Think very carefully, Queensland
When Queensland goes to the polls next Saturday they will be voting for their future – the future of their freedom, their democracy, their environment, the Great Barrier Reef, and their children.
Because of Queensland’s chequered political history and the behaviour of the current government, all political parties were recently asked to acknowledge good governance obligations expressed in very simple terms; that is, to:
- make all decisions and take all actions, including public appointments, in the public interest without regard to personal, party political or other immaterial considerations;
- treat all people equally without permitting any person or corporation special access or influence; and
- promptly and accurately inform the public of its reasons for all significant or potentially controversial decisions and actions
Bizarrely, the Liberal National Party alone refused to commit to those constraints or to explain its reasons though Newman, under pressure at the leader’s debate, seemed to change his mind (possibly).
It is effectively telling voters that, if it is elected, it will do as it pleases; in effect, it will continue the behaviour which marked its first term and led to its heavy losses in recent by-elections.
With its single house of Parliament and history of political malpractice, Queensland is especially vulnerable to the misuse of political power.
In an article titled “Queensland political ethics: a perfect oxymoron”, Tony Fitzgerald recently said of the Newman government:
“During its brief term in power, the present government treated the community with contempt. From behind a populist facade, it engaged in nepotism, sacked, stacked and otherwise reduced the effectiveness of parliamentary committees, subverted and weakened the state’s anti-corruption commission, made unprecedented attacks on the courts and the judiciary, appointed a totally unsuitable chief justice, reverted to selecting male judges almost exclusively and, from a position of lofty ignorance, dismissed its critics for their effrontery.”
The Q Forum has raised millions of dollars for the Queensland LNP and helped make the party the richest single political organisation in the country, according to the latest Australian Electoral Commission figures.
In July the LNP changed electoral disclosure laws to increase the threshold at which donations had to be declared, from $1,000 to $12,400.
The figure has since been inflation-adjusted to $12,800.
As a result, public disclosures of donations have become far less detailed.
Former Fitzgerald Inquiry special counsel Gary Crooke, who helped jail Queensland government ministers over corruption in the 1980s, described fundraising by charging for access to ministers as a “cancer” that kept coming back in politics and a betrayal of a fundamental public trust.
“They’re at it again with bells on, running these things where they are selling no more and no less than the community’s property that they hold in trust, in order to feather the coffers of a political party,” he said.
Mr Crooke, who also served as Queensland Integrity Commissioner, said such practices were “so unethical and so much in breach of fundamental duty that there should be a law prohibiting it”.
Now we have the bizarre situation of Campbell Newman (and others) suing Alan Jones for his allegations that Newman lied to him about the New Hope mine before the last election.
The decision to allow Acland to mine another 3m tonnes of coal a year was announced on the Friday before Christmas.
New Hope and its parent company, Washington H Soul Pattinson, donated more than $700,000 to the LNP at a state and federal level between 2011 and 2013.
Asked if New Hope’s donations influenced the government’s approval, Newman said: “I will not be commenting on Alan Jones.”
Asked by Guardian Australia if LNP officials had indicated whether the party’s donations had risen since it raised the secrecy threshold, Newman replied that he had “no idea”.
Ian Walker took a donation from a board director of New Hope Coal before his election in 2012 and, as the minister for science, information technology, innovation and the arts, subsequently oversaw the department which cleared levels of air pollution from uncovered coal trains in Brisbane before the expansion of New Hope’s Acland mine.
The pollution study by Walker’s department was released to companies including New Hope a week before it was made public in 2013.
Clean Air Queensland’s organiser Michael Kane claimed the government study clearing the pollution levels by averaging emissions over 24 hours was “absolutely the wrong methodology.”
New Hope’s chairman, Robert Millner, was called before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (Icac) in NSW last year over a donations controversy involving another Washington H Soul Pattinson subsidiary of which he was chairman, Brickworks.
Jones has also attacked the government over the energy minister, Mark McArdle, and the environment minister, Andrew Powell, accepting entertainment from New Hope in its corporate box at a Wallabies rugby game in Brisbane in 2013.
But what can we expect when the head of corporate affairs for a mining company has been in charge of developing policy on the environment for Queensland’s ruling Liberal National Party (LNP) since 2012.
