Sunday 22 April 2012

SoapBlog - Ian Thomas: Why I should be Mayor of Cairns

In one week's time, Cairns will decide who will be mayor for the next four years.


Retired property developer Ian Thomas, with the campaign mantra of "less rates, less crime and no Entertainment Precinct" is the underdog in the Mayoral campaign.  He first arrived in Cairns in 1973 as a part owner of the Australian hotel in Abott Street. He then opened the Marmadukes nightclub.  Thomas has a string of developments to hos name:  Holloways Beach, homes and  units, Cairns Colonial Club and The Palm Royale.


Last week he was forced to publish a rebuttal to various rumours and innuendo that he called 'Lies, Lies, Lies and Dammed Lies.'


Here's Ian' plea to Cairns voters to support him next Saturday...


Everyone in Cairns is concerned about the local economy except it seems the Cairns Regional Council this council has increased rates continuously whilst forecasting deficit budgets and it seems, has not for one moment looked towards itself  to reduce costs and initiate cost savings and efficiencies. It is very apparent to me that our local council operates like state and federal governments, instead of lifting their game or operating the largest business in our region efficiently, they simply raise rate levies.

The recent voluntary redundancies introduced to trim the inept business practices of the council and CEO have resulted in over $4m in extra costs and seen the departure of many skilled long term employees some of whom have left the council purely because of their disgust with current management policies.

During the term of this council led by Val Shier we the community, have been lied to time and time again, particularly in regard to the Cairns Entertainment Precinct.

The lack of transparency and failure to engage with the community has been outrageous, the fiscal mismanagement appalling, the personal agendas and vanity projects incredible. At no time has there been any example of leadership from our mayor who frankly myself and a broad section of residents consider incompetent.

Our mayor’s background as a public servant and bureaucrat should be a warning to the voters in the upcoming election. The new mayor should have broad business experience, experience in their own businesses, earning their own money and income, dealing with all the day to day challenges of surviving and prospering despite all the outside influences of which they have no control. I know of no other business where because of mismanagement they can charge more for their product or services with absolutely no backlash, just reluctant acceptance.

Without good management, cost control and internal audit systems in place in a $300m  business ends up where we now see the council; desperately attempting to make last minute slap dash cuts to a budget that was already planned to end in deficit. The council budget should be prepared taking all aspects of council responsibilities into account including community service obligations and of course community infrastructure.

Apart from bike lanes, I have seen no evidence of expenditure to benefit the broader community needs. The recently completed Botanic Gardens Visitor Centre was budgeted at $4.5m and blew out to $6.m. The reality here is that this project is actually an office structure for council staff (Tanks and management staff a total of around 20 people) the most expensive office accommodation in Cairn’s history! The $2m blow out would have provided four brand new desperately needed sports grounds on council land ready to go!

The residents of our region need a fair go, they need a better managed council with strong leadership that will lead our region to economic prosperity whilst maintaining our tropical paradise.

I believe that I am that leader and if elected with your support, what can I do for you?

3 comments:

Deslie Gordon said...

Once again, Ian Thomas has been given the opportunity to tell the voters what he can offer the City of Cairns with him as Mayor, and once again, he completely wasted the opportunity by bitching about the current Mayor and offered not a single solution, policy or seemingly any real idea of what's actually involved in being the Mayor of a City. To call Mayor Val Schier incompetent is ludicrous. Whether you support her or not as our Mayor, credit has to be given for what she has achieved in her term, especially given the climate she served in, both economic and with a personal campaign driven against her almost from day one. Ian Thomas speaks of the role of Council as being the largest business in Cairns, and yet, by his own admission on his 'Ian Thomas for Mayor of Cairns Facebook Page' said "I did have my company that owned the Palm Royale which I owned and had under management screwed by a bank and placed into receivership. I firesaled very valuable strategic landholdings at huge losses, paid out the bank and placed my company in administration, paid out the unsecured creditors and reclaimed the company (totally clean) which I still have. This excercise cost me $10 MILLION DOLLARS and I was forced to sign a non disclosure agreement with the bank." Given this.....HOW could he possibly be the right person for Mayor of Cairns? The entire rant on his Official Facebook Mayoral Campaign page as to the "lies lies and lies" highlighted accusations against him that no one had even heard of...until HE himself announced them all over his official page!! The other 3 Mayoral Candidates are actively running campaigns showcasing what they can offer the voters, while Ian Thomas runs around bitching and whinging about the current CRC and accusing the Mayor of being incompetent, whilst he publishes the most ill thought out rantings and ravings that the majority of the time lack the slightest bit of logic and foresight. Ian Thomas for Mayor? I don't think so!!

Community Reformation Action Group (CRAG) said...

SO Ian if you and other candidates think that the Mayor and councillors have any power for positive change you are deluded ... it is purely a Public Relations-show pony position ... part of the charade that we have a say in what is decided behind the veil .
The whole process of local government is simply a smoke n mirrors way for the State to tax us ... as the State has no taxing powers under the Australian Constitution.

Clinton Goulding said...

In a few days time the people of Cairns will again vote someone out of Council!!!

Voting is becoming a system of change and little more, we the public have become disenfranchised and switch off when our candidates waffle on.

The thing to consider when voting is what does the potential candidate stand for and are they prepared to fall on their sword if they do not deliver.

A true leader of our community would stand up for the identified needs of Cairns they would provide actual policy based upon the needs of the community and not on their own personal desires..

As such in the event, on voting day you cannot find someone who can fit this position. Mark an X in every box on the ballot paper and the vote will still count. It is not a donkey vote. You MUST mark all boxes with an X.

If the majority of voters cast their ballot this way, (an X in every box) it would expel the current candidates and force the parties to produce new group of more suitable candidates.

If that does not show future candidates that we are fed up with their waffle then nothing will...