Tomorrow’s special council meeting is the beginning of the end for the mildly deranged and vexatious pest, Troy Thompson. It’s consequences appear to be foregone, and largely irrelevant to the gravity of the wrongdoing, but it is just a necessary clearing of the decks for any ultimate sanction or settlement. The councillors must take a decision on the OIA findings, there can be no doing the Walker Street Side Step on this one.
But there will be plenty of wriggle room for our chosen elected ones at Wednesday regular meeting, the agenda gives lots of scope for the accustomed word fog of bureaucracy.
The Bulletin allows the proponents of an airy-fairy project to dismiss the concerns of residents that the proposed development will land them in deeper shit than than the council has already managed to dump them in. More false hope from ace confabulist reporter Lighton Smith. Pretty disgraceful, really.
We look at aspects of Victoria’s disconcerting woke treaty with indigenous citizens, which will encourage greater racial and social divide … but one long overdue change is coming … the method of how it is decided if you actually are an aborigine. Just saying you are will no longer be enough.
And the difference between hate speech and free speech … the hanky wringers clearly do not know the difference.
Here’s the regular bit you can skip over if you like something for nothing. The Nest incurs costs that are not supported by advertising – which is not accepted to ensure our independence – and these costs are met solely by The Magpie. Unless, that is, that you want to help out with a donation. The required link is at the end of the blog. Thanks. And btw, if you think The ‘Pie has it easy doing this weekly gig, he refers you to the final item to in the blog to show you just what he has to put up with.
So Tomorrow, It’s The Beginning Of The End – One Way Or Another
Last week’s surprise announcement of a special council meeting tomorrow took us all off guard, and for 72 hours, no subject was disclosed, so naturally, rumours and speculation filled the information vacuum. It was probably this widespread reaction that reminded the secretive elements in the council and the government that the matter was of great and legitimate public interest, and was one that should be shared with the public.
The councillors have been called in to discuss the long-awaited findings of Office of the Independent Assessor(OIA) in relation to our suspended mayor’s social media transgressions. Some people misread the 11 page report, thinking it was the conclusion of investigations into Thompson’s activities and that the recommended outcome among the various options open to councillors was ‘a wrist slap with a lettuce leaf’, as one Nester put it. But that is far from correct, according to several readers, familiar with the mysterious ways the Local Government gods move.
Monday’s meeting is not paving the way for TT return. Quite the opposite. But the tortuous pathway to some justice for this long-suffering city has found the councillors – who en masse expressed no confidence in Thompson as mayor – legally unable to seek a permanent end to this expensive farce. The reason is a little obscure as legal matters often are (just the way lawyers and bureaucrats like to keep them) but this is a semi-official explanation.
The circumstances with this matter are quite unusual because each of the other ten councillors and
the council’s chief executive officer (CEO) would be potential witnesses and/or had been affected by
the mayor’s alleged conduct if these matters were to be referred to the local government for an
investigation and determination. This would mean that all the councillors and the CEO would
potentially have a conflict of interest in dealing with the matter. In other words, whoever on the council has been criticised/accused by TT (all of them one imagines) can’t make a judgement on its legality or any penalty because conflict of interest rules prevents them from adjudicating on a matter in which they themselves are involved.
All of with which any fair minded person would agree, and so we get to the bottom line of just what can be done. Which, at this juncture, ain’t much. Of the four complaints, Thompson was cleared of three, but got his thieving tits caught in the wringer on the fourth one, an email where he made unsupported allegations of wrongdoing against an unnamed council officer (presumably McCabe). His mistake was to cc it to a number of other people.
From the report:
From Real Shit To Bullshit Promising More Real Shit
And brought to you again by the Bulletin’s shit roundsman Lighton Smith. And one suspects there are a few other shitty characters involved, too.
On Tuesday, the reliable Caitlin Charles reported Poonami residents in Wulguru fear they are again going to be forgotten by the Townsville Council.
Ms Charles reports:
Resident Irma Lapico Fabian also expressed concerns about “repeated sewage overflows”.
“The ongoing problems in Cluden and Wulguru stem from the sewerage network’s inability to cope with the expansions of Lavarack Barracks, the hospital, and the suburb of Idalia,” they wrote in their submission.
“Although these developments were approved by council, the necessary infrastructure upgrades were clearly overlooked. As a result, residents have endured sewage overflows into streets, homes, and even schools — severely affecting both property values and quality of life.”
This situation which has garnered national headlines is a long running problem that the TCC has been unable to properly rectify, so the threat of this project adding to the disgraceful health risk faced by those in Wulguru is very real. Yet just 48 hours later, up pops stenographer Leighton Smith, faithfully transcribing word for word a commissioned PR report from a Sydney firm extolling without question the claimed benefits of the project.
Lighton’s grovel is given away in that headline and strap … where ‘could’ suddenly transforms into ‘would’ in the very next line.
Both claims are palpable bullshit.
But after honeyed words of what is basically an improbable if not impossible dream, complete with shimmering ‘visualisation’ and ‘artists impressions’ Leighton Smith arrogantly and airly dismisses any downside with these astoundingly crass closing words.
Despite a handful of people expressing concerns during the project’s public notification period, a poll of Townsville Bulletin readers showed 92 per cent backing the project, while a social media post had 3300 people in support and 93 opposed.
It is understood that the report was being considered by Townsville City Council and would be addressed during October’s ordinary council meeting.
A fucking ‘handful of people,’ Leighton,? Really??? You are a grubby excuse for a Townsville journalist, mate, you should hang your head in shame. That imperially dismissive wave of the hand, describing a whole suburb at further aggravated health risk, puts you and the paper in an editorial bind and confirms your biased callousness. To seriously quote a Bulletin poll as a reliable social indicator is unspeakably stupid, while the social media numbers are meaningless and unmonitored… and besides, if 3300 people want to see a water park, what question were they asked? It’s a sure bet the Wulguru regurgitated shit issue was NOT mentioned, so of course they want a water park, we all do. And if the 93 opposed are victims of the council’s ineptitude and live in Wulguru, then their concerns certainly trump by a wide margin the wishful thinking of someone in Bushland Beach or Aitkenvale.
Seriously mate, you really should start looking for a job in PR. Has somebody promised you something?
The proponent of this idea, one Shaun McCarthy, seems like a slick-talking chancer and his claims of previous business success could do with a good look at by a real journalist. All indications are he got out of an apparetly mismanaged venture of Anelay on the Strand by the skin of his teeth. This whole water park matter is dominated by fast talking, glossy brochures and fantastic numbers conjured up over a lunch looking at the Harbour Bridge an the Opera House. We’ve been down this path before with Leighton … 20 storey Hive hotel, anyone?
BTW, the proposed site still belongs to the turf club, there’s been no sale, so has it occurred to you to ask them what they think of selling the land for such a potentially anti-social development? Is there an agreement in place dependant on council approval? This is a good idea in the wrong place, and more than likely being pushed by chancers with no real money. $500mill? Yeah, sure. You’re peddling more false hope, editor Poulson, an on-going failure by your lazy, social media-dependant reporters.
The ‘Pie would love to be contradicted on this, feel free.
Anyway, it will be interesting to see if councillors are as incurious as you are, goofy, when they come to look at the matter. No amount of imposed conditions could safeguard the amenity and health of surrounding residents. It will tell us a lot about our councillors, but not about you, Leighton, you’ve already told us who and what you are.
Maybe Attending To Stupid Errors Would Better Employ Your Time, Jill
You really are a pack of drongos, Bulletin.
How in your wildest droolings did you imagine this headline was suitably illustrated by this photo?
But then again, given the antics of this inbred gingernut, maybe not so wrong.
Failure To Inform The Public Of Relevant Facts Isn’t Restricted To The Bulletin.
This was a paid ad in The Australian during the week.
Why is it that nuclear energy attracts such disparaging opposition rather than verified data supporting only renewables? The arguments on both sides seem intent on ignoring the other sides analysis.
Is Victoria’s Sudden Leap Into Racial Division And Social Chaos Going To End Badly?
The answer is most assuredly yes, with a future generation of Australians the worst affected. There are many facets to this new legislation which effectively is a state version of The Voice, and is more unfairly intrusive and disruptive that SA’s effort in this area. But there is at least one welcome development.
The farce of fake aboriginality may be coming to an end, at least in Victoria. The days of buying a certificate of indigenous authentication on line (yes, really, you could, just by saying so) are now over, one hopes. The more responsible aboriginal leaders were alarmed that the aboriginal population of Victoria jumped by 37.4% between 2016 and 2021, from 47,788 to 65,846, an increase of 17,858 in five years. So now a new system is to be adopted, one that is hoped will not fall victim to well established rorting by the aboriginal ‘elite’.
More worrying is the effect some of the changes with this new body is in the area of education, where all school kids will be taught only what bastards the whites were (fully acknowledged) and no mention of any benefits they may have brought to a stone age culture.
One man’s truth is another man’s wilful blind eye.
However, on the same day of this story above, this promo for a podcast caught the eye.
Pictured is a sacred traditional aboriginal dance ceremony, complete with dreamtime sunnies. Looks like an aborigine with some forebears from Athens.
After celebrating the glorious history of a culture that didn’t have the wheel, our Top Gun dancer will no doubt let his LandCruiser take him home to his fully plumbed, air conditioned.,energy-abundant lean-to gunya, to watch a wide screen doco on what a tough lot he’s got. Poor bugger.
The Australian Thought This ‘Slur’ So Bad It Had To Reprint It In Full
One suspects the paper deliberately ignored the Streisand Effect – when a matter is publicly complained about, the matter sparks more negative publicity and amplification through the very act of being aired in the first place – when they rehashed a story that had been widely reported when it happened.
Silly old luvvie Marty Sheargold, one of the more boring cast members of the Fisk TV show, was sacked from his Melbourne radio show in February for his comments about women’s sport. He apparently had not been advised that women’s sport is a protected species, far more protected that reasonabe free speech. But last week when the prissy powers at ACMA chipped his former radio station for letting him say such things, the Oz saw a good opportunity for some more valuable rage bait clicks. So they reprinted the slur is full …
What is wrong with someone holding that point of view? A couple of questions: what if this had been said by a woman? It could well have been, lord knows we have enough disaffected among our distaff sisterhood happy for a bit of rage baiting. The outcry in that case would hav been zilch.
But no, it was an ageing bloke who thought he was being funny, so off with knob head. That he was pilloried for this mild bit of old fartishness makes him a victim of the insidious rise of compelled speech, which tries to cower into silence any opinion about all sorts of social areas deemed by self appointed woke zealots to demand a certain undeserved reverence. As well as women’s sports, there is sexually confused alphabet trans mob, where walking noiselessly on eggshells is easier that knowing the correct form of address for Arthur/Martha/he/she/it/them. Female dress sense and bodily shape are off limits, too, the list goes on and on. And on.