James Mackay also worked full-time for the LNP during the 2012 election, while he was being paid $10,000 a month by the company, QCoal.
Mr Mackay has chaired the LNP’s state environment and heritage protection committee, which develops policy for discussion at the party’s annual conference, since being voted on to the committee in 2012.
Shortly after coming to power in 2012 the LNP introduced a bill to remove “green tape” or what it considered to be unnecessary or superfluous environmental regulation.
Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said at the time that the state was “in the coal business” and if people wanted new schools and hospitals they had to accept that the state needed royalties from coal mining.
QCoal boss Mr Wallin gave $120,000 to the party in two donations just before the 2012 state election.
Campbell Newman is trying to tell us that mining will boost employment. In 2013-14 it did not even rate in the top ten employers by industry with about a quarter of the number of people employed in health care and social assistance.
The mining lobby keeps telling us about the great contribution it makes to the Australian economy. There is a lot of exaggeration in this and often much worse.
- As Ross Gittins in the SMH and others point out mining accounts for about 10% of our national production, but only 2% of employment. The large increase in mining investment in recent years has mainly been to purchase equipment from overseas.
- About 80% of our very profitable mining industry is foreign owned. BHP/Biliton is 76% foreign owned, RioTinto 83% and Xstrata 100%. This means that 80% of mining profits accrue to foreign shareholders and not to Australians. In this situation it is important for the owners of the minerals; we Australians, that we get some worthwhile return either in taxes or royalties.
- State governments do receive royalties from mining companies for the exploitation of our national resources, but they hand a lot back to the mining companies. According to the Australia Institute, the states gave the mining companies $3.2 billion in concessions last year – mainly in providing railway infrastructure and freight discounts. In Queensland, these concessions or subsidies were equivalent to about 60% of the royalties the Queensland government received.
- Michael West in the SMH on 27 April 2014 points out that Australia’s largest coal miner, Glencore/Xstrata paid no company tax at all over the last three years despite an income of $15 billion. According to West it achieved this remarkable result of paying no company tax by paying 9% interest on $3.4 billion in loans from overseas associates. This 9% incidentally was about double the interest it would have had to pay in the open market or from a bank. Having paid 9% on these borrowings to load up its “costs” in Australia it then lent money to ‘related parties’ interest-free. We are not told who these related parties were. But there is more. Apparently there has been a large increase in Glencore’s coal sales to ‘related companies’ from 27% to 46%. This would seem to indicate transfer pricing to shift income to lower tax countries. In this regard Michael West reported on the complex Glencore company structure. ‘The Glencore structure is now run as a series of business units controlled by one company [Glencore/Xstrata Plc) which is incorporated in the UK, listed on the London and other stock exchanges, with its registered office in Jersey (a tax haven) and its headquarters in Baar, Switzerland. It is probably all legal but is it right?
Indian-based company Adani has a large mine proposal at Carmichael in the Gallilee Basin and needs to build a rail line 388 kilometres to Abbott Point port where the coal will be exported. Campbell Newman has offered $300 million of taxpayer funds to build the railway despite Adani having trouble finding finance for its mining operation with most financiers saying it is not commercially viable.
Adani plans to export 100 million tonnes a year of coal to India and provide 2400 jobs.
Adani’s chief executive Sandeep Mahta estimates their coal plant generates more than $6 billion in royalties for the Queensland Government in its first decade of operation.
Reef tourism generates over 60,000 jobs and $6 billion a year in revenue to the Queensland economy.
If you agree with Campbell that the coal business is your future and you are prepared to sacrifice the Reef and the revenue and tourism jobs it sustains for a project that the banks won’t touch then you will probably vote for the Coalition. Get back to me on how that works out.
PS: Could we please have less public kissing.
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Return to home pageI’m just tied of the LNP Bullshit , they lie and lie and the Murdoch Press tell us this type of Fee for Law Government is good for us . The Truth is this Government is broken , its arrogance , its lies and its contempt for the people of Queensland is breathtaking , I’m putting the LNP last on my Ballot Paper and I invite all educated Queenslander’s to do the same
Queensland LNP are so toxic that Tony Abbott won’t even campaign there! ;D
One wonders why the Queensland ALP haven’t tried running with that one. After all, then Newman would have to either say he’s happy to campaign here, but we just don’t want him, or he has enough troubles without associating himself with us…
Another fantastic and extremely well thought out and written piece Kay. I hope the average Joe Blow gets to read it. Queensland voters must make a huge change from the last election. I for one are going up to man a booth on the Gold Coast. It is so important for Queensland but it is as much for Australia as well. Thank you.
