As the Battle for Casuarina Drive in Annandale hots up, we learn that the CASPA crowd plans for a second disruptive lawless kids residence in Pimlico. A petition is being prepared for state parliament. But the self-interested carpetbaggers say they don’t care, they’re going ahead anyway, as is their right … they say. And lackadaisical Les Walker is either uninformed or untruthful … or both … on this issue. The Magpie has the latest.
The Hotel Phoenix for Townsville has arisen from the smouldering ashes of burnt bullshit into which it disappeared for three years or so years. Hilton’s Double-Dutch … sorry … Double Tree Hotel is again promised to us … and again, The Magpie remains a baffled unbeliever.
The Matildas made us hold our breath, but they get home against the Kiwis … courtesy of superstar Sam Kerr. Yes, she played, but the soccer hierarchy have paid the price at the gate for their silly word games about Kerr’s participation. The media hasn’t mentioned the abysmal attendance figures, but The ‘Pie will …
Plus our regular gallery of grim laughs from the USA and around.
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Now, into it …
Meet The Touted 2032 Olympic Mascot … Osama
Stirling Hinchliffe, one of the dimmer bulbs in Anna’s unsafe George Street carousel, had a bit of a short circuit during the week, calling for our less-than-beloved bin chicken, the White Ibis (Threskioris Molucca), to be the mascot for the 2032 Olympic five-ring circus. This ignores the fact that they are rarely white, and generally look more like Clive Palmer’s tie after a long lunch.
The howls of derision at this idea have been louder than when Townsville mayor reveals her latest thought fart. But Bentley can see some merit in Stirling’s less than sterling idea, he thinks the good old bin chicken is most apt – for Queensland anyway.
Never missing a chance to simultaneously demonstrate that he is both out of touch and also slightly touched, Hinchliffe mumbled to ‘But the reality is this is something that we can work on as a community to help tell our story to the globe, and we’ll do that together.’
And you know what? He’s right!! At least it will tell in heart-warming symbolism, the story of our current state government. For a start, the White Ibis is a totally protected species in this state, and even injuring one on purpose can earn a hefty fine or even a spell in chokey. (This law does not apply to political turkeys decked at the Mad Cow Tavern.)
Ibis are considered a pest because they pose a threat to aircraft safety, scavenge food at waste-management sites, cafés and parks, and compete with other native species for food and habitat. But in fairness, one big plus is they don’t any of this on government money, like the average MP. Similar to other wildlife, ibis can carry bacteria and viruses and some studies have found that ibis are carriers of Avian influenza, Salmonella and Giardia, particularly if they have been feeding on refuse. Despite this, Queensland CHOs have consistently exempted the white obis from wearing masks or getting vaccinated.
And another advantage of making the bin chicken the mascot: Olympic mascots are always given nicknames, and given the financial terrorism connected with these Olympic Games, the bin chicken could be Osama … as in Osama bin Chicken.
As The Battle For Casuarina Drive In Annandale Hots Up, The Carpetbaggers Are In An Expansionary Mood.
The Magpie has been reliably informed that the NSW-based ‘child accommodation’ mob CASPA not only intend to move ahead with their high-handed and disruptive plans for Annandale, but are close to closing a deal on another property for a similar anti-social insertion into Pimlico. The ‘Pie is waiting on more accurate information on this.
Naarah Rodwell, CASPA CEO
But given the following, it can only be that someone is lying – either Les Walker, the State Government or CASPA. Updating the Annandale information from last week’s blog and information published in comments during the week, here are points that have developed:
Les Walker has told residents (as their local state member) he is behind their protest, that residents should’ve been consulted, and will support the petition the residents are presenting to parliament. He promised he would be ‘liaising’ with the minster and her director general, but he said unequivocally the Qld government had not asked CASPA to set up in Townsville. That directly contradicts the claim by CASPA’s CEO Naarah Rodwell, who told resident there was nothing they could do because they were being funded by the Queensland Government. Ergo, either Les Walker, Naarah Rodwell or the Queensland Government are lying.
- Les could do much to redeem himself to swing voters if he actually got some fire in his belly about this. He will help, no doubt but the question is how fired up is he about it. He doesn’t have many brownie points with the Premier right now.
- Residents say they have ‘very, very’ reliable information that the child that was/may be housed in this home has already stabbed somebody.
- More accurate details on a similar move into a Pimlico property are actively being sought
- Former mayor Tony Mooney is squarely behind the residents, warning them that once CASPA successfully got a foot in the door, it will be a revolving door of imported residents. It would also mean that CASPA could move into any premises virtually anywhere they chose without consultation if the Casuarina Drive property deal goes ahead. AND IT MUST BE NOTED DESPITE COMMENTS TO THE CONTRARY, TONY MOONEY IS NOT BEING. PAID IN THIS MATTER BY ANYBODY – HE JUST KNOWS SEVERAL RESIDENTS AND SYMPATHISES WITH THEM.
- CASPA’s Rodwell said the group intended to consult with the residents once the property was bought, and even at this stage, said they ‘had no plans’. This is an insultingly stupid lie… if you are a responsible CEO who sees a need to ‘consult’, you don’t do it as a fait accompli after buying in, which is effectively a ‘take it or leave it’ proposition. Even Mooney, who is pretty fired up about this by all reports, said this was bullshit – he said of his meeting with CASPA that ‘they wouldn’t give straight answers’. Yet renovations to the already recently renovated house, are now underway , and CASPA have been advertising for staff in Townsville on several platforms since January. No plans, eh, Naarah?
- Residents will push for a change to the law so that any group – church or NFP – which applies for funding from any government must act with transparency and consult with residents before any funding is received.
In broad terms, all this raises a very salient matter: are people who behave like this corporately – untruthfully, arrogantly and callously – the sort of people who should be allowed to look after ‘troubled’ often criminal, teenagers?
Summing Up, An Overview
How’s this for two faced virtue signalling codswallop.
The sentiment itself is fine, but to be posted by a mob like CASPA is ingenuous as best. Families remain strong and stable when parents are allowed to have a say in the environment in which their children live … and trying to make such parents perpetrators of injustice instead of victims, for wanting to protect their kids and their property is a low act. CASPA will actually make them victims hrough its financially motivated callousness, and that says volumes about this two faced crowd.
The term ‘woke’, initially coined by black Americans to shorthand ‘awake to social injustice’, was an honourable term when people held out often impossible but desirable visions of a fairer, more equitable world. But now, ‘woke’ has become a disparaging epithet, because the term has been hijacked by any number of single-issue groups calling for all manner of ‘injustices’ as they see it, to be rectified by their narrow-focus, ‘morally superior’ code.
Sorry, you faux woke folk, that just doesn’t fly … because your mantras almost always involve unfairly affecting one group in favour of another.
And that in a nutshell is the story of the battle for Casuarina Drive, Annandale. And carpetbagging woke folk in this instance could be seen to be motivated by bags of public money for their scheme to insert a house of lawless, often violent teenagers into the quiet residential suburb. No consultation, no information and no responsibility towards the neighbourhood, all because they are within legal boundaries facilitated by a lost and weary council and government.
To other matters ..
Some People
Sunglasses on, Canberra, you are about to emerge from out of a large shadow.
…..
Local(ish) lad makes good. Even by the 100RPM of the Bulletin’s staff turnstile, one Anthony Galloway’s stint of less than a year at the Astonisher back in 2015 as political reporter was notably brief. Anthony quickly took his emerging talent south to the Herald Sun in Melbourne, first as a general journalist, then from 2016 to 2017, state political reporter, before really going places when appointed the paper’ Canberra bureau as national political reporter. After 18 months there, Anthony decided to desert the dark side , as Murdochania is known, and was deemed good enough to pop across the corridor and join The Age/SMH stable covering foreign affairs and security.
So it was no real surprise when this bobbed up a news feed recently.
Like they never said, it’s hard to keep ‘em down on the Townsville farm, after they’ve seen real journalism.
……..
And the award for too much time on her hands goes to this young lady …
When the kiddies ask ‘What do you do, mummy?’ she can proudly answer ‘I make nappies to catch chicken shit … and one you can too, little light of my life.’
‘Gee, thanks a bunch, mummy, can hardly wait.’
Maybe she could do a special Ibis line.
Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid … It’s Back
Here we go again … the $40million Double Tree Hotel by Hilton is back in the mix, after an hiatus of three years. The seven-storey 166 room project – with parking for only about 40% of guests … attracted the ire of the Townsville accommodation industry when it was first mooted by Mayor Mullet back around 2016. The Industry believed it was inappropriate in an already oversupplied market. We doubt much has changed since then.
Dolan Hayes old political and business playmate Brisbane-based Focus Pacific chief executive Michael Graham, who was comes from Townsville, had locked away his side show alley megaphone for those years, but now, the din is deafening again. During a tour of the site during the past week in an effort to drum up some dollars for the idea, Mr Graham said he was ‘excited like a kid in a lolly shop’. Which, looking at the details and the prospects, seems appropriate as he tends to take us as all day suckers.
Despite having yet to find the funding, and the pause giving statement “we have been working to get Hilton to adopt what they believe to be the future post Covid’, Mr Graham was gurgling. But does that mean they are still not sold on the idea? ‘Hilton have been taking a deep look at the marketplace, understanding just what their trading forecasts look like. I’m pleased to say it is looking incredibly positive in terms of the behaviour in the post-Covid world.’
Whatever all that means, the bottom line is not a single definitive word …. like a starting date, or where the money is coming from, which by all accounts, is very much up in the air. Now if Hilton want to built a big dormitory here, that’s a matter for them, yet they haven’t indicated anything regarding this (and the reporter didn’t have the wit to ring Hilton HQ with a few questions). But urgers like Mr Graham and the Bulletin keep selling ifs and maybes in the guise of positives. It gets tedious in the extreme. But really, is someone going to spend $40million on this.
Mock-ups, known in the world of spin as ‘visualisations’ now show us a dream that looks a little less like a nightmare from the Gulag of Soviet era Russia. a bit, anyway. But the surrounds will remain at an unappetising level for a while yet … a railway line right next to the building, a mangrove-fringed river featuring tidal mudflats and an mainly unused, weedy industrial site covered in rusting rail lines and tin sheds – with no realistic future development in the works – across a busy arterial road. It is hard to imagine a less attractive site for such a project, and they won’t have an exclusivity over stadium games and events – for whatever that’s worth.
If an exciting development like the scrapped Maidment development at the ferry terminal on Ross Creek, which would’ve had water views, boat traffic, and access to the casino and Magnetic Island, was canned because of uncertainty, a bit hard imagining Hilton doing this.
We’ll see, but one thing for is for sure … the biggest all day sucker in this town is whoever wrote this editorial twaddle in the daily Astonisher.