To save his time and your blushes, The ‘Pie will simply say he subscribe’s to Mr Sheargold’s anatomical suggestion.
AMERIKA – The Oz Finds A One Size Fits All Headline
War on words? It’s that simple, is it?
Where’ has the outrage been at the Orange Abomination’s cancelled broadcast licenses of TV stations and other outlets that refused to buy his bullshit, labelling their factual revelations as ‘fake news’. From ‘alternative facts’ to ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome’ , what free speech actually is being shredded by an ill-educated, authoritarian narcissist bully and his toadies. Being lectured on free speech by Murdoch or Trump is like a priest decrying pedophilia while his hand is up the choirboys cassock.
Same as being lectured on civic morality.
Babu The Bugler Was On A Day Off
Bozo was a last minute replacement.
Sadly, it’s been another week where funerals have been front of mind, but usually we handle our grief and we move on. But sometimes, the time of interrment is forever etched on our memories, in some cases, for the wrong reasons.
For instance, it is hard to imagine how the relatives of a slain police officer in Africa feel after the pomp and ceremony of his send off. Watch Bozo the bugler when the command to leave is given. It gives a clue to his state of mind. Hope the link works, otherwise worth having a bit of a search for it.
Finally …
The Magpie isn’t one to whinge, but his fame is such that there is barely a private moment that is not intruded upon. Fair dinkum, a bloke can’t even void his cloaca in private without being harassed.
…………..
Interest in the coming week starts tomorrow with that special meeting of the great and good of our community. We will be watching and reporting. To help out with some sorely needed funds to help meet Nest costs, the donate button is below.
Fantastic blog. Lots happening in the Ville and mostly reported first in the Magpies Nest. As usual, The Astonisher and The Bullshittin are asleep at the wheel and incompetent and lazy.
As was touched on in last week’s comments section in the Nest, the OIA report is just one element of the Twonames issue. It will be interesting to see what action the Councillors take at Mondays meeting, and what the outcomes of that action will be. The CCC report is yet to be presented and that report will be the catalyst for what Twonames future will possibly look like. Either way, he has dug his own grave. His endless comments on Facebook, including his deleted posts and deleted comments, set an unpleasant scene. He has obsessively criticised his fellow Councillors, TCC staff, the Unions, state politicians and government departments. It seems that burning bridges is his specialty. In fact, many of his comments could rightly be viewed as harassment, victimising, and bullying. And in his fantasy of world of make believe it seems that everyone is at fault, except for him. A truly deluded and unstable charlatan whose only goal in life is to win a giant payout. Anyway, the democratic and legal process to investigate him has been handled well so far and this story has quite a long way left to run. The wheels of a democratic system keep turning.
(The Magpie, who does not flatter himself with imagined wide readership, has sent this comment to all councillors, to ensure they are at least aware of the danger in tomorrow’s meeting.)
The ‘Pie believes there is only one response open to the councillors at the special meeting. In reality, despite the appaprent eight choices of further action listed, the meeting has basically been restricted one of two options.
The OIA’s recommendation is disciplinary action with an order reprimanding Mr Thompson for the offending conduct and an order that Mr Thompson attend appropriate training or counselling to address compliance with the Code of Conduct.
This is the option authorities believe should be followed.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG OPTION. And it’s wrong for more reasons than the pointlessness of it.
By imposing this order, the councillors will be tacitly indicating that they accept the fact that he is still their mayor and will gain a benefit from such counselling prior to projected return to office. This would be a bear trap the councillors are being invited to step into, effectively contradicting the unanimously expressed no-confidence sentiment in Thompson as mayor. He and his mongrel legal hounds would be all over this like flies on horseshit.
SO THE ONLY OPTION COUNCILLORS SHOULD ADOPT IS a: ORDER NO ACTION BE TAKEN.
By doing this, which in modern parlance is termed ‘ghosting’, the meeting is effectively refusing to acknowledge that Troy Thompson has any legitimacy as far as they are concerned, that he is, as the saying has it, dead to them.
Which he is anyway, there is no way he is returning, if our Premier is to be believed. So why even talk further about him?
Any idea on what role David Sewell, TCC Chief Legal Officer, may play in this situation.
Nothing useful … or honest, one imagines.
I know that I’m naughty but I’ve been enjoying watching the delusional suspended mayor sniping from the sidelines. It really showcases his insanity and stupidity. However, should he be returned to his previous role the chamber will become a laugh-a-minute. Truly beer and popcorn stuff for us in the viewing area of this TCC shit show.
Better for laughs to invest in re-runs of McHales Navy, no such return is remotely likely … at least according to our Premier.
The Council has to find the Mayor has committed a conduct breach, as without this, the Mayor is cleared from wrongdoing and the first strike is removed.
Following the recommendations from the summary findings ensures a conduct breach is recorded and declares the actions are not acceptable nor tolerated.
Why? Whatever the councillors think is of absolutely no consequence and will have no bearing on the eventual outcome. Which has pretty much been predetermined by Crisafulli’s repeated assertion that his mayoralty is ‘untenable’.
The report findings are only a recommendation for the council to act upon.
Yes, and usually such recommendations are expected to be and are followed, but The ‘Pie has already explained why he thinks this the wrong choice.
Outcome “predetermined”? That’s pretty rich. If the Premier knew what he would do he would have done it, surely? If the CCC hasn’t worked up a watertight case the mayor will go back to work, ‘untenable’ and dead to us all, or not. He won’t care what we or the other councillors think.
A tad naive, Bob … Townsville helped both Crisafulli’s career and his taking the premiership at the polls with all three local seats now LNP, so to go back on a non-negotiable stand like ‘untenable’ … an indefensible situation … would have serious political blow back and paint him as a person whose word cannot be trusted.
We all know which side of this fence you fall on, Bob, but nonetheless, can even you imagine Thompson has the slightest possibility of returning as mayor? The damage that would do to Townsville is unimaginable.
Righto. So as far as you are concerned, no matter what the OIA or the CCC report, the Premier must sack the mayor. Because he doesn’t like the cut of the mayoral jib. No reference to the Show Cause notice from last year, no consideration of the legal, let alone financial consequences. Just sack the guy to save face. That would be the complete opposite of what we know about careful, deliberate Kid Crisafulli.
Look Tro … sorry Bob … read carefully, understand your foaming fermenting love of your con man hero, but you really need to read things more carefully. The ‘Pie has not said the premier should sack the mayor, The ‘Pie has said that the premier himself has said he should ‘sack’ the mayor (by using the word ‘untenable’ on at least two occasions, and other carefully worded condemnations), although outright firing might not be the path taken. And when the pustule is finally squeezed out, there will be, as there always is with burst pustules, a noisome mess left behind, both here and in Brisbane.
And you make no suggestion that law or no law, the arsesole lied to the voters about so many things, it made him morally and ethically unfit to be mayor of a city he is now so intend on deeply damaging further than he has already. But to see that obvious reality, I guess one has to have some morals and ethics oneself. Which sure leaves you out in the cold.
No argument with your recommended course of action. Once taken it will be a hard sell to those ignorant of the reasons why, most of whom will be too lazy to inform themselves, but motivated enough to scream government corruption and reach for their misappropriated red ensigne.
The option is there to say, “Fuck the ignorant!” except the ignorant vote. Well, some of them.
(Via email)
Good on you for pushing buttons directly. I agree with you as to the punitive side. Councillors should not actually make any determination on punishment/consequences.
However, I do think they should make findings of fact. And in this instance they have 4 Code of Conduct breaches to consider. The law (LGA 2009) has made that a Council responsibility for some years.
I hope that they can make 4 findings of fact, that TT conducted 4 breaches if the Code of Conduct. But then throw it straight back over the fence to State level to act on. Otherwise, we are stuck in gridlock.
But you are absolutely right that this is a trap. It always has been. To spare Crisafulli and Leahy any political blood on their hands. So well done pointing out the bleeding obvious to a group who think they are currently under the protection of that pair. When instead, it is Crisafulli and Leahy who have hung the sword of Damocles above them.
Agree it is a trap. The councillors will not be able to hold back, and they will speak out, Thompson will be watching and recording it for sure, this will become a bigger mess. I’d stay well clear, put it back on the state government, this is their problem now. I can see the councillors going for gold using other mechanisms on the advice of the legal team, and that may open the door for the pr*ck to counter sue again. I did see Thompson at ANZAC park for the march too, there were a lot of people talking to him on and off, sovereign citizens) he left around 2pm.
At this stage, there is no indication that today’s meeting will be live streamed. Which it should be, this is an issue which the widest possible audience should be able to hear their representatives arguments, views and votes, but The ‘Pie is hardly surprised. Unless there’s a late change of heart.
Magpie, considering that today’s meeting is a bit like the prefects reprimanding the class captain, I don’t think we’re missing much. When one observation of the OIA investigations is that the mayor “expressed his views clearly and with some force, but not with profanity or particularly intemperate language”, you’ve got to wonder whether this storm should have stayed in the teacup. It will have zero impact on the tenure of Troy Thompson.
One curiosity though is that if the councillors do decide to slap the mayor’s wrists they will have to:
“Authorise the Director of Infrastructure and Operations to update the Councillor Conduct Register to appropriately reflect the decision of Council in accordance with Section 150DY of the Local Government Act 2009″.
A task Matt Richardson can relish.
Keep trying, Troy, stay strong and watch that trembling bottom lip, mate.
Did any Nesters observe the Cooker rally in Anzac Park yesterday? Curious to how much ferment there is in this town.
Anyone?
Since you ask, The ‘Pie observed from his balcony as a few flag waving (red ensign) dispirited looking folks trudged along the Strand, coming from the direction of Anzac Park, where presumably these life-beaten sad sacks had been told to bugger off. Maybe 60/70 people sood around despondently listening to someone the “pie mercifully couldn’t hear, before moving out of sight straggling along the Strand, either fo a fearsome authority-challenging march or further words from the Lone Haranguer at the space opposite the Seaview. About 45 minutes later, a number of flag bearers were returning in the opposite direction in ones and twos – a three was spotted at one stage – after their sexually arousing defiant stand against authority petered out.
Ahh yes, an elitist view, looking over the peasants, as they voice their displeasure against the agenda driven government, that they believe is destroying the fabric of Australian society, just an observation, let the comments flow.
Some people deserve to be looked down on, anti vaxxers and sovereign citizens especially.
With pity, and mild annoyance.
Thanks Pie. I expect that the ignoramuses carrying the Australian red ensign will take heart that government ships, fishing vessels, pleasure craft, small craft and commercial vessels under 24 metres in tonnage length all ‘float’ in solidarity with the ignoramus cause.
