This ersatz Aboriginal leader has bobbed up yet again, polishing up the well worn begging bowl to ‘help solve’ the aboriginal youth problem in Townsville. But, on known history alone, letting Angie Akee anywhere near public funds is like giving the keys to the cake shop to Gina Rinehart to hold a party for some select mates. The Magpie looks back.
Mayor Mullet’s spectacular back flip … the woman who wanted to secretly spend $18.5million on an airstrip for Adani now dismisses her 10 years of Adani boosterism as something that seemed like ‘a good idea at the time’. But now our gal says, for Townsville, it’s clean energy, full steam (or hydrogen actually) ahead. But The ‘Pie ponders, Queensland courts allowing, is this a canny political move aimed at Canberra?
The Australian Navy opens Davy Jones Locker and finds … some booty! A pointless bit of idiocy at a naval ship launch suddenly raises a couple of interesting questions.
And oh woe is us … the city suddenly adrift without a council economist at helm. The man behind the phantom stadium hotel suddenly quits.
Plus The ‘Pie remembers when the pompous Berk of Edinburgh got shot down in flames …
But first …
Royal Australian Navels
… and buttocks.
Over time, momentary dance crazes flash through our lives … the Boogaloo, the Strut, the Hully Gully, The Limbo, The Chicken Dance, the Pride of Erin … all soon disappearing into the cultural delete bin of temporary insanity.
And thus it was with The Twerk, a momentary craze that reached it’s nadir when Clive Palmer caused a nation to lose its breakfast when he did an impromptu twerk on television. And we basically thought that was the death knell for this inelegant and distasteful attempt at Gen X licentiousness.
But no, in one of the most misguided attempts at PR cleverness, some idiot opened the Davy Jones Locker and re-found the booty. Somewhere, someone, somehow decided this was just to unsavoury thing to entertain grave-looking, beribboned dignitaries at the launch of a new Australian Navy vessel. (‘Oh, just brill, Nigel, where do you get your inspirations from?’) mind you, it didn’t just ‘happen’ – Bentley imagines the gruelling task of cast selection.
Not withstanding the fact that many of these dignitaries were used to sitting and watching a bunch of unappetising bums (usually in Senate Estimates), this whole farrago was judged to be a tad overboard.
Even ABC News was tweaked (or should that be twerked) for selectively editing the piece to make it appear that certain dignitaries were watching with interest when in fact they had not even arrived at that time. It is no surprise that the sisterhood has been up in arms on social media on the troupe selection in the first place, which led to a bit of girl-on-girl stand off. A spokeswoman for the troupe said the social media storm now made them ‘feel unsafe’, and then mysteriously suggested that the ABC coverage was ‘creepy’.
“We found this very creepy and reflects more on the ABC’s camera operator and their need to sexualise these women and their dance piece for their own gratification. The ABC have a lot to answer for in making us feel threatened and exploited.”
Will you tell them, folks, or shall The Magpie?
It’s like this, dearie, if you’re going to go about shaking your thinly covered anuses in what you mistakenly imagine is a sexy manner involving a bit of literal slap and tickle, that would be sexualising yourselves, wouldn’t? So WTF DO YOU EXPECT.
At least Helen of troy used her face to launch a thousand ships, a far more preferable choice than this collection of barge-arses.
Beware This Begging Bowl: Aboriginal Elder’s Old Tricks
They say when you don’t know history, you’re bound to repeat it, but in the case of the Townsville Bulletin, when you don’t know your OWN history, it is professionally unforgivable.
And so it is with this unquestioning, uncurious and lazy story by Shayla Bulloch.
You can bet Angie Akee wants more than just a voice. This woman knows no shame, bobbing up now as a suitable role model for indigenous youth … well, perhaps she is actually already that, because Angie Akee has played more fiddles than an Irish Dance Orchestra, skating back and forth across the line of legality for a cash grab here and a spot of nepotism (‘my mob’) there. Her activities are well documented and extend from Cairns south to the Bowen basin … with one interesting episode involving Adani in particular. A sampler from over the years in various publications.
yet this week, the goofs down at the Astonisher write unchallenged crap like this:
One of it’s co-founders, Bindal woman Angelina Akee, said elders were the only people who could bring culture together and create solutions.
“We found that everybody talks about it but no one is prepared to do anything,” Ms Akee said. “The elders are taking action and establishing this council so we can address these things, and the departments and governments have a group of people to discuss (issues) with.”
Naturally, despite all sorts of window dressing, the bottom line of any such talks will be the actual bottom line indeed … public money. By the barrow load. And it is absolutely fair and correct that state and federal government funds should back such a community-wide problem. But as with all taxpayer monies, any such funds should be fully and properly accounted for.
And on the evidence, if Angie Akee and her hand-picked cronies are allowed to administer and account for such funds, that would be the equivalent of opening your wallet and saying ‘help yourself.’
Because this woman, along with her hand-picked ‘mates’ – including relatives – have form. Boy, has she got form.
But the Townsville Bulletin reporter clearly didn’t make the least attempt at any background to this week’s story, which was no doubt instigated by Akee or one of her acolytes. And that is unforgivable, because Angie Akee was at the heart of the 2011 story that won Kath Skene and the Bulletin it’s only ever Walkley Award for investigative journalism.
The Magpie’s Bottom Line
This looks like heading towards another rort, pure and simple.
This week’s Bulletin story tells us ‘The group is made up of social workers, education experts and dedicated community members entrenched in the issues Townsville youth are facing.’ Given the leadership of this group, it is not unreasonable – nay, imperative – that it include an independent financial expert. And one who isn’t indigenous, so that there can be none of this cultural rubbish of appointments and payments to family members.
Rather than head south on a fully paid jolly for rounds of meetings demanding money for the ‘problem’, these folks should come up with a detailed and fully costed plan with clearly defined and unalterable KPIs. Then, and only then, should this group go to the relevant agencies for financial backing. That’s how other applications form public money work, not vague and lightly veiled accusatory demands of ‘you owe us, you stole our country.’
While we’re here, The Magpie would like to say that over the years, he has had occasion to cross swords with Gracelyn Smallwood, whom the ‘Pie believes has been at times a deeply divisive and negative figure … BUT he has never had a shred of evidence, or a single reason for suspicion that Ms Smallwood is a crook.
That can’t be said for all others in the aboriginal industry who prey on their own.
For Your Files
The Legal Affairs and Safety Committee report on juvenile crime in Queensland and proposed measures was tabled in parliament during the week.
You may leaf through its 140 odd pages at your leisure here. Or just cut and paste this link Report No.7, 57th Parliament – Youth Justice and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021
Jenny Hill’s ‘Road To Damascus’ Moment … Or Is That ‘Road To Canberra’?
As, one way or another, her time at the top winds down, it has been pitiful to watch Jenny Hill’s floundering around of wildly seeking a legacy mitigate her disastrous decade in office. But even so, her interview in the Guardian this wekend was a jaw-dropper. She told the paper she regarded Adani as just a good idea at the time, and unequivocally she declared that clean energy – and not thermal coal – is Townsville’s future.
This in effect is Mayor Mullet going the full monty (no comments, please, it’s metaphorical – and its breakfast time for most) on renewables, rather than the stuttering and far from decided proposed Eco-Industrial Precinct at Lansdown, 40 kms south of the city.
She made it clear this is a grab at some sort of ‘clean green’ legacy, even if it was a bit oif a two-bob-each-way bet. “I will always support mining, but it doesn’t mean we can’t take advantage of these new technologies and bring manufacturing back into this country. This is about re-imagining the economy for my community and building it. If it works here, it can help ensure we get growth.” Which is about the least you could do for ‘your community’ after so many false starts and weird trips down impossible rabbit holes (Strand lagoon, anyone? Maybe an Adani airstrip? A sustainable water/sewerage infrastructure, perhaps?)
This new direction may explain the Mayor’s presence at the Port for an MOU signing that had absolutely nothing to do with her or her council (see following story), but then, a thought occurred.
As reporter Ben Smee, looking at Hill’s history, pointed out “Townsville’s place at the forefront of the coal wars have made Hill, who is a member of the ALP, a prominent figure in the party’s schism over coal and climate.”
It is quite possible that Jenny has tempted the wrath of some local Labor folk with her now luke-warm, indeed tepid, support for coal mining jobs, because she has been tapped on the shoulder by federal Labor, desperate to ramp up its green credentials for the next election. And maybe, just maybe, her new green credentials may be rewarded with the elusive and long desired spot on Labor’s Queensland senate ticket.
But can you make that journey from Correctional Centre to Canberra? It still seems Jenny Hill’s ultimate political future remains in the hands of the Queensland judicial system for the moment.
Has Lansdown Missed Out Yet Again?
The desired rush of Eco Industrial outfits clamouring for a spot in the scrub out at Woodstock is yet to eventuate. And on the evidence of the Bulletin (for what that is worth), Ergon’s new hydrogen venture won’t be sited there either.
The Magpie
April 15, 2021 at 11:34 am (Edit)
This is a great feel-good positive story, but the reporting of it raises a couple of interesting questions.
Did you notice that this story has a couple of interesting tell-tales, apart from the fact that everyone in the photograph is doing their best not to look at Mayor Mullet. And we’re trying not to look at the casually disrespectful dress sense of the locals for what appears to be a photo call meeting with two suited-up Japanese businessmen from Kawasaki.
Note this from the yarn:
“Origin’s project involves the development of a hydrogen production facility, where solar, wind and grid power will be used to split hydrogen from recycled water, a gaseous pipeline of some 13km used to transport hydrogen to liquefaction units and storage tanks at the port.
Ms Underhill said they were looking at a number of sites for the production facility.”
13 kms of pipeline? That’s a pretty specific number, has a location decision already been made, but they don’t want to start a land stampede? And 13kms seems a bit too close for use of the government’s SDA land near Sun Metals, BUT it’s way short of Jenny’s baby, Lansdown, which is 40kms from the port. But about the right distance for, maybe, The Bohle.
