Stranded: The TownsvIlle Council Finds Itself In An Impossible Position On Strand Parking Meters

Following a week of more fierce opposition, it is impossible to see how the disastrous decision to install parking meters on the Strand can go ahead.  And there’s strong  indications it could be knocked on the head as soon as this week. The ‘Pie updates the hammering this hapless policy has taken.

Mayor TwoNames Thompson adopts a new strategy, the go-to option for flim-flam artists all over the world. And Deputy Doodah, Paul Jacob makes a cheesy and sleazy suggestion which hardly disguises his ambition.

No longer a protected species,  the Dudley Do Nothings Claudia Brumme-Smith – known aptly as  Ms B-S around here –  has been lifting her profile with empty witterings across all manner of subjects, all designed to look like she has, and is, doing something substantial. Which, on the evidence, she hasn’t and isn’t.  But The Magpie has the solution for the redemption of Townsville Enterprise, a sensible  change will will astound some and outrage others. But he’s serious.

And in the US of A, the man who promotes grabbing pussy talks about eating cats. But while that deeply weird Trump quote from the debate got the world’s attention, a far more serious and alarming promise from this madman has gone virtually unnoticed … but its effect could be catastrophic.

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A Single Image Sums Up Where We’re At With The Strand Parking Meter Debacle.

Why is it that every time The ‘Pie sees this McDonald’s Smart Meal ad, he thinks of the Townsville City Councillors.

Just like this nitwit, the TCC councillors and key staff really have painted themselves in over the Strand parking meter fiasco. To the point now where The Magpie cannot imagine how they can possibly go ahead with this lazy, ill-thought out money grab.  The outrage continued during the week, with the Bulletin deciding this will be the next big campaign, for which there can be nothing but praise for representing the community.

The paper has a two-pronged attack, alternately showing the damaging effect on businesses in and around the CBD with the doubling of the parking fee across a struggling precinct, and the allied matter of the proposed installation of Strand parking meters, with deeply anti-social rules  of use attached.  Then, unprompted and unexpectedly, another influential voice joined the others who have opposed this ‘slap in the face’ to the public.

There will be those who will thunder on about separation of church and state (as in ‘council’ in this case), and it’s already been snidely floated that Bishop Harris ‘s letter was self-interested, concerned for the adverse affect on the amenity of staff and parents at St Patrick’s College on the Strand. The ‘Pie doesn’t accept that for one minute – on the evidence of  Bishop Tim’s open embrace of all the community since he has arrived.

Whether you agree with religion or not, Bishop Harris does something every day of the week that the Townsville Council has not done once in this matter … he talks to, and listens to, hundreds of parishioners, business and arts leaders, and community groups. And there can be no doubt he has spoken out on their behalf, after hearing the widespread dismay with which this proposed policy has caused.  He will have noted that it isn’t the money, or the cost of the upkeep of the Strand,  it is the actual value of a user friendly community amenity, that has already been paid for with public money, and should continue to be enjoyed by such as  tourists, business visitors, but mainly the local community which effectively owns this invaluable asset.

Look, The Magpie is well aware that everything has to be paid for, no question, and ultimately, it will be one way or the other the residents who have to stump up,  but the thoughtless mantra of ‘on-the-spot user pays’ clearly has socially imposed limits … it sure does in this matter.

So the roll call of opposition to this idea has grown so wide that it is impossible to see how an increasingly isolated council cannot revisit the issue. If they don’t do so and say the project stands, they are giving a lordly finger to the Chamber of Commerce – ‘a slap in the face to the community’ -, leading business figures like Craig Stack, who has detailed the ‘unintended or ignored consequences’ of such a move,  a group of health professionals who believe this is against the professed council aim of a ‘mentally healthy city (oh, fucking spare me!), one of the city’s most respected churchmen and the population generally.

The ‘Pie notes that the city’s claimed ‘top tourist body’ (fucking spare me again!!) Townsville Enterprise has been notably silent on this issue, or has The ‘Pie missed its plaintive criticism of the council on which it so heavily depends.

