Comments on: Time to take a cold shower on Queensland council amalgamations

By: Martin B

Martin B — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 01:56:36 +0000

Voters in Brisbane (exempt from the changes) aren’t interested, and that’s where Labor has a lot of seats in range

I think you underestimate the number of outer suburban voters still carrying a baseball bat from 1924!

Er, or not.

By: steve

steve — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 10:11:40 +0000

Well the Geelong Advertiser has done an indepth investigative FOI search of it's local council and what did they find?

By: steve

steve — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 08:17:23 +0000

Labour is a curently a four letter word across most of Qld presently due to the anilihation of democratic rights to free speech. This has somewhat paled the amalgamation issue. Even the old stalwarts are fuming and if there is any method at all left to the people to vent that anger, it will be used. Hey, isn’t there an election coming up. mmmmm

Yes, I read that argument from coalition central but then I read the Hansard from State Parliament this week and was it the coalition with Nat fighting Lib .Lib threatening to roll Lib leader next week. Mayor of Noosa unsure if he was Green or Blue. The Liberal member for Caloundra writing to the State Government demanding amalgamation and the Liberal Member for Kawana hating forced amalgamations so much that he wants to be Mayor of the Sunshine Coast Super Council. Then I rolled around laughing that this pack of infighting clowns would seriously be a threat to anybody let alone Rudd.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:29:10 +0000

I see more or less the same list of seats where there might be some minor ructions was cited in the Fin Review today.

Those Labor sources get around!

By: paul walter

paul walter — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:10:23 +0000

Well, if Labor does lose the fed election, particularly because of lack of a swing in Queensland, we’ll know who to blame.
Mark assures us there is no fallout for the main game likely, as to this risky parochialism of Beattie.
The point is, what does it say when, as to bona fides, if yet another Labor premier is prepared to even slightly risk become the main game for millions of at risk working class Australians?
The essence of the ALP thrust against Howard has involved authoritarianism. The essence of the counter- thrust that Howard yearns for comes from creating nervousness throughout the country at the sort of side effects a plausible hegemony of Labor created from the federal poll creates.
And, by golly, Peter is sure doing his best to prove Howard’s thesis with his argy-bargy Lennonist bugger you, I’m ok antics. He’ll push ahead with his tin pot “reforms”, just as Paul Lennon did with woodchipping in Tasmania in 2004 and the rest of the country can go to hell in a handbasket!
Almost matching Howard arrogance as to Indigenous legislation and a hundred other things, Beattie dismantles the implicit thrust of Rudd; a return to democratic government, by showing how the authoritarian disease has spread to Labor. Howard, in a position where he could not save himself is instead possibly thrown a rope by the very people opposing him. Would such charity be on tap at next year’s budget pronouncements, for the electorate at large?
A new central debate that involves, instead of fairness, “efficiency”, emerges and Howard is back with half a chance through a new set of circumstances to manipulate.
The central job of Beattie at this stage should have been to reinforce the Rudd democratic position. So much easier for Labor states in the future, even an idiot would realise.
And surely a pleasure for a Labor man you’d expect, the chance for the use of patience and reasoned persuasion natural to a social democrat as to an issue as relatively trivial as local government (at least to those few latte members of teh left).
Instead, we get almost the same argy bargy we’expect from Howard himself and for the first time in six months Howard finds a wedge issue that gives him oxygen and suits his manipulative nature.
OK, it mightn’t count. but wont some people eventually feel red-faced f…….g stupid, if they have a conscience, if this unneccessary risk-taking does DOES take a toll in the long run?

By: JW

JW — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:07:35 +0000

I don’t know where you guys live obviously not in the country. Don’t underestimate the anger at Beattie (ie Labour) out here in the Queensland regions. Oh ad by the way it is not all gravy trains – most LC concillors work for a pittance in the country.
Labour is a curently a four letter word across most of Qld presently due to the anilihation of democratic rights to free speech. This has somewhat paled the amalgamation issue. Even the old stalwarts are fuming and if there is any method at all left to the people to vent that anger, it will be used. Hey, isn’t there an election coming up. mmmmm

Here is a conspiracy theory for you all:

Beattie wants the top job
Beattie doesn’t want Rudd to have it
Beattie stuffs up Rudds chances of the top job
Howard gets in but for his last term
Beattie ‘retires’ and moves south to a colder climate

By: Scorpio

Scorpio — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 03:26:12 +0000

jethro on 11 August 2007 at 12:57 pm

and looking like a Bjelke-Peterson style anti-democratic thug.

If I was federal Labor, I would be worried and angry that Beattie is making Rudd’s job of securing the marginals much more difficult than it needs to be.

Two points here, jethro, it worked for Bjelke Jo for 19 years and Beattie is a known Jo fan who picked up on many of Jo’s tactics very successfully. Queenslanders were quite happy with the way old Jo operated for many years.

It may have some effect though in Flynn, Leichhardt, Capricornia, Hinkler and one or two others, but I think any effect would be minor and not really worth the trouble for the Libs

I think this is just one of many issues Howard is throwing up to muddy the waters and keep the media off interest rates, Haneef , workchoices and any other issue which has been causing damage.

By: jethro

jethro — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 02:57:46 +0000

I dunno — I’m going against the prevailing wisdom here by arguing that forced amalgamations issue is gunna cost Rudd crucial votes.

Firstly, it provides Howard with an issue to curry discontent against Labor in the regions. That will force Labor to respond and such the air out of other issues. Rudd may be engaging in me-too-ism, but the issue is alive in the marginals, where it counts.

Secondly, if Howard succeeds in getting a plebiscite added to the federal poll (no matter how non-binding such a plebiscite will be), then it could be very effective in directing votes away from Labor. The tactic here is to get enough voters angry at Labor on the issue of forced amalgamations, which will spill over to the federal vote.

Thirdly, Beattie has made a tactical mistake in threatening law suits against any council that attempts to hold a plebiscite or tally community sentiment. He’s redefining the issue from forced amalgamations to what appears to the councils as censorship and looking like a Bjelke-Peterson style anti-democratic thug.

If I was federal Labor, I would be worried and angry that Beattie is making Rudd’s job of securing the marginals much more difficult than it needs to be.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 21:06:36 +0000

Seeney and the Nats just can not get it. It looks like they are prepared to waste all their resources for the upcoming Federal election fighting impossible court cases.

A weary Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney told reporters yesterday he was seeking legal advice to have the laws subject to judicial review.

Currently, parts of the Local Government Act are exempt from judicial review.

But the opposition may apply to a court as early as next week asking for the exemption to be set aside to enable a review of Local Government Minister Andrew Fraser’s decision-making process.

“We think the minister’s decision-making process has been flawed,” Mr Seeney said.

Hope the Nationals are spending their own cash on this stupidity.

By: steve

steve — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 20:22:12 +0000

There will be a lot of unhappy travellers who will miss out on the gravy train that has sustained them for so long.

One thing remains constant though, the Bizzare Team Rodent gravy train rolls on even for members facing the prospect of charges.

A LIBERAL MP fighting claims of electoral fraud has been reimbursed the $24,000 in printing entitlements he hastily repaid earlier this year. In a surprise development, the Finance Department has written to Ross Vasta to confirm the compensation and to advise that his printing war chest is now $180,000. Mr Vasta, pictured, who with two other federal MPs remains under a police investigation for allegedly using taxpayer-funded allowances to prop up the state Liberal Party's election campaign, received the correspondence last month. In June, he repaid the Finance Department $24,000 for "administrative errors" in his electoral spending.