Thursday 10 January 2008

When an erection isn't fun

Evidently, some people like the Mayor's new erection.

However, following the illegal billboard story that CairnsBlog broke yesterday, we had this response from the Cairns City Council following our request for it's removal:
  • Please be advised the advertisement noted in the below email is not in breach of Local Law 28 (Control of Advertising).

    The subject advertisement is defined as a "public information advertisement"
    and therefore is a Permitted Advertisement in accordance with Local Law Policy No.6 Schedule 5 - Residential/Rural Environment.

    Therefore the advertisement will continue to be exhibited.

    Yours faithfully,
    Julie Wright
    Co-ordinator
    Local Laws Compliance Unit
    j.wright@cairns.qld.gov.au
    Ph 4044 3564
    Mob: 0407 161 821

Not satisfied with such a mis-guided reply, I wrote to her boss, Laurie Phipps, manager Local Laws at Cairns City Council:-

  • Dear Mr Phipps,

    I wish to formally lodge a complaint and request removal of same, of the political billboard that has been constructed on the Captain Cook Highway, Smithfield.

    I have been told by Julie Wright that the said sign is a "Public Information advertisement".

    It is not.

    It is a "Political" advertisement, and is covered under the section of the By Law cover political advertisements and signage.

    A political logo of a political party is displayed.

    It states "Authorised by Terry James, 5 Claridge Street, Mt Sheridan, for the Unity Team"

    It is therefore clearly in breach of
    local By Law 28.

    I would appreciate acknowledgement of my correspondence and also when this signage will be removed.

    Faithfully,
    Michael P Moore

While the Electoral Commission Queensland does not regulate where election advertising can be displayed, all such advertising that is published after the election date has been called must, according to the Act, must be authorised (with authorised name, address etc) if they are printed, published, distributed or broadcast during the election period.

Therefore the text on the billboard from the Deputy Mayor stating "Authorised by Terry James, 5 Claridge Street, Mt Sheridan, for the Unity Team" indicates that this is intended to be, by any ordinary reading and interpretation, a political advertisement, and not, as Council would have as believe, a "public information advertisement."

It is deceitful in the extreme for a Council, and to mislead a Council official, to suggest that this billboard is something other than a political advertisement, and therefore governed by the By Laws that the Council lays out to regulate same.

Election advertising authorisation must be in the form of the name and physical address (not a PO Box) of the person who authorised it in accordance.

Even blind Freddy would see that this sign is not kosher.

No acknowledgement nor response had been received from Laurie Phipps at close of business yesterday. We'll keep you informed.

The Mayor's former personal assistant, and now Unity Team Campaign Manager Dennis Quick, believed to be writing under the pen name 'Factman' on CairnsBlog, says "Why pick on Kev and his quality and meaninful sign? Keep smilin' Kev, you're a winner."

Quick went onto say "Isn't the smiling face of our esteemed leader more attractive than Dorothy Dix weight loss programs, or Virgin's next airfare deal ? I would think so."

It will be surprising if long-time mate of the Mayor's, Dennis Quick stays committed to supporting Byrne for the next two months of the election campaign.

When Quick decided to abruptly terminate his tenure before New Year as the Mayor's personal assistant, an altercation was heard from the Mayor's 3rd floor offices. Council staffers conveyed that they heard loud shouting. It seemed Quick was sick of a number of issues relating to the way in which the Mayor was running things.

However, old Army mates don't go shooting when they die, they stick together through battle.

It's believed that Byrne demanded Quick see good on his promise to be the Unity Team campaign manager, even though he has already left his Council job and returned to Fishery Falls. He will undertake this task. A source close to Byrne says he will be remunerated in pasta vouchers from Villa Romana. The source could not be verified. However, the pasta sauce could.

In the time-honoured tradition of defacing political billboards, one CairnsBlog follower, said he couldn't see anything wrong with the sign. "It's seems pretty accurate to me."

He then attached a photo of the billboard slightly reworded to be a more honest reflection of the Mayor's achievements.

Instead on the strapline "Creating Australia's most LIVEABLE city" it says "Destroying Australia's most LIVEABLE city."

The contributor, who didn't want to be named, like Blog commenter 'Factman', said "We're sick of the way this Mayor is carrying on with our town and the continual destruction he blindly yet complicity approves of."

CairnsBlog welcomes other headlines that we will happily publish for the Mayor's consideration.

Yesterday the Mayor was heard boasting around Council's Spence Street offices: "You seen my bloody new signs?!" he was heard saying to a number of people.

We sure have Kevin. And you look so smug. Like a thug on a rug.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Destroying" Australia's most LIVEABLE City." Ohhh, how apt!
And how I laughed!! ROFL ROFL.

Anonymous said...

Why am I not surprised. This is the sort of nonsense that is endemic in Council and why those of us in the Northern Beaches have been labeled whingers and troublemakers for trying to bring this sort of rubbish to Public attention.

Anonymous said...

Michael ... be very careful about what you say.
Dennis Quick is not factman.
He has better things to do than even read this blog.
He's not a winger, he's a doer.
You're a winger.
In fact every Kiwi I've met is a winger.
What's wrong with an underarm bowl?
Perfectly legal at the time.
Far to clever for you Kiwis to understand.
I must go across the "ditch" (hate that term), and start winging about your inferior lamb, apples, Pavlovas and the way Maoris make up the vast majority of prisoners.
That should go down well.
I hope I'm made to feel as welcome as you are welcome here.
Somehow, I don't think so.
Hint for 2008 Mr Moore ... get positive.

Anonymous said...

Not to be out done by the Northern end of town... we on the South side have an election erection too. On the roof of the new servo on Ray Jones Drive.

You can line up the mayors billboard in the foreground and the huge multi unit complex at Woree in the background and take a picture of the new Cairns that says it all. What a sight!!

Anonymous said...

Factman can't spell or stong, I mean string, a few words together if he tried!

I think he means whinger, not winger.

What an uneducated winker, I mean wanker.

Anonymous said...

So now we know that Factman is not Dennis Quick? We also know that he can't spell which substantially increases the odds that he is a 'professional' ex Post journo?!?

We also now know the reason why the Kiwi's can't overcome perpetual favoritism to win a rugby world cup as they are team of wingers and clearly need more hookers like KB and his mates!?!