Saturday, December 7, 2013

‘Resentment is drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies’ – Nelson Mandela’s timely philosophy for some Australians.



With passing of the great man, one of his guiding principles is a stark message for those in the aboriginal industry promoting  ‘Invasion Day’ ceremonies to counter Australia Day …

Also, the lunacy of the law, Queensland style  - the latest one is framed to get someone killed sooner or later.
 
Clive Palmer and his inner bogan …

… and the cheekiest rib-tickling headline of the decade plus we revisit a couple of comments from the week.All that and lots of other stuff as usual here in the nest at www.townsvillemagpie.com.au

Vale, Nelson Mandela.

Thousands of others have written eloquently about the passing of Nelson Mandela, a man who in the end embodied the finest aspects of humanity, so the Magpie will simply publicly record his admiration and respect for one of greatest men of the modern era.

After 27 years a prisoner in Robin Isand , Mandela could easily have used his hero status when freed  through international pressure to set black against white in South Africa, with the bloodiest of consequences.

But instead, he chose the path not so much of forgiveness as refusing to be fuelled by resentment.

One of his most telling statements was 

‘Resentment is like drinking poison, and then hoping it will kill your enemies.’  

It is a universal message and a timely one here in Australia, and one that the people like the unrepresentative and backward-looking Gracelyn Smallwood could well reflect on when calling for indigenous people to support an Invasion Day counter to Australia Day.  Those who drink from the one-sided cup of resentment only kill themselves, and encouraging others to do so with occasions like Invasion Day is not the sign of leadership in the modern world. Brooding resentment is a crippling emotion and represents the manacles holding back a positive future.

Other, less weighty matters.

Well, maybe a different sort of weighty.

Clive Palmer’s party boss in Queensland Alex Douglas has been caught out  sending emails to a failed Tasmanian PUP nominee, suggesting he failed to get the candidature because he didn’t identify with the electorate’s ‘bogans who buy and wear Ugg boots, watch Big Brother, choke on a diet of grease, dye their hair bright purple , (have) tattoos and rejoice in their ignorance’.

Bogan hosts Clive Palmer and PUP Qld boss Alex Douglas



Justifying his leaked comments, Douglas said that we all have a bit of bogan in us, and Palmer agreed
even he had some bogan in him.

Some, mate?!? By the looks of you, there are at least a couple of medium to large size bogans inside there - that surely can’t be all one man. You probably starts the day with a regular breakfast bogan washed down with a VB. This could account for your increasingly bogan/boorish behavior.

Maybe it was sub-editor’s inner bogan that came up with one of the best opportunistic headlines we’ve seen in a while, and in of all places, Rockhampton Morning Bulletin.



That isn’t likey to be the case in the  ACT this weekend, where gay marriages have been the order of the day. The ‘Pie has always held the view that gay people should be allowed to marry – why shouldn’t they be entitled to be as unhappy as straight couples.

But to that old cynic, our resident doodler Bentley, he reckons there is a reflection  of personal marital conflict in parliament over an issue of credit cards. He sees Joe Hockey and Bill Shorten having a domestic over that old bugbear, debt.

While we’re in that neck of the woods, wonder how the Victroian police are getting on with their investigation into Bill Shorten’s alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl in 1986.  Mainstream media have reported the matter but not Shorten’s name, although it is well known he is the subject of the investigation. The female's leaked account of the matter also names Shorten. Interesting times ahead for the Short ‘Un … a most interested spectator will be his deputy Tanya Pliberseck  … Shorten’s political demise will hasten her almost assured trajectory towards The Lodge within the next six years.

Here in Queensland, during the week, undeterred that their bikie legislation is heading for a High Court challenge, the LNP signalled a couple of other little social doozies.

Another for libery - or against? minister Jack empsey.


