Jon being considered for the Diplomatic Corps? I doubt it...

She’d have to clean her teeth, dress less like she’s slept in her clothes and comb her hair. From what we’ve seen since she joined the Assembly that’s not likely

Sepi, if lying Jon did resign, they are left with NO ONE competent at all. Perhaps then the ACT could be resumed by the Feds??? No one wanted self govt anyway, and what a nightmare it has proved to be.

Katy G would be a disaster – Please God, No-o-o-o-o! She muddles and flails around uselessly and f’s things up – then lets the next minister take the flak. Eg. Health (corbell had to cop flak over wait lists and mental health), Education (barr was landed with the stupid school closures and unnecessary, useless school amalgamations). The only thing Miss Katy is good at, is getting OUT just before the sh*t hits the fan.

Hm. I guess this means we can expect to see her want to ‘spend more time with the family’ shortly!

Writing as a Crikey subscriber, the ‘tips and rumours’ section of the daily email, which is where this appeared, is entirely unreliable. The only thing I’ve seen in it which rang true was the ‘revelation’ that a minister had asked for maps to be included in the events briefs prepared by her department, which is hardly hot gossip given that maps are a standard part of APS evemts briefs. I’m not renewing my subscription.

Didn’t Kate Carnell have to resign after being caught out lying about something (something at Bruce Stadium?).

I can’t believe noone seems to be that fussed about the fact that Jon has openly lied about this.

Sepi – golly. A politician who lies – never seen one of them before. I must say that I found it difficult from the outset to think that the site chosen would be one that was NOT acceptable to the ACT Government. It made no difference to my views about either the site or the Chief Minister.

(OK. I’ve been reading a Raimon Gaita article tht touches on political dishonesty).

Jon leaving would be a disaster for the ACT Liberal Party. He has reached his use by date in the community and a backlash can be expected. Independents will fare well, with a slight trickle to the Libs. If he went before the election Katie Gallagher would take over. She would be a very popular leader. People at the Assembly and in the ACT Public Service know she is lazy, not that smart and plays on the cutesy-pie image. She has been working part-time for years. Unfortunately in the community and in the uninformed media she has a positive image that would be difficult to counteract.

Jon has just been caught out lying about the Macarthur power plant.

He has been saying the location was between ACTEW and ACTPLA and govt were totally hands off, in order to avoid corruption.

Yet it has come out in today’s paper that he in fact chose the Macarthur horsepaddocks site, in preference to the recommended site in Hume, himself. And then blatantly lied about it.

Apparently he wanted to retain the land in Hume, which was more valuable. I am not a big fan of Jon, but I thought he was a decent person with some funny ideas, and a bit stubborn about ever changing his mind or compromising.

But now he just looks like a crooked politician. He may not be so suited to the UN after all.

I hear that New York has just legalised gay Marrage. that would be a good excuse to send him over there as a representitave and he’ll be as far away from here as possible.

I don’t think Comrade has done that bad a job, sure he’s closed some schools but he’s also done some good work too.

Anyway, it’s not like there’s any alternatives – who else would you prefer at the helm of our glorious territory? and why??

I’d like to clarify that although I wrote the article, the poll was added by an editor.

Not sure of the accuracy of this, but I heard from a friend who works with a senior ALP adviser up on the Hill, that Stanhope’s high favourability has taken a massive hammering since the Libs put in Zed as Leader and they started their ad campaign.

Supposedly this Adviser is high up in local Labor and is rather indiscreetly going around the factions maneourvouring to get rid of Stanhope and transition in Katy Gallagher, similar to the Beattie handover to Bligh in Queensland.

The Right faction is also working hard to make it Andrew Barr who gets the handover.

If the polling numbers continue to go south for Stanhope, he will be shown the door from within as they have all had enough of him, but have relied on him in the past to stay in Govt.

It is a pity the Canberra Times doesn’t do regular political polls like the other State newspapers.

There was a story in the weekend papers about the discovery of a Brazilian tribe who have never had contact with ‘civilized’ society. The perfect posting for our Jon!

Two hours with him, and I’ll bet they move deeper into the jungle.

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VicePope said :

I tried to think of other diplomatic postings for others in the Assembly. The absence of Australian diplomatic relations with Hell has been a problem.

POOLROOM!

It would be no secret to others that I think Stanhope is about the best of a very poor lot. I think he would do wonders with a posting into the Pacific region – his pragmatism would pay off. But that would leave the ALP without any leader at all.

I tried to think of other diplomatic postings for others in the Assembly. The absence of Australian diplomatic relations with Hell has been a problem. As well, no-one would choose to employ them anyway, in any capacity. But, perhaps Ms Foskey could follow her unique political career with a posting to Fantasyland. Zed would have to go to Zimbabwe or some other hopeless waste site starting with Z. Pratt to Serbia, for obvious reasons. Hargreaves to anywhere they don’t have drink-driving laws. Dunne and Burke to Iraq and Afghanistan, with a weapons subsidy to the insurgents and the Taliban. Mick Gentleman to Mustang, because he probably thinks it’s a car. So many of the others would be well-placed in Brazil, with the nuts.

Maybe he could be Governor of Tasmania… though come to think of it, that is just not far enough away from Canberra – yep Harare or Iraq!

If he was to become a diplomat he might have to go to church services that commemorate things. As he doesn’t do that in the ACT (except Grasby’s funeral) its fair to say that this is one of the many reason he would be a hopeless diplomat.

And before anyone thinks this is an argument about religion its not. Heads of Government attend memorial services etc as part of their job irrespective of their own personal beliefs. It says something when a Federal Minister, a PM and a Governor-General can attend particular services together in Canberra but the Comrade will open a glass blowing studio in Kingston instead and send Katie (‘no dress sense unless you count just got out of bed as a look’) Gallagher in his stead

care factor = -1

Crikey – does that mean all the grandiose thought that went into arboretum and it won’t have any international species?

Stanhope would not make a good diplomat.

If anyone has seen him in public you’d note that he is very uncomfortable with socialising and hob-knobbing. He has no social skills!

Also, although he has all these grandiose plans and ideas he is not worldly.

I don’t think labour will get a thrashing at the polls either. the alternatives are just not there yet.

I think we might get one of those wierdo govts like we used to have – full of independants and cobbled together groups. Mostly they used to get bogged down in discussion, and never did much, but that could hardly be worse than what we’ve got now.

The side menu ones don’t work for me either, but the in-thread voting works fine.

These polls never seem to work for me but I would vote for the top one. I’m sick of seeing his mug.

Or butler to the Iraqi Ambassador

I think Our Jon would be well suited to a diplomatic posting. I would suggest Acting Deputy-Assistant Administration Officer (grade 1) at the Harare High Commission.