As far as is known , there is no Russian involvement in the unravelling fierce political fight for the battleground state of Queensland , this gleaming white piece of real estate in Townsville , the frequently up for lease or sale Queensland Building, in the nightclub precinct where our Shipping Reporter spends much time trying to read his scribbled notes , part of the booty .
Townsville , Queen City of the North , is where Julian Assange of Wikileaks was born , so you cannot rule out the possibility that the Russkies are trying to influence the election outcome in the vital marginal seat of Herbert , which has a pub named after it .
What cannot be denied , however, is the fact that an oriental technique was used on Magnetic Island , in the RSL of all places , to determine the order in which candidates for Herbert delivered speeches at a political forum . The vice president of the Magnetic Island Residents and Ratepayers Association, Ewe Cheng Khoo , a walking encyclopedia on aviation and tourism , who should take part in Mastermind ,with links to Singapore, shuffled items to determine the order of speakers.
Acoustics during the forum were not the best, which could indicate the meeting was being bugged , plus the fact that this correspondent needs a hearing aid . A woman asked what a Shorten Government would do to stop Australia being taken over by China , India and Sri Lanka . The sitting Member for Herbert , Cathy O'Toole (ALP ) , said the party was watching the situation closely and that the questioner should ask the LNP candidate the next time he is seen about how the government gave the port of Darwin to the Chinese .
At the time , dear readers will recall , the Pentagon was , to say the least, gobsmacked . " Kick ass!" was heard in the corridors of power . President Obama , through clenched teeth , said it would have been nice for Canberra , with all its talk of securing the borders , to have alerted America it intended giving Darwin to a Chinese company .
At the time , dear readers will recall , the Pentagon was , to say the least, gobsmacked . " Kick ass!" was heard in the corridors of power . President Obama , through clenched teeth , said it would have been nice for Canberra , with all its talk of securing the borders , to have alerted America it intended giving Darwin to a Chinese company .
