Tuesday 2 March 2010

Kerie Hull, alive and wildly twittering

Former Cairns regional Council's corporate communication manager has resurfaced publicly, for the first time in nearly a year.

Under the name of "Gumnut00", Kerie Hull is twittering in a campaign against the State and Federal government. A gum nut is the hard woody fruit from the Eucalyptus tree.

Hull was sacked from the Council last September, just one year into her five-year contract, for calling Mayor Val Schier a liar over the a hidden deal between Council and John Mackenzie's 4CA radio talk back programme. The drama first came to light when I released some private emails, showing that Councillor Blake and Kerie Hull were involved and had knowledge of the secret arrangement in April last year.

The saga sparked the end of Noel Briggs as CEO of Cairns Regional Council, Kerie Hull's termination and the Councillor Alan Blake losing confidence from his peers as chair of the finance committee. It also saw a review of media access to Council after both Hull and Briggs refused to allow independents and Blogs to received media invitations, however Councillors over-ruled the direction.

The six-month drama was paraded before the hungry local audience, showed disloyalty and displayed divisions in Council between senior staff and elected Councillors. I revealed that throughout at least some of Hull's employment at Council, she was undertaking her own private consultancy that appeared not to be declared. I said in jest last May, that Kerie had one hull of a month, as it was the precursor to nearly a year-long orchestrated campaign, that the Cairns Post took an active role in.

To see two stories in the Post recently supporting the performing arts centre that Mayor Schier has campaigned for, is in stark contrast to the line trumpeted when mega-journalist of the year winner Thomas Chamberlain was the Council reporter.

In her latest foray into the public communications, Kerie Hull, as a media adviser to Noel Pearson at Cape York Partnerships, is making what appears to be personal statements on issues that Pearson might have some questions about.

"Wild Rivers legislation goes soft on miners. Why does TWS and the QRC have a special arrangement with the government?" Hull writes in reference to the Wilderness Society and Queensland Resources Council, vocal advocates for the State Labor government's Wild Rivers legislation.

"Why Jim Turnour are you silent on Wild Rivers- an immoral breach of Native title?" Hull says in another communication.

Even the Prime Minister comes in for question from Kerie Hull.

"Help Cape York dream- stop immoral stripping of native title- stop wild rivers!"

Kerie first tried to get the Twitter name KerieHull, however the region's most infamous communications guru missed out. Even The Cairns Post had to opt for "cairnsnews" as the TheCairnsPost was taken. The Cairns Post, who joined the Twitter wave in April last year, has 342 'followers' however they are not following anyone else - a key way that social media weaves it's web and grows. CairnsBlog has 929 Twitter followers, and follows 1,970 others.

If Gumnut Kerie, or even Post editor Andrew Webster, would like their original Twitter names, I can probably do a deal ;-)

18 comments:

girlfriend said...

Give the girl a go, good judgment never was her strength - after all, look at her bed mate. With an election looming in the distance, Mrs Blake has to find a real job to support both of them so leave her alone.

Kerrie Hulls ex Window Cleaner said...

While he is still a Councillor, disgraced as he may be, stripped of Council duties as he is, he is still out there trying to make a fast quid. Am concerned though whether the making of such money is legitimate. Using Council paid for, mobile phone is typical of sleazebag Blake. Am wondering whether the CEO of Cairns Regional Council, ex CEO of Wooloongong City Council, a corrupt laden Council, condones such action.
It is time that the Cairns CEO refers Councillor Blake's action to CMC for investigation.

the plumbers friend said...

Mate called and said the teflon snake is up to it again with a new venture involving some local has-been from advertising. Couldn't tell me what it was but as usual, you can bet it's done on council time. Yes, you heard it right, we are still paying for this sleaze to conduct his private business and he's laughing out loud at us all. All we can do is keep the pressure on Val to move all this stuff to the CMC and get this embarrassment out of Cairns so we can restore some honesty to this council without him.

Hot Rod said...

Hey, I'm no has been

Rail Rager said...

CEO = Corrupt Extortion Operative. This would be an apt description of many corporate CEO's both here and abroad I feel. Anyone have any other definitions?

nobody said...

CLEARLY EXCEPTIONALLY ORDINARY - that's our CEO, when it comes to tough decisions like Blake, much talk, no action!

numbnut00 said...

what can this woman possibly know about the environment? The great outdoors is breakfast the morning after on Blake's balcony dressed in Gucci hiking boots. She's just a loud mouth for hire and she will follow the money every time, not her conscience. Why anyone would hire her beats me.
I left Cairns three months ago and she's still news up there. Get over her you people!

