Personal and Private: Law vs Grau

Bryan Law may be as subtle as a brick on a steam train. Or maybe some just don't get him.

On Monday, Law responded to story on CairnsBlog about the Labor Party's treatment of Cairns ETU union organiser, Stuey Traill.

"Just when you think the ALP can't get any more stupid than it already is..." Bryan Law commented. "Who are these people who believe the Labor movement is their own personal plaything?"

"Let's face it, Mike Bailey, Desley Boyle, and Tim Grau would be slave-owners if they thought they could get away with it. Scabs."

Bryan, who has already been before a judge as a result of pissing off current Labor MP Desley Boyle, has this time drawn that wrath of Cairns ALP president, who is widely-tipped to be selected as their candidate, without an open and transparent plebiscite. Sporting and community identity, Richie Bates, is also seeking the nomination.

Tim Grau didn't take to kindly to his name and the term "slave-owners" appearing in the same sentence, and fired off a message to Law.

He marked his email to Bryan Law "Personal and Private."

"I’m not inclined to pay any attention to 'personal and private' " Law told CairnsBlog. "Mr Grau was responding to my public comment about him and the Labor party, therefore it is not a confidential debate. I also don't know Tim and therefore any conversation we have is clearly not private."

Tim Grau, writing from his Springboard email address, wrote...

"We have not met, but am aware you have expressed strong critical views about me in a number of public forums," Tim Grau wrote. "As we have not met at all and you don't know me, all of your comments have been wrong and ill-informed. I have chosen to ignore them as simply that."

"However, my attention has recently been brought to a comment you made on the CairnsBlog stating I would be a 'slave-owner' if I thought I could get away with it," Grau wrote to Bryan Law.

"My mother is a black American who grew up in the segregated South from the 1930s. I am therefore also a African American and a direct decedent of slaves. I find your latest unprovoked attack on me highly and deeply offensive. Further having had relatives who were leaders in the American civil rights movement, your comments are beneath contempt."

"But then you've never met me and don't know me. If you had, and did, perhaps you'd know this about me and not make such offensive comments," Tim Grau wrote. "Bryan, as someone who professes to believe in the goodness of humanity, the principles of equality, justice, cooperation and respect, I've yet to see it any of your public statements about me. "

Bryan Law took his right of reply. He marked his email "TOP SECRET – ONGOING STRUGGLE."

"Dear Tim, it’s true I’ve never met you. It’s less true that I’ve been critical of you," Bryan Law wrote. "I am critical of your ALP candidacy for Cairns, and 'strongly' critical of the condition of Labor politics in Cairns, Queensland and Australia. The behaviour of your Party since 2001, particularly its pandering to racism and warmongering, has led me to my current position."

"You and I have no personal relationship. Whatever you write to me is political in nature, and as far as I am concerned is public material – which I will publish," Law wrote. "Stop hiding behind your mother, and your un-named “relatives” who you assert played leadership roles in the US civil rights movement. I will be impressed with any action you take for social justice, but I give you no credit for the actions of your relatives. Those who act deserve the credit. Feel free to inform me and the electorate of your achievements to date in the field of civil rights."

"Right now in Cairns there is a clear re-emergence of racism, and a sector of the populace which is calling for segregation here. There are calls in the on-line comments of the Cairns Post to keep Aborigines out of the CBD. I have not seen any public comment about this from you, or from any of your Party officials or MLAs. Your Party has done nothing to defend an equitable, just society in Cairns," Bryan Law wrote to Tim Grau.

"Indeed, your Party is responsible for the insult to native title rights that is the Wild Rivers legislation."

"I suggest that your strategy of hiding your intentions from the electorate is meant to maximise the benefit to you of running under the generic Labor brand, given that you have no local achievements on which to stand. A key side-effect of this strategy is that you are absent from political debates in the community, offer no leadership on issues of social justice, and appear to stand for nothing."

"I believe that you do have a slave-owner’s mentality," Bryan Law wrote.

"The way you play Party politics establishes a diminished role for grass-roots members, who are relegated to the status of automaton parroting the Party line, and obeying Party directions, while having no input into decisions. Your Party’s moves to suspend and expel Stu Traill from the ALP is clear evidence to me, and many others, that the ALP has no loyalty to working class folk and is now just one more Party of bosses. I fully intend to continue my criticisms of the ALP because, in my view, it is now an impediment to peace and social justice."