Nuclear has been extensively and fairly studied and reported on, but if you’re reading not just The Australian, but a paid ad in The Australian, you’d come away less educated on the matter than when you went in.
A record amount of power from nuclear isn’t particularly newsworthy – almost every form of power generation is setting new records and the real story is the growth of wind and solar.
Nuclear is just plodding along.
The fact that nuclear has been stagnant for the last 25 years in terms of generation and declining as a share of generation is something that nuclear boosters conveniently omit from their propaganda.
https://imgur.com/a/FWYqAo7
The International Atomic Energy predicts low and high cases for nuclear generation, with the outcome being between 6.9% and 12.8% of electricity generation coming from nuclear in 2050.
Nuclear is a sideshow. It might make sense for some countries, particularly those who have nuclear weapons programs or want them, but we don’t need it here.
The ‘Pie is willing to acknowledge Dick Smith’s points, with which you disagree.
But there has never been sufficient public debate with data and facts, which has been exacerbated by both sides of politics, Dutton’s inability to articulate a strong policy standpoint on nuclear, and Labor’s airey hand-wave dismissal as a non-issue from their opposition.
While The ‘Pie doesn’t agree with your data or view, it more the lack of wider, civil debate (which, uncharacteristically for you, you have done in your comment) which is of concern. An unwillingness to fully discuss something is always open to question.
An airy hand wave of dismissal is perfectly appropriate when you have expert advice on your side. Labor is well within their rights to mock and belittle the Coalition here.
Mocking and belittling is not responsible debate in the premier arena of this nation’s governance, the Federal Parliament.
Besides, mocking and belittling never gets anywhere, take it from The Magpie who’s been doing it for years to no avail. Heh heh heh.
I thought that’s what federal parliament was for. Mocking and belittling.
Seems like that most o the time, doesn’t it?
There was public debate, but the Coalition wasn’t willing to accept the evidence.
Their endorsement of nuclear was really just a reckless plan to keep using coal power as long as possible.
If you say so.
Nuclear is working well in our submarines
I hate to break it to you but we don’t have any nuclear submarines and may never have any.
Having said that, nuclear submarines are basically irrelevant to the debate.
And a massive waste of money and strategically a disaster in waiting under the current terms. AUKUS should be dumped pronto.
It must be something about local politics in the tropics but Darwin and the NT follow a similar chaos theory as Townsville
https://ntindependent.com.au/
Ian, well it’s not fluoride added to the water supply up here in Darwin, so we can’t blame that for the weirdness up here!!! Nice place if all the pollies left town!
Going back to nuclear power, too complicated, Australia is a country that can’t even make a nail and management across the board is shit. Any kind of production in Australia needs to be relatively consequence free so when something goes wrong it doesn’t take large swathes of land with it, the only thing it should really hurt are the bottom line of the corporations and government balance sheets.
Nuclear
Complicated, expensive, management and protocol heavy
The raw material is nefarious and requires intensive and complicated processing requiring lots of financial input. Powerstations take years to complete and will deal with highly toxic materials and waste products. Complicated process dealing with high pressure gases or steam , long start up time. Nuclear baseload is competing with solar generation during the day. The decommissioning of a nuclear powerstation takes years. Dirty waste requires secure storage for the rest of human history and costs money even after the powerstation is shut.
Expensive
Time intensive
Toxic
Complicated
Slow
Natural gas
Clean, cheap, fast to build, a mature technology understood across the world. Fast start up, able to compete in a solar market, capacity to output fast. Gas prices are expensive on the east coast because politicians were bribed to make sure that eastern Australia had no sovereignty over its own gas reserves so that means no domestic reserve for cheap prices. No toxic waste , carbon dioxide is plant food, water evaporates into the sky, waste heat goes with it. Natural gas compliments existing power generation due to its flexibility.
Excess gas can be used to create fertiliser ( ammonium nitrate) , “adblue” , plastics and foster other industries, Australia’s last glass manufacturer closed recently for example.
Clean
Cheap
Flexible
Simple
Time efficient
Saying that carbon dioxide is plant food is a good sign that someone is an easily impressed moron. It’s plant food that is cooking the planet. Not to mention the health impacts. Actually not mentioning the health impacts after your fluoride rant shows that you’re not really concerned about trace elements, you just like being a contrarian.
Yet again see NO rebuttal of my points
Do better bob
I don’t think we need to go into the stupidity of climate denialism here, and I doubt the Magpies would let the comments through. Anthropogenic global warming is a fact, if you disagree then go march with the cookers.
Well, see the gist of wehat you’re saying, but sometimes it’s fun to let some such comments through, we need so light felief from time to time cf Guy.
What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence, Guy.
Australian greenhouse direct production is dwarfed by the fossil fuel use of countries such as India and China – if the Labor party was so concerned about greenhouse gases why do allow the corporations to dig up coal and extract gas and sell them overseas ; rather than keep pumping money into harebrained schemes? I mean couldn’t the government impose royalty taxes at least on the natural gas leaving the country ?
You bring up a valid point which The ‘Pie has long wondered at the convenient hypocrisy. When someone tries to run the argument that Australia’s emissions are miniuscule next to the rest of the world, that is a slippery snide use of a fact, which ignores the fact that we export so much of the stuff that pollutes and attacks the atmosphere when burned by other countries, we should be in the tier of polluters. In fact we are.
I usually leave looking at your site till mid week because of your old newsltd habits.I don’t want to be angry all week.
I’m talking about slanging off indigenous people like Bolt did and the Courier Mail still does online prior to far right protests. Any native title claim and they are whipping it up like Howard but online.
Then after the far right and Nazi violence everytime, you are all tut tut how could this happen.
You are part of the problem .
Haven’t a clue what all that means, but you’re welcome.
Hi Magpie, great blog today as usual. As my eye sight isn’t as good as it used to be, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me how many written submissions you can count opposing the waterpark project?
https://eplanning.townsville.qld.gov.au/Pages/XC.Track/SearchApplication.aspx?id=3247426
Dunno. You should go to SpecSavers. Don’t even know what I’m looking at.
Wow. Really? You can’t read the council’s
planning website? That seems to be an oversight given your blog’s council focus. Scroll down to the PDF documents and count how many submissions with names were lodged during the public notification period. It’s a handy resource when you’re trying to establish the actual number of people who wrote a submission opposing the project rather than your present vibe-based approach.
How about you just tell us, Fact Hunt, and stop being such an arrogant pilgarlic asking half-smart questions. The ‘Pie and other Nest readers are not at your beck and call to do something you could just as easily and considerately told us to make your point, whatever the fuck that is.
Anyway, what has the council’s planning website got to do with it? The only figures The ‘Pie quoted were from the Bulletin article.
@Fact Hunt as in Mike Hunt, LMFAO Pie!
As in Clive Palmer.
Watching the AFL last night and Commentator Brian Taylor decided to throw in a few comments about some of the cricketers who have played at the Gabba. He also referred to Australia beating the “Pakis”. Someone needs to get in his ear and tell him that that term is definitely not acceptable any more. He might just be mentioned in Parliament like Jacinta Price. For clarification:
Paki is an ethnic slur that originated in the United Kingdom and is directed at Pakistanis; and other South Asians, such as Indians and Bangladeshis. It is sometimes used as a religious slur directed at Muslims or perceived Muslims of any ethnic or racial background.
Just sayin’.
Guy, any other comments given you speak forty languages and are victim to regular racial slurs by Townsville’s dumb voters.
Paki has never had that wide connotation or derogatory meaning in Australia, it has always meant Pakistani cricket players, mainly because until recently, we had very few Pakistani immigrants. They’ve all mainly been Curry Munchers or Towelheads. And at least that’s better than the sheep shaggers from across the ditch.
Say it to the wrong person and you’ll get a mouthful. In GB you can wear a fine, possibly a day in court. I guess one could compare it to ‘Abo’ in Australia. Having said that, ‘Paki’ has been deleted from all MSM for quite a while now. Somebody forgot to tell BT. Ask any current day Pom and they’ll tell you it is a big No No.
The ‘Pie returns to his original point, but with a more serious tone. Paki has never meant a deep racial insult in Australia, and simoply grew from the Australian habit of diminution of words – arvo, avo, brekky, a habit that has always extended to nationalities … it’s offensiveness depends entirely on context and tone when spoken or written, the same as ‘Itie’, and even all purpose ‘reffo’ did back in the day (wog and dago (a corruption of the Spanish name Diego, are both English-invented slurs that have always been, and meant to be, offensive). The jocular Curry Munchers’ for the Indian cricketers is classic Aussie humour and if people don’t get that, then that’s their problem. And Pom and Pommy are words that some have unsuccessfully tried to force on us as offensive.
All in context.
During his five years among the Great Unwashed, The ‘Pie quickly discovered the Poms make little distinction between Aussies and Kiwis (except when it comes to rugby, they hardly ever beat the Kiwis), and therefore the young ‘Pie was often jocularly called ‘sheep shagger’. Which bothered him not.
Well, I’m homosexual and many of us have gotten used to being called “fags”. It’s not ideal, but we are used to it. In the old days it was “poofters”, but that is hardly used these days, which is a good thing as it’s a bit offensive.
Like most minorities, particularly black Americans, the group adoption of derogatory white words is a clever ploy, because it robs the insulter of the power of that the words previously had. But its a bit strange that ‘nigger’, widely used publicly in the Afro-American argot, is still considered taboo. Probably because of its origins in the accent of the slave-owning south, bastardising the word negro, forever links it to slavery.
But closer to home, note that our premier uses exactly this ploy, referring to himself with the humblebrag, ‘I’m just wog boy from Ingham.”
It’s fine to use a word that sounds like a slur, you just have to specify the etymology when you use it.
For instance, the word mate depends on how you say it.
You bloody got that, mate?
Kenny, you are a softcock. Getting all touchy about the use of the slang word ‘Paki’. Grow up. Is ‘Aussie’ an offensive word?
Only when adopted by a pommy named Osborne.
Fuck off Percy. Did I say I have a problem with it? It’s the PC police who will jump on it. And I’m sure that BT has been jumped on by now. Now I’ll leave it alone or Magpie will suspend me for 4 weeks for calling you a pooftah.
Ha ha Kenny, love to see your emotional retort. You poor possum.
Maybe Maggie Islanders should stop bitching so much about their divisional councillors, she’s pitching in to do her bit to keep the island looking spic and span.
Foodtruck’s heart is the rightplace, how can it be suggested otherwise when we read were own words in the TCC media release:
“We’re inviting everyone to join us in this important effort to reduce litter and improve the health of our coastline,” Cr Greaney said.
