This week showed why Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) should be immediately mandated for this ratepayer-funded money sinkhole.
Oh, no, are we about to suffer a bout of deja-moo – that’s when we feel we’ve heard this bullshit before. Anna for Canberra? She seems to think so, given her. performance during the week.
The Magpie has a no-cost solution to getting that old Post Office clock tower in the CBD telling the time again … but The ‘Pie isn’t sure his idea will put a smile on everyone’s dial.
And our regular pictorial gallery from the USA shows that the vitriol and black humour notched up during the week … but we also include the funniest satirical takes by one of the funniest men on the planet.
The Magpie’s Nest will be forever free, unlike, alas, running a blog, which throws up constant costs. If you think this weekly effort (11 years next month) is worthy of your support, the green button at the end of the blog will show how easy it is to show your encouragement.
Now onward.
Uneasy Riders?
It seems that The Dudley Do Nothings now have something to do at least once a year, but not around Townsville – a knees-up jolly road trip out to Mt Isa and – dammit – return.
Instituted by former CEO Lil Patty ‘Hot Lips’ O’Callaghan last year, this monumentally pointless road trip now seems to have been carved into the TEL calendar as an annual event. So some unnamed executives grabbed a packed lunch and hit the road out to infest unsuspecting businesses bosses at various way stops out to the Isa. The purpose of TEL’s involvement was vague to say the least, and as usual, there no suggestion of what TEL actually hoped to achieve on this pilgrimage.
The Weekend Bulletin yesterday did a report on the road trip … well, the paper actually did a little stenography.
… which was a mind-numbingly uncurious re-write of a TEL/David Littleproud media release. It was an insulting word salad of absolutely no substance whatsoever, and not a single question in sight. It must be increasingly galling to ratepayers as well as TEL paying members that there have never been -for this or any other TEL endeavours- any KPIs, to gauge what Townsville ratepayers get for their involuntary $750,000 annual stipend to this mob.
Why we should foot the bill for empty little TEL entertainments like this is an increasingly vexed question.
But wait … here’s a question for Ms Brumme-Smith: did you time this trip to ensure you and your chums were out of town when some bad news dropped on us?
Memo Ms Brumme-Smith, CEO TEL: While You Were Out …
The Magpie
September 7, 2021 at 9:38 am (Edit)
Seriously, ‘road trip’ is the most blatant bullshit imaginable, a genuine slap in the face to TEL’s membership and of course the Townsville ratepayers.
But it gets worse. While Mrs B-S (how appropriate!) and her crew were farting around out west, disrupting actual productive business people’s busy day, something was announced down south that makes one think the TEL boss wanted to be out of town at this time. But hang on, maybe that was the plan.
This from the always informative IQ Queensland site:
“Bowen will become headquarters for an authority overseeing key northern water projects, creating new local jobs.
The Federal Government plans to relocate the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority (NQWIA) from Canberra to Bowen and expand the organisation.
The NQWIA was established in 2019 to provide strategic planning and coordination of Commonwealth resources to implement the Hughenden Irrigation Scheme and the Hells Gates Dam project, including Big Rocks Weir.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce said moving the NQWIA north would put it at the heart of the region it supports.
“This shift will see the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority strategically located adjacent to the proposed Urannah Dam, and the same region where we are building the Big Rocks Weir project and investigating a future Hells Gates Dam,” Mr Joyce said. “North Queensland is also where we will start on the long-term nation-building task of expanding irrigated agriculture by moving a portion of the abundant resource of water west.
“The authority will become a bigger organisation, with the people and skills to realise the economic transformation of North Queensland.
“This expanded organisation will have the task of delivering my strategy of moving water from where it is plentiful, to open up new opportunities for agriculture in the west.
“This will of course require new dams and pipelines. It will be a major undertaking and will change our vision for the future of that region for decades to come.”
Now it is not unfair to ask Ms B-S, did TEL lobby for the NQWIA to be based in Townsville, which geographically is far better located for its HQ than Bowen? TEL has continually honked on about – being involved in scoping/feasibility studies on both the Hell’s Gate project and the Big Rocks weir at the Towers. And any works in Barnaby’s optimistic ‘turning water west’ ideas (good luck getting that approved) will even be further north from Bowen and Townsville.
Look, good luck to Bowen and it’s good fortune, personally no probs with them getting it, but, for the above reasons, we need answers on this issue here in Townsville from our ‘peak tourism and marketing body’ whose job it is, they say, to keep a finger in the Canberra pulse. That is the job we actually pay them for.
Irony Corner
While our mayor and TEL stay transparently silent on progress with the battery mega factory at Lansdown (basically, it’s fuct) and we don’t look like getting even the packing shed proposal promised by corporate urgers Magnis, a Sydney mob are doing instead of talking.
The venture is an all Aussie affair, with fabulous potential. And the irony? Lansdown is out in the mulga, where we’re told, someone wants to make batteries for the mainly urban market, while the Fairfield venture in Sydney will soon be using their unique technology to make storage batteries which will find great applications for country folk and businesses. Not to mention a global market.
Time Gentlemen Please
The Magpie has always pondered why Townsville folk generally never see the city and themselves how visitors and potential visitors see them. The attitude seems to be ‘stuff them latte sipping lah-de-dahs, we are rugged Aussie individualists living the dream in Townsville, if they don’t like it, they needed come here.’ A wish tens of thousands over the years have granted the local citizenry … and economy.
The ‘Pie has often had an indignant whinge about the publicly applauded graffiti vandalism of that stick figure Saint on Castle Hill, permanently marring an edifice that puts the city in touch with the ancient history of this country.
But instead of taking custodial pride in the soaring rugged beauty, the majority of locals still applaud a group of developmentally-delayed juvenile ‘intellects’ from university who painted a very British literary symbol on it 58 years ago. Many residents laud it as some sort of rugged Aussie larrikinism, while many a visitor, appalled at the defacing, see it confirming Townsville as Yokel Central. Which is a reasonable view when you read one official description of Castle Hill.
Castle Hill is an isolated pink granite monolith standing in the heart of the north Queensland city of Townsville. It rises to a height of some 286 metres above sea level and dominates the city skyline. It is one of the most distinctive natural features on the Queensland coast.
But worse still, the Townsville City Council compounds the desecration by allowing the graffiti to be restored after it was partly obliterated by a cyclone! But, unlike many visitors, locals believe longevity equals legitimacy. Lunacy would be a better word. And it appears the local indigenous groups have been too busy rorting government health and radio station hand-outs and indulging in internecine brawling and graft to actually stand up for their beliefs and demand that the truly offensive daubing be removed.
That long standing offence to the public is one of several reasons why The Magpie has always thought it symbolic and apt that the most prominent landmark in the CBD, the old Post Office clock tower on The Brewery boozarium, has never worked for most of this century. Pretty apt for a city that still harbours large swathes of 1950s social attitudes.
Now there is a call to get things ticking over again, and that the clock cease being the joke generator that it has been.
The current and previous owners of the building, after it was sold by the Post Office, say they can’t afford the $30,000 for the new mechanism.
But wait … every problem comes with an opportunity, so here, TEL, this is what you can do – when you eventually get back to town.
Approach Harvey Norman to fund a whole new timepiece, with the enticement that all four faces could carry a modest Harvey Norman logo. Surely the best and most viewed advertising space in the CBD would be irresistible to HN. And a modest outlay of around say $200k for a whole new apparatus would also entitle the sponsor to several brass plaques around the ground floor proclaiming their generosity and civic spirit. Even video installations touting the latest in bedding, cookware and other stuff you don’t really need could be dotted around the bar and restaurant to tempt the tipsy.
Given the city’s proprietorial attitude towards the Castle Hill graffiti, surely no one could object.
Of course, failing any HN interest, maybe The Bulletin would be interested, with a logo behind the clock hands declaring ’The Bulletin – we know what time it is’. No complaint there, either, just some more Fake News from the paper. But credit where credit is due, they refrained from yet again incorrectly dubbing the clock tower ‘iconic’, a misnomer they use for everything from their ‘Townsville’s Best Toe Fungus Clinic’ to the Cowboys.
Oh, wait, given that the Cowboys are based in Townsville, perhaps the Astonisher is right, given the teams dismal performance, perhaps they are now iconic – i.e. being symbolic of the city.
At Least Joh Signalled He Was Heading For Canberra: Anna Palaszczuk Thinks She’s Already There
For The ‘Pie, this was the show stopper of the week.
From the Courier story:
Queensland soldiers sent to Afghanistan to rescue refugees are being held up in Dubai, unable to return home because the State Government has not approved a special exemption to quarantine in the hotel system.
This is despite providing a special exemption to Indian cricketers and the wives and girlfriends of NRL players, who were provided with the opportunity to quarantine in Brisbane amid a two-week ban on new arrivals.
Once The ‘Pie had deployed the smelling salts, he posted this comment.
September 7, 2021 at 9:57 pm (Edit)
Here’s a very serious question: since when can a state premier dictate how, where and when ADF personnel, especially those on active service, can return to Australia? Surely the Commonwealth Government is the only entity that can interfere with ADF plans of this nature?
Quarantine for soldiers would not be a problem, but if it were, then its is none of Anna Palaszczuk’s business. She is increasingly out of control, and Smirko appears politically emasculated by not putting an instant stop to this arrant nonsense. Both these bum polishers owe serving diggers greater respect than this.
Poor fella, my country, indeed.
Labor’s Poll Lead Poses Major Problem
Mild panic in Labor ranks when they hot the lead in the federal polls … as that reliable site The Shovel reports.
