tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post135566918945939307..comments2024-01-20T10:32:53.309+10:00Comments on CairnsBlog.net: China off the planetMichael P Moorehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02890121680113642715noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-77142160899348452008-04-07T23:01:00.000+10:002008-04-07T23:01:00.000+10:00I never said any political party HAD nominated som...I never said any political party HAD nominated someone for CEO. I said I didn't want to see it happen. Sheeeeesh, read carefully.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-39731420701102448352008-04-07T18:25:00.000+10:002008-04-07T18:25:00.000+10:00Dish Pig must live on Mars. as far as I am aware, ...Dish Pig must live on Mars. as far as I am aware, no oolitical party has ever nominated a CEO for advance cairns. that's just sensationalist garbage. But u can rest assured that, as always, purely commercial interests (big business) will have the final word on the new CEO. That is because although advance cairns is largely funded from the public purse (mainly the Cairns Council's contribution), it is a totally unrepresentative body. In fact I hear on the grapevine that there is a great deal of opposition in the local Labor Party at least to having ANY political representation on advance cairns, and in particular a seat at the table for the Mayor. There are a number of issues here. One is that advance cairns is unrepresentative of the broad community and is highly secretive about how its public money is used. It needs to fix both problems. The second is that it does nothing of any significance, or appears not to do anything of any significance. It needs to get off its backside and become a much more professional, focussed and full-time, community-wide organisation with the economic and social interests of all of Cairns at heart..Arthur Festerbestertesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266716436446548139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-79334247204569685322008-04-07T10:38:00.000+10:002008-04-07T10:38:00.000+10:00I disagree, "Anonymous" above. "Advance Cairns" h...I disagree, "Anonymous" above. "Advance Cairns" has enormous potential and I am supportive of Council funding on the proviso the positions are called for and it is accountable to the people of Cairns. As I said before, there are many suitable people in Cairns who can head such an organisation. <BR/>I do not want however, to see our political parties nominate one of their wealthy, retired members to a plum position where they can earn even more money from the public purse, like engorged pigs snouting at a trough. Enough is enough!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-28397006345853172452008-04-06T22:15:00.000+10:002008-04-06T22:15:00.000+10:00Advance Cairns should not receive Council funding,...Advance Cairns should not receive <BR/>Council funding,I have yet to see any financial statements from this <BR/>body.Byrne of course should not even contemplate joining this group,considering the way the people of Cairns want to see him leave town.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-69596893631699656412008-03-31T21:16:00.000+10:002008-03-31T21:16:00.000+10:00There must be plenty of people in Cairns who could...There must be plenty of people in Cairns who could take on the CEO role in "Advance Cairns". The position could be advertised with a selection panel to decide the successful applicant etc. Its role probably needs defining more and accountibility procedures put in place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-69807575057468901722008-03-31T20:14:00.000+10:002008-03-31T20:14:00.000+10:00Has ExKing Boob no shame? to continue expanding h...Has ExKing Boob no shame? to continue expanding his vast hidden Eastern Kingdom at the peasants expense ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-68811905209143270622008-03-31T19:10:00.000+10:002008-03-31T19:10:00.000+10:00NO NO NO NO NO and NO again Val, please dont let h...NO NO NO NO NO and NO again Val, please dont let him anywhere near Advance Cairns. <BR/><BR/>It would have to be<BR/>renamed "Advance Kevin", or perhaps "Come...Look how I destroyed Cairns in 8 years" or "Slip me a few dollars and I will see if she will let you build in our Rainforests"<BR/><BR/>NO NO NO NO NO NO WAY should that man be allowed to get this job.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-15057972065447455942008-03-31T19:01:00.000+10:002008-03-31T19:01:00.000+10:00How does that song go....I never wanna see your fa...How does that song go....I never wanna see your face again ? <BR/>Isnt that what the majority of Cairns residents would say about KB. <BR/>Val, please dont insult the ratepayers and residents by having him represent Cairns again overseas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-42127468199911550782008-03-31T18:59:00.000+10:002008-03-31T18:59:00.000+10:00This reminds me of a 'top of the hill' rumour I pi...This reminds me of a 'top of the hill' rumour I picked up during the recent election campaign.<BR/><BR/>Seemingly reliable sources told me that the accounts of Kuranda's tourism-related funds are not publicly available. Perhaps it's not true?