The suitably pugnaciously named Police Minister Jack Dempsey foreshadowed new laws that are akin to the laws in some American states known as the Dram Laws. Over there, this law concerns itself only with alcohol, and stipulates that if you host a party and a guest leaves and has an accident, you as the host can also be charged if alcohol is a contributing cause.

Now, a Queensland version is coming your way. It is proposed that if a person who has been at your party or venue does ANYTHING illegal after leaving, no matter where it happens, you as host or venue operator will share some responsibility for the lawbreaking. This suite of laws also proposes to fine and otherwise punish people who give parties and are then gatecrashed. Which seems somewhat upside-down.

But the legislation that is just plain lunatic is the proposed laws governing cyclists and the relationship with other road users. The dangerous part of this populist revamp is that vehicles must give one and a half metres clearance when passing a cyclist. 

Nothing too much wrong with that, BUT it applies to ALL roads. 


Ban the bikes.


And that includes the Port Access Road here in Townsville, a piece of infrastructure specifically designed and intended for long heavy vehicles, including road trains, travelling at high speed. At this stage, cyclists have reported that there haven’t been any problems with other traffic on this road, but this new law could change that. It cold result in a situation where, to be legal, two heavy transports approaching each other at a closing speed as high as 200kph will have to move dangerously across towards each other in order to pass a cyclist – or worse, two cyclists travelling opposite directions - legally. It will only take a single miscalculation for tragedy to happen.

At the risk of incurring the wrath of the group that enjoys an over-the-top misplaced sense of entitlement, the Port Access Road is a fatality waiting to happen under these new laws … and should be closed to cyclists.

The Pie writes this simply to have it on the public record, so when it happens,  those petty, bossy bureaucratic little rule hounds in the Main Roads Department can’t say the possibility was unforeseen.

A couple of comments posted during the week, in case you missed them.   First, there was Bob Chad’s interesting discovery about Defence Housing apparently  - possibly illegally – getting to the private rental sector in Townsville. This is what Mr Chad had to say.




'My name is Bob Chad and I am a resident of Townsville, have been for over 30 years and am currently a self funded retiree. 

I am on two Body Corporate boards here in Townsville and have been very active in the property insurance saga in North Queensland. 



However this is not want I would like to bring to your notice.

I am the chairperson of the Quadrant complex on Stuart Drive, Wulguru. This development consists of 56 units, approximately 4 years old. 

Several years ago the DHA (Defence Housing Association) purchased 4 units and I, for one, had no objections as I had previously owned a DHA house, and was more that happy to have service personnel reside at Quadrant. (I am an ex serviceman myself).

Servicemen for obvious reasons of discipline, behavior and responsibility, are always welcome as tenants in the Townsville property market.



Recently the DHA purchased a further 5 units in Quadrant at a distressed sale and at a considerable discount to the accepted market price. As part of the sale, the rental disclosure documents supplied to the DHA stated that a sum of $360.00 per week was the current going rental rate.  These units are only a fraction of those the DHA has recently purchased in Townsville. 



As a tax payer one could say this was good business, however the results have been a disaster for the Townsville property rental and resale markets. 
 
The units recently purchased are NOT being rented by service personnel, they have been given to a private Real Estate company which is currently offering them to the general public for a weekly rent of $320.00.   



Since when has the DHA been involved in the local  rental market? 

The result is that unit owners are up in arms, unable to compete with the ever increasing costs associated with unit ownership in North Queensland. (I understand that the DHA is a GST-free zone - but I may be mistaken).I have always understood that the DHA supplied housing for the military and did not compete unfairly in the local rental real estate market.
 
I’m sure you are both aware of the almost collapse of the resale values for units in the north and the last thing we need is a Government identity seemingly intent on further eroding real estate values.  

By all means let the DHA purchase accommodation for their own use, but at the moment they have created havoc, confusion and distrust. 

Surely this is not a level playing field? And is possibly illegal. It certainly seems unethical.
 