Yeah, they’re pretty funny blokes.
Now To The USA
But perhaps the funniest satirist on the planet at the moment is Andy Borowitz, of the New Yorker Magazines. Week in and week out, Andy manages to turn the world upside down with his clever skewing on events of the day, all in just a few words. Always worth a chuckle, he went into outright guffaw territory during the week when he gave his unique view on Virginia’s removal of the Robert E Lee statue in the state capital, Richmond. Lee, one of America’s biggest losers in history, attracted the attention (according to Andy) of the man who runs him a close second in the Big Loser stakes.
But the dominating topic is the USA this week … and just about everywhere – is the draconian Texas abortion law. Now, in normal terms, the abortion debate would not be considered the suitable subject for humour, but The ‘Pie disagrees. Satire and scathing humour – which is often just a statement of common sense – is the most effective weapon in any debate, and so it is in this one. And even if we go back to 1996, the truth was out there from the then controversial stand-up rant on the subject by the late George Carlin. And every single thing he said then resonates now. (Don’t be put off by the silly rude joke he opens with.)
And, while COVID-cure fruitloops and Afghanistan recriminations continue to simmer, it is the Texas law was also the main target for the cartoonists of America. (And The Magpie, in gathering together this weekly gallery, has not seen a single one supporting and lauding the extreme measures in the Lone Star State.) Strange, eh?
And the saddest one of all – so true – marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
Last matters
Suitable DIY signage for many Townsville suburbs …
Got your tickets for the KISS concert, postponed until April next year. In our crystal ball …
And finally, look after your mental health.
………..
That’s The ‘Pie’s week, but comments run continually, have your say. And if you fancy offering some support for this weekly missive, the donate button is below.
Pie , when you have Federal Minister for Northern Australia David Littleproud born in Chinchilla and is the Federal Member for Maranoa covering towns like Roma , Charleville , Kingaroy , Winton . Special envoy Northern Australia Senator Susan Mcdonald who spends a lot of time in regional Qld . Barnaby and Phil Thompson expect to see more Canberra based authorities to be located in in regional Australia where there projects are . Littleproud held a Northern Australia Forum at the Mercure Townsville last friday morning and along with Mcdonald , Thompson feedback from an attendee was he took any question from the floor including the Mayors from Townsville , Hinchinbrook, Burdekin . How different to our 3 local MP,s who think posting how Townsville has an nrl double header , Aaron pushing his VAD legislation and Les looking for anything positive would work as a distraction to the local failure on crime and safety . How do we make our local State MP,s stand up for their constituents ? .
Did anyone ask Littleproud why the NQ water infrastructure board is to be headquartered in Bowen instead of the clearly more logical Townsville? Especially since TEL -they tell us anyway – have been doing extensive state and federally funded scoping and feasibility studies on Hells Gate and Big Rocks weir. Not sour grapes about Bowen, glad for their good fortune, but rather a serious inquiry – yet again – into the performance and worth of Townsville Enterprise. The lack of KPIs is astounding.
And take a look at this, a vast cast of spruikers – just about every single one of them on the end of a public money purse – talking a lot but in the end, saying bugger all. Will someone out there tell The ‘Pie one substantive new thing they have learned from the video?
https://fb.watch/7YT8C4WKfC/
That was Day 6 of the daily reports, each of which got about 100 – that is, one hundred, no missing noughts – per day. Have to agree cannot see what this has achieved for anyone.
As the 3 Blind Mice did not feature I have learned that the State of Queensland has no role in the development of Townsville or Nth Queensland.
What I have learned from the video is;
1/ Trespassing on the rail tracks is okay to take a video, but this contradicts the need for the eastern access rail corridor – congestion on the rail line, what congestion?
2/ The Port is still bullshiting about growth, 30 million tonnes of trade that’s just a fantasy. Memory tell us the biggest year for exports was 2015 & that was 5.3 million tonnes, last year was 5.2 and figures like 30 million tonnes only come from coal, is Townsville going to export coal, I don’t think so,
3/ Jenny Hill cannot sell her ideas about Lansdown. I watched what she said a few times and couldn’t understand a word, it only became a little clearer when I played the video backwards – only to find an backmasking message imbedded in the video,
4/ Ms B-S, leaves shyster Craig Gore in her wake as she sell the Townsville State Development area as prime industrial land – well I suppose it was low-tide.
Who in Bowen (local resident) recently announced they would contest next state election for LNP? Appears Bowen makes sense if you’re chasing votes….
Spot on, no argument here, it was always going to be a political, not practical, decision with a federal election looming and Manila George taking his generous pension and quitting – which leaves open the question of whether it will actually happen when all the election hullabaloo is over. But don’t misunderstand The ‘Pie’s chief point … TEL did so much preliminary work, with public money, do they not have any public comment for Townsville about the decision, which shows them to be – yet again – utterly useless as a lobbying body.
The money gifted to TEL by the ratepayers would be far better used for a Brisbane/Canberra-savvy small team of three or so professionals, who transparently (i.e. publicly) explain their progress against agreed KPIs. Having locals travel to Brisbane or Canberra is useless and laughable, we need to be represented by seasoned campaigners in this arena. And Jenny Hill should stay as far away from any meetings down south as possible.
Magpie, the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority seems to have done a stunning fuck-all in its time so perhaps Bowen is a perfect location for it with snoozy siestas on Queens Beach and Friday beers.
Townsville already has an office of the NQWIA buried near the Rugby Union ground in Currajong, not that you would ever know.
I give the Livid Beetroot the “bullshit bingo” award for cynically adding “nation building” to his media release. His media minders will be getting free beers in Carn-burra this weekend.
So are you saying these – both Townsville and Bowen – are more like branch offices and local gofers for Canberra shiny bums?
Dave Sth,
Replying to your comment yesterday about the rates notice, now in last week’s blog.
I too pay in installments in advance. I too had difficulty in finding where, on the rates notice, these not inconsiderable funds were listed.
Nowhere could I find the clear and easy to find entry, “Rates paid in advance so we, the Council, get the interest and you don’t.”
After doing some maths with pencil and paper I found a dollar figure in the rates notice that agreed with mine.
Go to page 4. The one with the pretty and unnecessary photo of Townsville by night at the top and the pretty pastel colours. Above the green, blue, and pink boxes there is a single line, “Balance Brought Forward etc.” The negative balance is the funds you have already payed.
How many of my ratepayer dollars were given to some twerp to design this confusing bullshit layout?
The rates notices in their ridiculous length with their confusing layout and silly pictures are deliberately designed that way to soften the blow to the recipient. Council know that rates bills piss people off,
so governments use marketing and PR companies and even psychologists to design these ‘bad news notices’ in a way that impacts people’s emotions as gently as possible, to soften the blow. It’s like the Councils annual report – 90 pages of shit. Around 8 pages of actual information filled with 80 pages of glossy pictures, motherhood statements and general waffle. It’s all a deflection. Slippery tactics by dishonest bureaucrats and spin doctors.
Yeah its as if they are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. I the pure unadulterated manure about no rate rise, LOL…
One wonders if Barnaby Joyce’s move of moving the NQWIA out of Canberra to ?Bowen, will end up exactly the same as his moving of the National Pesticides Authority from Canberra to Armidale in early 2018. Everyone who knew anything about the business of the Authority departed and did the move ever occur? Also agree with comments of Townsville making more sense than Bowen. Even the logistics of moving around the Region are better from Townsville, plus infrastructure for supporting employees is somewhat better.
Bowen might not be as unattractive as Armidale, which can enjoy sub zero temperatures for 6 months of the year without the mollifying attractions of the fleshpots of Canberra. The Whitsundays are just down the road, sea view property would be within easy reach of cashed up bum polishers, and unlike the timing of Armidale, COVID has accelerated the tree change mood down south.
Fun facts about Armidale: The ‘Pie spent the most miserable year of his life in Armidale at boarding school (ran away in the end) and it is also the town where a pub nightclub boasted the bouncer services of one Barnaby Joyce. And that’s true, not fake news.
The Authority should be moved to Townsville as Townsville is the ‘unofficial’ second capital of Queensland. Bowen, although a nice place to live with some awesome people in the region, is also the cyclone capital. Good luck getting to work during the wet season with flooded roads and a shitty Bruce Highway.
Well, dunno, that’d be fitting for a water HQ.
Move it to Cairns, plenty of water to look at, a more liveable city, plenty of activities for both families and singles, good air connections to southern cities and regional Queensland, more shopping options for executive and professional staff and the authority will have a greater chance of getting staff to redeploy from Canberra to Cairns over Townsville or Bowen and to attract staff to the organisation. Just look at some of the idiots that are in executive positions in Townsville either been here for years and climb the corporate ladder because no one wants to come here or Townsville is just a career stepping stone for a couple of years.
That’s a bit bleak, Crits. The ‘Pie has remained in Townsville by choice, it’s wrong to think that all the criticism in this blog is an entrenched negative view of the city. While what you say is at this moment a fair comparison, there are plenty of people … a majority … who enjoy a good lifestyle generally in Townsville, which beats the hell out of the increasingly cramped urban style. Problems, sure, but so has Cairns, particularly youth crime and the indigenous losers drift to the city after behaving so badly they have been disowned by their own ‘mobs’. It is just that Cairns doesn’t get the same coverage of these problems, and is perceived in a far more positive light down south. There was the time at the height of Mooney’s mayoralty when Townsville was the desired tree-change destination in north Queensland … The ‘Pie leaves it to you to work out why the city’s reputation has been so comprehensively trashed in the past decade or so.