But there are perhaps signs that the message is slowly getting through, in the same manner of the old racist joke that the only difference between a Kiwi and a computer is that you only have punch information into a computer once. Seems the same may apply to the councillors, who have been inundated wit emails and phone calls opposing the scheme, many of whom are on record saying they fear for the jobs in the Thompson imbroglio. The parking meters pose just as big threat if the people are ignored.

SO …UNCONFIRMED AT THIS STAGE, BUT A READER WHO USUALLY HAS GOOD INFORMATION SAYS THERE IS A MEETING TOMORROW WEEK (MONDAY) AT 5.30 IN A CLOSED GREGORY STREET CAFE BETWEEN COUNCILLORS, INCLUDING THE MAYOR, WHO IS AGAINST THE PARKING METERS,  AND LEADING BUSINESS PEOPLE, POSSIBLY INCLUDING ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT CRITICS OF THE POLICY, THE HIGHLY RESPECTED CRAIG STACK.

If this is true, it’s gunna be a doozy, you could sell tickets, because we will have a council hell bent on the meters, with a group of influential business people in opposition who will in effect be siding with our con man mayor, who cottoned on early to the image value of opposing a measure he didn’t object to in the council  budget before it was brought down. It is what in some fey journals would be called ‘a delicious dilemma and irony’.

But there is another image that The Magpie wants to share, because he thinks it encapsulates the attitude of the military trained shiny bums shiny bum number crunching bureaucrat, TCC Infrastructure boss and architect of this folly, Matt Richardson.

That illustration Could Equally Apply To Troy Thompson 

His malignant, ego-driven presence has made him a hindrance and a waste of time in council processes,  -but to convince his cultist coterie  and himself – that he is ‘the man’  he has adopted a saying oft quoted in the Nest over the years, from the rough and tumble days of America early last century – when you’re being run out of town, get ahead of the mob and make it look like a parade.

With his D day (for Dismissal) looming,  he decided to try to convince his handful of followers that he was driving the narrative, when he posted the following on his exclusive and restricted FB page (so much for transparency):

CORRECTING THE RECORD – AGAIN:

It is often the case that news articles do not accurately reflect what actually occurred. This is unfortunate, but it does happen.

An example of this is today’s article featuring Cr Brady Ellis from Division 10, written by Chris Burns.

In this article, Cr Brady Ellis “firmly denied” that I was the one who lobbied the “State Government” to appoint a special advisor.

Chris Burns mistakenly wrote that I announced that I advocated to Ms. Scanlon (the Minister). This is incorrect. I do not know where Mr. Burns even came up with that. It appears as though he plucked it from thin air.

The Facts:

– On Friday, 02 August at 2pm, I met with the Deputy Director General of the Department of Local Government and the Executive Director. Both flew here from Brisbane to meet with me and my personal advisor.

– During this meeting, they raised the idea that they could appoint a statutory advisor to assist in dealing with what was described to them as a hostile council.

– Before the conclusion of the meeting, I asked for the Department to provide this statutory advisor to the council.

– On 03 September, I received a letter from the Department informing me that they were providing this advisor.

Whether or not Cr Brady Ellis or any other councillor made representations to the Department or the Minister has not been established. The letter was a surprise to everyone but me, because I had asked for the advisor to be appointed.

If Cr Brady Ellis wishes to provide to me, and the public, the letter or email where he or other councillors asked the Department or the Minister for an advisor to be appointed,

I am waiting… but I will not hold my breath.

The simple fact is, I asked for it, and I got it. Any attempt to say this did not happen is a misrepresentation of what actually occurred.

I demand more transparency in council. The residents deserve it.

Cr Troy Thompson – Mayor of Townsville

This is Thompson at his slippery best, making out it was his idea to get a LG babysitter. However, he gets somewhat confused when he first says it was the government’s idea in the first place, but then says it was at his request.  You can bet he and his mysterious advisor argued strongly against an idea that had, without a single doubt been instigated initially by a TCC request to the minister. But seeing the writing on the wall,  he claims that in the end he asked for what was  the inevitably being thrust upon him. Trouble is, clear evidence shows that you cannot trust a single word this bloke says … and that includes ‘and’ and ‘the’. Thompson is such a proven fabulist, one can reasonably doubt he asked for any such thing, and just left the meeting with his tail between his legs,  and somewhere in his spaghetti-junction of a mind, a dim inkling forming that things were soon going to take a turn for the worst.