One Of Life’s Small Ironies
As it happens, that Double Vision headline graced the front page of an edition that had its own ‘doubled vision’ cock-up … page 18 and 19 were duplicates of the on page. And the same thing happened on Tuesday as well.
Ya gotta luv ‘em.
And You’ve Got To Wonder About The Soccer Hierarchy
So Sam Kerr not only played for the Matildas in Friday night’s international against New Zealand, but saved our national bacon with a goal in the 96th minute to clinch the 2-1 victory.
But it remains a. mystery why the appearance of one of this country’s most accomplished and admired athletes wasn’t more heavily promoted. In fact, even put in doubt. Or if it wasn’t known whether she could make it to Townsville after duties with Chelsea in Europe, why there wasn’t a media ‘will she or won’t she – we’re doing our best get her here’ campaign. That way, there may have been a late rush for tickets. Which they sure could’ve done with.
As it was … and this is about the only place outside specialised sites where you’ll learn this … just 10,779 punters attended the game, many of the starry-eyed youngsters on special club deals. No one mentioned it … well, not the Bulletin that The ‘Pie could see, a paper which had been tying itself up in knots to push the ‘build it and they will come’ myth.
As a response to a national team with strong hopes for international glory next year, not a big tick for Townsville as a sporting mecca.
The Lighter Side Of January 6
As the committee investigating the undoubted treason by Donald Trump and his fellow thugs regarding the storming of the capitol grinds on, it appears enough time has passed to allow the low IQ antics of the killer mob to be the butt of many jokes.
The ‘Pie’s favourite was in the New Yorker. It was triggered when one political insider told the media that as crews cleaned the US Capitol on January 7, 2021, the phone lines in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office began to ring. Rioters were calling “asking whether there was a lost and found because they forgot their phone there, or they left their purse or what have you,”
The jokers as The New Yorker did up a long list of likely personal possession left behind. The two best that still have The Magpie warbling:
1 Swiss Navy Knife, and
3 pairs men’s upper-body armour (with underwire)
Here’s the best of the rest on what was a very long list:
Watches
1 Timex Armageddon, 1 Swatch Bait ’n’ Swatch, 3 Seiko Trespassers, 1 Breitling Kristallnacht
Wallets
Please call 1-800-NOT-FBITIPS.
Clothing
1 fleece vest “Official Forged Elector”
1 hooded sweatshirt “Proud Goys”
11 S & M leather hoods (10 zippered-mouth, 1 Velcro)
4 onesies “My 1st Sedition” (3-6 mo., 6-9 mo., 1 yr., adult L)
3 gloves (left)
1,107 gloves (right)
Miscellaneous
6 empty recyclable cans bear spray
2 empty recyclable cans Bear Spray-brand self-tanner
1 pump bottle “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Bear Spray”
1 Klingon-English dictionary
2 bottles non-runnable hair dye (mousy brown)
3 pairs men’s upper-body armor (with underwire)
1 Jewish Space Laser USB charger
1 Jewish Space Laser holster
1 Blu-ray disc “Home Alone 2”
1 Swiss Navy knife
1 three-pack camouflage condoms
37 hockey sticks (various)
12 vacuum packs beef jerky
29 airplane neck pillows
5 aqua noodles
73 vuvuzelas
1 bugle
1 fife
1 cudgel (teak)
1 bolt-cutter (Phillips-head)
8 giant foam fingers (assorted colors)
1 can Shaman headdress dry shampoo
1 Druid hymnal
1 Bankers Box containing 11,781 photocopied blank Georgia ballots
1 N-95 “Phantom of the Opera” mask
1 pair testicles labelled “Sen. Cruz”
Elsewhere, the nation was still preoccupied with the very unfunny matters of the Ukraine and Putin, and the triumphant conclusion of none of the most disgraceful nomination hearings of a Supreme Court justice in memory. But in the end, her dignity preserved and that of many questioners in tatters, Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first black female appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. It is the symbolism more than ruling she will ever make that has the country cheering.
And Something Every Person on The Planet Can Agree With
Finally, Imagine This – Or Perhaps, Don’t Imagine This …
This has been doing the social media rounds for a while, but The ‘Pie suddenly realised it could in fact be visually worse if worn the other way around … especially of the bloke inside was elderly.:
……..
Maybe this time next week, we’ll have an election to talk about, but you can get in early and have your say in comments … think up name and go for your life.
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Townsville Water Woes residents let down again by the Mayor , Team Hill and our 3 local State MP,s on water security . Does Council have the States $195 mil ( i doubt it ) , if so why wasnt the project started months ago . If Land hasnt been secured how can the Mayor state the project increased $78 mil , is there more exposure . Mayors Hills failed Adani airstrip / the Hive and other failed projects what business would partner on any deal . The amount of Councils $ in enterprises the Mayor is a board member / deputy chairs grows into the millions and Council cant clean the cbd , cut the grass , supply the water . Its great for flooded South east Qld home owners who will get the choice to retrofit , raise or buy back . Spare a thought for 2019 Townsville flood victims with many homes still abandoned .
Poor old Stirling Hinchcliffe, what an April Fool. Couldn’t even time his announcement of the bin chook for Olympic Games mascot to April Fools day.
Says a lot about his competence.
By the looks of things the acronym CASPA was originally used by a care home in the Northern Rivers connected to Anglicare.
Child and Adolescent Specialist Programs and Accommodation (CASPA) was the name chosen by the North Coast Children’s Home Inc in 2000. In 2013 CASPA, which was linked with Anglicare, provided residential and outreach programmes for children and young people in out-of-home care, foster care, disability care and mental health.
By the early twentieth century the North Coast Children’s Home was changing its purpose and young people in its care found the name stigmatising and asked if it could be changed. According to CASPA’s website, the name CASPA was inspired by the cartoon character Casper the friendly ghost.
A lot of these types of organisations popped up after the announcement of NDIS. And they say they are not it for the the money.
CASPA is a not-for-profit run by a volunteer board – not sure how they’re ‘in it for the money’.
… and MPs just earn a wage but some strangely end up as millionaires. Besides, your question can only be answered if and when the books are opened for an independent audit. But motivation correct or not, that is not really the issue here … this behaviour in disrupting a peaceful neighbourhood through bullying use of ‘letter of the law’ actions is no way for any organisation backed by public money to behave. And it is ion no way a government should allow them to do so. So perhaps you might be better asking what are they in it for?
There was noo need for social distancing at the Matildas game on Fri night. They say the crowd was over 10,000 (must have counted the heads and multiplied by 2) and how many of those were freebies, handed out by the council to save embarrassment. The associated concert in Central Park was also a joke, considering how much of our rates were spent on it. Got to love the logic of the Townsville City Council. Jenny Hill says they’re trying to help the Flinders Street pubs and clubs so they organise a concert with popup food vans over the bridge on the way back from the stadium. They would have done better to stage the concert in Flinders Street East or forget the concert and hand out food and drink vouchers that could only be used in Flinders St. Another Jenny Hill/Ann Maree Greaney stuffup.
Yes, difficult to see how an Eat Street affair … even when it’s in a closed-off Flinders Street – actually helps CBD businesses. First of all it’s in the late afternoon/evening and in fact takes business away from ratepaying establishments in both the CBD and Palmer Street. This is the panicked scatterbrained populist approach from people bankrupt of ideas, and in fact penalises rate-paying businesses … but don’t expect them or the feeble Chamber of Commerce to say anything, they are cowering in fear of retribution from our vindictive mayor.
More wasting of ratepayers money rather than spending it on the workforce that is the Townsville city council. Said it before, TCC isn’t doing what it’s meant to be doing and this fiasco is proof we need an administrator now. Magpie would you like some emails that we’ve been sent from HR to show you what kind of fuckwits are employed by hill? If you have an email to send to?
HA! You need to ask?
email hidden; JavaScript is required
AAAAAND WE’RE OFF AND RUNNING.
Federal Election May 21.
Smirko makes an honest man of himself and Anal Albanese, and legitimises the campaign they’ve been waging for months.
Order your splatter jackets now, it’s going to be a messy journey.
Today, April 19, 2022, Scott Morrison set sail for a federal election.
On this day exactly 100 years ago, April 10th, 1912,
The Titanic sailed out of Southampton, England, on its maiden and only voyage. Days after setting sail, on April 15th, 1912, the Titanic sank after colliding with an iceberg.
we should all, be on iceberg watch next Friday, April 15th, 2022.
Check your arithmetic.
Yup, did, thanks for the heads up. And you too, Steve.
Maybe the difference is that so far Scomo has never boasted of being unsinkable. He’s also not heading into any calm waters so let’s hope his lookouts are keeping their eyes peeled ! I also reckon Scomo has four genuinely usable smoke stacks where as Anal still has one for show…just like SS Titanic !
On this woke term.
What right wingers need to know is that they , right wingers, are like the churches whether or not they are religious at all.
You are trying to maintain a system where you were always at the top looking down at people. A system you could only maintain by dishonestly oppressing people with violence.
Since the end of WW2 at least, human rights have conflicted with the way you have always had it. And after WW2 our white Australia apartheid system which bred you was maintained for decades like the fascist south American and Franco regimes. You are the dregs of that.
Being against racism and human rights in the name of free speech like those who refused to take the picture of Hitler off the wall till the allies were about to kick the door down – is dishonest.
What you do when you promote your ” lifestyle choices” against normal modern people is ACTUALLY A CRIME . It’s called dishonestly causing a detriment and it doesn’t need any money to be stolen under s 408C of The Qld Code https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1899-009#sch.1-sec.408C
Forget about the high bar of hate speech. This is what you all should have been charged with when you teamed up with crooks and cops to oppress Aboriginals and activists over the decades.
Live your life by all means , but die the fuck off and allow generational change.
History will dictate what you look like anyway.
Ummm, OK. I guess.
I’m woke
It happened about 1/4 to 6 this morning. I was woke about the same time yesterday. Hope to be woke tomorrow too.
That’s “being against anti racism..”
Don’t fret, Pat, hardly anyone will know – few will read it, just the occasional one gets past the first line of your comments.
So my choice is between scomo, who paid me for 7 mths when I lost my job because of Covid, when I never need to loose it. Or the communist party albo who is so deep in loving china that nobody has noticed. Seriously this election is fucken unhinged. You have everyone bagging and calling people names to score points and nobody gives a fuck about what the polices are. Anything worth listening to will be drowned out by what someone put on Facebook 20 yrs ago as a character assignation. Libs haven’t done that bad a job, vacillating a nation eventually got done after states caused havoc, like I said I got paid to do nothing for 7 mths, which other country did that? And labor pushed for it to be longer. Every natural disaster it’s pretty clear feds offered surport early to states. And what is labor’s answer to the questions the lids are asked???? Dead silent except for the name calling as a distraction. This election will be voted
That stream of consciousness comment is either one of the most brilliant piss-takes of the average voters intelligence and grasp of basic English, or ….