@Peter Ball. I was educated in QLD . Does this mean I qualify, or must I find another way to join you in your campaign?
As a Queenslander, I think we’re screwed.
“I go back to the very clear facts that we know. We know the criminal gangs, the bikies, have backed the Labor Party in this election – fact number one,” Newman said.
“The second fact that we know is that the Labor Party get huge amounts of money, wads of cash from the unions.
“That’s what we know and Queenslanders will be the ones who will make the judgement on the things that I have said.
“What’s the connection between unions and bikies? Well, ladies and gentlemen people have seen what has gone on and they will make the judgment. I mean, it’s not for us to judge.
“I put these things on the table but they’re the things that Queenslanders say to me.
“As I go around the state people say to me, Campbell we know that the unions and the criminal gangs have a close association. They’ve seen that, they understand that and they know also that the bikies are backing the Labor party. They are saying to me, be strong.”
When asked for proof of any of this Campbell used the Hunt defence of just google it. Considering he is suing Alan Jones I would suggest the Labor Party have their lawyers look into this.
Aside from which, I thought all the bikies had been run out of Queensland so they won’t be voting in the election for your fine state Campbell.
Well, the LNP will be returned but will suffer substantial losses. I’d be more comfortable if Labor were faring a bit better in the polls but I suspect they’ll claw back any seats with a margin less than 8%. That’s quite a lot of seats. Then there’ll likely be a few individual seat embarrassments for them over and above any general swing trend, e.g. Ashgrove. Hopefully Townsville will fall as well.
Don’t forget to stock the beer fridge.
I’m a Victorian, but good luck to politically responsible Queenslanders. I hope for your sakes and the rest of us Australians that a majority of Qld’ers have seen through the corruption of Newman and his mates.
I hope Palaszczuk gives him the thrashing of his life.
And if OR when she does, I hope she forges a great Alliance with left leaning parties, such as the up-and-coming Australian Progressives, the Greens and sane Indies, so that real social justice initiatives, innovative reforms and progressive policies can be instituted.
nails and heads again Kaye!
Here’s a little video to sum it up ……. enjoy!
Campbell Newman and the LNP: http://youtu.be/Cq2E0Vbtl74
Another easily readable, concise, truthful and hard hitting article. Thank you so much Kaye. Further to jagman48’s comment, how do we get Queensland voters to read it? Perhaps QCoal or Washington H Soul Pattinson could slip AIMN a lazy few tax deductable $100,000’s that could be used to fund an advertising blitz if our dear friend Michael T promises to join the Queensland LNP for example??
Don’t look now, but here comes Jacqui:
Independent senator calls on the RSL to back her call for voters to put Liberal National party candidates last at next week’s state election.
“In Queensland the defence community have got the numbers. The ends will justify the means. I repeat, it’s time to go in hard or get out of the game.” she said in a statement.
More than 50,000 Australian Defence Force members, veterans and their families living in Queensland could determine the outcome of the state poll, she said.
“The Liberals and Nationals in Canberra, just like their cousins in Queensland are deaf to polite motions. They don’t care about what’s fair and just. Campbell Newman and Tony Abbott only care about being re-elected and retaining the perks and privileges of political power.”
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jan/25/queensland-election-jacqui-lambie-call-oust-lnp
I am available for meetings for a discount rate. Promise I’ll be cheaper than the North Sydney forum or the Q forum will charge you. A plate of oysters and a glass of champagne and I’ll talk your leg off.
Interesting to see that Fairfax are defending the defamation case brought by Joe about the “Treasurer for sale article” and that they have demanded the books from North Sydney Forum.
Also interesting that the article has not been removed. I wonder which parts of it Joe will say are false, or is he just claiming the article is true but damaging?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/treasurer-for-sale-joe-hockey-offers-privileged-access-20140504-zr06v.html
Gotta love Campbell’s campaign….the bikies are funding the Labor Party. I know who I am more scared of.