"Of course, I will cease my criticisms of your candidacy as soon as you announce that you will not be a candidate. It’s not personal Tim, it’s political."

"I’d be happy to share a yarn and a cuppa with you anytime you feel like it, but I intend to continue my efforts towards a more peaceful and just world until my dying breath."

"If you don’t appreciate an honestly expressed opinion, you will not enjoy meeting with me. Nor I you," Bryan Law concluded.

Mannequin of missing Machans Beach boy displayed

13-year-old Declan Crouch of Machans Beach, has been missing for seven days, with no trace.

This morning a mannequin dressed in clothing similar to Declan Crouch, will be displayed in the small beachside community of Machans, just north of Cairns airport, with a hope that it will prompt witnesses to come forward. Cairns Police want the mannequin to spark any memory about the missing 13-year-old boy.

Declan left Trinity Bay State High school last Wednesday afternoon on his usual 3pm bus, returning home to Machans Beach. His school bag and uniform were found at his house.

Over 1,000 have signed up to a Facebook page to help find Declan. It was created by friends and fellow students. Brooke Angel Day, Adam Cooper, Liam Gartner, Grace Davies, Chloe Jane, Alanah Brons, Kristy Scales, Caity Finegan and Caitlin Louise, want people to post messages of support and share their stories. "Until he is found, show your support," they say.

"I am a mother of 2 boys, only 4 and 7," writes Victoria Wilson of Cairns. "I hope you're out there mate and safe, its so upsetting for everyone. I don't know the family but I was in tears this morning listening to the report on the radio. I hope there is some information found for the family soon. Thinking of the family and friends."

Meanwhile, another Facebook page has 1,500 followers. Both pages have a 'frown' emoticon :'< as a symbol.

Cairns Police and SES volunteers are still searching bushland around Machans Beach, and suggestions circle about possibilities of a drowning or a crocodile attack. Detectives have now been engaged in the search. He has not used his Facebook page since he went missing a week ago, and is thought to have no money.

Leads have been exhausted and searches of nearby bushland have uncovered no clues. Police have admitted they're baffled by the disappearance.

"It is highly concerning that this boy hasn't been seen for over a week. As time goes on, the concern levels increase," Acting Detective Inspector Edward Kinbacher said. "There has been no information received as to his movements since he was last seen."

A search around Declan's home, near the Barron River, didn't turn up anything yesterday.

"The investigation will now focus on a conventional investigation with a view to rebuild his movements ... But, quite simply, we have no information from that last sighting," Kinbacher said. "He is a normal teenage boy who had a normal relationship with his parents and had had a normal day. This boy quite simply could have run away to reasons best known to himself or there could be suspicious circumstances. The investigation is not closing off any potential explanation. Interviews with his classmates have turned up nothing."

Many young children run away from their home every week, a policeman from the District Crime Prevention office told CairnsBlog.

"We have a lot of kids run away," Cairns Senior Constable Russ Parker said. "We could have several a day sometimes, and we've got our habitual run-aways, but we usually know who they are, but it's unusual for a young lad like this to go missing for so long."

Declan is described as around 170cm tall, slim build with collar length brown hair over his eyes. He may be wearing black or maroon basketball shorts and a black t-shirt.

The following Facebook pages have sprung up in support...

• Support for missing boy, Declan Crouch :'<
• Put Declan Crouch in your profile pic <3
• Declan Crouch ::: Missing from Cairns Australia
  
  
• Call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or Cairns police on 4030 7000 24hrs a day.

This Friday may be the end of the ALP Traill for Stuey

Following Monday's shambles of a meeting when the Queensland Labor Party couldn't even gather a quorum together to terminate outspken Cairns union activist, Stuey Traill, the meeting is now planned for Friday.

I have also had a barrage of email correspondence from Mike Bailey, the vice president of the Cairns branch of the ALP.

"I must also say I see your rejection of anyone’s anonymous contribution as breathtaking hypocrisy when you run comments from an anonymous source," Mike Bailey wrote to me yesterday. "Personally, I view anonymous comments in the same vein as voluntary polling – lacking credibility."

He also steadfastly believes that Stuey Traill and Peter Simpson's membership review is nothing to do with the public campaign they have waged against privatisation.

