Does The Magpie suspect a method in the man’s madness? In a move courting more disquiet and damage to Townsville’s reputation, accidental mayor Troy Thompson will go all in at next Wednesday’s council meeting, demanding powers that he has already been denied. That it is a naked power grab is clear, but what isn’t is the motivation …. The Magpie examines what could be behind a deliberate losing move.
Strand and Pimlico parking is on the meeting agenda, with two petitions to be received. Interesting that following that item there will be a debate on an unspecified budget revision matter … oh, could it be that …. no, unlikely that the two are linked. Or is it? The ‘Pie again has a quiet word in all councillors’ shell-pinks.
Queensland treasurer, the nominative determined Cameron Dick, outs himself as both a desperate political coward and a person of highly selective morals. In his own words. The Magpie examines.
The Townsville Chamber president’s spray at the LGAQ’s Local Buy policy last week was lamentably incomplete (The Magpie’s fault at being slow to get the details before the post was removed). But with some cyber magic and a lot of swearing,Presto!, The Nest is able to has been able to recover Miranda Mears’ detailed complaints (not from her, it should be said). No punchers pulled, and questions that should be answered. the council says it is going to discuss the policy.
A nest reader gives the funniest respond to an incomprehensible Bulletin headline.
And penguins in Australia and politicians in America both get honorable mentions in the Nest’s WHAASAF! file– that is the Why Humans As A Species Are Fucked..
You can support the Nest with a donation by using the Donate button at the bottom of this week’s edition. A helping hand with the costs of the ad-free blog will be greatly appreciated as a much as it is needed.
Cometh The Moment, Cometh The Wannabe Dictator.
And so here cometh the power grab. If this council is serious about making money as opportunities arise, then they should book Total Tools Stadium for next Wednesday’s council meeting, and sell tickets (God knows, they charge us for everything else). But when you look at the published agenda list for the next gathering the Wankery – read it here - they’d pack the joint out. Get a load of Thompson’s chutzpah as spelt out in the agenda..
Motion: The Mayor, Councillor Troy Thompson – Appointment of One Councillor Advisor to the Office of the Mayor.
(Thompson submits that) The residents and the community deserve a Mayor that has appropriate and proper advisory support. In the previous council, Mayor Hill had 3 councillor advisors to ensure the residents were properly served by their Mayor. Currently there are three vacancies for councillor advisor in the Mayor’s office. I propose to appoint one councillor advisor under one of the vacant positions. The residents and the community deserve to have one councillor advisor supporting their Mayor in council.
Therefore, that I seek your endorsement for the appointment and addition to the budget of one councillor advisor in accordance with section 197A of the Local Government Act, and Section 277G of the Local Government Regulation.
ii)
The Mayor, Councillor Troy Thompson – Human Resource Matter
iii) The Mayor, Councillor Troy Thompson – Restart the recruitment process of the new CEO
I propose that council resolves to continue the recruitment process for the new CEO and employ a suitable candidate within 4 weeks from this date.
iv) Councillor Paul Jacob – Appoint Mayor Thompson as representative
On 19 June 2024, Council resolved to remove the Mayor from a number of committees.
I now move the following motion:
That Council resolve to:
1. Remove Councillor Jacob as representative for the Regional Council of Mayors committee and Mayor Thompson be appointed to this position.
2. Remove Councillor Jacob as the representative for the North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (NQROC) and Mayor Thompson be appointed to this position.
3. Remove Councillor Dirou as a representative for the Audit and Risk Committee and Mayor Thompson be appointed to this position.
4. Appoint Mayor Thompson to be the representative for the NQ Competitive Employment Services committee.
v) Councillor Ann-Maree Greaney and Councillor Liam Mooney – Matters relating to the CEO
That Council resolves:
1. To establish a committee of the 11 Councillors for matters relating to the CEO’s:
Employment;
Setting of an annual performance plan & performance criteria;
Performance monitoring, and
Remuneration.
Now, although Thompson apparently has the game playing Paul Jacob in his pocket, he must know he has to have schmoozed with enough councillors to get the numbers to be appointed to committees in place of the other councillors (a reputed extra $10/15k extra per committee per annum). The likelihood of such a turnaround range from ‘you’re fucking joking’ to ‘pull the other one, it yodels‘.
And that makes The ‘Pie wonder if this increasingly isolated con man think he will make the council so unworkable that the entire shit show will be dismissed and an administrator appointed, a move based on the petulant ‘if I can’t have it, then neither can you’?
Don’t scoff, with this bloke, it’s dangerous to dismiss sheer lunacy as a possibility.
And The ‘Pie wonders if the Workplace Health and Safety report which is also to be tabled will include a report on Thompson’s removal from and blocked return to the council building, since Workplace Health And Safety regulations and concerns were the basis from barring him from the workplace in the first instance – – particularly in light of Thompson’s own admission of mental instability. If the report doesn’t include that, we the public should be asking why not.
The Magpie, a reputed cynic (well, I never …) will not be in the least bit surprised if – due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’, – live streaming of next Wednesday’s meeting goes tits up. Because we all know whatever the outcome, it’s going to be a horrible look for Townsville.
Surely There Has To Come a Time When Reality Intrudes ….
Thompson’s obsessive refusal to recognise his increasingly isolated position, and ther damage it is doing to this city, points to man with deep mental problems. Like a functioning alcoholic, he seems normal for much of the time which adds to the concerns of any decent onlooker. And no, just to make it clear to the eye-spinning cultists, The ‘Pie is not suggesting Thompson is an alcoholic … don’t even know if he drinks at all.
But surely on Friday, he must have had an inkling that he’s an outlier. At the Bush Summit event, where one would expect the mayor to least have a seat on the stage (even deliver a brief ‘welcome to my shit show’), Thompson was just another face in the crowd.
That’s not just embarrassing for him, it is for all of us. But he just will not acknowledge that it is an isolation caused by himself, and himself alone. Anx this humiliation comes hard on the heels of that visit to Brisbane, where The ‘Pie is reliably informed from more than one source that some politicians and senior public servants did eveything to avoid going face to face – some said to refuse point blank to deal with him. Not surprising when the Premier has urged to step down, a call Miles repeated to his face in when in the audience at the summit. This tends to be corroborated by his unusually paltry Facebook offerings, with not a notable in sight, just a happy airport pic with TEL’s Ms B-S and a shot (FFS) out an airplane window. One Magpie lurker in Brisbane sneaked an interesting shot, not something you’d expect from an offcial visit to Brisbane by the mayor of a major regional city.
Ourmayor working the numbers for us in Brisbane.
While this whole thing is a tragedy for this city, one does sincerely hope that this doesn’t end as a personal tragedy for a person who did not seek or receive the support and guidance he cleary needs.
A Question To Our Councillors: Just Who Do You Think You Are?
The ‘Pie doesn’t ask this petulantly, more a call for reflection on your actual role. It is understood that when you are elected as a councillor, you are elevated to a position in trust within the community. And all councillors, but particularly new ones, are subject to an often bewildering new world of regulation and formal hoopla, sometimes at the hands of pompous and dismissive public servants. And that can be confusing and a bit daunting.
But let’s look at what you DON’T become, and what you DON’T get.
You do not become superior beings who stop listening to the people who put you in your new well-remunerated position (and you are not suddenly somehow worth that considerable public money you are paid, you really do have to earn it). You do NOT have the right to ride roughshod over constituents who wish to let you know how they feel about matters. You aren’t suddenly wiser than them, although you may be privy to knowledge they have not been party to. So you have a duty to explain how you are thinking on any given subject, especially when it affects people’s finances, amenity and general feeling of how they want certain things in Townsville.
So understand this if it has slipped your mind: although you deliberately kept mum during the campaign about the wrong-headed, lazy and ultimately wildly unpopular plans to place parking meters on the Strand (and around the Mater Hospital, but let’s not conflate the two, they are discrete separate arguments.) YOU WERE GIVEN NO MANDATE TO IMPLEMENT THIS WIDELY UNPOPULAR DECISION. And you are under no obligation to forge ahead with a plan initially devised by a cynical mayor so unpopular that she was thrown out of office.
The ‘Pie knows from more than just anecdotal evidence that every councillor has been inundated with messages opposing the idea. And there will be two more presented this Wednesday.
Look, no elected governing body, federal, state or local, can be run by referendum, putting evert decision toi a public vote, and, sure, you’ve been elected to make informed decisions. But the nature of this proposal is one of those rare exceptions, one of those times when you need to listen to the people. SAt your peril, y ou can take the lazy, easy path, deceitfully throwing up your hands and simpering ‘I know, I know, but what can I do?’
There is plenty you can do if you’re going to do your jobs properly. You can line up your priorities, think creatively and reach acceptable decisions.
You remember who you actually are. And you can avoid childish and insulting flip comments about ‘fun dads’ and the like. The bottom line is the very least you can do is present alternatives to cover the costs the plan is supposed to ameliorate. YOU ultimately make these decisions, not council public servants who you should sent back to the drawing board.
AND EITHER WAY, THE RATEPAYERS KNOW THEY WILL END UP PAYING WHATEVER THE SOLUTION IS … we are not greedy, tight-fisted whingers, or stupid, this is matter of amenity for a whole host of social sectors. Putting the stopwatch on a place where people are supposed relax will never go away as an issue.
Clr Greaney, you’re clearly thirsting for leadership roles, here’s your chance to show what quality of leadership you can offer us.
Limp Dick
Someone definitely not showing leadership, rather a display political cowardice is Qld Treasurer Cameron Dick. He’s not only an habitue of coward’s castle. but a man of double standards laid bare. A increasingly panicked treasurer decided to drag out an old and long settled story about Crisafulli’s business dealings in the private sector. Fair enough if wants he to waste his time.
What isn’t fair is this in the story.
The use of parliamentary privilege is exactly that, a privilege and should be used with care. Specific allegations, preferably with supporting evidence, have in the past been used to expose behaviour that demands explanation, but to use a broad brush smear of ‘being crooked’ – i.e guilty of criminal behaviour – without any indication of evidence is a cowardly and cavalier political misuse of privilege. Be that as it may, Dick outed himself as a weak cheap-shot artist when he refused to make exactly that allegation outside the chamber … out in the real world, where he could be sued. In fact, as you see, he was careful not to suggest criminality.
But all in. all, it was a bad day for our Dickhead Treasurer, when he finished his spray with this gem – note the last sentence.
This from a man whose government will not move to protect one of the state’s largest cities and remove the predatory presence of an accidentally elected mayor who proved he could not run a LARGE business. And is a known fraud … in other words, a criminal
Don’t worry about the bloke whose going to turf you out office, Cameron, old ponce, for once try and live up to your pompous lecturing on civic responsibility.
Another first for Queensland, a senior politician who is literally a Dick and figuratively an arsesole, all sides covered.
At Last, It Sounds Like They’re Serious About One Thing
The Local Buy/Peak Services Saga Part 2
You’ll recall last week that we reported on the Chamber president Miranda Mears had posted some research she’d done, exposing the questionable downside of the LGAQ’s Local Buy deception. The ‘Pie managed to get her initial post explaining why she was starting a campaign questioning operation of the legitimacy of the two companies running the scheme for the LGAQ, Local Buy and Peak Services. Unfortunately, through his own clumsy mis-filing, The ‘Pie was not able top bring you the research, which he has since found.The ‘Pie thought he had. missed copying the two pages of detailed research Ms Mears had put together, but as it has turned out. The ‘Pie had merely mis-filed them.
Yesterday morning, Ms Mears contacted The ‘Pie politely requesting that the research be kept confidential in some sort of ‘just in case’ scenario. She believed publishing the material could somehow hamper her efforts. The Magpie has been considering this since receiving her email, and in the end has decided to provide readers with the material as below. In fairness and respect for Ms Mears professional and thorough job of research and analysis, The ‘Pie gives the following reasons:
1. Ms Mears originally published the material to a presumably considerably large mail-out list, with the post not carrying any request for confidentiality. Even if she did, in reality, it wouldn’t mean anything tangible anyway. That she decided a short time later for whatever reason to remove part of the material is a matter for her, but the fact is there is an unknown number of recipients (presumably including all chamber members and other organisations she has approached for support). It is then hard to believe that those she is targeting haven’t already seen her claims.
2. For that reason, The ‘Pie is reluctant to engage in self-censorship of what he believes is a matter of wide public interest. This blog was partially set up 14 years ago to oppose exactly that sort of secrecy when there was no discernible possibility of unfair damage or embarrassment. Local Buy has been a subject of numerous articles and comments in the Nest over several years.
3. The Magpie respectfully disagrees with Ms Mears’ fears that her ’cause’ could be hampered or harmed by providing details of her claims to the general public… but anyway, if there is, that is a matter for which, having taken the public path in the first place, she must take responsibility herself. So with apologies if you are upset, Ms Mears, you’ve done a hell of job, too good not to share, this is the material that was sent out a week or so ago.
