Bugger Off Beattie & Where is Kevin Rudd?

Clare Mildren is a mother, a country woman, a primary producer, and she is also vehemently opposed to forced local government amalgamation. Clare Mildren is also a councilor on Eidsvold Shire Council, and after the Red Friday Rally in Gayndah, there is no doubt about her opinion of the Beattie Government's Local Government Reform Process. In fact the sentiment regarding the Beattie Government's position was quite clear. What is less clear, is Kevin Rudd's position on Local Government Reform in Queensland. It is clear that Rudd is not in favour of amalgamation, this has been on the public record more than once. However has he been able to gain any traction on this matter?

There is no doubt that for Mr Rudd to win office he must pick up seats in Queensland. However if amalgamation continues as planned it is difficult to imagine those crucial seats will come his way.

Red Friday - The Burnett Strikes Back

This is a new improved version of a previous video with a similar title. Apologies to Carl Rackemann for that little typo in the previous video.

On the 17th of April the Beattie government launched a preemptive strike on rural Queensland, when they announced that the voluntary "Size, Shape, and Sustainability" process to local government reform had been replaced by a rapid, forced, and undemocratic process. On Friday the 8th of June, Red Friday, the people of the Burnett struck back, holding a protest march in Gayndah.

Approximately 500 people met to listen to a bevvy of formal and informal speeches. The discussions revealed many important facts and a groundswell of sentiment, however two key points emerged.

The people of the Burnett are not prepared to idly accept the Local Government Reform process and secondly that the group gathered in Gayndah which to progress their protest in a robust fashion.

Below is a new improved video bringing out some of the main points of the day. Stay tuned for more videos and information over the coming days.

Red Friday - Hobbs shoots holes in Amalgamation

At the Red Friday Rally in Gayndah, Member for Warrego, Howard Hobbs fired a volley of shots into the Beattie government's case for Local Government Amalgamation. After the Hobbs bombing raid, the Local Government Reform process and the logic behind it were left in tatters.

Red Friday - A poem by Kathy Duff

Well the Red Friday rally in Gayndah went off very well. The success of the day can be attributed to many people, one person who contributed in no small what was Cr Kathy Duff from Wondai Shire Council. If you read our earlier post you will know that Kathy wrote a Red Friday poem. You may not know that the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, Fiona Simpson MP was due to table the poem in Parliament today (make that yesterday, i just saw the time). At this stage we do not know if Ms Simpson was able to table the poem before being ejected from the house. So just to be sure here is a video of Cr Duff reading her poem "Red Friday"

The Full Churchill Speech

Here is the full Churchill speech at the Red Friday Rally in Gayndah.

Cr Glen Churchill is the National candidate for the new federal seat of Flynn he spoke strongly at the Red Friday Rally in Gayndah.

Churchill drops an LGAQ bomb on Beattie government

National party candidate for the new Federal seat of Flynn, Cr Glenn Churchill dropped a bombshell at Gayndah's Red Friday rally today. Churchill, a member of the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAC)executive, revealed that an independent review of the Treasury's analysis of Queensland Councils had been commissioned by the LQAG and would be handed down in the next week. Cr Churchill said the report will counter claims that 46% of councils are financially weak. "When the report comes out the premier, and his ministers will have egg on their face!"