my latest over at goldcoast.com.au … No pot of gold in voting

you can read it here, or you can read it here, complete with comments from the readers. always entertaining, i find.

WHEN are people going to stop thinking that a change in council or state government is going to provide some kind of miracle answer for the Gold Coast’s troubles?

If our ongoing readership survey is any guide, only 26% of goldcoast.com.au readers consider themselves to be on the right-hand side of politics, and yet all I hear here are continual calls for the sacking of both Ron Clarke’s mob and Anna Bligh’s team.

(Please do take a few minutes to take the survey — it would help us a lot. Ta.)

And then, lo, the sun will come out from behind a cloud and there will be more police, more development, less waste, a deeper Broadwater, better public transport, less crime, and an Oceanway everybody will love.

Apparently.

Expecting money and/or resources from a state government for this city in the current political climate, short AND long-term, is a pipe dream.

Why? Because neither side of politics sees the point.

Of the 10 Gold Coast area state seats, six are held by LNP members.

Of the four ALP members, only Margaret Keech’s seat of Albert could be considered ‘safe’. She won the seat polling 49.98% of the vote in 2009, 11% ahead of her nearest rival.

Of the six LNP members, only one — Alex Douglas’ seat of Gaven — could be considered ‘at risk’. Douglas won by just 2% in 2009.

The winning margins of the other five LNP members range from 4.3% (Michael Crandon in Coomera) through to a whopping 32% by John-Paul Langbroek in Surfers Paradise.

The Gold Coast is blue-ribband conservative virtually from top to bottom.

It’s been that way for a long time because this is where developers came to spend their money, and where they will come to spend their money again.

It doesn’t take a planet-sized brain to acknowledge that business people — particularly developers — are always going to lean towards the party that favours the top end of town.

So here’s the Gold Coast’s problem.

The conservative side of politics doesn’t need to spend money on the city in order to win the majority of seats here. They’ve already got at least five seats in the bag, with maybe another 3 or 4 potential wins. They just have to turn up.

The left side of politics won’t spend the money here because they don’t believe it will do them any good at the ballot box.

In other words, they don’t think they can buy enough votes to gain any more seats on the Gold Coast.

It won’t stop them promising, or even spending money on us between now and the election, but it won’t be in the amounts or areas that we need it.

The council elections are another matter.

Never has a council needed replacing more than the one we’ve been stuck with for the last eight years.

But even if it’s a whole new team of bright-eyed bushy-tailed councillors with a new mayor, things won’t change until the bureaucracy is dealt with.

There is something inherently wrong with the way this Council spends money, distributes money, employs people and deals with the public and potential investors and developers.

That doesn’t come from the councillors themselves.

Until someone has the balls — either at the council or state government level — to put a broom through the bureaucracy’s methods and personnel, nothing will change.

So vote away, gentle readers, vote away. Change is going to have to come from the bottom up, because there is no magic bullet from above.

What else is on my mind this week:

• Why are the Australian cricket team wearing sports bras? Yes, I know it’s just the design of the shirt. But why? Is it an absorbent patch? Are cricketers particularly sweaty between the shoulderblades? Will this shirt make them capable of not flailing around outside off-stump like a flag in the breeze? Because nothing else seems to.
• Stephen Smith will be the next leader of the Australian Labor Party. You heard it here, oh, fifth or sixth, I expect.

same-sex marriage rallies … here’s where i’d be if i wasn’t at work right now

hot off the presses from AAP:

BRISBANE, Aug 13 AAP – Hundreds of same-sex marriage advocates, some dressed as Jesus Christ and the Pope, have gathered in Brisbane as part of a national day of protest.

Gay and lesbian rights’ protests were held across the country on Saturday ahead of the ALP National Conference in December.

Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters was among the speakers at the rally in Brisbane’s Queens Park.

She encouraged them to write to their federal MPs and call for the Labor party to allow their members to have a conscience vote on the issue.

“The Greens have got a bill before parliament to remove that definition of marriage as being only between a man and a woman to allow anyone who loves them to marry them,” Ms Waters told AAP.

“The Labor party is well aware of the bill before parliament and we are holding off on bringing it back in until the federal Labor party gives its members a conscience vote at the national conference.”

Ms Waters said state Labor governments, including the Queensland government, have shown support for same-sex marriage.

“The Queensland Labor conference recently supported marriage rights for all but the problem is the marriage act is a federal law,” she said.

“SA, ACT and WA state Labor also supported gay marriage rights at their conferences but the NSW Labor party did not.”

Go spend a buck … save a journalist.