Other Matters
Quick And Clever
During the week, The ‘Pie was bamboozled (not hard to do) by this matter in the Astonisher, posting the following comment:
The Magpie
C’mon, you kind folks, again time to help out this old duffer. Today’s incomprehensible headline in the Astonisher reminded The ‘Pie of Mr Kristofferen’s lament about someone fryin’ chicken which ‘took me back to something I lost somehow, somewhere along the way’. Only for The ‘Pie, it is a similar dim memory of newspapers with understandable headlines.
We have long known that the Bulletin certainly has lost something, somewhere along the way, but this is now la-la land. Reading the story doesn’t enlighten us, and the editorial actually deepens the mystery.
Ms Garvey uses the same headline, but she too fails to explain any possible connection to the story (about restrictions on migrant visas will cause a worker shortage in coffee shop and hotels).
This is Trump strength weird, a confusingly argued editorial that basically reaches no conclusion about anything and perhaps hints something personal has gone badly wrong upstairs somewhere, somehow along the way for Ms Garvey. .
That brought this thigh slapper in reply:
| Big Mac |
Submitted on 2024/08/20 at 8:38 am | In reply to The Magpie.
I have some theories about the meaning of the headline but I can’t safer shore. |
Yuckety yuk yuk.
But Not Quite So Funny
Here are three matters that tend to confirm we are rapidly approaching the end of any useful existence on this planet, and as a species, we rbeally are losing the plot.
The first:
| The Magpie |
Submitted on 2024/08/23 at 11:23 am
Noted with interest the Fin Review story that ABC boss Kim Williams says central to his central reform agenda at Auntie is the choice and priority of news stories.
Can’t come soon enough for The ‘Pie, a life-long news maven with the ABC high on the mix list. The old bird has been increasingly disconcerted by some unexpected swerves in the national broadcasters bulletins. One of the biggest infuriating sideslips came on last night’s national news, when one of the four stories headlined at the start was the death of gay penguin. The ‘Pie kids you not, with the story then plastered across other platforms.
Now to be clear for the developmentally delayed out there, The ‘Pie recognises that the story about the death of one of a a pair of celebrity penguins adjudged (somehow) to be gay and who had received a lot of publicity is a legitimate story, but at the light end of the new spectrum. But a headline? The juxtaposition suggesting a quasi equality was jarring, and no doubt to many, insulting. A dead penguin mixed in with more unforgivable deaths in Gaza, the Ukrainian war and local matters (NDIS, immigration) of wide impact on the public? It was a jarring misjudgement to say the least. Over to you Mr Williams. |
Nothing wrong with covering gay stories, those of an alternative lifestyle are a recognised legitimate social grouping, but the ABC has a problem of news balance.
The words of the late League blabbermouth Rex Mossop ring truer now than whej he was lampooned for saying, talking about a exposed genitals beach near his place.
‘I have nothing against gays, I just don’t want them rammed down my throat.’
Quite so.
The second matter has to get Quote of the Week – but for all the wrong reasons. In yesterday Astonisher, a report on a small protest group bemoaning the loss of concert hall money included a fevered statement from Chamber Music boss (who sounds like a Roald Dahl character) Ricardo Peach : ‘The loss of concert hall funding is a betrayal, and I ‘warn’ that classical artists would refuse to perform for ‘dignitaries’ that supported the decision until funds were found for the hall.’
Peach’s kinda discombobulated ‘threat’ is in the same league as an eight-year-old’s threat to leave home because he doesn’t like his family anymore. He comes backk when it gets dark and starts to rain.
What instantly springs to mind is the famous scene in Blazing Saddles where a racist crowd moves in on the black sheriff, who pulls his gun, holds it to his head and tells the crowd to back off, ‘or the nigger gets it’.
The third matter takes us to the USA for our weekly visit, where things really did get weird when the Trump Vice Chump J D Vance decided to attack Harris VP nominee Tim Walz and his wife for using IVF services. Vance suggested in words to the effect he had enough ‘jizz’ (yes, you know what that means)go round if Walz ran short. This prompte one of the most bizarre MAGA fads yet … the ‘jizz bottle’ accoutrement. MAGA cultists started carrying bottles filled with (presumably fake) semen labelled J D Vance Full Family Kit. So we were treated to the spectacle of seriously deficit people in red hats gleefully displaying their jizz store.
Myth busting site Snopes says it was stunt when Vance staffers went around getting people to pose with the bottles and it wasn’t a widespread thing. But the point is, they were happy to pose. Which tends to prove that the end is surely nigh.
Among other matters that caught cartoonists’ attention was when bizzaro in chief Trump told a story about once being in a helicopter crash with popular retired Californian politician Willie Brown, who when facing possible death, told Trump bad things about Kamala Harris. Sounds about right … but Brown said it was utter bullshit, he was never in chopper with Trump and the story was pure fantasy. When the NY Times printed what brown had said, Trump threatened to sue them … to which Brown if he did, he Brown would sue Trump for defamation. It was a target rich situation.
And The Generation Gap Is Ever Present
Ah, the pitfalls that open when old politicians try to be hip with a younger generation
There’s not a lot to give us a genuine laugh about current American politics, all the ‘toons featured here each week are tinged with the humour of bitterness and bile, but here is something laughably lighter from the ace wordsmith at Mumbrella, Nathan Jolly. The title of this amusing 3 minute read speaks for itself …. and please don’t be deterred b y The Magpie’s helpful information that ‘skeet skeet’ is apparently yooff-speak for ejaculation, (of jizz) as featured at the Karmala Harris hootenanny.
Something called Lil Jon appears at the Dem Convention.
Oh, The Irony …
Do they actually think about what they write sometimes?
And in the same vein but more locally, it is a wonderful way the media has of combining even good news with massive downsides. Lucinda can soon kiss goodbye to being a pleasant little discovery for retirees, and will no doubt attract all sorts of urgers, white shoe investors and various financial spivs. All of whom will, be of no benefit but to themselves.
Not potshotting here, Master Bates transcription of a media release is run-of-the-mill stuff although a question about possible property ownership and investment in the Lucinda area by those people who did the survey might be interesting).
And A Special ‘Toon For Troy Thompson
The ‘Pie is sure you can identify with this, cobber.
…….
That’s the week gone, and plenty to look forward to in coming days. Stick around.
I was a member of the the Local Buy Scam for three years. I run a small consultancy and the hoops I had to jump through to get on the panel were a pain. I was on the panel for three years and did not get one bit of work out of it. I did not bother to apply again when it was time to renew. The main reason was they wanted ISO9001 certification this time around. I already have professional indemnity insurance, which is required by my other clients and that is fair enough. I’ve never had to claim against it. The PI costs me about $9000 a year. I didn’t want to pay some other parasite $10000 to look at my processes and procedures to give me a certificate to sit on another panel run by other parasites. Particular when you find councils are on other sites such as Vendor Panel which do the same thing for free. The red tape strangling this country is phenomenal.
MickNQ I totally concur and would add that even after you get through Local Buy, the contract management systems for construction activity within the TCC absolutely disadvantages small or medium contractors from participating. A $90K building contract can require signing of an AS4000 contract and preparation and submission of a Traffic Management Plan; an Environmental Management Plan; a Quality Plan; a Communication Plan; an Inspection and Test Plan; security or retention; Schedules of Local Industry Participation, Indigenous Participation, Labour and Plan, Current Commitments, Financial Position…the list goes on and this is obviously a huge disincentive. Very few local small to medium businesses or contractors (who are totally capable of doing quality actual work on site), would have the resources to produce all these unnecessary pieces of paper and those that do will charge accordingly. Hardly conducive to value for money and way overkill for the level of risk. I appreciate that more checks and balances are needed for large projects (risk), but these days with the exorbitant costs of construction, even a $300K project isn’t that big a deal on the ground. Unless it involves a heritage building or is in an environmentally sensitive area, high traffic or similar circumstance there is simply no need for all these plans, a simple submission on relevant experience and capabilities related to the project scope and signing of a more simplified contract would be enough (and bring the tender submission back to a level that smaller contractors would be able to participate in). The red tape is total overkill by the TCC bureaucrat decision makers, either through lack of experience or power plays – neither reason installs any level of confidence particularly in relation to value for money. It has become purely an expensive box ticking exercise out of some Project Management handbook, applied across the board. And that’s without even considering the inefficiencies of the safety systems, that would take another essay! And the blame should be laid squarely at the feet of middle and senior management, the staff trying to produce an actual result within these systems and rules are often also under resourced and pulling their hair out.
A graphic and no doubt accurate depiction of a red tape nightmare.
But not to sure that the blame can be entirely laid where you put it, Exasperated. Those management people are enabled in their pompous disruptive ways by regulations written at the direction of government by other arse-covering bureaucrats and public servants. That arse-covering seems to have been made necessary by the growth of the litigation industry. Surely there isn’t much if any room for ‘discretion’ in these matters. Or is there, outside the odd brown paper bag?
I can’t help but this the government really don’t want small business if they constantly implement policies to punish them, Red tape.
Maybe the fundamental cause to all of this red tape is ass covering, so expensive lawyers and people limit the ability to sue each other?
How many of Team Hill pet projects will ratepayers keep funding . The Magpie based on contributions to the nest pointed out lease renewals that Councillors were to consider including a Council ” not for profit ” prime location Walker st that could receive $300k a year rent currently Council entity is it $1 ? . When i go to Townsville library the space Council space opposite is empty just desks . On closing Townsville Business Development Centre 2022 Council spokesperson said ” no decision has been about the future of the Condon Property ” . Is the property being leased and at what income . Enterprise House the Strand , Council owned ? rental income ? , New Council depots the Bohle , whats the status of Garbutt + Aitkenvale . Cost of living crisis and the Feds have decreased personal tax + $300 electricty rebate . State Government $1,000 electricity rebate + 25 % car insurance discount . Townsville Council highest rates increase + parking meters sucking more $ from residents . Seems like there are $ mils wasted by Council on mis-use of their properties vs going after Townsville residents .
This may against the grain of many, but perhaps we have come to the stage where were we have to put a pause on council’s quasi-aggressive and expensive siren calls to attract business and spur growth. Why is growth and an expanding population such a holy grail? Wouldn’t it be better to polish and hone what we have and allow others to discover the business benefits themselves? Perhaps a period of osmosis is what we really need, let things happen naturally and unforced. Sounds like heresy, but also sounds like common sense.
The ‘Pie does not apply to the tourism sector, that needs a complete overhaul in thinking and approach, and does need to be realistically promoted.
But so does the council’s … indeed the community’s … attitude and perception of ‘growth’. What’s so great about a council spending money to attract business to create jobs to be able to get a wider rate base to serve a large and growing city. And in the process, destroying much of the amenity that people enjoy here and attracted them in the first place.
It’s like a dog chasing its tail, and makes about as much sense.
Mike, You mention new Council Depots at Bohle. Well, Brad Webb is making a ‘motza’ out of them.
In his own words: “money for Jam”
Alahazbin , for some the ” Jenny Hills ” come once in a lifetime . It’s clear whether to impress her Labor mates Mayor Hill got Council involved with areas outside the scope of a Council . Most other Councils have stuck to core priorities which is why they havnt had to raise rates as much or find themselves in as much debt . Much of the entities Council are locked into are normally funded by State / Feds .
Yes, mate. The rentals that council are paying out must be phenomenal. At least 4 million a year, while they have the land to develop for purpose, and more central to Townsville City. Always seems, top end of town and certain businesses, get to get the cream.
No news day again. Seriously, it’s time to move on the blokes there for 4 years, he’s weathered the storm of media, I suspect he’ll keep doing so.
The paid parking is a bad policy, we have until January to turn it on its head. Watching the summit nothing new came out of it, more a media gathering than anything, ReefHQ announcement was expected. Time to get some sun at the Tri Festival
Have a good week pie, it’s footy finals time!
It’s the CCC and ministerial storm he has to weather, the media isn’t making anything up, just reporting what TwoNames makes up, and then exposing it.
The city isn’t helped by enablers like you, Truly Bent Pipe. Even if you’re not an active supporter, you seem to have given up any de,mand for a return to decency and ethics in public office.
Thanks Pie. But I’m not sure CCC takes this long normally, I think it’s dead in the water personally. And the fact Miles and Scanlon have stepped away from commenting too much says it all. I’m not supporting him, I just won’t give him anymore air, I think he’ll see out the 4 years, Townsville will still be broke long after he has left. The mullet sorted that out for us, for years to come.
Perhaps the reason the Premier and Scanlon are not saying anything is because they want to (quite correctly) be seen well at arms length from any on-going investigation. Note ‘on-going’. otherwise, why would they remain silent(ish)?
Those two will be well gone from government by the time a decision comes down on him, and if I remember rightly, they are already implicated, I think it’s over. That said Townsville has plenty of good to talk about, the festival season is alive and well.
Yep, the town is has been buzzing for the past few weeks. Good to see.
Don’t agree on your other point, but we’ll see.
They do actually. It was recently accurately reported by one of the Brisbane based Political reporters that 1 in 5 of these investigations can take up to a year. Although I hope this one doesn’t.
