ex Sydney club reserve grade player and fit as a fiddle. He will make a positive contribution to this city – and he shits bigger than you, princess.
It has to be the sidestep of the decade.
Cities Minister Paul Fletcher and our local LNP rep Phillip Thompson have blown Jenny Hill and her State Government mates out of the water in using executive powers to approve $55 million of the $195 million pipeline funding the State Govt rejected, to fund the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Reef HQ upgrades.
Hill and the Labor duds tried to blackmail the Federal Government by holding out on approving funding for these worthy projects under the City Deal arrangement, so Hill could get funding for her pet Landsdown industrial precinct. You know, the one that isn’t needed because there is already one a lot closer to the Townsville Port.
But Thompson is a lot smarter than Hill and her mates. He obviously found a loophole which allowed the Cities Minister to bypass the Federal/State/Council approval process so money could be freed up for projects that will benefit the whole community, and not just whoever stands to gain from the Landsdown project.
With a sidestep as good as if not better than Matty Bowen, Phillip Thompson should be signed by the Cowboys to bolster their backline.
Very clever move, and neither Wanker St or Gouge St are able to do anything. The RFDS base is on RAAF land, and the ReefHQ is a refurb of an existing federal facility. Very tidy work.
And it will be interesting to see mayor Mullet or any of her foot soldiers decry such a boost for both projects. Even Meister Spinner Dolan H couldn’t manage that … at least he’d know better than to try.
Dolan will need to be very very creative wonder if this means another trip down to the Ville to get some of that stuff that helps him be very creative
I had hoped that Phil would just announce projects being funded by the $195m and then dare Mayor Mullet or the 3 blind mice to say that they were not worthy. Good to see that he has done it. Lets hope he keeps doing this with the remaining $140m.
Anyone else think that Mayor Mullet and the 3 blind mice come across as needy whiney fucks?
… and just like that, as if on cue, they do.
Come the Revolution and The Magpie is the boss, among his first things on his to-do list is round up all the preening, over-entitled, under-performing pricks like Nick Kyrios and that Tomic turd, tie them to chairs, staple their eyes open and make them watch an endless loop of Ash Barty press conferences … with every minute a flashing message on the screen ‘THIS IS HOW ITS DONE, YOU BOZOS.’
WIN OR LOSE ON SATURDAY NIGHT, ASH BARTY HAS RESTORED AUSTRALIANS FAITH IN HAVING A SHINING EXAMPLE OF SPORTMANSHIP REPRESENTING THEM.
ALWAYS GRACIOUS AND GENEROUS TO OPPONENTS IN EITHER VICTORY OR DEFEAT, AND IT IS ALWAYS ‘US’ AND ‘WE’ AS SHE ACKNOWLEDGES ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HELPED HER GAIN THE PEDESTAL SHE SO RICHLY DESERVES.
Kyrgios is most certainly a tool, but there is still a measure of value in watching him play. But Tomic is an absolute fuckwit. The conceited and arrogant smartass deserves nothing. The best thing people can do is boycott his matches. No play = no pay. And if sponsors drop him then that is even better. He is a prize goose.
Totally agree your Pieness, but if she loses she gets the tray and not the cup, so I suppose it’ll be an Ash tray.
Go to your room. THIS INSTANT!!
Couldn’t have said it better (or nearly as well) myself. GO ASH Australia as always is behind you. You make me proud to be Australian. PS I don’t even watch tennis.
On the subject of rental, I have a small house in Aitkenvale that has been rented for the past 3 years by a single mother and her teenage daughter.
They were model tenants, who always paid their rent on time and kept the property clean and tidy.
They moved into their own home a few weeks ago so I advertised the house for rent again.
Received more than 80 inquiries but when I asked them to fill out an application form and provide references, only 2 were prepared to do so.
Those 2 couldn’t afford the rent because they were not working full time and one of them still owed $4000 to their previous landlord (even after their bond had been surrendered to partly cover repairs) for damage done to the place they were previously renting.