“Being right on the doorstep of the Great Barrier Reef, it’s doubly important that we come together as a community to lessen the impact of rubbish finding its way to our oceans.
“Whether you’re a resident, a visitor, or just someone who loves the island, your help will go a long way in keeping Nelly Bay clean and vibrant.”
It is heartening to see her roll up the sleeves of her latest prairie dress as ‘someone who just loves the island’ to pick up rubbish to keep Nelly Bay clean and vibrant.
Good on you, AMG. Errr, we are assuming you were there, weren’t you, alongside the others you exhorted to do good deeds? And these weren’t just empty words?
Can report ‘there was no spotting of a jumbo pair of overalls or any sighting of a beached whale at Nelly Bay over the weekend’.
Never seen our councillor getting her hands dirty or for that matter being hands on.
(Gasp!) You mean to say she who would be Queen was just ordering or serfs to mow her lawn using nail scissors?
What leadership.
Probably too busy rehearsing for today’s extraordinary council meeting, maybe someone could slip in a “polite” question about “how was your weekend boss”?
A good response to that question would be ‘Why, what did you hear’ ?
Blackout Bowen is peddling his doom porn and doing his usual ‘we are all gonna be fucked’ spiel as he desperately looks at ways to push for decarbonisation at the expense of coal and gas. As for his risk assessment , the biggest risk to the Australian way of life is the fuckhead politicians sending our country broke and woke. My god we’ve had some idiots fucking up Australia – Howard, Rudd, Abbot, Morrison, Gillard, Turnbull, Albanese….
https://www.9news.com.au/national/the-national-climate-risk-assessment-australia-key-takeaways-millions-at-risk-of-flooding-heatwave/30c25f88-7101-49ec-8c6c-d9daf122fa54
I love how you guys call him blackout Bowen, you’re seething that your own “doom porn” predictions aren’t eventuating!
He’s not desperately looking for anything, the energy transition is a done deal.
THE SPECIAL MEETING IS BEING LIVE STREAMED.
TUNE IN.
Conflicts of interest are interesting with some staying and some going
The Walker Street Council Chamber this afternoon became a Coward’s Castle, with the meeting to decide what if any disciplinary action our elected representative decide on for the suspended mayor’s social media breach closed to the public and live streaming.
There will be a lot of fancy legal footwork explaining why this had to be be so, but it is undeniably wrong. This is an important issue which has affected the financial affairs of this city, therefore the average citizen, so it is only fair that the ratepayers and general public Townsville don’t just learn whatever penalty if any is imposed, but how and why the decision was reached.
This is self-interested arse covering of the very worst sort.
It is democracy Queensland style … which means it is the democracy of convenience for the power elites.
Joh would be proud of you all. So would Thompson, for that matter.
To Nesters: The ‘Pie has to be absent from his computer for a time now, but will attend to all commenters reaction to whatever decision his reached when he returns later this afternoon.
If you play back the live stream you can see that after 32 minutes (opening meeting, declaring conflicts of interests etc), with Crs Jacob and Robinson leaving the chamber, the meeting went into closed session – so that councillors could talk amongst themselves about what a prick they all agreed the mayor was and is. Then, at about 1 hr 5 minutes the meeting came back into open session, unanimous votes were recoded pretty much as per the advice from the OIA and the meeting was over at 1 hr 14 minutes. Prefects 8, Class captain 0, 2 abstentions. Mayor has to take classes, has to pay for them and the costs of holding the meeting, but he’s still on the tuckshop committee if he comes back.
Big if.
Our crooked Mayor has been caught out again. 2 days ago he released a statement that the report was not given to either him or his legal team.
Today it was announced on page 104 of the report that the legal team confirmed receipt of the report on the 22 July 2025 and further page 115 that on 19 August 2025 that Mr. Thompson’s solicitor replied that Mr. Thompson did not wish to provide any evidence or written submission in response to the report.
He has now declared that he and his legal team only saw the preliminary report and not the final report. If there is no questions or rebuttals, the preliminary report becomes the final report.
Once again, he is full of shit and sinking very quickly.
Good pick up, but he used the term THIS report , preliminary is only first touch, the investigator err’d in his report, and if you go by the astonisher, teamThompson didn’t get the final report, or the right to defend, he states it went to TCC legal and his team were told of report late Friday, which is not enough time for anyone legal. I think this will be dragged around for a while.
Not sure of your reasoning there, How Hard. This was not a situation where Thompson had some right of rebuttal or the right to the floor to argue the OIC got it wrong. This was simply a legal procedural, findings had been made that were final, and the next step was for the councillors to determine penalty. The con man and his Lawfare mates can do whatever they wish now as a consequence. but they had no part and or right to be involved in today’s meeting.
It is called a final report because it is the last one – the conclusion to an event. The time to debate the contents is when a preliminary report is presented, which it was many months ago. The tabling of the final report allows action to be taken, but not by the suspended special one.
If he disagrees with the findings, he can challenge it in court, at his cost now, but his legal team would advise him not to – provided he still has a legal team for this matter.
He is sprouting lies again to keep his followers angry and on his side.
So I’m a bit confused. In the report published in the Townsville Bulletin it said Cr Jacob and Cr Robinson didn’t seek the Minister’s permission to vote. What is that about? Did all the Councillors who did vote today obtain state government permission? Is that the Local Government Minister ?
Yes its the local government minister.
Jacob and Robinson need to explain themselves.
“Cr Greaney said Local Government Minister gave permission for her and other councillors to participate in the meeting despite their conflicts of interest.”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09-15/suspended-townsville-mayor-found-oic-breach-code-of-conduct/105773198?
Clarabelle, why don’t you watch the replay of the council meeting and hear the explanations straight from the horse’s mouth? That way you can make up your own mind instead of relying on . . . well, you know.
Today’s special TCC meeting – if anything, it showed that the councillors are united. O against, 2 abstained, and 8 voted for Troy’s punishment. So firstly, yes, it’s a slap with a wet lettuce leaf, but that was as much as could be expected under the circumstances. And it was a democratic process that was followed to a tee. What will be interesting is how the democratically suspended Mayor reacts to the punishment, having to undertake training at his own expense. That will bruise his massive ego He has already been moaning about the outcome of the OIA investigation on Facebook
My feeling is that the ducks are still being lined up and Twonames won’t be back. That said, he won’t go away quietly. Such a conceited sociopath like him will not be able to suffer in silence and he will be proclaiming his innocence until his last dying breath. Can’t wait for Crisafulli to deliver the final blow to this maggot.
I think you will find it is more than a slap with a lettuce leaf.
He has been found to have engaged in a conduct breach. One of the orders – if he engages in the same type of conduct again, it will be treated as misconduct. – first and final strike.
Misconduct in relation to public office is a disqualifying offence which would see him dismissed, with pay and entitlements ceased.
Furthermore, every councillor who declared a conflict of interest, stated they had received a letter from the mayor of which they were aware has been referred to the Crime and Corruption commission as an allegation of corrupt conduct.
Corrupt conduct is also a disqualifying offence.
The Minister for Local Government has a very compelling case building to dismiss Barry.
Councillors Robinson and Jacob are gutless turds. They did not have to abstain from today’s vote, but they did. Very disappointing. Is there some other game at play here? It’s always possible, however I can’t see what that game may be. I just think the two of them are weaklings. Bravo to the other 8 Councillors who united against the pustule Mayor. This is just a warm up exercise for the Councillors anyway. They are eagerly awaiting their opportunity to insert the full pineapple once the CCC investigation has been completed Twonames will never return to office, but he won’t fade away quietly. He will remain active on social media and only a lawsuit against him would shut him up. There is lots of mileage left to run with this saga. My message to the 8 Councillors who didn’t roll over, please have a quiet conversation with Robinson and Jacob and encourage them to grow a set of balls in preparation of the next special meeting after the CCC report Is tabled.
It does sound like there is “some other game at play here.”
You’re hanging out for the results of the CCC investigation? How long can it possibly take for this crack team to verify he didn’t see active service and he doesn’t have any university degrees?
Robbo and Jacob don’t sound like gutless wonders to me. They sound suitably circumspect.
PR, Jacob and Robinson could easily have other reasons than gutlessness for staying out of the Thompson reprimand. You may have forgotten that Jacob was dragged through that process himself only a few years ago:
“ Queensland’s councillor conduct watchdog found Paul Jacob, a former councillor at Townsville City Council, engaged in misconduct in office when he gave the journalist pre-budget information that appeared in a media article in May 2019.”
If you listen to Robinson’s personal declaration in the meeting there is a hint of an ethical foundation to his decision to absent himself. Some people have principles they are not required to spell out.
Or perhaps both just sought their own legal private advice and acted accordingly.
(Clr Robinson emailed this repsonse to other comments via email. The Magpie)
Malcolm,
As by now, you will be aware that I had not sought to be exempt from my Conflict of Interest in matters pertaining to Mr Troy Thompson. It should be noted that my “vote” was not one of absenting, but rather that I acknowledged that I had a conflict of interest and that I had not sought under s150EV of the relevant regulation for permission from the Minister to participate in the actions against Mr Thompson.
I understand that some people may view my action as cowardice (for not taking a stance). However, I would state that my actions were one of principle.
Whilst I aware that it would have been legal for me to have participated in the hearing, participating would have gone against my own principles and code of ethics. In this case, I have a clear conflict of interest and just because the Minister says that it is acceptable for me to participate (under s150EV), doesn’t make it so in my book. Just because something is legal, doesn’t make it always right. Mr Thompson constantly bangs on about being denied natural justice and in my opinion, on the matters of the OIA issues, he has a moral point (not a legal one).
One of the key principles of natural justice is to ensure against bias. That is, the decision maker is impartial and there is no conflict of interest.
To use an anecdote to explain the situation, it would be the same as a former Blues team Captain, refereeing a State of Origin match. Whilst the former captain may be a man of good character and an expert in his field, he would always be subjected to accusations of favouritism by the opposition (QLD), whilst being hounded by the Blues (NSW) for overcompensating. Ultimately a “no win” situation, even if he were to deliver fair rulings.
As to your expressed view I would disagree that the trap was the punishment. The trap for Councillors I felt was that the matter was pushed back to Council, with no other valid legal option being open. That is, should there be insufficient Councillors to form a quorum, there was the possibility that the infringements may have been dropped with no outcome and no conviction recorded. An unsatisfactory outcome in my view. Had there been insufficient Councillors to form a quorum, I am unsure which way I would have gone. I would like to think that I would have stood by my principles but weighing against this would have also been my perception of duty to the city and delivering what the “people” wanted.
Finally, my actions should in no way be construed as being sympathetic to Mr Thompson. I am not.
