Chookiegate

Posted on 1 February, 2022 by C.L.

Mike O’Connor savages Annastacia Palaszczuk: Premier exposed as Covid smokescreen clears.

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15 Responses to Chookiegate

C.L. says:

1 February, 2022 at 1:09 pm

The Covid-19 smokescreen is finally clearing, the machinations of the Government which rule the Sunshine State increasingly laid bare.

For the past two years Covid-19 has been the gift which just kept on giving by dominating the headlines, mesmerising the electorate and providing the Queensland Government with the perfect distraction.

The keeping-Queensland-safe mantra was the chant with which the political day began and ended, all hail Queen Anna and never mind any pesky questioning about secret health advice, politically inspired lockdowns and border closures and shameless scare tactics.

The Government was still clinging desperately to the strategy last week, batting away serious questions about a lack of propriety, integrity and transparency by saying that it was far too busy dealing with the pandemic to be bothered with such trivia.

The daily press conferences still roll out the Covid-19 statistics, accompanied by appropriately sombre expressions in the belief that people are still burning candles at the government’s altar for saving them from the doomsday modelling that was trotted out.

That Queensland taxpayers picked up the tab for modelling that was so wildly inaccurate that you could be forgiven for thinking that the figures for projected hospitalisations were arrived at by picking a number out of a hat and multiplying it by 10 does not seem to have been seen as an issue.

These Nostradamus-like forecasts were treated as sacred writ, their failure to be realised due to the maternal embrace of the government.

The game’s up now. The statistics are still being megaphoned to the people but the clouds of protective smoke they once provided have gone.

It’s back to the reality of good governance, and dismissive utterances that the Premier and her ministers are too busy saving us all no longer cut it.

You don’t need to be student of politics to appreciate that there is something seriously amiss when it becomes apparent that the public service has become seriously politicised and compromised.

The failings of government are deleted or hidden and potential whistleblowers are worried into silence.

To act with impartiality and give frank and fearless advice is to commit professional suicide. Keep your head down, do as you’re told and keep saying ”Yes, Minister” becomes the credo.

The revelations of recent weeks – the resignations of the State Archivist and the Integrity Commissioner and the circumstances surrounding them suggest that we are moving back to the bad old days of the Bjelke-Petersen government and there are more than enough of us still around who remember them.

A laptop belonging to the Integrity Commissioner seized and files deleted by the Public Service Commission without her knowledge?

What was on it to justify that? It’s a fair bet that it wasn’t her favourite recipe for lasagne or her shopping list.

According to its website, the role of the Public Service Commission is to “collaborate with Queensland Government agencies to achieve our vision—a high-performing, future-focused public sector that is distinguished by its capability, impartiality and professionalism in serving the Queensland Government and community.”

Really? Then why is it acting like the secret police?

This Government is averse to criticism of any kind, the standard position being to brush aside questions or provide non-answers.

It is this attitude that has been on display in recent days with the Premier responding to quite reasonable calls for an inquiry into these matters, which go to the very heart of government, by airily dismissing them with the claim that ”I think the people of Queensland know me. They know I work every single day to uphold their values to keep them safe and look after their families.”

The Premier, it seems, has now become the self-anointed Mother Teresa of Queensland politics and blessed are those who find themselves so fortunate as to be wrapped in her mantle.

Without disparaging the abilities of Tony Fitzgerald in any way, yesterday’s announcement of an inquiry to be chaired by him into the Crime and Conduct Commission is an attempt by the Government to divert attention away the deep malaise that infects it.

The Cabinet is comprised largely of unemployable lightweights who’d juggle chainsaws if their union bosses so decreed, so we shouldn’t expect any sudden conversion to the principles of open government there.

It will have to come from the top, and if it is not forthcoming then there will be a price to be paid.

How do I know this? As a former Queensland premier was wont to say, “Don’t you worry about that.”

———–

In The Courier Mail
Chris M says:

1 February, 2022 at 1:26 pm

Excellent Mike – or would have been about a year ago. While the govt payments and big advertising spend was coming through ‘journalists’ were happy to remain silent and repeat only the instructed mantra.

modelling that was so wildly inaccurate…

The govt pays for the outcome they desire. The results are a given before any modelling begins.

The game’s up now.

