BUNCH OF SNAKES IN THE GRASS

THE powers that be in the form of the Queensland Electoral Commission might like to rename the seat of Burdekin for a third time.

It went from Burdekin to McMaster in this year’s electoral redistribution and then, when there was an outcry, it was quickly reinstated as Burdekin, even though down in the nether regions at places like Dysart and Middlemount they wouldn’t know the Burdekin if they fell over it. A compromise could be reached. There is a creek near the Sonoma coal mine just to the west of Collinsville called Carpet Snake Creek. The 33,796 voters across this 78,681sq km electorate might be happier if it was changed to the electorate of Carpet Snake. You have to admit, it has a certain ring to it… You can hear the Speaker asking, “Would the Member for Carpet Snake please stand and tell the chamber what he was doing with his secretary at the Mt Coolon pub on the night of July 4?”

In media statements the Honourable Member could pontificate and bellow… The Member for Carpet Snake Horatio Backdoorer said he wasn’t one- eyed and wasn’t a snake in the grass and that the money he was seen taking from a developer in the dimly lit back corner of a suburban shopping centre car park on Saturday night was in fact his winnings from that evening’s Monopoly game.

The Member for Carpet Snake said he was outraged by Opposition suggestions that he was ‘ on the take’ and was seeking legal advice. OK, that was pretty easy. That’s it, done and dusted. The electorate of Burdekin is now officially the electorate of Carpet Snake. So, all you little carpet snakes out there better remember to vote on November 25.