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.

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.

Those Labor sources get around!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

I think Ludwig’s chance of becoming a super shire Mayor are probably pretty slim going on the fact that the main population centre of the proposed shire is Rockhampton.

The juggling for power and influence in these new super shires should be quite entertaining during their first election.

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

Of more significance is that Win Television have discovered that all the calls have come from just two (2) phones. One of them being a mobile phone belonging to a Councillor who said that he had handed it around in the pub for people to make a few calls.

In other contexts, that councilor could be accessed of recklessly assisting terrorists (some people could be described like that when they’re in a pub couldn’t they?). Pop Quiz: would getting locked up for helping terrorists, help or hinder your chances of getting elected as a super shire mayor?

… I’ll take my tongue out of my cheek now.

If the Libs at a state level had their act together, it would have been a very experienced pool of experienced operators to draw from but they too have bungled it. The end result from all this will probably a vast array of independent candidates trying for State and Federal seats over the next few years.

If the coalitions poll position keeps weakening, it may well mean a strong field of independents splitting the Lib and Nat vote in the upcoming Federal election.

Queensland went through a similar process about 16 years ago but the difference then was that it was a voluntary process. Very successful though I might add.

The main difference this time is Beattie is trying to clean up and consolidate a large number of regional, country councils that have been the traditional stamping ground of local National Party operatives.

On some councils, the Mayor and Councillors have been in power for 30 years or more. Most of the noise is coming from them and the local power brokers with a vested interest in keeping “their” people running the show.

It will be much harder for the status quo if power is distributed more widely and many of these current Councillors have to face electoral prospects in an amalgamated entity with a smaller number of Councillors compared to the present and an increased pool of potential candidates/electors.

I imagine this is the case in Qld as well. Probably very few people really object to the amalgamations, but some might object to the way Beattie is doing it. The fact that democracy will occur immediately is a huge step up on Kennett, but the threat to sack anyone who dares hold a plebiscite may just rally opposition, and Howard may be able to benefit from that. However, it will take some fancy footwork to manage it.

All so unnecessary really. If Beattie had just said “Look if you want to keep your councils you can, but the extra costs will mean higher rates,” and held a plebiscite where the choice was amalgamation versus a 10% rate rise he would have got what he wanted in virtually every case and no backlash.

It appears they ran a phone poll a couple of days ago on Livingstone Shire Mayor, Bill Ludwig and his push to become the Mayor of the proposed amalgamated super shire even though he has campaigned remorselessly against it.

I didn’t quite catch the poll question, but there were 697 replies to the question.

Of more significance is that Win Television have discovered that all the calls have come from just two (2) phones. One of them being a mobile phone belonging to a Councillor who said that he had handed it around in the pub for people to make a few calls.

I bet the poor old ratepayers have paid for the lot. Democracy in action, Queensland style. You can bet your life with the self interest involved here that similar things will be going on all over the regional areas.

A week later the Conservative forces in both State and Federal spheres are spit, confued and struggling to come up with a political answer to their self - inflicted problems. It has not been good week for the conservatives and the latest Morgan Poll is an affirmation of the bad news.