Went to Cairns and it was a lot like a cheap Chinese meal – lots of colour and you think “wow!” but the lack of real substance leaves you hungry really quickly.
For its faults and (MANY) failings give me my adopted home of Townsville has a lot more going for it. We do need a good rat-catcher just now but that will pass.
The rapidly declining credibility of the Townsville Bulletin is being matched by our tv version, Seven (not-so-local) News.
In one edition last week they served up a story about a donkey making friends with 2 kid goats.
No, it wasn’t about our 3 local MPs (Messageblank would have been the donkey, of course). It was an encounter of the animal kind, although they didn’t seem to identify where said donkey and goats were located. On past form it could be anywhere in Queensland as that’s now “local”, apparently.
It reminded me of a story on the front page of the Townsville Bulletin years ago breaking the news that a cat had fallen in love with a milk bottle. No, I’m not kidding. They even published a photo of the loved-up couple.
I had only just stopped laughing about the donkey story when Seven served up another classic about North Queensland Cowboys players visiting a school to teach students about “resilience”. You know, the sort of stuff you need to pretend everything is fine despite 4 years of failure.
Seven’s hard-hitting newshound asked one young female student what she had gleaned from the resilience message.
When you lose a netball game you don’t worry about it, she replied.
Fair dinkum, you couldn’t make this stuff up.
IO. No doubt the school awareness curriculum is delivered with the best of intentions, however I cringe at the current ABC TV promo for the “Racism in Schools” program where a 7yo blonde girl says to her smiling teacher, “I have more privileges – it makes me uncomfortable”. How this stuff benefits the self-esteem, social, emotional well-being and mental health of our young is questionable, and makes me as a viewer, “uncomfortable”. Little wonder calls to Kids Helpline are going through the roof.
Well, how right they are that there is racism in schools … telling a young child to believe they have more privileges and that she should feel uncomfortable about it – that is the clear message – is racism on a grand woke scale. It also is telling the child to nuture inante criticism of his/her parents, who have worked hard and productively to cloth, feed, love and keep her safe.
This stuff should be banned from our primary schools … and even more carefully handled in high schools.
Purge the ranks of the teachers, lecturers, professors.
One word about social justice, Marxism, critical race theory, “sex education”, gender and privilege and they get fired. You fire them top to bottom and make do. It’s the only way, any teachers committing this kind of child abuse had their brains fried in university years ago.
Of course, pretending that privilege doesn’t exist isn’t going to help the situation.
The issue here is the age at which the intended meaning of privilege is instilled in children – seven is not an age where the real or perceived social injustices of our world can be discussed or debated fairly, they can only be dictated … and what is dictated depends on the point of view of the dictator. For instance, where is the line drawn between hard working, tax paying, law abiding parents who provide well for their children, and through did of their own efforts – and no one else’s disadvantage – enjoy some luxuries others do not? Is that privilege that their children should somehow feel ashamed about? That makes children in their early formative years feel guilty about both themselves, and ultimately their parents? Did that family’s situation come about because they had a special social position gained by taking advantage of others less fortunate or less motivated by parental responsibility?
The wider question of social inequality is not the stuff of re-teenagers, let kids be kids, discover things for themselves that prompt questions … and then and only then, give wise advice to the individual to help them get a bigger picture of the world they are heading into.
The Catholic Church has the famous saying ‘Give me a child of four and by seven, he will be mine for life’. Teaching young children faux concepts of privilege is exactly the same thing, but from the platform of extreme socialism – which we used to communism.
Difficult topics can be discussed appropriately at any age, including the trivially obvious concept that some people by virtue of race, gender, religion etc experience unearned privilege and should maybe take that into consideration in their daily lives.
Maybe, but discussed by whom with young kids? Parents, certainly, but broad brush social agendas, often by young childless teachers straight from university inculcated hothouse flavour-of-the-month topics, should not be the province of primary school authorities. Such issues which are open to civil debate, tax adults most of the time let alone children. FFS let kids be kids until they get to a greater age of personal decision making and comprehension.
And we’re getting into dangerous territory when we start dropping in casual empty phrases like ‘unearned privilege’. If it hasn’t disadvantaged anyone else (see previous comment), why is it unearned? The politics of envy has its roots in thinking like this, and has an undeniable element of incipient racism.
What sort of sick twisted fuckhead would want kids to feel guilty about the opportunity their parents are giving them, it is just pathetic, the world has gone mad. No one forces people to have children, in fact society should encourage more people to actually think about the opportunity they can provide for any children before they decide to have them, might save them a life of poverty and shit.
… and good luck with that one, Cankers.
I got a promotion , and a Bentley. And you should all address me by my new title.
I have to ask, why do so many Anglo kids know the words to “Ennie , meenie, mynie mo”?
Where do they get it from?
Teachers should ask a simple question in every kindergarden “who knows the words”? to it.
Then ask them who taught them it and what do they do for work?
Film the hands go up and answers.
Us people, not of the blind hair blue eyed kind , want a survey of these kids.
The ‘Pie doubts very much that anyone nowadays is willing to utter, let alone teach their kids, the line ‘catch a nigger by the toe’, and have come to see that it is offensive to a section of the population and unacceptable.
But while we guess your comment is some laboured effort at humour, possibly aided by recreational substances, it doesn’t make a blind bit of blue-eyed sense.
Hey Steve, I don’t know why you have such a beef about those who have been successful and are reaping the rewards of their work. Have you ever been employed by a poor person?
If you’re playing life on easy mode due to structural biases in society then your success isn’t entirely the result of your hard work but the benefits you enjoy compared to others. Hence there’s a degree that’s unearned, and being aware of this helps if we want our kids to grow up to not be racist, which should be a non-controversial goal!
That doesn’t make any sense at all. You seem to be saying that some people’s success (this comment clearly implies white people, or at least non-indigenous folk) have the ‘benefits’ they have because they have deprived others of them. So whitey constructs structural biases to keep the black fella underfoot, eh? Taxpayers willingly fork out untold millions and create laws to eliminate that ‘structural bias’- but then it is suddenly the donor’s fault that the recipient doesn’t respond with the required amount of self-responsibility to build their own benefits. Or when it comes to running indigenous organisations, probity.
Nope – just because you have privilege and someone else doesn’t, doesn’t mean that you deprived them at all. But the imbalance still exists and should be recognized.
Why? Recognising an imbalance carries with it the clear inference of blame and accusation, so why do so when you admit no one deprived anyone else of anything and people just want to get on with their lives? Part of which is wanting to be the ones to teach their own kids more realistic values in family conversations, than a a stranger in a non-domestic, authoritarian framework who has no remit to to do so, right or wrong. Presenting one side of a debatable concept to pre-teenagers in a non-domestic but government mandated setting (i.e. they have to be there) is indoctrination of one side of a complex discussion … indoctrination, pure and simple.
But there are no absolutes in this arena. It is just the wittering of wet behind the ears zealots, carry sometimes half-baked, far left, uni agendas into primary school classrooms.
And just to be clear, it is the age of those being targeted that is The ‘Pie’s focus, he concedes there are certain areas that should debated and settled by adults.If you want a world of Greta Thunberg’s, manipulated know-all falsely empowered, annoying twerps, you’re going the right way about it. Convincing young kids they have greater insight into human affairs than older people because they supposedly possess some innate innocent wisdom ‘oldies’ have lost, sets them up for a rude and sometimes damaging awakening down the track. Let kids be kids, FFS.
Once again, it carries no connotations of blame whatsoever! I think you’re reading too much into it Pie. Perhaps a case of “When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression”?
If that’s the case, why did the quoted child say she felt uncomfortable about being privileged? feeling uncomfortable min this context is guilt born of blame suggested by someone else. And it’s interesting you have now introduced the word ‘oppression’ into the discourse. No matter who says it, feeling oppressed means there is an oppressor.
But back to tin tacks … leave the kids be until their older … sure, if incidents arise, counsel them – and their parents, but only addressing the specific and immediate matter, not some broad concept of privilege, which may be right or may be wrong. And don’t take away the painful joy of these years learning some life lessons discovered among themselves.
Once again, no – feeling oppressed does not necessarily mean there is an actual oppressor. The child (and it’s silly to evaluate an entire educational system based on one word spoken by one child in one interview) could feel uncomfortable for other reasons than guilt born of blame. Simple empathy on seeing a disadvantaged person, and isn’t that something we want kids to learn? Otherwise they grow up blaming victims for their situation. A seven year old can handle a tiny bit of discomfort, they’re not infants.
There’s an old saying “There but for the grace of God go I” which sums up the whole concept of recognizing one’s good fortune and having empathy toward one’s fellow human beings.
Again, we seem to speak different language with different comprehensions. Note that a ‘system’ i.e. schooling, can be an oppressor. In ther given example, just replace ‘workers’ with ‘young children’.
oppress | əˈpres |
verb [with object]
keep (someone) in subservience and hardship, especially by the unjust exercise of authority: a system that oppressed working people.
• cause (someone) to feel distressed, anxious, or uncomfortable: he was oppressed by some secret worry.
The second definition might go some way towards your somewhat self-serving argument, but if seven year olds feel ‘oppressed’, inculcating them with complex one-sided faux truisms about major issues is for a circumstance of aggravation or error, it is something to be addressed by parents and/or trained professional psychologists, not school teachers stepping out of their trained areas to push an idealogical viewpoint onto a young minds which do not possess the ability to process broader aspects of an argument.
Ok, sure, a system can be an oppressor but then the whole point about children or parents feeling personally blamed goes out the window. Subjective feelings should be respected but still shouldn’t be considered to necessarily reflect objective reality.
