6 May 2005

Comrade Stanhope calls us all hypocrites, again.

| johnboy
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In his ongoing attempts to portray himself as a humourless loony with no sense of probity our Brave Leader has put out a media release “proving” that Liberal MLA Wild Bill Stefaniak is also a graffitist. Mr Stanhope would seem to be hoping that when we see the error of our ways we’ll agree that young Aidan Bruford should be allowed to continue his glittering career as an ALP apparatchik.

Sadly the Chief Minister’s lackeys are too busy planning a New Jerusalem to put the media release online but I’ve gone to trouble of learning a whole bunch of new programs on my shiny new laptop to bring you the contents. Firstlly we have the incriminating evidence:

Stefaniak caught in the act

If you are completely insane (in addition to being a moral relativist) you might well equate a gesture like this, in daylight, for publication in a major daily newspaper, with repeated clandestine spray painting.

The gobsmacking text below again leaves half a doubt in my mind if the Chief Minister isn’t being very, very funny, or if he’s just stark raving bonkers.

GOVERNMENT CALLS ON SMYTH TO DISCIPLINE STEFANIAK OVER GRAFFITI INCIDENT

Chief Minister Jon Stanhope has called on Opposition Leader Brendan Smyth to explain how he intends to respond to photographic evidence that Liberal MLA Bill Stefaniak apparently defaced public property during his time as Education Minister.

“In the Legislative Assembly yesterday the Opposition moved a motion calling on me to get tough on graffiti vandals. One of those speaking in favour of that motion was Bill Stefaniak, who argued that there was no excuse for anti-social behaviour, and that people ought to be held responsible for their own actions.

“Yet in 1995, at a time when he was Education Minister in this city, a time during which he ought to have been setting a behavioural example for the young people of this Territory, Mr Stefaniak was instead apparently out on the streets defacing public property in order to make a political statement.

“Not only that, he had the arrogance to allow himself to be photographed committing the offence, knowing that the photograph would end up on the pages of the local paper the next day. Obviously, there is one rule for ordinary Canberrans and another for Mr Stefaniak.

“What are we to make of Mr Stefaniak‘s political future, in light of Opposition Leader Brendan Smyth’s unequivocal statement last month about the standards he expects of his team? Mr Smyth was at pains to put on the public record that as Leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party in the ACT he had told MLAs and staff in no uncertain terms that improper behaviour would not be tolerated and that they would face serious consequences if found behaving in an improper manner.

“How does Mr Smyth plan to respond to this apparent lapse of judgment by Mr Stefaniak? Surely, in light of his recent comments about the standards he expects of his team, and his frequently expressed outrage at the offence of graffiti in particular, he will have to act, and act quickly.

“Mr Stefaniak can expect little support from his Liberal colleagues in the Assembly. The Opposition spokesman on Urban Services Steve Pratt yesterday called on my Government to deal with those who engage in graffiti in a way that will act as a deterrent to others. He said that an example must be made of those arrested and that there should be no more cautions or slaps on the wrist. He even suggested that most graffiti artists deserved to be sentenced to weekend detention,

“Does Mr Pratt believe that his Liberal colleague Mr Stefaniak ought to be fronting up to Symonston this weekend?”

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Hey sam, is that supposition, or do you speak from experience?

Not having a go… just curious.

Samuel Gordon-Stewart12:47 am 08 May 05

I seem to recall that when Bill wrote on signs, he cleaned them afterwards.

Samuel

Canberra_unsung_hero3:33 pm 06 May 05

I’ve got a bike with genuine 3 speed STURMEY ARCHER hub gears !

Bike riders don’t pay rego fees (not as far as I know) -yet an incredibly expensive bike path is being custommade through the entire city at the expense of everyone else (taxpayers, that is). I have had to drive twice today through the chaos and confusion around Woden, all so a few cyclists can be assured of “their” cycleway. Canberra had perfectly adequate bikepaths previously – this is just a tokenistic gesture by a Chief Minister gone mad. And, Ferret, “educated but incredibly stupid Bruford ?” well, I’ll grant you ‘incredibly stupid’ IMHO education generally instills tolerance and respect for public and/or private property.

