DEMERGER ON AGENDA
THE threats to members who speak their minds being drummed out of the Queensland LNP by a party hierarchy many are saying is out of touch with regional Queensland could have deep ramifications. There is talk of a “demerger” ( beautiful word isn’t it?) of the Libs and Nats. The two parties merged in 2008. Departing Queensland Senator George Brandis threw petrol on the demerger fire when he called for the Libs and Nats to each go their own way. Mr Brandis ( above) and his supporters believe a demerger would once again reunite the National Party with its bush constituency. He and others argue that One Nation and Katter’s Australian Party will never be repelled in the bush while the Libs and the Nats are joined at the hip, mouth, hands and feet. The argument is that while they are in this merged state, the doors are left open for KAP and One Nation to run amok. Meanwhile, back in the cane paddocks of North Queensland the call is going out for a breakaway party that in essence will be a refurbished and independent National Party. One name already mentioned is the North Australia Alliance. SEE, this is what happens when you retire and you have too much time on your hands. You sit down under the mango tree with the postcode book early one morning and before you know it its getting dark. You’ve spent all day reading a postcode book. My mate up at Cardwell Les Harris used to be a snake wrangler. People got a taipan or a brown in the kitchen, they wouldn’t holler for a 12 gauge. They’d holler for Les.
Khaki- clad Les was showing Joe Blakes the door before anyone had THERE’S gold in them thar hills of Charters Towers. A few weeks before Christmas a prospector using a metal detector found a nugget weighing 1.1763kg. The finding of the nugget, which was apparently sold for $ 60,000, was confirmed but the prospector remained anonymous.
They are shy, retiring types these blokes who find the big nuggets. Just before Christmas there was another big find. A prospector, once again using a metal detector, found a nugget near Charters Towers weighing a whopping 5.1kg. I’m told he sold it to a collector for $ 250,000.
Not a bad day’s work. heard of Steve Irwin. Les ( above) used to even go over to Hinchinbrook Island and lecture nudists at their annual convention on snakes and native plants.
He would be up on stage in his khakis and they’d all be sitting in chairs or lounging against posts in their birthday suits, captivated. Anyway, Les had a fall, hurt his hip and now his snake wrangling days are over.
And the nudists have gone. But … there’s postcodes. LOCAL bloke Colin Dwyer came across our Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce ( pictured) and a companion swimming in the Rockpool on Boxing Day.
Colin said Barnaby was doing the butterfly, but intimated that the Deputy PM was in no danger of being selected to represent Australia at this year’s Commonwealth Games.
Apparently Barnaby was driving south on the Bruce Highway and stopped in for a dip.
It could mean road funding for the North is on the way. And perhaps he might throw some money our way for a Rockpool upgrade.
As Mr Dwyer pointed out, our Rockpool is fourth rate when compared with what Cairns and Airlie Beach have to offer.