Trying To Make A Molehill Out Of A Mountain – The Townsville Bulletin’s Epic Fail

A newspaper nowadays can be defined as much by what it doesn’t report as what it does report.  When a local federal MP publicly accuses the current mayor of the city with lying, making false statements and behaving inappropriately in front of staff apparently isn’t a story worth a single solitary word in the Townsville Bulletin.  Think the Bulletin will have to change its mind after this week’s Nest. The Magpie brings you the startling saga that the Bulletin refused to mention (although Rupert’s national Sky News went to town on it.)

And other events this week at the Astonisher do not bode well for an informed readership in this year of our mayoral campaign.

No more pussyfooting about … Fightin’ Fran O’Callaghan follows her hat into the ring, making it official as she shapes up to incumbent mayor Jenny Hill.

Like a hanged killer, whose body is thrown in a lime pit grave to erase all trace, TEL’s Nah, It’s Townsville campaign has been buried in an unmarked grave inside the Dudley Do Nothing’s overcrowded mortuary of failures … but, good gravy,  look what we’ve got instead.

Sub-standard? Keating debates the wisdom of the submarine deal, Labor and the media debate the wisdom of Paul Keating. They;ll only talk about what a bastard the former PM is,  but won’t confront his well reasoned if cuttingly put criticisms – it’s a full throttle ad hominem attack which avoids any mention of the ball while playing the man.

And why The Magpie just hates Liberal Senator Antic and his angry and indignant senate speech about Welcome To Country.

Fun times coming up as we move in mayoral election mode, and life is going to be busier than ever in The Nest. If you would care to help the Magpie concentrate on the task at hand, maybe you could help alleviate the constant worry of costs with a donation. Have a quick think about it, for, as we know, thought is the father of the deed.

Now ever onward.

Has Albo Gone Full Scomo On The Subs Deal?

Lack of detail, lack of consultation and a lack of transparency are rapidly becoming the hallmark of the Albanese government. The support for the indigenous voice to parliament remains a pig-in-poke proposition, with a vague ‘just vote for the principle’ appeal from Labor, then there was the disaster of poor communications about changes to super taxation, and now all the subterranean manoeuvring on the AUKUS submarine deal. one of the few publications to ask some questions was Crikey, which made its point humorously with a suggested a name change

After inheriting Scomo’s AUKUS brainwave and back flipping, Albanese has continued down the same path, naming big numbers, waving the flag but providing little detail. He also hasn’t provided any real opportunity to debate the merits of the deal, thanks to the unhealthy bipartisan approach from the Libs – unhealthy as in there’s no one much in parliament to ask the difficult questions. One detail the PM did release was the number of skilled operatives Australia will need to operate its new war toys by 2040 … no less than 10,000 trained up folks with skill sets that don’t even exist yet.

Our man Bentley did some quick sums and figures that before the subs arrive, this government will need to take a closer look at pre-school arrangement across the country.

There was widespread lack of curiosity amongst the Parliamentary press gallery, just much tugging of the forelock and another appendage for all this jingoistic drum beating.

So it was left the old firebrand Paul Keating to point out not only the lack of debate but what he saw as massive flaws in the plan – all done live on television in the razor sharp, Bankstown gutter language of Keating speak. But oh dear Paul, you included some sharp words for the reporters lack of questioning curiosity in all this, too, so that is where this story went … the media meltdown of the outraged scribblers and wafflers saw them turn on Keating en masse with only one or two exceptions suggesting his analyse (which amounts a waste of money for no arguable reason) should be discussed.

The headless chook stuff was as close to media mass hysteria not seen since Lindy Chamberlain faced court. And once again, the media proved once again that the days of staying aloof and simply reporting what unfolds have long gone – as a group, the press decided to make themselves part of the story – with one or two honourable exceptions, chief among them this counter attack by Michael Pascoe in the New Daily.

Here is the whole article, but Pascoe’s opening summed it up beautifully.

The SMH’s anti-Keating spray is of no account other than as an example of how preciousness and groupthink are orders of the day for most of the press gallery.

Such were the hurt feelings on their peers’ behalf over the undiminished sharpness of the Keating tongue and his capacity for vicious invective, the

gallery proved incapable of investigating and weighing the serious substance of what Mr Keating was saying.

The mapie takes a different point of view.