And that’s the thing that sticks out like prawns eyes, particularly in a story in the Bulletin …. there is absolutely NO mention of Lansdown anywhere, which means one of two things … Lansdown is a non-starter, otherwise Jenny would’ve have been gurgling on about it no end (maybe she tried and was ignored), or maybe Ergon will go bush that way and Jenny is trying to save it up as a big chest thumper for herself in the near future. That’ll be an uphill battle for her in any event, since she had nothing whatsoever to do with Origin’s decision, seems the Port has made the crucial running so far.
NB The Pie’s promise of a comprehensive list of promised initiatives and projects that never happened remains a work in progress, but events overtook the blog this week, so it can still be added to. Drop a suggestion into comments so we don’t miss anything in the fairytale of the past decade.
No Subs Still Means Sub-Standard
The staff turnstile at the Astonisher keeps clicking over steadily, as we get new star reporters from the Gympie Times, and no doubt soon, one from the Betoota Advocate. But as always, no sub-editors are deemed worthy of a spot for the reasonable support of over-worked staff, and the predictable results follow. Like this.
The Magpie
April 15, 2021 at 11:52 am (Edit)
New face, old problem.
A copper up on misconduct charges has enough on her plate with apparently new reporter Hugh Suffell suggesting she suffers a split personality disorder, and is actually two people.
Reporter Suffell mysteriously writes:
“Morgan Elizabeth Lyons appeared in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Wednesday after she was charged with using a restricted computer without consent and cause or intend to cause detriment, damage or gain.
Ms Lyons was arraigned on one charge of disclosing dashcam footage obtained through the knowledge through the performance of the duties of a police officer.
The footage showed an incident in which a teenager was hit by a police car on Palm Island and was leaked and shared on Snapchat.
Ms Morgan’s solicitor Claire McGee appeared via video link and asked for the charge to be transferred to Brisbane for a guilty plea.
Ms Morgan will appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on April 21.
The Bulletin understands Ms Morgan remains employed by the Queensland Police Service in the Townsville region.”
Seems Ms Morgan/Lyons is an ideal subject for our commenters’ thread about personal collective pronouns used for individuals. But The ‘Pie is in two minds about that.
Quick, Call Darwin, How Will We Manage
The Magpie
April 15, 2021 at 11:30 pm (Edit)
Oops … that there were nine green bottles …
Seems Townsville is without a council economist from (last) Friday.
David Lynch
David Lynch, main protagonist for the phantom Hilton Hotel by the stadium leaves the TCC tomorrow (Friday 16 April). The ‘Pie is told that David left the council chambers a couple of hours early on his last day, so he could write his book on his achievements while at the council, before going down to the pub for farewell beers. But who can forget his initiative to …. ummm , to …. well, you know, these sorts of blokes work humbly and anonymously behind the scenes to make this place the great city it is, to let others take the credit, and pick a few years salary as payback from Mayor Mullet for helping with the fairytale of the Hilton Double Tree Hotel … which seems to have turned out to be the Double Cross Hotel.
Maybe David will go back into partnership with Dolan Hayes, perhaps?
Passings
By the time you are reading this, they will have planted Berk of Edinburgh and the media will be wringing the last bits of information to whip up further apathy about his passing.
The Berk’s questionable reputation for wit, enjoyed immensely mainly by himself, (haw, haw, haw, chortle) was based on one’s taste for pompous, often racist putdowns of people who had little or no chance to respond with a well deserved ‘… and up yours, too, mate’.
But not always.
The Magpie’s favourite anecdote was when The Berk copped a devastating zinger when trying to make merry of a Brazilian admiral’s awards. They were at a ceremony overlooking the central lake of Brazil’s capital Brasilia, the admiral, like the Duke, sporting an impressive array of medals, which prompted this regal half wit to joke, ’What did you get them for, battles in the boats on the lake here?” The greatly offended admiral replied,’ ‘At least I didn’t get them for marrying my wife.’
……………….
The Magpie
April 16, 2021 at 11:35 pm (Edit)
Andrew Peacock, the former Liberal leader, has died in the US.
Unfortunately, Peacock will be most famously remembered as the butt of Paul Keating’s scathing wit, when he was described by him ‘a painted, perfumed gigolo’, and again, when seeking to regain Liberal leadership, Keating asked ‘Can a souffle rise twice?’
Peacock himself preferred the media name ‘the colt from Kooyong’, but he never made any substantive contribution to Australian politics compared with his contemporaries.
But blog commenters being a disrespectful lot, couldn’t resist the opportunity.
- CotCase
April 17, 2021 at 9:36 am (Edit)
So Drew Peacock is finally stiff. (Say it out loud).
Their A Weird – And Deadly – Mob
Another massacre in the United States and still the Republications refuse even the minimum of gun reform … what possible excuse is there for people to be able to legally buy military grade weapons for personal use? (Please, local crazies, don’t bother replying.) The Afghan withdrawal, voter suppression and the COVID response dominated images this week.
Subtle Understatement To Avoid Panic
And Finally …
Here in Townsville, we can match it with the best in the world … or so says someone down at the Astonisher …
Grand Central Park, eh? Well, yes, there is a definite resemblance. Guess it’s a matter of scale.
…………………..
That ‘s it for another week, but comments are proving a lot of fun … some very witty ‘I wish I’d said that’ moments, join in, you can submit 24/7.
And if you would like to help support this ad–free labour of love and its never-ending costs, you can also donate to the cause 24/7, the donate button is below. The ‘pie will be forever grateful.
Thanks again Pie for highlighting past issues in Townsville that a Journalist with a little “nous” would uncover . Paul Jacobs ex Councillor last Council meeting covered by the Townsville Bulletin Feb 2020 . Council failed on Transparency, Belcarra is crippling Council engagement , current term of Council failed to be honest and transparent on the $18.5 mil for the Adani airport and battery plant at Woodstock . The words from a Councillor in Council so no further evidence that Team Hill Councillors are complicit to letting the Mayor operate with little or no transparency , not informing Councillors on deals she has made and they support . A measure of how out of touch T.C.C. are , didnt our Mayor recently predict “Economic Calamity ” after jobkeeper finished and Caitlan Charles story in 2020 the then T.C.C. economist said T.C.C. research predicted unemployment to peak at 14 % and the Townsville economy would take a $530 mil blow .
“Rather than head south on a fully paid jolly for rounds of meetings demanding money for the ‘problem’, these folks should come up with a detailed and fully costed plan with clearly defined and unalterable KPIs. Then, and only then, should this group go to the relevant agencies for financial backing. That’s how other applications for public money work”.
And yet, since August 2020, jolly fully paid Phil O’Herbert is sitting on $195m with no plan and no KPI in sight. $195m for a single LNP electorate, no strings attached. How good is that!
That is simply the dumbest, lamest attempt at a cheap political point you’ve ever achieved, NMD … and that is quite an achievement. Totally irrelevant and very legal issue involved in the blog piece, and not a good look for you, appearing to condone the rorting behaviour by people completely unconnected to this totally legal issue.
‘Pie, from the Leppington Triangle to the Sports Rorts and Murray-Darling Basin, we constantly see government members blowing billions without consequences. Even the treasurer uncosted the Jobkeeper thing to the tune of $60 billion and no one blinked an eye. And that’s just this current Commonwealth government. Our state and local governments do exactly the same and we keep electing them.
Precisely. And The ‘Pie sincerely hopes you’re not suggesting a ‘their all doin’ it, why bother?’ approach to the local parade of lost opportunities. Big media players can look after the big pictures, while we here can do our bit to expose the grass roots waste and false promises at the local government level in Townsville. This blog ranges far and wide, but it’s primary focus will always remain Townsville and matters anywhere that affect the city. An yes, we keep electing them, because better qualified, more trustworthy alternatives do not present themselves.
Also, isn’t the Leppington thingy … that’s one about the feds paying some cronies $30M for $3M’s worth of land, isn’t it? … currently under investigation. Haven’t seen anything that has given that a clean bill of health.
What you are saying NMD is that you have asked the three useless Clots and probably The Mullet as to where the promised $195m from the state for the pipeline has disappeared to, and have been told that only $6m has been allocated for engineering purposes, the rest has gone to the southeast to help fill empty state government coffers. Your attempts to distract are obvious.
Get a life Dredger
Ff, I would if only the Tradie would stop verbaling me. If he (and you) would look up the ABC news from August last year he’d see that the QG expects the $195m project will spread over 18 months. So far only a few mill has been spent on ‘design’ stuff, whatever that is. Seeing as the dam is at 60+% capacity there’s no particular hurry to complete the pipeline. I guess there will be shovels in the ground by the end of this year but I’m not holding my breath, unlike Tradie who must be trying to set a record.
NMD, can you remind me why Mr Thompson has that money? Wasn’t it through a cheap political stunt from the Dick Treasurer who spat his dummy (and the money) after a made up GST stunt?
Yep, that’s pretty much my recollection. But here’s a reminder from the ABC in August last year:
“Federal Member for Herbert Phillip Thompson was quick to dispute that [Qld Treasurer’s claim], claiming the figure was incorrect and that the GST was incalculable at that stage.
Mr Thompson said it was not the appropriate time for GST exemptions to be considered either.
“This is all just electioneering,” he said.
“The GST exemptions get done at a certain period of the year which isn’t now.
“If this project were to be considered by the Independent Grants Commission it would be done in March next year.”
Just as a matter of interest and a sort of comparison, would you know whether the stadium’s Commonwealth $100m funding was considered by the Independent Grants Commission back in the day? Did that funding affect Queesland’s share of GST allocations that year?
Freddy Mercury wrote a song that could be matched up with those Navel twerkers – Fat Bottomed Girls. Seriously, there were some real heffa’s among them, which in my opinion proved that ‘diversity’ is being embraced within the Navy. The other positive note is that they didn’t hire Cher to strut around in a thong sitting on the ships equipment, and there was no sign of Clive shaking his big white pimply ass.
TT,
Pimply ass? How do you know this? Just asking.
There’s a joke in there about the donkey vote, but can’t quite pin it down.
I heard they were hired as they were an “indigenous” dance group. I would have thought that there group’s name should have caused alarm bells to ring that they weren’t going to be doing any sort of traditional indigenous dances.
And where did you ‘hear’ that?