Maybe it is for this reason that I recognise that although I consider myself to be a fair man, who uses facts to come to a logical, impartial and unemotive conclusion, in this matter I would not have had an unconscious bias but an outright one.
Thank you for your continued interest in the management of our city.
Clr Andrew Robinson
So that lengthy twaddle canbe summarised as:
Robinson chose not to participate in decisions about Thompson, even though legally allowed, because his (still undisclosed) conflict of interest meant he could not act impartially and believed ethics outweighed legality.
Oh Robbo. You didn’t take that approach when it came to parking meters.
His conflict of interest was exactly the same as the others, principally a threatening letter from Thompson which has been forwarded to the CCC alleging corruption. He just chose to not seek an exemption from the minister to be part of a penalty meeting for reasons he has made clear.
Thanks Magpie. Still interesting that he has ethics here but not around parking meters.
If we can’t rely on when a councillor will choose his personal ethics over legal principles and when he won’t, they are an unreliable representative for the community.
Yes, it is a strange dilemma for an elected person to confess to … saying something legal isn’t always right is a self-appointment to judgement which may spectacularly unravel.
DN, why can’t you accept Robinson’s explanation? He declared a conflict of interest – which means that in this specific instance he’s admitting he can’t be relied on to be impartial, or at least seen to be impartial. Just because the minister told him, Joh-style, ‘don’t you worry about that’, doesn’t negate his conflict of interest or his perceived ethical obligation. Robinson stood on his principles which seemed to tower over some political necessity to get together a quorum – a word dictated to, and rote-learned by, all eight councillors who sought and were offered a perfectly legal go-around.
Bob, as per my explanation above. If he flip flops on how he categorises something as ethical, even when he’s been told it’s legal, he can’t be relied upon to make decisions the same way in all circumstances.
I also think his explanation is a cop out. He frames his conflict of interest as greater than other councillors conflicts. So is he more closely associated to Thompson? Or is he just using this as a way to avoid voting and put himself on the line because he might feel uncomfortable, but thinks its ok for everyone else?
Therefore, in what other circumstances will he do that? Can he be relied upon in future to vote in the communities best interests in difficult situations or will he do the same thing and let other councillors carry the burden?
DN, correct me if I’m wrong but you have suggested, twice, that there is some relevant connection between Robinson’s ‘parking meter’ decision making and the mayoral discipline process. It seems that you have omitted altogether the matter of ‘conflict of interest’, which is central to the latter but which I can’t recall being an issue in the parking meter thing.
All ten councillors acknowledged a conflict of interest in the mayoral discipline matter. For some, apparently, that burden could be lessened if not completely lifted simply by the minister telling them they could still participate in the decision DESPITE their conflict of interest. It is not a matter of whether it was “legal”. From Wikipedia:
“A widely used definition is: “A conflict of interest is a set of circumstances that creates a risk that professional judgement or actions regarding a primary interest will be unduly influenced by a secondary interest.”[2] Primary interest refers to the principal goals of the profession or activity, such as the protection of clients, the health of patients, the integrity of research, and the duties of public officers. Secondary interest includes personal benefit and is not limited to only financial gain but also such motives as the desire for professional advancement, or the wish to do favors for family and friends. These secondary interests are not treated as wrong in and of themselves, but become objectionable when they are believed to have greater weight than the primary interests. Conflict of interest rules in the public sphere mainly focus on financial relationships since they are relatively more objective, fungible, and quantifiable, and usually involve the political, legal, and medical fields.”
None of the councillors behaved wrongly or is a “gutless turd”. Each of them applied their own interpretation according to their own ethical principles. Hooray for that!
The ‘Pie again makes it clear that when he referred to the councillors as a whole body being cowardly, he was solely referring to the fact that not one of them argued the importance of the debate about disciplinary action should more rightly be held in public. The conflict of interest brouhaha is quite separate and all have spoken for themselves.
Oh Bob, Robinson argues that he abstained from voting on Mr Thompson’s matter out of principle, not cowardice. He claims that although it was legal for him to participate, doing so would have violated his own ethical standards and created the appearance of bias. He even compared it to a former sports captain refereeing a State of Origin match — a “no win” situation where impartiality would always be questioned.
But in doing so, Robinson has admitted that he let his personal interpretation of ethics outweigh what the law and process clearly allowed. Conflict of interest rules already exist to ensure fairness, and the Minister had the authority to permit his participation. By refusing to engage despite these safeguards, he introduced inconsistency into how he applies ethics. If he shifts his standard depending on how uncomfortable he feels, how can he be relied upon to act consistently for the community in future difficult decisions?
Your defence of the councillors also misses the point. You praises them for acting according to their principles and insist none behaved wrongly. But that overlooks the fundamental burden of responsibility. Unlike his colleagues, Robinson avoided making a decision and left the hard work to others. That isn’t integrity, it’s avoidance. By overstating his conflict, he effectively placed himself above the rest, projecting greater ethical purity while leaving other councillors to carry the weight of governance.
One of your best argued comments.
Tripe I reckon. The councillors obviously ‘workshopped’ with the minister’s office the way they would manage this process. The minister needed this motion passed. If all ten councillors recused themselves because of their already declared conflict of interest there would not be a quorum and the motion could not be put. In their individual explanations each of the eight councillors who stayed in the chamber mentioned the word “quorum”. They were prepared to go along with the minister’s cleansing of their consciences in order to get the thing done. Apparently Robinson was not. Dunno where Jacob stands.
Not sure why this is continuing to be an issue.
Perhaps best if it revisited when it has some relevance to a future development.
Robinson read the room, he chose not to participate, he wants to be mayor. He’s neutral, I think when it’s all said and done they got the pr*ck mayor on a schoolyard complaint. He’s neutral added councillors and a local government officer in the email to the CEO, It’s a nothing, but the first nail is in, the beginning of the end. Robinson is playing the political game, he was Switzerland and did not participate in childish games, this is a planned move.
HM, what do you mean by Robinson “was in Switzerland” (or is that an obscure turn of phrase about neutrality)? He was in the TCC chamber on Monday and declared that, like the other councillors, back in the day he had received the threat from Thompson. It appears that, unlike the eight councillors who sought consent from the minister to exercise their vote despite their declared conflict of interest, Robinson plotted his own path. Independent councillors! Who’d have thought?
You’re not too bright, are you, Bob?
I’ll probably run for mayor because it will give me the opportunity to tell people things they dont want to hear.
And how is our favourite morosoph today?
A fool i might be , however I didn’t dig the council into 500 million dollar hole and make a whole host of stupid decisions.
Because you weren’t elected. Maybe a different hole, different decisions but nevertheless ….
I think you’re most well known for making a whole host of stupid decisions, Guy. Or the same stupid decision, multiple times.
Too late
His background has been outed on troy thompsons Facebook site , its a wealth of information for exposing hidden things
And you believe Thompson? Whatever may be lurking in anyone’s background, depending on Troy Thompson cfor honest information is in itself pretty stupid, a classic triumph of hope over experience.
His facebook page is very revealing. A close family member, now retired, worked as a fraud investigator and, to this day maintains that Facebook was the best thing to ever happen to cops and prosecutors.
They just cant help themselves…
What Twonames page informs me, is that he is an obssessive type who cannot take no for an answer. Easy to see how he has form harrassing and stalking women. There is some fucked up pathology playing out on his facebook page, especially over the past week…and I’m beginning to suspect it goes beyond wanting reinstatement or even a payout. He is not the full ticket.
Guy, you need to stop following Troy’s social media and stop believing every word Troy speaks. Are you currently under his desk by chance?
Guy, I have finally been blocked from his fb page. After many disparaging comments by me he blocked me for telling him to “give up”. I wish I knew it was so simple earlier.
@guy
I did read that on Thompsons page. Robinson had 2 pays, Main Roads and TCC when he started at council. He boldly said he holds a commercial license for his brothers fishing business, and he was a board member of National Tyres owned by a finance firm with a few interesting connections, Dan Ryder (Susie’s partner), a chamber director, and Matt Smith who openly came out and trashed Thompson. I didn’t see a conflict, but Thompson stated the chamber gets reduced rent from TCC and rent in a tTCC owned building. Robinson is known to be close to the chair and CEO, but that’s his job….
Recycling bin still sitting on footpath. Supposed to be collected last Thursday. Time to bring in contractors. At least they wouldn’t be able to hold the City to ransom every time council workers want a pay rise
Problem there, Joe, is that contractors are unionists too, so outsourcing doesn’t strike-proof a council, just adds another chair to the negotiating table, as one or two down south have found out.
The Mayor lives in Kirwan, eh?
former Mayor/suspended Mayor/forgotten Mayor/wish he would resign Mayor
Maybe one option could be offering the existing drivers an individual contract for their devices ie they are their own business, maybe you go as far as suggesting they get a new vehicle and pay for the costs ?
So contractors?
Pretty sure this kind of thing happened after the big cull. Council then paid significantly more for the same people when they hired them back as contractors.
It’s a stupid idea.
If the drivers have their own business they dont need unions and they have more incentive to do the job.
You sweet old thing, you. Just dropped a little extra something into the bedtime cocoa?
Contractors are so much more costly than the workers. Your rates would be up significantly more
You gotta feel sorry for Victorians, yeah nah. They’ve gone from fucking awful to fucking fucking awful when Dictator Dan handed the batten to Jacinta Jerkoff. Protest after protest every weekend (soon they’ll be protesting in the streets about too many protests); and the brain fart idea of expensive steel security bins for people to voluntarily hand in their machetes. Figures out this morning, show that ‘each machete’ handed in so far has cost the taxpayer $10,000, and almost all machete surrendered said to be by citizens thinking they’re doing the right thing. Great investment Ms Allen; Crooks 1 Good folk 0.
Dan Andrews stance on COVID and shutting down Victoria for over 2 years (longest shutdown period in the world) greatly contributed to Victoria going broke. Communist Dan was then replaced by the miserable communist Jacinta who has continued to preside over Victoria’s decline. Now she wants to spend hundreds of millions of dollars that they don’t have, on First Nation polava. To get straight to the point, Victoria is fucked. Many people are selling up and moving to Queensland. Can’t blame them.
The way things are going around here, the words ‘frying pan ‘ and ‘fire’ spring to mind.
Victoria had a net internal migration of -3,203 last year, that doesn’t seem particularly bad compared to New South Wales at -28,118.
We agree on that, porcelain pointer.
The chaotic machination of Walker Street are like a soap opera for most. It is the continuing failure of TCC to collect our rubbish on the designated day that we plebs in the suburbs notice as a failure of local government.
Regards ThreeNames retraining;
What is the institution that will deliver the retraining?
Where is this institution?
When will the retraining be conducted?