 

Mr Chad sent that missive Ewen Jones (Federal MP for Herbert) and George Christensen (Federal MP for Dawson). Mr Jones office has already advised Mr Chad that it is a matter for Mr Christensen, since Townsville's south western suburb of Wulguru is administered politically from Mackay, several hundred kilometres south, courtesy of the Electoral Boundaries Commission idiocy about numbers equality. (The Magpie's words, not those Mr Jones office). It will be interesting to see any official reply, especially if a pointed question about free markets v government interference is asked in Question Time.

And then there is this matter, posted in the comments last Tuesday of the Bulletin’s efforts that could cost a serving soldier his career.

'The Townsville Bulletin has eally covered itself in glory this time.



Through gung-oh unethical and/or ignorant reporting by Daniel Bateman and the usual sensationalised front page treatment, a young career soldier looks like to be kicked out of the army.





The front page featured a photo of Private Noah Schefe - no doubt obtained with the old ruse of 'you look interesting, mind if we have a pic of you to go with the general story' - when he attended the weekend rally in a day of statewide protest about the new bikie laws. Nothing wrong with that.



But all the media at the weekend's rally were clearly told by the organisers that there were to be no interviews or quotes from members of the Patriots Motorcycle Club, whose members are Viet Vets or current or former ADF personell (and whose main activitiy that starts with C isn't Crime, it is Charity).

All the media accepted this edict, realising that soldiers are prohibited from giving media statements on anything, but particularly when opposing government policy, state or federal - in this instance the Newman Government's clusterfu#k of shoddy legislation which coppers are using in an indiscriminate and over-zealous way against bikERSs - as versus bikIES. (And making mugs of themselves in many instances). 



All the media EXCEPT the Bulletin.



A no doubt naive Private Schefe indignantly chatted about being stripped-searched in the early hours recently simply because he was a biker. A good yarn, noted down partly by a junior Bulletin reporter - the person with the eventual byline was Daniel Bateman, although Magpie contacts all report that they did not see him there. 



Had they withheld Private Schefe's name in connection with his account, they could've got away with it, but no, the full blown sensationist treatment was afforded this hapless bloke - name, pic and highly critical (albeit justified) comments. 

Daniel Bateman


Now Master Bateman, who should've and perhaps did know the consequences of his writing, now has the choice of accepting he is either an ignorant oaf who should have known better - or a viciously unethical hack who hasn't the restraint or guile of reporting a good story without damage to the interviewee. And even if a young soldier who is obviously far from media savvy appeared to give his permission, you have a duty of care in your reporting, sport.

 

The 'Pie realises this will have the whole Astonisher newsroom rolling around clutching their sides in mirth an the old bird's dinosaur's code of conduct, but Daniel, when you eventually move on, don't forget to include in your CV that you cost a dedicated Australian soldier either his job or caused him undue financial and career pain.

 Well done, Astonisher, one of your better efforts. However, it will be interesting to see how this is covered in the paper ... after all, they are usually all over issues like soldiers being disciplined or chucked out.



Unfortunately, the same rule does apply to their own errant staff.

Finally, an oddity from the United States. a brief video of a freak spinning ice floe in a mountain river. as Dame edna would say - spooky.

Enough now, it is away to Poseurs' Bar where The Pie will seek his new favorite tipple which a couple of good chums introduced him to recently.

A bit furry focus? Well, the pic was taken after consuming the contents. 





   





 



 


28 comments:

  1. Good work Pie. Is there any update on the poor media ignorant soldier and his (im)pending fate all thanks to the, probably praised, reporter. No wonder journalists are so universally despised with work like this.

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    1. How inadvertently true was the Bulletin's 'Caught In The Crossfire' headline on December 2. But not the way they meant it.

      A reliable source has just informed The Pie that Private Noah Schefe, the Patriots Motorcycle Club member who spoke about his harrassment by police under the new bikie laws, WILL BE DISCHARGED from the army for being identified and quoted in the Townsville Bulletin.