Mood
https://twitter.com/alexischaise/status/1511678075045613571
RE: DoubleTree – Hilton HQ won’t talk until the management agreement is signed off. There is a plan to boost parking to 120 spots.
So parking for two thirds of patrons. That’s an improvement.
And you actually asked Hilton HQ for comment and were rebuffed? Or did the local contingent just tell you that?
If I’m correct the parking spaces talked about are linked to the number of guest rooms in the hotel. I would assume that this hotel will also have public access restaurants, conference and meeting rooms etc. My question is where are people attending these facilities going to park? A normal evening would be problematic but what the hell happens when the stadium is being used, get told to use a taxi?
very early in the piece, Madam mayor gave special dispensation for the low number of car parks … best ask her what she thinks the outcome will be, and why she was so generous in the first place (it will save the developers literally millions.)
Wonderful – 6 weeks of political fuckwittery. Letterboxes filled with junk mail,. Pithy childish media advertising filled with verbal attacks on each other. Advertising slogans plastered everywhere containing lies, personal sledges and untruths. 6 weeks of pain for us poor taxpayers, only to end up with an incompetent Liberal or incompetent Labor government. Wake me up when it’s all over.
I’m not voting for Scomo, i’m voting for Phil Thompson.
That’s the tricky bit for us, isn’t it? because common sense – words not normally spoken in the same sentence as ‘voting’ and ‘politics’ – tells us that Thommo will be a lame duck if Labor get up. Guess we’ve got to think about the overall good … but what is that?
Do you want another cardboard cutout like the Tool, or someone like Thomson who will fight for his electorate?
So Pie what you are saying is that if Thommo wins here but the LNP looses overall that Townsville will be stuffed? Last time I looked at the map Australia was one country, do you think that Labor would only look after their own flesh and blood and drop us, just look at what our 3 sitting Labor members have achieved.
Preciely … and very droll,old fella.
If you are really old you might benefit from a Labor government which has promised to do something about aged care. Something much more than Morrison or the Libs will ever do.
So what you are saying you old plough puller is that Anal and Labor are suddenly going to give us 15000 RN’s overnight, Scomo believes in miracles, Anal must have a magic wand.
AnAl’s words are nothing than that. Words! Nobody’s done the numbers and years it will take to role out his so called policies, particularly on Aged Care. Or will he open the flood gates to the Chinese to invest and consequently run our country. Keep Australia in Green and gold, not red and yellow.
If that the level of commentary we expect from you over the next six weeks, suggest you try FB, The ‘Pie has just so much patience. That’s just juvenile and silly.
KK, your comment is incredibly lame. I’m fact, I believe you are mental.
EB, note th edit in your comment. Personal sledging that is neither witty or funny has become a tad too tedious for The ‘Pie, he finds that level of discourse extremely disappointing. And that’s a message for all you serial offenders, you know who you are. Buck up! We just don’t have the time for that pointless twaddle with the campaign now one. So, everyone, by all means comment, but it about something.
Kenn, I used a magic device called “Google” to find out:
base qualification for aged care – Cert III in Care
time to do a CertIII – 15 weeks
articulation from EN to RN – Diploma at TAFE/Uni – 12 month accelerated
Seems that there is an established process to build this workforce, and the big impediment is that they get shit wages so there is no incentive to join, stay or upskill. That suggests a simple way to get more people there, and a relatively short timeframe to fix it.
It’s not rocket science.
6 weeks of wall to wall yellow and Fatso Palmer. The libs and labor won’t get a look in as Fatty will be buying up all the advertising space.
I like the yellow stripe on the paper as it makes it easier to see on the front lawn in the pre-dawn light.
Also reminds me of the stripe down the backs of most politicians.
Never been a fan of the “Paddle Pop Lion” but credit where credit is due to Mooney.
The CEO’s of CASPA Linkedin profile just reinforces the appearance of another shallow do gooder who is happy to dump problems elsewhere but her backyard. Yep get Lismore is a floodplain but hey if she was such an accommodating person why is Annandale better than Lismore for NT residents? Or even her suburb which I would suspect is a better area of Sydney or the NSW north coast.
I know people who can’t even get basic services like speech therapy for their children in Townsville without lengthy waits so why would we want to burden the systems here with more problems let alone the crime it is likely to bring that the police can’t even control now!
I’ll end it there as I am royally irritated reading this.
As for the miniscule $243 X 2 so called fines The Jenny Hill gang supposedly got for failure to disclose over the $22k from Wingate and $10k each loans from Dolan Hayes and Mooney in the 2016 council election, the ECQ told me , and I could hear the fella shaking on the phone, that there was no court case or documents at all. It’s like it never happened and not just cos of the amount.
The story was touched off by Focus Pacific, being the $5k hotel donor not putting in a return and me contacting Raggas on the matter. If you manually go to the 2016 TSV council returns and click on 3rd party returns there still doesn’t seem to be one there except on the Hill Gangs return https://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/disclosurereturnarchives
I was getting into them, the ECQ , also because in the Nov 2016 council minutes the Hill Gang said they took money from Maidment and there was only disclosure returns from them for Arlett. The Hill gang didn’t disclose it either in their return.
The minutes are still unamended I just checked here https://www.townsville.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/26106/OC-mins-22.11.16.pdf
This related to the approvals for the Mt Low Sanctum expansion , Harris Crossing and the breakwater stuff. Hundred$ of Mil worth of stuff.
Everybody who knew about that had a legal duty to report under s38 and 39 of the CCC Act https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-2001-069#ch.2-pt.3-div.3
Under s33(2)(b) and S15 and s16 it can relate to past or future conduct .
The elephant in the room is that the failures of the ECQ and its officers was a also crime of willful neglect under s180 of its own act and all officers had a duty to report their colleagues or anyone who leaned on them https://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/view/html/inforce/current/act-1992-028#sec.180
Somebody has to pay, cos I got dragged off and locked up trying to draw attention to corruption. The hatred is pure.
As has been pointed out, we are in for 6 weeks of irritating marketing from Albo and Scotty. Queensland is of concern to both parties, so expect to see both of these arseclowns out and about kissing babies, wearing hi-vis vests (very clean and shiny ones), speaking meaningless crap like “It’s about jobs and the economy”, “providing security for Australia” and probably something along the lines of “vote for us because we are future proofing our great nation” etc etc. Same shit, different election.
I care only about Townsville and I think Thommo will be a good thing for our city. Sorry Phil, I don’t trust politicians but I’m prepared to give you a go. Please open up the cheque book and start throwing money at our region, you really can’t lose. And if you do win, just remember that we will hold you accountable in the Magpie Nest if you go back on your word or start acting like an arrogant fucktard. Go get ‘em mate…
Rollmop, just for once, when are you going to demand that Phil Thompson account for the $12m his Liberal government committed, via Minister Paul Fletcher, to the development of infrastructure at Lansdown – way back when, months ago. Albanese has announced that a Labor government will invest in Lansdown but the Liberals generally and the local member in particular have gone strangely silent on the subject. Will ‘Thommo’ be as good as his word or is he just a fair weather friend?
Ok Addled, I will bite, but only because I am a bit bored today. First of all, I’m not going to ‘demand’ anything from Phil Thompson, nor will I ‘demand’ anything from any other politician. I lump them all in the same boat, I trust none of them. However, in the past 12 months Phil Thompson, who is the Federal opposition member here in Townsville, is the only politician to achieve anything. Therefor, he, being the best of a bad bunch, gets my vote. Simple really. So simple that even you should be able to understand that Addled.
“Phil Thompson, who is the Federal opposition member here in Townsville”. Really? It’s so simple eh? Thommo is the local Liberal member of a Liberal GOVERNMENT, you drongo. The PM handed him $195m to shower on favoured projects and he chose the Mayor’s handbag to slip in a cool $12m to match a similar amount from Premier Palaszczuk. It seems like everyone was into Lansdown until they weren’t any more. Phil’s trying to claw back his earlier enthusiasm by not going there any more. It can’t be Magnis because that company is a darling of the Liberal Party so perhaps it’s the whole idea of an ‘eco-sustainable industrial precinct’? So woke, so much bullshit. So caught up in its own marketing razzle dazzle. Phil needs to carefully place every step from now on lest he slip on his own party’s bullshit.
Addled by name, addled by nature, it seems. Let’s join a couple of dots on that weird and unsupportable assertion ‘It can’t be Magnis because that company is a darling of the Liberal Party’. Apart from the mewlings and goo-goo eyes in that direction from our Labor mayor, The ‘Pie hasn’t seen any political involvement with Magnis here in Australia (Greiner looking at a factory in NY belonging to a potential investor here is hardly an endorsement) and if we join that dot to the fact that the exposure of the very dodgy Magnis CEO Frank Poullas in a series of REAL JOURNALISM in both The Australian (owned by the real darling of the Liberal party) and even the non-Murdoch Fin Review hardly supports that addled view. Be careful of that thing under your nose, Addled, in your case, it’s a mouth trap.
I’m importing 100,000 of these from Britain … sold out there and turned out to be true … certainly will here, too.
Addled , you are missing a lot of fundamentals on Phil Thompsons Lansdown commitment . How long have the Feds / business been asking for more than a 2 page colour document on the project . Then Council presents a 569 page plan to their Councillors with just a few days before voting . Has the plan been passed on to Phil Thompson ? . No signed leases on Lansdown just some mou,s pages that mean nothing . If you have a problem with Phil what about our 3 local State MP,s ? . Where is there $195 mil for Haughton pipeline stage 2 ? . Council are trying to say ” we havnt secured the land ” , ” we cant find contractors ” , a Council who couldnt build a $2 mil demountable cafe .
On the last point, Mike, perhaps The ‘Pie may have missed it earlier, but it was only last week that he fell of his perch laughing when he read of a C of C or some such event that was held at ‘Panorama Lawns’.
Sounds so much better than a cafe on the hill.
Magpie, the presence of Nick Griener at the Magnis site in New York is a direct endorsement of Magnis by a prominent Liberal figure. Other prominent NSW Liberals have strong public positions on Magnis. And the provision of a $12m grant for infrastructure at Lansdown is a direct endorsement of that particular industrial project by the Liberal government of which Phillip Thompson is the local member. This Federal endorsement, with significant ministerial and financial backing, appears to be at odds with your own expressed views about Lansdown, particularly a Lansdown with a Magnis battery factory. Maybe Phillip Thompson can do no wrong but his seeming contortions over backing a local industrial development supported by his own side of government suggest a discomfort, don’t you think? Why not question it?
And that exposure of the “very dodgy Magnis CEO Frank Poullas” in a series of REAL JOURNALISM and subsequent formal inquiry seems to have come to nothing after many, many months. The business is still functioning, the New York battery factory continues to develop and investors still seem to be putting money where their mouth is.
