Thursday 6 May 2010

Warren Entsch launches election website

Three weeks after the launch of Vote 1 Jim, the main contender vying for Jim Turnour's role as Federal MP for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch has set up his own campaign website.
An election will be called in the next six or seven months, with some suggesting it could be as early as August, candidates are now starting to line up.
Entsch's website pulls no punches, calling unemployment 'the bogey of Cairns.'
"What has been done about this scourge for the past couple of years? Very little," Warren Entsch writes. "There has been a so-called 'Forum' and a walk around at the Cairns Show Grounds by Kevin Rudd, but nothing of substance. We've been fighting on this issue now since last year, when I was first pre-selected. Sadly little has made the media."
"Whilst the local member has been 'absent without leave' there have been several closures of important structures here in Cairns, as well as the loss of significant contracts. In the first instance, he failed to stand up for the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre and the Marine Tropical Science Facility. These were lost to Townsville."
He is scathing of the lack of response from the 'do nothing' local members of parliament.
“Here you have a bunch of incompetents, whose only loyalty is to the factional wing of their party, and who scuttle for cover each and every time there is a difficult issue to face,” Entsch says. “They refuse to rock the boat in terms of gaining outcomes for the far North, instead preferring to engage in a seemingly endless array of ‘meetings’ ‘conferences’ and ‘summits’ to 'identify needs and directions', to 'explore opportunities' to 'promote discussion', and to 'focus on the things that unite us'.
“This gutless bunch of Labor lackeys need to be brought to account and the only way to do that is to expose their lack of effort to the people of Far North Queensland,” he says.
He's also critical of the planned Southern Access Corridor, and calls 'Labor's unilateral decision a travesty'.
"Is this what you want Cairns to look like in the future? If you follow Labor's uncosted and unfunded 'plans', it's the very thing you will end up with," Entsch says. "None of the three proposed options provided by the Department of Main Roads for the Bruce Highway upgrade are the answer to congestion and growth on the southern approach to Cairns. Therefore, it's great to see that the Queensland Opposition and the Federal Opposition are calling for a new feasibility study into a second corridor into Cairns."
He says that a local action group opposed to the upgrade, consists of a broad coalition of affected residents and business operators. "There has been a lack of prior consultation and the short time frame for feedback," Entsch says. "They're opposed to the expansion of the existing corridor between Edmonton and the city, [and] supports a four lane dual carriageway from Gordonvale to Edmonton, opposes the resumptions of homes and businesses as unnecessary and unacceptable and supports an efficient and effective public transport system, including the existing rail corridor."
Entsch is also angry with the removal of funding from the Cairns Youth Mentoring programme.
"This programme was established from memory about 1998 along with an organisation now known as Cairns Volunteering FNQ as outcomes from a forum I organised in my office as Federal Member with local community groups, in order to identify gaps in areas of need in social infrastructure for our region," Warren Entsch says. "The need for such a scheme was not as he [Jim Turnour] puts it, for 12-21 year olds with 'perceived' needs. It was real needs of young people that inspired the establishment of CYMS, of whom a majority of people entering the scheme were living in single parent families, mostly with their mums, and there was a real need for a positive influence outside the immediate family."
"With the millions, sorry, billions of dollars squandered by Mr Turnour and the 'Kevin 07' Labor disaster on pink batts, school halls and inappropriate and grossly overpriced public housing, surely they can find a piddling 100K per year to continue to fund a grassroots community programme that actually makes a real difference for our kids at risk?," Warren Entsch says.
However Turnour has recently pledged support for the programme, and is trying to seek funding after meeting late last week with the management committee.
"If, after the next election, I again have the privilege of serving as the Federal member for Leichhardt, I will, as I have in the past, secure funding from the Federal Government to secure the long term future of our Cairns Youth Mentoring Scheme," Warren Entsch says.
Entsch is also all over Facebook. His old Facebook page had 211, however he's since set up a new "LNP candidate for Leichhardt" Facebook page. Only 105 have joined the new profile. He's going to need a few more friends than that if he wants to turn the 4% margin around at the polls.
Jim Turnour went into the 2007 campaign with Liberal Warren Entsch stepping aside, who held a 10.2% margin. Charlie McKilliop ran against Turnour, but a consistent nationwide revolt against the Libs, delivered a 14.29% swing to Turnour, who now holds the seat by just 4.03%. The LNP will contest the election the first time as a combined party of Liberals and National.

4 comments:

Wazza's little Entsch said...

"It’s like lancing a boil." Yep a great analogy about the National Party (I mean that's what the LNP really is). Full of pus and and a bugger all political alternatives

maxi taxi said...

Good solid stuff from Entsch.
I'd like to see a photo of him in leathers too. Something strong and masculine, maybe using a clenched fist and chains.
Throw the Harley in the shot with a biker moll and maybe a speed lab as a backdrop.
Or the pirate look, that could work well. Standing on the bridge with flowing beard and cutless in hand. He could also be saving dugongs and firing cannons at refugee boats as part of the overall scenario.
The parrot on the shoulder is good look too (he loves birds but mainly stuffed into confined spaces) Actually, "the wrestler" theme probably suits him best. Lycra tights, boots and face mask complimenting his powefully built physique. Slamming Turnour's head into the turnbuckle while being urged on by the frenzied crowd. Dripping with sweat he clenches the microphone and says "I'm Warren Entsch, Standing up for Leichardt!"

Jacko said...

He is a big man with a big heart.
Cuddly and caring but also tough enough to make the hard decisions.

Like making sure that boatloads of terrorist asylum seeking children drown and starve at sea where they belong.

This is a man for all seasons. A man that knows that you can't catch homosexuality off a toilet seat but a bit of rough stuff keeps the ladies keen.

A man who walks tall and proud.
A man on the land with a beer in his hand!

Agate said...

Warren talks tough with his new website.
Maybe Warren can enlighten us given his position as chairman of the Cairns company CEC.
Would have CEC survived without Rudds stimulus package?
Did CEC gain any contracts from the package, if so were the quotes padded?