      The process, as with most things military, is a lengthy one, but it has now begun and Private Schefe will get his final marching orders next May.

      While The Magpie stands by his criticism of the Bulletin for negligent and/or uncaring behavior in this matter - all for the sake of a colorful front page phtotgraph - one would think that Private Schefe's Army-imposed gag on speaking about an ostensibly unfair and protracted personal search by police while he was off-duty and outside his home could surely be challenged as a breach of freedom of speech.

      But the ADF juggernaut will - like News Ltd's tabloid reporting - will continue to roll on, heedless and regardless.

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  2. Well the Bully once again has granted a half page to the perennial pinnacles pest & pain in the rear end. But the poor person this time must surely have forgotten to take their medication. Not only illogical it is so incoherent that with a little more negativity training by 'Simpo the Revealer' the person could land themselves a reporting position with the Astonisher. A closer look at the content (I know it's hard to do) 'reveals' a sort of allegation of corruption against ALL Councillors (including the Mayor). Surely a dangerous path to tread!

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  3. Worst Magpie column I have every read, a big nothing!

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    1. Well at least you read it!

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    2. I enjoyed the bird's thoughts.

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  4. Yes "Fed up Idalia" I had the same thoughts - such a rant against a so called corrupt and useless council - all over the Pinnacles issue driven by her support group, the developer and the so called ratepayers association. And the paper ran the letter because??? Hell it beats me.

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    1. Bully Boy it ran the letter I assume because Steggles....ooops I meant the Pinnacles Action group (max. 100 strong) paid for full page ads!

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  5. Answer to Anonymous - I found this blog interesting, and the Magpie spoke about issues that have concerned me throughout the week - most importantly the damage of the stupid notion of "Invasion Day" Nelson Mandela was far wiser.

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  6. Well the Bully journos had an easy day Friday with Saturday's paper running to six pages of News Ltd or AAP supplied Nelson Mandela stories plus the front cover page pic. And of course future stories in the slower news months ahead with the great "The state of the North" so called survey, which typically attracts several hundred (OK a thousand at best) responses from a city of almost 200,000 which becomes the factual basis of stories and some of them lead stories. FMD!

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  7. Amused the tatlers Juessica Johnston had a go at Tels Patricia Ocallaghan about going soft on Virgin airlines pulling out of Townsviile-Cairns and Townsville -Rockahampton flights!.Read between the lines Jessica,Tels chair manages the airport so Patricia sinking in the boot would be like you(Jessica) sinking the boot into your bosses,boss Rupert Murdoch about his papers!.Like thats going to happen??

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    1. That's because Trisha O'Callaghan IS soft... You don't think they got a yes-girl in from the bush in for nothing, do you?

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  8. So bloke does interview and poses for a photo and it's the bully's fault. You're scratchin this week pie

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    1. That you Danny, me laddie?

      You still are missing the point...



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  9. Always good and always entertaining.
    Sagely yours
    Miss Lou.

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  10. Is it me just me or does anyone else see some sought of commercial tie between the Bully and Castletown Shopping Centre? Another retail story today and this time the so called retail boom (Myer and other retailers would say what boom?). It follows a similar trend of recent retail related stories with most including comments from Casteltown only and even a story about their Santa - wonderful Santa that he is too. But a news story?? That aside - no stories with comments from Stockland, the Willows or the paper's beloved redeveloped shopping mecca Flinders Street? I smell a rat. But surely the paper's marketing people would not have sold the paper's editorial independence and news judgement as part of a value packed Christmas guaranteed advertising package - would it? Hell Yeah!

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    1. They'll have an editorial agreement.

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  11. We hear very little of the Shadow Councillor for Division 4 regarding the Pinnacles project either way Come on give us an answer are you for or against it.

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  12. “Invasion Day”. What a positive impact such celebration, inspired by the political left and daft social engineers, will have on us all.