I know Tr…Bentpipes, that it must be concerning ole TwoNames, as he knows how close the CCC are. Even yo…TwoNames has been busy amending his ECQ Disclosure filings over those pesky campaign donations in just the past few weeks. You know the ones, from the property developers? It’s all online at https://disclosures.ecq.qld.gov.au/
Pie, TT shouldn’t take the CCC too lightly. Once they get their teeth into the investigation, he will be sorry. The late Paul Askern was investigated and cleared by the CCC when he was at TCC and as I recall I remember him saying it wasn’t a pleasant experience.
Well said Bentpipe. I agree it’s time to start moving forward. Time to start focusing on the State Election coming up. There are so many interesting candidates that can really do a lot (or continue to doing a lot) for our region.
Couldn’t agree more … and let’s talk about anything but a fraudster mayor bringing the city into disrepute, with the help of brain dead enablers. Look, over there ….
Remember, you can’t effectively move forward without reference to history.
I noticed you decided not to post my other comments. May I ask why?
No.
They should just give him his advisor. Having the clueless, inexperienced wanna be, LANE, as an advisor will only serve to wind this entire shitshow up sooner.
The ‘Pie agrees he needs an advisor but only one selected and appointed by the whole council.
The very idea of him appointing, say, Paul Jacob’s politically-active daughter to the position – she aspires to the job and TwoNames owes Jacob – would be a massive kick in the nuts to the community. And would likely attract CCC censure swiftly (swiftly as in some time before 20230 – maybe.)
Absolutely agree with you Pie, our Mayor should have at least one advisor. Should Mayor Thompson be afforded that support, I’m not convinced. He made his position clear on the topic, bed is made.
Heard a rumour Walker has been in talks with mayor Bradbury to take up an advisor role when he is booted in Oct.. imagine.
hahaha Mayor Bradbury threw me for a moment.
Good one.
Not only should our Mayor have one advisor, he is actually entitled to three. There is a lot more than people realise that goes on behind the scenes and having our Mayor appropriately presented with researched information is imperative to his role. When the Councillors reject his proposal (which they of course will) it will once again prove that they are working against him every step of the way. They are not doing this role for the community, it is simply for their own status and benefit.
Believe it or not, like the curate’s egg, you are right in parts.
Of course the councillors (most of them anyway, Jacob appears to be an exception) are working against him, for some reason they are not happy to having a lying, partner abusing, valor stealing, educational drop-out serial lying fraudster as their mayor. And their status and benefit will be greatly and justifiably enhanced if they help get rid of this pestilence.
But hey, any names you’d like to see on his list of advisors, apart from presumably your own?
The Mayor is “entitled” (on that you are absolutely right) to exactly what the Council Approves. So far it is zero. And that continues to be an appropriate amount. Imagine the foolhardiness of recruiting a role that would involve an employment contract that may be longer than the CCC response time on this investigation.
Hey Vera, what have you achieved for your Division since you have been elected?
Fum, the danger being that he will appoint his gammon legal mate, or the goat bloke, or one of his cooker tribe to the position, if it is approved! They cost us ratepayers NOTHING at the moment and that’s the way it should stay.
Twonames deserves NO advisors, due to his self-admission of being a pathological liar and being elected under manifestly false pretences.
The ‘Pie would agree that he needs an advisor, but the person should be selected (not just approved, but selected) by the full council. Doing a cosy deal with the ultra-ambitious Paul Jacob by appointing his daughter – she aspires to the position and Daddy certainly sees it as a good idea – would be a egregious betrayal of good governance.
Considering how having an administrator appointed to TCC would be a bad thing and do not see much downside. The city would lose all the dead wood running it, an administrator would review and refine operations, structure and governance then run a transparent process for new councillors.
Gosh. Following this line of thought it could mean that TwoDogs might have actually been a good thing for the city. There was a old movie where someone threw a rattlesnake into an opium den and all the shady characters fled. Maybe Troy is our rattlesnake?
OK, now you go in and remove the rattlesnake which is still there.
But perhaps you made up the movie idea … most in an opium den woukld try to cuddle it or think it’s a bendy pipe and suck on it.
Decapitate (because you can’t say $hoot any more) the rattlesnake when it has cleared out the room.
Precisely the point being made by The ‘Pie and many others here. Good to see you’ve been paying attention.
Messagebank,Harpic and Cupcake would be aligned with Smiley contemplating how much the Labor Party is on the nose after the NT Election results.
Their turn is coming in October.
Time to dust off your CV’s you losers.
NT election results are in and Labor has been smashed by the CLP. An absolute bloodbath. I’m sure Smiley Miles and Albo are watching closely and observing what their fate is going to be in the upcoming state and federal elections.
Oh, dear, speling chalenged News Corpse journos must be in despair … it took them two terms to get used to writing Palaszczuk, then bloody Glayds came along, who they all called Gladys because they were freaked out by Berejiklian, now they’ll have to cope with Finocchiaro.
At least Crisafulli has been around long enough to be a doddle for them after October.
They’ll probably just refer to her as Chief, or Lia when writing about her – they’re pretty simple across there!
Feeling a bit superior this morning, are we, Pluckster?
You spelled Gladys wrongly
Glad you got the joke.
Careless placing of page # banner at the foot of the pic, or maybe she is?
Have you seen how often Cameron Dick misprounces David Crisafulli’s surname. After all these years, he would know full well the correct pronunciation. It can only be deliberate at this point. Very childish. We should expect better from a senior politician, especially in a multicultural society.
Actually, haven’t noticed that. Will now look out for it.
Albanese also has difficult articulating some words. An impediment or something in common with the average unionist?
Ben – I would love to hear him say, “Schhlip, schhlop and Schhlap”
Pie, is that “a Country Mile” or Country Milf”
Just asking for a friend.
Mile.
Seriously, Mr. Pie?
“MILF” …. “Mothers I’d Like To Fuck”
What possessed the sub-editor?
Butterflog, where ya been??? Have missed your nonsensical posts and ALP defences! This is another nonsense remark – it is NOT the published front page headline, but the screenshot mark getting in the way! You feeling horny this morning or what??? WIERDO!
Plucker is correct, it was The Magpie’s screen shot. And of course it was totally accidental, do you really think The ‘Pie would rise to those depths. heh heh heh.
What a sad, little man you are, Plucker!
Feel better now?
I am not sure that Queensland labour will be crushed maybe not even lose the next election. You have to hand it to Steve he has done well with opening the public purse. What I find more worrying is the contempt the local incumbents are already treating the public with. Unfortunately, I think it could be very close or even a win for labour. JMO
Why include JMO? What else could it be?
I hope I am wrong, my opinion as its based on observations with no facts. I always trust the betting odds on this and they still have a libs win.
TC – like to have a little wager? Head to head – $100 at 2-1?
I think you have mistaken my position. I want the LIBs to win i just think the local candidates are 2 cockey and Steve is spending big.
As someone who attended the summit I personally liked that our Mayor was happy to sit amongst the crowd. There is no denying some still do not like him, however he does appear to buy into “status privilege” as his predecessor did before him. She would not attend an event unless she was giving a speech.
Magpie, that is laughable you have used a photo of our Mayor sitting on a bench alone. With the elections coming up it is surprising you have opted to use your platform for such a trivial attack. No one knows what reason he was sitting alone. He could have been waiting for a meeting, returning an email, reviewing him agenda. The reasons are endless however it does show your vendetta against him and inevitably whoever took and sent you the photo.
I would encourage you to use this time to discuss the upcoming candidates as the people who are to be elected / reelected are able to contribute to State matters. Our Mayor will not be leaving his seat, and he has proven to show strength whether you like it or not.
This is a silly argument put forward continually by Thompson and his enablers, who posture themselves as regular folks who think he’s beaut in order to promote their unstated agenda of seeking influence. And pushing the argument that this blog should be talking about other things … but just because you obviously can’t chew gum and fart at the same time, The Magpie and his sane readers are unlike you, and can manage to cover more than one subject as we go along, not drop one because we can’t handle the mental overload of two or more that has obviously fucked you like an RFK brain worm.
Trivial? And attack? You really are a gormless fuckwit, it is far from trivial when a fraudster who lucked into the mayoral seat through deceit gets rebuffed by many contacts in Brisbane – ( Brumme-Smith reportedly had more than one meeting on her own, God help us!!) and then lied about on his FB page. A fraudster start to finish. And the pic was a very good depiction of his – and Townsville’s – plight. Reviewing his agenda? More likely checking out the location of the closest Auntie Wendy’s Yummie ice Creamery.
And obstinacy and stubborn resistance to decency is not strength, it is wilfully destructive, and he will be held to account eventually.
He’s a crook, and people are known by who they associate with, dumbo. But you’re probably proud of that.
I apologise as I have edited my original name due to a spelling error.
See how I did that, I made a mistake and owned it. Hope you don’t treat me with the same harshness as you do anyone else that faulters in life as you clearly hold onto things.
From my own research you two have made some decisions in your life you may not be proud of. Hopefully you have been able to forgive yourself.
Mayor Thompson did attend meetings in Brisbane. Not sure what you are calling out another lie for. Maybe as they were not the ones you thought he would attend?
Hope you are okay Mr Pie, you seem angry.
What are you, eight? Aren’t you a good little lad, Allen, here’s a dollar for being so honest, little chap, go and buy yourself a gobsAnd how come you so much about his Brisbane visit … bit of a giveaway if true, you’re a liar if not.
1. The ‘Pie is not running for public office, and never has.
2. If I was, I would own my past and be open about to allow people to make their judgement about my suitability for office.
3. I would not lie about my qualification, character (by omission) and abilities.
4. I would not be associating with out and out outsider nutters like MyPlace and sad and disappointed little distrustful oafs like Stephen Lane.
5. Of course I’m fucking angry, but it is a cold rage that as a journalist and a private person I have always had for criminal fraudulent behaviour. Which makes me more than OK, but you, you childish twerp, would not understand.
Boy, The ‘Pie is having a great Sunday, keep it comin’.
Careful Pie, we hate you to blow a foofoo valve
The ‘Pie’s foofoo valve was fukfuk’ed long ago.
Oscar Pistorius made a mistake, and murdered his Girlfriend. Are you saying that that is OK? That because he “owns it” it he should be forgiven?
Ask the woman TwoNames violently assaulted in front of her children a) was it a mistake? B) has he ever owned it? C) and if he even did “own it”, would that be OK? Remember this is the woman he didn’t just pay off with the company going bankrupt.
Pretty fkn disappointing that this has been swept under the carpet and so many are comfortable with his history of DV. An advisor to prop him up in a job he is clearly incapable of? Hell no!
Southern disComfort, “owning it” means admitting, not exonerated
Were you there? No! Has anyone ever asked his partner if she is in danger?
Were you? Have you asked her?
“Status privilege”. It’s what the moron and his squeeze live for. EG – he said that he would alway sit in the grandstand seats at the footy. The spend every home game in the private boxes, even if nobody talk to them.
TwoNames new “proxy” Allah from the Hotel Allen used the correct word to sum up TwoNames and the Squeezes behaviour. “Entitled”.
They can’t win, they go out to community and they are accused of being entitled. He sits alone on a park bench and he is accused of being outcasted.
Incorrect grammar. ‘They’ should be ‘we’. And show us where anyone has suggested public appearances make this wife bash, lying fraud ‘entitled’.
And he WAS shunned by some in Brisbane.
More desperate stuff.
Confuse on the Allah one. I read the name to be Allen? Old Southern Comfort is probably sad that her favourite pub is in support of the Mayor.
I have no doubt Mr Pie that some people (especially Miles) did not want to see him. But doesn’t that more show that they are scared to talk to him as they spoke against him publicly and they don’t have the balls to say it to his face?
Just for clarity as the Councillors like to say, Division 5 Councillor Vera, or “Southern Comfort” as she is known on the Magpie comments suggested August 25, 2024 at 11:16pm the “entitled” comment.
The ‘Pie takes it that you’re new to both the Nest and possibly to Townsville. And the premier of the state ‘scared to talk’ to a fraudster mayor? Perhaps you’re also new to the planet.
So One Notion drop their state candidate. Candidate moves to KAP. KAP now think they are kingmakers and are back on the old separate state for North Queensland “because the gulf country is undeveloped”.
And Crisafulli is talking about axing compulsory preferential voting so that next election, minor parties, (like KAPand the Greens), don’t get a look in. Am I missing something or are KAP not very bright?
Nope, yours is a mind like a steel trap. Although on some other subjects, it is sorely in need of some WD40.
Didn’t think I was missing anything.. BTW Magpie did you see that article in the Australian last week by Lydia Lynch?
No, what was that about?
Well, basically, an unnamed Australian Federal politician has been secretly maintaining a luxurious private retreat on a remote island off the Queensland coast. The island, which is reportedly home to a small population of endangered koalas, has been allegedly transformed into a personal getaway for the politician and a select group of high-profile guests.
So what?
You don’t suggest there is any criminality involved. Did you mean to?
