Thursday 5 August 2010

Who got the bigger bitch-slapping: Entsch or Turnour

With the banner headline in today's Cairns Post, you'd think that Warren "Wazza" Entsch and Tony Abbott aren't talking, or even listening to each other.

On his whistle-stop tour on Monday, Abbott said he wouldn't make "unrealistic promises" regarding the proposed Cairns performing arts centre, in the face of Entsch's extensive plan the went way beyond the grand ideas envisioned for Trinity Wharf.

"The nation's fiscal situation made debt reduction a priority," Tony Abbott told the media scrum in Cairns. The following day his opposition treasury spokesman Joe Hockey offered nearly $48 million for a Townsville convention centre plan.

Whilst Gillard was in Cairns yesterday, she was dishing out promises lef, right and centre, including $3.5 million dollars to upgrade lights, seating and clubhouse at Jones Park, then there was the offer to give families with young children the option of bringing forward $500 of the baby bonus for unexpected expenses, costing $54 million over four years. Then by midday she was up the Skyrail to say there was $9m to build a Daintree Rainforest observatory at Cape Tribulation.

However, this morning on ABC 24 News, with local Labor candidate and former Townsville Mayor Tony Mooney, Julia Gillard announced a string of massive promises, including a new $160 million ring road; the redevelopment of Townsville Base Hospital, with a new cancer and rehab clinic, and topped off with the building of a research centre of excellence at Townsville's James Cook University. This was on top of $200 million to upgrade Townsville's flood-prone northern beaches roads.

Entsch says he's a strong vocal representative and will fight, "unlike the current member."

"My party will back the proposal," Warren Entsch.

"I’m telling you, I’m going to get it and I might be able to do even better," Mr Entsch told the Cairns Post, in reference to Labor's $40 million offer on the table for the cultural centre. "I'm confident in my ability but the difference is I can make it happen on my own ideas rather than someone else's," Entsch says.

So who got bitch-slapped more, Jim or Warren?

19 comments:

Anthony Greens alter ego said...

Analysis: The Liberals think they have Leichardt wrapped up anyway and are probably right if the State polling is any guide!

Consequently does Julia know she wont have to deliver on those Leichhardt promises?

CRAG said...

Lets Awaken-
Promises, promises its just smoke & mirrors;they treat us with contempt as we never hold these contemptibles accountable .

Lets See that they've turned the world upside down;
Goverment destroy Freedom-
Media destroys Free speech-
Teachers destroy knowledge-
Doctors destroy Health-
Lawyers destroy Truth-
Banksters destroy economically-

Enough is Enough !!
no more lies & deception.

:John:Babet Community Reformation Action Group (CRAG)
www.crag1.webs.com

A Real Liberal said...

I'm betting that Leichhardt won't send Warren Entsch back to Canberra. He did sweet FA in 11 years. He was just another bullshitting populist riding on Howard's coattails.
Imagine him sitting there with Bronwyn Bishop and Phillip Ruddock, behind the boofheads Abbott and Hockey - it would be funny if it wasn't so serious. It's hard to understand why the Libs passed over Jen Sackley

Andrew Williams said...

Maybe I should move to Townsville lol!

Katrina Breen said...

how does the Cairns Post get away with being so overtly left... its all well and good Julia dishing out money left right and centre... but that is OUR money... Rudd/Gillard have already squandered the surplus that the libs left them and plummeted us in to debt... makes me sooooooooo angry...

Heathen Hellcat said...

What would have happened if there was no stimulous package?...the country would be up shit creek...the money was needed and saved a lot of people from losing their jobs and ultimately their homes...I am so very thankful that they made that desision and gave my kids the security they deserve. Not everyone especially small tourism operators have it so good and many are still struggling and would have probably closed down completely if that money hadn't washed through our economy.

A Real Labor Voter said...

Jim Turnour is an excellent Noddy, and I bet the kiddies just love his photos.

As a political representative, sadly, he's a complete dud. Ignorant, ineffective, compliant to the factional bosses, and stupid enough to obey Jan McLucas.

But word has come down from Mark Arbib that we are to vote for him regardless - so that's what I'm going to say I'll do.

(Where's my knife? Where's Jim's back)?

Debbie Mackenzie said...

Have you not noticed that Australia's debt is the lowest in the Western world??? I think Labor steered us through the GFC remarkably well Katrina.....

Thaddeus said...

So much for "fiscal responsibility"...a few crumbs to Leichhardt, notably the $100,000 to multi-millionaire Freebody, and a huge slice of cake for Townsville.

Debbie Mackenzie said...

Ah ha - a quick look at your profile & the Entsch plug gives me the explanation for your comment.......

KitchenSlut said...

"Have you not noticed that Australia's debt is the lowest in the Western world???"

Lower NET reported financial liabilities than Australia in the developed world OECD: Finland, Korea, Luxembourg, New Zealand,Norway,Sweden.

Source: OECD Economic Outlook 87, May 2010, table 33.

Tim Lyndon said...

Who cares about bitch slapping or politics! who's up for a turkey slap?

Tim Lyndon said...

Andrew! he said Bitch slap not Turkey slap. Don't do it...

Tom Asquith said...

It's the $100,000 to Freebody that has lost me!

Thaddeus said...

What a loss to the Cairns community. No wonder members of the Townsville Chamber of Commerce all rose cheering (reported in Townsville Daily Bulletin, yesterday) when Hockey announced Townsville would get the money for their cultural precinct.

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

I just love all this subterfuge!
If you people had ANY idea of the secret Julia & Tony are sitting on, or should I say Mark Arbib and the Liberal counterpart, you would possibly refuse to vote.
However, these back-room boys of the major parties, seem to have this power to tell their party faithful what to do and when to do it. That's not a politics, that's just plain old dictatorship. That's NOT a Party, that's just Blind Faith bumping around in the dark.
It will matter NOT, who wins this election, it is NOT an election, it's an "adjustment", as both sides of the parliament will have to deliver this "secret" at the appointed time on 4th April 2012.

It will be on Twitter, Facebook, etc, etc, and any other forms of non-print media. It is already being shown on YouTube.
The people who witnessed the seminar in Yungaburra of David Wynn Miller, are also privvy to this information, which will blow the legal "profession" out of the water, and give the major banks such a swift kick in the you-know-whats....a feat which should have happened 100 years ago!
So, even though I would have preferred to run as a candidate to deliver this message in Leichardt myself, unfortunately, the not-so-neutral, and corruptive practices of the AEC, have taken my money, then knocked back my application on a personal whim, which I also do believe is against the Law.
We are now challenging the AEC in the courts, to have this recurring problem with these applications fixed properly.

who to vote for... said...

Why don't you tell us the secret! Are you, or are not up for transparent govt. So give us a demo. That way, we'll all know whether or not to vote for you next time...

:Kevin:John:Dickhead:: said...

I note Kevin----John or whatever the hell his name problem is can't even name who the "Liberal counterpart" to Mark Arbib might be.

Then he blathers on about "secrets" known only to him and people in Yungaburra. I guess perhaps the Trilateral Commission as well, along with Area 51.

I suspect the AEC invoked the "obviously nuts" exception in removing this person from the ballot.

jwt said...

I want to know why russell was asked to replace jim turnour if the labor thought jt he had a chance of holding leichardt?