Petty, Panicked and Past It … Jenny Hill’s Public Lying is Her Most Pathetic Politicking To Date.

Not that you’d know it if you depended on the Bulletin for your community information …. the paper that says it’s all for us actually means they know what’s best for us. And that includes not being allowed to see the duplicity, outrageous behaviour  and pettiness of our mayor. There has not been a single word about the lies and insults directed at federal MP Phil Thompson when the mayor fabricated a story to bar him from the stage at a citizenship ceremony last week.

For those who have not been following Nest comments on this matter, here’s how the incredibly crass matter has progressed.

Last weekend, Thompson posted this on his FB page. And he deserves a Walkley for a very clever headline.

Thompson got more than 600 replies overnight along with almost 3000 likes for his complaint, and we sat back and waited for the keen analytical reporting in the Astonisher. In vain. To the surprise of many, despite knowing that when it comes to a real story, most Bulletin reporters could not find their own arse with a mirror and hands, nothing appeared. This despite the paper undoubtedly receiving probably hundreds of emails, letters, and texts about the issue, not one single word was published in the paper. If they say they didn’t get a single one, then take it from The ‘Pie, they’re lying.

But the mayor was having a good cackle about it all. And couldn’t resist sending this letter of shing insincerity to the member for Herbert.

But of course, probably on her orders, the paper mentioned nary a word of even this … maybe would’ve been to hard to explain why they hadn’t covered the matter in the first place. So madam and her poodles at the paper sat warming their hands around her cauldron, congratulating themselves on a merry little caper. The smugness will slip a little when they read this, written by a man who hasn’t backed down in front of real enemies in the name of his country, and who certainly wasn’t about to let a country bogan hick get away with lies and slander, which effectively disenfranchised the 62% of voters in Herbert who elected him.. So this weekend, Phil shot off this letter to the coven.

OUCH!!

Some tricky questions in there, Jenny, which really do require answers to the community, not just to Mr Thompson.

There are even trickier questions for the Townsville Bulletin in this matter …. wonder if a federal MP in essence calling a sitting mayor a liar and making false claims about funding as well as behaving in a totally inappropriate manner in front of staff, might merit a few bumbling lines between Harvey Norman ads. Wouldn’t count on it but there might be an awkward call from Holt St HQ in Sydney to iditor Craig Herbert soon. if The Magpie guesses correctly, that would be three nanoseconds after  that the next chapter in the banned saga unfolds, when iditor Herbert,  Hill  and the Townsville Bulletin are named under parliamentary privilege in the near future.

Well, Hill at the very least, is almost a certainty.

Then It’s Also How They Say What They Do Say

When Paul Jacob made his short-lived foray in local politics, his announcement he was running against Jenny Hill for the mayoralty was front page of the Bulletin, with major articles in the early inside pages. When he had a sudden memory repair – suddenly recalling his wife wasn’t well and needed him around more than we did – and pulled out of the race three weeks later, he received similar treatment with prominent articles.

On Friday, Fran O’Callaghan made her official announcement that she will be running against mayor Hill next March. No pointer or teaser on the front page , and indeed, if you are one of the paper’s few remaining readers, you would have had to skip more than 40 mostly HN ads before you got to this ….

Suppose page 21 was the best they could do without actually leaving it out altogether. Maybe the paper was well aware of the Hill/Thompson matter where Mrs Hill is plausibly accused of lying and bad behaviour, so perhaps it is a wonder the paper printed anything at all.

BTW Astonisher, that would ‘mayoral race’ – unless you come from some non-English speaking country. Like Malta, say.

But The ‘Pie Is Too Harsh, The Astonisher Had More Important Matters To Investigate, Like …

 

Inside information is that the kids were at first reluctant to mug for the camera, until the teacher said ‘make a face that tells us what you think of the Bulletin.’

A class of perceptive future leaders right here.

Nah, Mate, The Nah Townsville Brain Fart Campaign By TEL Is Nah More ….

… but after a literally splashy launch involving a jet ski,  and the resulting tsunami of hooting laughter and scorn, and some unwelcome creativity on social media, it seems inexplicably that Nah campaign is sunk. It has quietly disappeared without comment or explanation.

And while that campaign was daft, at least it tried to use some catchy English. The same cannot be said of apparently the replacement campaign, which quietly started getting an airing a few days ago.