Lots of things to remember before voting.
Sacked 14 000 public servants despite promising that such employees had ‘nothing to fear’. He attacked doctors and nurses and tried to get all doctors on individual contracts. WorkChoices resurrected.
Raised the disclosure cap on political donations from $1 000 to the current $12 800. Lawyers and judges were attacked and insulted. The Bar Association and Law Society are treated with contempt.
Corruption is rampant. Sibelco, the sand miner, gave at least $90,000 to Newman for his campaign before the last election and was duly rewarded with an extended lease on Stradbroke Is. Karreman Quarries ($75,000 donation) gained immunity for illegal extraction. Seeney the Deputy Premier provided $1.6M of taxpayers to clean up.
Having said that, the LNP are at unbackable odds to be returned. While Labor will make huge gains they will not balance the massive losses sustained at the last election.
Strangely enough, the return of the LNP to State government at this election will be a huge disappointment for Abbott.
Oh, damn, my cliche alert monitor just exploded. That’s the 5th one this year already. You owe me Lambi!
In my view Newman makes Abbott look like a morally decent man. Yes, I think he’s that bad.
HB, now that made me laugh. Well said!
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Why isn't newman sueing the Queensland Police Union ?
There is no doubt, the LNP in Queensland are well cashed up; in my local area they had contractors – not volunteers – putting up billboards within forty eight hours of the announcement of the snap election.
I have also noticed locally that Labor and Greens signs – I think they call them corflutes – have disappeared overnight, not just dumped on the ground or defaced but physically removed …ominous.
Newman’s ridiculous scare campaign linking Labor with Bikie gang funding is just that, absolute nonsense. Less that one percent of the crime in Queensland is attributable or linked to biker gangs, they are not a big deal but they are a useful instrument for scaring the community….a bit like the occasional terrorist alerts and words of reassurance – looking at you Tone.
Whilst it seems there will be a swing against the Newman government, possibly quite large from those opposed to the privatisation of public assets, there is little doubt that the LNP will be returned as he has managed to turn privatisation into a magic pudding where you sell your public assets, get $38 billion and you still keep the asset due to the magic of leasing and a lot of people have bought this rubbish.
We can but live in hope that the good people of Ashgrove will not re-elect Newman so that we can all breath a sigh of relief and consign him to the trash can of history as a nasty political aberration.
I am from NSW but i really hope the good people from QLD ,heade the advice from so many people and vote Newman gov out,You at least have a chance to right the wrongs of the Australians who voted for the Abbott gov and just look where that has got us,
Newman is so much like Abbott in every way ,all the promises made prior to the election and all broken in less than twelve months,newman has even resorted to the gutter politics,as the Abbott gov did.Qld please think of what you your family, and friends ,will loose with Newman .PUT HIM LAST PUT A NAME IN EVERY SQUARE ,VOTE HIM OUT
The political and electoral problem for Queenslanders and Labor is that at the last election Labor voters turfed Labor out. Such was the anger at Anna Bligh. That’s not easy to turn around. My fear is Labor will not reclaim sufficient seats to put themselves in sight of the next election. It’s just a fear, of course, and I could be off the mark, but this is Queensland we’re talking about and weird shit happens here.
As for the fascist bikie laws – not much Labor can say about that because they actually started it.
Washington H Soul Pattinson – well, well, that’s a nice find thanks Kaye. BTW your report is right on the mark, it’s just that the Washington H Soul Pattinson subsidiaries colours are now very clearly sewn on to the LNP ‘leather jackets’.
There goes another corporate outlet we i.e my family and friends network, can very happliy boycott.
I would strongly urge a reading of the article Kaye linked to in her piece:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/21/queensland-election-newman-government-scrutiny-coal-donation
Excellent work again, Kaye Lee.
Time for a little schadenfreude:
PS
That photo of TA with Lisa Newman – (yes, I probably looked for too long), I can see Lisa pursing her lips, but WTF does Abbott think he is about to do?
News Corp are doing their bit for Newman and the LNP, the daily newspapers in Brisbane,Cairns, Townsville and the Gold Coat are all Murdoch’s and all are supporting the LNP : I wonder what the pay off will be ?
