Now that’s taking responsibility.

Why am I not surprised. And the sad thing is that there is no one of any ability in Stanhope’s government to replace him. This governmnet is a bloody joke.

At least he didn’t shirk it. I’ll give him that, even if I don’t think he should resign for that one discretion.

However, given the unpopularity of the budget and the government at present, is it possible that he too is jumping ship?

This town is in some serious trouble….

Ha, it must have been after lunch.

That explains a lot.

Hehehe… I see that you are well aquainted with that little rumour…

Well I think if he didn’t retire then the government would have copped a lot of flack after getting their high horse about the bill stephoniak issue…

However, given the unpopularity of the budget and the government at present, is it possible that he too is jumping ship?

I doubt it, he so wanted to be a minister and considering his hard right politics I’d say he would have been pushing for even more cuts.

It could be a convenient distraction from a difficult to sell budget.

He’s quit cabinet, I doubt he’s retiring.

what the fuck was he celebrating?

no doubt the mayor will add another portfolio
to his list

It just gets better and better for Sonic, doesn’t it!

areaman said :

no doubt the mayor will add another portfolio to his list

Nah they’ll have to run another caucus ballot to fill the spot.

Peter Dunn has said he’s chucking it in if ESA gets moved to Justice.

The hole is just getting deeper and deeper….

[link]

Apparently he’s standing aside until it’s delt with… not really sure how to read that.

Thanks Area.

You’re right, it’s a bit hard to understand what that really means.

Read: when he has plead guilty, has “offence proven, no conviction recorded, no penalty imposed” and has donated $600 to a victims of crime charity he gets his job back.

Most probably Mr Binker…

Well, without doubt, I think we can say, given the budget and everything else, that the shit has most definitely hit the fan.

Now we get to see how hopeless our opposition is. If they can’t make massive milage out of everything that,s been going on then they might as well all resign.

Thumper

Despite all the kicking, screaming and whinging that is going on here, has the anyone from the other side said or done anything that may make you change your mind at election time?

Deb Foskey isn’t going to win her seat let alone control of parliament, the Liberals are hopeless, and the ALP (alcoholic lunch party?) again shoots itself in the foot.

The arboretum is almost dead as an idea, the dragway was sort of funded, schools will be closed but that happened 15-18 years ago and overall school facilities quality improved.

The clowns running the show are not great, but they are still miles ahead of the joke of an opposition.

I’m just surprised Mary Porter’s staff haven’t already been on here saying how ‘deserving’ she is of a chance at a ministry.

Hey Thumper, is Dunny worried his uniform allowance is going to be slashed if the ESA is moved under Justice????

yeah Ferret,

I agree, we have clowns on both sides, But only one set of clowns have the power to stuff it all up.

I’m not changing my vote, it will be against Stanhope.

He ensured that after the fires with his ‘responsibility’ speech.

I will change my (longstanding labor) vote. The dragway and many other planning issues are what has made my decision final. And the disappointment of Katy Gallagher turning out to be just like the rest of them – mouthing pr platitudes while screwing people over.
I’ll be voting Green, or some sort of independant. Greens will do well in dragway affected areas (Deb’s seat). Failing any independents I’ll do my first ever donkey vote and write F. Off with your Dragway on my paper.

So you’ll continue to not vote for him… well that’s hardly a shock.

I do agree that we deserve more than just the “least bad” government, and sometimes the stanhope ogvernment provides that, but some of the things in this budget have raised questions for me.

seepi, I live in molongolo, but hardly consider myself Dragway affected, Apart from Pialigo I’m not sure where would be.

Area,

The whole point is that we don’t have an effective opposition. Stanhope will get back in again, maybe with a reduced majority, but he’ll still be CM.

To have effective government you need effective opposition. For the majority of Stanhope’s reign he has not had to worry about opposition and thus could continue doing pretty much what he wanted to with relative impunity.

Maybe this just shows us the folly of self government in this town?

Having been Dragway-affected in the past (only good thing to come out of privatising the airport was that it was closed down), I have no illusions about the rights of residents when some noisy lobby gets the gov’t to do something like that. Once it’s in, it’s a fait accompli and your “rights” are meaningless.

After such a harsh budget, necessitated by the ACT’s negative financial state, it seems amazing that they’d blow so much money on such a problematical facility.

I’d much rather see them focussing on wider things that affect the community.

So, explain to me guys. does this just mean he won’t be minister for something? I mean, they won’t get rid of him and include the next labor person who would have won in Brindabella will they?????

This is a major issue, so only answer if you KNOW, not if you are guessing.

It means he just won’t be in Cabinet. He’s not resigning as MLA. Just giving up his ministerial post – until the court hearing – depending on the judgement he might be reinstated as minister.