Penny Wong’s partner is pregnant … good news all round

hot off the presses this morning:

CANBERRA, Aug 9 AAP – Federal Finance Minister Penny Wong and her gay partner are having a baby.

The senator released a statement on Tuesday revealing her long-term partner Sophie Allouache was expected to give birth in December after falling pregnant through IVF.

“Like any expecting parents, the prospect of welcoming this child into our lives fills us both with joy,” Senator Wong said.

“We are extremely grateful to our IVF service and staff, and to our donor, for giving us the opportunity to raise a child together.”

The couple know the biological father who will be known to the child.

But his name will not be released to the media, Senator Wong said.

“We have chosen to make this statement about Sophie’s pregnancy as we understand there may be public interest due to my position.

“I do not propose to make any further statements following today,” she said.

Treasurer Wayne Swan was the first of Senator Wong’s colleagues to congratulate the couple.

“As any parent knows, starting a family is one of the most exciting times in your life, so this is just great news for Penny and Sophie,” Mr Swan said in a brief statement.

“On behalf of my own family and all my staff, I wish them both all the best on the long but enormously rewarding road of parenthood.”

Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop passed on the congratulations of the coalition.

“The birth of a child is a cause for great happiness for Penny Wong and her partner,” she told AAP.

“I wish them all the very best in the coming months.”

Thank you, AAP. Now, everyone, go out and spend a buck on your local newspaper … keep a journalist in a job.

ACT Labor supports same-sex marriage

This hot off the wires, courtesy of AAP:

SYDNEY, July 30 AAP – Advocates for same-sex marriage are a step closer to getting the support of the Australian Labor party, following a vote by the ACT branch.

Branch conference delegates were asked to vote on Saturday on a raft of resolutions, including a call on the ALP National Conference to allow all adult Australians to be married, regardless of sexual orientation or gender.

An estimated 90 per cent of delegates supported the resolution, ACT Deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr said in a statement.

Delegates also called on the ALP National Conference to reject the idea that civil unions could act as a substitute for marriage.

The announcements have been welcomed by Australian Marriage Equality National Convenor Alex Greenwich.

“Not only has the ACT Labor party convincingly declared support for full equality, but Mr Barr has also ruled out civil unions which would threaten to entrench discrimination against gay and lesbian couples by creating a second-class scheme,” Mr Greenwich said in a statement.

ACT Labor now joins Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and Victoria in passing motions of support for full marriage equality.

now go buy a newspaper so i don’t feel so guilty about giving you the news for nothing. Save a journalist.

my latest blog over at goldcoast.com.au … Turnbull the only Libs’ choice

you can read it here, or you can read it here.

I’M not up to date on what it is a grateful Australian woman gives to a man who’s doing the right thing by her these days, but whatever it is I hope Julia Gillard has bought a dozen to give to Malcolm Turnbull.

If you’re not aware of the week’s doings, let me fill you in.

On Thursday Mr Turnbull gave the inaugural address to the Virginia Chadwick Foundation, a speech which was passionate and effective in its defence of climate change science and a gentle, if barely disguised swipe at Tony Abbott, the man who knocked him out of the Liberal leadership.

Mr Abbott famously once described climate change science as ‘crap’, and he struggles at times to keep his true feelings buried under his party’s more moderate position.

”If Margaret Thatcher took climate change seriously and believed we should take action to reduce global greenhouse emissions, then taking action and supporting and accepting the science can hardly be the mark of insipient Bolshevism,” said Mr Turnbull this week.

”Normally, in our consideration of scientific issues we rely on expert advice. Agencies like the CSIRO or the Australian Academy of Science are listened to with respect.

”Yet on this issue there appears to be a licence to reject our best scientists, both here and abroad, and rely instead on much less reliable views. Some of those less reliable views are from scientists although most are not.

”Those of us who do not believe the CSIRO is part of an international Green conspiracy to undermine Western civilisation or do not believe that leading scientists like Will Steffen are subversives should not be afraid to speak out, and loudly, on behalf of our scientists and our science. We must not allow ourselves to be deluded on this issue,” he said.

”Australia generates most of its electricity from burning coal much of it very emissions intensive brown coal in Victoria or South Australia.

”That is why our carbon dioxide emissions are among the highest in the world on a per capita basis — a reason why the Chinese (whose emissions are about one-fifth of ours) and the Indians (whose are less than one-tenth of ours) find our regular references to their emissions — and why should we do anything until the Chinese or Indians do something — why they find those references incredibly galling.

”Those of us … who have represented Australia at international conferences on this, know how incredibly embarrassing statements like that are when you actually confront the representatives of those countries.”