These subjects are being taught by trained professionals with content developed by experts in their fields at an age-appropriate level. I don’t think any child is being traumatized by learning these concepts.
What absolute tosh … especially on one familiar level.
Such a shame, we were having such a lovely reasonable chat, and then along comes language in the simplest form of subject/object, and you suddenly get a bad attack of the wobbling waffles. Your opening sentence simply does not make sense. If someone – child or adult – is blamed by any type of oppressor, they, in even the widest interpretation, ‘feel personally blamed’ by being made to feel guilty. Four outcomes will result: contrition for what Aldous Huxley would call ‘wrong think'(meekly agreeing with the oppressor’s view), indignant anger, resentment and/or retaliation.Your faith in ‘trained professionals with content developed by experts in their fields at an age-appropriate level‘ is at best misplaced, and occasionally, as in this case, demonstrated to be retrograde.
Isn’t it somewhat cavalier that you ‘don’t think’ any child is being traumatised? If you were a loving and responsible parent and your child came home and said in so many words, he/she was ‘uncomfortable’ with her family’s wealth and comfort, would you not worry where someone so young would have taken this completely incorrect and damaging manipulation as truthful received information. So that raises two points … and stay with me here, Steve, this involves parsing and grammar … ‘don’t think’ implies that there might be a possibility of traumatisation, and allowing the slightest risk is grossly irresponsible for a non-urgent issue such as this. Especially involving the protection of children.
Young kids are busy forming their own opening view of the world, a process that involves experiment and inquiry, and any nudge from a guiding hand should be parents and yes, teachers, but not your ersatz classroom ‘trained professionals and experts’.
Leave the little snots alone to find out somethings for themselves, life’s a great teacher.
Pie, no one is being blamed! The feeling of being blamed (if it even exists, we have no evidence for that!) would be based on misunderstanding!
Your lack of faith in ‘trained professionals with content developed by experts in their fields at an age-appropriate level‘ is misplaced because you’ve provided no evidence that we shouldn’t trust them. Other than, as I said, a dubious interpretation of one word uttered by one child in one interview.
It’s not cavalier to not think that anyone is being traumatized because there’s no evidence of that happening other than the house of cards you’ve constructed around that one child’s feeling of discomfort!
Your refusal to allow the slightest possibility(!) of a child being traumatized is simply ridiculous. I’m happy to allow the slightest possibility because I trust professionals to do their job, which is the default way of dealing with professionals in absence of reason not to.
Leaving kids to find out things for themselves is not going to get us anywhere in addressing racism if kids (and parents) are unable to even identify that their personal worldview is based on a privileged set of life experiences that are not universal.
I’m pretty sure that every person complaining about the concept of “privilege” has said something along the line of “kids today don’t know how lucky they are/how good they have it”. Then we try and teach them and they clutch their pearls over it.
Well, The ‘Pie has to be a good sport and admit that you’ve got him well and truly. Completely sucked in, was the old bird. There he was thinking he was having a serious productive discussion – despite your paucity of understanding of the language – but you’ve been taking the piss all along. As proved by this gobbledegook above. If you were a chef, your speciality would be half baked tripe. But you apparently got weary of your own merry jape and just started making stuff up to see how long before I tumbled to your game. Boy, is my face red!
Well played.
Seems teacher resources can be readily downloaded for no charge according to “Cool Australia” which boasts “90% of Aussie schools” are choosing their tools. Broad offerings include:
Strategic Social Change for Years 1-12
What is Privilege?
Challenging White Privilege
Symbols of Privilege (which leads with a photo of a historical figure statue)
Steve of BG suffers from mind cancer you don’t listen to it , you don’t engage with it, the sands can shift quickly and debate is quicksand. They don’t stop , they can’t be debated, facts and reason no longer prevail. Let them spend a few months in the third world without any holiday money to discover the realities outside of Belgian Gardens.
You’ve been reading The Magpie’s mind. My final reply to Belligerent Gardens on the subject of child indoctrination was made in the realisation of the fruitlessness of debate with folks like Steve, who do not wish to concede any obvious and valid points, but just prolong the Alice In Wonderland commentary to distract, deflect and delay any meaningful consensus. Bit like biased party politics really … which of course is at the core of Steve’s persona. Anyway, that thread has ended now and eagerly await his next comedic contribution on other issues.
But believe it nor not, our leftie woke mate from Belligerent Gardens, who wants Advanced Social Philosophy taught in kindys, may well seek a green card and become an American – and Republican – when he sees this.
Another odd animal friendship story anyone? It involves a Magpie!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-09-10/meet-unlikely-friends-peggy-the-dog-and-molly-the-magpie/100447022
Dave, A gem – pics guaranteed to bring a smile.
If TEL or the Chamber of Commerce want to actually do something useful they should commission a study into the poverty of the entire Townsville region. In 2007 the median price of a house in Brisbane and Townsville was $350,000, the house in Brisbane is now $680,000, whilst in Townsville it has only just recovered back to $350,000, anyone owning a house in Townsville for that period is $330,000 poorer by living here. This has huge effects on society, particularly as people age and the poverty gap climbs and people look to fund their retirement, health and aged care etc. The lack of wealth also effects business and attracting investment, who wants to invest in a poor town, except for those who make money out of poor people, no one.
Cranky my house hasn’t even breached threshold of what we bought it for. We got a discount from the builder too. I looked at putting it on the market recently, decided to hold. Also work is starting to become an issue here in NSW with Gladys’s headless chook impression and we may need it again soon. Others in the area just cut their loses and ran during the bottom of the downturn or are in a worse position than I am. The whole area was meant to be developed now but Tapiolas pretty well much stopped at stage 2 and the area is still bushland only used by trail bike riders atm..
There are VAST areas around Townsville where hungry and greedy developers can build NEW houses, endless fields of tin roofs, tiny backyards and so close to shake hands through the windows. When they build next to highway you see speed limits fall and it adds more time to travel. House prices will never increase because there a limitless space to fit more new badly designed, badly built gyprock and tin “homes” and the spider web thin roads between them.
The ‘Pie doesn’t normally post this sort of thing, but he’s still laughing as he write this.
Dear ‘Pie,
Stumbled upon this re Murdoch monopoly. May be useful.
https://youtu.be/Qgybc-o9LkY
That’s a bit of Pot & Kettle there Mr Kevin 07. Accusing someone of telling porkies? And those throwing the daggers…Hansen-young and Carr? If you’re going to hammer a nail in Murdoch’s coffin, make sure you use the right tools. Talk about picking up the wrong tool bag. As I said, Pots & Kettles.
While Murdoch is a self-seeking and destructive eminence gris in Australian media, you are nevertheless accurate in your comment KK. The ‘Pie’s indignation at the vido quickly morphed into mirth at the chutzpah off this shape shifter lecturing anyone on ‘dodging, weaving’ and refusing to gove a straight answer.
It is a strange concept to have such accurate observations being at the same time grossly hypocritical. Getting advice on moral honesty and straight talking from Kevin Rudd is like getting bushwalking advice from Ivan Milat.
Kevin07 is a sociopath. He will have the knives out for Murdoch until the day (Kevin) dies. It’s in his nature, it’s in his DNA. Murdoch didn’t support KRudd because KRudd is for the environment (supposedly). Tighter environmental rules is not good for Ruperts business. I too watched the video with interest but when the holier than though Father Xmas Rudd started dribbling shit about transparency and fairness and all of that crap, I shut my ears. The fucking hypocrite.
Let’s see what happens in the next 12 months environmentally as that will determine whether Murdoch is in favour of Scotty from Marking or Lickspittle Albanese. Murdoch media decides who will be the supreme ruler in Australia, the UK and the USA.
Now, now, now; settle down everybody. The past has nothing new to say. Rudd the Dud was a cause of great concern as PM, and then again as PM again. As someone once said to me, and I suspect he was an ex-crim, it’s what your doing now that is important. So, like that ex-crim, let Kevin 07’s past fade away and listen to what he has to say today.
Struth, I, and I suspect many Nesters, are trying to let their past fade away, concentrating on today, because when tomorrow comes, yesterday will be er…………..?
21 COVID cases active in Queensland the Premier must be shitting herself with rugby league and union players travelling in and out of the state.
What are the odds of state-wide lock down the day after the NRL Grand final on Sunday 3 October, 2021??????
Great to watch the USA open tennis final today with 100% stadium capacity with not a mask insight, and this is in a country with 53% double dose vaccination rates https://ycharts.com/indicators/us_coronavirus_full_vaccination_rate
Let hope we are free to travel around our country and others soon with Australia already at 42% double dose vaccination rates
Ditto re maskless crowds at AFL finals in Perth, with 50000+ bringing authenticity of atmosphere back to the arena.
For Magpie bloggers who might have a bit of spare time on their hands and want a bit of reading and head scratching, some of the publications on the CCC website make interesting reading. The fact sheets are easy to open by tapping onto them and many relate to local government practices.
https://www.ccc.qld.gov.au/publications
The Townsville Bulletin would give Monty Python’s Black Knight a run for his money in the eternal optimism stakes. And a lack of grasp of reality.
Take this for example.
‘…successfully staging…’??? What would be needed to avert disaster, and what form of incident would stand in the way of a successful event? But the very second par gives the lie that cock-eyed view when reporter Leighton Smith ingenuously writes: ‘A crowd of 18,244 fans were treated to a nail-biter …’ etc. Even the NRL spokesman wasn’t about to cough in his rompers, giving a diplomatic comment that they were ‘pleased’ with the crowd and atmosphere, but, Mr Smith tells us ‘didn’t address the largely vacant corporate section of the stadium’ – but good on him for asking.