Yeah Gal, where did you hear that, or are you on the inside? Which one are you in the blog pic today?
A BBC report on the matter reports that the name of the dance troupe is “101 Doll Squadron”. I wonder if that is their regular name or one for the Navy gig?
Every time I see a story about people like the Akee’s I feel my never ending and sometimes obsessive goal of paying as little tax as possible, completely justified.
David Lynch’s departure was kept quiet by Council but in fact Ralston didn’t renew Lynch’s contract, and he has taken a job at AEC . Lets hope Prins doesn’t appoint “Nous Consulting “ to replace Lynch so he could take a double clip as CEO / Consultant .
And the Townsville Council needs to come clean about Prins Ralston’s residency situation … surely it is totally unacceptable to have a CEO who is not residing locally in the community over which he holds great sway, and also has many other interests outside the city, some of which could conflict with our interests (like being on a board in Mackay). His background would suggest that, if he isn’t somehow compromised already, he is in a position to be negatively influenced on Townsville priorities. Is it true he flies out each Friday – and often Thursday – to Brisbane, and returns on Monday? If so, at what cost to the council (i.e ultimately, us?)
It must be up to ratepayers, not political playmakers, to decide if this situation is acceptable.
One would think that the Astonisher would be all over this roat quicker than Clive Palmer going after an accidentally dropped party pie !
The Prins situation is a total joke however the lack of investigative journalism by the dopey local rag remains an embarrassing joke !
The TCC CEO also has a Directors position with the Gladstone Ports Corporation also, so that now means he has business interests in Brisbane, Townsville, Gladstone and with Darwin Council, that we know of. No wonder he only works 3 days per week on average for Townsville Council.
Sorry, ‘Pie said Mackay from memory, meant Gladstone.
This is truly a scandal that cannot be ignored. Understand privacy laws won’t allow it, but it would be very instructive to have a look at the (105 was it?) other candidates for the CEO position. Must’ve been the biggest parade of sorry-arses if this grifting clown got the mayoral nod.
This is blatant corruption, the CCC really should be called in. And the voters and ratepayers should remember, complacency and laziness is proof of the old saying: if you don’t stand up for something, you’ll fall for anything.
Privacy laws might be applicable to publicly printing the residential address of our fair weathered Prince in Townsville, but it should not prevent the TCC from releasing details of whether the Prince or TCC pay the bill. After all, if TCC pay it then it is coming out of taxpayer/ratepayer monies and we should be allowed to know.
Any half decent newspaper with half decent reporter would investigate this, even if a FOI was to be lodged. Hell, they could even hang around Townsville airport Mondays and Fridays and quickly work out when the Prince flies in and out. Having a FIFO CEO is a disgrace. If we are paying his rent, that is even worse. Does the TCC pay for his cab vouchers, hire car, or have a Council car allocated to him?? That is another financial cost being met by the ratepayers, who seem to not give two handfuls of monkey crap about their hard earned ratepayer dollar being pissed away on this bloke.
Luxury car, phone, computer, corporate credit card etc etc are all part of the std CEO contract. But this bloke has got his snout well and truly caught in the trough.
‘Pie,
We have not heard much about the two independent councillors or there ability to shine a bright light upon this Mulett-led council’s darkest crevices. While I accept that they would get no coverage in the Astonisher I thought that their successes, or at least, their valiant failures, might feature in this blog. Any news?
As stated in today’s blog:
NB The Pie’s promise of a comprehensive list of promised initiatives and projects that never happened remains a work in progress, but events overtook the blog this week, so it can still be added to. Drop a suggestion into comments so we don’t miss anything in the fairytale of the past decade.
Pie, Are the $8 million Federally funded solar trees included on the list?
Is that the glizy once-every-two-weeks lighting thingy outside Total Tools stadium?
No, I thought they were planned for the walkway beside the creek at Central Park.
isn’t that primarily an entrance to Total tools?
Hi Alah
I think you will find that the solar trees were a QLD Government jolly folly. It would be coming up to 12 months since announcement, so definitely should be added to the list.
Never confuse independent with “good”.
Slap on a cowboy hat and someone will vote for you.
It is certainly a major problem when the Astonisher rushes to print a story with the Akee family front and centre without any checks on names linked to past dodgy performances when in charge of taxpayers dough. I believe there was a lot more to the last fiasco that was not made public, and just where DID the money and vehicles go?? The whole sorry mess should have been seriously investigated by the fraud squad, and if the Akee’s were then found completely innocent, we the wondering might have a different take on the latest plan. Anyone who serves on a committee as proposed has to be squeaky clean and STAY that way, and maybe even be expected to get some results! I’ll be certainly waiting for that one!
There is a special place in the firmament of public disgust reserved exclusively for those who prey on their own, while all the while, preening in public as upright citizens and wise indigenous elders. They are a major part of the problem, and nothing whatsoever to do with any solution.
In terms of the junked projects list, the Riverway waterpark is another. I don’t believe that has ever been started despite many announcements.
A lot of annoucements but little action from the Council.
I do not believe Phil Thompson’s collection of projects for the $195m is necessarily the best governance practice but I do hope it delivers and projects start and finish under his watch. Imperfect progress is better than perfect bullshit.
Agree with your sentiments re PT … but it is now getting on a bit by now, and one hopes Phil wasn’t in the artillery as a ‘gunna’.
Not so sure if the purple doona queen will get a tap on the shoulder for a federal Labor gig. She is starting to become damaged goods in the eyes of the political world. Albo has already been filling his Xmas basket with likely candidates for various locations and that includes the 4 foot tall Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett who will run for the seat of Flynn because the geriatric cardboard cutout Ken O’Dowd is shuffling off into retirement.
I’m hopeful that Phillip Thompson can make sure the $195m is spent soon because we might be able to build some momentum in the economy if it is invested widely
Any particular projects in mind pasta-head?
I like PT, but I suspect the $195m might get stretched out to be used as a carrot at the next Federal Election.
That would be politically disastrous … Labor would say exactly what you’ve just said, and people voters certainly resent the money being held back for political by-play.
So, no, pretty sure not.
Will there ever be a good time for Phil O’Herbert to announce financial support for the Lansdown project as part of a promised City Deal?
Surely the Lansdown project will be eligible, as you say, ‘city deal’ funding, state and federal, using any of the $195M ‘windfall’, which has never been characterised as being part of city deal funding, for that purpose means we are not actually getting the bonus value trumpeted by Phil and Canberra when the state so grandiosely and deceitfully refused those funds for the pipeline and said they’d stump up themselves. Otherwise, it’s just political paper shuffling with none of the promised ‘gift’ status about it, and if that’s the way it was always going to be, why try to make political capital out of mythical cash splash bonus which can then be openly seen to be totally duplicitous.
There’s an informative history of Lansdowne/Lansdown/Landsdown if you google Lansdown Cultural Heritage Study – lots of maps and diagrams.
One for Jenny’s junked project list is the luge, cafe, and performance area for the top of Mt Louisa. Council are flat out providing water or adequate parking for the walking track.
There’s actually a massive car park around the corner for the mount louisa walk, it went in about a month after opening.
NMD , how can Phillip Thompson ( or business / people in the community ) show support for Lansdown because the only information T.C.C seem to have released is a one page colour brochure . No details on planning / environmental approvals / costs to Council / entities yet Molachino / Mayor Hill want $50 mil from the Feds . Let us know if you can find any details NMD .
Mike, the Lansdown City Deal has numerous statements from all levels of government – a whole bunch from early March 2021. Take your pick. More recently, last weekend the Guardian had an article referred to by our Magpie. Despite having state land available near the port the state government seems quite happy to promote development of the Council’s Lansdown site and I won’t be surprised if the federal government backs it because it looks all shiny and lithium and ‘sustainable’ even if it involves a dirty old nickel refinery in the headwaters of the Townsville water supply. Follow the money – everyone else is.
That’s fair comment, but it doesn’t address the basic problem pointed out by Mike and others, including The ‘Pie … because the mayor seems to think she has both state and federal government’s in a Christmas Hold on this issue (‘give us the money or I’ll cut you’), she therefore has the arrogance to submit a wholly inadequate one page ‘brochure’ in support of a claim for $50M+ of federal money. For Canberra, or Thompson if we’re to waste the Townsville $195M windfall when City Deal money is available instead, were to give a commitment based on this flimsy backgrounding and feasibility would be both irresponsible and quite possibly illegal.
‘Pie, I doubt the feds will fund something outlined in a one-pager from TCC. But there’s obviously a whole other momentum being built up around this Lansdown/pipeline duplication thing that both state and feds have an agenda for. And a marginal seat set to have pork barrels dumped anywhere they can fit – in the next 12 months. JHill can lie back, think of Malta, and welcome a splurge of foreign and local dollars that only Adani could dream of. They are fighting over her, she’s not resisting, the electorate is peeling grapes and the Cowboys are winning FFS.
As of this moment, it’s fair to say that Thompson is winning the battle for hearts and minds but hasn';t quite got us by the balls yet (which famously precede winning the first two). He has Labor in a lather … especially when a usually coveted chance at a plum seat at the trough is knocked by the two most likely Labor lads, because they realise Thommo will be hard to toss short of a disaster (and with the current state of play in Canberra, that’s not out of the question, but the local lad may have distanced himself enough, especially shielding himself with defence issues, to retain the seat no matter what the national outcome).
Either way or more likely both ways, JHill gets to don the hardhat, cut ribbons and dine out at state and federal expense. And if she plays her cards right there might be a new water treatment plant near Lansdown (connected directly to the Burdekin River via Stage2) which can supply industrial and residential development on the south side for decades to come.
NMD – important not to combine the duplicate pipeline (which will carry raw water into the headwaters of the dam) with the Lambsdumb Precinct.
Unless they are stored in some absolute fantasy location there are no plans and there is no technical possibility for the water to be turned around and sent back upstream past Woodstock unless the Toonpan Treatment Plant (there is one for the list Magpie) is resurrected and built.
The existing good people of Woodstock have, I believe, been told repeatedly that they will not get any water from the pipeline and the treatment plant is not planned in the forsessable future despite TCC owning the land for it.