“Plus, knowing how newspaper photographers work, he was probably told by the photographer what to do.”

Knowing how they work, you’d know that Stefaniak’s media advisor would have set up a meeting at the sign (photographers don’t make the trip out to some random sign without being assured there’s a good photo opportunity in it), so it’s pretty clear they had the stunt planned from the beginning.

Growling Ferret1:13 pm 06 May 05

Stanhope has lost any public sympathy by standing by this idiot.

A few years ago, Stanhope had Canberra on his side – the rescue of the helicopter pilot, his promise to take responsibility for ESB’s failings during the bushfires – they both garnered respect for the bloke.

Now two years on – we have a city without enough money for hospital beds, but $14m for a bike track and dragway. A busway that will be used by 1% of the population. Horrendous cycle lanes that will be used by .1% of the population, and will result in the inevitable death of a cyclist. Idiot ministers such as Corbell out of touch, running a Dept that is alienating anyone planning to build anything on private land – but approving commercial monstrosities on every square inch they can find to the detriment of people lving their lives day to day…

And then Stanhope stands up for an idiot advisor. The educated but incredibly stupid Bruford has copped his sentance, it should be end of story. And now this – what the hell is Stanhope on. Get back in touch with Canberra you clown, or you could be remembered as the most incompetant MLA since Denis Stephenson…

I’d just like to point out that in that picture, Bill Stefaniak doesn’t appear to be holding a spray can. He might be holding a pen or pencil, but I have serious doubts about how effective either of these would be in graffitiing a metal street sign. Plus, knowing how newspaper photographers work, he was probably told by the photographer what to do (wouldn’t that make the photographer an accomplice in this crime according to our esteemed leader?) and not thought the stunt up himself.
Just my opinion, however wrong it may be deemed.
K

i havent voted liberal for over ten years!

im hardly a shill.

Randomwanker11:44 am 06 May 05

Bonfire: “the libs and nats rarely do this often because instead of being professional activists they are building small businesses etc.”

Oh, so funny. The shrill trill of a liberal party shill.

i’d bet a slab that anons are often alp staffers or as marx would call them, useful fools.

its long been an alp strategy to infiltrate all levels of ‘community’ and other similar groups to control policy and prime future leaders. part of this is also to control perceptions. the libs and nats rarely do this often because instead of being professional activists they are building small businesses etc. of course having this army of unpaid workers means that all avenues of publicity are observed incl blogs. incorrect perceptions can be countered with corrected views.

i doubt we will see the levels of spin on a blog that we would see in a newspaper, but as blog influence grows i wouldnt discount it.

The Budget AND Boy Bruford’s sentencing.

Canberra_unsung_hero9:10 am 06 May 05

I can assure you that johnboy and Canberra Unsung Hero are most certainly not the same person…. check out “My Space” ( just click on my name ) and you’ll see what I mean.

He’s trying to shift attention away from the budget.

And I thought that there would be more efforts by the Chief to explain the recent budget…digging up an article from the bowels of the press clipping archives that the ALP have amassed over the decades just displays how insignificant we must look to rest of Australia.

Mr Stanhope, please stick to running the local council, that’s what the public (voted on) expect you to do.

Also, as the picture was in the paper and no-one minded at the time, I think we can safely conclude the public don’t view the two things as equal.

Furthermore Bill has been re-elected, despite the public being aware of his “actions”. So it is normal to consider such a member forgiven by the electorate.

Wasn’t me, Canberra Unsung’s been making contributions to the site for a little while now which is more than I can say for you.

Once again you think similar actions are absolutely equal.

I hope you never have a position of responsibility.

If he wanted to make a statement, he could have just SAID it!

And come on Johnboy, you can’t post twice under different names to agree with yourself! That’s just sad!

I too had thought this was something we might all have wanted to put behind us.

Canberra_unsung_hero10:54 pm 05 May 05

If I was the Chief Minister’s adviser,I would have strongly urged him not to go ahead with publishing the above article on “grafitti vandalism”, because it has the potential do do him more harm than good.

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