Mr Turnbull continues to be opposed to the Gillard Government’s proposed carbon tax, but with every reasoned word he speaks on the subject, he makes Mr Abbott look like an unsophisticated rube and an extremist.

PM Gillard is struggling to sell the carbon tax to the people and in the short term Mr Turnbull’s backhanded clips to the back of Mr Abbott’s (and his sycophantic supporters’) head is akin to a kiss on the cheek for her.

Part of Mr Abbott’s sledgehammer response to the carbon tax is to promise instant repeal the second he becomes PM.

Well, here’s a bold prediction.

Tony Abbott’s never going to be Prime Minister of this country. The Liberals will have Malcolm Turnbull back in charge before the next Federal Election.

And I’ll bet dollars to doughnuts Mr Turnbull’s response to the carbon tax will be a lot more nuanced and supportable than ‘instant repeal’.

Bring on a reasoned debate. Anything’s better than the ‘crap’ we’ve been served up so far.

You can read the full transcript of Malcolm Turnbull’s speech here.

my latest blog over at goldcoast.com.au … None of them get my vote

you can read it here. or you can read it here.

I’VE got to be honest with you, I think running a poll on who Gold Coasters would vote for in a mayoral election that’s still eight months away is a bit like asking people how long is a piece of string.

It equates to what the Republicans are doing in the United States right now.

Sixteen months out from a presidential election and already GOP candidates are trawling around the country boring everyone senseless with a bunch of statements that mean diddly-squat this far out.

And the comparison goes even further than that.

With the exception of Mitt Romney and possibly a bloke called John Huntsman, the Republican field so far is as big a collection of nutjobs and unelectable extremists as you’re likely to see. Michelle Bachmann, for crying out loud.

As former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani said in Brisbane earlier this week when asked if he was going to run for President: ”The reality is that this is a long primary season and I will probably make up my mind at the end of the summer so this wouldn’t be a good time to be speculating about it.”

In other words, now is the time for the loony fringe to have their fun and the serious candidates will commit when the kids have gone to bed.

Now, I’m not suggesting for a moment that Susie Douglas, David Power, Tom Tate, Eddy Sarroff and whoever else was in the Newspoll are nutjobs and unelectable extremists. Not at all.

But the fact is, if that’s the final field come March, I’ll go hee.

And, just quietly, if that IS the final field come March, I for one will be writing Mickey Mouse on my ballot paper and ticking the box.

With all due respect to Power, Tate, Douglas, Sarroff et al, you’ve all had your chance. And muffed it.

Seriously, people, in this city of almost 600,000, are we honestly reduced to this same old bunch of faces running, yet again?

I’ve only heard of one new face sticking his hand up, and that’s regular goldcoast.com.au commenter Glen Crawford and he, by all accounts, is not interested in the mayoralty, just a place on Council.

My only hope is that some time in the next six months, somebody on the Gold Coast — someone with a brain, a sense of balance, and a civic commitment to getting this city fixed — will look at the field and think: ”Bloody hell, even I could do better than that.”

And will then proceed to do so.

We’re in a lot of trouble if all the city can throw up in terms of civic leaders is the same boring, tired, predictable and, frankly, ineffective faces that have been on the scene for the last 8-10 years.

Somewhere out there is someone who hasn’t yet made up their mind.

And if he or she has any sense, they’ll wait just a little longer before revealing themselves.

count your blessings …

found here.

Gay marriage support unstoppable, say Greens

Hot off the wires from AAP:

CANBERRA, June 26 AAP – The West Australian Labor party’s support for same-sex unions shows there is unstoppable support for gay marriage, the Australian Greens say.

The West Australian Labor Party passed a motion supporting same-sex marriage at its state conference on Saturday, following the lead of the Queensland ALP, which passed a similar motion last week.

It also follows the approval of the Marriage Equality Act by the New York Senate on Saturday, legalising gay marriage.

Greens marriage equality spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said the votes show increasing momentum for marriage equality in Australia and overseas.

“These wonderful results in New York state and the WA ALP conference indicate unstoppable support for same sex couples to have the same rights under the law,” Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said on Sunday.

“The decision by WA Labor members yesterday follows their counterparts in Queensland earlier this month, with the NSW ALP due to discuss marriage equality at their state conference in July.”

Prime Minister Julia Gillard is under pressure from her party’s left faction to support gay marriage despite her stated view that marriage should be between a man and a woman.

“The Greens hope the prime minister and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will act now and let their MPs and senators have a conscience vote on our marriage equality bill which is before parliament,” Senator Hanson-Young said.