With Clive suing Campbell, and Campbell suing Alan, and Joe suing Fairfax, would now be a good time for Julia to remind Julie about her previous statements about criminal behaviour and fraud?
“She and Wilson and Blewitt wanted to hide from the AWU the fact that an unauthorised entity was being set up to siphon funds through it for their benefit and not for the benefit of the AWU.”
You should stop listening to shock jocks Julie or you might just end up on the end of a rather nasty defamation case yourself.
@ Kaye Lee
Why not? Go for it, Julia.
Julie knows the LNP Degenerates’ time is up, so you may as well send her on her way with a little lesson of how not to attempt to denigrate the reputation of another when there is strong evidence to the opposite.
She might even find it difficult to gain further legal employment herself since she doesn’t know that golden rule.
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Julie's busy with Hugh Jackman getting ready to celebrate Australia day in New York.
Australia's Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran are waiting to be executed in Indonesia.
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newman ………
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/that-thinking-feeling/too-many-questions-over-newman-20150121-12vh18.html
and
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/comment/campbell-newman-lied-about-stradbroke-island-mining-promises-20150121-12vaoe.html
It’s tax avoidance on a massive scale wherever the LNP hold power. How about new tax legislation which places a flat tax on revenue above a certain level earned from transactions with Australian based entities, with the onus upon the revenue earner to prove that any deductions they claim are not based upon artificially constructed tax avoidance transactions? Just a thought which might not fly, but it must be within the wit of tax experts to come up with legislation that makes these people pay their fair share of tax. Hockey would have no Budget emergency excuses left for cutting services to the most vulnerable in our society if everyone actually paid the taxes they should pay and there would be no more tax tort subsidies paid by the Australian taxpayer to his US citizen mate Rupert. They have much in common. Rupert abandoned his country and Hockey abandoned his cultural heritage, each to suit their own material self interest. Two examples of gutless right wing opportunism in action!
Newman does not appear to have a ‘Get Tough on Sharks’ policy like the other conservitard premiers.
WOW. That is all just scary.
Good luck Queensland
Personally I will trust a 1% Motorcycle Club (I refuse to call them Bikies in deference to what granny used to bake) Patch-holder with my children’s well=being way and above a corporate 1%er EVERY day of the week.
Tax the revenue, particularly in terms of money being sent to overseas companies and tax havens.
How did C Newman get on the wrong side of the LNP demi-god Alan Jones ?
it is bloody disgraceful, that Newman,s government is getting away with so much, the Great Barrier Reef needs full protection not just pat on the back. come on queensland think before you vote.
The U.S. is an oligarchy and Australia is following the same path.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/apr/21/americas-oligarchy-not-democracy-or-republic-unive/
http://www.businessinsider.com/major-study-finds-that-the-us-is-an-oligarchy-2014-4
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-echochambers-27074746
More at google: U.S. oligarchy
Those with the fiat money, they make the rules. When the global economic ponzi scheme fails, coming soon, all fiat currencies will return to their intrinsic value, zero which, they always do. This is why we have or will have the militarization of law enforcement, erosion of liberties (association laws just the beginning), bank bail ins, govt. secrecy and fudged and distorted data coming from governments and corporations.
The powers that be will sacrifice everything, including the environment and our liberties, in order to maintain power and control over the masses.
Our natural and finite resources are being pillaged and we are being robbed. With the all the natural resources at our disposal, no one should have to pay income tax.
A good article. Unfortunately, only a few will ever read it. The AIMN will never become popular while it lambasts and blocks posters with alternate opinions and ideas.
Harquebus,
You make the SAME comment on EVERY thread that is posted here. It has worn thin. Please stick to the topic or, as I have suggested to you, write your own article because I am sick to death of your endless repetition and derailing of every article for your own purposes. We don’t block people with alternate opinions and ideas. But when you only have one idea and you repeat it over and over and over and ridicule other contributors then I will exercise my discretion.
The Queensland Premier has refused to answer suggestions he is pork-barrelling to retain his Ashgrove seat ahead this Saturday’s election.