It was up long ago, only the media have been propping up the sham. And they continue to do so. How’s the excess death rate numbers Mike? Any interest in investigating that? And the Ivermectin studies most of which show high efficacy? Oh, you say your Fizzer payments are still coming through?
C.L. says:

1 February, 2022 at 1:29 pm

Great point, Chris.
That’s what I was thinking.
The Courier Mail has been running a protection racket for the Chook for two years. No wonder the rot flourished.
Lee says:

1 February, 2022 at 1:30 pm

Things are no better here in Victoria.

In fact, if CMO Brett Sutton is to be believed (and I believe he should be), Dictator Dan isn’t even taking advice from him on key issues now.

Secrecy has shrouded the reasoning behind Victorian government Covid policy and laws since Day 1.

So much for open and transparent government.

Of course, Dictator Dan would never misuse Covid for political purposes, oh no!
Boambee John says:

1 February, 2022 at 2:40 pm

We’ll know that PalaceChook has completed her transition when she starts referring to her press conferences as “Feeding the chooks”.
Ed Case says:

1 February, 2022 at 3:33 pm

The nJo0keb worked quite well, the cops kept everything un der control and some of them raked off a bit of graft.
From memory, there were 3 fatal Police Shooting in 20 years
The Fittzgerald Inquiry created a vacuum and since then there’s been a collapse in Law and Order.
Remember

“Police shouldn’t be investigating Police!”

Now it all gets referred to a Fitzgerald recommended Star Chamber, 6 months later the verdict comes in:

“Hey, it’s cool bananas, nothing to see here.”
Old Lefty says:

1 February, 2022 at 7:30 pm

Anaesthesia Bjelke-Palacechook?
Ed Case says:

1 February, 2022 at 7:34 pm

The recently retired CCC boss has been investigating LNP Councillors for years, never found anything, destroyed their lives.
Bushkid says:

1 February, 2022 at 8:25 pm

They know I work every single day to uphold their values to keep them safe and look after their families.”

Last time I checked, old Anna’s values are sufficiently below my own that I want no part of them; I look after my own family, and I keep myself safe – mostly from bloody government!

I was astonished at the people who trotted out the line around the time of the election in 2020 that the old bat was “keeping them safe”. Utterly astonishing that anyone should think it was the premier’s place to presume to do so, but she trotted out that line repeatedly. Nauseatingly, in fact. That the means of “keeping people safe” was so damaging to other vulnerable people makes it even more astonishing. “Queensland hospitals are for Queenslanders” – downright embarrassing!
Baba says:

1 February, 2022 at 8:35 pm

“Hey, it’s cool bananas, nothing to see here.”

S10k per day. $1.2 million. And likely the same for the ‘proven safe’ Alan Wilson.
Not Trampis says:

2 February, 2022 at 7:32 am

Any Government which has been in for two terms needs to be voted out.
What is happening in Qld is little different to NSW or Victoria.

all the governments needs to be kicked out.
Boambee John says:

2 February, 2022 at 9:22 am

OMG, two sensible statements from Non Mentis in just a few days (albeit he has walked the one about the AOTY being a waste of time back since he originally made it).

But his punctuation has again slipped.
Not Trampis says:

2 February, 2022 at 12:13 pm

Excuse me I have NEVER supported Australian of the year and never will. Nor have I ever supported any sort of honours as well.

As we see at both State and Federal level when parties are in government for more than two terms they run out of ideas, think the public money is their own etc.
Being in Opposition should sharpen up their ideas whether left or right.
Boambee John says:

2 February, 2022 at 3:06 pm

Non Mentis

From the Fraught Bubble link.

More shallow thinking again. The point about Tame is did she raise the issue of sexual assault on minors. Yes she did. It will be the same for present incumbent

You imply that Tame being AOTY allowed her to “raise the issue of sexual assault on minors”. She was hardly the first to raise the issue, and had been hard at it well before becoming AOTY. Implying that being AOTY gave her this opportunity looks like a (very weak) attempt to defend the award.

PS, poor sentence construction by you in the quote. I doubt that the current AOTY will focus on sexual assault on minors.
Shy Ted says:

3 February, 2022 at 3:12 pm

I pulled a Courier mail out of the bin cos I couldn’t believe the headline. 180 degree turn around from the previous protection racket. Still on board with Convid though so it’s all selective.