I have a story in Crikey today on Campbell Newman’s travails. The Lord Mayor turned Opposition Leader outside Parliament has been on the back foot for over a month, displaying tetchiness over demands that he more fully disclose his financial interests. This culminated in an extraordinary spray last Thursday when the LNP leader claimed Queensland was being run by “punks, drunks and desperadoes”.
Campbell Newman’s quick temper and glass jaw are both legendary in Brisbane. His unedifying stubbornness and agression is doing something to dent his image as an apolitical saviour, while the LNP remains largely a policy free zone.
At the same time, there has been a kerfuffle over the views of the new LNP candidate for Cairns, Gavin King. The previous candidate was disendorsed for writing an email which appeared to condone the assassination of Julia Gillard. King is a writer with the Cairns Post, and his victim blaming comments about sexual violence have come back to haunt him.
The controversy over King’s views has caused anger within some sections of the LNP, where a former state secretary has resigned because of Newman’s excusing of those views. King is being described as Newman’s Pauline Hanson.
There is a petition circulating on Facebook calling for King’s disendorsement.
Is there a non-facebook petition?
Elaine, it’s not a Facebook petition, but being circulated on Facebook.
If you follow the link, it will take you directly to the petition.
Gavin King (LNP) will have to unseat the incumbent Desley Boyle (ALP)
http://www.qld.alp.org.au/01_cms/details.asp?ID=1099
And outpoll Darren Hunt (KAP)
http://www.ausparty.org.au/who-we-are/our-people/profile/2/darren-hunt
I say he’s got buckleys chance. Let him keep talking.
Sorry ,Desely Boyle’s not running, dunno who’s ALP candidate for Cairns in the next election.
Blimey. Poor FNQ having this refugee from the Middle Ages foisted on them.
Has the QLD press covered the fact this his tunnels are at about 20% of projected capacity, and his mismanagement put the BCC to raiding other funds meant for other projects?
Also… can you IMAGINE the furore if Anna’s Bligh husband had been chasing $30m in flood recovery contracts?
“”"”"Also… can you IMAGINE the furore if Anna’s Bligh husband had been chasing $30m in flood recovery contracts?”"”"
Oh, Greg Withers or Greg Francis or whatever he goes by nowaday has been looked after. Do a little digging into a lefty Lefty E, its fun.
Her creating EcoFund and putting him in charge is a start.
Well, Greg Withers is a senior public servant and well qualified to hold the role he does. But it does go to Lefty E’s question – why is it only outside the realms of political civility to attack spouses when it’s Campbell’s? The LNP have been taking potshots at Bligh’s husband for ages.
Lefty E: Would be amazing if we go into an election without a lot being said on the growth of BCC debt during Campbell’s reign. Labor will have aright to be pissed off if the money raised by the privatizations ends up being wasted by a civil engineer out of control.
The frankly unbelievable growth in BCC debt, yes.
Face facts QLD: the guy is an appalling and derelict manager of public finances, with an abysmal track record on major projects. If he’d spent it on public transport infrastructure at least the debt would have represented an investment in the future.
“Face facts QLD: the guy is an appalling and derelict manager of public finances, with an abysmal track record on major projects. If he’d spent it on public transport infrastructure at least the debt would have represented an investment in the future.”
Are you serious? The BBC does nothing of note without the blessing, and ususally funding, of the ALP government.