Do I see a pattern developing here?

Further to my post yesterday and earlies ones in a similar vane, comes this story today. 

Do I detect developing evidence of a bullying culture in our Armed Forces?  I'd call it a scandal but I wonder if The Bulletin and the rest of the mainstream media (MSM) will?

Worth a read

10 stories to make you think (or chuckle)

1. Now here's an investment that might actually get people into Townsville's down-town ghost-town mall would be a damn sight cheaper than the $56.6m being spent on the current redevelopment
2. And I thought The Bulletin was good at yoof bashing: Pot Holes in Crack Alley
3. Just in case you didn't see deputy opposition leader Julie Bishop on Q&A this week- Respect Her Religious Beliefs Or She Will Eat Your Soul (Via The Orstrahyun).  See also this Facebook page
4. Is the national curriculum a Marxist plot?
5. My dream car runs on coffee and I'd much rather see this going around in circles on Reid Park than dinosaur V8s
6. And I thought The Bulletin was good at beat-ups: News Ltd beat up (it's a Murdoch thing it seems)
7. This is even more stupid and un-news-worthy than the Michael Clarke/Laura Bingle rubbish that has been filling the mainstream media all week: Boyfriend of Brumby's daughter ejected from casino
8. Americans are weird: cheese made from breast milk
9. No, Americans are really stupid!  This is presumably what they mean when they say that "it's not guns that kill people, it's people that kill people"
10. Australia's boat people "problem" put into perspective

Finally! Townsville gets a uefull racing venue

Great news today that, having realised that the $30 million Reed Park race track has within a year turned into a white elephant, Townsville City Council has decided to invest in a race track that is likely to be used 365 days a year – much better value-for-money than the 5 days a year that Les’ memorial dinosaur racing venue used.

The battle when you're not having a battle

So, the first battle for Herbert begins.

Both Jenny Hill and Tony Mooney have nominated for ALP preselection and we learn today that, contrary to previous reports from ALP state office, the preselection decision is to be made by the national executive of the party and not by local members.

From what I’m hearing around the traps,

When bullying isn't bullying in The Bully

Further to my earlier posts on how the bullying issues gets dealt with in the press (e.g. here and here), we see today in The Bulletin, the tragic death of Pte Benjamin Pape at Lavarack Barracks in 2008 dealt with in a very sympathetic and non judgmental way – as it should be.

However their “Soldier's final goodbye” headline clearly ignored the import of the final paragraphs in Emily Macdonald’s piece:

Breaking News: Some Bullsh*t Happening Somewhere

This is very funny (warning: some of the language is a bit strong so turn down the speakers if the boss is near).

I wonder if a broadsheet version could be done to ape The Bulletin?

Fron The Onion via Murdoch's The Punch

Townsville Council - leaders in change management? I don't think so

Expect yet another reorganisation within Council soon – probably around budget time.

It seems that staff are beginning to learn of changes to their jobs and positions in the organisation but in typical Council style it appears that it is being managed appallingly.

I hear that staff are one day learning that they are to “lose their job” and are then being left hanging for a few days before it is explained that they are actually being shifted to a new function or position in the organisation.

World heritage values or the value of the round ball?

I gather that The Bulletin isn’t too impressed with the cost to Council of bringing rubbish to the mainland from Magnetic Island once the current land-fill dump is closed (“Townsville City Council will have to fork out $900,000 a year to transport waste off World Heritage-listed Magnetic Island”)

I can’t help but wonder whether they will call for a study of the cost-benefit to the city of keeping our one major tourist attraction in good shape compared to similar expenditure on subsidising the big end of town's tax write-offs for marketing expenditure and trying to keep The Fury from moving to Cairns (let alone the added value to the views from, and property values of, Yarrawonga).

The race is on – But who will the Bulletin back?

So the Bulletin has discovered that both Jenny Hill and Tony Mooney will run for ALP preselection for Herbert.

Local ALP members of course worked this out a while ago when Mooney started sending out letters seeking support.

As for Wetherup’s speculation that recent ALP rule changes “could have a major impact on how local members vote, and even a locally preferred candidate could lose” – I really don’t follow. It has always been the case that a locally preferred candidate could lose if their vote was overturned by the electoral council.

Exactly who is the CMC protecting? Certainly not Mulrunji's dignity or memory

Readers are no doubt aware of the current/new Coroner's Inquiry into the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee at the hands (and knees and feet) of Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley in the Palm Island watch house on November 19, 2004 - a bit over half of my son's lifetime ago.

While, other than to point to this excellent recent summary of the history by Jeff Waters, a Senior Correspondent for the ABC's Australia Network television news service, I will (probably) reserve comment until the results of the current inquiry are released.

BUT, in the meantime, I would remind readers of the scandalous and never-ending delay in the release of the Queensland Crime and Misconduct Commission’s probe into “the dodgy police investigation into the death” – an inquiry that started (as best as I can find) in December 2004 – that’s 5 years and 3 months ago.

It certainly wouldn’t have taken the CMC over 5 years if it had been Chris Hurley who had died on the watch house floor that night!

I recommend following Monique Bond who is blogging on the current hearing.

See also my earlier post here and my racism taged posts here