Not too bad at contortions yourself, are you, Addled as an egg? And The ‘Pie will bet if you actually turn up any NSW Liberals with ‘strong public positions on Magnis’, they will not be mentioning Townsville or Lansdown … Poullas – who is still under investigation BTW – has been holding out a poisoned carrot of his company setting up in NSW – specifically Newcastle. It is difficult to imagine with all these twists turns and selective opinions that you are a not very clever political disruptor who really doesn’t give a stuff about Townsville.
Mike Douglas, I have no idea what documentation the Federal Liberals used to support their contribution of $12m towards Jenny Hill’s eco-sustainable industrial precinct – they are big boys who have their own assessment resources. Somehow they made up their mind/s and Phillip Thompson made his “commitment”, as you put it. It is irrelevant what state government members did or didn’t do – they are accountable for their own $12m commitment as I’m sure you are aware.
Let’s not gloss over the fact here Landsdown is 40kms south of Townsville- not even in the electorate of Herbert?!?!!
Sounds lucky they even got the 12m for it from the Member for HERBERT in the first place!
Is it in Dawson or Katter country? Anyone?
Federal: Kennedy, State: Burdekin.
Federal: KAP (Bob Katter) State: LNP (Dale Last).
It is a bit strange that neither of these reps has had much if anything to say about the Hub in the Scrub … particularly Dale Last, who represents Ayr, which may benefit from jobs if the damn thing ever happens. Perhaps he believes it’s all Mullet myths.
So Magpie, you give a stuff about Townsville but you are not interested (at all) in interrogating the Phillip Thompson-endorsed $12m investment in Lansdown?
See what The ‘Pie means about contortions? The matter at issue addressed by The ‘Pie was Magnis Energy and CEO Frank Poullas. In this Lansdown political poker game, everyone is putting a chip on the table, but Poullas has been caught card sharping. Which you seem to think is OK.
Not “caught”, just accused. Innocent until proven guilty; you know the drill.
Phil Thompson, who is the Federal opposition member here in Townsville,????
Phil is LNP QUEENSLAND. I accidentally said he was a Federal politician. Besides, he could be the Member for Caterpillars or the Member for Empty Beer Cans, he still pisses all over the 3 local Labor muppets and Queen of the muppets, Jenny Hill.
Addled, aka No More Dredging, aka Not the ECQ, aka Elusive Butterflog is just a Labor loving footstool to the local Labor fools.
The ‘Pie is devastated … and here was thinking he had eight genuine commenters and now it looks like there’s only four.
DRAT!!
Prince Rollmop said you do not trust politicians. Who do you trust? Our system of government is based on the democratic rite to vote for whoever we wish. God or bad that is the system and like it or not it is better than the alternative. Would you prefer a plate of socialism served with terrorism and deletion of all social rights?
If all those who winge about pollies decided to go into politics what a better world it would be. (Of course Magpie readers who complain about politics never do anything about politics except complain.) We live in the best country in the world and our politicians do the best they can. Remember, we employ them so if you are not happy chuck them out. I am sure Phillip Thompson will be returned.
Good operator and a good bloke. I will put my money on a sure bet with Phillip.
This pretend “journalist” Caitlan Charles is a fruit loop!
This article, if I can call it that considering the number of glaring errors, makes absolutely no sense.
https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/townsville/cungulla-residents-have-picked-the-winner-in-the-past-six-elections/news-story/61a1cd363b49384361ef31ef5b4b572a
It certainly is, as far as mystery goes, right out of the X-files. Directed from Holt Street HQ in Sydney, all News mastheads around the country have been instructed to work in Labor bashing stories. This one is a beaut, which interprets actual neutral quotes from residents as blaming the totally state issue of Townsville’s juvenile crime wave on the Feds. The ‘Pie assumes Ms Charles got her riding orders in spite of the fact that Cungulla is in Dawson, where no one reads the Bulletin and the Mackay Mercury holds sway.
Could it be that the reason CASPA has chosen Townsville as its preferred dumping ground for out of controls from the NT is this city’s reputation as the Crime Capital of Australia and its official title of Shithole Of The Year?
As for the election every time I see it on the telly I switch to another channel.
After yesterday’s announcement I had trouble finding a channel that wasn’t broadcasting wall to wall election bullshit.
Seems I’ll have to watch kiddy tv until May.
I believe Brisbane has suburbs equal to Townsville, suburbs such as Caboolture, Deception Bay, Woodridge and Inala. They too would be well suited to receiving these young misfits.
SV,
May I recommend ABC Kids TV channel. Should be little election material there, except maybe Sammy J taking the piss out of all of them. Enjoy.
In that photo Mr Pie, why is George Christensen covering his captain winky with that smelly hat? Did he crack-a-fat? Was he afraid that is wonky might catch COVID? He also looks much thinner in that photo, probably around 140kg. And his bushman’s beard isn’t as fluffy as his current lumberjack growth.
Perhaps Georgy’s been over in The Land That Time Forgot and has been exercising with the LBFM tribes.
Cutie Pie I see you are backing another loser.
Are you sick of picking losers?
As of 10am today Albanese, who seeks to be the PM, doesn’t know the RBA cash rate (0.1), the national unemployment rate (4%) or the Tasmanian unemployment rate where he is campaigning. Not that I care about Tassies unemployment rate.
This moron wants to be PM.
Albanese is not guilty of ignorance on this one, he is guilty of not thinking on his feet fast enough. The correct answer to such an infantile gotcha question is “‘Don’t know what it is this morning, this changes overnight, but I can get someone to tell you very quickly if you need to know in a hurry, why is there some emergency here I’ve missed, where I should know a whole bunch of figures off the top of my head when there are experts and economists to advise me of such matters. Same goes for the RBA cash rate.’ But Albanese compounded the media’s baying howls by apologising …. when he did nothing to be sorry for. The only moron here is someone like you who somehow imagine policy depends on the leader’s memory.
Anyway, why do you care, you’ll be voting for either Hanson, Clive or the Nazi Party if they make a late run.
The cash rate has been 0.10 since 4/11/20. It determines a lot of things ordinary aussies care about – like bank interest rates (home loans, deposits) and also things an actual government should care about.
So we are to extrapolate from AnAl’s answer that Labor are all fiscal dunces who are uncaring about the worries of Joe Everyman and slapdash about facts, figures and the truth.
What a grim choice we face, then.
Let’s be honest, almost ALL Federal politicians are self-serving Canberra millionaires. They wouldn’t know what it is like to have to scrape up a few cents to try and fuel up the car or try to buy their children new school uniforms. So Albo doesn’t know the current interest rate or unemployment percentage and Scomo doesn’t know bread and milk prices, whatever, get over it people as none of these clowns gives a shit about us. They are in the game for themselves.
While The ‘Pie agrees with the thrust of your argument,not knowing those things tells us nothing and are the products of a biased media in search of another John hewson gotcha moment, while ignoring really challenging questions and policy interrogation.
You fool
When was the last time you seen a picture of a PM or opposition leader buying bread or milk.
It was a puerile gotcha.
Also he usually gets around with a smug smirk on his dial.
MEMO TO PMO STAFF:
FROM: SCOTT MORRISON PM
Are you bastards asleep or what? I’ve welded, shampooed, baked, cooked, been Smokey and the Bandit in a truck for the cameras, hard hatted every day and even waved off jets on a carrier, yet you haven’t even thought to organise a photo shoot of me buying bread and/or milk FFS!!! This has been publicly noted by some drop-kick commenter on the influential site The Magpie’s Nest. Get with the program, you grizzle’n’grunts, or no cushy appointments when I get back in.
Your pissed-off PM
Smirko
Princerollmop you are cynical. Our type of democratic government has served us well since 1901. Give me an alternative? No one said it was perfect just better than all others. Do you want to live under socialism? You certainly would have no chance to voice an opinion.
So it’s a bit like living under Murdochism, where you can only voice ‘approved’ opinions?
Since the election has been called, where are the three stooges and the clown mayor, are they hiding from their inadequacies and non performance to protect the Ring master? All is quite on the western front, except that crime escalates and we have no water in our gardens even though the GST furphy has now been sorted out as it never existed in the first place.
No water in your garden Tradie??? Turn on the tap or call a plumber then old mate !
Strewth, all this, and it is only day one. All this hypo-ventilating will be the death of some Nesters.
It is my fervent desire that in this, or any future election campaign, I never hear the slogan, and the thought of typing it brings back horrors, but…..but ……here goes:
“JOBS AND GROWTH. ”
I need a lie down now, and seek out ABC Kids TV channel. On second thought, having been endlessly subjected to this television station when visiting the grandchildren and family, I will happily take electioneering, or pulling out my own fingernails as light relief. You think I overreact? Put it on your TV for 12 hours a day. No wonder some youngsters are screwing up and some grandparents have few fingernails.
You that’s hard? Try golf.
…. and then he led by example.
What’s your preference Kelso?
NO JOBS AND NO GROWTH
The phrase was done to death a couple of elections ago. A real turn off. Let them tackle something meaningful. Perhaps the cancer that is casualisation of many work places denying job security and all that goes with it. What do you think?
Good grief!
This very subject on ABC RN radio this afternoon. I will not hold my breath.
What do I think, Kelso? Well, hmmm, let’s see………..how about JOBS AND GROWTH!!!
Your dementia addled mate Biden in the US (corrupt as all get go) is on a 42% approval rating. His disapproval rating sits at 58%.
The us inflation figures are due tomorrow and will be blamed on Putin.
You sure do know how to pick losers.
Hmmm, as one remembers, Trump’s disapproval was well into the 60s most of the time. And who should be blamed for the inflation figures? Wouldn’t be anything to do with the previous 4 years of biased mismanagement, would it? Or perhaps, yes, Putin? And you keep rabbiting on about Hunter Biden’s laptop, but somehow you fail to mention that Jared Kushner made $2billion in a deal with the Saudis, and he had top secret clearance on foreign affairs under Trump. And Trump’s daughter Ivanka made $640m from deals (mostly with the Chinese) while she was on Daddy’s payroll in the White House.
Your complete lack of balance and often coherence is why you have – and will continue to be – deleted from comments, so at least Nesters know The ‘Pie will protect them as best he can from your crazed derangement.
Jarred failed twice to get security clearance and it was only the Orange Ejit’s overruling that got him the access.
$2b was the price of the US dropping all investigations into MBS’s order to turn a dissident Saudi journalist into mince meat.
You naughty NAUGHTY gal … Tropical about to burst a vein in his temple.
Sub-tropical obviously has some mental health issues. He/she/it certainly seems to have it in for the Pie and the Nesters. What a nimrod.
Just a little heads up for all the people here. The cash rate is 0.6%, has been for a long time. The 1% that MSM Journos are carrying on about is the RBA Interest Rate.
