Acting on instructions from Melbourne's mild mannered political commentator Pete Steedman we went looking for a copy of the April edition of The Monthly magazine , which he said contains extensive coverage of Adani and the way coal has captured politics .
On going to a newsagency in the Townsville area , the magazine could not be seen on the racks . This in a place where the Townsville City Council had offered to give more than $18million to Adani in the belief it would bring riches to the Queen City of the North . The newsagent said , yes , it was there , on a particular stand , which he pointed out . No magazine could be found . Down this end , we were directed by the owner , who could not see it from the counter . No .
However , hidden under other investment magazines , there it was, at the top , displaying a nude man hugging coal , the caption : Holding on to madness. How infatuation is keeping Adani's mine alive .The story of coal as it captured our politics .
There were two possibilities : offended by the nudity , someone had covered it up with other publications ; to keep locals in the dark about Adani , the issue poorly covered by the local media , especially in the Townsville Bulletin , it had been buried .
Gasp !!! Maiden aunts be warned. On opening the magazine , there was another partly clad , tubby gent , also embracing coal, below , who at first glance looked like a certain frequent flying Queensland politician.
This second serving of flesh may have been the reason why the magazine was hastily covered up in the paper shop by a prudish browser.
On the other hand , if the intention was to keep the locals in the dark over coal you can understand when you read the extensive , balanced coverage in The Monthly . The cover story is by critic and author James Bradley with an associated contribution , A Tale of Ruthless Ambition , dealing with Adani , by Hartosh Bal , political editor of the Indian monthly magazine, The Caravan .