Little wonder the response was less than glowing from the sports governing body, no doubt already smarting from having to bring two of its biggest money spinning games of the season to Townsville in the first place. Alarmed by pre-sale figures, it seems NRL thought it prudent to give a way a whole swatch of freebies for the game, dressed up as caring philanthropy. The ‘Pie has learned that Townsville healthcare workers … there’s about 6000 of them … received this email last week.
Certainly a nice gesture, but cannot imagine it happening in a normal year with finals being played in the major centres … when the grounds would be sold out and the scalpers in full cry. But this was obviously a hasty last minute decision, and it turned out to be one of the easiest hacks around town. Seems one health worker forwarded his email to a mate … not a health worker or anything like it … who simply clicked on the link and scored four free tickets. Apparently no attempt to check bona fides against the emails sent out.
And crowd numbers and bookings … ultimately paltry by any measure for this level of sport … was of concern ahead of the game, and thus freebies filled many seats, although we’re unlikely to find out how many. Or if this offer, uncovered inadvertently by a reliable Nester, was duplicated for any other organisation … like a certain level of the Townsville City Council staff, for instance.
The games – yes, two of them, between four of the top teams in the sport – wasn’t even in the top four attendances since the stadium opened. Even that bullshit fixture, the All Stars game, did better. Here’s the stark truth for the Bulletin’s edification.
Private Cupcake Stewart was handing out freebe tickets to the teaching profession like confetti, I wonder if anybody actually paid real money to go and see the turf flying through the air.
Really OT? So Private Cupcake Stewart was playing Santa, with early gifts? He most certainly has the most ample girth to be Mr Claus!
For fuck sake Pie lay off the NRL.
Rugby league has saved Queensland and with the NRLs help it has chased that Delta shit away.
I think we need to start talking about about a rugby league summer comp to keep the COVID out of Queensland.
Damn, Gaffa, you had The ‘Pie there for a moment … even wrote a few indignant lines of rebuttal until the joke dawned on me.
Time for another coffee.
Asked a mate who is a Cowboys season ticket holder if he went to the double header and he said he didn’t bother after trying to get his regular seats and finding out they weren’t available.
He was ropeable when he saw on the telly that his seats were vacant for the whole of the two games.
Can’t repeat what he said about the NRL, but it was along the lines of “they couldn’t organise a xxxx in a brothel”.
If Anna fails to keep everyone safe in SE Qld and Townsville gets the grand final, can the NRL please offer free seats to everyone? After all, we all paid for the stadium.
We Townsvillians paid fuck all for the stadium.
What Townsvillians are not taxpayers?
Addled, you obviously don’t pay tax as every taxpayer in Townsville contributed to the construction of the stadium. Where do you think the money came from, a tree in Lancini’s backyard?
Sorry, IO, population of Townsville divided by population of Australia multiplied by $300 million = $2.4 million – on a very good day. That would be three fifths of five eighths of fuck all.
So fuck all is a new financial term which equals $2.4million … and try the same equation using just the population of Queensland, oh, well named one.
If you insist on such technicalities how would you like to deal with the $14 billion+ contributed by Australian taxpayers to the Qld treasury in GST payments in the same year? Bullshit in equals bullshit out, altogether adding up to approximately fuck all.
So no one in Townsville pays GST on goods and services?
Of course Townsville people pay GST. But Queensland gets just a little bit more than its per capita share of GST payments from the Commonwealth because the State’s fiscal capacity is below average, and it requires more than its population share of GST to provide the average level of services. That is, aside from the $100 million put up by the Commonwealth to fund the stadium, GST payers from other states put up a few million to give us an average level stadium. Christ knows how you calculate the contribution of Townsville ratepayers.
So one assumes that Townsville taxpayers have contributed to the new stadia in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. So we’re all square.
But listen, our accurately named friend, give it a rest, the matter has become tedious and as they say in court ‘nothing turns on it’.
No…the Council did not contribute to the construction cost (at least, not that we know of). BUT we Townsvillians certainly contributed by way of state and federal taxes, imposts, duties and charges.
To the best of my recollection the council have spent $10 million plus on the stadium for infrastructure etc
We ratepayers spent $9mil on the land the stadium was gifted I believe. I still have the indignant email I sent to Paul Jacob, who never refuted it and even wrote in support. The land was owned by Devine Group who until a few months before had one Terry Mackinroth on their books, which was another query if he was in any way connected. I’d have to go digging again but did quite a bit of internet research at the time that I probably haven’t kept.
Know Lancini did very well off it as well. He seemed to use the area as a laydown yard from day dot.
Council’s contribution was the land I believe. Same as was the case with the Entertainment centre 30 years ago.
Not sure about this, but think some considerable land rehabilitation and plumbing head works came from the council too. Which, if we had to have the bloody thing,, is fair enough, but on-going costs are the real worry for the council.
Land plus about $10 mill
You reckon, Addled? Please enlighten us.
A,
We sort of payed for it in that we got a superfluous stadium rather than a secure water supply from the Burdekin Dam.
In state parliament question time today, Plucka was praising a certain idiot called Harpic of Thuringowa, and said she was coming to Townsville to turn a few sods at the Haughton Pipeline site.
Plenty of sods up here, but to ruen? Sure this isn’t some homophobic Christian crusade to ‘turn’ gays back into breeders.
Wonder how Jenny feels now…
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/nextgeneration-battery-pioneer-imperium3-could-prove-underpowered/news-story/4c25621b28cdf4f2bd91245a817819ef
That link will only open for subscribers, which The Magpie is not. Can anyone cut and paste or take a screenshot and send to email hidden; JavaScript is required? Too important not to highlight …. and yes, while he hasn’t read the details yet, seems sweet vindication of what The Magpie has been warning about for years.
Barnaby Joyce a bouncer? I knew there was something not quite right when he showed a preference for Bowen as headquarters for NQWIA. Is there an explanation for his logic? These dams, with the exception of Snowy 2, are as far as I know the first significant water management projects since Bob Hawke sabotaged the Franklin Scheme 38 yrs ago, and are too important to be handicapped by second grade facilities transport etc.
Still not a word in the Townsville Bulletin about the poor crowd at the NRL finals last weekend, and certainly no mention of how many tickets were given away.
It seems that the NRL and the Cowboys are protected species at the local rag.
Editor Warhurst must have had a great time in the VIP corporate area.
Warhurst doesn’t call the shots, in the traditional termsn used elsewhere in real media, he is editor in name only, a pliant goof happy to pick up a dimished editor’s 30 pieces of silver … the advertising people have right of veto on stories, and certainly let the iditor know in no uncertain terms who and what he can go after.
As if Adani airstrips for weren’t enough, here is a warts and all look at the people Mayor Jenny Hill has been dealing with on the now certainly dead-in-the-water Magnis/Imperium 3 battery factory at Lansdown. It’s been blue sky from day one, and it has The Australian newspaper to confirm what The Magpie has been saying for several years … and what the Bulletin hasn’t been saying.
The story in today’s The Australian vindicates The Magpie’s consistent view that Mayor Mullet was dealing with white shoe shonks right from the outset.
The importance of Townsville and the Lansdown project in the scheme of this sad and sorrow tale is the highlighted by the fact that it is not even mentioned in passing in this story. (Thank God.)
But apart from the risible ‘pre-feasibility’ millions handed out by Anna Alphabet, we need to know just how much the Townsville ratepayer has stumped up, courtesy of a legacy seeking mayor. Even if this mob of shape-shifting wide boys ever comes anywhere near Townsville, even with the latest ‘packing shed for imported batteries’ proposal, warning flags should be popping up everywhere.
So fair enough, the story is paywalled, but here are some salient bits which The ‘Pie reproduces in the public interest of the vast bulk of people in this area who should know about this.
First, as The ‘Pie reported on each occasion it occurred, there was the boardroom turnstile, with new high-profile recruits joining Magnis, and on each occasion, there was a share spike, usually from 25cents to as high as 40 cents. But as you will see later, that didn’t last long.
But it seems the recruits soon saw what they’d got themselves into.
And another matter reported as recently as a couple week ago was the arms-length involved of John Hayward-Hancock, Gina Rinehart’s son.
And Rinehart Jnr sounds as shifty as our mayor, appearing to be applauding himself for pulling a swifty … he doesn’t say that of course, but read this and see what you reckon.
Surely the Bulletin cannot ignore this story, if they really want us to believe their endless honking on about being ‘all for you’ – that’s we mugs.The mayor must grilled on this, a development that puts the whole Lansdown project into shade.
Wonder if Tony Raggatt, or even Leighton Smith, (he did a stellar reporting job on the hypocrisy of the council’s by-laws on property appearance in Monday’s paper) will be allowed to hold Jenny’s feet to the fire on this at long last.
It may mean that the Astonisher will have to gobble down some humble pie, given the unquestioning parroting of Magnis and mayoral bullshit over the years. But they have little choice if they really want us to believe their News Ltd slogan ‘We’re For You.’
As for Mayor Mullet … oh, well, she got an all expenses paid jolly to the USA a few years ago to meet with the American oil slicks running this barely legal and certainly unethical scam. Hope she’s satisfied with that as her ‘legacy’.
Jenny got pumped and dumped… Unless of course she was in on it
Like The ‘Pie said, she got her all expenses paid jolly to the US out of it at least, but one does wonder if she did all this AFTER. Conceiving the ill-conceived idea of Lansdown. The idea is right, the location is loopy. It’s a wonder she didn’t bring into play the fact that there’s an airstrip close by.