"You keep saying I supported privatisation, I really must ask where does it say in that motion [below] anything about privitisation?" Mike Bailey wrote in a raft of messages from his government email address - Mike.BAILEY@communities.qld.gov.au.

"I disagree that the issue around Traill’s proposed expulsion is privatisation - as I said previously, it’s about his gross disloyalty – no more, no less," Mike Bailey says. "He has ever right to criticise, me, Anna Bligh or whoever he likes, but to go as far as he did warrants action being taken. If he is indeed expelled, you and I know that he will not be silenced, he will simply be doing it from outside the party."

However the last paragraph of the "urgency motion" from the 2009 party conference, details the consultation that was meant to occur on the privatisation matter. It never did. Simple as that.

Here's the resolution put forward to the last State Labor Conference:

• “That the 2009 Queensland ALP State Conference acknowledges the damaging and far reaching effects of the Global Financial Crisis on the Queensland economy.
  
  This Conference further recognises that the global recession is causing unprecedented hardship, unemployment and loss of State revenue.
  
  The Conference endorses the State Government’s priorities of jobs and infrastructure.
  
  Further, given the Government’s decision to implement the Renewing Queensland Plan (as announced in Parliament on 2 June 2009), Conference calls on the Bligh Government to commit to ongoing negotiations with unions in this process to protect job security and working Conditions.
  

"No mention of privatisation here!" Mike Bailey says.

Are you blind Mr Bailey, or don't you understand the Queen's Egrish? [sic, intentional]

As Raj Patel writes on his Cairns Report, Stuey Traill helped get rid of John Howard and drew people back to the Labor Party, and today they want to get rid of him.

This from former member for Liechardt, Jim Turnour's maiden speech in 2007...

• "Where’s Warren? campaign, driven by Stuart Trail and the Electrical Trades Union. Stuart Trail would go on to become the ACTU Your Rights at Work coordinator in Leichhardt, and there is no doubt that the community activism the entire union movement created on the ground in Leichhardt galvanised opposition to the Work Choices laws and drew people back to the Labor Party," Jim Turnour said.
  
  "Thank you, Stuart Trail and Kevin O’Sullivan, for leading the campaign and all the unionists who worked so hard to get rid of the Howard government. We could not have done it without you."
  
  

Another rare Cassowary victim to speeding car

I spotted this cassowary, hunting for food, just days after Cyclone Yasi ripped through a major local habitat area at Tully Heads, north of Mission Beach.

Just seven weeks after Cyclone Yasi devastated the natural habitat of the endangered Southern Cassowary around the coastal bush communities of Mission Beach, the first fatality has been discovered.

The large mature animal was found on the Tully to Mission Beach road on Tuesday. It appeared the vehicle had killed the animal at great speed.

"How can we have a 'Cassowarie Coast' if we don't have cassowaries?," local environmental campaigner Geoff Holland asks. "We must protect natural habitat and development within environmental parameters".

An online petition campaign aims to get 5,000 signatures to halt development in the Mission Beach area. In 2008 the then Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, disallowed a development on 'Lot 66' on the basis that it would have 'clearly unacceptable' impacts on the endangered cassowary at Mission Beach. A new development application is not much different to the original one and is situated in the middle of a significant corridor connecting critically endangered littoral rainforest to the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. The corridor is now known locally as the 'Garrett Corridor.'

Under current legislation, 40% of habitat at Mission Beach is unprotected.

"The pressure to develop natural habitat will continue as long as we do not have adequate legislation in place to protect it," Geoff Holland says. "Councils are on the back foot, fearful of court action. Developers need clear guidelines. But they shouldn't be able to keep coming back with development applications when they have already been knocked back, as is the case with Buchan's Point."

There is a fierce local fight erupting about the planned developments around Mission Beach communities. Some are suggesting that the population of Mission Beach can increase from 3,500 up to 18,000. This would have an adverse effect on threatened and endangered wildlife, especially the cassowary.

Cassowary populations in Mission Beach have declined in the last 10 years as land has been cleared and the degradation of lowland rainforest habitat, including from cyclones. Some traffic calming devices are being trialled on the Tully-Mission Beach Road to reduce the high numbers of cassowary road kills however, ongoing development continues to put the local cassowary population at risk.