<BR/><BR/>The larger fund (there are two) is based on a per capita tourist levy on all users of SkyRail and the tourist train. It is administered by the Kuranda Advisory Committee, chaired by Steve Wettenhall MP, who could doubtless clear this up. <BR/><BR/>I wonder if he reads CairnsBlog?<BR/><BR/>Can anyone think of a good reason for secrecy in these matters? <BR/><BR/>I can't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-27780402723482614542008-03-31T18:55:00.000+10:002008-03-31T18:55:00.000+10:00yes indeed bungyone. Very well said (leaving aside...yes indeed bungyone. Very well said (leaving aside the single issue of the aquatic club). for a body that is substantially funded by ratepayers, advance cairns is singularly unrepresentative. looking through the list of donors on this site, and the board members, I am left to ask: where is the arts community, where is the indigenous community, where is the environmental community, where is the non-institutional scientific community, where is the aged/disabled/unemployed community, and so on. And is Val Schier going to be a board member, as the late and unlamented mayor was? I hope not. I think it is a conflict of interest for any politician to be a director. maybe now is the time to have a long hard look at the whole issue of advance cairns.Arthur Festerbestertesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266716436446548139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-51085130606896857492008-03-31T18:40:00.000+10:002008-03-31T18:40:00.000+10:00Advance Cairns could be transparent and accountabl...Advance Cairns could be transparent and accountable ... but not with Kevin Byrne at its helm. Such concepts are abhorrent and alien to a dictatorial control freaks such as he.<BR/>Advance Cairns: Don't risk Byrne! He will politicize your organisation. Result; in-fighting, dysfunction and irrelevance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-8151947511354482922008-03-31T17:57:00.000+10:002008-03-31T17:57:00.000+10:00Advance Cairns should NOT be funded by the ratepay...Advance Cairns should NOT be funded by the ratepayers. The reason for this is that the members of this body are NOT accountable to the ratepayers and NOT elected by them. The Cairns City Council should withdraw its support as soon as possible. Not convinced? Contemplate this then. Every member of Advance Cairns objected to the Heritage Listing of the Aquatic Club House. Members of Advance Cairns have had insider information about land deals. KB has made several trips to China and produced nothing of real value.<BR/>If Advanced Cairns was an open book and did something constructive, let them prove it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-43077736210762350252008-03-31T17:48:00.001+10:002008-03-31T17:48:00.001+10:00i think (and earnestly hope) there are too many ho...i think (and earnestly hope) there are too many honest, competent people at advance cairns to allow for the former mayor to bob up there. but i must say that i think advance cairns needs to throw open its books in relation to expenditure in Australia and in china in support of its chinese initiatives so that ratepayers can be sure that their money has been put to good use. transparency and accountability is not something that should be feared by the honest and the competent.Arthur Festerbestertesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08266716436446548139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-67835502358460526572008-03-31T17:48:00.000+10:002008-03-31T17:48:00.000+10:00Syd: NoSyd: NoMichael P Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02890121680113642715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-81078346001027316362008-03-31T17:07:00.000+10:002008-03-31T17:07:00.000+10:00Here here. Over many years, Cairns ratepayers have...Here here. Over many years, Cairns ratepayers have contributed the lion’s share of funding to Advance Cairns. So did we get a fair return for our investment? Answer: We don’t know.<BR/><BR/>Before another dollar of ratepayer’s money goes to this organisation, the new ‘accountable’ Council should be asking the questions: What does Advance Cairns achieve? How are its achievements quantified? And, is it unnecessarily duplicating what is already being done by Tourism Queensland?<BR/><BR/>Advance Cairns is a creature of Kevin Byrne, and if (as appears likely) he is appointed CEO, I don’t wish to be a funding his ‘significant salary package’ without clear evidence of a quantifiable return.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-82049367958008759402008-03-31T16:41:00.000+10:002008-03-31T16:41:00.000+10:00How very tasteless of you Michael, to question wel...How very tasteless of you Michael, to question welfare programs for those who are faring quite well.<BR/><BR/>Is nothing sacred on this blog?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7878592054777492431.post-58536922110227580482008-03-31T13:16:00.000+10:002008-03-31T13:16:00.000+10:00In view of what is happening in the USA, Chinese i...In view of what is happening in the USA, Chinese investment shouldn't be sneezed at. Yes, we do need something like "Advance Cairns" but if it is funded by the ratepayer, then it must be accountible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com