End result is that we gave up and put the house up for sale.
It is now under contract.
Happy days.
Ring Road Stage 5 – I just had a look at the tender file at work and was sad to see that the construction part (once design was complete) went to tender in November 2019, so the “fast track” from tender award to boots on the ground is almost two years.
If that’s fast, I’d hate to see slow. Although our new magic pipeline to nowhere Part 2 (The Saga Continues) is ponderously lumbering in ever decreasing circles looking for its own arsehole to disappear up.
Why is it call the Ring Road? If it were a Ring Road, by traveling the full length, you would end up at your start point. It seems to be the Townsville Bypass to me.
hmm, if you are an engineer then that sort of timeframe shouldn’t surprise you. From the detailed design to breaking ground is often 5 or more years
A fair point. In this case the tender pack shows an accelerated start for a “shovel ready” project. This is not my first rodeo.
They are going to blow millions on the beck drive Junction that no one wants or needs. Whilst the pipeline project dies, not to mention the millions of dollars of off/ on ramps they are going to rip up and transfer to beck drive. I feel sorry for Carlyle Gardens being turned from a quiet backwater into a traffic nightmare.
Phil Thompson is quite simply ‘da man’. The best thing is that our incompetent and pathetically limp Mayor can do nothing about Phil’s intelligent onslaught. He is achieving more for Townsville than the actual elected imbeciles are achieving. So Jenny you spineless dollop of seagull poo, you may be able to nobble Fran but you won’t be able to do the same to Phil. And by extension Phil’s actions also make Palaszczuk and her retarded Labor drones look like the Brisbane loving weasels that they are. I’m wondering what else Phil can get done for us in Townsville? Maybe we should email him a Xmas wish list.
Who knows, maybe Pastor Morrison’s prayers for Townsville are working!
So, Mayor Mullet says ‘We need visionary projects’ in the online Mulletin, in response to the spend announced via Phil The Fed.
Does that include your ‘vision’ for the Adani airstrip? Your vision for the ridiculed battery set up? Your visionary and secretive spending on the State of Origin? The visionary secret spend on the V8’s? The secret spend around the Elton John concert? The secrets and spin attached to the most recent TCC ‘Budget’?
How much longer do we have to put up with this unsuitable, self opinionated, self serving, secretive loser ‘politician’ in our community???
Plucker,
You forgot to mention the devaluation of the Entertainment Centre to $0.00. Went there last night.
Strange why anyone would use a worthless building for class acts.
In fairness to Mayor Mullet, she is being honest when she describes the various projects that she has proposed over the years as ‘visionary’ as that is exactly what they usually amount to: shimmering visions that rarely become reality.
So, I’ve peered into the ball and I see a vision – Mayor Mullet will be gone soon and someone else will step in and actually work for and in the interests of the Townsville community. It won’t be Frothy, but someone else………the visions fading now, I’ll have another look tomorrow.
Has anyone actually looked at that sign of dickhead walker and read what he has scrolling at the bottom? As I seen it:
Is your car roadworthy
Do you have a local problem
Email les walker
Not now. Not ever. Together.
Just so you know the words are as what I remember them so please if I’m wrong correct me. But if you go by what he puts up then he’s really figured out how useful ashtrays are on motorcycles. Car roadworthy? That ones for Jenny hill. Local problem? Crime and disorderly drunken violence, he’s a part of one of those. Email les walker? Probably easier then calling I guess or actually talking in person. Not now not ever together? Well that’s got me fucked, no idea what he means, anyone?? That one just appears up without any explanation.
Just what are you referring to? What sign? Where? link if possible.
It’s on Bowen rd facing the city across from billabong hotel I think. I’ve seen it too but not sure what it said because his head is enough to turn me away.
Full length sign at the old Bahr’s garage site on Bowen rd or in recent times Barr’s tyres, yeah full size sign of paddle pop Walker.