Mission Beach boasts 12.8% of the remaining lowland rainforest in the Wet Tropics and the largest contiguous ‘block’ of lowland rainforest south of the Daintree River. Experts say it is the best coastal to highlands rainforest corridor and the most integral and widest east-west corridor between Cairns and Cardwell. The area contains 5% of all Australian vascular plant species and around 36% of bird species. Mission also is home to the highest density of cassowaries in Australia.

This famous funny, but poignant road sign, has recently been replaced on the Daintree road, on the way to Cape Tribulation. The top sign has of course been graffitied from what was a speed hump notice.

• GET INVOLVED Mission Beach Cassowaries

Hungry Beast is coming back. Thank your god

The hit ABC social-media inspired Hungry Beast is coming back to TV next Wednesday, 23rd March at 9.30pm.

This is the third series of this rather off the wall approach to current affairs, that is fronted entirely by Gen Ys.

“Hungry Beast is a show that takes risks – in the stories they chose and the manner in which they tell them," Amanda Duthie, ABC's Head of Arts and Entertainment says. "By bringing together the serious, the unusual and the light-hearted, it will continue to resonate with audiences, in particular the under-40s.”

In 2010 the show was nominated for both a AFI and a Walkley and was the second-most watched program on the ABC for 18-39's.

Well-know journalist Andrew Denton, who has produced the series since 2009 says Hungry Beast shows that journalism can evolve in new and exciting directions.

"Newcomers 18 months ago, the Hungry Beast team are now making names for themselves in the industry.”

• Wednesdays at 9.30pm on ABC1
  Repeated Thursdays @ 10:15pm on ABC2
  Available on iView

More stupidity from radio regulator, ACMA

Just when you thought the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the Federal government's broadcasting regulator, couldn't shed any more stupidity in our region after their abysmal intervention of Cairns Community Radio 4CCR 89.1FM, they have.

The ACMA has decided to vary the licence area plans for Cairns, to make new community radio broadcasting services available in Mossman, north of Port Douglas. These new service will operate on 99.9 FM.

'This frequency is currently occupied by a temporary community broadcasting licensee and the
ACMA believes that Mossman will benefit by having access to long-term community radio broadcasting services," ACMA chairman Chris Chapman says.

However a local broadcasting expert told CairnsBlog that the proposed 99.9 FM service will wipe out the off-air 99.5 Mt Yarrabah input to the SEA-FM 88.5 translator at Mossman.

"This is more stupidity from the ACMA," a veteran of local radio broadcasting said. "The temporary community broadcasting licence on 100.1 Mhz is bad enough already."

The ACMA says the changes to the Cairns radio licence area plans that temporary community broadcasting licences confer no right nor indicate any preference by the ACMA for a group to be granted a long-term community radio broadcasting licence.

"The ACMA believes that these new radio licences, when ultimately offered for allocation, are likely to be taken up," Chris Chapman said. "The variations have been made based on public
submissions and other evidence gathered."

Quake near Cairns. WTF?

Did the earth move for you?

The earthquake off the coast of Innisfail, just south of Cairns on Tuesday was rather normal activity, according to James Cook University's Professor Jon Nott.

A 4 magnitude quake was recorded about 30 kilometres off the coast from Innisfail, just after 4pm on Tuesday.

There were reports of the quake being felt in Cairns.

Professor Nott told Kier Shorey on ABC Far North that quakes occurred across the Australian continent often.

"We're unlikely to experience a 9 magnitude quake which hit Japan last week," Professor Nott said. "The biggest earthquakes tend to occur on plate boundaries but within plates, such as the whole of Australia, we do find that we get plenty of earthquakes."

Prof Nott said it was unlikely the north Queensland quake was linked to the Japanese event, but researchers were continuing to investigate possible links between the tremors.

"Often these earthquakes are so far apart that it is hard to find a causal mechanism that will link the two together," Nott said. "Seismologists are always trying to look for these sorts of things but so far they haven't been able to pin down the mechanism that might be causing this."

In 1989, a 5.6 quake hit Newcastle and killed 13 people.

Joolia's emotional return caught on video

Julia's emotional return to Canberra caught on tourist video.

Cairns to host State opposition cabinet, invites deputations

The LNP will host the shadow cabinet meets in Cairns on 28th March.

The opposition are hoping this meeting will give them an ''on-the-ground insight'' into local matters, including concerns about the Cairns Base Hospital.