Oh yes, the official cash rate. It’s been very low for some time now, providing minimal return for retirees. But of course now that the central banks worldwide are reaping the downside of low interest rates and the excessive printing of fiat money – we have the inevitable high inflation, over which they are panicking. And so they should be. The world financial scene is hanging from a knifes edge and most people can’t even see it.
As CEO of CASPA Services Ltd. I would welcome the opportunity for fact sharing, fact checking and even just being given a right of reply, CASPA certainly hasn’t been contacted by The Magpie or Malcolm Weatherup. It’s a shame that journalism can be so incongruent with public interest and factual representation.
We would be happy to open up a Q and A with The Magpie and it’s commentators.
Kind regards, Naarah Rodwell
Well, there you go, Ms Rodwell, you just have opened up a Q & A with The Magpie and the commenters, and at no stage have you not been given the right to reply to criticism and observations made here. There are reasons I didn’t contact you, but they are neither here nor there, it is not about how this blog operates, it is how you operate your business.
As curator of this blog’s comments, I am aware feelings run high on this issue, so I advise anyone wishing to comment on whatever Ms Rodwell has to say, keep it civil or it won’t be published. Same goes for Ms Rodwell’s supporters. ‘Robust’ views are welcome, but abuse is not. And we won’t be publishing anything on this matter until Ms Rodwell states her case, this should be a clearly defined debate without any bullshit.
Allow me to start with a question or two.
We need to clear up a factual matter, as reported to this blog. you are reported as saying your have the backing of the Queensland Government, local MP Les Walker says in representations he made on residents behalf to the Minister, that the Queensland Government is not involved in your move to Townsville. Who’s telling the truth … or more importantly, who’s lying … you, Les Walker or the Government Minister? Or was your claim misreported, and if so, where are your public funds coming from? AngliCare? We’d like a word with them.
Former Townsville mayor Tony Mooney said that you and/or your representatives failed to give ‘straight answers’ in a mediated meeting with residents representatives. This was reflected in other comments from other sources. Do you think that you have the right to threaten the peace (always relevant in Townsville) and amenity of a middle-income Australian suburb and just give vague and highly flexible outlines of what you plan to do? Saying, as reported, you ‘have no plans’ doesn’t speak well of you as a CEO responsible for public money. And why Townsville? Do we appear to be a community with plenty of customers for you (or whatever you call your residents)? And do you think your jackbooted and arrogant intervention in the daily lives of a residential area – particularly in Townsville, where the state government has done absolutely nothing to curb juvenile crime – is appropriate and responsible?
That’ll do for starters.
Thanks for your considered response. CASPA will respond by cob tomorrow.
Don’t work ‘em too hard … you know how legal folk are always in need of a new spinnaker for the yacht.
Pie’s response,21 minutes.
CASPA’s anticipated response, 27 hours roughly.
I guess they need to think very carefully about a measured reply…………
Well, that’s to be expected, because Ms Rodwell will be seeking inter alia legal advice, possibly even making some sort of futile threats. And many lawyers never hurry, billable hours are the best rort of the flint-hearted unethical.
Dear Magpie,
My name is David Heilpern, and I am the in-house lawyer for CASPA. Naarah asked me to respond to your inquiries as best I can as she is flat out with some other issues. As you may be aware, our head office town has recently suffered from two floods in quick succession. Obviously I’ve run this response by her. She’s hopeful to answer other inquiries as they arise. Also Peter Freer, our COO, will be chiming in as needed.
I was a Magistrate (including a Children’s Court Magistrate) for 21 years and I have recently retired. I have chosen to work at CASPA because I believe that they are a brilliant organisation doing great work. My wife and I have been long term foster carers as well.
It is correct that we have been communicating with various levels of QLD government, including the Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs (DCYJMA), Local Council and members of parliament for some months. We have kept them informed of our activities. They have been broadly supportive. Yesterday I was present at a meeting with employees of the Department of Children, who reiterated this. We have met with Les Walker for about three hours in total. We fully respect that he is responsible for taking community concerns to parliament. That’s his job.
I don’t see that anyone is lying here, just the usual shades of grey.
Where is the money coming from? We have not received any funds from the QLD government for our Townsville venture as yet. We were invited to set up our service here. We hope to receive funding in the future. We receive no funds from AngliCare. CASPA has assets and obtains funding from a variety of sources including fundraising. We have government funded services in NSW, Queensland and Northern Territory.
We met with Tony Mooney and the meeting was a frank exchange of views. We are baffled by his role and his approach. We cannot work out whether he is acting in his role as chair of the hospital, or as an adjunct to his son on council. We cannot quite understand his level of aggression.
Please understand that there are some details we cannot go into with Mr Mooney, residents or on this webpage either. It is a criminal offence to publish anything that is likely to identify a child in care So, for example, if we were to say we have an 11 year old boy with a disability about to move into that house, with carers 24/7, who was placed in care because his parents died, we would be breaking the law, because when he moves in, he would then be identifiable. We cannot break the law, or breach children’s privacy, and so some matters will just have to remain private.
I can say that we run dozens of houses around the country and in the vast majority there are no problems with neighbours or neighbourhoods. Some houses are set up to provide care for toddlers and babies, others school age children. Sometimes there are problems, just like between all neighbours. I have been with CASPA over two years now, and in all but one case we were able to resolve those differences amicably and to mutual satisfaction. In that one case, we have moved our service.
We have no right to do anything illegal such as threaten the peace and quiet of a neighbourhood. The same laws apply to us as to you.
Why Townsville – because we were invited by DCYJMA to set our trauma informed service to be part of the solution to some of your issues. That’s what we do – it is our mission. We hope that you will give us a go to show you that we can create households where young people fit in and feel safe. Friendly welcoming neighbours are part of that picture.
We have come to Townsville in an attempt to be part of a solution and any suggestion to the contrary is false. The inference that members of CASPA’s board, or executive personally benefit from our expansion into Townsville is offensive. CASPA is a not-for-profit charity and our presence in Townsville has nothing to do with putting a boat in the harbour or lining pockets.
If we don’t succeed, then no doubt the Magpie will swoop, the Chair of the Hospital Board will let everyone know, and the local member will make speeches about us in parliament. We understand the concerns, they are fair enough. Please though, give us a chance to prove ourselves.
You ask if our “jackbooted and arrogant intervention in the daily lives of a residential area – particularly in Townsville, where the state government has done absolutely nothing to curb juvenile crime – is appropriate and responsible”. Now that is a leading question! To answer the last part, yes we do. We are setting up a residence in a residential area. By definition that is not jackbooted or arrogant – it is what mums and dads with children and groups of students and single parents do every day. We are just another variation – no better and no worse. We are consulting widely, and will continue to do so.
Finally regarding ownership of the house – the name of the owner would be a matter of public record presumably, but it is not our information to disclose.
I hope that answers your questions where I am able. But, keep them coming, or go back if I’ve missed something.
David.
PS. My sails are a little mouldy but I’m getting onto that over Easter.
Well, as Leigh Sales would say, there’s quite a bit to unpack there. The ‘Pie thinks it reasonable thing to do now is to leave your information open to comment by those directly affected by your proposed move.
At his stage, I will only address a few salient points in your nicely wrapped package of mostly carefully worded legal horse feathers.
First, I am happy to accept that there is no get rich quick scheme involved if you say so … certainly not from you, Your Honour (or is it still Your Worship in NSW?) … 21 years on the bench, you will be enjoying your late afternoon years on your annual $200/300k+ pension. Not jealous, just regretting earlier career path decisions.
But thank you for admitting that your Annandale venture may fail, and leave damaging after effects. But we’ll get to that a little later.
You say: We were invited to set up our service here.
By whom? If it was our do-nothing-about-crime government, the whole city has a right to know (morally if not legally). And if Aaron Harper MP is involved, there are quite a few folks who’d like to know that, too.
You say: We met with Tony Mooney and the meeting was a frank exchange of views. We are baffled by his role and his approach. We cannot work out whether he is acting in his role as chair of the hospital, or as an adjunct to his son on council. We cannot quite understand his level of aggression.
Perhaps Mr Mooney’s bullshit detector was off the charts, because he later stated that CASPA wouldn’t give a straight answer. And his involvement is as a former mayor who is generally highly regarded, was/is because he knows several of the residents … at least one for decades through the Labor Party … and I have no idea what his position as hospital chair has to do with this issue. But will admit that others including myself are baffled at the presence of his son, Liam, who is not even councillor for the area, and I understand the TCC has little or no say in this matter, although you mention you have been talking to the council – won’t bother askling what was said there, the TCC are recognised world champions of putting everything except canteen sandwich fillings un Commercial in Confidence.
You say: Please understand that there are some details we cannot go into with Mr Mooney, residents or on this webpage either. It is a criminal offence to publish anything that is likely to identify a child in care So, for example, if we were to say we have an 11 year old boy with a disability about to move into that house, with carers 24/7, who was placed in care because his parents died, we would be breaking the law, because when he moves in, he would then be identifiable. We cannot break the law, or breach children’s privacy, and so some matters will just have to remain private.
That is one of the best bits of prize sophistry worthy of a higher court than magistrates. What you say is irrelevant, because if you are asked a straight question, you CAN say what you won’t be doing … so here’s one: will CASPA be housing a violent troubled teenager who is reported to have stabbed someone in the premises? You can either say no, or you can refuse to answer – either way, residents particularly parents, will get the information they have a moral right to know. But I’m sure you will wish to do Philosophy 101 with us and point bout that you cannot of give an answer either way, because that is your intention to house such a person, refusing to answer is yes, and therefore identifying someone. Probably correct, but it doesn’t stop that scenario being a whole load of legal cock. And you are clearly saying that anyone who is moved in there will have to remain anonymous throughout. Have you thought this through, David, really?
You say: We have no right to do anything illegal such as threaten the peace and quiet of a neighbourhood.
BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE THREATENING TO DO … please do not treat us as semi-literate morons with such slippery oily statements. You drag up all sorts of reasons to have fully consulted or laid out your plans for Annandale, hiding behind a cowardly shield of high moral ground and do-goodism. Your do-gooding is great for the kids (not sarcasm, that part of CASPA’s work is to be admired) but you have taken it upon yourself (CASPA) to make decisions by fiat and present them as a fair accompli, which is definitely nogoodism for the residents. . Doesn’t fly, mate, not at all.
And finally, you have the gall to say these totally eristic weasel words on two matters.:
You say: We are setting up a residence in a residential area. By definition that is not jackbooted or arrogant – it is what mums and dads with children and groups of students and single parents do every day. We are just another variation – no better and no worse. We are consulting widely, and will continue to do so.
“We are just another variation”!?!