Engineer, having access to the piped water would probably be preferable to a new refinery using local bore water, QN-style – where the whole Black River aquifer is signed over to (now) Clive Palmer for QN’s exclusive use, indefinitely. That has become quite a big imposition on Black River landowners. Also, that Burdekin piped water would be available for wheeling and dealing by whoever ‘owns’ it. Just another duck to be levered into the row.
Thompson’s winning the battle for hearts and minds has everything to do with his mastery of the “Don’t look here look over there strategy” and his all care no responsibility approach to politics. Poking his nose into hot button local and state issues to appeal to his ‘constituents’ knowing full well he need not concern himself at all with deliverable’s and outcomes. Of course he doesn’t get any real scrutiny from you or your ‘parliament’ of loyal Hill-hating subjects. Puff pieces in the TB? Good on ya Phil. No word on the $195 million 9 months down the track? Take you time Phil. Calling JH’s ‘mental’ state into question, a direct reference to a tragic accident that could have happened to anyone? Take it to the bitch Phil. Half price flights from Townsville promised at the beginning of March? Still waiting Phil!! Any chance you’ll be showing as much resolve to dig into Thompson’s non-starters? Of course not!! As the Elliott Gould character (Dr Sussman) says to the Jude Law character (Alan Krumwiede) in the movie Contagion on his claim of being a writer “blogging isn’t writing. It’s just graffiti with punctuation”. And graffitti really is just an attention seeking pastime isn’t it Magpie?
Indeed, and doubly so for those who comment on blogs.
Classic tactic there, take your heroine’s greatest deceptive ploy – “Don’t look here look over there strategy”, and pile it onto a very effective opponent who has you all soiling your small clothes. Don’t like getting some of your own back, do you, jelly wobbler?
Unfortunately there are some indigenous leaders who believe that due to their holding certain positions they also have the right to do as they wish with taxpayer money, which usually includes benefiting themselves personally. If you call someone like Angie out over this behaviour the racism card is instantly pulled. Angie Akee has a stinking reputation and shouldn’t be allowed to hold any position that includes financial control. Any person earning a living from any level of Government is bound by legislation, several Acts and governance regulations, regardless of skin colour or nationality. Somebody needs to look at her previous history before letting her loose with the keys to the vault.
Sadly, this sense of ‘entitlement to rort’ is not confined to the indigenous community, all you have to do is look at our council, and expense money spent on fruitless proposals that would never see the light of day. Trip to the US for a battery factory meeting, anyone?
The Melbourne Comedy Festival is coming to town and if last Friday’s Editorial is any guide, editor Warhurst could make a guest appearance – and steal the show.
The Editorial headline reads YOUR PAPER RECORDS AN IMPRESSIVE MILESTONE, and Warhurst devotes 25 paragraphs to waxing lyrical about the performance of the Townsville Bulletin, in print and online.
Some of the classic lines are:
-“The Bulletin prides itself on being first with the news in North Queensland and providing in-depth coverage of stories that matter to our readers”
-“For the first time the website has had more than 10 million subscriber views in a financial year”
-“The EMMA (created by News Limited because they didn’t like the real readership figures released by the highly respected Roy Morgan group) data revealed the Townsville Bulletin reaches close to three-quarters of all Townsville locals each month across its print and digital platforms”
And the clincher:
-“”The big thing for the Bulletin is the paper can’t deliver the news without help from its readers. So if you have a tip or an idea don’t be afraid to email, text, call or contact the paper via social media. The more readers let us know what’s going on the better the paper can deliver the news”
Warhurst obviously forgot to add:
“But don’t bother about sending us any tips on Jenny Hill’s behind closed doors deals, or scandal about any of the paper’s 50 Most Influential.”
And the Astonisher’s wrassle with ’rithmetic goes right to the top, it seems.
Iditor Warhust has given us a perfect example of a ‘false syllogism’ … that is, as Steve of Belgian Gardens well know and deliberately practices, is taking two known facts and reaching a false conclusion (short version: 2+2=5). And in this case, it seems deliberate for a reason.
Here’s how this three card trick works: yes, 128,000 is about 72% of the paper’s circulation area, and yes, if you’re going to believe Rupert’s bastard child EMMA, 128,000 people read the paper every month. BUT THAT SO CONVENIENTLY IGNORES THE INDISPUTABLE TRUTH THAT ALMOST ALL THOSE READERS ARE THE SAME ONES WEEK ON WEEK. SO THAT MAKES IT AN ACTUAL MONTHLY READERSHIP OF 32,000.
But that doesn’t sound like a good thing to tell advertisers on the rate card, does it?
But our jester can’t help himself, with that last line. NEWSFLASH, Craig: YOU are the only newspaper in town, so what rivals? You’re surely not referring to the solid performing stable mate the Courier Mail, are you? Heaven forfend, man!!
Magpie, methinks you are way out on a limb here, but on the basis of your calculation…over the past month you received about 220-250 comments a week. You usually contribute a least a 1/4 of comments with the remainder comprising multiple incursions by your sorry followers. A back of the envelope estimate is that your contributorship (~30-40 week) would fit snugly into Phil Thompon’s office. Quite the influencer!!!
Not being a smart arse, Rusty Gillette, but haven’t a clue what that last line means.
Seems even Ergon doesn’t believe government Youth Justice reforms will change much. One reader thinks Ergon has decided to make it harder for the little snots to pinch their power poles.
If the Townsville Bulletin editor thinks his online edition is “first with the news”, how does he explain some of the stories which are up to 7 months old?
Like the yarn about an ex-Gold Coast MMA boss revealing crime secrets, dated 18 September 2020. Yes that’s right, 2020!
Or Shari’s column about Townsville’s water, dated 27 February 2021.
Or the senator complaining about net zero emissions (17 February, 2021)
Or the preview of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (1 March 2021).
Or Meghan Markle being a menace to the royal family (11 March 2021).
And he wants us to believe that millions of people are reading it.
What for Mr Warhurst, not-so-recent history?
Timing is one thing, substance is another. As the iditor says, he brings to Townsville all the news we want to know … like this riveting yarn Last Friday.
Riveting stuff, a block of dirt in Kunda Park. My kind of news article, can’t wait to read more!!
ABSOLUTE FUCKING SHIT!
You ingrate … they’re doing it all for YOU.
I am sure all the people on the Sunshine Coast who read the Townsville Astonisher will be well informed about what is happening in their area.
Many have said Mayor Mullets support of Landsdown project is folly as the company has no significant funds (public records). But a councilor informs me that although they have many KMs of Flinders Hwy frontage they are using backroads creating traffic in the town. Mayor Mullet has asked the Feds for help, may be to build a front door.
That’s rather confused wording, what company? Could you outline that in clearer detail, sounds interesting.
Not sure in which “town” Groper thinks the “traffic” is being created (not Woodstock surely?) but an article in I-Q might explain something:
“29 Oct 2020 — “Labor is backing Lansdown as the new home for manufacturing in Townsville … The State Government has committed $12 million to upgrade access at the … approach to the precinct on the Flinders Highway,” Mr Harper said.”
JHill will attend the opening no doubt. Phil O’Herbert less likely.
Mr. Pie…re: Lansdown and your mysterious 13km….TCC Press Release, September 15, 2020.
“Townsville City Council is seeking a $50 million investment, which would deliver:
* intersection upgrades to provide road access to the precinct, which would also have positive safety outcomes for Woodstock residents;
* relocation of the rail infrastructure to maximise strategic opportunities for creation of a multi-user rail siding within the precinct providing a second method of transporting product to and from the site through to the Port of Townsville and the North West Minerals Provinces;
* provision of a raw water supply for proponents from the Haughton Pipeline Duplication Project located just 13km from the Precinct;
* creation of internal access roads that will immediately facilitate finalisation of the first stage of DriveIT NQ and enable operations for all early Precinct users to commence; and
* a precinct-wide gas microgrid that will support 24-hour industrial operations within the precinct, supplementing low-cost solar power feed for day-time uses.
Excellent, all clear now. Thanks.
Question: whose responsibility for the upkeep and improvement to the Flinders Highway? State or commonwealth, or a mixture?
All clear? You’re joshing right?
Yes, it’s all clear what Mayor Mullet wants (which is what The ‘Pie wanted to know), but if she thinks she’ll get all that for $50M, what is not clear is what planet she is from. The gap between reality and her cloud cuckoo land financials is wider than ever.
What the hell is going on with the security of our defence bases and our national security.
Thank heavens this bloke was just a bit more game than the average Townsville crim and not a terrorist.
Any responses from Phillip Thompson or the Federal government on how this intrusion onto a defence base happened.
https://mypolice.qld.gov.au/townsville/2021/04/18/trespass-of-military-base-townsville/
Crits, might be better to ask the RAAF mob at the base the question.
How the f..k would the Federal Govt and Thompson know why and what happened???
C’mon this is a very silly comment old mate!
Federal government was used in a broad sense as ultimately it is the Federal government and it’s departments and agencies that are responsible for the security of Australia and the related facilities.
The defence dept decided some time ago, primarily under that fuckhead Rudd Govt, that base security should be handled by the likes of Serco and other similar businesses and the RAAF security police was reduced to a small force to primarily look after secured assets like planes, etc. Lavarack is much the same with a private company in charge of base security and the Military Police doing a back up role and administration of the defence force itself. I am always amazed we have not had some serious breaches of security at our defence bases, our security is a pathetic joke. You go onto any American base and you will see armed security personnel, regular base perimeter patrols and a serious respect for base security. The ADF has a model of passive, non armed security, augmented by private service providers, so basically anyone can just walk in and do whatever they want.
Cbh,
Please relax, and personally test your theory of waltzing into Lavarack Barracks, and doing what you want and report back to all of us.
I could quack on regardless about regional threat assessments and resultant security posture but I won’t.
Just tell us about your Lavarack adventures, the facilities you successfully breached and the response from the, what was it, “passive pathetic non-armed security joke.”
I know you are not a sad keyboard warrior sitting in a dimly lit room filled with stale air and old McDonalds wrappers, but a man, or woman, or transgender, or intersex, or gay/lesbian of ACTION. Go Cbh! Go to Lavarack Barracks! And report to us all.