“This Shadow Cabinet visit provides a good opportunity for my team and me to hear and see first-hand the issues that are important to the people of Cairns,” John Paul Langbroek said. “We know a local approach is what’s needed for local issues, rather than Labor’s Brisbane bureaucratic ways."

“I saw for myself the frustration of locals at Monday’s health forum. As well as being a husband and a father, I know how important it is that everyone deserves and receives the best health care and that includes the people of Cairns.”

• Deputations: Shangri-La Hotel, Pierpoint Road, Cairns on Monday 28 March.
  Requests for deputations need to be made by 24th March.
  Contact -
• LNP Member for Dalrymple, Shane Knuth
  
• Stock Exchange Arcade, 2/76 Mosman Street, Charters Towers Tel 07 4787 2139
  
• Silo Shopping Centre, Silo Road, Atherton. 4091 5861

The Barramundi kid

Local legendary musicians, Junior Seepoy and Rob Williams of the Cairns Tropic Jazz Club, are keen fishermen.

Here's Seepoy's bewdy Barramundi he caught on the Barron River.

''The Barra Season is now open and we are continually looking for them,'' Rob Williams said. ''This one was caught on the Barron River last week using lures.''

''Holding his mouth in the form of a true Sax player, Junior played his fish to perfection and landed this 5 kilo beauty,'' Rob said.

Paul Freebody's $30 million Underwater World. It's a sign.

Over the last week some rather average wet season rains fell and the Barron River Delta did what it does best - started to flood.

The delta serves as the proposed site for Paul Freebody's Adventure Water Park, and the former Cairns Regional Councillor and now LNP candidate for Cairns insists it's still going ahead. Or is it?

Here's some snaps sent in by faithful CairnsBlog readers from the last few days, of the proposed site at the corner of Dillon Road and Captain Cook Highway, near Smithfield.

Let's remind readers what has happened numerous times in the last 100 years on the Barron River Delta.

In the late 70's two significant floods in a short period engulfed the entire river delta system. It was so substantial that you could have taken a boat from Smithfield shops to Sheridan Street. The then State government commissioned a 300-page report, showing that development on this land mass was not smart.

So here's what happen in some minor surface flooding in the last few days.

These photos show the proposed site Paul's Underwater World. He planned to start construction a year ago. In November Paul told me that he was going to build the 'bund' walls before Christmas. Nothing has happened. Nothing will. Makes those water-logged councillors that supported this pipe dream look like damp sewer rats.

Be mindful that the photos were taken in the afternoon last Monday, after the water level had dropped by around 1.2 meters. At its peak, this flood was still 2.5 meters lower that 1979 flood. In other words, 3.7 meters higher than the water level in these photos.

And Mr Freebody wants to plonk a development here? It's just not cricket.

NB: Paul Freebody's selection as the LNP candidate for Cairns, is subject to an internal party investigation over his previous business dealings and a death threat.

Premier Bligh didn't have the numbers to oust unionist Stuey Traill

It's all about Stuey. Or is it.

In what should be viewed as an embarrassing attempt to silence outspoken members, Anna Bligh as head of the Queensland Labor Party failed to get the number late last night to oust Stuey Traill and fellow ETU member, Peter Simpson.

Bligh's embarrassing game to remove those in the party that have spoken out against privatisation, went pear-shaped when last night's meeting failed to draw a quorum. However, it appears that the meeting of the administration committee will be called again tonight in Brisbane to rally the numbers.

Cairns union organiser Stuey Traill, along with his colleague Peter Simpson, have been staunch critics of Queensland Labor's asset sales programme, after the party and MPs voted to uphold their Party platform, rejecting such a plan. Both have been on a relentless campaign to stop the $80 billion debt-ridden State coffers selling off a raft of public assets including Queensland Rail, than now is faced with a third of it's workforce being made redundant.

• 5.12: (2008) Labor platform
  Labor rejects a program of privatisation of public services, such as public hospitals and schools, public enterprises including subsidiary companies or utilities (in particular Rail, Ports, Public Hospitals, electricity and water) as an economic strategy.
  
  Privatisation of public enterprises should not be used to solve revenue problems of governments. Labor believes that it is more through improved management of the existing public sector than through privatisation that Government can provide a wide range of benefits to the community.