    Let’s have a day especially set aside to provide an excuse for feigned righteous anger and a justification for anti-social and racist behaviour.

    A day that will only create division and further alienate already marginalised citizens.

    A day that tells good and decent people that they should feel shame and guilt by reason only of their ancestory.

    A day that demonises by today’s standards the forefathers of our nation and the birth of the culture that has given us modern Australia – a country that gives you the political freedom to promulgate this divisive and offensive nonsense.

    A day that totally ignores the fact that the vast majority of Australians acknowledge the historical wrongs against the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, yet see no need to have it rubbed in their faces.

    Let’s just slip on the black armband, order another soy latte, sit back and congratulate ourselves for such a wonderful and socially responsible idea.

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  13. Dear Maggie, as someone who lives close to the Strand park I can tell you that the good folks ‘round here are fed up with events in the park. In the dry season there are up to three amplified events every weekend. Some events are very loud and run for days. The constant noise and traffic very unpleasant. Sometimes they are sound-checking at 6.30 on Sunday mornings! There are more Strand road closures than any other road in Australia. The TCC does not care about the residents at all. They rarely monitor sound levels, pick up rubbish and never control parking. By the way, something as obvious as pointing speakers out to sea would make so much difference to the sound reaching residents ears, but no, that is too hard.

    The opening of Jezzine may make weekends more liveable if the TCC schedules more events up there, and they should. There are some events that have grossly out grown the Strand park, and the Cultural Festival is a prime example. If they went to Jezzine they could spread their performances out over a larger area and actually fit more people in and in more comfort. At the moment you can hardly hear one performance over another, it is SO loud. I have no problem with the Friday night markets but they could probably do far better at Jezzine, far more space and parking.

    If they brought the V8 concert to the Strand park all the regular problems would arise: it is a small park with somewhat limited access, there is hardly any parking. I assume they would have to fence off the entire park, which is a bloody pain for all regular uses. It also costs a lot to do that as well as shipping in all the other conveniences. This year bugger-all people bothered to come down to the park for the meet and greet, maybe 2-300 people max. The park is just off the race goers radar. I just don’t get the reason for moving it. It is not really that much closer to food and bars etc. The current location is just right for a big V8 concert, the infrastructure is place, there is ample spave and parking and the fans are there anyway. There is also a fair buffer from homes. If the Strand park as concert venue is going to showcase the city, well DOH, it is a night event. A move to the Strand Park will cost ratepayers plenty.

    I just don’t think it will work, I don’t think the fans will come in the numbers that would go to a Reid park event. We will see.

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  14. I hear what you are saying RG, but you are missing the point. The V8 super thieves used to include the concert in the ticket price. But next year to increase their take from the event, the concert will not be included so they need to shift it to another venue, otherwise they would have no hope of clearing the fans out of Reid Park after the races so they can rip another entry fee out of the revheads for entry to the concert.
    I am amazed that nobody else seems to have woken up to this con job.

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  15. I'm convinced journalism and common sense are dead in this country. Just look at the lead story on news.com.au at the moment and the 30th anniversary of the floating of the Aussie dollar. Can some one tell these idiots it was not floated on the stock exchange (as in shares in a newly listed company) but rather, floated on the world money markets which set the daily exchange rate !

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  16. Jeepers Creepers.

    Where did the Looney Left disappear to?

    I deliberately gave them a nipple cripple and there has not been a whimper of protest.

    I was expecting a torrent of bile and at least half a dozen "racist" jibes - and one or two "fascists" thrown in to spice it all up.

    Unless, of course, the reflux from the bowels of the Lefties has been that vile that the "Pie has spared our delicate sensitivities and binned them, unpublished.

    Have a go, ya mugs.