Some airstrip!
Who doesn’t?
Either this is a typo (should it be 1000kms) or reporter Sam Flanagan’s idea of what is ‘gruelling’ makes him in need of a personal trainer.
Sam, head out to Rowes Bay Golf club any weekday and ask some of us old blokes, who play as often as four days a week, how long it would take them to walk 100kms. What with other everyday getting around, most of us would knock over 100k in a week or so.
And yes, walking a 100ks is nothing next to having cancer … as The ‘Pie knows.
But good luck to your loving gesture, young lady, all the best.
There’s a bad taste joke in there somewhere, but can’t quite find it.
The blind leading the blind; or perhaps it was a blinderbuss
Mr. Pie, I see our “illustrious” Opposition Leader, David Crisafulli, is against QLD’s Voluntary Assisted Dying laws.
Good ole “Davey Do Nothing” would prefer to pander to the Catholic vote rather than give dying people the choice, they, and not the State, should have!
This man really is a fool.
“Crisafooly” is so apt!
It was a conscience vote with no party directives, but that doesn’t mean to say that Crisafulli, if ever in a position to do so, would force his opinion on people if a majority opposed it. Making this an issue for juvenile name calling says more about you and your political motives than it does about The Kid.
Elusive Butterfly is NMD. Same anti-Crisafulli commentary. Just like a butterfly, ECQ has morphed into NMD, NMD has morphed into Elusive Butterfly, and no doubt there will be more morphing in the near future. Wanker
And EB’s comment, and many others (you know who you are), are often the biggest disappointment for The ‘Pie in this forum … using the ability to have your say to let fly with irrelevant usually political smear and posture. And ad hominem attacks that mostly involve cheap body shaming or personal appearanbce comments Yes, yes, The ‘Pie has been guilty of this to a certain degree (Palmer and Rinehart are notable cases), but it is far more productive to argue the point and not perceived personalities.
The ‘Pie will state unequivocally that yesterday he enjoyed and appreciated his exchange with Steve of (usually) Belligerent Gardens on the question of kids and inequality. We didn’t agree, but the exchanges were kept in a more productive tone on both sides. Now, The Magpie is no killjoy, and we will no doubt let fly again on other matters – always fun – but when issues of real substance arise, it is most satisfying to be forced to think with a little more focus when confronted with well put (albeit IMO wrong) arguments.
Actually it was a debate – the vote comes later.
Correct, so not ‘was’ but ‘is’. Comment still stands.
One of Crisafulli’s debating points reported on the ABC site did not make sense to me:
“I can’t support something that offers the assistance of the state to terminate their life, the same state that does not give them the option of specialist palliative care in the same time frame.”
Right now, some state hospitals, including our own here in Townsville, offer specialist palliative care which includes specialist pain management. Surely Voluntary Assisted Dying (VAD) is intended to be a new option for those whose needs are not able to be met adequately or over the long term in palliative care?
Hmmm, a not so Addled view, and -gasp! – The ‘Pie agrees.
You got me in a good mood … the car started this morning, which means it doesn’t have to be towed to the local Car ICU.
Reading some of the other personal parliamentarian views on that same ABC news site makes me wonder just how much some of these politicians know about the currently operating palliative care system. I know palliative care is not available everywhere at the same level as tertiary hospitals like Townsville but my experience is that the local outreach function can actually provide excellent service at a distance, though some ‘regional’ people and even their doctors, may be unaware of just what service is available. I suspect there are also ideological agendas alive in this debate which aren’t very logical and seem to miss the point. Anyway, everyone will get a say and then there will be a vote.
Agreed, there certainly are some idealogical – and fanciful – agendas alive in this debate … and almost all are totally propagated by religious bodies. They have no choice, it goes against their dogma and their hold over their congrgations … and that dogma goes against all notions of common decency … but then, that was never some churches strong point, ask any alter boy.
Addled – if you go and have a look at the Pallative Care Unit at Townsville Hospital you might be surprised to find that half of it is shuttered due to lack of staff and budget.
When my mother was dying early last year it was the same and we were told to put her into an aged home for her final months because there was no room for her in the specialist unit because there wasn’t the funds to keep it all open.
I have assumed that is what the Kid is talking about. At least using all of the space we supposedly have and funding the current services if not expanding them. At the moment as a state we force dying people out of the hospital system where they can get specialist care and leave them to die in the care of a minimum wage carer.
Now our government wants to just kill them off. Which I suppose will aid the strain on the hospital system as well so it’s a win-win for Anna.
Be easy to fund them if we didn’t have the inane expense of the political populism of an Olympic Games ready to drain all our resources into the south-east.
Engineer, was there a number of times a few weeks ago. It was fully staffed, fully occupied and an absolute godsend. Not sure that PallCare was ever set up or intended to accommodate people for their “final months”. I thought it was mainly, though not exclusively, for people whose death was imminent, ie. a matter of days. And yes, I do understand the issues around caring for the frail aged and others who are likely to die in the next few months and are so difficult to look after at home. Been there, done that. Options for carers, including entry into a nursing home, are often prohibitively expensive, onerously complicated (if you have to deal with Centrelink), and challenging for time-poor working people and those already loaded up with family responsibilities. Them’s the breaks. And keep in mind that aged care funding has always been a federal responsibility.
While the Walking Frame Warriors are to the fore in support for these VAD laws, there are many, many other tragic circumstances than aged frailty and increasing debility, right down to those in their late teens, where their right to die should be respected. Churches and other naysayers awarding themselves the right to inflict forced pain and suffering is as disgusting as the immoral ideology that drives their fairytales.
Mal, how’s this, Red Cross called at our place yesterday collecting for their organization and my good Wife went to get a donation and was told they could not accept money as there was a chance of being mugged in our area (Kirwan), I could not believe it, what a city we live in and our three MP reps do nothing about the crime in our city. Take Care, Ralph.
Really? You sure?
Mal, I rang Red Cross to check if the collector’s could take cash and I was told that the collectors couldn’t accept cash as muggings were possible and there was a danger to the collector’s, very sad state of affairs. Take Care, Ralph.
A sad commentary on our times, thanks for checking. Didn’t mean to doubt your missus, but it did sound like there may have been a misunderstanding.
Cheers.
Reminds me of the time I had the RSPCA knock on my door looking for a donation so I gave them next doors cat !
Very good!
I just did a QVAS Property Details Report title search of 2 Woodman Court West End. This has been leased by all levels of government for elections and sat idle between those periods. It’s the old Joyce Mayne.
It’s currently being used for vaccinations and I have gratefully had my first Pfizer there.
It intrigued me how they could afford to let it sit idle between these times hence the search for the owner. Cos they must be making a killing He owns the lot worth $9 200 000 and 2 Woodman $1.6 mil .
It’s none other than a company called Reelaw. Owned by developer Mark Adams who donated under both names at the 2016 Council Election .
He and Lancini famously got Old Clive to remove the Old TGH building off the heritage register . It became the $400mil NBA building.
Next is to find out the leasing amounts since 2 Woodman has been used in this way. He has other company names too.
In other news the integrity commissioner has complained finally of interference with her work and destruction of public records. Around the time of the UN having a look at the reef, they deleted all prior details if who the lobbyists represented so you cant compare to the lobbyists donations on the teatime search. I.e. Adani laundering through Govstrat.
Extra company names not of the developer kind can be searched this way too.
Two things, Pat. Don’t understand the reference to the Old TGH building … the old TGH (Townsville General Hospital) is alive and well, as an apartment block and looking like a beautiful faded Hollywood Boulevard building of the 40/50s . Perhaps you meant the T&G Building, and old Clive means Judge Clive Wall (not Palmer as it usually does)?
And noticed you got a mention of your old case in the Kangaroo Court blog, if you care to look it up. Don’t wish to post a link here, Shane Dowling is a good journo but a fixated nut in some areas. (Sound familiar, mate?)
Yes , T and G and Clive Wall.
I have never wanted to be a part of the kangaroo court mob.
At uni they would spam me and I would tell them to fuck off. They are Rod Culleton types.
These people are as dangerous as anti vaxxers sprouting bullshit supposed legal facts to people dumb enough to listen.
The vexatious crew.
Your comments section could do with an edit button as we are all suffering from the same affliction of “predictive text syndrome” . Sometimes I wonder whether its that ASIO computer alteration power being used. But no , it’s every single new fangled fucking phone.
The Magpie can edit comments but way back when, he quickly tired of being a grammar nazi and decided fuck it, you want to be sloppy, you wear it (not you, Pat, commenters generally). And it doesn’t improve because all comments with exception of a brave three or four, are under pseudonyms. Otherwise, The ‘Pie is guessing several senior legal and business people would be greatly embarrassed.
The ‘Pie does delete certain comments for a variety of reasons, mostly to do with decency, accuracy or legality (which The ‘Pie has to wear because of the anonymity).
Anna announcement: From this weekend, Pfizer will be made available for Queenslanders aged 60 and over. All Qld Health hubs will be open and walk-ins are welcome. ABC.net.au/news
Here’s a serious question: if you’ve had a first jab, as The ‘Pie has had, and are sick of waiting for the call back for number two, can you mix and match vaccines? And that is a serious question, because if you can, The ‘Pie will be first in line tomorrow morning.
From my listening to Dr Norman Swan on ABC RN I understand the answer is yes. It just takes a little longer to generate your Covid certificate.
Line up and the staff will tell you if the answer is no. Nothing lost apart from a little time. Good luck.