But at least he could look like he was leading the parade.

Thompson’s real agenda is a personal adviser (or three), which undoubtedly would be a MyPlace plant – this crowd’s assistance in his election campaign wasn’t done through the milk of human kindness,  more the sour cream of self-interest.  So the pound of flesh time is nigh. It is the group’s openly stated agenda that they want to either infiltrate existing councils or create their own shadow council to (somehow) run things. Frankston in Victoria, and Bundaberg and Maryborough here in Queensland, have already had a taste of this malarkey. Like we don’t have enough real problems, FFS. BTW old mate Peter Newey floated a similar idea a few years back, but even his tin-foilers said, ‘Yeah, nah whatever’.

What The ‘Pie is wondering is if Thompson believes the ‘advisor’ will somehow direct the council to allow him his requested and rejected $175k p.a personal, self-chosen advisor.  The government babysitter could only do that by overruling a legitimate and legal council vote, and thus directly interfere with the management of the city’s budget. That’s something The ‘Pie can’t envisage, but maybe TwoNames can, poor mutt.  Mind you, in Queensland, you never know.

Anyway, the first steps in the tedious bureaucratic Human Rights conciliation dance are due to start next Wednesday afternoon, said to be just a lawyerly exchange of each others position. The ‘Pie understands that the council will not be arguing that they briefly kept him from council chambers because of his epilepsy (the basis of his claim of discrimination) but because of WH&S issues related to his DV history and previous mental health issues.

Several lawyers are rumoured to have ordered new spinnakers for their yachts.

And We Need To Keep An Eye On Paul Jacob

One of ther great assets of smart people is to see themselves the way others see them … and keep quite about it. Seems it’s a lesson the Angry Ant could learn.

In a recent story about the Thompson mess,  Jacob said the following:

Kerr-ist, pass the Brasso to polish the halo, please.

Here’s A Thought That Will Alarm Some, Enrage Others, And Make Some Ask The Magpie RUOK

The ‘Pie has been bemused by the recent rise and rise of TEL CEO Claudia Brumme-Smith in the media .  The stories of no substances, just clearly aimed at raising her profile,  just so happened to be started around the time there was a wider public awareness that Mayor Mullet was on the nose. Up Ms B-s  popped here and there, wittering on about things that she had nothing to do with, and even less to do with her Dudley Do Nothings aka Townsville Enterprise.  The fact that something is going on behind the skirting boards is evidenced in the strange fact that there was a big burst of gushing in the past week. Stuff like this.

Reporter Master Bates must’ve been high on his third red cordial of the morning when he wrote the phrase ‘exquisite array of attractions in North Queensland’. 

And then like an orchestral grand finale, there was this.

Like the song says, something’s goin’ on round here. Because doesn’t it seem passing strange that 33 years is chosen as an anniversary. Why not 32 years last year, or more acceptable, 30 years. 33 is weird. And for some unstated reason.

At first The ‘Pie thought our gal was on the political make for a run at some sort of political office, but then he realised that she at least had the nous to realise that she was about to stop being a protected species if Mayor Mullet was punted.

$750k a year was on the line and councillors might get a bit antsy and actually ask questions about what council got for its dosh. But the problem was the age old one for Ms B-S and the Dudleys … every story was the usual coattail job, tagging on behind some project, idea or initiative which TEL had very little or bugger to do with. A fine example turned up on cue in the weekend Astonisher.

This is essentially a story with which TEL and Ms B-S had absolutely nothing to do with, it was a federal matter when Chris Bowen announced some deal with Germany for some yet to be realised deal to do with hydrogen. At no stage did we learn what this had to do with TEL (except the catch-all meaningless word ‘advocacy’, and it certainly had very little to do with Townsville so far. Hydrogen is likely to eventually a big boost for the city, but that is a long winding path before that happens.