HOW BLOODY DARE YOU? So a place that may house delinquent if not outright criminal teenagers, possibly violent and certainly anti-social, is simply ‘a variant’? A bloody ‘variant’? You are saying it is just the same as a family home and neighbourhood set up with hard working, responsible and law abiding citizens. And all the while, you’re hiding behind the fact that this MIGHT be a place for poor little kids with disabilities, but you can’t say that because of the law.
You say: If we don’t succeed, then no doubt the Magpie will swoop, the Chair of the Hospital Board will let everyone know, and the local member will make speeches about us in parliament. We understand the concerns, they are fair enough. Please though, give us a chance to prove ourselves.
WHAT? So you are admitting that you might not succeed with the establishment of a quiet, well run and neighbourly place? But it us you want to take the punt, with our homes, financial well being and childrens’ safety? And what, pray tell, happens if you DON’T succeed. No, let me tell you: you walk away, hands in pockets, whistling a carefree tune to the clouds, washing your hands of a sorry mess behind you that has unfairly disrupted a peaceful suburb after locals trusted your vague promises and virtue signalling twaddle hiding behind a false wall of legal restraint.
You really do take us for redneck, backwoods yokels, don’t you, David? . I am not directly affected because I do not live in the immediate area, but Townsville is my town as much as any other residents, and I reckon you may have to be packing your carpetbags and bugger off before this is all over.
Consider yourself swooped.
Once last deal … a rorter’s rorter to the very end. EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS LAST LINE IS IN ERRATUM, AND WAS A TECHNICAL ERROR – IT PERTAINS TO GEORGE CHRISTENSEN’S BEHAVIOUR IN ANOTHER COMMENT. IT IS LEFT UP BECAUSE MANY WILL HAVE READ IT AS INCORRECTLY PERTAINING TO THE PRECEDING COMMENT ABOUT CASPA. IT DOES NOT.)
This shit just got real….
Magpie he says they were invited by DCYJMA. Department of Child, Youth, Justice and Multicultural Affairs.
And I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. I think it’s being all blown out of proportion by a few folks who are scared their property values might get affected. They won’t. Or are trying to drum up trouble.
Many Townsville suburbs are interspersed with DOH houses. Some of them are far, far worse than a supervised house full of kids. For example a house not far from me regularly has screaming matches and never maintains their yard. I imagine yard maintenance will be something taken care of at these houses run by CASPA.
Additionally giving kids a safe home, where they don’t need to go out at night to escape drugs, drunkenness, domestic violence or worse, gives them a chance at life. Not all of them are going to be assholes. Some are going to be ordinary kids in a shit situation that just need a break.
Ms Rodwell will be looking forward to you providing your address to see if any houses near you are available for a CASPA scheme. Of course, you will be anxious in your generosity to know from Ms Rodwell that any operation that is plonked down near you will be the ‘ordinary kids in a shit situation’ variant, and not the violent criminal type. Oh, wait, sorry, Ms Rodwell and her shill are not allowed to tell you who they might put next door to you, it would invade the children’s’ privacy and break the law. But, hey, good on you for saying fuck your own right to privacy, mate, you’ll be happy just have to take pot luck … and CASPA’s word for their intentions.
Les Walker told residents that the Queensland Government had no input into CASPA’s move to Townsville. CASPA originally said that yes, there was Qld Government involvement, but according to our bar room canvas back brawler, he was told by a government minister there wasn’t any government involvement. Choose your liar.
Pie – 1
CASPA – 0
Go get ‘em Pie !
In terms of choose your liar pants on fire… a simple reductive thought process might aid the Magpie to understand and address what, by most accounts is confected outrage
Mic drop!
Where do NGOs developed and nurtured by state governments to perform services (aka Out of Home Care (OOHC)) they no longer wishes to provide the community? That’s right! A contract for services with state governments.
Pretty simply who pants are on fire in this situation.
Ummmm lets get Les on the line shall we Mr Bitey Mag?
Tortured prose, but we get the drift.
There is a special corner of hell reserved for NIMBYists. NIMBY is the largest and most egregious theft of your neighbours’ rights in which most people can participate, while being aided and abetted by the corrupt media and local politicians.
Not everyone understands that when you buy a house, your enjoyment of it is not unlimited- it is governed by the conditions on your approved planning application. You are also not allowed to tell your neighbour what to do, providing he/she is abiding by their planning application.
There are many facilities everyone agrees you need in a City, that people would prefer were not near their house, but near someone else’s. Sewerage treatment plants, jails, mobile phone towers, football stadiums, rehabilitation facilities for troubled youth, etc. Sure, I would prefer they are not near my house, and near someone else’s house. But they have to go somewhere, which is why we have town planning schemes to regulate them, and establish what your rights are and what they are not.
The NIMBY techniques are immoral and dishonest. Character assassination, calling in favours from influential people, neighbourhood meetings, lies in media and blogs. Scream lack of consultation, when we don’t want to consult- we just want their rights to be transferred from him to us, at no cost to us.
And it often works. Even if the planning application is fully compliant with the town plan, and the Council is breaking the law rejecting it, they often do reject it. Sure the neighbour can go to the Land and Environment court, and will certainly win with costs awarded against the Council- it is only ratepayers’ money, and it is worth a lot of votes and future favours from influential people. And with any luck the neighbour will go broke first, or decide it is all too hard.
The objectionable (but necessary) facility is abandoned, or most likely relocated to a low socio-economic area where residents don’t have the funds or skills or political connections to NIMBY it themselves.
Satan has special whips, and pincers where he can extract what is most painful for NIMBYists- their sense of self entitlement. No point trying to operate on their morals or consciences.
And there we have the extreme left socialist politics of envy laid bare. And it’s a tad rich for someone like you, Westie, to go on foaming about ‘character assassination’.
Response to David Heilpern comments in the Magpie Blog site.
Interesting that CASPA’s leadership is now hiding behind a faceless legal eagle from NSW to deal with local Annandale residents. Their whole approach is based on secrecy, half truths, lack of transparency and dodgy tactics. This is confirmed by the comments attributed to their lawyer.
A few local residents recently met with the CASPA CEO and other representatives and asked a number of questions that required very easy answers and breached nobody’s privacy. We were disappointed with the responses we received.
We are fighting for our basic right to feel safe in our homes and our suburb. This means we do not want a CASPA home that accommodates juvenile criminals or violent offenders in our area. Sadly, the recent history of such facilities in Townsville is full of failures. This is the issue that CASPA is refusing to give a straight yes or no too. Very easy question that breaches nobody’s privacy.
I don’t understand why the lawyer is so baffled by former Mayor Tony Mooney’s presence at our meeting. He was there as a personal family friend on my invitation. This was explained very clearly to the CASPA representatives at the meeting. Tony’s son, Cr Liam Mooney, was also invited to be an advocate.
To be clear: we have never objected to at risk toddlers, or babies being cared for in this facility, nor would we have any problem with children or adults with disabilities providing they are non-violent. However we strongly object to juvenile criminals or violent offenders being dumped in our neighbourhood without consultation. The pathetic excuse that the NSW floods prevented consultation is plain wrong. The house was identified and purchased well before the flood event.
What is clear and can be easily verified in our interactions with CASPA is:
The house was purchased by a CASPA friendly investor and immediately rented to CASPA without consulting the community.
CASPA has made it clear that regardless of local objections, they would still be proceeding to operate at this house. By any definition this arrogant and akin to using ’jackboots’ no matter how hard the lawyer tries to spin it differently. Any other developer would be condemned for this approach.
Despite their claims, we have first hand advice that neither MP, Les Walker nor the TCC have offered support and have not been consulted about the location.
CASPA has absolutely confirmed that juvenile offenders can be placed in this home. Their operating model depends on the Qld government paying for juveniles and other teenagers to be managed in their programs.
It was CASPA that indicated that the first resident would be a teenager which has been ascertained has a significant history of violence and offending. Apparently, this is now not going ahead but residents have been kept in the dark.
CASPA stated that if there was any illegal activity in or near the house they had no power to intervene- it would be for the police to act.
CASPA had the gall to claim that their facility would increase property values in the street.
We have reliable information that CASPA has said they intend to buy up to seven homes across Townsville, but apparently will again refuse to consult local residents.
There is no clear evidence CASPA was invited to operate in Townsville.
CASPA did not respond to our invitation to a public meeting to address our concerns and to my knowledge, consultation has not commenced
Although you took the time to compose a carefully worded reply in the Magpis blog site, it appears you did not have time to reach out to myself and the other neighbourhood representative
I’d like to thank the local community for their support. Over 1200 residents have so far signed our e-petition to the Government. This calls for no offender programs to be funded at the location without community support and for full transparency from CASPA on their other ‘secret’ facilities in Townsville.
The link to the petition the residents are presenting to parliament is below
https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/Work-of-the-Assembly/Petitions/Petition-Details?id=3731
Donna Yates
“We have come to Townsville to be part of the solution”? By sowing seeds of dissent in our suburbs and importing violent little thugs? I’d call you a fucking idiot, but that’s been done before, ain’t it?
But, to be fair, there are at least one organisation that is providing an apparently identical service in Townsville – and has been doing so for many years. They own at least several homes in the suburbs and have not encountered any major issues. Don’t ask them about the long-term success rate at turning lives around, though.
David, I don’t think the idea is the issue – it’s more the way that you snuck into town and how you treated us. Full marks, though for the wonderful example of taking 15 paragraphs to say “Fuck You”. A true lawyers skill.
Details of the new owners of 39 Casuarina Drive have been updated on RP Data.
Gerschwin Tainton Craig SAUL
Hannah Myree SAUL
Settled 25 Feb 2022
Not a State Gov intuition.
They don’t have any record of owning, or ever owned residential property in Queensland.
Be interesting to see if they are employees of CASPA, long time donors or simple wonderful folk looking for a big taxation benefit with their investment.
Clearly Grumpy, wanting to being part of the solution has to be a good thing. What is it that you want? What is your mind bogglingly good solution?
And Pie, I already have a single mum with a house full of kids whose husband is in Stuart in the street behind me. Accross the road from me is housing commission.
Down the end of my street, 500m away is a housing commission house. Within a kilometre of me is a drug rehab centre disguised as some born again christian centre. I think we must all bear a burden of responsibility for the society we live in. None of us is so special that we cannot have a house for underprivileged kids next to us. To put it in the most base term: we all squat to shit. You aren’t any more special than these kids are, despite your white skin, education, money, house, car, and ego.
So we all have a responsibility to share the dregs around … it’s not enough that millions in taxes from hard-working, law abiding folks willingly go towards giving deserved assistance to those who are brought up to have no respect for others in society, and whose attitude is often driven by bitter apologists like yourself … no, in your books, everyone has to be willing to have their daily lives, amenity and safety of both property and physical well-being arbitrarily exposed to the vagaries of a government so bankrupt of will to handle crime and rehabilitation to resort to contracting out services to morally one-sided organisations. All because you lucked out personally.
