LNP's McIver is hardly a Messiah, he's just a naughty boy

I think a few local Libs in Cairns wouldn't call LNP president Bruce McIver a messiah, despite how the polls rate the main opposition in Queensland.

At the next state election, the LNP will very likely win but not because they're ready to govern, Labor have proven such incompetence and disregard for the public and even their own members for too long. It's also possible that the Greens and the new Queensland Party will feature in the results.

Emails I've seen between McIver and local members, especially over the affair when 20 members signed a damning letter in May 2010 expressing a series of concerns after the last State election, received a stonewalled response, and one by one, those that continued to question the reply, were ostracised from the party. After all, it's his party, and they can cry if they want to.

The next State election will show that the community at large has worn out of how they've been treated and taxed and put into $80 billion of debt for more than 10 years. Members in local committees have felt ignored and directed from Brisbane, despite a radical and compassionate national Party review by Bob Carr and other Labor luminaries. It was very critical of how the grassroots had been ignored and dictated to and that this was one of the primary reasons why opinion was now against the once union proud party.

The LNP in Queensland have a long way to go. Their media machine is well-oiled and has been extremely proactive for some time, trying to expose the contradictions in Labor's behaviour. It's important to have a strong and vocal opposition, regardless of who you support.

It's clear that Labor are worn out and lost the plot. Like a fart in an elevator, Labor is now wrong on so many levels.

Queensland is now the most highly taxed in the country. Our electricity, rego and Council rates in Cairns, for just three examples, have seen extraordinary rises in the last three years, outpacing CPI by amazing leaps, all the time we've been experiencing the highest unemployment and a prolonged economic depression in our region. Put simply, I wouldn't want to be running for Labor come March next year. It would be safer to be a suicide missionary in Iraq, as even Labor couldn't provide 72 virgins in their after life. They've sold their soul like a whore with their snout in the trough.

We're at a political crossroad in Queensland.

We're financially in dire straights. We're despondent about our economic future. We're tired of politicians at all levels from Council to State and beyond. We want change. We want to be listened to. We want honesty and compassion from our civic leaders. We want real engagement in local affairs, not consultants to design a $240 million entertainment centre. We want transparent in the Council's budget, not bullshit and mirrors and in-words like 'sustainability', 'robust' and 'resilient' to fob us off from a marketing department. We don't want a mayor to defend highly-paid officials from the Main Roads and imports from Willoughby Council who should be here to carry out the wishes of the community that live here. We want to create our own community. Piss off and let us design and create our City Place.

I don't want a Council that dishes up dollops of cash to visiting warships into what should be a peace-loving town. The contractions are repugnant.

Politics is dirty when you have those that want to take you through the courts for questioning and talking about them, and even forcing other Councillors to 'cease and desist' from even mentioning their name until after the next election. Truly amazing. All of a sudden, we seem to be living in State-controlled China.

I hope that the best man or woman wins at the next double State/local election in March. I also hope, nay pray, that we have a government that genuinely engages and listens and responds. Because you know, we don't have that now.