P. Rickett said...

Looks like Noel chooses his advisers from the right side of his political fence.

Smithfield Sam said...

numbnut - you're absolutely correct. Hull is a paid loudmouth. "Public Relations" is a career for people who have no inherent morals.

oh, how the mighty have fallen said...

THE GREAT DISCONNECT: from arrogant, 'connected' media chick to now resorting to Twitter as her only way to get attention for her clients -that Blue Sky is a long, long way off methinks.

Business Definition for: Blue-sky Ideas
extremely ambitious, unrealistic proposals, apparently unconfined by conventional thinking
blue-sky adj. [only before noun] involving ideas which are not yet possible or practical: The government has been doing some blue-sky thinking on how to improve public transport. The laboratory tries to maintain a balance between applied research and blue-sky research. A team of designers have been briefed to come up with blue-sky ideas to overhaul the company’s image.

Oliver H said...

I'm amazed at these comments and why they simply don't leave Ms Hull alone

Warren Har on Grafton St said...

Thyne who wants the big public purse jobs is answerable to the public. Me thinks

Bob Meadows said...

MEMO to Cr Blake
Politicians, advertising and PR people have at least two things in common, they spend their time using deception and misdirection to mold your opinions, and secondly, each group lives in fear of eventually being found out to be nothing more than unconscionable liars most of the time.
Life comes with consequences and if you set out to deceive the vulnerable, to lie and cheat on those who trusted you, your reputation and your standing within the community will inevitably suffer, as people come to realise who you truly are and what you really stand for. It is the contemptible who treat others with contempt and to blame others for the words they write about you here, to play the self righteous victim is to ignore your fundamental role in creating this climate of scorn and ridicule that seems to gather around the mention of your name.
And sadly, as you don't seem to be able to rise above who you have become, this will only compound, and all the threats and bluster will do is further characterise you as the schoolyard bully, and somebody who brings out the very worse in good people.
That you have a business partner in advertising and girlfriend in PR is so Zen, and so, well, Alan Blake!
MEMO to Ms Hull

You shall be judged by the company you keep and unfortunately, if you lie down with dogs, you will inevitably rise with fleas

Lady Macbeth said...

Bob Meadows, you write so eloquently and thread the eye of the needle so well.

Unfortunately, all that you articulate is beyond Cr Blake's comprehension. Cunning he might be, intelligent he is not. Brazen he is, sensitive he is not.

His ego knows no bounds.

His ambition, vaulting.

The web that he spins to entrap his prey, ultimately will do his undoing.

The community, in which he strolls, is yearning for riddance. Sadly though, the guardians to whom we entrust that guidance are reticent to act, for they too are complicit by their non action.

the english teacher said...

WOO WOO
GREAT WRITING WELL SAID

Bob Meadows said...

Ah, m'lady, you awaken the memory of Richard Wright:

I would hurl words into this darkness and wait for an echo, and if an echo sounded, no matter how faintly, I would send other words to tell, to march, to fight, to create a sense of hunger for life that gnaws in us all. American Hunger

For some of us, without the power of office, or the shield of money or influence, we are left with only words to defend ourselves, to hurl, hoping that we might hear a faint echo of humility or remorse, or anything at all to tell us the beast has a soul. But alas, nothing.

nocturnal congress said...

While the local media machine is only focussed on pillorying the Mayor at every opportunity, the general public aren't watching the Councillors or holding them accountable. The "hate Val campaign" is giving the current crop of Councillors an easy, effortless ride free from public scrutiny. Blake will probably shit it in next election.

Lady Macbeth said...

Thank you Bob Meadows for highlighting the work of Richard Wright to my loyal subjects.

I have been otherwise occupied with a vigilant eye focused on one of my attendants as reports coming back to me are disturbing to say the least.

I read and have first hand reports of his less that honourable demeanour, in his pursuit of his wilting masculinity.

Furthermore, I have been briefed by my Councillors of his less than noble intent; his penchant for a fair haired lass has extended to my household and embroiled it into disrepute.

He destroyed her career, with an ill considered plot of Machiavellian mischievous intent.

With scant disregard for her dignity and in pursuit of his ego, he trampled on her corpse.

When exposed, with unrepentant remorse, he continued with his well honed unsavoury conduct.

The gallows await him. Though with abstract irony do the gallows want to be tainted?