Good Lord, you’re not suggesting an Epstein fly-in operation involving koala fetishists, are you? If so, pix pls. Maybe it’s set up specifically for Malaysian guests, who stay in their own bungalow named Koala Humpor.
Love the creative angle, Pie, but I think you’ve missed the point. This isn’t about criminality or some wild conspiracy. The issue here is whether a politician should be using resources for a private retreat while potentially putting an endangered species at risk. It’s about accountability and the message it sends. If the story’s true, it raises serious questions about priorities whether public trust and environmental stewardship are being sidelined for personal luxury. Either way, it’s worth paying attention to, even without the scandalous spin.
Good grief, man (or whatever) what’s that you say, ‘if the story is true’?!?
You have the gall to use the pristine -pure-as-the-driven-snow comments section of the Nest to float a story that may NOT be true? A scurrilous accusation without foundation and is based solely on speculation? Nudge nudge wink wink journalism?
Watch it, Ducky, or The Magpie might be forced to offer you a job.
Pelorus Island, also known as North Palm Island, is the northernmost island of the Great Palm Island group. It is located 800 metres north of Orpheus Island, and covers an area of about 400 hectares.
Right
Hone what we already have rather than create the cargo cult of expansionism and “investment”, it will keep things afloat for a bit longer.
The fact is townsvilles employment opportunities are limited especially actual career development, you need to know someone for that.
The major capitals are successful not because they are efficient and forward thinking, it’s because vast amounts of money collected by the regional areas flow directly to the capitals. For example when you push a poker machine button the money is collected/ sent electronically to Brisbane, Brisbane then decides how that money gets spent. All that money goes to create more and more government workers – it’s the number one growing employment sector in Australia.
Probably very much the same with mining royalties but not with natural gas – the east coast of Australia has no royalties tax on natural gas and hence why we pay some of the highest power prices in the world. Without any control over our resources we are essentially a dying civilisation that makes its money on the back of taxes and printing money to create unproductive employment .
As for parking I’ve stopped with petitions and moved onto a different document for people to sign. I’ll probably pack up the existing informal petition and send it to council regardless. Moving to stage 2 against parking meters is ramping up.
As for councillors and council: they do what they want, it’s the same with the other branches of government. Government can’t go bankrupt because they can simply raise taxes. I would bother outlining what it means to be a politician but it’s pointless, the voting base is so cooked it’s the equivalent to shouting into a very deep, dark and hole with no end and no echo.
Ive realised Australia was a dying civilisation quite some time ago. My efforts are really just tidying up the deckchairs and keeping the deck clear whilst water is spilling over the deck. From a historical perspective its all very normal. The typical end of a civilisation is when it’s citizens are so fractured and uncaring they don’t care that the “elites” ( or at least the only men allowed swords) deliberately blow up whole swathes of history, infrastructure, culture because they can. People only realise when it’s too late – look at poor old dying britain, I saw this coming decades ago and decided to leave when I did. No one can be persuaded, no one can be warned.
This will be the second civilisation I’ll have to watch burn to the ground because of stupid people. As the taxes go up i look up and see another large grey aircraft flying over carrying more weapons to feed into another fruitless and unwinnable conflict on the other side of the planet, remember that time we got into a 3 decade long war in the middle east and couldn’t win it?
ASs usual, something for everyone, thank you, Guy.
G,
Please, can we have the Executive Summary.
Can somebody please fill his prescription
is that the same medication you use to keep you eyes closed and ears shut? Guy makes some good points.
Strangely, we agree, One Hung Low. On the stopped clock principle of being right twice a day, Guy nails it occasionally.
I know how it starts
I know how it ends
The council’s new treasury report makes the financial situation looks worse. Systemically worse.
The new longitudinal graph dating back to August 2022 shows a long term downward trend.
Less than 2 years ago, council had 13 months cash cover with unrestricted cash and working capital facility.
Now, despite guaranteed revenue at guaranteed times with rates bills and a new property boom, the council has squandered its unrestricted cash reserves to a SCARY $4.5M. That isn’t even one week of cash cover! For a company that forecasts itself to bring in $500M in annual revenue – there is no doubt the councillors these councillors and the last council have little clue how to balance a budget.
The working capital facility has been drawn down by $38M, or one month of operating expenses.
If one had their money invested in this company and that was their share price trend, one would have cut their losses and invested in something else. But us ratepayers have no choice as to where our rates go.
Surely the state government must be calling people who could act as an administrator for when the time comes, and that time looks soon.
The council needs to dump the drain on its treasury and stop all funding to unnecessary projects. All of it.
As I’ve said before – the damage was done in 2008 – 2011 when the tyrell council blew through 300 million in loans , it was unpayable then , it’s unpayable unless all projects are pulled and brought to a halt, it’s very simple.
And there it is; the regular Tyrell hate mail. Guy, he retired years ago and is now receiving a pension. Fuck off.
No
We need to acknowledge how it all started
The debt taken 2008 – 2011 was never paid off , just kicked down the road.
The council could have paid off the debt incrementally at any time. If they could have paid off 40 million a year the debt would have been paid off painlessly. Instead rampant waste and mismanagement has led us to the need for ever increasing costs and ever increasing debt 46 million this year of borrowings as I read it from the budget. You used to get the real value from the Queensland treasury corporation but that’s all secret information. If only we knew how bad it really was – eh ?
We stop ALL major projects
Amusingly Andrew Robinson was telling me outside the PCYC about how he heard council could save money by cutting the number of managers , I laughed, Jenny Hill was telling us that at a water tax group a decade ago – it never happened. I told him that , guess he never learnt. It takes fortitude and brains to guide this ship, learn what is a lie and start the purge through the ranks. Now we have the entrenched problem of stupid councillors for the next 4 years.
I’m just tired of the lies. I’ve been portrayed as the crazy man here because I always say the debt needs to be paid off – stopping the spending is going to help a lot. You’re complaining because the bankrupt and mismanaged council wants to tax you every time you visit somewhere nice.
Guy I for one wish you had been elected. Someone said in this thread (not sure of the truth or not) that some Councillors are looking to resign. I believe they mentioned Suzy and Anne Maree. Would you consider running again?????
Christ, Right Off, you really hate Townsville, don’t you?
Guy, now we know this is a LIE! You said Andrew Robinson talked to you, but he talks to no one.
Actually Mr Pie, while I don’t agree with everything you write I truly believe you want Townsville to be a success.
I would genuinely love to see you put your hate in the ring should there be another election.
Love the (surely accidental typo.
Guy – did Les run over your cat?
lol … there was nothing cooler than watching Les leaving the Thuringowa Council carpark in his holden statesman with a ciggie in the corner of his mouth … of course we had a strict ‘no smoking’ policy in council vehicles
… they don’t make mayors like Les anymore, which is a shame.
Weary, I sincerely hope things have picked up for you since way back then and that there are ‘cooler’ things in your life than what you have shared!!!
I can’t reply to you directly Plucker … but yeah granted, there are cooler things now … but back in the day it was something to behold … pretty much when they first coined the phrase “dilligaf”
The coiner was Kevin Bloody Wilson … and it was one of his best, much classier than his ‘I saw mummy blowing Santa Claus.’
I hate that acronym. Worked with a bloke used that all the time. I called him the oxygen thief.
Shit a brick, it’s only Sunday and already a conga line of bored Thomsonites are peppering the Nest with their inane bullshit and defensive tactics.
There are a lot of us. Sorry to break it to you.
And you know this how? The MyPlace membership book?
Desperate stuff, you know you’re on the slide, don’t you?
I have been vaccinated so not a member of any groups sorry.
Magpie, your “ Question to our Councillors” is brilliant and just hope it is taken seriously.
G’day Pie, the shortcut to the the-continuing-history-of-ill-suited-presidential-campaign-song-choices does not appear to work.
Thanks for the heads up. try it now … appreciate if you’d let us know if it’s now OK.
If itsvstill wonky, try this:
https://mumbrella.com.au/the-weekend-mumbo-the-continuing-history-of-ill-suited-presidential-campaign-song-choices-845687
I did and ………… I wish I didn’t!!!
A great read, as always ‘Pie.
But, Wow! The Comments page! Loved it.
Get them all together for the New Year pyrotechnics display.
I have noticed that the accidental Mayor doesn’t post his daily calendar of activities on Facebook anymore. Is he still coming to the office at 5:00am?
Zzzzz … uh, wha … ? Oh, right. that again? Must be a slow news day, but Colin Dwyer will be wetting himself.
The argument for a split state seems to happen every so often. It’s understandable, but not practical. What we need is for regional areas to be given a greater share of the revenue they generate, rather than hand it all over to the southeast corner.
Mining/resource towns like Gladstone, Mackay, and also Townsville should be able to keep a greater share of their royalties to enhance livability and infrastructure locally.
The Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and Brisbane could keep a greater portion of their tourist dollars and some resource dollars for it to be used on their infrastructure.
The other issue is that northern Queensland needs better political representation. Townsville’s 3 state dud representatives are impotent and fucking useless. Their advocacy is ignored and they hold no sway. If we had a few Phil Thompsons dotted around Queensland in both state and federal parties, the northern end may get a better deal overall.
The problems here are not unique, Revenue Sharing arrangements around the world are yet to yield workable solutions. Even our own GST arrangements are not balanced properly.
In the UK, Scotland has long argued for a greater share of oil revenues from their North Sea. This has never happened, and probably never will. Hence the calls for Scottish independence. To keep their oil revenue (and hopefully rejoin the EU).
In the US, you have other extremes, where taxation can occur at a Federal, State and Local (City/County) level. Most of the latter is generally in the form of local sales tax or accommodation taxes. But they become so user unfriendly, and difficult and costly to administer, that many local taxes (property tax aside) are abandoned everywhere but in the biggest cities and counties (and let’s not even mention the tax avoiders in cities like New York with Donald Trump).
At the end of the day, Federal and State governments will never give up their revenue raising levers such as taxes and royalties. Leaving Local Governments very few levers to pull to raise revenue, it’s generally rates, water & sewerage, or parking.
I don’t agree with a seperate state for NQ, it will just be costly overheads. It will never be allowed by Federal or State, as they lose the revenue control and benefit. As much as it may be nice for pride and identity, it will just add burden, and another pool of bureaucracy and leeches. You’re right, revenue being equitably distributed to where it is sourced from would be great. But ultimately it would only just reverse the inequality we see in Australia already. We’d end up with poor capital cities, instead of poor regions. But, the cities carry the population and the votes, and the larger proportion of State and Federal MP’s. This argument for a seperate state is, and always will be, dead at the starting blocks.
Mopsy as you point out, it will NEVER happen. Don’t know why proponents waste their time on it and why media bother reporting it!
The ‘Pie’s point of view as well, and anyone who wants to waste the Nesters’ time with this silly idea is spending time not considering alternative ways to make different parts of Queensland fairer and more equitable … a new state would do no such thing.
Separate Staters might benefit from this constitutional talk which goes right to the heart of it:
https://youtu.be/Xmc2aR64l_E?si=q0s3Sld535daEJDZ
A most informative analysis and history which one only wishes Colin Dwyer and others had taken note of long ago. A new state has way more unjustifiable downsides than justifiable upsides. And the argument so far has just floated like foam on top of the dark swirling waters of complexity and division beneath.
‘Jenny, nowhere dos it name the speaker, who reminds The ‘Pie of hottest academic he ever met, Dame Leonie Kramer.
The lady, with an insatiable proclivity, in the video is Anne Twomey. She’s a Professor Emerita of the University of Sydney and has both taught and practised in constitutional law and policy for a long time.
Cert ainly knows what she’s talking about.
PR,
I contend that the lack of regional representation is due to Qld not having an upper house of parliament. Is say bring back the upper house with two members per local government area. Yes, Townsville LGA would have the same representation as the Brisbane LGA, just as, at the federal level, in the Senate, Tasmania has the same representation as NSW, and every other state.
But it will never happen.
Upper house, separate state …. nothing that means more politicians is ever going to get up by popular demand.
You take a vote across qld as to which council areas want to remain with Brisbane
Draw the boundary line
Demand that anything like natural gas reserves pay royalties
Use Queensland’s coal reserves to create DIESEL and fertiliser – coal is far too valuable to be used for electrical power generation.
Create a north Queensland bank.
Use royalties to pay off any debts the new state may have acquired
Lay CONCRETE under the major roads where the road surface seems to suffer. I see the massive roadworks around Bowen didn’t actually create an extra lane ! Oh yes – this brand new road that cost millions and took at least 5 years ( or more) has a brand new flooded road sign. Brainless.
Develop a true road from weipa to Cairns.
Cap ALL cities to no more than 200,000 – beyond this number quality of life due to traffic jams plummets.
Access to ALL places of interest is essential to a free society. Develop these places and you’ll create a viable tourism industry.
Silly. Just fucking silly, Guy.
I like Guy’s plan to take a council by council vote, leaving us with a patchwork quilt of city states like the Holy Roman Empire variously pledging allegiance to Brisbane or Cairns (the obvious choice for the secessionist capital).