As ever, there’s more. Go keep a journalist in work and spend a dollar on your local paper to get the rest.

WA Labor Party backs same-sex marriage

Hot off the wires from AAP:

PERTH, June 25 AAP – The West Australian Labor Party has passed a motion supporting same-sex marriage in a move which will put greater pressure on the federal government to back the changes.
However the motion, supported by WA Labor leader Eric Ripper, came under attack from party heavyweights during the state conference in Perth on Saturday.

Labor MP John Hyde said the Labor Party had a history of ending discrimination by giving women the vote, campaigning to end the White Australia Policy and granting equal rights to Aborigines.

“WA is a better place because of these changes, because we moved to make a far more equal society in WA,” Mr Hyde said.

“Now we need to move towards equality in the federal legislation.”

WA Labor powerbroker Joe Bullock spoke against the move, saying marriage was more than just about the legal recognition of a same-sex relationship.

“Ask yourself would society ever afford a special status to marriage if it had nothing to do with reproduction,” said Mr Bullock, head of WA’s shop workers union, SDA.

“Marriage is special because it provides a stable, balanced environment for children raising. Homosexual relationships are naturally and necessarily infertile; it’s not marriage.”

Upper house MP Kate Doust also criticised the move, saying she was concerned the party was tackling a “populist” issue while ignoring the needs of the broader community.

Ms Doust said the issue of same-sex marriage was more of a “CBD issue” rather than one affecting people in regional areas.

“Sometimes I’m worried as a party when we respond to these types of issues we don’t think more broadly about how this plays out in the community and how it affects those people in the suburbs,” she said.

However former MP and planning minister Alannah MacTiernan said such comments were “demeaning” to people in the suburbs and regional areas by suggesting they were incapable of having “sophistication, sympathy and empathy” on the issue.

“It’s not just confined to the inner city, there’s gay people in Armadale, there’s gay people in Pinjarra, there’s gay people in Mandurah,” Ms MacTiernan said.

“They don’t just all live around Highgate (in the heart of Perth).”

Ms MacTiernan said heterosexual couples were the biggest problem for the sanctity of marriage, saying 40 per cent of marriages had ended in divorce.

There’s more. Go buy your local media publication to get the rest.

my latest at goldcoast.com.au … how bad does gold coast city council have to be before it gets sacked?

you can read it here, or you can read it here:

HOW about that Gold Coast City Council, eh?

If there’s one topic guaranteed to fire up our goldcoast.com.au readers, it’s the latest tidbit of ineptitude dribbling out of the Evandale council offices.

If it’s not Tipplers, it’s the Taj Mahal. Or it’s water charges. Or infrastructure charges. Or $500,000 ripped-up footpaths. Or IT overspending. Or dodgy overseas travel. Or rates freezes that never happen. Or CEO wages.

Oh, I could go on and on and on.

But I don’t need to, because chances are, if you’re reading this, then you’re very familiar with the issues and, what’s more, the onslaught of community outrage that gets expressed here via our comments forum.

The bad news is that however much we might want to take to the streets with our pitchforks and lanterns, there’s only one thing we can do to change the Gold Coast City Council and its gibbering ways, and that’s to get out the vote in March of 2012.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? Democracy in action.

The reality is that it probably won’t change very much.

So far, the potential candidates putting up their hands are depressingly familiar.

Tom Tate, David Power, Susie Douglas.

Yawn.

Here’s the thing.

There is another way to change things — REALLY change things. Drastically. And a lot sooner than March 2012.

It’s called the Local Government Act 2009 and it is a woefully underused thing.

Section 123 of the Act is all about ‘dissolving a local government’.

There are three circumstances under which the Minister can order the dissolving of a local government. According to Sec 123.1 those reasons are:

* the Local Government Remuneration and Discipline Tribunal recommends that every councillor be suspended or dismissed; or
* the Minister reasonably believes that a local government has seriously or continuously breached the local government principles; or
* the Minister reasonably believes that a local government is incapable of performing its responsibilities.

Hello?

This city is arguably the most dysfunctional in the country right now.

What part of ‘incapable of performing its responsibilities’ does the Minister (and Deputy Premier) Paul Lucas not understand?

So here’s the course of action that’s needed.

By all means, keep telling us via the comments section how mad you are about it (we love the feedback), but then do one more thing while you’re online.

Email Paul Lucas. His addresses are deputypremier@ministerial.qld.gov.au or paul.lucas@queenslandlabor.org or Lytton@parliament.qld.gov.au.

Let him know precisely why you think the Gold Coast Coast City Council should be replaced with an administrator now.