That’s barely grammar – ‘expected’ is an adjective, whereas ‘the unexpected’ is a noun, which would make more sense.  But guess one can’t argue with the sentiment, especially if, during your visit,  you park your car in the wrong place.

“Nah, officer, it’s been nicked,  that was unexpected.”

The REAL Reason For Anna’s ‘Personal’ Townsville Office

A very savvy political analyst of The ‘Pie’s acquaintance offered the following rationale for Anna opening a ‘personal office’ in Townsville.

 The obvious point about the premier opening a private office in Townsville is that it is an admission that her three local members are in political trouble. By opening an office in Townsville and by staffing it with as many taxpayer funded Labor party operatives and media spinners, the ALP can move into Townsville some extra assistance for the local members. The staff will have almost nothing else to do but work for the re-election of the Three Blind Mice.n AND there is the crucial added advantage that the Office of the Premier can attract (and pay) a much higher calibre of staff (not difficult in Townsville) than a local member’s office.

In that way, the ALP can move, at Qld taxpayers expense, some much higher quality party operatives whose almost sole job is to run interference with any criticism of Walker, Harper or Stewart.

The Bulletin not surprisingly failed to make this point and swallowed with lip-smacking delight the premier’s tasty plate of tripe about ‘helping investment in the north’.

There is now absolutely no excuse for the Bulletin to not check numbers and roles of the Premier’s Townsville staff. The problem is of course, should they dare a question, they will readily believe that ‘the premier requires two relieving tea ladies, a tuxedo jacket lint removal expert, and four staff four shredding duties.’

Mixed Messages

As Mr RayBans said in Cool Hand Luke, ‘What we have here is a failure to communicate.’

Confusion in the executive ranks down in Rupert’s Australian counting house in Sydney last Monday. In all of Rupert’s rags across the nation, this double spread across pages 2 and 3 announces a recruiting drive, enticing the unwary with some of the most hilarious lies this side of Fox News.

But on this very same day, News Corpse executive chairman Michael Miller admits to a struggle to hold readers with a slogan switch, foreshadowing job shedding across the corporation.

Wonder if they’re still laughing in sneering down in the Astonisher bunker at The ‘Pie’s long standing forecast that the Bulletin will soon become a Courier Mail insert three days a week, a shift that was talked about internally more than a decade ago.

Why The Magpie Hates Senator Alex Antic.

Reasons are:

1. He is a Liberal
2. He is often a boofhead
3. He hangs around with Barnaby Joyce
4. And bugger him, he sometimes says things that The Magpie totally agrees with.

Like this.

And just while were around this bend in the river, have a look at this and then tell justify to the ’Pie that an indigenous Voice should be enshrined in the constitution, and thus have the power to delay and disrupt government decisions, using the snail-paced High Court,

And then there’s this very interesting map that has just been released. It is (and The ‘Pie is being serious here) a very scholarly and valuable piece of historical study. The painstaking work lists all the almost 400 (!) different indigenous languages of the different tribes (let’s call them by what they were, they were hardly nations in any usual sense of the word) around the continent at the time the First Fleet arrived. But here’s the question; with which group do the promoters of the myth that ’whites stole the country’ suggest Governor Phillip should have chosen to negotiate a treaty with. Since most of the different groups were often warring with each other, or even didn’t know of all others sharing the country, it would have been a difficult choice, one imagines. If he’d been silly enough to even try.

Was there ever one overall culture and nation as so often claimed? Bit hard to reconcile with this map.

Speaking of Such A Concept …

… again, the week in America shows there isn’t any such thing as the United States, there there have for decades now, 25 or so different nations trying not too successfully to operate peaceably beside each other. But somehow, the country staggers from one calamity to another and manages to survive …just.

A MAGPIE EXCLUSIVE

The Nest has obtained a rare and little known childhood photograph of our mayor – which may explain a few things.

The Coronation Approaches, And The Souvenir Shelves Are Filling Up.

And finally … we are forever hearing of botched jobs by plastic surgeons and the resulting sometimes spectacular court cases. One in particular caught the eye during the week.

……………….

That’s the week that was, keep an eye on comments to see if Jenny comes clean, and even have your say in comments, it free and can be posted 24/7. The donate button to support this weekly effort in below.