The high-profile Electrical Trades Union has discussed withdrawing it's Labor membership last year, and is set to vote if they should remain affiliated next month. They ceased making donations last year. Media reports wrongly tagged Stuey Traill as wanting to form a break-away party, and this claim is central to expel him from the party. However, if Simpson and Traill are ousted tonight, it is likely they will run an aggressive campaign against Labor at the next State election, most likely to be held before the end of the year. The vote would clearly split the chances of Labor retaining it's 102-year grip of the Cairns seat.

Rumours late last night said that the vote didn't get up last night because ''allies on the committee had deliberately sabotaged the meeting." They raised questions about the credentials of members of the administration committee, and then left the meeting, so the committee lacked a quorum. This fiasco shows the turmoil the party is in in Queensland.

An unattributed quote said that "it was the action of desperate people trying to delay the inevitable." This most probably came from Labor's National President and Queensland's State Secretary Bill Ludwig.

Did Bligh actually have the numbers at last night's meeting? If the decision was made and the deal was done to terminate Stuey Traill and Peter Simpson, and it was just a rubber stamp, as was said just a few days ago, it would have gone ahead. Bligh won't bow to the unions who helped elect her at the last two elections. However Simpson and Traill's power is best exerted from within the party that needs to change. There is so many members that are started to grow a voice when they see the likes of Stuey stand up and shout.

Premier Anna Bligh called for Simpson and Traill to resign late last year because they were in breach of party rules when they threatened an idea of supporting rival candidates.

My story yesterday on CairnsBlog alarmed Mike Bailey, the vice president of the ALP's Cairns Branch. Bailey sent me a strong rebuttal about the plan to remove Stuey Traill as a member, in a letter that said more about his disgust for those that speak out and uphold the party's principals, than it did about making the party more inclusive and electable come the next election.

''As a journalist who purports to present the facts, I would have thought you would check the details of any story on CairnsBlog,'' Mike Bailey wrote.

Mike Bailey voted at last year's Labor conference for privatisation, so he is loyal to the premier and the AWU. Bailey contested a number of points in my story yesterday.

''For the record, yesterday’s meeting did not take a vote if Traill should remain,'' Mike Bailey says. ''I challenged Traill as soon as he walked into the room and advised him that under the following rule:

• …(V) recommend to the Administrative Committee that the respondent be expelled (and in which case the person or persons shall be immediately suspended from membership until the next meeting of the Administrative Committee);

...''he [Traill] was suspended and as such, he could not attend the meeting. This had nothing to do with factions and everything to do with Party Rules and I applied the rules accordingly,'' Bailey said. ''For you to run the Traill side of the story without getting the facts is unfortunate to say the least.''

''I am not a member of the Australian Workers Union, but I am a member of the Queensland Public Sector Union. I am a financial member of what is known as Labor Forum or what is more commonly called the Right of the Labor Party. The AWU is also part of Labor Forum but do not direct me or anyone else in the group,'' Mike Bailey says.

''To paint me as Bill Ludwig’s stooge is grossly unfair. How I can be painted as Bill Ludwig’s stooge when I do not talk to or see Bill Ludwig except at the party’s yearly State Conference? I do not take direction from him or anyone else. I do however take advice from the State Secretary.''

I suggested in yesterday's story that Baily, who was branch president, stepped aside to allow Tim Grau to take over the role, who is widely expected to be the new Labor candidate for Cairns,

''I chose to retire as president of the Cairns Branch of the ALP at the AGM last year,'' Bailey said. ''At the same time my wife retired as branch secretary, after almost 16 years in the chair, for family reasons which had nothing to do with Tim Grua [sic. Mike appear not to know the spelling of his successor!] although I was pleased there was such an able person to fill the role.''

Mike Bailey says that Traill’s membership is not current, a claim Stuey Traill disputes vehemently.

''Under the rules (shown above), he was immediately suspended when the matter was voted on by the Administrative Committee, which was unanimous and included an Electrical Trades Union member, to referred the matter to the party’s Disputes Tribunal,'' Mike Bailey said. ''As a suspended member, he has no rights whatsoever in the party.''

Bailey puts the successful motion on Sunday meeting in Cairns down to ''Traill’s factional buddies'' who attended the meeting and pushed through a motion of support. A motion was passed and sent to the State Secretary Anthony Chisholm for consideration prior to last night's administration meeting.