The administration of Covid vaccination seems to be wildly inconsistent. Wife and I got our first vaccine at a respiratory clinic here in the Upper Ross in May and were able to make an appointment there and then for our second in August. No difficulty at all. Seems it is a different story elsewhere.
Go for it.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-31/astrazeneca-pfizer-mixing-matching-covid-vaccines-could-solve/100173318&ved=2ahUKEwjZ-Im9k4LzAhVXzDgGHaD1ANYQFnoECBcQAQ&usg=AOvVaw1c7l-PXUNuYhCJwDrBnRJn
Excellent info, Dave, thanks. In fact, that report suggests there may even be a slight advantage in mixing and matching.
The ‘Pie intends to be fully vaccinated by the end of the week, ‘Inshallah’ (it’s no time to be picking sides).
Regarding Pats comments , if Verde Tower sold for $93 mil I am not sure where he gets a $400 mil price tag for the NAB building ? . Regarding 2 Woodman Court I would suggest casual leases may have been held by the electoral commission for election activity but Qld health ( lease for COVID tests + vaccination ) is a separate department / entity .
Interested to see what the people on here who like to criticize Ms Hill and Ms Pałaszczuk on all matters have to say about former AG, Mr Christian Porter receiving One Million Dollars from a blind trust to pay his court costs in regards to him being an alleged Rapist.
You may remember the Libs going after Peter Slipper for a Taxi fare of a couple of hundred and establishing a Royal Commission for Julia Gillard’s kitchen renovations.
It seems Treasurer Joshie has given this a pass mark. I mean the Million could have come from anywhere, a chinese donar, a crowdfund organised by Rupert or even a West Australian Mining Magnate. It does seem odd to give a Pollie a million dollars and not expect something back.
Would you please enlighten me how this is so?
OK, let The ‘Pie shine a torch in your ear to see the light on the wall the other side.
You give your hidden agenda away when, in your introduction – which is wholly irrelevant to your main point – you only seek the opinion of those ‘who like to criticise Ms Hill and Ms Palaszczuk on all matters’. Which also offers inescapable sub-text that somehow criticising Mayor Mullet and Premier Anna-Joh will automatically lead to approval of the pond scum in Canberra. Plus the inference we should ignore their ‘misdemeanours’ in favour of pillorying various coalition hooligans. Which we should, but is not an either/or choice between two portfolios of misdemeanours. You’re suggesting either we ignore the malfeasance and incompetence of our two golden girls, and concentrate on your non-preferred herd of politicians.
You are one of the poor unfortunates held in the thrall and knee-jerk aerobics of party politics. Your comment is an excellent example of the now discredited dictum ‘if your not with ‘em, your agin ‘em …. on every issue.’ To this country’s deep detriment, this ‘my mother, drunk or sober’ dictum continues to hold sway in both boardrooms and factory floors, with never a thought of picking and choosing for oneself your preferred outcomes on different issues.
But here is a direct answer to your plea for a little wisdom you so sorely need. You will surely agree that The Magpie occasionally criticises Mayor Mullet and Premier Anna-Joh, but in moderation – never ever more than on a weekly if not daily basis. So just to make sure you know what the old bird thinks: The ‘Pie believes Smirko is simply the worst PM this country has had to endure since Wrongheaded Robert Menzies set us on a disastrous path way back when. Beating Tony Abbott took some doing, but he’s a great competitor, is Smirko.
(BTW, The two best Liberal Prime Ministers, both of whom The ‘Pie voted for, were Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.) As to your specific moan about Porter, who cares who paid his legal bill, and whose business is it anyway if it is proved it was not the public purse. And finally, you would be extreeeemmmmlllly ill advised for one who leans one way as to be almost horizontal to go down the path of ‘not expecting something back’. Hello, unions. Hello, unis. Hello, the Aboriginal Industry. And also, hello any number of corporations who plonk down their two-bob-each-way millions to both sides.
Satisfied?
Mr. Pie, David Crisafulli’s attempted “Churchillian” speech to the QLD Parliament this week re: the Voluntary Assisted Dying legislation, from which I quote a few bewildering lines…
“I believe this bill unintentionally, but unavoidably, puts a lesser value on the life of the poor, the remote, the sick,” he said.
“I believe the intention of the Bill is to offer choice, but the reality is that it offers choice on a sliding scale that is in proportion to the size of your bank account or where you live.
“But most importantly it breaks a fundamental tenet of our society – that human life is sacrosanct.”
… reminds of those lines spoken by Gene Hackman to his FBI boss in that magnificent movie Mississippi Burning.
“You know your problem?
You don’t know when to speak and when to shut up!
That makes you a fool!”
As I said, “Crisafooly” is apt!
No, you’ve got the quote all wrong. What Hackman actually said was ‘You know what your problem is… you don’t know when refrain from commenting and when to leave off the cheap-shot, scripted Labor slurs.’ Making such a juvenile character assessment on one parliamentary conscience vote reeks of Labor panic. And its well justified panic, too.
But let the light shine in and see comment from The Wulguru Wonder in reply to Addled – a reply which may well have been meant for you.
In reply to Addled’s earlier comment David Crisafulli’s comments in the VAD debate:
I think the point Crisafulli is making is that under the proposed legislation a person can make a VAD request, subject to the required medical review and support, if they have a terminal illness with a expectation of dying within 12 months.
However, current government policy is that people with a terminal condition cannot access or enter palliative care in a public hospital or facility unless their prognosis is to die within the next 3 months.
He is probably concerned that someone with a terminal condition may be outside the 3 month qualifying period for palliative care yet within the 12 month period for VAD, and may therefore see VAD as their only option to end their suffering.
I tend to agree with his reasoning. Both palliative care and VAD should be equally available options with the same qualification timeframes.
Well explained. Now over to you, Flutterby.
I am not “Flutterby” and I won’t speculate on the Opposition Leader’s motivations but in regard to WW’s interpretation I have a more nuanced view. Palliative care protocols have been established over decades to deal with issues relating to imminent death. There’s been no suggestion anywhere that timing issues for access to palliative care need reconsideration; generally speaking, and with some specific exceptions (pain management for example), there’s no point in entering palliative care if you are not about to die. On the other hand, access to VAD may be necessary/required/desired long before ‘natural’ death is imminent ie. long before palliative care is under consideration. That is the point. The two processes operate on completely different timelines and philosophies so I can’t see the logic of tying them together somehow.
Interesting to note that suicide and attempted suicide are not offences in Australia, but assisting in an attempt, successful or otherwise, is. It is held to be murder, and there is no leeway for a genuine mercy killing requested by the patent. But there is the real rub in this debate. As we learn daily, this world is full of unconscionable asresoles – even outside politics – and rapacious relatives or other potential beneficiaries must be legally held in check. But if proper legal sanctions to address these concerns are in place, VAD gets The Magpie’s vote, who has long been unshackled from the controlling fairytales of those who oppose it.
VAD should stand for Voluntary Assisted Dignity.
Donald Rumsfeld has been re-incarnated in Oz, I just watched Mark Dreyfus on ABC’s “afternoon briefing” and he has the same uncanny resemblance and insincere, aloof, smarmy presentation as that bastard.
I fully agree with VAD it should be restricted to Labor/Green voters then in a decade we might get this country back to some normality, that is, getting rid of the woke mentality that is driving this country into oblivion, perpetrated by our social engineering academic educators who have only been educated by left wing zealots who in reality have contributed nothing to society apart from finding ways to extort unproductive money to guarantee their useless employment. The real winners of the VAD, will of course be the lawyers in enacting new wills to counteract the upsurge of the entitled youth who will be hoping for an early death to secure their easy path to life, to overcome their carefree spending.
The Magpie will go one further and campaign for abortion to retrospective.
Mr. Pie…I do understand that you are totally committed to speak up for your “Love Child” Mr. Crisafulli, but, just remember back to the days of the worst, local television news service this city has ever seen…WIN News…news editor…one, David Crisafulli.
Nothing has changed Mr. Pie…this bloke is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier, and, never will be!
And now he is trying to sound like a statesman about the very serious issue of euthanasia?
Paleese!
Benjamin Disraeli summed up Crisafooli’s comments many years ago…
“The fool wonders…the wise man asks”
BTW…I vote LNP!
So you say.
I wasn’t aware that Mr Disraeli knew Mr Crisafulli closely enough to be able to sum up one of Mr Crisafulli’s comments.
FFS , today they are announcing we are going to get nuke subs and base yank nuke subs in Perth.
Froggy subs scrapped and by by to all that money they wasted again. That’s pension increases, free dental and free uni education . Take your pick.
Basing yank subs means basing their nuclear weapons here. This also happens on visits. This makes us a potential launching pad and target. Just like Cuba and Turkey during the Cuban missile crisis.
These fuckers are not only corrupt , they are all fucking insane.
A funny ironic comment from someone who lives in the host city of Australia’s largest army barracks and an RAAF base. We – and The ‘Pie means Townsville – are already on the wall display in China’s launch bunker, Pat.
That is not to say The ‘Pie doesn’t agree with your view.
FFS, you two. It’s already too late. China, through manipulation of a corrupt Prime Minister (not ours) has secured a 99 year lease of one one the best deep-water ports in the South Pacific. It’s 1750 Km equidistant from Townsville and Cairns military bases. The latest Changjian-10 cruise missile can travel that distance in an hour. We have nothing to detect it, let alone stop it. Should it kick off, we are totally fucked.
Hysterical crap as usual Pat, if we listened to people like you we would be going to war holding muskets, this a a great move to finally jump into this century. As a side note Scomo just pumped Albo straight up the arse, this is going to be a nightmare for Albo to navigate leading up to an election.