We could have our own Dukes of Hazzard coppers with county (council) laws changing every 30kms.
Why is Guy’s plan silly? Sounds good to me.
Well, it sorta didn’t until you endorsed it.
Magpie, last week you decided we might all benefit from some Peter Ridd wisdom published in the Australian newspaper about the apparent health of the GBR and the less apparent distortions by GBR science institutions fearing the worst for the Reef. You wrote, presumably on the basis of Ridd’s analysis:
“One could be excused for thinking that AIMS has a vested interest i.e. funding to keep us thinking the Reef is about to cark it. And this despite, according to their own data, it is bouncing back to health at a rate of knots.”
According to the 2024 Reef Outlook published by GBRMPA some ecosystems, such as coral habitats and seagrass meadows, have improved over the reporting period (which excludes two cyclones and a mass bleaching event), indicating the Reef retains natural resilience. However, the Reef’s capacity to tolerate and recover will be compromised by a rapidly changing climate.
But Peter Ridd disagrees with this conclusion describing corals (in 2017) as the “least endangered of any ecosystem to future climate change”. Today in The Conversation, an actual practicing reef scientist, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, has laid it out line and letter:
“Earlier this year, I visited parts of the southern Great Barrier Reef where mass coral bleaching and death had just occurred. The picture was devastating. Vast swathes of coral were bleached a ghostly white. It was interspersed with bright flashes of pink and blue: a final, heartbreaking release of coral pigment as the organism makes a last-ditch effort to survive. I’ve since learned much of that coral is now dead.
Anyone who knows anything about coral reefs would have been upset by what I saw. The world’s largest reef was in very, very bad shape. As I swam, in the back of my head was the knowledge that 2023 was Earth’s hottest year on record. In fact, the Great Barrier Reef is the warmest it has been for at least 400 years.”
https://theconversation.com/humanity-is-failing-official-report-warns-our-chance-to-save-the-great-barrier-reef-is-fast-closing-237441
Solid info as a point of view.
BTW who funds our actual practising reef scientist (whatever that actually means) Mr Hoegh-Guldberg? You don’t go on haunts like this out of your own pocket. Critics cast shadow on Ridd’s character because of his funding, so let’s be open about this.
Wikipedia in part:
“In 1999, Hoegh-Guldberg published a paper[6] using data from CSIRO and Germany predicting that most corals across the planet will not survive the next century, and the Great Barrier Reef will die in 20–30 years. His evaluation was poorly received at the time, with most experts trying to find fault with his long term predictions but failing to do so. Since then, however, reefs globally have undergone significant bleaching,[7] the latest studies documenting an 89% decline in new corals in the Great Barrier Reef compared to historical levels.[8] As of July 2019, he is an author in 521 journal articles, and has been cited 54,532 times.[9] He is currently a Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland.[10] In 2010, Hoegh-Guldberg was appointed as the inaugural Director of the Global Change Institute,[11] a collaborative research hub aimed to address the impacts of climate change.”
So in 1999, Professor H-G that the GBR would be dead within 30 years. That bloody Reef better get it’s skates on, it’s looking.a damn sight too healthy to completely cark it in the next 5 years. Experts were unable to find fault with his predictions? The Reef itself is finding fault with his predictions.
Magpie, you say the GBR is “looking a damn sight too healthy to completely cark it in the next 5 years.” Fair enough if you have personally taken a look at the Reef recently but if you haven’t, why do you dismiss the first hand view of the respected scientist who has been there and done that? Hoegh-Guldberg is not the first scientist to express their dismay over the 2024 mass coral bleaching event. And the Australian is not the first contrarian publication this year to play it down, ignore it entirely or put up some reef science-adjacent attention-seeking drongo to waffle distraction using irrelevant data. Don’t say you didn’t know.
So waffles a science=adjacent attention seeking drongette making an irrelevant statement based on her opinion.
Get back to The ‘Pie in 2030.
More reputable sources than the IPA! https://about.uq.edu.au/experts/839
Green groups with a vested interest in getting government funding to exist are just the other side of the IPA ‘Big Business’ coin. More reputable? Depends who you vote for.
Which of those groups get government funding to exist?
How would you fund scientific research?
Which is better: being secretly funded by organizations with an interest in damaging the environment or transparently funded by those that want to protect it?
Fuck the reef. It’s overrated anyway. Life is cyclic and we are obviously going through one of the cycles in which the reef is bleached and dies off but at some point restores itself. It takes time, sometimes centuries. Why not ask the custodians of our great nation who have been here billions of years, they should be able to advise us what we need to do.
The threat to the reef isn’t part of a natural cycle though, and losing it would cost tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars for the economy.
(Edited by The Magpie for relevance).
Haha, Troy’s latest Facebook post.
PREMIER’S COMMENTS – AGAIN:
The Premier is in Mackay today, and he has made more comments to media about me.
I have had a gut full of this behaviour by this Premier. He needs to grow up.
The Premier seems to be obsessed about trying to land political hits on a democratically elected Mayor. Constantly trying to punch down.
The Premier has said that I should resign, and it would be in the best interest of Townsville.
I would never call on the Premier to resign, even though I believe it would be in the best interest of Queensland.
I have to question the motivations of the Premier in seeking to constantly making representations to the public about this issue.
Premier Steven Miles has failed to fix the Crime Crisis, Health Crisis, Housing Crisis, Cost of Living Crisis, and the Bruce Highway, However, he seems to spend his time preferring to attack me instead.
I call on the Premier to stop playing politics with the residents of Townsville.
To stop commenting in the media, to stop seeking to undermine my position as an elected representative, and to do his job and fix this State.
Mayor Troy Thompson
Umm, excuse me, but,
The person we democratically elected did not exist. What we have now is a successful fraud, successful thus far anyway.
The next months are going to be long and tedious. Good luck Townsville.
Oh, to the Townsville councillors, it is YOU who can keep this fraudster in check, but that will not happen as you step over to advance your personal agenda over the responsible governance of Townsville.
Well at least me know what Twonames weak spot is. He can’t handle public comments by other politicians. Grow a set Troy, it’s part and parcel of the political life. Besides, had you not been such a liar and a complete shonk , people wouldn’t have anything negative to say about you. Harden up princess.
His weakness? I’d suggest he’s playing to a strength, he gathers momentum in socials when he does this. Let’s not forget, it was his socials that got him to office, not print. 4.4K followers in a short time, only the loud mouth Ellis is ahead of him too, and he had years of public attention. Thompson seems to survive, given he’s had no media experience, he’s doing ok. Thats not a compliment by any means, but he thrives on criticism, his title allows his access to a lot, and important people too, the longer this goes on, the stronger he will be, the writings on the wall. Lies, fraud, DV, more lies and the bloke walks around with not a single care in the world. The councillors are doing their bit to remove him, but it is costing them too, they are making bad decisions. I think the CEO has to go, he’s ALP, and clearly influenced by the Team Jenny dregs left, trying to change rules to suit themselves won’t end well. Until this disarray is cleaned up, or they kiss and make up, we won’t get anything in Townsville. Election promises a plenty, that’s all.
That 4.4k followers phrase has been used by other commenters, but none realise (or perhaps are unwilling to admit) that the terminiology ‘followers’ does not in any way equate with approval/support. It would not surprise if the majority were what could be more accurately called ‘monitors’, and another goodly chunk are simply curious to keep up with the ping pong match.
How does The ‘Pie know this? Because the same rules apply to The Nest and it’s cohort – which, BTW is considerably more than some opponents claim. Not that it matters, it is what it is.
Exactly Pie, I follow the idiot in FB. Never comment, but get a good chuckle from his supporters. I finally realised why they are called cookers.
It would not surprise The ‘Pie in the least if some turned out to be literally the original meaning of ‘cookers’. Given the fractured thinking,m highly likely.
You are absolutely correct Mr pie in that the followers to not equate to support. There would be many that love to hate our mayor and follow for the opportunity to get mad about anything and everything that he posts…HOW IMMENSELY SAD ARE THOSE PEOPLE. But in actual fact it would be much more that the 4.4K who support as that does not account the elderly who voted for him and that do not subscribe to social media. On top of that there would be many who may be affiliated with Councillors or even Jenny herself who can’t be seen to show support. Wouldn’t it be great to see the page insights. The numbers would be huge I have no doubt.
Same with The Nest … and The ‘Pie does see the page insights, amongst other interesting data. And rest assured, not everyone here is a Magpie fan.
You are never going to be beloved by all. Anyone in the media knows this. All chatter aside, you put in hours of work to keep this blog together so credit when credit is due!
No credit, cash only please.
‘Thrives on criticism’. Really? Have you been swallowing vast amounts of cooker Koolaid? The bloke keeps whinging about the criticism he receives, calling it ‘bullying’ and ‘negativity’. He also censors his Facebook page. And I’m not referring to bullying or nasty comments, I’m talking about any comment that doesn’t agree with his narrative. Thompson is a sook and a bad sport. He is one individual who does NOT thrive on criticism. The sooner we are rid of this stain the better.
TEL and TCC told us the World Triathlon Muilti-Sports Championships would be watched by millions around the world.
Sunday was the highlight day, with road closures everywhere, yet there was not one word about the results in today’s Townsville Bulletin.
Of course, TEL will complain bitterly about this latest failure from our local paper-. In your dreams.
Meanwhile, the TB has sunk to a new low.
Don’t think it can go any lower, but I’m sure they’ll try.
Doug, I see there was to be a big open air end of comp gig on the Strand. Complete failure: nobody attended because nobody knew about it apparently.
There was signage, there was posts online, there was radio coverage, there was social media coverage, there was bulletin articles … I went down and had a great time. Do not speak for everyone.
Next time ask YOURSELF why you never know what is happening in Townsville…it is because YOU don’t look!
Totally agree Doug, once again the place failed to highlight and support a world event.Oh well the copper chopper is punching out the hours.
I want to raise the following point; as we know, Troy Thompson has put forward a motion to be carried that recruitment for a new CEO commence and be completed in 4 weeks!! Is this idiot totally delusional? The average timeframe for such a process is usually 3 months, sometimes up to 6 or even 12 months. 4 weeks is a complete joke. This motion of his proves that he has no idea or experience in these sorts of matters. Somebody please get him away from HR matters. Again, he makes a mockery of council and he embarrasses TCC with such a childish proposal.
Councillors, please end this misery. Thompson is an embarrassment and he makes the entire region look stupid. Dare I say that there is enough muscle and enough smarts between the councillors and the acting CEO to undermine this clown and shoot him down every time he opens his mouth or takes a step. You are going to have to really ramp up your opposition of Thompson and draw blood. It’s the only way to hopefully free this town of this lying buffoon
The Magpie would support TwoNames accelerated time frame for CEO selection if he would link it to the council passing a motion seeking the same acceleration into the withheld findings into his conduct by the CCC.
I for one am happy with the acceleration to securing a permanent CEO. Obviously should a notice period have to be provided to current employment I am sure the Council would allow for this. It is with the uncertainty in council that us rate payers need all that Joe drama to be put to bed.
Thanks, Troy, good to know you’re a regular Nester.
Kind of you to assume, but sadly (or maybe not so sadly) I am not the mayor of our great city.
All that TCC have to do is follow their own Recruitment Policy.
Step up the comments and pressure, the bloke uses the amount of headlines in the bulletin as a tagline and badge of honour. He will not yield, unless they pay him out his tenure, that’s not happening. Then there’s the so called human rights complaint, he is actively chasing, he has zero shame. And councillors knocking back his advisor, will be on the public record and used later on, we can all see that. While all this happens, the city’s growth is on hold. Groundhog Day, week or month, it’s all the same. The Premier has even thrown in, and that puts interference in, I wonder are we in fact playing into his hands? What if we stopped writing about him, ignored him, or is that worse, clearly negativity does nothing to him. What I can’t understand is how many support him still, I swear I see people going up to him at the local often, it beggars belief.
Anyway, graveyard shift is done, I’m heading to bed!
Interesting thoughts Magpie. Truth be known, no one likes the mayor, not even his office staff. For some reason, outside the office building, once people meet him, they like him. The facts are, he lied, he still claims he did not, I have a problem with that. Will the advisor vote be defeated, 100%, but he will not let up, he reports a councillor a week, the CEO, CLO have a few very troubling complaints, Greaney and Mooney, who released the letter, are in real trouble. Word in the walls is Greaney may resign, Batkovic may take a job with basketball Australia. It’s a shitshow.
The mayor, like him or not, will get off, that is certain, no one wants it, but he will, like his mate Walker, he’ll walk free. He’s getting plenty of advice from down south, lane is smoke and mirrors, they aren’t working together, though they know each other. I think this weeks meeting will show whether the mayor has it or not. The rest will be pushback on him, that I’m sure. At what point do the councillors stop pushing back, and start working for the community. The parking is bad, the fence in Idalia a shit show, and the water quality worse, time to ask Travis, Joe, Matt and co about DFAS in our water, cancer …..
