Why Fran O’Callaghan Should’ve Swallowed A Dildo

Short answer: to get the attention of the Townsville Bulletin. The paper had a story about a pelican doing just that with a plastic donger, but not a single word about the release of Fran’s election manifesto. You know, that would be the manifesto which represents the most serious challenge to Jenny Hill’s decade of ruinous dictatorial rule. But if the Astonisher, which is ‘all for us’, won’t let you see it, then The ‘Pie will.

Mayor Mullet’s embarrassing flip-flop on those bullying moves towards O’Callaghan in council … turns out Hill fucked up more than Fran – has done nothing to dent her colossal ego – during the week, we learnt that Jenny Hill is again making the council a developer, despite previous moves in this direction being foot-dragging abject failures. Lock up your wallets, folks.

Why impressionable young children should not be allowed to go near the showgrounds for the next 11 months.

The staff  down at the paper had better have black ties and the gals their favourite LBD handy, it seems Rupert may departing the planet shortly. Not joking … and neither is The Guardian’s Marina Hyde, whose got the goods on him.

And best read Bulletin columnist Shari Tagliabue calls it a day.

The Magpie still battesg on with all those bills, folks, if you enjoy the Nest and reckon its worth a helping hand, the donation button is at the end of the blog.

Now, soldiering on …

Politics And Priorities: Bulletin Iditor Craig Herbert Shows His True Colours

It’s been … shall we say … an interesting week watching the twerking of the Astonisher in deciding how to keep it’s readership  informed of things that apparently matter. Apart of the odd toddler we don’t know set to steal our hearts by not dying of some obscure disease, there was also the heroics of a wildlife vet …

meanwhile, mayoral challenger and Division 10 councillor Fran O’Callaghan officially opened her modest campaign office in Oonoonba during the week …

…  and for the first time, issued a media release spelling out her campaign platform. So just so you know what Clr O’Callaghan is offering, this is her media release in full, outlining her stand in defence of the city and the much put-upon Townsville ratepayer.

MEDIA RELEASE April 27, 2023
Embargoed: 9am, Friday, April 28.
FRAN SETS UP “NO FRILLS” CAMPAIGN HQ IN OONOONBA
Mayoral candidate Fran O’Callaghan has opened a “no frills” campaign office in Oonoonba, in
keeping with her core back-to-basics plan for what she hopes will be a new-look Townsville City
Council next year.
In opening the office on Abbott Street today, Ms O’Callaghan said the current council had been
spending money on external projects like Lansdown and North Rail Yards and big events while
neglecting the basic things councils are elected to do – road maintenance, rubbish collection, water
supply, and upkeep of parks and common areas.
“Townsville roads are a disgrace and our parks and median strips have been neglected for so long
that I am personally embarrassed by the state of Townsville. Our built and natural environment
under councils control requires much greater care and attention,” she said.
“There continues to be too much focus on major projects that developers should be funding and on
big events that should be left to stand on their own two feet – not being subsidised by ratepayers,
the majority of whom don’t get to enjoy them.
“I have no problem with investment into the CBD but it must be proportionate and cannot keep
coming at the expense of badly needed investment in where our ratepayers mainly live and play,”
said Ms O’Callaghan.
“As a councillor, I am forbidden to reveal how much ratepayers’ money has been handed out to
southern promoters over the past 10 years, but the fact that the 2022/2023 budget includes $39.5
million for Culture, Lifestyle and Wellbeing should be of concern to every Townsville citizen.
“Some of that money is rightfully spent on funding local libraries, the arts, community facilities and
community programs, but with the cost of living biting hard there must be a tightening of the belt by
Council on areas of discretionary spending.”
Ms O’Callaghan said she also had great concern about the quantum of funds spent on media and
advertising.
“Ï want the ratepayer of Townsville to know what a good job the Council is doing by looking around
them and seeing it, not by Council spending ratepayers’ money to tell them what a good job it's
doing,” she said.
“I’d prefer to see a Council with a head down and backside up approach, not parading and
grandstanding.”
Ms O’Callaghan said her campaign office, at 62 Abbott Street, Oonoonba, would be open from
8.30am to 5.00pm on weekdays to allow residents to discuss their concerns, to accept donations and
to recruit helpers to assist with her campaign.
Ends
For more information, contact Fran O’Callaghan – Mobile: 0429 793 363; Email:
email hidden; JavaScript is required

Worth a few lines in the paper at least, eh?

 Er, well, no, apparently.

The Bulletin received a copy on Thursday, but somehow couldn’t find space on either Friday or Saturday, for even a modest edited version of the first serious alternative candidate in next year’s race for Walker Street. But they did have time for this, yet another outing for the famous purple doona.