Oh, and on your return tell us all what you learned about defense, or in your case, security, in depth.
Everyone knows that the defence buildings are just a decoy. The real base is underground just like Area 51.
Yep, in the WWII tunnels under Mt Louisa.
What, the Castle Hill ones full?
Townsville airport is woefully inadequate when it comes to security. The security gimps at the domestic terminal are meant to ensure that breaches don’t occur. Anyone who gets airside has a clean run to the Defence side of the airport. The domestic security staff couldn’t stop a rat from running up a stormwater pipe. Personally, I believe there should be military police patrolling the airside area from vantage points that have sniper towers manned 24/7. Anyone who places so much as a finger through the perimeter fence, loses it! It’s what the military are trained to do so let us get on with it.
“Us”? Liar.
Credit where credit is due, its good to see that you have finally worked out how to spell “Sergeant”. That said, your childish fantasies (obviously gained through playing some first person shooter game) amply illustrates the fact that you are still a fuckwit.
Darwin is the same, although the gap between the two is larger there is still an easy passage onto the RAAF side of things, most joint user facilities have the same issues although Williamtown doesn’t seem to get the breaches that Townsville or Darwin do, it’s distance from town would also have some effect on that. Breaches are a regular occurrence, it’s only that this bloke stole something that it become public knowledge, on most occasions details are recorded but no charges ever come of it, the Defence Dept should get tougher on it and start charging people and take base security seriously.
Where did you get the information about ‘regular breaches’,Cankers? If you know about them, why haven’t they been reported by our sensational-slavering local media? Not challenging, just asking.
I’ve noticed that NMD has been very active in this thread, trying to divert attention onto the LNP, sticking it to Phil Thompson. Obviously NMD is worried that those Labor mates might get tarnished and the brown paper bag deals may come to an end. NMD’s ramblings are becoming more desperate and more bizarre with every comment. Desperate days for NMD.
Noticed that, too. Great, isn’t it?
The ‘Pie, despite the fevered comments of some, does not support or subscribe to any party, but loves shooting fish in a barrel when blinkered partisan’s come to the Magpie party.
NtE, I’ve got a private mailbox on the highway at Lansdown. You’d be surprised who is lurking around out there dropping letters, picking up packages and making strange hand signals. No one-page pamphlets though. Should I text the TBully or Jenny?
NMD, Moved from the island, I see.
I respectfully understand that Mr Pie does not like links being posted (this one is not behind a paywall), but the article is a good example of how crooked, incompetent and dysfunctional Councils abuse and misuse taxpayer and ratepayer money, YOUR MONEY, and in particular grant money from received State and Federal agencies. I wonder if Mayor Mullet and her team have tried to smooth over issues similar to what is in the below article?
https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/roads-to-ruin-serious-questions-about-billions-spent-on-recovery-in-queensland-20210318-p57bzl.html
The ‘Pie has no idea where you get the idea The ‘Pie ‘doesn’t like links’ … he loves ‘em, but only when they have a point and are relevant to a current issue. Like yours, which is happily posted. The links that are not welcomed are, as you have apparently noted, those behind a paywall, they are both futile and frustrating for readers.
And the issue you raise was powerfully covered by an almost completely ignored statement by Senator Malcolm Roberts last year which was featured in The Nest … it is a shame that his detailed and undeniable truth came from a person usually so full of dingbattery that it could be safely ignored. The LGAQ must be rejoicing.
Little Rupert, have you and Gunny been smoking the same herbal medicine? We have an area 51 in Australia? I guess in theory anything is possible, but our dumbarse Government doesn’t have the brains or ability to keep such a secret area secret for very long. Fuck, we can’t even get our Submarines built or our fighter jets to fly. We don’t even have more than 3 weeks aviation fuel in storage. Yet our illustrious leaders have an underground Area 51? I guess that if they do we will shortly hear of some rape and sexual assaults being reported by the #metoo movement.
Oh, you foolish, foolish gullible person, Full Moon. Of course our ‘dumb arse government could keep such an area a secret. Stands to reason, dunnit, that if they can maintain an underground network of slave children used for paedophilia and breeding across the nation and with international links – as at least three posters on TRRA have tried to report but were deleted, thank you, Peter Newey but give us a reason not to believe them – then it would be an absolute doddle for this ‘dumb arse government’ to secretly maintain an ‘area 51′ for captured aliens somewhere, probably Townsville where they wouldn’t be noticed if they escaped and hid in plain sight in the Upper Ross or Yarawonga. The Government has already groomed some of them for special tasks. You don’t really think Peter Dutton is human, do you? And you can see the Roswell Effect if you look closely at any pics of Bronwyn Bishop.
Ok mate, you’ve got me convinced. Between Dutton and many of locals in Townsville I can see how how the reptilian rumour could be justified. If we see Pete Newey wearing a tinfoil hat, naked, and have a knob throttle to the tune of ‘2001 Space Odyssey’ I will grab my emergency go-kit and head to Charters Towers. No terrestrial invaders would go near the place.
If you get any pics of the aforementioned Newey activity, please DO NOT forward, and destroy immediately …. that will help Townsville maintain its status as a mentally healthy city.,
Qld Police are always notified, but little comes of it, probably why it seldom is reported. Military Police have little they can do with civilians who enter bases illegally other than contact QPOL who always take them off the base and record their details, but no charges. This time there was a theft and I presume someone will be charged, someone must have tipped off the Astonisher,
An Olympic Size Mistake.
The reasons we should hope that we don’t get the Olympic nod just keep on coming. This is verging on the disgusting, the pinnacle of craven political populism, given the parlous state of so many public sectors in Queensland. And there is no way the bottom line will ever, directly or indirectly, justify this prodigal spend of public funds.
NB: in the second paragraph she refers to the bid as being SE-QLD’s, so don’t expect any benefits flowing in our direction.
I think that’s likely to be the Courier-Mail’s wording
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/91915
Wherever it came from, it is the truth. but even Anna is way to smart to say such a thing.
I really can’t see what the problem is, Mr. Pie?
That’s only $125,000 a seat!!
The Magpie needs help … yes, yes, know many have been saying that for a while, but ….
(NB This is a photo, link to video below)
Please watch the video which is purported to teach high school kids about consent and general decency, and then answer a couple of questions that have The Magpie stumped:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3aHhNKIcKU
Questions:
1. WTF is the message being conveyed, what is it trying to say, The ‘Pie had no idea English could be used this way?
2. And 2; on a scale of 1 to 10 – 1 being ‘none’ and 10 being ‘luckier than a lotto winner’ – how lucky is this twat of a sheila that she didn’t get a smack in the mouth from El Dorko, or even a hearty kick in the slats. The makers of the video also failed to explain that what she did the boy is actually assault.
Oh, and another question, again on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being ‘outraged’ to 10 being ‘boiling oil to good for the bastards’, how do you feel about whoever thought it OK to use taxpayer dollars – $4million!!! – to make this tripe.
The outcry has been so great that the two of the several vids have been taken down just minutes ago.
Nothing is done without a profit for mates with public money. Who did the ads? What links did they have with Lib or nats figures? And was the company or a subsidiary a donor? Or are THEY a subsidiary of a donor?
From what I hear owning companies that make u-tube ads or sell facebook ads or develop mobile “apps” is the new lurk replacing owning traffic control companies and getting your other government mates to mandate that every hole in the road needs four blokes leaning on poles smoking durries for a minimum period of 8 hours. Remember the good old days when corruption needed paper bags and cash?
Reliably informed that one of these apps cost north of half a million smackers and is generally something that a teenager could knock out in a few hours in their bedroom – even with porn and snack breaks.
Have a look at the current list from George St alone – https://www.qld.gov.au/services/mobile
This the moronic company that made the ads, and the gruesome details of cost.
Seems to be a bit of a giveaway in the name, Hee Haw … Liquid Interactive. And you can bet the liquid wasn’t bloody milkshakes. What knobthrottlers.
Yes but have a look at the contract and submitted dates, The thick plottens as they say on the Two Ronnies
Liquid have picked up a lazy $21 million in recent years from government for various projects and consultancies.
Wow, $4m on that fucking crap? A couple of D grade actors reenacting a bukkake scene. The ‘male’ in that video looks like he has just left a Catholic Priests dormatory.
Being polite, decent and respectful DOES NOT mean you have to be a nancy boy. Reckon the kids who have seen this are still in fits of laughter and ribald giggles. The writers, director and actors (especially the smug voice over twerp who sounds like your priest on the make) should all go into hiding … after they’ve given the money back.
The name Andrew Duval comes up and there were other contracts.
I just watched the video. Shocking. Several years ago a woman offered me a taste of her vanilla milkshake and I obliged with a sip. She insisted I take a bigger sip which I reluctantly did. It was forced and very violent in my opinion. I feel violated and now cannot drink vanilla milkshakes, only caramel ones.
The ‘Pie doesn’t believe a word of that, fatso.
True. I can drink all milkshakes especially vanilla ones.
Please … no coded personal ads accepted here.
Whatever happened to Mullet’s dream a couple of years ago of Townsville being the Arts and Cultural Centre of Northern Australia.
https://www.cairnslocalnews.com.au/entertainment/cairns-gallery-precinct-set-to-become-world-class-tourist-attraction
Cairns will now have the Arts and Cultural Precinct (this project) which is linked to the Entertainment Precinct (the Cairns Performing Arts Centre and the Munro Martin Park landscape and Soundshell) and the Cairns Botanical Gardens Precinct which includes the Tanks Arts Centre.
A bit sad for Townsville really!
The arts will go ahead in the form of some spectacular phallus sculptures put out the front of Council Chambers – apparently one for each dckh$&d employed in Council hierarchy.
A program of ‘living statues’ would be cheaper, and councillor and senior bureaucrats could just do it in shifts. And we should alert all Townsville pigeons.
Talk to them, ‘Pie. I doubt the town pigeons would give a shit.