Will there be a terminal test of objectives(ttoo) to confirm learning to workplace standard?
Will there be remedial training if the ttoo is failed?
Will ThreeNames display for the ratepayers his Certificate of Achievement?
Will the roving investigative reporter from the Astonisher seek out and answer these questions and provide photographs, OR will it be left to the collective abilities of the Pie and the Nest to slooth out (is that a term?) the answers with juicy photographs?
Good questions,
And no, slooth is not a word or term, although sleuth is commonly used as a noun … it comes from sleuthhound, dogs trained to follow travks and scents, later shortened to jocukarly refer to detetctives. Unless of course, you were mysteriouslky referring to a Tooth Slooth, a dental instrument used to diagnose cracked teeth.
And you have a charming stutter with your ‘t’s, Willie.
Twonames is a ‘slooth’. He is always investigating ways in which he can litigate against someone so that he can earn an extra quid. He sniffs out ways to relieve ratepayers of hard earned cash and he is always looking at ways to earn money for nothing. A true serial pest with an addiction for quick and easy money.
Townsville is sailing on a river of bullshit and Troy Thompson is the ships captain.
The Astonisher no longer has investigative reporters. They rely entirely on media releases, social media and The Magpie column to put together content.
Jesus, don’t blame me for anything they print.
With some luck it’s one of those boot camps that the mad katters keep banging on about
How does Mr Robinson or anyone for that matter know what the people of Townsville want. I assume he means the majority of people. Has he or anyone surveyed the people of Townsville? Nope!
How do you know what people, even apart from his constituents, been telling him?
Silly comment anyway, how do you suggest such a survey is carried out? A Bulletin poll, maybe?
Council used to conduct community surveys. Simples.
Simples is the word. Especially with this council of twicers.
Prior to Campbell Newman, local governments were required to have a long term community plans. To develop these they had to have feedback from the community on their wants/needs/opinions. However the requirement for long-term community plans was removed by the LNP government under Campbell Newman in 2012. Can Do Campbell making Queensland better again.
Oh! how have the mighty fallen? Self appointed “Republican” Trump is on yet another Royal Progress to the UK.
Maybe 1770 was really just premature fake news?
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-heads-uk-historic-2nd-state-visit/story?id=125584310
Pity old ‘Randy Andy’ wasn’t allowed to be involved with any part of Trumps visit. They might have had a golden opportunity to talk privately about the good old days at Epstein’s haunt !
I reckon your response to Clarabelle would have had most lepers throw their hand in after your reference to them Pie ! Getit….throw their hand in…..?
(Sigh)
Recycle bins from Monday remain uncollected at Kelso.
And we haven’t had any updates on negotiations … although The ‘Pie hasn’t read had his morning dose of Astonishment this morning at the time of writing.
No re-cycle bins collected Cranbrook Mon 15/9
Just before 9 this morning, The ‘Pie emailed all councillors with the following.
Good morning councillors,
Sorry this is so last minute.
In relation to the first item on today’s agenda, you may find the following information useful for possibly a question or two. $50,000? Did the council actually get their own valuation, or are council officers just willing to accept one from a self-interested punter?
The ‘Pie understands that Mr Ellis is the sole director and secretary of Gidday Upholdings QLD PTY LTD ACN 624 612951. The
transfer document for the adjoining lot 11 CROWN PLAN EP767 shows that on 18 August 2025 the purchase price was $450,000. This is below residential market value because this allotment is currently zoned Community Facilities. There would appear to be little doubt that Mr Ellis’s recent adjoining acquisition is set to be rezoned residential under the new amendment.
Surely a polite inquiry of the presenting officer during this morning’s meeting would be advisable, even mandatory, perhaps?
Depending in the determination of this matter, I will certainly be asking for clarification on a few points ex post facto.
Regards,
Malcolm
—
Malcolm Weatherup | The Magpie, Townsville
0421 037 179 | email hidden; JavaScript is required
http://www.townsvillemagpie.com.au/
Wouldn’t it be interesting to know who provided the ‘market valuation’?
Good question Pie! I’m advised that the valuation is total bullshit. Neighbouring resident blocks of land of lesser size have rateable valuations of circa $135k to $150k.
Rateable valuations are derived from the figures that TCC set their rates assessment at. It DOES NOT reflect the market valuation which is in Townsville aprox 20-25% more.
This percentage in regions like the Gold Coast, are usually 50% to 100% more !
Surely there must be a avenue for a total corruption investigation for the rubbish valuation provide by the buyer involved !
Fully Licensed Real Estate Agents often provide written valuations for banking institutions, ATO, courts etc as a part of assessing real value and are seen as being acceptable however, the buyer here appears to have called in a marker from a real estate mate.
Any such investigation is unnecessary as this morning’s meeting has negated the issue, with council deciding that the land go to tender or public auction. And it was made clear by infrastructure boss Matt Richardson the council was basically just asking Brisbane if they could sell the land, and had no intention of selling at $50k. That request was made null and void with a new motion thatb the land if sold will, go to tender or auction.
Don’t think the Ellis fella was trying anything illegal, more just trying it on. Tough luck, mate, they’re not as silly as you think … although on some past performances, you can be forgiven for having a dip.
Today’s council meeting must have enraged Troy Thompson. Here was the group he is constantly dispoaraging, accusing, demeaning, operating as a fully functional fair chamber of debate, give an take and resolution.
Exactly what he doesn’t want.
But it’s all irrelevant now, chum, so sad, thoughts and prayers.
I’m not so sure the Councillors’ decision is going to be valid. They didn’t specify the suburb, Wulguru. There is also a 3 Carron Court in Douglas.
A couple of points to note from the meeting for your readers. Suzy had come well- prepared with comparative recent sales figures in Wulguru. By the end of it she had her head in her hands with frustration. Paul Jacob called out the land sale being bundled in with the two community leases. Joe McCabe mumbled in reply that that was fine, the Councillors could just make amendments. Then what played out showed exactly why they should have been separate items on the Agenda: no, they couldn’t make an amendment, they had to make an entirely new motion. It sounds a lot like the operative arm of Council is doing its best to bamboozle Suzy asked for a full list of Council- owned properties. Now wouldn’t you think our Councillors already had access to that list?
What’s your real agenda, Cow Bell? We are all aware that they have at time struggled under the unique circumstances foist on them by a social leper (apologies, lepers), but they’ve struggled back to some semblance of competency while we all wait for a by-election.
So why do you seem absolutely set on denigrating this council even when they have proper debates, ask intelligent questions and reach a contrary conclusion to the recommendations in staff reports. You certainly have it in for McCabe, even by your characterisations (he ‘mumbles’ etc). And what is the point of being wise after the event that the matters should have been separate items: that was exactly the outcome as a result of mature and reasoned discussion.
Of course, you are welcome to your opinion, and even your prejudices, and they will be published here, but you seem to be tipping over in top some obsessive agenda that we don’t know about.
Stephen Ellis is also the owner of Ellis Developments who are finishing the last houses in their Haven estate. Houses 50mm apart are terraces in all but name, and do not need those pesky (and expensive) fire walls.
Magpie, yes, it would be interesting to know who provided the valuation. And it would be more than interesting to know whether they are known to the Valuers Registration Board of Queensland. Oh yes, you need to be more than a common or garden real estate agent agent to provide a professional valuation – especially if you are dealing with a government body. You seem to have a decent source in that fishpond, perhaps they can cough up a name?
Headline of the year, Mr. Pie… London’s Daily Mirror, re: Trump’s visit to the UK.
And what unfortunate timing that the arrival of one of the worst, most unethical people on the planet coincided with the departure of one of the most principled and uplifting people in his field of the last century.
The Sun Dances no more, vale Robert Redford. He was 89.
Unforgettable.
I have to agree with you there, Pie.
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid. I so wanted to be Catherine Ross. Ditto Meryl Streep in Out of Africa.
What a man…
The ‘Pie cannot start to count the number of times he has been compared to Redford … suppose that’s because there never were any.
In the aftermath of Monday’s Special Council Meeting (15 Sept 2025), Troy Thompson has doubled down publicly — in both a Facebook post and a video statement — on the claim that neither he nor his lawyers were ever given the investigator’s report.
However, the official Council investigation file (redacted version tabled on 4 Sept 2025) and the chamber transcript from Monday both expose this as false.
The Evidence Trail
1. Report Distribution:
• On 22 July 2025, Troy’s lawyers formally confirmed receipt of the preliminary findings and supporting evidence.
• On 19 August 2025, his lawyers again confirmed that Troy would not be providing any further evidence or submissions.
2. Council Transcript:
• During Monday’s meeting, Councillor Brodie Phillips pointed this out directly on the record:
Page 104 – lawyer confirmed receipt (22 July).
Page 115 – lawyer confirmed no submission (19 August) .
3. Direct Contradiction:
• Troy’s public line this week = “never received” / “denied opportunity.”
• The documented record = lawyers received, acknowledged, and responded.
Why It Matters
• This isn’t just procedural — it’s a fresh lie told in public that collapses under the weight of documentary evidence.
• Brodie Phillips deserves some credit here: as a first-term councillor, he diligently combed through hundreds of pages to catch Troy out on the fine print. It was a forensic, detail-driven intervention.
• The contradiction offers a clean narrative for public commentary: Troy’s spin vs. the paper trail.
Thompson has reported the Premier and Minister, is there anyone left. I’m trying to find the post, if anyone can, but there may be some truth to Thompsons lawyers instructing the investigator to provide all information prior to sending it to the tribunal, it was on his page, then taken down, that may be his smoking gun. It was up for 20 minutes around 2ish. The people he’s reported; CEO, Sewell, Richardson, All councillors, minister, baillee, premier, Dametto, TCC, qld government and a partridge in a pair tree FFS!
In the redacted report Guest Lawyers wrote on 19/08/2025 “My client does not wish to provide any evidence or written submissions with respect to this investigation.”
The report moved from preliminary to final and was sent to the relevant parties.
Everything I’ve said about the meeting today is complimenting them on how they handled themselves in a tricky situation.
That bit about leaving out the suburb? It was Joe McCabe himself who formulated the motion. It was his omission. I mentioned it because I know it is the role of legal practitioners to find a tiny crack and turn it into a crevasse.
And McCabe does mumble.
And Greaney doesn’t tend her hair or appearance satisfactorily. Speech and fashion police, all in one!! We are so lucky.
And an expert on crevasses
Disastrous result for the Wedgwood exhibition. Heads should roll for all involved in the decision making process.
That was truly the weirdest venture to hit this town ever. Given the result, we deserve some clarity on how this massive waste of money came about.
Haven’t the General Manager Community and Lifestyle and the Manager Creative Communities both resigned recently?
