Friday 14 March 2008

Bully Boy Byrne


He did it then. He does it now. And he'll do it again, if you vote him back.

Much has been said about the way our Mayor communicates with people and organisations. He writes angry emails and often shouts at them, waving his fists at them.

I saw him on WIN's A Current Affair last week waving his pointed finger in someones face shouting at them. I was shocked the the leader of our city would act in public like this.

He has a habit of trying to get his point across by shouting. I often wonder if it's his army background that makes him so aggressive and confrontational. Kevin Byrne thinks he can get his way with such aggressive and bully-type tactics.

Is this the type of person you want running your city any longer?

At the Mayoral debate at Cairns International three weeks ago, Kevin Byrne came up to me, and started shouting and pointing his dirty finger right in my face. "You're a lier" he shouted, to the shock of onlookers.

He continued his rant and rave. "You told lies about my wife on that website," he said. "I'll never shake your hand until you apologise."

Well, there was an apology given, and I had no desire to shake the hand of a man who has disenfranchised so much of his community.

Byrne was referring to a parody I'd written about supposed Cairns Post headlines I suggested in October last year. I was questioning articles in the Cairns Post purporting to be news...
  • "Where's the story about Amanda Byrne's lesbian affair?
    What about the alleged incident of Cr Alan Blake's trip to Korea on a 'fact finding' mission?
    Where's the tale about Tom Hedley waking up with Anna Bligh sans his trousers?
    Why Dr Paul Matthews phoned in sick because he caught house flu?
    Where's the news about the 8 meter Esplanade extensions to Villa Romana...
    oh, that one was probably true.

It was obvious to any reader able to read English that the only "headline" that was true, was the last one...and we all know about Villa Romana!

Byrne quickly engaged Council lawyers Williams Graham Carmen, that donated to his election campaign.

We issued an appology. Four weeks later Byrne instructed Council's lawyers to write a second time to seek "$500 in costs". I wrote back, through Rob Miller, and said that no fee was agreed nor would one be paid. We heard nothing back.

One commentator has suggested Kevin Byrne has taken out up to 50 legal actions against his residents he wants to suppress.

It's a tactic that backfires. You'd be hard-pressed to find a politician with a thin skin like Kevin Byrne.

Kevin Byrne doesn't front community residents' meetings. He doesn't believe in engaging the community to debate and express their views. And his main advertising platform for this election is that minority groups will not be welcome (again) under his leadership.

You have to ask who's the real bully in this town?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

KB in photo giving Vers. 1 of his famous two fingered salutes.

Vers. 1.Numerology- two fingers down = kneel to King Boob.

Vers.2.Astrology - two fingers up = Kneel to King Boob with these up Ur anus