At the moment, we have the seemingly tentative Edify Energy-Siemens Energy project in the formative stages, but what that has to do with anything is anyone’s guess. But it seems to the ‘Pie that the name Townsville Enterprise is so named only because Make A Wish Foundation was already taken. But hey, maybe there is sxome political ambition behind that fixed rictus-like smile, since you’ve been hobnobbing around Canberra types.

But don’t worry about your ratepayer stipend, Ms B-S, you’ve still got the Team Hill rump to keep you in clover for a while yet.

Pot Shotting Is All Well And Good But Sensible Suggestions Would Be Better

So what’s The ‘Pie’s solution to the severely mismanaged Townsville Enterprise. There’s a clue in that group photograph.

The Magpie seriously suggests that the best person available to run TEL, and put a sorely needed rocket up a few arses, is one Anthony John ‘His Radiance” Mooney.

Before you accuse the old bird of losing his marbles, think about it. Like him or not, agree with his politics or not,  His Radiance still shines brightly  – well, twinkles at least – in the political firmament,  has the nous and experience to cross party divides,  has a wide array of valuable contacts, has a proven record in negotiating with other people in power (cf his lobbying for The Strand, although there’s a few wrinkles in that story for another time) and genuinely loves Townsville. He’s already made his mega dollars when he called in his accrued favours from his years as mayor, so he would be happy with the relative pittance the TEL CEO gets … probably somewhere north of $200k +++.

Would he consider the gig if it were offered to hIm? Maybe, but he might not jump at it. You see, he might actually have to do some real work, and some creative thinking, two things he hasn’t had to do since he involuntarily left the mayor office 16 years ago.  So it’s a toss up.

Quick Question: How Come?

The federal government has s stripped several ADF officers of their Afghanistan service medals  because they were in charge when, and I quote  ‘alleged war crimes took place’. 

Excuse me?  Alleged, as in ‘it is said but not proven’?  It is rumoured? So now the federal Labor government has adopted as fact the old copper suspicion that ‘he’s good for it’. A disgraceful act and slur until responsibility for misdeeds are proven … and that only after the misdeeds themselves are proven.

The ‘Pie is not on the side of war criminals, he is on the side of one law for all. And fairness.

This virtue signalling low act does not do Defence Minister Richard Marles any credit, and even less to the man who ordered it, Prime Minister Albanese.

What pricks.

Donald And Rupert – A Bromance For Us To Savour 

The Australian newspaper came a bit of a cropper a few days ago, when they published a story downplaying Kamala Harris’s chances in the upcoming Armageddon election. This was published a few days before she wiped the floor with the slowly disintegrating former mobster president. Perhzaps the headline should have been Should’ve been ‘Speaked too soon?’.

but The ‘Pie stopped his merry warbling when he revisited the adjacent story As if the thought of a Trump reelection wasn’t enough to make one take his covid advice  and drink bleach,  his suggestion of a role for Musk in a future administration is truly terrifying,. The story is from the Wall Street Journal, another of Rupert’s playthings.

How anyone in their right might could imagine this to be a ‘good idea’ is, as said, terrifying.  A fascist’s fascist, Musk this week used that word to describe the Australian government, because it has the temerity to want him to be responsible for the harmful, often deadly content he allows to published on Twitter (fuck that ‘X’ bullshit). This is the man who has invented his dystopian dichotomy between, wealth, power and responsibility.  This also the man who publicly offers to give Taylor Swift a baby, which resulted inevitably in this sort of response from other media.

What a fucking creep.

But the biggest talking point and pivotal event of the current presidential campaign was undoubtedly THE debate.  It mesmerised the entire viewing globe, especially when the Liar In Chief went quite off his rocker with the utterly false claim that illegal immigrants were eating the cats, dogs and other household pets of the residents of Springfield, Illinois. Harris decided like the rest of the world, there is no answer to that, and mainly contented herself with an incredulous grin. She was whip smart throughout and the contrast was so stark, we start this week’s gallery with the two ‘toons that expressed exactly The ‘Pie’s feelings. It would baffle anyone.

Can’t Argue With This.

The Pope’s jolly around the Pacific and PNG reminded The ‘Pie of this – worth ten thousand words.

……………

Lots of fun and games coming up locally this week, keep an eye on comments, plenty of citizen journalists keep us ahead of the usual news cycle.

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