Let’s leave aside how a library becomes ‘cutting edge’,  there were no questions asked about the glaring debacle behind the new library and the waste of ratepayers money from this financially illiterate mayor, who has again decided to shoot craps with ratepayers money as a developer (see report below).

 The Magpie is neither endorsing or opposing Clr O’Callaghan vision, but at least the old bird has let you know so you can make up your own minds.

But Jenny Hill Continues To Make Townsville A Honeypot For ‘Consultants’ …

 

In her latest daft move to further unblock the money sinkhole of city finances, Mayor Mullet has decided to let us all in on her Baldrick-like cunning  plan, agreed to last December, that the TCC has or intends to – not clear – create a private company to partner a hoped-for mug … er, sorry … private developer to throw up some future slum development on the North Rail Yards site. Yes, the site Jenny lumbered us with a few years ago, not realising against all evidence that white elephants cost money.

Sneaky possibilities abound. In an interesting giveaway line, we are told that Wednesday’s full council meeting ‘voted to lift all confidentiality restrictions around the project’.

WHAT?  If there have been no changes since last December and no developer partner in sight, why were the confidentiality restrictions in the first place? What’s to be secretive about? What’s happened that now we are allowed to share Mayor Mullet’s Mr Magoo-like vision for this idiocy?

 

Now that would be all well and good, and not worth causing a throbbing temple EXCEPT FOR this, from the Bulletin story …

Townsville Mayor Jenny Hill said it (an SPV Special Purpose Vehicle) a “company limited”, that would guide how the rail yards were developed to benefit the community.

She said it would operate under the local government act as a beneficial enterprise – an independent legal entity controlled by the council.

The mayor said the SPV model, which was used by other councils like Sunshine Coast Council, would see experts brought in who could set the project out, before selling it to private industry.

“We know we’ve got a housing shortage (but) we believe if we get the right people in there, there’ll be significant interest in the site,” she said.

But let’s think about that for a sec … the council’s company brings in experts (consultants) to create a plan designed to entice some private sector crowd to partner with them, right? But since there is no partner at the moment, and the company is solely funded by the council, then it is the TCC which will pay these ‘consultants’ swingeing fees  – successful and smart, or otherwise – to create a concept which will eventually – fingers crossed – deliver a private sector developer and some unspecified return to the council, and therefore the ratepayers. And of course, if it doesn’t turn out to be a goer, we (the ratepayers) have still paid said consultants anyway.

Ever get the feeling you’re in the wrong business, not being a consultant..

All this may be legal, BUT THE COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR HAVE NO FUCKING RIGHT TO GAMBLE WITH RATEPAYERS MONEY LIKE THIS.

Even the mayor’s history with grifters (Magnis) and spivs (Adani) in the private sector argue loudly against it.

And if AECOM. turn out to be the NR Yards consultants, there’ll be riots in the streets unless the CCC steps in.

Feel A Bit Rooted By All This?

Well, tough, drop your tweeds and assumed the position again, because there’s more rogering coming your way on this matter The Bulletin story also quoted the mayor thus:

“One of the constraints of the site was the heritage (restrictions). This group will help us come up with a methodology in how to deal with it.”

This was also the case for remediating contamination at the site.

The mayor said TCC’s Chief Executive Officer Prins Ralston had come back with a constitution around the SPV detailing what the council “should expect as the shareholder in terms of setting up a group to run it”. 

In formation you can bet will be commercial in confience.

They’re fucking kidding, right? You know, if we did not have such an open, transparent and community minded group running our city, this last bit could be misunderstood as an open invitation to corruption.

Parents, Keep Your Kids Close If You Go Near The Showgrounds In The Next Few Months.

Especially if your youngsters are impressionable and easily spooked.

Showground boss Chris Condon is a man of forthright opinion, and he is always willing to share that opinion, especially when it comes to local politics.

Some will remember certain billboards which appeared around the showground area for the benefit of passing traffic which had a few blunt words to say about Tony Mooney, in the closing Looney Mooney  years of his matoralty. His Radiance went on to lose that amalgamation election to Les Tyrell.

Well, it seems Mr Condon holds similar disapproving views of our current mayor, and intends to let the world know. This weekend, his poster advice to Mayor Mullet has gone on display.

Parents, be ready to cover your child’s eyes.

On the National Scene, It’s Voltage Not The Voice That Is Bothering Bentley

The contradictions of the energy debate have quite frankly bden annoying our man, who is mightily miffed by two issues that have not actually been linked yet by the pollies, defence and energy.