''I believe this motion of support will not make any difference to the outcome of tonight’s meeting as Traill’s disloyalty is of such a level that cannot and will not be ignored by the Administrative Committee who I believe will take the most appropriate action,'' Mike Bailey said yesterday. ''When it is ruled on, Traill’s expulsion should serve a reminder to all members that the behaviour displayed by Traill is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.''

This of course proved to be wrong. One of those in last night's meeting in Brisbane told CairnsBlog that ''they fucked up, but they won't fuck up twice in a row.''

''They will get the knives out again tonight, subject to getting everyone together,'' the rebel party member said. ''Even though there's a ground-swell of support for those that stand up for the principals, there's also the politicians and hangers-on who've taken over the running of the party. There's people in there that shouldn't be there - bloody partners and wives of politicians, and all that sort of stuff, that are running the party, that's where it's all fallen down.''

Unions of course used to have a great say within Labor, but no more. It is not a party of the people, and the recent Party review showed that there was serious disconnect from the membership and the branch structure.

''The Parliamentary ring is running the whole shooting match,'' the Labor source told CairnsBlog.

''Just like any club or organisation that has rogue members who display gross disloyalty and act contrary to the objectives and principals of the organisation, they have to be weeded out through that organisation’ rules and regulations,'' Labor's Cairns vice president Mike Bailey said. ''Traill is no different.''

Owsley "Bear" Stanley- father of LSD

The elderly 76-year-old man, who was killed on the weekend whilst driving on the Kennedy Highway between Davies Creek and Koah, was an infamous former underground LSD cook.

The New York Daily Times said Owsley Stanley, simply known as "Bear", was probably the first private individual to manufacture LSD.

• ''Between 1965 and 1967 he produced more than 1.25 million doses of LSD—a catalyst for the emergence of the hippie movement
  
  ... [was] at the centre of the rock and drug scene in San Francisco in the 1960s.
  
  ...the former manager of the Grateful Dead, an LSD guru who turned on thousands of people in San Francisco in the 1960s and provided the substances for the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour.
  
  One of his achievements was as the Grateful Dead's sound man for several years, who he pioneered the live recording of performances onto albums (Bear dates from pre-CD days). The album History of the Grateful Dead, Vol 1 released in 1973 was subtitled "Bear's Choice".
  
  But his bigger contribution to the psychedelic era was in drug production. Working out of an old chemistry book from the University of California at Berkeley in San Francisco, he produced more than a million doses of LSD, to the extent where he was described yesterday by Celeb Stoner as "San Francisco's first acid chemist".
  
  In the emerging acid rock scene of the time he became the supplier of choice for many musicians. Jim Hendrix's "Purple Haze" was allegedly inspired by Stanley's product.
  
  He did two years prison for marijuana possession in the early 1970s, and about 20 years ago, fearful of a new ice age, he left the US and emigrated to North Queensland, where he pursued an all-meat diet and sold enamel sculptures on the internet.

Makes the Police statement on the weekend that described Bear as ''an elderly man in his 70's'' a bit lame.

You really don't know who lives in our own back yard. Goes to show, you can't judge a face by it's cover - there's always a colourful story hidden below the surface.

Cairns' prices are almost as high as New Zealand now. WTF?

Prince William will visit Cairns. Pass the butler please

The heir to the British Throne, Prince William, will be in Cairns later this week.

Are you excited, or would you wish for Oprah again?

Outspoken Cairns Labor unionist removed from meeting ahead of expulsion today

One of Labor's most outspoken and charismatic members in Queensland, local Electrical Trades Union organiser, Stuey Traill, is expected to be removed from the Labor Party at tonight's meeting of the administration community.

Traill, who has been a member of the Australian Labor Party since 2005, was removed from a party meeting yesterday, ahead of tonight's vote that will consider his expulsion, along with fellow unionist, Peter Simpson.

Stuey Traill, who has been publicly critical of his party since Labor was re-elected in Queensland two years ago, when they reneged on their Party's Platform, to not privatise State assets. Traill has repeatedly spoken out about what he sees as hypocritical.

Stuey Traill and Peter Simpson have been found guilty of conspiring to form another political party, following reports that the Electrical Trades Union will consider if they will remain a member of the Labor Party.

Traill has said that the story around forming a new party is ''bullshit,'' ''..and the ALP knows it.''