Your attitude dove-tails perfectly with the politics of envy, that suggests if one is white, educated, earns a regular wage through hard work, which buys things like houses and cars, one should not feel pride in your life, but instead feel ashamed and guilty enough to welcome having your life and those of your family disrupted as a way of ‘squaring up the ledger’.
You and people like you really are part of the problem, certainly not the solution. A disgraceful and certainly ill-educated comment.
Why you introducing “politics of envy” and melanocyte density into your responses?
Are you suggesting that the good white people of Annandale and North Ward have rights not to have particular necessary facilities imposed on them, whereas residents of lower socio-economic areas, who might be melanocyte enhanced, do not have such rights? If this is the case, I can see why you might think the second group might be envious of the first.
If you do think this, you are wrong in your assumptions. When you live in a society or City, there are rules imposed on you. You have to drive on the left hand side of the road. You have to accept particular facilities imposed on your locality if they are deemed acceptable in the town plan. Even if you live in Annandale.
If you don’t like it, you might have to move somewhere where such rules do not apply. Of course you will then have to live without nice things like health services, schools, sealed roads, sewerage, safe water supply, etc etc. And head on collisions will be more frequent.
Oh, Westie, what a comedian!! The Magpie won’t waste anytime on your eristic but intriguing blend of fascist/socialist twaddle, and Grumpy can speak for himself. But mate, if you’re not willing to call a spade a spade, why don’t you explain for those less educated than your well-Googled self what you mean by ‘melanocyte density’? To correct your oversight, The ‘Pie will enlighten the Nesters with a clarification: Melanocytes are actively phagocytic, dendritic cells derived from the neural crest, and generate pigment in membrane-bound melanosomes.
Why didn’t you say so?
But The ‘Pie is amused at your pretence to academia, and it reminds him of a disgraceful childhood racist joke.
Two African Americans board a bus but there are no seats left at the back. In order to be allowed to sit up front, they tell the driver they are both hot shot lawyers and ‘will sue yo white ass off’ if they’re not allowed to stay. The driver reluctantly agrees and seats them behind him so he can keep an eye on them. The two ‘lawyers’ decide they should indulge in some legal talk for the benefit of the driver to back up their claim to be lawyers.
“Yo doin’ any interestin’ cases lately, bro?’
‘Sho am, bro, I’s doin’ a big rape case.”
‘Really. Are you for the Fucker or the Fuckee?’
They walked the rest of the way.
Interesting point you make, Magpie.
There are no black and white human races- only different shades of brown, set by the density of skin pigment cells, or melanocytes. Except for Albinos, who have none.
Melanocyte density seems an arbitrary feature to choose when setting up social structures like racism. Other features such as hair colour could just as easily be used- then we Celtic, Asian and Negroid people could collectively look down on inferior Scandinavians and gingers.
Maybe we do already.
Your underlying argument that there should be no racism based on skin colour is absolutely true, and always has been … discrimination should be based on behaviour, social responsibility, respect for the law, care for the amenity of others and their property, and thievery of public money (talking about politicians here, not CASPA.)
As the great MLK said: ‘Morality cannot be legislated, but behavior can be regulated; judicial decrees may not change the heart, but they can restrain the heartless’. The heartless in the current situation is the one-sided wrong headed self-appointed right to even threaten the relevant peace, security and hard-earned, well-won, lifestyle, none of which was gained by the subjugation or mistreatment of any other group. Attempting to lower the amenity of a neighbourhood by demanding that that community accept and adopt some faux guilt for the position of others is indeed heartless.
Oh, Ducky, you pious little prick – you deliberately distort my comment to suit your own signalling of virtues I would wager that you do not possess. I never said that I had a solution to the current youth crime issues. Do you?However, if indeed one to even be had, it would involve several generations (at least until this one are all dead), tough love, a consistent, yet responsive approach and courageous governments (hah!).
I’ll guarantee one thing, though, it won’t involve teeth-sucking, patronising apologists for the indefensible.
Grumpy I’m not apologising or patronising.
My solution would also be multigenerational. But it would involve improving funding for;
child and youth services,
drug, alcohol and mental health services,
family and domestic violence services
women and childrens shelters
homeless mens shelters
youth shelters
social housing
and ensuring schools were not so large that children were just numbers.
Because until these services are adequately resourced, the police might as well just piss up against a wall.
May I ask one question NR that the Pie might allow.
Will you name the buyers of said 39 Cassurina Dr. and their connections to your organisation?
I note, Mr. Pie, that Singapore Airlines recently announced five flights a week into Cairns from May 1 and direct flights into Auckland from July.
It simply highlights how pathetic the city fathers, especially Townsville Enterprise, are at encouraging and promoting tourism into this city.
Bring on the DoubleTree Hotel!!
Yup, that’ll turn things around.
Ahh, Mr. Pie, the former Ballina café owner speaketh!
Look on the bright side…the quality of takeaway food in Annandale might go up??
Happens every time, promise, promises…..then the ballot…..then silence until next time.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/11/its-so-frustrating-when-an-election-brings-funding-to-north-queensland-after-years-of-neglect
Many years ago there were always the 3 promises, if you don’t remember them or you’re not old enough, shame coz they were funny then; BUT you’d be pilloried by the self righteous and all knowing woke folk if you voiced them now.
Okay, Mr. Pie, and all those other learned Nesters out there…Morrison’s latest is that he is going to create 1.3 million jobs over the next five years.
Right?
There are currently half a million unemployed in Australia.
Right?
So, when you create a job for all of them…where are the other 800,000 people coming from to fill those other 800,000 jobs?
And what jobs?
Is he going to do the Hitler thing and built motorways to nowhere?
I could go on.
Am I naïve or is this pure Morrison bullshit at its worst??
Please explain??
Elusive Caterpillar, do you really want answers to these questions, in particular the one about you? Please advise………
I read through CASPA’s 2021 annual report. It does seem that they are genuine about helping the less advantaged. But interestingly there was a lot of talk about ‘expanding its footprint’, employing additional resources and so on, yet in amongst all of that there was no mention of expanding into Townsville. Seems the move into Townsville is fairly sudden. And, out of 40 pages of mostly waffle, there was only 1 page dedicated to finances, and even then it didn’t break down the wages/salaries of the CEO, Board and senior management. I don’t like that as that lacks transparency.
Additionally, the CEO’s response to the Magpie is typical of someone passionate are about their organisation. I get that, as she has been employed there for 15 years. So perhaps she is a little disconnected from the blue collar suburbs or cities? I don’t know. But either way you look at it, it is totally unprofessional to have NOT consulted with the local community advising them that they planned to plonk a halfway house for misfits in a local suburb. That’s just plain rude. They could have gone about things in a more transparent manner. Hopefully they take away some learning lessons from this event. As I said, it does seem like there intentions are admirable.
Despite The ‘Pie saying eh wouldn’t accept comments on this matter until ms rodwell has had her say, it’s fair to publish Pickled Herrings comment because it is more background information with a mild observation. But let’s wait for Ms Rodwell now.
Hi there Prince Rollmop,
The full audited financial statements are available as a separate download from right where you got the Annual report. Please feel free to download. Additionally, as a charity, we must comply with reporting to ASIC and the ACNC – you can review all of our financial information on the ACNC website.
We certainly are as you say, genuine about helping the less advantaged. I appreciate your insight on that point. I have worked for this great organisation for 9 years not 15 but yes am passionate about its work and commitment to our mission. I live and work in an area that is built and thrives on the blue collar – we employ many people from all different walks of life. I am one of nine children from a hard working blue collar family and my children attend a wonderful public school – I give back to my community in anyway I can. We have just been through horrendous floods x 2 of which I know the people of Townsville understand. This organisation has moved quickly to ensure services are being provided to the flood victims, we are running an unfunded well-being hub, providing food and coffee, clothing, counselling, childrens play groups, massages and impromptu supports to the many many people who need it. That’s the values of the staff at this organisation. We hope to show Townsville that same set of values.
Kind regards, Naarah
Like Nana used to say, self praise is no recommendation, but OK, you’re a wonderful selfless person, Naarah, but with that clumsy deflection, maybe a career in politics awaits.
Not one single word of all that addresses the inequity of the Annandale project and the shameful way you’ve gone about it. That … and not your brilliant career … is the issue here. You may well be genuine about helping the less advantaged, but in this instance, you want to do that by making others (the local residents) less advantaged are to facilitate your ‘help’ to those you choose. You’re very selective about who gets your help and how you manage that help … but your using the same flawed principle that has been proven wrong constantly – you can’t make the worse off better by making the well off worse off.
Thank you for your response. I for one have no doubt about the integrity of your organisation. To be honest, if the Federal government were to redirect into crisis housing and caring for the less fortunate just a small percentage of what it spends on military equipment and unnecessary wars, we would likely have more organisations caring for the underprivileged or those in need.
Unfortunately for CASPA, you are dealing with twits like Liam Mooney (barely out of nappies) and drunken fist fighters like Les ‘knockout’ Walker and a couple of other fools. They don’t believe in transparency, and the words ‘integrity and honesty’ are nothing but dictionary words that don’t apply to them. To rely on these clowns to be a bridge or communication tool between CASPA and the local community was doomed to fail. But in all fairness you probably weren’t aware of the level of ineptitude you would be dealing with.
As a former businessman who has worked in both government and private sector, my only advice for CASPA ( and it’s just a suggestion, nothing more) is perhaps you review your communication strategy when it comes to placing your clients in suburban areas/streets. I’m sure there is a workable solution. It’s a bit of a poison chalice and it’s never likely to be a success on every occasion, but the more information that is provided to those potentially affected, the better.
Best regards
Perhaps Ms Rodwell would like to contract The Magpie and his Nesters to do her PR … although most Nester’s strategy would be of the two word variety, unfortunately.
I posted a comment in last weeks blog, but it wasn’t published. It was neither abusive or provocative, quite the opposite actually. I said that in regards to the current election campaign there is no shortage of arguments, sledges and hatred being personified. We hear talk about the need for more military spending and security upgrades, but little else. I haven’t heard either party talk about the need for developing a more cohesive Australian society, or any ideas relating to peace, love, beauty and kindness. These things are sadly overlooked and definitely missing these days. Why isn’t money directed to trying to bring about a more peaceful existence, develop more parks and wildlife corridors, things that bring people joy, happiness and peace?
The Brains Trust of Dawson remains!
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-13/george-christensen-to-run-as-one-nation-candidate/100986990
That GC has been accepted by One Notion tells a lot about that party.
One Notion already have a candidate selected in Dawson. Interesting to see if she gets bumped or there is another electorate so brain dead that GC gets re-elected elswhere.