But That’s Just One Hurdle Albo Is Suddenly Facing

Will campaign promises paint Albo’s claimed traditional Labor values into a compromised corner? The upcoming budget will give a pointer, but Albanese and Chalmers already know they’ll face a no win-no win decision when the time comes to honouring their desperate and so unnecessary  campaign promise of massive stage 3 tax cuts to benefit the moderately to very rich.  Whether they keep or break that promise, either way Labor is on a loser,- campaign honesty on one hand or traditional Labor values of fairness and equity on the other.  There are those who believe this could normally be the start of the traditional decline towards the traditional ALP self-destruction. But the appalling lack of a viable political alternative will embolden the government to go ahead and unzip the Zegna-suited corporates elite and lift the Balenciaga hems of the glass ceiling smashers to give them a right old tongue lashing about Labor values. And tax cuts.

The drums of class war are already beating.

One of the most telling quotes was on ABC RN,s Friday breakfast program. Guest Amy Remeikis  on ABC RN injected some jolting reality into the Prime Minister’s constant and now tedious battler’s boast about his single mum alone raising him in her housing commission home on a disability pension.

The bold truth is that neither Katy Gallagher or Anthony Albanese’s mum would be able to survive on those payments today.   (In 2023) Anthony Albanese’s mum would most likely be living in her car.

Of course, that is unlikely since a disability pensioner in the 1950/60s most likely wouldn’t have a car.

Albo’s battler’s trope has also got the goat of Bulletin cartoonist Larry, who put the sentiment into a scathing visual on Friday.

And Da Boyz at The Shovel buried the boot a bit deeper on this subject.

The Townsville Bulletin Loses It’s Best Columnist But There’s No Conspiracy

In an unexpected farewell column in yesterday’s Weekend Bulletin, Shari Tagliabue announced her retirement. Her witty, beautifully-written and clearly argued columns will be no more.

In her final column, Shari, who recently admitted to an unhappy health diagnosis, said she had decided she was no longer up to the task, which, for such well crafted writing, took great concentration.

Not of course, that iditor Craig Herbert could give a fuck about losing one of the few reasons left to read his weekend rag …. he has barely acknowledged Shari personally or professionally, which is a measure of the man personally and professionally. I’d be surprised if he even wrote her a thank you note.

Shari has been both an admired colleague and a friend for more than 20 years.

Well Shazza, two things worth noting – the first being information that came from the man who appreciated you so much, editor Mick Carroll when you were his personal PA. When The ‘Pie resigned in disgust from the paper after plagiarist and all round arsesole Peter Typo Gleeson took over the editor’s chair, the old bird had been simply churning out his column for eight years without much thought beyond the few extra bucks it brought in. Some months later, Mick told me the paper had lost 5000 readers when the Magpie column ceased. If that was the reaction to The Magpie column, the paper is about to get another kick in the cods, because your weekly contribution is worth twice or more whatever I contributed to circulation. And you’re better looking, too.

Your column will be missed, Shazza, and there’s always a guest spot here for anything you want to get off your chest.

But there’s an upside for The Magpie – he can now realistically claim to be the most interesting weekend columnist in the city. Even the best, now there’s no competition heh heh heh.

Days Of Wine And Pose

You’ll recall recently that Ginge of Whinge  aka Prince Harry published a snivelly little foot-stamping little tome of self-pity and family disloyalty called Spare – apparently a reference to being the spare heir to the throne of England.  Haven’t read it,  don’t intend to but The ‘Pie just might get hold of this wonderful rejoinder which it seems is a REAL book, and not a social media oncer.

A brilliant kick in the Royal Doultons for this loathsome self-entitled lout who still expects doors to be opened for him.

Yours for $24.90

Get on The Wrong Side Of This Woman And You’re On A ‘Hyde-ing’ To Nothing.

 _{Marina Hyde continues her rampage through the news of the day, taking down the great and good with some of the best savagings available in the English language today.  Take this from a recent column about the forthcoming coronation:}

_{“Back on the official channels, strong efforts are being made to get people excited about the approved royal menu for their subjects’ day. It feels somehow apt that the official dish selected by King Charles is a quiche, given quiches are often wet and almost always disappointing. Like some of Charles’s recent walkabouts, the dish has been regarded as a good use of leftover eggs.”}

But Ms Hyde is no mere word juggler, she does her research too. In this piece about the personal disintegration of Rupert Murdoch,   she has her wit focussed on facts, many of which of which The Magpie had no idea about … she has a wonderful way of putting things in context.

Tugger Carson Is Pulled Off by Murdoch

Screen that is.  Tucker Carlson’s firing from Fox … at the direction of Rupert Murdoch through his son Lachlan,  is, in that tired old term, a real game changer.  And now, a man who not only lied about but more than Donald Trump, is even being talked off a s Presidential candidate. yes, really!

Tugger’s departure was generally met with warm approval, but perhaps the best farewell came from Whoopi Goldberg on her show The View.

‘Karma doesn’t lose anyone’s address, it may misplace the address but it does not lose it.”

But if Tucker might be Prez, who might replace Tucker? Why, of course …

…….

Anothedr week down. Comments run 24/7, dive in. Donation button is below.