"Desley Boyle is a vindictive lying MP, well suited to the ALP" - Bryan Law

An open letter has been hand-delivered to Cairns State MP Desley Boyle, from election sign enhancer, Bryan law.

Bryan Law was fined by Judge Griffin in December for spray painting 100 of Cairns MP Desley Boyle's elections signs with "Yacht Club".

Law's protest was to hold the Cairns MP to account for her failure to listen to the community and to save and protect the historic Cairns Yacht Club building, that was totally demolished in October 2008, days before the State Parliament sitting in Cairns.

The five-year campaign culminated in late 2008 when Cairns Councillor Diane Forsyth scaled the part-demolished roof, attracting national coverage. She held a sign: "I am representing 11,000 people."

The building was totally destroyed. No archaeological dig on the 100-year old site was allowed, and significant historic and heritage components and exterior signs were either chain-sawed or stolen by the Anton Demolitions for private monetary gain. James Cook University is still seeking the signs.

The Cairns Yacht Club building was destroyed to sell off the land in the face of Queensland's debt - now around $82 billion. This year borrowings will top $58 billion, growing to $85 billion in 2012. The Wharf Street site still stands vacant and unsold, 18 months on.

• 20 April 2010
  
  Desley Boyle
  State Labor MP for Cairns
  Spence Street
  CAIRNS
  
  Dear Desley,
  
  “COMPENSATION” FOR ALTERING YOUR ELECTION SIGNS
  
  Please find enclosed a copy of a notice from SPER to me, notifying me that my driver's licence will be suspended from 24th April 2010, unless I pay a fine of $1,200 and compensation $400 for altering your election signs in March last year.
  
  I am happy to deal with the fine through either community service, or by serving a term of imprisonment, set by Judge Griffin at 14 days, and ask nothing from you in this regard. However, I am unable to convert the compensation order to either community service or a term of imprisonment. Hence the threatened suspension of my driver license.
  Having examined my conscience, I find myself unable to pay any amount of compensation to the Australian Labor Party in this matter (not one penny) for the following reasons:-
  
  1/
  Your behaviour, and that of the ALP, in relation to [saving] the Cairns Yacht Club was disgraceful and unconscionable. You have turned a much loved piece of Cairns heritage into an ugly bit of bare dirt. This action on your part was motivated solely by greed, and an exaggerated estimate of how much you could sell that dirt for. You must now face the failure of your plan, global financial reality, and the consequences of your Party’s continuing social failures.
  
  2/
  You lied to me at our meeting in July 2008, when you proclaimed yourself ready and willing to face the electoral outcomes of your decision to trash the Yacht Club.
  
  3/
  You lied to the electorate in March 2009 when you said you were happy to have your signs altered (to remind people of your actions) during the election campaign. Your election manager, Col McKenzie admitted as much when he gave evidence during my trial that such statements were fabrications made solely to deprive the Yacht Club issue of “oxygen” during an election campaign. As soon as the election was over you and the ALP took action to have me prosecuted and punished for highlighting the issue.
  
  4/
  Neither you, nor the ALP, were actually put to any cost by my alteration of the signs. Because the alterations were designed to add information rather than cause damage, you were able to continue using them. You never replaced a single sign, and faced no additional expense whatsoever. There is nothing material to compensate you for.
  
  I strongly believe that you, the ALP, and others have corrupted and diminished our democracy through your continuing habits of lying, refusing to work with communities affected by your decisions, and passing yourselves off as “managers” rather than representatives.
  
  In consequence, I am unable to give you or the ALP money as a reward for behaving so badly.
  
  I am willing to pay for my actions, both through community service for the fines, and by making a $400 cash donation to the local charity of your choice, if you will agree that this settles the matter. This will satisfy SPER, and I commend it to you as a course of action. In considering this offer, please remember that I drive a taxi for my living. Suspension of my licence will result in both my unemployment, and restriction of my capacity for independent movement.
  
  I do not look forward to the loss of my licence, but find myself unable to give the ALP any money whatsoever as a reward for bad behaviour.
  
  Given that you suffered minor political discomfiture at worst, please consider both the community benefit of a donation to charity, and the excessive, even vindictive, nature of the costs you will impose upon me if you refuse.
  
  Yours sincerely,
  Bryan Law

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