Campbell Newman has promised more than $18 million in funding for the electorate, in Brisbane’s inner-west.
The Ashgrove Plan included $5 million to expand the the Mitchelton Youth Club, $7.5 million to upgrade the Ashgrove central precinct to fix congestion, $3 million school hall for Enoggera State School and $1.5 million for stage two of the Walkabout Creek upgrade.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-26/premier-campbell-newman-denies-pork-barrelling-in-ashgrove/6046362
Speaking pork, of porkies and of thinking carefully, Queenslander’s concerned with fiscal responsibility- and their own cost of living would do well to ponder John Quiggin’s review of the privitisation scheme:
Media Release
Professor John Quiggin, of the University of Queensland criticised the Ernst and Young report on privatisation of the electricity industry.
The Ernst and Young report ignores the biggest factor leading to higher electricity prices throughout Australia: the failed process of market reform, corporatisation and privatisation of which the LNP government’s asset sales is a part, Professor Quiggin said.
Although the problems have differed from state to state, there is no evidence that states which undertook full scale privatisation in the 1990s have performed any better. South Australia has some of the highest electricity prices in the world, and Victorian prices are comparable to those in NSW and Queensland.
For a more detailed, concise and surprisingly accessible review, have a look at the report:
Strong Choices or Weak Evasions?: How the effective sale of public assets will weaken Queensland’s fiscal position."
@Kaye Lee
Everything revolves around energy. Everything. Energy makes money, money does not make energy. Why do think that governments are only too willing to fry our planet digging up coal and fracking for oil and gas? It is energy that allows for the business as usual consumption of resources.
http://energypolicyforum.org/2015/01/22/hype-broken-promises-and-shales/
http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2015/jan/23/nervous-super-rich-planning-escapes-davos-2015
We are headed for global economic collapse and no amount of distraction nor wishful thinking nor denial on your part is going to change it. Peak oil Kaye Lee, peak oil.
Still nothing about truly sustaining our society coming from you and I will bet that when, the proverbial does hit the fan, you will be the first to complain. eh? How dare those banks steal our money. How dare those politicians take away our liberties. How dare the rich get away with their plunder. etc., etc.
The QLD election is just a small piece in the global power struggle between the elites and common man and it doesn’t matter who wins the election, we are screwed.
Enjoy your brief moment of perceived power. Just like our fossil fueled western lifestyle, It won’t last.
Cheers.
@ Harquebus
Ever though of contributing your oft repeated knowledge at:
http://wattsupwiththat.com/
They could use the help
or, closer to home
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/andrew-bolt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uu3GE8PLzM
corvus boreus
Good call, CB
“Enjoy your brief moment of perceived power.”
This is my last warning Harquebus. Unless your comments are contributing to the topic at hand they will be removed.
@Kaye Lee
I know this will be removed but, what the hell.
Ooooooh. I’m scaaared.
Keep head in sand, will get shafted.
Cheers.
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Appears "Harquebus" energy has waned.
Newman has now decreed that for the final week of electioneering he will only answer media question on his strong plan for a strong Queensland in his capacity as the leader of a strong team.
After scattering red herrings about Labor like confetti this appalling man will now not make himself accountable to The Queensland electorate and will not provide any evidence for his malicious allegations about Labor’s electoral funding.
The media should immediately switch their questioning to his deputy and have him confirm categorically that the Newman pork barrelling in his electorate of Ashgrove will be honoured by the LNP in the increasingly likely event that Newman is rolled.
To all those who vote in the Deep North, just remember who you are with this Saturday:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B8LtZlFCYAIM7nk.jpg
I’ve always thought Campbell Newmans’ gob looked like an atrophied duck bill or the mouth of a catfish.
In the top article photo, it looks as if he is cleaning algae off his wifes’ face.
http://s35.photobucket.com/user/inkyspal/media/Danielscatfish015.jpg.html
In the other photo of Mrs Newman and Tony, it looks like the near culmination of a warped recreation of the spaghetti scene from “Lady and the tramp”.
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@corvus boreus
Frog lips newman …… an electronic graffiti favourite of mine.
Campbell Newman said in 2112, “Ï’m not into plans and studies”.
Now ‘can-do’ flat refuses to talk of anything but his plans. ‘I’m not really into reality at the moment’.