Disturbing imagery, that.
With an ICBM?
They are nuclear powered not nuclear armed, drongo.
Whatever you think of Crisafulli he’s miles ahead of what the LNP has served up as leaders in the past decade. The way Anna is shooting herself in the foot and doing backflips, combined with her lack of action on kiddie crime should see her disappear at the next election. Until then I think Crisafulli will steer a safe course. After all, he’s powerless at the moment. Commonsense really.
Very trueIO; and Useless Butterfly, when David was working with WIN TV as a ‘Journo’ WIN were top of the ratings in that time slot and he was very good at his job. He had a way of getting the truth and reporting without bias. Far from any media of today. When he moved to Politics he chose a party that he felt he was suited to and was strong and representative of all constituents no matter which side of politics they favoured. Again, unlike many Politicians of today. If you want things to continue the way they are today, then vote for Anna Fuckitup; your choice. Remember Comrade, vote early vote often.
When someone accuses another … particularly an honest journalist – of bias, it simply means they are not biased in your direction. They are objective.
There are obvious similarities between the covid scare tactics of the Premier and Jenny Hill’s latest call to action to get vaxxed to prevent a local pandemic during the coming wet season.
I’ve always maintained that covid outbreaks are more likely in winter – just look at the history in Europe. and the USA.
But in the hot North Queensland summer? Really?
Jenny must be tonguing at the bit to put on that ridiculous “Chairperson”vest she wears at her Disaster Planning Committee meetings to show everyone who’s in charge, like during floods.
Scary stuff.
And then denies nit wasn’t her call when sh e made the flood gates fuck-up.
The word is ‘Disastrous’. Her Disastrous Planning Committee.
Dave, the name is Disaster Planning Committee – because it plans disasters, like timing of the opening of the Ross River Dam flood gates.
Disastrous describes the result.
Just saw “ANAL” trying to talk down the wisdom of Oz buying Nuclear POWERED subs from the yanks. Even China is being circumspect, maybe because they also have nuclear powered subs.
Albanese clearly has no knowledge of economics or managing large projects that have a longer life term than 4 years, he would rather do the “noble” thing and buy a sub-standard product before you’re in too deep.
His attitude is all based on ideology and pandering to loonie vested groups, than apply good business sense and get out and lose a bit and reinvest a vastly superior product.
“continued” ANAL’s logic is the same muddled decision of continuing to build the Leaning Tower of Pisa after an earthquake shifted the foundations.
Rather than start again they finished the tower that would serve no generally useful purpose.
Well, it did and does draw tens of millions in tourist dollars every year and spawned a million businesses called the Leaning Tower of Pizza … surely that was the thought to continue on.
Based on that idiom, p’raps the “rainbow” brigade should also flock to Egypt for selfies in front of Sneferu’s Pyramid !!!
RUOK?
Yep Sneferu’s Pyramid is called the “bent” Pyramid
Sore foot – I wouldn’t be too worried. Nothing that the defence people buy or manage seems to work. Subs that are noisy, stealth fighter planes that radar can see, attack helicopters that can’t have weapons fitted and which crash, troop helicopters which troops can’t get out of and which don’t work well in dust, army Jeep things that can’t go off road, the list goes on.
Seems like all our defence purchases are really just donations to other countries in the hope that they will come and rescue us.
Sadly I have to agree, from first hand experience. The bidding process is too cluttered with political requirements dominating over fit-for-purpose essentials.
Maybe a cynical approach would be to buy some stuff from China and Russia to level the playing field?
Also remember the Falklands war when HMS Sheffield was knocked out courtesy of French made and sold Exocet missiles.
Sheffield’s radar was compromised as the French missiles were NATO encoded and were “friendly” incoming!!!
While assisting the Brits with West African port facilities they also armed the Argentinians.
Shades of Vichy French mixed loyalties. French arms sale ad “WW11 rifles for sale never fired and only dropped once”.
Well, you’d hardly expect him to charge.
Smirko is suddenly feeling the love.
it’s gunna be an election issue, the party split is clear – but still well in favour overall for the decision. Here are the full survey details.
https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/8797-roy-morgan-survey-on-nuclear-powered-submarines-september-16-2021-202109160833
That is an incorrect definitive; we are NOT buying subs from the USA, We are contracting them to jointly build subs, with some of their technology incorporated.
Knowing how the Yanks do business, propellors extra.
And although the launch systems computers are included, we’ll be asked ‘You want chips with that?’
Do you reckon in the gender gap approval area (68% men versus 46% women) was because women as a rule, don’t know how to reverse park a sub ?
Asking for a friend !
Like, you do?
Well to be fair Pie…I hear the reason that they let gals fly the big jets now is because they usually don’t back them into mountains !
Mate, say stuff like that and you’ll be in as much strife as The ‘Pie when he recently suggested that Reverse Parking should be an olympic sport for women.
Tut, tut ,tut, Courier, this gets the So What Story of the Week Award.
Look, my courier comrades, if you are going to run this sort of tripe, a little more pizzaz, if you please. The Magpie did his own interview with a parent, you clearly missed it.
EXCLUSIVELY REVEALED!!!
Angry mother Tiffany Prattle was appalled that her little Tarquin ‘ who can’t hold it in more than a couple hours’ was forced to piss in a bucket when a youth armed with a knife forced the kids into a four hour lockdown.
“Just typical of the out of control Queensland police, and this government,’ Ms Prattle fumed to The Magpie’s Nest. ‘Couldn’t they have allowed the teenager to puncture a couple of the poorer kids and then the cops could shoot him dead, job done, no cost to taxpayers and the parents of the wounded kids would more than likely be delighted to able sue for a PTSD windfall. But no, what do these poor excuses for police officers do? They order a lockdown, and my little Tarquin was forced to do pee-pee – into a bucket!!! He was so traumatised we now have to be careful not to say the word ‘bucket’ when we’re ordering the KFC family deal … we did once and he had an involuntary wetness episode.’
‘What is this bloody state coming to, I ask you?’ Ms Prattle asked.
The Magpie’s Nest was unable to answer.
Pie, That’s gold. Well Done.
Just back from a week of holidaying up north. The place we stayed at in Port Douglas had less than 25% of the rooms booked. If anyone has the means to take a week’s holiday, our friends to the north would really appreciate it if you spent it with them.
Interesting story in Courier Mail today that $15m from the Federal Government coffers allocated to the Royal Flying Doctors Service Townsville base has been “stonewalled” at the Qld state government level since July.
I note fleet-of-foot Phillip Thompson pasted the Courier Mail RFDS story, “Millions Fed govt can’t give away” to his website one hour ago. Wakey, wakey TB! Great if we could get a response from, Hill, Walker, Harper and Stewart.
Indeed, and while your tough investigative journalists are grilling Hill, ask about the shonky goings on with Magnis and their unicorn battery factory at Lansdown – as reported your big brother, The Australian on Monday.
Aaron Harper Not Inspired By The Late Ken McElligott
Talk about weasel words!
Aaron Harpic Harper handily wins this week’s award for blatant hypocrisy. His unmitigated gall in the manner he praised the late Ken McElligott in today’s parliamentary condolence motion shows just what a snivelling hypocrite he is … and all out of his own mouth.
The proof is in today’s Astonisher story was the report on condolence motion for the recent death of Mr McElligott.
As is customary on these occasions, past minor brushes with corruption (rorting travel allowances) are glossed over to concentrate on the positives of Ken’s long career in local and state government, and that is as it should be – his considerable selfless contributions should not be dismissed because of relatively minor rule breaking. Even in retirement, he did sterling work for charity.
But Aaron Harper, despite praising Mr McGelligott to the heavens (hopefully Ken’s new address) the current member for Thuringowa apparently didn’t see Ken as worthy of inspiration. This from the Bulletin story:
In other words Harpic, Ken McElligott was everything you are not when he served in the very seat you now grossly abuse, paid to represent it but which you do not … you remain Labor’s Brisbane member for Thuringowa – something you unstintingly praise Ken McElligott for NOT being. Ever think about emulating Ken and doing for juvenile crime what he did for health?
You are a hypocrite of the first water, Harpic, you should be ashamed of yourself (ha!!).
If ever abortion is made retrospective, you will be at the top of The Magpie’s suggestion list.
The screen shot, or similar with Harpic’s words did not come through. There is a little icon half way through the text but on my tablet at least it does not open up.
Fixed. Thanks.
And in the same condolence motion Les Memoryblank Walker sounded envious.
A visionary is someone who sees what’s coming, not a trait shared by this winner of the Jimmy Sharman Canvas Back Trophy.
Must admit the point of the story was to help pick fruit from his 10,000 trees but thought maybe The MN contributors could also help out Sandy Cove Mango Plantation owner Brad Bowen, to name his three as yet un-named new hybrid mango varieties, currently known as NMBP 1243, 1201 and 4069. TB 17/9 Poor darlings – well done Brad!
You could call one labor, sweet on the outside, useless in the centre and if it’s too green it will go straight through you.
If NSW is moving towards home quarantine for one week, why is QLD spending huge amounts of money building a quarantine centre at Toowoomba? Let me guess? Money for the mates!
Reply to Airline: No The ‘Pie didn’t know that person and on the basis of his age, The ‘Pie very much doubts the connection you think might exist. Sorry, you may be unaware but The Magpie cannot be understood non the phone … Christ, people have enough trouble understanding what I write heh heh heh – so any interesting communication like this should be sent to email hidden; JavaScript is required