Dave, the ABC reports that GC will be a Queensland Senate candidate in the third position on the ticket. The One Nation candidate for Dawson remains the already announced Julie Hall. The seat of Dawson takes in a substantial slab of Townsville including Lavarack Barracks and Annandale.
Interesting strategy … presumably PHON are hoping with George in the party mix, albeit in the Senate race, some of his popularity in Dawson will rub off Julie Hall.
One hopes that the comely Ms Hall will not allow George’s dietary enthusiasms rub off on her.
FASHION FAIL;
George road tests his big boy pants for Senate run … big fail. And talk about disrespecting our flag … he apparently gets his fashion sense off Manila taxi drivers.
If I remember correctly, didn’t David Crisafulli’s wife (Tegan? Megan?) get in hot water way back for saying Mackay was full of bogans. Perhaps those who criticised her for the remark may like to ponder this and other illustrations of the sort of person your average Mackayite wants representing them.
It won’t be just Mackayites (and thousands of Townsvillains who live in the seat of Dawson) it will be the whole state of Queensland voting for the One Nation senate ticket that get this clown elected. And here’s what’s in it for George even if he does not get elected (from Crikey today):
Christensen is 100% entitled to stand for re-election – but the $105,625 “resettlement allowance” on offer if he loses was always a perverse incentive to not walk away quietly. If MPs stand & lose they get a resettlement payout, if they simply retire they get nothing. #auspol https://t.co/qZZp5z7Yi3
Jesus Christ, as if the unkempt bushman’s beard and dental work wasn’t bad enough. Now he is wearing cheap Australia emblazoned shirts that make him look like a cheap, overweight Pedo criminal. Farrk, not a good look George. Please don’t tell me that he drives a rusty 1980’s Urvan???
Hey Christian, we don’t do clothes that big I’m afraid. Perhaps he could try Anaconda, or BCF in the tent section?
Dear ‘Pie,
Did we really need the photograph??
If George loses he gets an extra payout to the tune of $100,000 or so. That’s why he is doing it.
Hope he spends some of that money on clothes, a tummy tuck, hair styling and overall appearance.
Whitsunday Mayoral Candidate Peter Hood promises
Rates to go down and 50% of mayoral salary to go to local community groups
https://m.facebook.com/PeterJHoodMayoral
Wonder how that would go over in Townsville Council?
And why just the mayor? So many on the council have other interests, like say, Margie Ryder, who opening admits to enjoying a nice little earner doing the books for hubby’s business, or, in fairness, Fran O’Callaghan who is no doubt quite comfortable with her life on the land. Perhaps not 50% for them, but say at least 20%. Mandatory.
But of course that would have to pass the LGAQ board before they gave approval to whatever state government is in power, in which case the words ‘snowball’ and ‘hell’ spring to mind. It’s a greedy, greedy world.
Is that mayor going to personally donate the money from his salary after he has been paid or is he going to change the council’s policy? There’s quite a big difference.
Actually, we’ve been down that path before – here in Townsville. Paul Jacob made some similar promise when he had his spat with madam mayor (over the Adani airstrip if memory serves) and refusing to resign as a councillor while running for state as a Labor candidate. Said he would donate the salary earned during the campaign to some cause, or would forgo it, forget which. And vaguely remember another councillor saying something similar. But the upshot was that the laws do not allow any redirection of a mayor or a councillor’s salary, and only go to them. So any arrangement through a private transaction. Whether that is revealed to the public or we just have to ‘trust them’ is another matter.
To The Magpie’s knowledge, there has been no proof offered by Paul Jacob that he kept his promise, despite inquiries at the time.
Voting for the Senate
Dear ‘Pie
Let me share my fun way of filling in the Senate ballot sheet. It maximises you choice, albeit just a little bit.
Vote below the line filling in every box.
For the party of your choice number top to bottom.
Now the fun part. Go to the very bottom of the ballot and fill in the bottom row, L to R, or R to L, it does not matter. Continue filling in boxes horizontally working to the top row of the paper with what are now your lowest votes.
The other spin-off is that Election Commission staff are kept employed for weeks as they try to count and allocate your voting ‘preferences’.
Enjoy!
Dave, that is so puerile, we are fortunate enough to have the freedom to select who governs our nation.
I have to admit that many of the candidates make selection difficult. But that doesn’t mean we have to lower ourselves to their standards in our attempts to seek good governance.
A,
In no way am I encouraging irresponsible voting in the Senate. Vote for your party of choice and minimise the chances of the others. Have a think about it. I do assume you understand preferential voting.
Dave
I tried something like that at the previous senate election. I recall there were about 122 candidates listed. It took me an hour. My legs were aching by the end as our primitive cardboard booths have no cutouts for the feet which have to be placed out of alignment with the body.
As you suggest, you need some sort of algorithm to get through the task quickly. Working according to party is one tactic. It is generally not understood that the number of ways of ranking 60 people, items or whatever equates roughly to the number of atomic particles (protons and neutrons) in the known Universe, which is in the order of 10 to the power of 80, or maybe 81 or 82.
For us mere mortals, it is impossible for us in our short lifetimes to assess each and every one of the options before choosing who is ranked where.
Now just imaging that there are as many parallel universes as there are atomic particles in The Universe. In that situation, the total number of atomic particles in all universes would not come even close to the number of ways you could have ranked the 122 candidates last time.
Is the brain aching?
Well researched and articulate article by Katharine Murphy, great description of the conundrum of this political 2 step, Schrodinger’s quandary applied to Alan Tudge and condoned by Scomo.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/12/we-have-schrodingers-minister-with-alan-tudge-both-in-and-out-of-morrisons-cabinet
Hey Mal that Liam Mooney must be a very busy councillor, I rang him last week Wednesday 6/4/22 and got a text stating he would get back to me when he got a chance, I’m still waiting and not holding my breath. In comparison rang Phil Thompson in the morning and got a reply two hours later. Not good enough really for someone who represents the rate payers.
aww, far suck of the sav, Ralph, Mayor Mullet isn’t back in the saddle yet after he Malta sojourn, so poor little Liam didn’t know if was allowed to talk directly to a ratepayer. Ease off, buddy, he might cry.
I think Liam’s mother is away too on holidays, so he is not allowed to open his mouth without Mum or Jenny’s permission!
The curse of the technological age, Politicians can be contacted directly…. after the election they may unitedly and unanimously legislate that all communications from the Plebeians must be on clay tablets or parchment scrolls.
They’ll claim it’s for security reasons as these means of communications are more advanced because they cannot be hacked.
Oh! Zahquah…….. the end must be close………….
There’s an interesting story doing the rounds about what exactly Mayor Mullet is up to on her “leave” from council. I’m not prepared to detail it here for fear of retribution but if its true she won’t be happy that its starting to get out. As for Liam, the term lame duck springs to mind.
Our mayor is back infesting our once-fair city again, fresh from a couple of weeks enjoying her inheritance in Malta … probably got the tradies in for some renos. Understand from insiders that she is thinking of running again to seek some sort of legacy, or prove some point. Is there any hope that another ruinous spell in Walker Street out of pure spite because of her own multiple failures will be avoided if she decides genteel retirement … to wherever … is more appropriate. She and hubby (whose had a long and lucrative career with Ergon) wouldn’t be short of a quid … kids educated, one off soldiering, empty nesters. More than one property around town and possibly elsewhere as well as Malta.
If Jenny does retire, The ‘Pie’s bet is she won’t be hanging around like Mooney, because she will have zero influence or cred with local or state Labor … she doesn’t now so why would she then?
The Magpie is very pleased he is in Australia, and not Malta, where the political discourse between politicians and journalists is a little more direct … any critical commentary over there is handled with a neatly packaged rebuttal, which is it attached under a car and operated by remote control. Best Jenny has been able to do is a dart board.
There is a bit of truth in these clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDDSeFZuxek&t=85s
Where’s George C? Oh, there he is hiding in Pauline H’s tent (won’t be hiding in her skirt, cos he won’t fit)! 100 plus grand for running dead in the senate, what a great system we have! NOT
And now she stacked her chances by nominating some failed Adani executive as her #2 senate pick … politics is a rorters picnic.
Speaking of rorters Mr. Pie, more people are sitting up and looking at Mr. Morrison’s “captains pick” of friends and allies to the Board of the AAT. Some of these people still had around two years left on the contracts, yet those contracts have been extended out to 5 years effective immediately. Now to that I say, what a rort.
He is at the Sizzlers buffet.
So did Jones pick up an extra $100k for his one term term or did he miss out on any payout ?
Ipswich Magistrates Court. Thursday April 14 2022.
Craig Gore was found guilty and fined only $1500.00 and a conviction recorded
for being a naughty prisoner breaking the law whilst in prison.
Conducting business & having phone calls diverted.
Remember old mate Stephen “the screaming midget” Beckett who visited us briefly with a cameo appearance in Jenny Hill’s Labor councils version of musical chairs? Well he popped up on the telly this week in the news, interviewed regarding the long queues at Brisbane Airport in the leadup to the Easter holidays. Think I’ll join the Labor Party to get a more lucrative job.
Yeah Traveller, I saw that on the TV news. The camera appeared to be pointing downwards, so either the camera operator was very, very tall, or the interviewee was very, very short!
Mr. Pie, Phil Thompson and “Ringo” Ring corflute posters are everywhere, especially Thompson’s.
So tacky!
Question: Do they both need special permission to hang their posters from TCC and State Government property??
Haven’t checked but pretty sure no political advertising would be allowed on public buildings, state, federal or local. Be a loively cheeky (albeit short-lived) move for a couple of Thompson posters to adorn the Walker St offices of the TCC.
TREB,
The Electoral Commission web site gives clear guidance on this subject.
Really Dave…maybe you could enlighten us or provide a link??
Google it, Mate!!
Well highly amusing and all that (The ‘Pie lies) but seriously, where possible,providing a link you say exists to prove a point is only polite and removes any doubt about a concliusion , and if it isn’t, ensuing exchanges like this one are unhelpful and a waste of time and space. C’mon, buck up a bit, youse lot, there’s an election on.
TREB,
You asked the question, I have given you the direction, you can do the legwork. Happy Easter
Well, Fantasy Albanese has failed to read Federal Policies 101 again and has taken to read Bill Shorten’s ‘How to lose the unlosable election’ and it appears that even his Labor team won’t vote for him now. Even John Hewson didn’t make that many mistakes in his first week of electioneering. Policies not costed, important economy numbers not known; so Scomo’s not looking too bad, eh Exclusive Butt Fly?. But Fantasy has lost weight, got a pretty partner doing the rounds with him, but his problem is in front of the camera trying to answer key questions and trying to lead his backstabbing team. His best mate Bob Katter might help him out and join him when he’s in NQ today. Dumb and Dumber 4.
That’s actually a pretty funny post.