If they have, it is from bullshit jobs that shouldn’t exist in the first place.
Something happening in Kelso. Just after 2PM at high speed, with lights and sirens, four police vehicles of different type, in quick succession, outbound on Riverway Drive. Then the police helicopter arrives overhead.
Jut another afternoon in Townsville.
Perhaps Dezi Freeman has made his way to Townsville to check out TwoName’s bunker?
Pie, I read in a free copy of today’s Astonisher Three Names has refered the Premier and Local Government Minister to the CCC.
Given the honest reporting on Three Names in The Townsville Magpie how long before he refers you and the Nesters to the CCC?
Never. He knows The ‘Pie hasn’t anything worth suing for beyond his beloved 1997 Corolla, and a for the others, TwoNames and The ‘Pie have oned thing in common …. neither of know who you folks are.
BTW that is the only thing The ‘Pie has in common with this social pustule.
Suspended Mayor Troy Thompson has been issued a notice by the minister, to show cause why he should not be dismissed. He has 14 days to respond.
*HOT OFF THE PRESS* – Twonames has been issued a show cause for dismissal by the state Government. Behind the scenes there must be some damning evidence. Old mate poked the Crisafulli bear one too many times.
Standby for a Twonames social media implosion!
No he didn’t poke that bear too many times, he poked the Townsville voting community too many times. The man is a disgrace, and with a bit of luck, he will leave to somewhere else.
It’s happening – Threenames has been issued with a notice to show cause of why he should not be dismissed by the Local Government Minister. His next rant will be even more unhinged (if that is possible).
Interesting research?
Chimpanzees consume the equivalent of at least one alcoholic drink per day as they eat ripe, fermenting fruit, says a study out Wednesday that addresses one possible reason why humans are drawn to booze.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/latest-news/chimps-ingest-alcohol-daily-study/news-story/8689ed6886d4371d2e09569e041487bf
The ‘Pie has always adhered to old soak Henry Lawson’s logical reason for sinking a few: ‘Beer makes me feel the way I should feel without drinking beer.’
Looks like the CCC’s report on Barry has been submitted. Ann Leahy announced this morning that based on information received from the CCC, she has given three names two weeks to convince the QLD Govt why it shouldn’t sack him.
Game on, golden points time.
https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/103550
And the Minister used some of Twonames favourite words like ‘natural justice’ and ‘transparency’. A nice subtle and gentle inserting of the pineapple into Twonames ass. Hey Toy, just keep swimming just keep swimming…..
Happy days are (nearly) here again.
After intermition there is part 2 to this play, The Tragedy of Troy Thompson, directed by Troy Thompson, produced by Troy Thompson, and financed by the ratepayers of Townsville.
Part 2………..
THE BYELECTION
Featuring The Ghost of Jenny Hill, the corpse of Troy Thompson, many other fun filled candidates, facing the voters of Townsville. What could possibly go WRONG?
Tickets available from the Qld Electoral Commission.
Townsville gets a massive wedgie.
But will anyone be held accountable? As the following from an informed reader laments, it won’t be councillors, who are already ducking for cover. It is said comparisons are odious – the following perspectives sure are.
Brady Ellis was first cab off the rank, trying for a pre-emptive strike in blame shifting.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17Pf8avAKg/?mibextid=wwXIfr ).
You’ll note, in defending the Wedgwood: Artists & Industry shortfall, Cr Ellis repeatedly shifted responsibility from councillors to staff. With live industrial action rolling through TCC, that lands like a smack at the workforce.
•The exhibition: Cost about $800k, took ~$140k in ticket sales from ~8,500 visitors. Council pitched it as an international-standard coup; the ledger says otherwise.
• IR backdrop: Council’s own notices say 10+ weeks of protected action are impacting services (incl. bins), with a 48-hour lockout threat floated. Independent local outlets reported the same. 
• Perspective 1: The CEO’s package has been reported in the $500k–$600k range; executive recruitment fees in Australia typically run ~16–25% of first-year salary. So salary + search fee easily sits in the same ballpark as the Wedgwood bill.
• Perspective 2: (Councillors): Current base pay: Mayor $230,836, Deputy $156,974, Councillor $138,501. On that math, $800,000 ≈ 5.8 councillors’ annual base—call it “about six councillors for a year,” or “five if you want to be conservative.” 
The take: Big cultural shows are policy choices—councillors own the risk and the result. Pointing at staff during an active pay dispute isn’t leadership; it’s scapegoating the people keeping the city running.
Neat irony to close: In the very week (15 Sept 2025) Council formally found Troy Thompson in breach of the Code of Conduct, Brady’s “blame staff” frame hands Troy a small moral win (“see, it’s the bureaucracy!”).
Clr Ellis’s point that this oversight gap has now be fixed, it brings up a related question: if councillors now the ability to second guess our art mavens, will this arrangement extend to the million+ dollars the council flick-passed to TEL for event attraction? The ‘Pie’s guess is that it won’t, because that would mean that TEL could be forced to offer KPIs and pre-existing data to support their choices.
That particular Councillor is full of it. Every council team has to budget for the financial year ahead, and it it then council’s responsibility to come back with questions, issues, cuts and so forth. And you can be absolutely certain that they look at every big ticket item, closely. To shift blame over to the team is blatant scapegoating. He’s taken the opportunity of recently a departed GM and TM to shift the blame away from his own self. Way to pass the buck, mate. Making sad little YouTube videos shitting on the people of the organization you represent is a idiocy of the highest order. Surely there’s something to be learned from this absentee charlatan mayor situation we find ourselves in? You shame yourself. I’d like the video but honestly I feel stupider for having watched it. Man up and admit that you either didn’t do your due diligence, or worse, that you can’t read a spreadsheet, Councillor. Accountability is a fine thing, but if it applies to only part of the organization, we have a major problem.
The wedgewood exhibition was a sick joke considering the financial straits this council is in.
The grift and the spending has to end
I’m not here to argue the merits of the exhibition- you are as welcome to your opinion as anybody. What I am here to say is that this councillor is trying to pass the buck on something he himself was duty bound to examine before endorsing.
It is literally his job to question spending before a budget is approved. Every expense over a certain amount of money needs council approval. It has been like that for years.
Approving something and then when the money is spent choosing to carp on about it and blame people who are conveniently no longer still around to defend themselves is arse-backwards, and highly dysfunctional. He has nobody to blame but himself.
Now hang on a sec, a bit of timeline perspective here.
As Ellis correctly pointed out, the procedure was allocate a bulk sum, and then those in charge of the arts area make their choices. He falsely claims that the councillors had no oversight once the money has been allocated, and that is his error … The ‘Pie has been reliably told there was plenty of knowledge in council about the Wedgie before it was finalised, and councillors have always got the right, nay the obligation, to question such an obviously daft and inexcusably expensive bit of elitist tripe. Magpie and many Nesters certainly did.(How amusing to see Liam Mooney, son of the most dyed-in-the-red Labor haranguer the town’s ever seen, crooking his little finger to have a promotional cuppa in a Wedgwood vessel. He looked like a right little count … whoops, apologies for the typo.)
Yes, and so does the lies and backpedaling from some of the Councilors like Ellis.
If the public are upset about $800k spent on some fine China, wait until they hear about the failed ERP project.
It would be appreciated if you didn’t just drop acronyms as though you’re talking to political ambitious yuppy buzzword happy little thrusters. No one’s going to feel talked down to if you give a line of explanation or just the the full words of the acronym.
Any way, tell us more, but looking at what an ERP involves, the Townsville Council wouldn’t even get to square one with the current talent on offer.
This is the AI overview:
An ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) project involves implementing an ERP system to integrate core business functions like finance, HR, sales, and supply chain management into a single system, creating a unified view of data and streamlining processes for improved efficiency and control. The project requires substantial commitment, with key stages including defining business needs, planning the system’s scope, migrating data, configuring the software, testing, training users, and providing ongoing maintenance and updates.
Lily-livered corporate America takes a knee to Trump yet again … and … yet again, lands a blow against free speech … .
So what did Kimmel say that merited this action. This .. .
https://www.google.com/search?q=what+did+Jimmy+Kimmel+say+about+Charlie+Kirk%3F&oq=what+did+Jimmy+Kimmel+say+about+Charlie+Kirk%3F&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIJCAEQABgDGMcDMg0IAhAAGIYDGIAEGIoFMgoIAxAAGIAEGKIEMgcIBBAAGO8FMgoIBRAAGIAEGKIEMgoIBhAAGIAEGKIE0gEKMTM3NDlqMGoxNagCC7ACAfEFjLeBnHOLZ2o&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:906477e3,vid:s39xO9yb0pc,st:31
The back story here is that Disney, owners of ABC in America, are cats on a hot tin roof when it comes to Trump, who has had a running battle and regularly made threats against the corporate giant.
The irony of the corporate reasoning is dumbfounding.
“Mr. Kimmel’s comments about the death of Mr. Kirk are offensive and insensitive at a critical time in our national political discourse.”
Maybe, but you can’t sanitize any political discourse anywhere, and trying to do so only makes it worse, political discourse by its very nature is often ‘offensive’ (to some) and ‘insensitive’ (to some), and given the egregious nature of this presidential abomination, Kimmel’s words make a reasonable but debatable hypothesis.
If you look at that clip above, what is truly offensive and insensitive is Trump’s reaction, which is simply disgusting. Can you imagine any other president ever reacting in such an offhand way to a political assassination?
Make no mistake, this is the second American civil war in progress right now, but this one is being fought on modern battlefield of technology and influence.
But that doesn’t make it bloodless. The way thing are headed, they might even top the toll of the first time around 160 years ago.
Its on a par with grounding a footy player for 4 weeks for using a derogative (not HIGHLY) offensive term!
They are NOT offended, they CHOOSE or are directed to be offended, if a player is that sensitive they should try knitting or crochet.
Note that they manage to ignore the yobbo contingent on the terraces.
Pie, AMERICA. “Home of the brave, land of the free”
Which one is Kimmel?
Pie, the American civil war never ended. Military action might have ended in 1865 but the seathing hatred lasted a generation further and continues to manifest itself in social attitudes and economic circumstance. That the Confederate flag and other civil war symbols were only taken down in 2015 after a mass shooting at a black church by a white supremacist suggests to me the KKK and those of its ilk is alive and well. Proud Boys and Trump. How do I put it, the poweder is there, always has been. Just needs the politics of hate to get to the temperature to light the fuse. And unseen, Putin and the CCP will facilitate where possible.
War in Europe, Ukraine and Russia, more to follow. USA imploding, the rest of the world is like a kangaroo in a spotlight.
Well, JWB, you did exactly calm things down, did you?
I speek from a position of authority and achievement.