Les “ Messagebank “ Walker, the gift that keeps on giving for the LNP, who, as Councillor and deputy Mayor, could have fixed sewerage issues for Wulguru residents, and let a Labor-aligned lawyers Flinders St building look like the Ghetto, thinks it’s a good idea to attack defence Minister Peter Dutton and his wife over Edison Plaza, Wulguru . A quick bit of googling would have told you Les the Duttons are into childcare centres ( join the dots ). So whilst youth crime remains out of control , domestic violence spiralling and public housing is pushing people on to the streets , all issues Les has some some control over, the focus is on politics to try and deflect from these key issues and get back into the good books with Brisbane puppet masters .
Really the hypocrisy is breathtaking … when Walker was sworn in as an MP, he must have thought he was taking the Hypocrite’s Oath.
Now that he’s a state MP, this coward decides to urge the council to act on a purely political point scoring exercise, knowing he is in no danger of being called upon to lift a finger or – heaven forbid – answer a phone call, as he’s no longer a councillor.
LIKE HE DIDN’T OVER ALL HIS YEARS IN COUNCIL WHEN THE BACKYARD SEWAGE SCANDAL STARTED AFFECTING HIS DIVISION 10 RESIDENTS. BUT NOT ONE SINGLE FUCKING WORD ABOUT THAT ON-GOING DISGRACE FROM THIS ARCH FUCKING HYPOCRITE.
And add an extra dollop of dishonesty because these businesses whose loss he bemoans from days of yore all migrated to the glitzy new Fairfield Waters Centre, which he voted for in council.
Nothing wrong with the Fairfield Waters development, that’s progress in the form of natural market forces, but why should an owner be penalized when tenants leave a property under these circumstances, a property that doesn’t look derelict, just empty – unlike a lot of places in the CBD, a sink hole for council funds which he assisted in wasting.
Here’s a question you certainly won’t answer Les: if the property was not owned by Peter Dutton’s wife, but, let’s say, Labor bagman Barry Taylor, would you have made the same demand for a petition and of council.
In a pig’s eye you would. As said, arch-hypocrite.
Shiny new born-again Les could take a look at Sunvale next door to Stockland Aitkenvale which has degenerated into a urine stained and vomit ridden mess since he and Jenny let Stockland get away with shuttering it as part of that now failed redevelopment.
He could also grab a weed-eater and have a look at State and Council controlled roads around the area.
it is the very dim pot calling the potatohead kettle black.
All those residents emailing Les after his election win asking for him to do things; like fix state roads, address crime etc; received a lovely little response telling them to leave him alone because he was busy. Busy doing what? Avoiding emails? Not answering his phone? Getting punched out?
The Pie has done it again!
On page 7 of yesterday’s Astonisher Jenny Hill explains “why Townsville City Council’s ämbitious plans to revitalise Castle Hill have changed”.
Instead of a zip line, cafe, and pedestrian boardwalk, ratepayers apparently should celebrate the fact that we now have a $3.9 million mini-park with a couple of shade structures.
Nice one Jenny, getting in first before the Magpie’s list of promised council projects hits the net.
Stay tuned for next week’s installment of excuses – What happened to the Strand lagoon, Cowboys stadium laser light trees, etc etc?
And any more anyone can think of, can add to the list if any suggestions have been missed.
And yes, it was blog reader’s anger that sparked others to take a similar view, because the Bulletin never raised a voice about the cost until the appalling waste of money was highlighted in The Nest.
Magpie, you might as well add the “new” Casino extension which is a dusted off version of the last one, of the previous one, of the one before that. So many times it has risen from the sea like Godzilla and then just quietly sneaked away again. might as well add it to the list of failed projects to save time later on.
Well, actually, no, can’t agree. Morris has proved to be one of the few people around willing to spend money on upgrading and development, and this is a believable move that makes business sense … the site is ideal and the developer – Morris – is already here and proven he is willing to put his money where his mouth is. He’s not some shadowy out-of-town entity (hmmm, wonder how Craig Gore is enjoying life, or whatever happened to that Thompson twister who made a failed bid to snatch our yacht club on Ross Creek?) The ‘Pie is certain the Bulletin will report on the steps along the way from application lodgement to approval.
However, the Super Yacht marina is a different matter that Mr Morris might find a tad trickier, because approvals there will no doubt have a heavier involvement of the extreme green bureaucrats of the Great Barrier reef Marine Park Authority.
But we can’t let pass the opportunity for a speculative jump off the high board … the marina concept, which you will note includes a helipad, no doubt has in mind what The ‘Pie believes is an agreed arrangement with the developers of the Bluewater Equestrian Holiday Resort, aimed almost exclusively at the Chinese market (well, it was, we’ll see how that pans out, Peter Newey must coughing in rompers just thinking about it). The idea may well be, as reported here more than two years ago, that there will be a sort of sealed circuit of Chinese high rollers and even more modest but cashed up punters shuttled between the Bluewater resort, the casino and a rumoured planned venture involving Morris on Pelorus Island. Airport heli pick-ups will ensure such valuable tourists will not have to run the risk of our roads, or even worse, bumping into Peter Newey on a drive out to Bluewater.
In this back up story (silly headline, like, who is going to object?) business editor Tony Raggatt writes:
“Another hotel project, a Hilton DoubleTree by Focus Pacific has been proposed for the stadium precinct but with other projects like a new hotel and ferry terminal project on Ross Creek looks to have been delayed by the impacts of COVID-19.”
C’mon, Tony Raggatt, you’re a better journalist than that … the Hilton project by all widespread reports is dead in the water and has been for a while … come to Townsville to overlook weed ridden toxic railyards near a mozzie-infested creek (named Ross to emphasise the point). Suggesting it was delayed by COVID is generally regarded as a furphy, BUT if those widespread rumours are not true and the project is going to go ahead, surely it is your job as a journo on this beat to say so. Besides, on the jobs front, if it is going ahead, thats surely good news, isn’t it?
That aside, this is strong positive news for the city:
“Mr Morris said the Townsville hotel property was full on weekends and had run at 90 per cent occupancy since its $45m redevelopment in 2018.”
And The ‘Pie got a belly laugh out of this barely coded message to the TCC Planning and Approvals people.
“In a statement, Mayor Jenny Hill said: “While the development application is yet to be formally and independently assessed by council officers, the fact that the proponents have lodged the application is a major vote of confidence in our city and the local tourism industry. Should the application be approved and the project proceed, it would create jobs during construction and ongoing jobs in the hotel.” So, by all means, be formal and independent, guys, but just you try knocking back the application now madam has spoken.
So folks on the upper floors of Walker Street, if you don’t approve it .. and bloody quick smart at that, too … you will destroy construction and permanent jobs. So hop it to it. So start ticking those boxes.
Why would we encouraging any more investment into Australia from China, a country openly hostile and threatening to its neighbours?
I could mention the concentration camps, torture and body snatching for organs to be sold to rich buyers but this is an irksome fly in the ointment for some here.
There’s Tibet and the systematic destruction, invasion and killing of the country and those nice monks. Taiwan readying itself for a full blown military invasion and we are still seeing the quislings coming out of the woodwork telling us they aren’t so bad ( as long as all that lovely loot flows into the pockets of landowners and property developers).
I get the feeling the same chaps after chinese money would be sniffing the balls of the Nazis if they were still around.
Morris was on ABC this morning – plans submitted to Council, but no specific timeframe. Might be planning ahead but keeping their powder dry.
Messaebank Walker gets up in the media about Edison Plaza.
Now waiting for Harpic to try to get himself some media exposure by demanding action to be taken to clean up the deserted and run down Sunland Plaza at Thuringowa Centre.
It’s a wonder that Mullet hasn’t demanded that these abandoned shopping centres owners do some maintenance to keep up a reasonable appearance and not look so run down and attract the low lifes of this city.
While having a look around Sunland Plaza about two weeks a lady from the sandwich shop advised that the centre had recently been sold but a lot of work needs to be done as it internally floods when it rains.
I see that the Bulletin has made another apology today, regarding the introduction of a petition for enacting Lucas’s Law, claiming it was Lights Out Les’s doing when it actually was done by Phillip Thompson.
yup, tucked away nicely bottom left page 2.
When called for urgent advice on curbing such violence, law and order expert Aaron Harper has proposed a tax on matches.
Yes, it’s just about time we brought back the death penalty for anyone who sets someone else alight. Surely the most gutless wastes of oxygen walking the planet. And no mental illness defence either.
That’s what I’m talking about. Death penalty for rapists and for murderers of innocent women and children. And the bullshit mental health defence or the ‘I was high on ICE and didn’t know what I was doing’ bullshit does not cut the mustard any more. You do the crime you do the fucking time irrelevant of the circumstances or any other bullshit lame excuse.
‘The time’ in this case is eternity?
Sergeant Roadbase, no doubt you’d be lining up to hang Lindy Chamberlain for murdering her baby Azaria. She appealed her conviction left and right including the High Court but to no avail. The death penalty is repugnant public policy. Don’t even go there.
Oh, be a bit flexible, Dredger, he only wants to top rapists and murderers of INNOCENT women and children. If a few guilty women and children get done over, well, Gunny would rate that a public service and buy the bloke a beer.
Dredger, as in any war, there is always collateral damage. Hell, even our dickhead government admits that some people will die from blood clots and reactions to the COVID vaccine, however the few outweigh the many. And yes, perhaps a handful of innocent people would die out of the thousands of guilty grubs who rape and murder women and children. But no system is perfect. And as for rapist and murderers, the proposed execution should not be done immediately. Let them rot in a cell for 20 years first. If DNA technology advances further and at some stage innocence can be actually proved, then set the bird free. On the reverse, if you go to the chair as an innocent but wrongly convicted person then hopefully your spiritual beliefs and values will ensure that you end up in a much better place than this putrid cesspool of a world we live in.
Well, while The Magpie’s blog has always boasted that it is a b road church, the old bird never thought it would encompass the deeply, darkly disturbed, indeed the clinically insane.
Seek help, Gunny, unclench the fists, stop the throbbing veins in your scarlet temple (brought on by the failed effort at coherent thought) and stop flinching at every shadow in this world. You poor, poor mutt.