Oh, Kris, little bit of a mystery there with The mayor, like him or not, will get off, that is certain,. Certain? And get off what exactly, the CCC has never said if it is actually investigating let alone what it is investigating? What position do you hold to be privy to such information that has not been released?
The ‘Pie asks because TwoNames entourage on social media make exactly the same claim, using it to confront critics with what they want to be seen as a hopeless situation for opponents with the mayor in situ for the full term.
Hmmm could this be Division 4 Councillor Kristian Price? Surly you wouldn’t be so stupid to use your name. You could very much implicate yourself here. Pie regular “Southern Comfort” is certainly one Vera Dirou. Maybe you two need to stop playing politics and actually do some work?
Well, regarding a previous Magpie reply to you, The ‘Pie owes you a retraction. This comment is proof that, for solid reasons that do not need discussion here, you are most certainly NOT TwoNames.
Cheers, not a problem at all.
Checked the Townsville Bulletin website this morning to see if they had finally caught up with the final day of the World Triathlon Multi-Sport Championships and all I could find was this (note the date, and the mistake in the headline):
“Winner receive medals after Cross Duathlon at Multisport World Championships in Townsville
An Aussie athlete who claimed third spot in the most recent event at the World Triathlon Multisport Championships in Townsville shared his excitement while the Italians continue to dominate the off-road events.
Nikita McGuire
follow
less than 2 min read
August 22, 2024 – 12:21PM
Townsville Bulletin”
Sad.
Doug K, you somehow managed to make the most boring topic even more dull. Triathlon coverage? Riveting. It’s like you’ve mastered the art of taking something no one cares about and making it even less interesting.
If boredom were an Olympic sport, you’d be taking home the gold.
yep, watching a triathlon is only mildly more boring that watching the superpests.
And we closed a city for 2 weekends for this piece of lycra jndulgence
That’s my personal opinion.
I’d actually support it if it’s good for the city.
Good economic injection from visitors, and fits perfectly with The ‘Pie’s long held argument that Townsville should become event city, with targeted events all years round.
Targeted Events
That would be shooting, archery, darts (a Magpie favourite?), dwarf throwing, and there must be more that I cannot think of.
Dive bombing … The Magpie’s on for gold.
Events are fine when they coexist with the rest of the city’s inhabitants rather than closing large parts of essential connecting streets. Plenty of the 180,000 or so couldn’t give a rats about a bunch of middle aged lycra clad men and women spending 2 weekends playing silly games, or twits driving smelly loud cars around circles for days on end.
Perfect example is the sailing coming up, impacts almost no-one.
I prefer to watch paint dry, grass grow, and turtles fuck. Much more entertaining.
It sounds like any turtle-on-turtle action would be a blur of action for someone like you.
Coles has posted a $1.1 billion full-year, after-tax profit, citing stronger supermarket sales and acting to limit losses from theft. It’s so good that the cost of living crisis hasn’t hurt their profits. Fuckers.
Yes, excessive corporate profits have contributed to inflation recently says this Nobel prize winning economist, interesting video here, https://youtu.be/OSsNdVeCSXA?si=fXIMcN1fWb5jFggf
A few reasons, when shipping, energy and other input costs increased, other companies jumped on board and excessively raised their prices because everything else was going up, so they figured they’d just jack their prices up too.
Lack of competition also plays into it.
Can we stop using the word “cooker” as an insult, please. I had never heard of it until someone used it in this blog and I suspect nether had you, Magpie, given you have only used it since.
It really is a sign that the sayer is an arrogant prick. A bit like those who insist on calling anyone who disagrees with him/her a “Tin-foil hat” wearer.
It’s getting tiresome.
The ‘Pie first heard the word in the tv show Breaking Bad, as a passing reference to the character who ‘cooked'(mixed the necessary chemicals) to make methamphetamines – ironically, often ‘cooking’ themselves when carelessly handled volatile chemicals exploded. There have been numerous incidents recorded here in Oz of house fires started in this way. The slang in Australia has morphed into meaning anyone discombobulated (supposedly by drugs) to believe in conspiracy theories and deep state folderol. However, can’t find any references to this etymology on a quick look.
But a good word, works for The ‘Pie, Russ, Best you find a dealer who can give you a little something to alleviate your tiredness of tiresomeness.
What people don’t realise is that there is a truck that drives around town with the sign “Cookers” on the big tank on its back, I believe that it drains all the used fat out of shops with deep fryers, now if we could hook that up to an outlet at Walker St all our problems could be solved.
Too many cookers spoil the brothel!
Russell, I would say that you yourself must be a cooker, considering you have taken the time to ask for the word not to be used.. are you offended? You poor petal, you really have no life. Now go put your tinfoil hat on and pick some marigolds, cooker.
Thank you, Ducky. I rest my case.
Russell – take off your tinfoil hat, Cooker.
I never understood this either. Appreciate the clarification.
60 days out from Qld election and Palaszczuk won’t endorse Miles . CMFEU after Miles + Albo . Miles front bench now attacking Dutton + Crisafulli . On the home front . Harper , expect more angry late night Facebook posts . Walker – Messagebank needs more votes than the Wulguru Labor Branch . Steve Wulguru daily ” text the editor ” claiming Crisafulli hasn’t announced any policies . Is he any relation to Messagebank ? . Townsville is missing out because Miles won’t engage Council .
Embarrassing!
Of all the people who could have backed him it was Rabieh Krayem
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-28/david-crisafulli-southern-edge-training-political-donations/104260454
A long bow there Nibbles.
This seems to say that a person who was a part owner of a company which hired Crisafulli was also previously a director of a completely different company which openly donated $5,000 to him over two years. Hold the front page.
This is scandalous and puts the “MangoCube” issue in the shade along with Smiles strong continuing links to the CMFEU.
Feathered nutsack, interesting comment and link. Although I support Crisafulli and his team as being the best replacement option for Smiley and his Labor cronies, the Kid is going to have to stop providing a ‘no comment’ approach to the questions raised about insolvent trading. The more time that slips by, the more damage that is incurred.
Rollmop no comment is no longer going over well with the media. He was harassed by a bystander while being interviewed and looked a bit silly the other day while and the news channel posted it on tiktok. Now while most readers here may not watch tiktok and poopoo the whole concept, it’s got a pretty large audience.
Why would Nest readers not be familiar and watch tiktok .. or use it? Cut the ageist shot, you whippersnapper. And if you are aiming it at a certain age group, they have enough preoccupation with their own poo poo to direct it elsewhere.
Well then, since you’re a regular user of tiktok I’m sure you are familiar with what I’m referring to
Nutsack, where do I even start? Crisafulli looking silly on TikTok? Let’s be real, trying to drag Crisafulli through the mud when Smiley has turned political blundering into an art form is like showing up to a knife fight with a rubber chicken.
Good on him! TikTok is a great way to connect with a broad range of age groups. People don’t watch TV like they use to, so a fantastic way to engage.
Old Tradie, the trouble with draining the swamp is that the oil gets recycled. From the Cookers website we learn:
“Disposing used cooking oil can be challenging, but with Cookers you no longer have to worry. Our Bulk Cooking Oil Management System streamlines the entire process, from supplying fresh cooking oils to collecting your used cooking oil and refining it for recycling purposes.
Once your oil is collected, it’s dewatered & decrumbed at our depot, then sent for recycling where it can be repurposed in other industries such as Biodiesel.”
Decrumbed. Now there’s a concept!
Decrumbed sounds like a process that would benefit the Townsville City Council.
Magpie, I’m curious about general reception of the TTC meeting live streaming. I reckon I missed at least half of the meeting while my screen was seized up. Can anyone explain if this is some sort of overload of the Council’s live streaming facility or must it be my internet connection?
Well, don’t know about your set-up but The ‘Pie watched the whole with thing without a hitch. And with a good deal of glee. TwoNames was comprehensively slam-dunked.
I missed a good portion of the meeting due to shitty internet connection. Magpie, are you going to post a brief summary containing the highlights? Thanks cuz
Certainly will be, but a bit later, have other afternoon matters to attend to.
One hopes the Emergency Department at the TUH isn’t too busy to take an urgent case … Mayor TwoNames might be admitted for treatment after getting a right old going over by the bovver=booted councillors this morning. Long story short, advisors nil (lots of interesting stuff on that later) and a naked grab to retain a power that has bedevilled Townsville the last decade — the appointment of a CEO being the sole prerogative of the mayor … has also been overturned, and now the whole council will be involved. So at least we’ve got rid of one vestige hanging over the past ethical corrupt administrations. TwoNames was no doubt inwardly seething at the barrage he copped, but his demeanour spoke of someone wise enough to dope himself up before the meeting. bunny in the headlights just about describes it.
All in all, a most enjoyable morning.
I’m sure TwoNames will be sending another complaint to HRC that all the councillors were picking on him. Diddums.
Hmmm I am suspicious about this one. Like I said before the meeting, the Mayor would have known that the Councillors were not going to vote in support of an advisor. My perspective is it was a planned so it was noted for the record for future use.
Could be wrong. But I think he would be looking long term, while the Councillors are playing for short term wins.
You’ve been reading The Magpie, who has recently said exactly that, he’s playing the long game. During last week, The ‘Pie aired exactly that opinion.
And just for the record, Thompson jumped on the anti-Strand meters bandwagon just after The Magpie highlighted the issue, which had been ignored by the Bulletin. It was a matter that he didn’t raise any objection to in what budget talks he attended. I should charge this galoot policy advisor fees, but his cheque would probably bounce. (An out-of-date joke, virtually no one writes cheques anymore.
Who’d have thought that watching an Ordinary Council Meeting would be more entertaining than the olympics.
Now if they had ad revenue to go along with entertaining shows like todays, there would be no need for parking fees at all.
Sorry for my ignorance but what happened about the appointment of a mayoral advisor and did I notice that the Strand parking thing was kicked down the road for further consideration?
The request for an advisor – which in itself was a very ill-advised request – was not only unanimously rejected by the councillors, but opened the door for a few separate character readings.
And the power grab became clear when, waving a bit of paper that didn’t even have a letterhead (you’d think Stephen Lane would’ve atleast got around to that)Thompson tried the bully boy tactic of claiming legal advice telling him councillors had not right to make the selection of a CEO a collaborative thing, and was the mayor’s prerogative alone. We know all about that power, don’t we, cf Adele The Impaler Young, a Labour pay-back favour appointment that was a train wreck and later followed by the out-and-out rort of Prins Ralston’s gold plated tenure. One after the other, incredulous councillors poured scorn on TwoNames wish that they trust him on this, and soundly and unanimously not only expressed doubts about the validity of his legal advice and put the CEO appointment decision back where it should have always been, with the full council or a committee thereof. TwoNames haughtily told the council they had no right to know who the lawyer was and he even refused to confirm that the lawyer was registered and practicing in Queensland.
Strand parking was another well reasoned petition by Townsville health professionals, arguing making people pay for recreational time at The Strand was going to cause emotional harm when people couldn’t afford it. The interesting thing about this avaricious idea is that there can be no meter feeding, you actually have to move your vehicle to another spot a regulated distance away … equal to a city block or somesuch, if there is one available. So led by Ma Greaney, our healthy mental city has now added time clock anxiety even we are trying to relax.
But it is worth noting the other petition from Mooney Jnr was from Pimlico rersidents around the Mater who have long been unfairly impacted by hospital users parking all over the place.
So there are two different arguments to be had here, but the Strand parking must not be allowed to go ahead, it is a retrograde step affecting all sect ors of our society.
Mayor Multiple names copped it hard at the hands of the Council this morning. The lines have been drawn up and it’s clear that the Councillors are going to cook this cooker slowly. Bravo! Make the grubs life miserable and teach him what happens when you are a lying and deceptive control freak. Hey Troy, I’m happy to be your advisor, so here is some free advice – just fuck off!
I also watched the council meeting today and 2-names still has no idea of correct meeting procedure. Surely he has had enough time by now to brush up on how to run a meeting. Somebody in the council should be helping him .He is hopeless when it comes to motions and amendments and when to call for a vote etc. I had over 20 years in Apex at district governor and state board level and we were sticklers for correct meeting procedure and if a chairman ran a meeting like him they would have been laughed out of the room. The best part of the meeting was watching him squirm in his chair when ” legal advice ” from his “legal team ” which was on a piece of paper with no letterhead was not accepted and when asked who was his lawyer and was he a fully qualified practitioner he would not answer. Pie I wonder who that might be ?? Any suggestions ??
You speak of he who wets his rompers when mentioned here in the Nest, so steady on.
But while We’ve got you, young Master Lane, The ‘Pie is very disappointed in you …. on the 29th day after your missive promising promising to pour hot coal on the feathered head after 28 days, the old bird had his monthly shower a week early, California Poppy-ed his plumage< Mr Sheen-ed his beak, and eagerly sat by the door waiting for the bailiff with your filing advice detailing The ‘Pie datrdarly naughtiness
But nothing!! Not a peep, not even from The ‘Pie’s cousin, dicky bird. Can’t have been the bailiff’s fault, they all know their way to the Nest, a well trodden route for them, where they know a friendly beer and an amusing chat about the merits of the latest claim awaits them.