At the time it seemed to be the right thing to do.
Those who now would ferment and commit violent civil terrorism in the name of political right wing hate will ‘know’ it is the right thing to do.
God bless America? God save Australia!
You’re a sick puppy, ain’t you.
Not sick, I think. More concerned, especially for my granddaughters.
As I said, “God save Australia. “
P’raps just tell this “deity” to piss off and join the herd of imagined entities that have plagued the creative capabilities of our species!
WE can manage on our own thankyou, can’t be any worse than the “benevolence” of your always conditional and unattainable beatitudes!!!!
JWB, the word you were probably looking for is ‘foment’, not ferment.
Thanks Bob, as a nester, courtesy of the Pie and others I have learnt more about spelling etc than 7 years in a Queensland primary school. Well, sort of. And predictive text is not helpful.
(Yes, yes, I know Pie. Don’t start a sentence with ‘And’.)
That stricture about ‘and’ and ‘but’ has long been discarded by grammarians and lexicographers.
And go easy on the grammatical praise for the Nest, although appreciated, it is inviting derision because The ‘Pie, being a one-man band with no one to check things, makes plenty of bloopers. But then, The Nest is not a profit-making enterprise suitably funded to afford such luxuries.
As Marina Hyde in the Guardian said this week ‘There’s an old online rule that declares that if you tell someone off for their spelling or grammar, you will always end up making your own howler while you’re doing it’.
The ‘Pie has fallen foul of this dictum more than once, to which he offers a humble ‘tough titty, suck it up’.
The first of the abrams tanks sent by Australia to ukraine was destroyed by drone in the last few days. We’ve still got the troops We’ve unofficially sent there i suppose to wave the flag over another lost war presided by the generals and experts.
So Putin’s won?
You need a cursory understanding of geo politics to understand the ukraine conflict.
To make a long story short : the west has opened up a Pandora’s box it shouldn’t have opened.
So Putin should’ve been left alone to invade a sovereign state?
Fuck off, Guy, has enough for one day.
Guy you should probably stop listening to Jeffrey Sachs, he attributes responsibility disproportionately, mixes up fact and disputed claims and pushes pro Russian talking points.
If you haven’t already worked out how to spot authoritarianism, this is your quick reference guide.
https://youtu.be/T-vVO3nRFzI?feature=shared
Very good stuff, worth the 15 minutes.
Listening to Katy Kay podcast (the rest is politics US) and reading her on BBC (https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78n0e83ye0o). The determination that in US politics it is about making money and big companies make more money out of division than they do out of unity. Therefore calls for unity go unheeded.
It seems that cancel-culture is not the exclusive domain of the left. Freedom for me, but not for thee.
South Park pulled this week’s episode for the first time in its almost 30 year run. Dark times.
What was the subject, haven’t caught up with that yet?
Related to the Jimmy Kimmel news. Paramount, satire and corparate acquistion the netwrk giants by maga billionaire in the US…that sorta stuff.
The ‘Pie isn’t sure that this came from regular commenter Headmistress, who is usually literate and whose opinions are clear. If this is her, has she had a stroke?
Can’t wait for the TCC public announcement Friday morning. Threenames has already been on Chanel 7 groaning about not being treated fairly. And now he is complaining about an email Joe McCabe sent to all staff that outlines the latest developments. Threenames looks more pathetic by the day. His incessant proclaiming of innocence, endless lies and hourly posts on social media is wearing thin. Just go away you obsessive, narcissistic, dumb fuckwit. Do it for Townsville.
The minister said she had seen enough to progress to a show cause motion. Sounds like the CCC has some irrefutable claims on him that are disqualifying.
With the recent OIC findings that council sent legal bills for that back his way, I can’t imagine he has too much money left to take everyone to court like he wants to.
Any funds he has will be needed to keep his sorry ass out of Stuart. Once he gets to Stuart all his social media stunts will disappear, and the only correspondence with his legal team will be discussing payment.
Unless the CCC has uncovered something beyond his campaign lying – and why not, with this bloke’s history – a striped suntan is not on the cards as far as seems likely. But I do believe an involuntary admission to the secure mental unit at the TUH is certainly within scope.
Our magistrates are far more lenient than they once were, but most disqualifying offences have either a significant penalty unit count or imprisonment attached.
This is an interesting law that comes to mind in the last few days from the LGA. 150AWProtection from reprisal
(1)A councillor must not take detrimental action against a protected person in reprisal for a complaint or notification about the councillor’s conduct.
Maximum penalty—167 penalty units or 2 years imprisonment.
Thompson is guilty X10.
I have been following the back and forth in the comments. The Nest is Townsville based but Townsville is connected to the rest of the world so here goes, Magpie permitting.
What is it that has made American society and culture so toxic?
Canada and Australia had a similar colonial history without the hate seen in the US today and indeed for living memory.
I suggest the origins of American social and political toxicity is slavery, as practiced in America.
I know little of Canadian history so lets return to Australia, or to be precise, the penal colony of New South Wales.
From the first days of the colony Governor Author Phillp decreed there would be no slavery in the colony, and the full protection of the ‘British’ law would apply to all, free man or convict.
Nesters, being educated folk will recall that back in Jolly Old England at that time, once convicted, many protections of the law were denied to the convicted.
So on these two decrees Governor Author Philip a man ahead of his time, should be celebrated contributing, in some part to the Australian ethic, somewhat distilled through the years.
Perphaps on Australia Day, 26th January time should be set aside for Governor Author Philip.
And finally, to the fradgile handkerchief wringers, pack up and piss off. There has never been slavery, American style in Australia! Got it! There was endentured employment from the South Sea Islanders who were taken advantage of and after Federation had the opportunity to return home before the end of their contract or remain as Australian citizens, which many did and thrived. So handkerchief wringers, study Australia history or fuck off.
Amazing diatribde.
NOT A SINGLE MENTION OF THE SLAVES THAT EXISTED HERE ON ARRIVAL. And Phillips declaration certainly didn’t apply to aborigines, who basically didn’t exist as far as the Brits were concerned.
While the more extreme among the modern day agitators in aboriginal elite are wilfully condemning their own people to continue the promoted rancour, hatred and victimhood that is so lucrative, there can be no doubt that the extreme demands have been fuelled by the heinous treatment of aborigines by the whites of the first hundred or more years, which morphed into institutionalised ‘benign neglect’ from ‘active genocide’.
Magpie, leaving aside the inexplicable ‘not’ in your last sentence, your suggestion that the treatment of Aborigines in Australia after the “first hundred or more years” (ie. say from 1900) went from “active genocide” to “institutionalised ‘benign neglect’”, is taking a few liberties with the truth, surely? Between 1900 and about 1970 there are numerous records of the most shocking forms of abuse and harm perpetrated against Aboriginal people. I’m surprised an experienced journalist could so easily glide over the sordid details. Here’s just one reminder:
https://publicintegrity.org/accountability/longtime-australian-policy-kidnapping-children-from-families/
True but it was a broad brush comment how colonialists and then Australians went from outright murderous ‘Myall massacre’ type actions to the breeding out and stolen generation policies.
All of which we now acknowledge, for which we have not just apologised for but have embarked on often ill-advised and guilt driven billion dollar projects and reparations. The are ill advised because until recently, no one thought to consult indigenous people to contribute to what became such mostly wronged-headed paternalistic projects.
Well yes, some of which some acknowledge some of the time. Then there’s never-going-there and a whole lot of not-acknowledging and there’s plenty of ‘settled-that, let’s-move-on’, around the place as well. The Yoorrook Justice Commission, Australia’s first formal truth-telling inquiry in Victoria, has demonstrated to mainstream Aussies just how much we don’t know and haven’t acknowledged and how we need to come to grips with and face up to the truth.
OK we do that, then what?
Doing “that” will be “a journey to a foreign country. We will go there empty-handed with no idea who or what we will find there. There will be no coming back”.
Ben, the toxic trinity in the US is religion, guns and nationalism. Slavery was enabled by their bible that said they could do so.
There’s an often bandied about phrase “American Exceptionalism”
And when you’re raised to know you are better than everyone else, more individual, more unique, and your imaginary white man in the sky ( because American Jesus is white) loves you more than anyone else, you become selfish and arrogant. Add to that American capitalism, which teaches that nobody gets anything for free, and its every man for himself and anyone who needs help is weak. And a constitution that allows citizens to carry weapons.
Threenames is an embarrassment to our city. The worst “bridge burner” I have ever come across. Everybody, and I mean everybody else is to blame. But not Troy. He is the most egotistical, proud, and conceited person I have seen in decades. And apparently he is innocent! He could have gone quietly. He could have got on with life. But no, his lack of humility and his obvious mental health issues have stayed around to drag this matter out further. He will never get a decent job in this town once this sorry saga is finalised. He is damaged goods. My guess is that he will go on sickness benefits and and become an employee of Centerlink.
It’s heating up in the kitchen… luckily TT was in catering corps! I’ll give him some credit, he knows how to go down fighting, as embarrassing as it is, he has all on the hot tin roof. The unpredictable nature of his actions could well throw this in the courts sooner, I suspect this is long from over, he won’t go away.
He has been trying to get to the courts from day 1. He legal team Guest Lawyers are dedicated criminal lawyers and that is where they do their best work.
Well the then I guess his lawyers will be able to advise if Mr Thompson is in breach of the criminal code in relation to his election campaign or his time in office.
Further to that, any lawyer should have the ability to interpret different legislations outside their field.
H.M.,
Court action costs money. What organisation is funding Troy Thompson? There is the real story, and perhaps the social/political cancerous tenticals reach far beyond Townsville.
Perhaps court action will expose this cancerous tumour facilitating its debridement.
Perhaps the threats of court action will evaporate fairly soon.
But the social cancer (My Place, sovereign citizens, everyone is corrupt but me, vaccines sux, science kills, etc) that has given life to Troy Thompson and his ilk remains. Shame not to expose it.
Surely that’s exactly what we’ve been doing here.
That is a good question.
When he was transparent albeit as KP he boasted of costs that TCC was paying with C & O insurance.
In his angry letter that saw him land the breach with OIA, he was seeking more legal funding, and they weren’t giving it. Hence the angry letter.
I suspect he wasn’t paying anything until the breach which put legal costs back on him. I also suspect the reason his barrister didn’t front up to his case against TCC was lack of funding – from his pocket.
When he is dismissed, legal funding paid by taxpayer/ratepayer will dry up. Just in time for the CCC findings to be released.
If he still looks like things are rosy after that, there is no reason various people/companies can’t take him for defamation. e.g. Townsville Bully, Jenny Hill, CEO, Councillors, Premier, Minister etc. His only saving grace from defamation for now, is his small net worth.