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  17. Yet another Chutzpah* Award goes onto the mantlepiece down at the Astonisher, this time for today's Year 7 hectoring skool essay by the Iditor.
    Lachlan Heywood has impudently taken it upon himself to instruct no less than JCU how to conduct its highly successful expansion and business. And there is a complete lack of irony when Heywood portentously wags his finger about potential job losses when he writes ' All organisations need to develop new strategies and reinvent themselves to survive and prosper'.
    Hmmm, like The Townsville Bulletin did by sacking a third of a paper's staff in a small community for venal, anti-community purposes of extra profit to go into the Sydney coffers? With the result of an insulting and increasingly sloppy publication, sub-edited in Mumbi. (Actually, that is a poor and inaccurate jest - most Indians write and speak better English than many of current crop of dunderheads in Flinders Street West.
    But wait, there's more, when this pompous little cockalorum wags his finger and, with the gravity of an oracle dispensing an original wise insight, intones that 'As always, communication is the key'. Oh, purrrleese!
    The only communication 65 five NQ Newspapers staff received was a terse, 'Your sacked', and you have the gall to lecture JCU.
    You're a rolled gold, nickel plated twerp - and hypocrite to boot, Lachlan.
    *'chutzpah - shameless audacity - impudence.


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    1. Yes agree Pie but it seems the Bully and its management don't care and never will - it's always do as I say and not as I do. They've got more front than Myers!

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  18. Plenty of died in the wool punters very unhappy about the TAB results format adopted by The Bully. Seems that in an endeavour to save space (why??) and no doubt money, they have changed to a format where in the horses names are omitted and just numbers are shown. Racing coverage by our local paper has now gone from bad to worse. I suppose The Courier Mail people will be happier though , I believe their sales are climbing in this region.

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  19. Going by the Astonishers front page today,it would seem the ratepayers of Townsville are being bent over and attacked from behind once again. Residents should be given details of what is happening with their money, seems like this council is dodgy and less that honest when they have their secret briefings and comments from councillors who are to scared to have their names mentioned. On the other hand this has been written by the Simpleton himself, so it could all be crap as this boy has about as much credibility as the council he writes about. Can the Magpie enlighten us on this issue with the real facts.

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    1. Ah, the ghosts of Mooney Past are coming back yet again to haunt the ratepayers of Townsville.

      But The Pie must take mild issue with you, Woodduck. As a fellow avian, you, like The Magpie, are given to the occasional flight of fantasy. There a couple of things re this story.

      First up, and working on the principle that even a stopped clock is right twice a day, Master Templeton has got this more or less right. See what happens when Mayor Mullet is out of town ... left to his own devices, poor bloke has to revert to winging it alone and suddenly flukes a reasonable yarn. The 'Pie has known this was coming down the track for some months, (hinted at in a blog about three months ago with a reference about ratepayers about to be dumped deep in the financial poo - please note the razor-sharp wit)) but not possessing Simpo's 'ace revealer' talents, the old bird was unable to winkle out reliable details that he felt justified in publishing.

      Of course what Simpo didn't highight was that back when His Radiance was pulling dodgy stunts like this cost-cutting debacle (around the same time trying on the absolute no-no of attempting to borrow Treasury money to cover the embarrassing council deficit) guess who was a compliant and willing accomplice to moves that have now landed us in this situation. Drum roll, purleese and Ta Da .... none other than Mayor Mullet, who was not just a mere councillor at the time, but in fact Deputy Mayor. (Not that Mooney confided in her on anything of import - reliable reports are that the two loathe each other, which is the only circumstance either has shown good taste or judgement.)

      You can bet that the councillors who were only willing to speak anonymously were NOT the goofy Messagebank Walker or Boo Hoo Doyle (who now really does have something to cry about, this making her beloved Labor look shabby and shifty).

      So your pillioring of the council on this score seems a tad misplaced. But The 'Pie agrees wholeheartedly that there should be more transparency, and the public should've been informed of this matter openly and immediately. Like those sub rosa TEL talks with the council should be - commercial in confidence my cloaca.

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