Or is it The ‘Pie’s fault, and is it you who are sitting bereft expecting, in lieu of the $150k you demand for a bruised fragile ego, to get those Coles kitchenware rewards points as promised? Sorry, offer had ended. But they have tissues on special.
Perhaps Mr Lane will seek to garnish the Pie’s pension at the rate of $1.60 per fortnight? Let’s say the Pie has another 20 years of life left in him and we work out $1.60 per fortnight over 20 years, that works out to a grand total of $832.00. Fuck, us Nesters would be happy to pay for that! I for one suggest that the Pie continue with his weekly routine of penning truthful facts about messr Thompson as the entertainment value is cheerfully great!
It was clear the mayor knows little about meeting practice, which is different to most boards. I would suggest he hasn’t had training, and no one wants to train him, perhaps they feel it’s a wasted effort. Either way, he needs training, might be a good time to do some reflection and learn some rules.
Is Twonames DAD – dumb as dogshit??? OR, are he and his cooker cronies a pack of shit stirrers, who are deliberately acting like a bunch of thick arsewipes with all of these antics?
A word of advice Twonames, either fuck off and resign, or STFU and ride out your term. You are an embarrassment!
From what I’ve seen his father was a well decorated soldier, we should leave his family out of it. What if he stays put, we get nowhere, I think each and every councillor should look at what they are achieving, or not. I don’t see a lot of talk about their divisions, just bureaucrats talking, let’s hope the councillors learn to work for the community, not their cushy jobs. So far we’ve had ongoing reputational damage of the council, the city and they all contribute to this, it’s a sad state of affairs. The social events are all well and good to be seen at, but is that all they do, seems like it.
Marcus, you have misunderstood the well named Turdy’s schoolyard joke, D A D being his razor sharp witty acronym for Dead As Dogshit. The ‘Pie agrees with your sentiment about families, and comments ahave always been closely watched for unnecessary involvement.
Unfortunately, your incorrect about the councillors doing nothing, they doing plenty, but the question is about what they do and whether they have read the community correctly. Opposing this con man mayor is one thingm, but he now seems to hold inadverted sway over them simply by supporting something.
For instance, the Strand parking meter imbroglio they have collectively blundered into, which leaves them floundering, no indication the energy to explore other alternatives, no guts to listen to clear public opposition to the idea and too much personal hubris to reverse a deeply hated idea. Not even a humble vote-winning tactic (‘sorry folks, we got that wrong, we are listening to you’). And one of the problems with this issue for the councillors is that our windvane Mayor TwoNames was quick to pickup on the opposition as a populist cause, and opposes the meters installation … creating another stumbling block for the councillors who do not want to be seen to be in concert with anything the mayor thinks. Which means they are thinking of themselves and their image rather than the community good.
If only . . . .
“This has been the meanest council ever. I am off. You are so mean, you are so mean, you are so mean.”
Jilly Gibson
The former North Sydney mayor’s final council meeting ended in rather spectacular fashion on Monday night, The Sydney Morning Herald reported, with Gibson unhappy at councillors’ decision to vote against naming a plaza after her.
So, Rabieh Krayem and David Crisafulli eh! Who would’ve thunk it? Trading while insolvent David? Quite the mentor you have.
Believe the Magpie referred to Krayem as a “moral shapeshifter”
and he’s pretty familiar with trading insolvent.. refer Cowboy’s late 90s early 2000s.
He certainly proved to be such.
It was so sweet watching the deceptive Mayor get shut down once again by his fellow councillors. The councillors used their democratic rights to veto the appointment of an advisor and the fast tracking of a permanent CEO. Did you like those moves Thompson? You love to bang on about being ‘democratically elected’ so surely you admire your fellow councillors acting democratically as well. Or is it that only allowable in your shallow little world where only you are entitled to benefit from democracy? You’re a fucking idiot mate. Piss off.
Have you all noted that TwoNames is trying to make mileage that all the problems are Hill’s fault (he’s probably right, but he sure as hell hasn’t got any answers), and then, when he wants an advisor, he points out that she had three. Troy, matey, you shouldn’t go there and should only look ahead, what Jenny hill did was then, it’s in the past, it’s over and done with – and as we all know you do not believe the past should be examined. Especially for wrong doing. Like belkting the missus or serial lying or stealing valour, or two cases of fraud found against you.
Have to laugh though, self proclaimed Robinson takes 2 salaries, and holds a commercial fishing licence for his brother, nothing to see here. While the mayor was in the chamber he still showed little emotion. It looked like he knew the advisor motion would be defeated, and went to move on, but it was Robinson that bought it back, and as mentioned above, this bloke has plenty to worry about himself. My dad was at the seniors expo, he thought Robinson had the personality of a wall. I’d prefer we talk about anything but Thompson, so over the same conversations, he’ll be gone in 4 years, unless he pulls a rabbit out of the hat.
Serious request, Kevin. Could you expand on what your last sentence means, especially the phrase ‘so over the same conversations’. The ‘Pie doesn’t understand what your saying.
Kevin – so what – Robinson declared right at the start that he was going to run down his entitlements from his previous employer. Hundreds of public services do exactly the same. Potty Mouth Ryder held two other jobs while at council and there was nary a peep about that.
Re Ryder, there suire was from The Magpie. Seems he was the only one who thoughtit worth a polite question. Not that he counts.
And Robinson, a councillor who behaved calmly and maturely on Wednesday, has every rigfht to act as he did with his entitlements from his previous job … he is still employed only as an allowable technicality. Those wishing to make a mountain outof this molehill need to put a sock in it.
It is normal for Councillors to be gainfully employed in other organisations or own/manage personal businesses, all while collecting a salary as a councillor. It’s not illegal and it occurs in every single council. What’s sometimes questionable is exactly how much time do they spend on elected representative matters. It’s a grey area. And then you have people like Prince Ralston who was employed as a full-time CEO, yet spent vast amounts of his time engaged in personal business activities while being paid by the ratepayer to do TCC work. Due diligence should be undertaken to examine whether a councillor or an executive can adequately perform the duties they are paid to do.
Interesting that David Crisafulli was buddies with Krayem.
There’s a rumour going around that Krayem’s mate Bazza Taylor is also in the LNP camp.
Perhaps David can confirm or deny.
Bazza is an unwaveringly loyal member of the Barry Taylor Quickquid Party. He’ll brown-nose any bums that smell of dollars.
I’m hearing plenty are jumping off the Labor band wagon and are suddenly friends with the LNP.
People are talking about Dolan switching sides and offering his services to DC too.
So much for loyalty.
It was ever thus in our political scheme of things. And Dolan is no turncoat, but does and has done work for ‘the other side’ on occasions when it hasn’t involved dissing Labor (such a media strategy for launching a policy, that sort of thing). He has a friendly (read mature) relationship with The Kid – has had for years, from when The Kid was on the council and Dolan was media manager for His Radiance.
M Hayes is not one of the Labor rump of haters for who hate for hate’s sake.
Personally I don’t think it comes down to loyalty, it comes down to personal morals.
There are many people in the ALP who have crossed lines (this is not by any means everyone) however I have no doubt many are reconsidering their membership as they don’t like where the party is heading.
You, a rabid Thompson supporter, have the bloody cheek to give us a small lecture on personal morals?
Charity starts at home, sport.
That’ll be No Comment.
The council meeting summaries that the Bulletin have been running are laudable but they really need to run them by an editor before printing because Chris Burns’ effort today makes me wonder if he’s functionally illiterate.
“a duo of councillors seeing greater involvement” (seeking)
“I like to explain to members of the public” (I’d)
“It is speculative as to the influencer in the shadows who Mr Robinson was alluding to” (it is uncertain as to the identity of the influencer in the shadows to whom Mr Robinson was alluding).
“councillors formerly reinstated” (formally)
“committee who would” (that would)
“Five e-petitions were tabled in the parliament, but two of them protested the parking meter rollout with an emphasis of health” (it’s not a “parliament”, Chris, you can’t just look up synonyms for “council” and plug them in willy-nilly! This is what you did with “speculative above, isn’t it? Also “and two of them” “emphasis on health”)
“there were numerous parks … where residents could visit for free” (that residents)
“the council’s infrastructure and operations department seeks to” (sought)
That’s what happens when sub-editors are made surplus to requirements. But in a mild defence of Burns – whom The ‘Pie regards a pretty good reporter – the amount of material he had to get through to meet his deadline would be daunting to anyone. Not everybody can sit down and rattle of a such a comprehensive page lickety split, word and punctuation-perfect structure, and which content to emphasise needs thought and judgement.
Bulletin sub-editors, a heavily sighing but patient bunch, saved The Magpie’s cloaca on a daily basis.
The ‘parliament’ gaffe is a strange one, but the rather silly rule of never ending of a sentence with a preposition reminds The ‘Pie of Winston Churchill’s judgement that it was a rule ‘with which I shall not up with put’.
So yep, all correct there OED, Mr Burns appears to be a child of his grammatical laissez-faire generation (although your objection to ‘that’ more likely could have been ‘which’, depending if the clause was essential. Without checking the story, it seems in this case it was not and therefore the correct form would have been ‘,which‘ … always with a comma, we are told.
And don’t bother with coming back with all The Magpie’s mistakes (he has neither a sub editor or an editor), he’s too busy with outlandish conspiracy theories, so dilligaf.
Mr Pie, quick question if I may, please enlighten me if you know the answer.
What are the rules about The Bulletin posting stories on their website but then changing them multiple times?
Often I will read something and they will say it has been “updated”.
I would have thought this would have to go through a “fact checker” process to ensure the content is correct for print.
People take copies of everything these days, if information was printed and then removed, surly they would still be liable?
Regarding your last line, run that by your bum buddy, the mayor, he’s a past master at that lurk.
But ‘updating’ is now a legitimate practice (meaning new developments have come to light – if they contradict earlier infornmation, then so be it,that’s the modern reality. The Magpie woukld be highly critical if they did not update when possible. Not thgat they, or anyone else, would give a rat’s arse about the old bird’s opinion.
Thanks, appreciate your insight.
Earlier comment in this blog about the CCC’s investigation into Twonames said that inquiries into councils usually take about 12 months.
This is true, however, it must be taken into account these investigations usually involve the whole of council, plus the bureaucracy, involving multiple events over several years. Yes, a CCC team would need a year to complete such a complex task and it should be borne in mind that attempts at coverups may have occurred.
With the Twonames inquiry, there is one person involved with events only covering a few months before his election. The documentary evidence is easily obtainable and they even have a video of his confession. The only complicating matters are medical/psychological evidence and interviewing the suspect.
It just may be that when the Minister referred the inquiry to the CCC, a handwritten post-it was stuck to the covering letter to the effect, “No hurry about this.” After all, the Brisbane rabble have more important things to deal with, such as getting re-elected.
On point, Jeff,nreasonable analyse. And the galling thing is that while reasonable suspicious now abound about the reasons for an inexcusable delay, the CCC can’t be questioned, it acts like a Star Chamber, which is an indictment of the Queensland view of democracy. The fact that it puts the CCC on the nose with the public, they couldn’t care less … the current set-up is an invitation to perception of coercion and corruption.
Two names must be hoping that the CCC doesn’t hand down its report on him before the current government goes into Caretaker mode on 1 October. I doubt that the government can sack him or Council while in Caretaker mode so Twonames is probably safe until at least November.
The CCC investigation will take between 6 and 12 months. They won’t find him corrupt as he hasn’t committed any corrupt act. Has he lied, obfuscated and spun a load of bullshit? Absolutely. Has he lost the trust of the constituents? Absolutely. But in the legal world he hasn’t committed a crime. The only way he disappears from public office is if he gets voted out in a few more years, gets caught out actually doing something illegal, or he bows to public and/or councillor pressure and resigns of his own accord. Sadly, being a liar and an embellisher isn’t a criminal act in most walks of life.
And you all this how, Mopsy? Pretending to have some inside running … something NOBODY has when it comes to the CCC?
And you a demonstrably dead wrong about one thing, please allow The ‘Pie to sub your last line, which should read, “Sadly, being a liar IS a criminal act in most walks of life.’ Professionally, amway.
I think you will find it is unlawful to claim qualifications that you don’t have in order to receive a benefit, i.e, election to high office. It didn’t occur while he was in office and that’s why it was referred to the CCC.
Twonames is aware of this and demonstrated his guilty mind when he deleted his tertiary qualifications on LinkedIn as soon as he was elected. I hope ECQ goes after him when they receive the report.
And we would like to know why, if they don’t. The reasoning will surely be tortured.
If the current government doesn’t hand down findings before then, he’s unlikely to get booted. I haven’t seen many of the LNP members suggesting he should step down.
Did it occur tonyou that the LNP has decided the smart thing to do is stay out of this one until a decision has been published. What’s in it for them toi bloviate all over the place, they leave that to folks like you Ducky.
