Of the many lessons from the Queensland state election for the Turnbull Coalition and the LNP , just two are that the proposed Adani coalmine - still strongly supported by the hysterical Feds - has been soundly rejected by Australian voters and the vast Murdoch media machine is becoming increasingly impotent , evident since the snap election in England where it rubbished the Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn mercilessly and the Tories just scraped home .
The mere fact that the three incumbent ALP members in the vital Townsville region were reelected in the state election despite the massive pro Adani attack of the Murdoch owned Townsville Bulletin , the strange decision by the Townsville City Council to give $18.5million to Adani for a FIFO airport and activists and anyone else against Adani , including concerned grannies , were ridiculed speaks volumes.The paper and the Murdoch Brisbane Courier Mail , accused Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of being off the rails, in harness with the Greens, etc, etc, etc.
The erroneous belief that Adani is a sure election winner for the desperate Turnbull Government and the LNP is clear in this advertisement run in the Townsville Bulletin before the state election .
It is topped by the beaming senior senator Ian Macdonald , given to wearing Hi-Vis clobber in parliament, presumably so that he will stand out on foggy Canberra mornings . In the mug shots of those avid supporters of Adani , only one of the five bottom row was elected in the Queensland state vote , Dale Last , sitting MP for Burdekin .
The incumbent Member for Hinchinbrook, Andrew Cripps , who clashed with anti Adani activists , including veteran Wendy Tubman, lost his seat. Matthew Derlagen , coal lumper from Senator Macdonald's own office , failed to be elected in the seat of Mundingburra . In the seat of Townsville, Casie Scott, a former Darwin journalist , gave the sitting ALP member , Scott Stewart , a run for his money , the slow count of votes would have made an interesting running story for Townsville and Darwin if there was any linkage (doubtful) between the Murdoch papers in both cities, probably not .
In the top row of pix in the advertisement is the federal Member for Dawson , George " Holy Moly " Christensen , without his whip , who is likely to be cast into the fires of Hell and Adani over his exposed desire to bring down Mr Jello-Malcolm Turnbull- and his inner circle of suet puddings .
A whole Italian expensive penny opera could be written about the stance of Rocky Senator Matt Canavan, Minister for Resources and Northern Australia , over his support for Adani and his attitude to NAIF possibly handing out a billion bucks to the project . Umpteen banks won't touch Adani with a barge pole , the Chinese have also said they would not handle it with asbestos lined chopsticks .
In its lampooning of the ALP and anybody against Adani, the Townsville Bulletin ran a front page story referring to activists as MUNGBEAN MILITIA who , shocked readers were informed , included southerners who were known to chain themselves to gates in the nude . Gasp !
Another indication that Adani is electoral dynamite for the conservatives was the television coverage of a public gathering in south east Queensland where nobody put up their hand when asked if any government money should be given Adani . In the interests of being fair and balanced , at a meeting of businessmen in Townsville , everyone put up their hand when asked if they support Adani , which you would expect , the way the Queen city of the North lurches along , with its claques who are not subjected to much in depth questioning and probing .
STOP PRESS : As late as December 8, the Townsville Bulletin was running a front page story attacking Labor , saying it could cancel federal Adani approvals and " the world's largest coal mine could be imperilled. " Surprise, by P5 the paper reported a sudden development under a heading ADANI JOB MEETINGS IN LIMBO Mystery on community sessions. It said Adani jobseeker information sessions in Townsville and on Palm Island had suddenly been rescheduled , the Adani spokesman had not responded to inquiries, and even ran the info that some of China's biggest banks had announced that they do not intend financing Adani ... "Sources suggest this is not make or break for the project and that Adani is investigating other avenues for finance." The editorial declared Townsville business and community leaders were concerned "our political leaders' games " might "scare Adani off once and for all. "
RAY OF SUNSHINE : By December 11 , no mention of the Adani mystery , the Bulletin had a front page story about work starting on a $160million wind turbine and solar farm at Hughenden , just one of several similar projects in the north. Still , the Bulletin gave the impression the election was still running, pointing out LNP leader Tim Nicholls ( now on his way down the coal chute ) had pledged to commission a coal fired plant for the north within 100 days of taking office.
The Bulletin trumpeted Labor's win should not be taken to mean North Queenslanders suddenly don't want coal-fired power...The Queensland government should consider building a "cutting -edge" ( every proposal in Townsville seems to be so described of late ) coal fired plant in the north .
RAY OF SUNSHINE : By December 11 , no mention of the Adani mystery , the Bulletin had a front page story about work starting on a $160million wind turbine and solar farm at Hughenden , just one of several similar projects in the north. Still , the Bulletin gave the impression the election was still running, pointing out LNP leader Tim Nicholls ( now on his way down the coal chute ) had pledged to commission a coal fired plant for the north within 100 days of taking office.
The Bulletin trumpeted Labor's win should not be taken to mean North Queenslanders suddenly don't want coal-fired power...The Queensland government should consider building a "cutting -edge" ( every proposal in Townsville seems to be so described of late ) coal fired plant in the north .