Meanwhile, he has slung unsubstantiated slanders at his opponents and gagged Alan Jones from repeating an accusation of direct deception with a petty lawsuit, yet one of his own top-cops also just called him a bare-faced liar without any plausible response.
Lisa Newman is certainly an enthusiastic kisser but perhaps she needs to work on her timing …. like NOT doing it for the cameras? Politicians are getting worse than footballers – hell even the cricketers are having cuddles rather than huddles. What’s the country coming to?
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2012/03/24/1226309/132517-campbell-newman.jpg
http://resources1.news.com.au/images/2012/03/07/1226291/735069-newmans-in-love.jpg
Go Queenslanders! Make your votes count and get rid of Newman and his LNP government which poses drastic harm to the needs of the people of Qld and the environment.
If Fruitless Newman is allowed to destroy the Great Barrier Reef, ALL of us will be very pissed off with you lot who can make the difference.
Is Lisa Newman a bit simple, or simply out of her death?
For Gold Coast voters, here is a little display of statesmanship and respect by LNP local member and minister of the crown, Ray Stevens, when questioned over irregularities and potentia conflicts of interest surrounding a controversial (ie sketchy) Mermaid beach development. The fun starts at 2:06, and gets ridiculous around the 2;45 mark.
For the full article,
https://independentaustralia.net/australia/australia-display/mermaid-ray-implodes-at-nobbys-beach-over-cableway,7284
A particularly stand-out display of pure troglodyte behavior, even within the abysmal standards set by the Newman menagerie.
I’ll bet that Tony Abbott is the first P.M. that can lick his own eyeballs. At least he’s not as bad as Menzies who, kissed the arse any aristocrat that would let him.
Some might like this.
http://www.infowars.com/creepy-little-girl-narrowly-escapes-kiss-from-vice-president-biden/
Fascinating.
Meanwhile, in Queensland…
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Queensland Police Union …. well known for supporting LNP ……. President Ian Leavers talking about newman :
" If you're going to lie to a police officer, you'll lie to anyone.".
First job for the Qld Alliance of Labor, the Greens and other progressive voices in the Australian Progressives is to initiate a full fledged and enforceable Qld ICAC, so that Ray Stevens, LNP candidate on the Gold Coast, has to answer conflict of interest questions about his part in the Mermaid Beach development.
If found to be irregular due to abuse of office and other corruption measures, the development can be cancelled and he can be gaoled.
I certainly don’t want another three years of this arrogance and lack of “fair go for all” I’ve had more than enough of Abbott and Newman and their anti-people policies pro business and profit for the 1% and stuff the rest, surely enough Queenslanders can see it especially in their electricity bills to know that the LNP aren’t “fair dinkum.”
Jennifer Meyer-Smith, personally I get the idea that Lisa is a nymphomaniac who can’t be separated from her source of supply, perhaps I’m wrong but that’s what it appears to me.
At a 2011 Australia Day awards dinner, when Newman was the Lord Mayor of Brisbane, he savaged the imminent expansion of Queensland’s coal industry.
In a video shot during the dinner, released yesterday to mark the beginning of the Galilee Basin Blockade, Newman strongly condemns plans to mine the Galilee Basin.
These plans, so comprehensively renounced by Newman in 2011, he would later go on to approve as Premier of Queensland.
“Rather than digging huge piles of black stuff out of the ground a few hundred kilometres north of here to keep those lights on, perhaps it’d be better in the long term for our children, our grandchildren and generations to come that we actually set things up differently,” Newman said.
“We have a really strong vision that we want this to be the most sustainable city in Australia and there are many aspects to delivery in terms of that,” Mr Newman said.
Gee I wonder what happened to so change Campbell’s mind?
You really have to laugh. After slashing tens of thousands of jobs and cutting swaths through government departments and spending supposedly due to the terrible financial state Labor left Queensland in, Newman has all of a sudden found billions for a huge road project and for SE Queensland public transport.
The Liberal based on Kennett’s standard operating procedure (SOP) of crying poor and financial disaster at the start of a term, but then suddenly finding unlimited funds at election times must be wearing thin with the public.
The turd has been well and truly kicked. Well done Queenslanders.