(Of course, all the above is null and void if you are, as the Magpie suspects, some acne-ridden teenager who types this stuff with one hand (don’t ask, don’t ask … you know). And it’s no excuse that you are just espousing the doctrine handed down to you by your daddy, in between banjo hymns in the Church of Fundamentalist Fuckwits.)
Mal, there is treatment for skin cancer, it’s a cream called Efudex (cost $55), it’s prescribed by almost all Doctors, we’re told NQ is the capital of the world for skin cancer, yet this cream is not on the PBS, it’s covered by the Defense PBS, I’ve contacted Senator Macdonald, Phill Thompson, the Cancer Council and the manufacturer INOVA Pharmaceuticals, they all say there is nothing they can do, I get the feeling they’ve put it the too hard basket, the Defense Force didn’t find it too hard, hopefully a few of your readers might like to inquire why it’s not on the PBS. Ralph.
It’s not on the PBS because the manufacturer has not made an application to the PBS committee (or it has been declined). It is a long and laborious process, quite rightly. No politician can just make it happen. Pharmaceutical companies of very expensive drugs make a shitload of money. In the case of Efudex, they may realise that there will be few additional sales by listing on the PBS because people can and are affording the $55 anyway.
Pineapple, Guy, not everyone can afford the $55 for Efudex, as you stated, you’ve had many of these skin cancers and they don’t appear until later in life, pensioners find it difficult to find the money for this treatment, so the reality is they don’t get it and as for the statement that it takes time to get this treatment listed on the PBS, if no one starts the ball rolling it will never happen and the people who I listed are the main people to get it on the PBS and I might add they all agreed that it should be. It’s the old story the noisy wheel gets the most oil and at the moment no one is making any noise, this is what I’m about, I’ll keep trying for every one, including you pair, take care, Ralph.
TBH, Efudix is not that expensive when compared to some medicines. And it works really well but it can make you quite sick. Picato is more expensive and in my opinion is complete shite. You only get a tiny tiny amount of ointment, so if you have lots of skin lesions it’s useless. I’ve had hundreds of BCC’s, a dozen of SCC’s and one Melanoma. It’s not fun and I wish I knew back in the 60’s what I know now. Protect your skin my friends and save yourself a lot of heartache and pain.
I’m sure that the roads around our shiny new shopping centre up here at the Upper Ross are constructed with road base that is 50% sugar. A few drops of rain and they melt away.
Are you saying the Government is feeding the people cake?
Fairy cake?
At last!
A project that will actually be built in Townsville:
“THE Ville Resort-Casino in Townsville is planning a new $80m hotel project adjacent to the property that its owner, Chris Morris, says will be “pretty swish” – today’s Astonisher.
Far be it from me to give a bloke like Chris Morris advice, but please mate, don’t let Jenny Hill anywhere near this wonderful project.
One bright aspect for Chris Morris and the city … the aboriginal industry will have a hard time claiming the land as sacred site, since it is all reclaimed … oh, shit, wait a sec … lost dominion over the fishes that could’ve swum there, been caught there, and fed the indigenous population, as it has done for 40,000 years?
Good luck, Mr Morris, maybe a brown paper bag to Angie Akee’s front door step will sort that out.
You should remember, that like Adani, Gore’s and Lord Ashcroft’s corrupt fast tracked canal estate got an ILU before it dissipated into duck pond scum. There isn’t much difference historically between these opportunists and the native police of the 1800’s.
Ummm, RUOK, Swami” Turban a bit tight?
Absolutely OLTD, Jenny Hill could ruin anything by just simply being near it, let her nowhere near the bloody thing. I would suggest a Mullet inspection point along Leslie Thiess Drive to make sure she gets nowhere near it, and security patrols in case she tries access by water, we can’t be too careful, one way or another she will be determined to fuck this up like everything else in this town.
She might commandeer an RAAF Starlifter to get her high enough to parachute down for an inspection and advice.
I can provide the security detail.
Given your general equatable outlook, Gun Nut, one assumes you will recruit your security detail from the Not-So-Secure Mental Unit at the TUH.
GSH – you pathetic creature. You are full of bullshit and an insult to real servicemen.
Grumpy, it’s not politically correct to use the term ‘servicemen’. It is servicepeople’. You, being a former stores officer for all of your career, should know that. The closest you came to a weapon was ordering parts!
‘Service people’ are for restaurants … servicemen and servicewomen are both outdated language anyway, all are soldiers, sailors or airmen, in the defence Forces.
But good to know you’re woke, Cap Pistol Back Lane.
GSH, once again, you prove that you have no fucking idea of which you gabble If you are going to pretend to be a soldier, at least use the proper terminology. Fuckwit.
OLTD, never fear old mate (or matett ) Morris is definitely no fool. The original developers of 2007 era were seeking $55M for the site and Morris being the logical buyer paid less than 20% of that figure. Besides all that Morris is a decent bloke to do business with and has Mayor Mullets measure.
Her ongoing promises and lies re the proposed Strand Lagoon, probably haven’t been forgotten by the likes of Morris who has been willing to put up a lot of skin in Townsville.
Gotta love those boys at The Shovel … this is a beauty.
Surely if the story was real ScoMo would have called Cronulla or any other NRL team,…..
Interesting note in this Astonisher story today. We read:
Mr Mosch (Magpie: that would be Magistrate Mosch) allowed the Townsville Bulletin permission to remain in the closed court hearing, saying it was important a “fair and accurate report” of the proceedings was in the public domain.
Duty lawyer Lorelei Billing opposed the application on the grounds it would be prejudicial to the boy after members of the public illegally shared his name and photo online.
Ms Billing said as a result of the “concerning” posts, the boy’s family had been harassed.
No application for bail was made and the matter was set down for sentence in May.
Well, Ms Billings, know you’re only doing your job to shield your client from justified public outrage, but your failed submission to ban media was ill-conceived on two grounds. First, the little bastard is the one who is your client, not the parents or family … and secondly, consider that your 16-year-old client did not reach this point in a long history of offending had not his parents, either through neglect or abuse, had a hand in shaping his anti-social behaviour.
So let them share a little of the pain being suffered across the lawless landscape that Townsville has become.
There was a murder in Townsville a few years ago. Very horrific. My mate lived next door and was first on the scene. He was obviously a witness. The family of the accused were basically threatening everyone on social media – and they were all innocent people. I have no sympathy for someone who has done something horrible and then gets a hard time because everyone knows who they are and what they did.
Dear Pat Coleman:
Sincere thanks for once again offering The ‘Pie the opportunity to give a plug to your FB page and at the same publish defamatory material about local folk. However, this is an area of activity which many readers believe The ‘Pie has adequately covered himself, so we will decline with thanks your latest offerings and long bow conclusions. In this latest one, don’t understand what your point is, anyway … seems all legal and above board except for your suspicions.
Your ever-luvin’ old bird,
‘Pie
Chicken
No, a Magpie. We ain’t that dumb
I’ve seen enough rubbish from Coleman on this blog, let alone go and read his rambling on his FB page.
Point of order, Mr Speaker. You rarely if ever see anything from Coleman on the blog … you very occasionally see something in comments (out of the dozens he sends in which swiftly go to delete heaven) when it is relatively sane and not too foam flecked. The ‘Pie is very careful about censorship, especially from readers, and often publishes views with which he does not agree, but he will not allow the blog comments area to become a ersatz facebook, which he regards mainly an echo chamber of ignorance and/or banality.
The Magpie has the broad policy that readers have a limited right to have their say, but they do not have a right to be taken seriously or be believed … and they cop whatever flak they get in return fire as part of the process.
To be fair, Pat Coleman at least is prepared to act on what he believes in. Australia has no express right of free speech (which is chilling in itself) but there is an implied right of political communication found in the Australian constitution. That right has been helped to be defined by Pat Coleman. The High Court decision in Coleman v Power is mandatory study for every law student since 2004 and has been cited in dozens of decisions in every state since in matters relating to insulting language to police powers. Australia is a better place for his actions. While his motives and communication style may be way out there, he is not a keyboard warrior – he practices what he preaches which is more than many do. People may strongly disagree with what he says and does and even believe he is crazy, but no-one should insult him as a person or his commitment. I am reminded of a quote from an Oscar Wilde book: “Agitators are a set of interfering, meddling people who come down to some perfectly contented class of the community and sow the seeds of discontent among them. That is the reason why agitators are so absolutely necessary.” I would suggest Pat Coleman is an agitator.
Fully agree with all that, but Pat is so obsessed with his conspiratorial views to the exclusion of any judgement of readability, often relevance, and sheer bloody length, with no effort to put together a tight coherent point that is easily grasped, his offerings here are unusable because of his total lack of editorial discipline.
Pat’s one word comment date/time 22 April 5.02PM above.
“Chicken”,
Was that his entire comment, or was it abridged out of necessity?
It was in reply to The ‘Pie’s trashing a defamatory comment he sent in … one of many. Pat is actually just trying to piggy back on the Nest to link folks to his own site.
I never said he wasn’t loopy or deranged. Imagine trying to mark his uni assignments…
The jury’s still out …
You have to wonder which side of the line Townsville Council falls. Even with the COVID kickalong we are royally rooted.
One in three Queensland councils are financially unsustainable – https://inqld.com.au/news/2021/04/22/one-in-three-councils-could-be-financially-unsustainable-auditor-general/
Well, if you’re going to say that, you need some evidence. Reading the report, it seems to mainly target indigenous councils, and a lot of that problem is that they have no real paying ratepayer base. But Townsville gets a dishonourable mention for the way it has written down the Entertainment Centre … as Nest reader Phillip Batty highlight almost a year ago.
Magpie, do you not read Magpie’s Nest? We the readers keep showing the financial incompetence of TCC and the repeated questions about the shifty financial things that go on here.
The blog makes great reading – strongly recommended.
Pat’s rants are getting more bizarre, and his paranoia about the police is getting much much worse. Pat, have you been attending Area 51 conspiracy parties with Pete Newey? Cos I think the tinfoil has short circuited some of your neural pathways champ.
COVID stupidity. Repatriation flights from India are to be reduced by 30%. Why 30%??? Why not 18% or 95%??? These fuckwits are making this shit up as they go. Absolute baloney.