Actually, it occurred to me that they would rather not upset their far right mates in case they could score a vote.
Nice to see Chris Condon refereeing the Nikita Tszyu – Koen Mazoudier fight last night. His skills would be welcomed at Walker St.
Our deceptive Mayor has been busy over the past week posting on Facebook lame photos of food consumed at various locations. He really doesn’t have a life does he? Posts food photos on Facebook, lives with mummy, apparently has no assets. What a cockhead.
Ahem … having no assets does not make one a cockhead. Or at least The Magpie hopes not.
So supporting local businesses and helping his ill elderly mum makes him a cockhead?? His posts show he has a very active life. Jealousy is a curse my friend.
So is blind loyalty to a scumbag.
@Toady, David Crisafulli, Mayor Jon Raven, Mayor Tom Tate whose profile photo is him eating sushi, and even some of the local Councillors. just to name a few, take photos of themselves posting food from various locations. My question to you; Do you have a problem when they do it, or just Mayor Troy Thompson?
Unfortunate punctuation here Smithy.
“Mayor Tom Tate whose profile photo is him eating sushi, and even some of the local Councillors.”.
Happy for you to attack my punctuation as you can’t argue with facts
It was an argument cloth-head, it was a witty remark about punctuation. You had a humour by-pass or sumfin?
Christ, you’re a sensitive little petal, ain’t you?
Let me just turn the cooker off….
Unpopular opinion obviously
Oh, Smithy. They don’t do it every bloody day.
Neither does Thompson
No, because he ran away and hid when he was outed as a lying scumbag. That and the fact he was widely ridiculed for it.
Townsville’s own Chris Farley lookalike (Clynton Hawks) just put a post on Facebook accusing Joe McCabe of lying to the bulletin about whether he had applied for the permanent CEO position. Tubs alleges that McCabe applied for the role in mid July. How would he know this? Could it be that his mentor Thompson has leaked confidential information from yesterdays closed section of the meeting.
HARDLY…that is a huge stretch. Clynton has bagged the Mayor publicly multiple times on social media.
On what basis? Populist rage farming?
Why would they be mates if he is bagging him?
I think you need to take a look at Tubby’s fawning comments on TT’s video releasing his service number. I think the quote was “ I never doubted you for a second.”
It is well established that Tubs has next to no principles and will hitch his wagon to anyone that will show him the time of day. TT is great at sniffing out people dumber than himself as conscripts and Tubs falls squarely in that category.
I just finished watching yesterday’s meeting but I did have to skip some due to the duration, interested in two aspects that didn’t really get much limelight.
1) The Chamber of Commerce / Smart Precinct enquiry made by the mayor was a great point. Why does 1 get the lease for $1, while the other one has to pay more?
From my understanding Matt (TCC Executive) said this was a past agreement. Did the past government favour Smart Precinct and not like Chamber?
I am genuinely asking opinions as this was quite shocking to hear.
2) The Strand Parking?
If anyone has further information on the outcome of the vote. Does this mean there is a hold on the parking meters?
The Magpie has been wedged here,forced to agree that the mayor’s point was a great one. bit hard for The ‘Pie to argue with since the matter was ignored until it was aired here a couple times in blog comment. At least we know who one reader is.
Actually don’t understand your response. Was a genuine question.
Ro, on their website the SP say: “ Established in 2019, Smart Precinct NQ is a not-for-profit organisation that provides a springboard for collaboration, learning and growth through a range of start-up accelerators and incubator programs, business growth advisory services, investment support and events.
We bring together a range of stakeholders to provide a positive impact to North Queensland Founders, Entrepreneurs, Investors, Industry and the wider Business Community”.
Which probably means they can’t afford more than a dollar a year and the TCC has decided to support them anyway.
Whereas the CofC, supported by dozens (or hundreds) of big-end-of-town and small businesses, claims it is “independent of government”. Probably a bit sheepish about admitting (or at least revealing) they get a ‘government’ subsidy.
With Smart Precinct occupying prime council property space worth an estimated $300k a year to one local property expert, the very minimum councillors should publicly provide would be not just KPIs but some tangible success stories.
Otherwise it will sound like, as it does now in the absence of anything to the contrary, another touchy-feely bullshit rort.
I believe Cazzaluno has had lots of success
Smart Precinct has been a TCC front for soaking up grant funds from other levels of government as well as for handing out money to those who enjoy the favour of Council. Who could forget the millions of dollars they picked up in the wake of the floods to provide support small business which progressively got fritted away for no benefit.
NsfM, isn’t it the general idea that organisations that bid for and ‘soak up’ grant funds from other levels of government will then ‘frit away’ that money – for the purpose proposed. For example, the Turnbull government gave $400+million to the virtually unheard-of GBR Foundation to do stuff around conservation and management of the Reef – stuff that GBRMPA cannot or will not do. The Foundation does not sit on the money like Scrooge McDuck, it frits it away on numerous projects in its charter. Presumably that is what SP does although maybe you know something else?
Boy oh boy, Jenny, you sure know how to cherry pick one-off, controversial examples to bolster your totally obscure argument here.
Magpie, at least I gave an example. NsfM said something about ” . . . the millions of dollars they [SP] picked up in the wake of the floods to provide support small business which progressively got fritted away for no benefit . . .” Any evidence? Any example? “Fritted away” on what – free business class flights, beer and BBQs? Not likely. Just baseless waffle.
Here’s another example. When Phillip Thompson was first elected he invited applications from local environmental groups to share $150K in grants (up to about $20K each I think) to carry out projects in the electorate. Accountable to his office. Money that was quickly (within a year) ‘fritted away.’ Because that’s what grants are for. To spend. No controversy.
We are at an impasse here over language. ‘Frittered away’ means wasted. Money is not ‘frittered away’ if it is actually for the purpose it was granted … whether we agree with the project or not. Now let’s do TEL … could thery be accused of frittering away if they use some of their grant money to support staff,like a tea lady, or Lisa Wolffe.
I have had interactions and attended meetings with all 4 companies. Smart pricinct, TCC (various depts) TEL and the chamber. IMHO Smart Precinct have been extremely helpful, friendly and informative. 3 out of 4 of the TCC departments I have dealt with are extremely good. TEL is always professionally cordial. That’s the experience I have had.
‘Helpful, friendly and informative’, and ‘professionally cordial‘ would meet the minimum standards required before actually achieving something. Doesn’t tell us very much about any of the organisations’ overall performance or effectiveness, but you seem to happy with the outcomes, so there’s that.
I would not say I received a positive result but a fair bit of information. I had some good starting points from Smart Precinct. If I had to pick 1 that helps you when you’re starting something new, it would be Smart Precinct.
Enough to justify occuppying space that otherwise the council could be netting circa $300k a year?
Hot Wind. How is the view from the TCC Communications department?
KA
????
ka
/kɑː/
noun
(in ancient Egypt) the supposed spiritual part of an individual human being or god, which survived (with the soul) after death and could reside in a statue of the person.
“it was made to provide a dwelling place for the ka of the king after his death”
Are you suggesting Jenny Hill is planning a statue of herself. Good idea. At Lansdown. Or an airfield far far away.
Nobody from TCC staff would support the funding of Smart Precinct. TCC staff are busting ass in offices that resemble the Gulag while the couple of staff at Smart Precinct are swanning around doing god knows what. Prime real estate wasted. They are not a part of TCC but the location of their office definitely makes it look that way.
Ka in Lithuanian = what
Ačiū! Dėkoju!
Smithy is obviously one of Twonames cooker mates. Or is Smithy actually Twonames? The both post similar drivel and they are both emotionally challenged.
It was just a simple question. You still haven’t answered. No emotion here.
I started watching the streaming of council meetings when Fran was elected and my o my, the meetings are a very different beast now. For all the dysfunction, there is actual discussion and whether you agree or not with any particular Councillor, most are contributing. Those who were on the last council seem more involved and there are not the disgraceful slap downs that Fran faced whenever she asked for clarification on agenda items. I like that those delivering reports are now being put on the spot to explain as they got away with very little scrutiny with the last council. That has to have contributed to the financial shit heap we are in. I think the layers of secrecy will slowly peal away as Councillors become more confident and less schmoozy
A good and accurate overview.But as to that last bit, you can bet several councillors have sought legal advice as to possible culpability should any ‘creative accounting’ be uncovered. Trouble is, perhaps not even the returned councillors were let in any little schemes, since they all semeed content to be in the Jenny Hill Aerobics class.
I’ve worked for several Councils. Occasionally you get what I refer to as ‘unhealthy relationships’. As an example I worked at one council where the CEO and Mayor stuck together like a turd sticks to a Maltese dogs ass. Always plotting, planning, and hiding stuff from the rest of the council. The CFO was also part of the process and would massage numbers and withhold information from council reports. Seperately, and of note, was that Townsville had Hill and Adele the Impaler. Two strong alpha female personalities who bullied everybody else. But by doing so, they called the shots and nobody else had any input. An unhealthy working environment in a so-called democratic council.
I’ve always viewed the management of council as being like an orchestra. The Mayor is the conductor and the councillors are the musicians. Each has an organised and arranged function that works in with each other. Each member is as important as the other. Going by previous Townsville councils it is quite clear why there was no harmony. I reckon that the current mob wouldn’t do too bad a job if they had a decent conductor. Twonames is creating a parlous and dysfunctional council.
The ‘Pie was going to put an interjection into your comment after your third sentence i.e. Oh so you worked for the TCC then? but then you got around to the point The ‘Pie was making anyway.
And orchestral conductors interpret traditional pieces of music, putting their unique stamp on them. They don’t ask the brass section if they like it, or the violins if hey have any comment. Troy Thompson as an interpreter for the good of Townsville would be like listening to the last 30 seconds of Ravel’s Bolero on loop for a couple of hours. Talk about crash boom opera.
I agree, it’s funny how people complain the council are locking heads, but in actual fact it is great to see Councillors engage with questions. I have no doubt they knew what schemes they were involved in however. Just evident they were happy to follow along. Money has been poorly spent by the previous government but they definitely don’t want that referenced as things will be uncovered. Just have to look at all the staff that left with the new council…they didn’t want questions coming their way.
The ‘Pie is a bit mystified why the council is called dysfunctional. The ‘Pie has said many times that there is the risk of dysfunction, but he doesn’t see it yet. Just because the councillors generally recognise they have a crook for a mayor and someone with limited powers to ride roughshod over them (this egomaniac certainly would if he could, he’s tried but can’t), and ergo basically get on with business amongst themselves, that is not dysfunction at all. Thompson is just obe vote and the councillors aim to keep his power to that. And even clearly wrong decisions are discussed and open to re-examination (cf Strand parking … which is not just unpopular, it’s just plain fucking wrong).
“Enough to justify occupying space that otherwise the council could be netting circa $300k a year?” no probably not. But still, the others take up money as well, don’t they?
Tropical Cyclone . Add another $600,000 ratepayers $ for wages = $900,000 from a broke Council . Other North Qld Councils don’t provide ratepayers $ for this activity State / Federal Government do . Add that to the Labyrinth of entities set up by Team Hill and it explains why Townsville rates + 9-10 % + new charges parking meters / infrastructure fees vs other NQ Councils + 3-5 % .
I was replying to magpies comment. I hear you I’m just asking if they are the worst of a bad bunch. It seems some of the jobs have 2 or 3 representatives ie events and TEL.
On the separate state issue, I’m in favour of it for NQ but recognise the constitutional and political difficulties raised by Twomey in her video linked in the blog. Therefore I encourage more regionalism to promote more regional decision making. Who can deny we are being dudded by SEQ decision making? Do you Magpie?
The ‘Pie does indeed, and has over the years, suggested the perhaps less palatable word of ‘zones’ … areas where because of remoteness from major infrastructure where various ‘breaks’ – i.e. government funded support – apply for residents and businesses, designed to attract both decentralised industry and the attendant population growth … breaks that apply ONLY to permanent residents, like insurance, land tax and valuations, educational costs and so on. There is already one type of zoning in place with SDAs. Not for a minute does The ‘Pie suggest this would not come with certain complexities and be open to sharp corporate and personal practice, but so would a new state. Which BTW is NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN WITHIN THE LIFESPAN OF ANY AROUND TODAY.
The Bulletin, other northern news platforms and certain attention-seeking ‘academics’ would be better employed looking at alternatives than this time wasting barking at the moon.
I’m not sure what’s happened to the conference of nq council’s (Sarina north?) but I believe this is a critical forum for promoting self-determination. That the State has not adequately responded to the NQ property insurance rip-off speaks volumes for governance failure for which people like Twomey have little idea. Water, crime and energy are other fails. Things like the NQ Games need to be supported, while organisations need to be encouraged to have NQ affiliiations. JCU needs to put NQ back in its name. There are many things, some which seem minor, that can be done which cost nothing but which will create momentum for change.
Local government minister Meaghan Scanlon to appoint special adviser amid Troy Thompson, CEO conflict. TSV bulletin