Wednesday 5 March 2008

Premature jubilation

Like a Thai prostitute, I'm flat out and working all night long.

But, evil rests for no one.

You know, I should have been a detective. I simply love intrigue and mystery. I also question and wonder. These are attributes any writer should posses: the yearning to ask why.

This story has none of that. It's a no-brainer. It does, however, have a whiff of a dirty election trick though.

You see, I was wandering along the Esplanade lagoon on Monday afternoon, and stumbled over a piece of paper fluttering on the pavement. I did a 'Kathy Plath' - squatted down to pick up the rubbish - an automatic reaction after my Clean Up Australia day efforts on Sunday.

Low and behold, it wasn't a piece of rubbish, but an invitation! I felt like Charlie and the Chocolate factory, discovering the last golden wrapper. I'd stumbled across an invitation to a special birthday. This was no ordinary birthday. This was the birthday of our lagoon. OUR Lagoon. And it was about to turn 5 years old. What an achievement!


I should have dashed home and knitted a pair of booties for the baby, but the detective in me, made me think. I mean, there's an election in just over a week, and the Council are about to throw a big birthday bash for this fantastic Esplanade that they were involved in.

Then the penny dropped. The dirty little cheeky buggas.

I have a great memory, and with my secret weapon called Google, I put this smelly jigsaw together.

You see, this Council were holding a huge publicity-driven public birthday for the peasants to thank the Council for putting this Esplanade together - 5 years ago - to the day - this Saturday. But wait, it's not 5 years ago is it. Oh, No.

The Esplanade was completed and officially opened on 29th March 2003. The 5th birthday is therefore two weeks after this election, not before.

Here's the rather obvious evidence, that I snapped in front of the Lagoon pool.....

Why is this important? Well, this tired Council appears to be trying to slot this big pr event in and grab some nice photo ops on their "achievements", right before the election. I wonder if the Cairns Post will buy into this scam.

I really don't have much more to add. Sure you may say there's a simple explanation for this... it was double booked on that date. I doubt that. And I'm allowed to be a cynic on this occasion. This clearly smells of a political ploy by a desperate Council trying any last minute trick to fool you.

This party is not only premature, it's cheap and repugnant political stunt.

NB: The follow up, two days later!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Mike - great expose - bloodly clever stuff that you get this stuff out - cos the ComPost won't.

But I couldn't help but laugh out loud at the photo of the official plaque.. have a close look, there's a leaf on Sno Bonneau's name.. so it reads "no Bonneau"

HAHAHAHAHAH

Are you sure you didn't set this up???

Classic.

Anonymous said...

I am waiting for one of these lovely,coloureed glossy flyers to hit my letterbox. You know as a ratepayer and long time resident of Cairns, it would be nice to think that residents are going to be personally invited to this birthday bash...still waiting.....still waiting.....

Anonymous said...

Had to have a good chuckle in the car this morning listening to John MCKenzie. He announced that the Council had announced that the birthday bash would now be held on 29th March.

No mention that this was the original opening day/birthday, and said that the weather was the reason.

We think not!

Well done Michael! I think you played a major part in renoucing this pre-election bit of pork barrelling by the Mayor and his Unity team.

Anonymous said...

The birthday bash on the 29th will coincide with the 100th Birthday of the Aquatic Club. How humiliating for KB. He was one of the people who voted to destroy this Heritage place full of Cairns History. He was also noted as trying to highjack the name of the Aquatic for his own ends. He will be remembered though. His name is noted in infamy in the Historical Book, "At the Aquatic". He cant hide.