The 30% is based on an algorithm using algebraic principals and the old pie (lol) to the power of two formula. The end result is we are all square rooted times two.
I see George Christensen is pulling the pin, I wonder what story is about to pop in the not too distant future
George Christensen has announced that he is retiring at the next Federal election. Pity really, as all of today’s politicians are boring fucknuckles and George provided a bit of entertainment.
Having a shot at Mayor of Manila, maybe?
If you read GC’s Media release carefully enough you will see he has something else already lined up.
Here ya go, folks, just dropped … happy days are here again … or read it and weep.
Media Release
Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services
The Honourable Mark Ryan
Palaszczuk Government’s strong new Youth Justice reforms passed by Queensland Parliament
The Queensland Parliament has passed a suite of strong new Youth Justice reforms that will target hardcore recidivist offenders.
To support the tough new measures, the Palaszczuk Government is also delivering a new $98.4 million funding package to support the crackdown on youth crime.
The Youth Justice reforms target the small cohort of recidivist offenders who cause a disproportionate amount of harm in the community.
The new funding package includes $38.3 million to support new measures that will target those hardcore youth criminals and crack down on juvenile crime.
On top of that, more than $60 million will be invested over four years to support programs and services that are showing positive results in steering young people away from offending behaviour.
The new funding will deliver more resources to the frontline, with a trial of GPS monitoring devices and the expansion of Co-Responder Teams.
The funding will also provide the enhanced supports to high-risk repeat offenders and their families
Minister for Youth Justice Leanne Linard said the new funding followed more than half a billion dollars of investment in early intervention programs and new detention centre beds.
“This new funding package backs up new tougher measures and laws to monitor and supervise young offenders and provides more resources for frontline workers and courts to deal with repeat offenders,” she said.
“Importantly this funding will ensure a greater level of supervision and support on weekends and out-of-hours and includes the roll out of two additional 24/7 Co-Responder Teams, bringing the total number of Co-Responder Teams to eight.
“Community safety has always been a priority for the government, that is why we have continued to provide record funding for youth justice reform.”
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the package of Youth Justice reforms was about targeting the hardcore repeat offenders – those 10 per cent of youth offenders who are frequently putting the community at risk.
“That is why we have made these changes, including to bail laws.
“Ten per cent of all youth offenders account for 48 per cent of all youth crime.
“It is this group we are targeting with all the legislative and front-line strategies at our disposal.”
The new $38.3 million funding package expands on existing programs and services which includes –
a trial of GPS monitoring in Townsville, North Brisbane, Moreton, Logan and the Gold Coast.
expansion of the joint Police and Youth Justice Co-responder strike teams to North Brisbane and the Gold Coast (in addition to existing Co-Responder teams based in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Moreton and Logan).
enhanced intensive supervision of young people on bail through the Conditional Bail Program, including weekend and after-hours supervision.
intensive support for families of children on bail provided by NGOs in communities.
additional court and legal advocacy services.
Former Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson will report on the efficacy of the measures in six months and Assistant Police Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon is leading a Youth Crime Taskforce to implement the new measures.
The funding will complement the tough new laws aimed directly at repeat offenders. These new laws include –
a trial of GPS monitoring devices for high risk repeat offenders;
a presumption against bail for serious repeat offenders who commit a crime while on bail; and
the ability for a court to seek assurances from parents or guardians before an offender is released
The government has also strengthened existing bail laws to provide further guidance to the courts.
The Youth Justice Act has been amended to include a reference to the community being protected from recidivist youth offenders in the Charter of Youth Justice Principles.
The government has also enshrined in legislation the principle that offending whilst on bail is an aggravating circumstance when the court is imposing a sentence.
The reform package also includes new measures that give police an enhanced capacity to target offenders.
In addition to these Youth Justice reforms, to prevent and disrupt crime, the government has also:
given police enhanced powers to trial the use metal detecting wands to target knife crime on the Gold Coast
strengthened anti-hooning laws to hold the registered owner of a vehicle responsible except where the vehicle is stolen or the owner can identify another driver; and
established a parliamentary inquiry to examine the implementation of remote engine immobilisers
Police Minister Mark Ryan said the government had listened to the community and was acting decisively.
Ends
Media contacts
Minister Ryan’s Office: Ph: (07) 3035 8300
Minister Linard’s Office: Ph (07) 3719 7340
So we are providing a bracelet and a teenage babysitting service.
And are we addressing the root cause?
I think “read it and weep” is appropriate. Mostly sickly shit speak. My English is nearly as good as Markus Ryanus’
FFS, $196 million to be spent on the little snots, one way or the other. The Puddleduck government has shown itself gutless in taking the necessary legislation to protect the community. (Can’t do that, there protected black fellas.)
It does not take $196 million, it takes an act of parliament, and police resourcing accordingly.
When will the Aborigines be required to take responsibility for their own lifestyle, fund it themselves (as all we whities have to do) and be accountable before the law (as all we whities have to do).
And while we are here, if you have not got one grandparent who is fullblood, how can you call yourself aboriginal. You are mostly European. You are an artificial Abbo, in it for the money, and the wider community knows it.
I am off now to lock the cars, the garage doors, house doors and windows, all the while thinking what wonderful parents you little snots have.
Arron Harper where are you?
Dave, it’s obvious that you would like Aboriginal Australia to sort out its own problems and pay for it themselves. Fair enough, that’s free enterprise for you. So we’ve waited 200+ years for that to happen and it hasn’t. I gather that you would like the Aboriginal ‘problem’ to just disappear – but that fantasy hasn’t happened either. So failing all that, you would like at the very least the intransigent Aboriginal youth to be locked away where you can’t see them, where they don’t interact with society and where you are unlikely ever to see or hear them again. OK, but you are going to have to pay for this particular pleasure. And through the nose, seriously big time. Read that sentence published:
“Minister for Youth Justice Leanne Linard said the new funding followed more than half a billion dollars of investment in early intervention programs and new detention centre beds.”
“Half a billion” taxpayer dollars. If you want anyone locked up out of your sight then YOU will have to pay. It will be your unwilling but unavoidable investment. Good luck with that.
Oh, goodness, where to start?
OK, here we go.
“Aboriginal Australia to sort out its own problems and pay for it themselves”.
Yes, the majority would like, in fact have every right to expect, that indigenous Australians at least contribute socially to sorting out their ‘problems’, like insisting on parental responsibility and child discipline and avoiding or at least tackling alcoholism. and drugs (and thus the police). The failure of the latter is mainly responsible for the former. And by so doing, stop endless amounts of taxpayer money being pissed up against the wall, and just fund workable programs specifically targeted at the problem (but not administered by the Angie Akee’s of this world). That is how they could ‘pay for it themselves’.
‘ …the intransigent Aboriginal youth to be locked away where you can’t see them, where they don’t interact with society and where you are unlikely ever to see or hear them again.’
Let’s ignore the inherent silliness of this statement, and just point out that again, yes, if indigenous youths are ‘intransigent’ and refuse to accept Australian law, certainly they should be removed to where they can’t offend, mostly not for retribution but the safety of society … are you condoning the way they ‘interact with society’, i.e. stealing cars, violent home invasions, business robberies, bus muggings and robbery, and dealing and using drugs?
And The ‘Pie for one wants ANYONE REGARDLESS OF RACE who breaks the law locked up, but not to be out of sight, but to be out of my house, out my car and out my business.
These kids have totally misunderstood the axiom that Providence helps those who help themselves … they seem to think that means helping themselves to other people’s stuff. And it seems, so do you.
No, ‘Pie, I said that if recalcitrant Australians of whatever stripe refuse to rehabilitate and are incarcerated then the rest of us HAVE to pay for that incarceration. Just that, nothing more. Dave wants them to pay. They won’t pay. So if we want them locked up then we must pay. And pay an absolute unending motza. And be even more aggravated when the ‘problem’ doesn’t actually go away it just morphs into something else, possibly worse, like the ‘stolen generation’ thing, the ‘black deaths in custody’ thing and the ‘Don Dale’ thing – every decade or so another round of outrage within ‘white’ Australia about our failure, our guilt our need to find a new approach.
OK. Perhaps The ‘Pie has been reading some of your stuff with pre-conceived ideas about your overall position … that’s been justified in some previous instances, but will be more careful with your insights in future.
On more than one occasion, The ‘Pie has pointed out exactly what you say – which is a bit of a ‘well, duh’ – to those who keep demanding ‘lock ‘em up’ … society has to pay for those extra ‘cells’ so whacking naughty folk into the slammer is well and good, but don’t whinge about the increased burden on the taxpayer. It’s tost of being safe.
Nail on head Dredger.
Could that be the money that was allocated for Stage 2 of the water pipe to nowhere ?
Or is it money to employ more and to keep existing do-gooders in a job. Angie Akee and her family must be busily working out how to get their hands on some of this money
Way way too funny, Pat and his Facebook page. Everything from bird watching, paranoia about Nazi activities, police allegedly ‘stalking him’, quoting sections of government Acts, and his jealousy of lobbyists, his manifesto’s and war and peace blogs are mostly illogical and just plain crazy. Pat, it’s time to don that straight jacket and admit yourself to AAMHIU at Townsville hospital. A nice safe padded room along with plenty of mashed potato meals and electric shock therapy await you. You will feel right at home.
You will stop laughing real quick when you’re next out watching birds and the nazis attack you while the police covertly film it.
Ummm … Big frontages?
Actually, typical click bait .. The New Daily’s answer is that both promote getting a covid jab.
They both have aisles wide enough to park a trolley in between?
Hardware?
They both have lots of silicone up there aisles?
Pat has been ranting around town again this week. A number of people think he has completely lost his marbles. Also, Postman Pat Coleman has been mostly ignored for years, which really frustrates him. Between suing people and going to court and going head to toe with our hard working police officers, I’m surprised he has the time to write to the Magpie at all. I’m sure Pat gets tired from staying awake all night, peering out from behind the curtains, making sure the cops aren’t filming him. Paranoid much, Pat?
6 days and no comments, RUOK Pie?
The ‘Pie is fine, thanks, as are the 132 folks who have commented so far this week. Must be your end. Try refresh. And yours has just been published and is showing this end.