Yesterday's branch meeting at Brother's League Club in Cairns, took a vote if Traill should remain, whilst his membership was still being considered. Mike Bailey of the Australian Workers Union was the proponent to remove the outspoken Stuey Traill. Bailey is commonly known as Bill Ludwick's stooge in Cairns. Ludwig is head of the AWU faction in the party and also a member of the ALP National Executive. Mike Bailey, as acting chair of the meeting, had previously stepped aside as branch president, so Tim Grau could take on the role to give profile before being selected as the Cairns candidate and Boyle's replacement.

Traill's party membership is still current, yet there is heightened tension around today's administration committee meeting that will consider the memberships of Trail and Simpson.

There is likely to be some discussion around this membership issue, however Traill is still a fully paid-up member of the ALP.

''I thought it would be important that I attended the branch meeting,'' Traill told CairnsBlog. ''Then Mike Bailey rules [to remove me]."

Sitting Cairns MP Desley Boyle arrived just as Stuey Traill was asked to leave the meeting.

"I asked Boyle to speak in favour of a motion that if I am expelled, that my [membership] money to be donated to the Cyclone Yasi appeal." Traill said yesterday. ''I don't want the stinking ALP, if they expel me, to have one cent of my money.''

Traill told the meeting as he was leaving that the ALP was established as a political voice of the trade unions movement, not the other way around.

"This is a disgraceful day in ALP history,'' Stuey Traill said as he left the meeting. ''You continue to tell us how to do our job. It will always be the other way around. Have a look whats going on in Japan right now. Once you get rid of us out of the ALP and the AWU gets control of the conference floor, we'll end up with uranium mining and power stations in our back yards. ''

Mike Bailey was challenged why Stuey Trail couldn't remain in yesterday's meeting. However there is significant support for the popular and vocal Traill, who attracts a strong following from the core of the party.

"There is a last ditch attempt to save Stuey," a party member of 15 years told CairnsBlog in confidence, amid a vow of secrecy in speaking publicly whilst the expulsion is being considered. "They are that sensitive about anyone speaking about this, but he has a huge amount of support in local Labor. There's absolutely no doubt about that. They don't want to see him go. Some may think he's outspoken or controversial, but a lot of them are saying is does not warrant kicking him out."

Similar membership terminations have also been underway in the local LNP with various expulsions, including Vic Black, who was a candidate for pre-selection as a candidate for the seat of Cairns.

"People are really rallying for Stuey, and they are saying these are the causes we need to stick to and people like Stuey speak up," the party member said.

It is understood that the party's ruling disputes committee has already made a decision to terminate Stuey Traill's membership, and today's administration committee will just rubber stamp it. However in the last week there has been some fierce lobbying to the party hierarchy to not go ahead with the membership terminations, with many believing it is destruction to the party.

"Brisbane is saying 'let's get rid of him, he's a trouble-maker' but that's not what the majority in Cairns want or are saying," the local member said late yesterday. "Stuey has a lot of support in the local media up here, and he has something worthwhile to say."

Search and rescue Tongue Reef, near Port Douglas

A search and rescue mission was mounted late this evening for three men that were found clinging to an upturned boat, near Tongue Reef, east of Port Douglas.

The powerboat belongs to a Kewarra Beach resident, and had taken on-board water and capsized just before 5pm Sunday evening.

The three men, all safe and well, were recovered at 6.30pm and returned to Port Douglas. Police are now investigating whether an offence under the Marine Safety Act has occurred.

Winning, a aong by Charlie Sheen

Missing teenager, Machans Beach, Cairns

Cairns Police are asking for help after a 13-year-old boy from Machans Beach went missing last Wednesday.

Declan Crouch left school on Wednesday afternoon on a bus from Hoare Street, Manunda around 3pm. Hi school bag and uniform were found at his at Machans Beach home.

There are now serious concerns for he safety and family say it is out of character for him not to make contact.

He is described as around 170cm tall with a slim build and collar length brown hair usually worn over his eyes. He may be wearing black or maroon basketball shorts and a black t-shirt.

• Please call Crimestoppers 1800 333 000

70-year-old killed near Koah

An elderly man, driving on the Kennedy Highway between Davies Creek and Koah late yesterday, swerved off the road, and collided with trees.

Passerby tried to assist the man and woman trapped in the vehicle, however the man died at the scene. The woman sustained minor injuries and was transported to the Cairns Based Hospital.