7 March 2007

Chief Minister goes mental

| johnboy
Join the conversation
55

The Canberra Times reports on an astonishing outburst in the Legislative Assembly:

During an emotionally charged outburst yesterday, Mr Stanhope told the Legislative Assembly Mr Smyth was a “despicable little man” with a “dirty mind” who belonged in the gutter.

“He likes it there, down with the cigarette butts and the dog turds and the wasted life,” he said, after calling the MLA “Mr Slimeball from Tuggeranong”.

Aside from wondering what the people of Tuggeranong will make of some of the possible interpretations of the outburst let’s go back to what caused it.

While Leader of the Opposition Brendan was disappointingly soft on the fire issues. one question he did pursue was where the Chief Minister was the night before the fires when, as acting Minister for Emergency Services, he was unavailable for contact from his emergency services chief, Mike Castle.

Many people would think this was an entirely reasonable question to ask about the night before Duffy went up in flames. But our Chief Minister has for the last four years strenuously insisted it’s nobody’s business but his own.

In his outburst yesterday the Chief Minister seems to be alleging that Brendan Smyth has been insinuating that the unavailability was caused by some sort of extra-marital dalliance.

The Chief Minister has now set the record straight saying he was dining with no less than Magistrate Grant Lawler, and the Catholic priest Dermid McDermott.

Bill Stefaniak has asked with a sly innocence: “Why on earth wouldn’t he say that four years ago? I find it extraordinary that he didn’t just say what he was doing at the time”

I don’t suppose anyone caught the outburst on the Assembly’s web stream?

(Note to commenters: Please think long and hard about potential defamation suits, conducted against you as likely as us, before posting any new information on this matter)

UPDATED: Thanks to “captainwhorebags” for pointing out that the Liberals now have an image [Canberra Times] for their campaign posters.

ANOTHER UPDATE: Apparently Our Brave Leader has apologised to the people of Tuggeranong this morning on radio 666. And yet to date his website lacks any statement making such an apology (12.50pm).

Join the conversation

55
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

I believe the phone did go off.
-Problem was, the catholic priest was in the middle of saying a lengthy grace, the magistrate was furiously signalling to the CM that it would be ‘criminal’ to answer the phone, and the wife was out the back selecting the vintage sauvignon blanc.

Countless people in Canberra are on call. IT people, PR people, Security, and many more.
I think it is wierd that Jon S is acting like he shouldn’t have to be disturbed by the phone.

When I am on call for work I have lost the right to turn my mobile off at dinner time. In fact I have lost the right to turn it off full stop. If you are the CM you only have the right to do so when you are on leave and someone else is sitting in your spot. It’s about being accountable, something this man is incapable of being

Hansard suggests he was made a special magistrate in 2002.

Grant Lalor was not a Magistrate at the time. Appointed by Sonic a year later – position never advertised.

Man With The Plan11:25 pm 07 Mar 07

Is it just me, or does CM bare a striking resemblance to Evil Bert in the photo in the update?

BTW is he going to publish a transcript of this interview that makes everything clear? Or just get his stooges to spin it unsourced in every forum and venue they can find?

I’m saying his stories (in general) are contradictory and conflict with the findings of the coroner.

Are YOU saying Mike Castle was lying?

he actually said, ‘i did not turn my phone off …’ among other statements regarding his actual status that evening.

so, someone is saying something that is not the case, it would seem. mebbe they tried a wrong number? maybe god was acting all mysterious…

Just saw the goose in tears.

Love to be a fly on Kate’s wall.

You never ate with a priest in the locker room then?

Not sure about the majority of the great unwashed, but I havn’t had dinner with a priest since my first crap.

Always intriguing to see the great secularist turn to the church in moments of trouble.

Great to know he was having such a high falutin supper as fire raced towards Canberra.

while they’re “allegedly” getting the leg over

Sonic was at dinner with his wife, a judge, and a priest. It doesn’t get much better than that, as alibis go.

Teddy Bear,

Precisely!

Yeah, but the ring tones turn me on!

I can’t understand why anyone would turn their phone off while they’re “allegedly” getting the leg over. 😉

Then you’re not doing it right.

Emergency Services Ministers, acting or not, should not turn their phones off under any circumstances as far as I am concerned especially the way the fires were going by that evening.

I can’t understand why anyone would turn their phone off while they’re “allegedly” getting the leg over. 😉

barking toad4:37 pm 07 Mar 07

Looks like the mayor’s bleeding heart victim claim has worked with some who now think the Libs are evil for asking where the Chief Minister/Minister For Emergency Services was on Friday evening when he was unable to be contacted on his mobile, less than 24 hours before the west of Canberra exploded.

Doesn’t wash with sensible people though who rightly ask why couldn’t answer the question 4 years ago.

Update: Sonic cries at the media conference. See the ABC news at least tonite.

Being CM is irrelevant

he was the acting emergency services minister because he’d taken the fires so seriously he’d let Bill wood go on leave that afternoon.

I think CM said he had turned his phone off. Well wouldn’t you when you are at a dinner? well OK he is CM but fair is fair.

Well kiwi, the Libs had 4 years to drag out a name of the woman he was having an affair with. Did they? They could have used parliamentary privelage if they had any proof at all. And Sonic denies any affair or him going OS with his wife. It should have ended sooner but the Libs persisted with the FOI. It was just muck raking and undeserved intrusion into his family affairs.

If you are unable to understand that then you are a sad little loser.

As for slimeball, I lost all credibility in him when he refused to fess-up on the Alex Sloane show.

So Castle lied when he said he tried to contact the CM?

The CM has a particularly bad phone?

You believe this?

JB wrote: “The reason he should have accounted for his whereabout is because he left his post without being first relieved.”

On the number of the beast this morning, CM stated that he DID have his phone with him, it WAS on and that no-one from his office had been contacted to try to contact him…

Take that denial as you will, but it was all pretty earnest and open to Alex Sloan and all of us listeners… And he raised the matters, not Alex (well, not directly)

Where is the allegation that he was ‘uncontactable’ and that he ‘left his post’? (on a Friday night, everyone goes home and about their business, yeah?)

The man was living his principles, according to the man. Are we to question this?

(and no-one has railed against CM’s assualt on the ‘slimeball’. Interestingly!)

If Chairman Stanhope was with the Priest and the Judge, why not have said this years ago and taken the issue off the agenda?

His rantings seemed to mirroe that of his counterpart in North Korea.

err mucked up hyperlinking…

I have an interest in knowing who went with him on an overseas junket, What he does with his own money though, is his business.

barking toad3:12 pm 07 Mar 07

Questions about his sexual affairs wouldn’t have arisen if he’d disclosed 4 years ago what he has now. Stress is all self imposed.

Pandy said: But he was sticking to his principles that politicans are never questioned about their sexual affairs.

He wasn’t asked about his sexual affairs. He was asked where he was that night and why he wasn’t contactable. Fair questions given the circumstances.

What did Stanhope expect when he refused to answer where he was on such an critical night for Canberra? That people would say “oh well, he’s a good fellow, let’s not worry about it” or is it more logical to ask “what’s he hiding?”?

Yes I am completely ignoring any possible/likely back room rumour spreading as I don’t see it as the primary issue – although I do not approve of it – and all parties do it.

Ewwwww. Scary Pandy.
How do you think Howard’s kids handle the way everyone speaks about him. Same Iemma. Same Beattie.
Grow a brain dipshit.

The Carnell rumours were most enthusiastically spread by those in the ALP in my own experience.

Most other people didn’t give a damn, just like I don’t give a damn where Stanhope was that night, I give a great big damn that he turned his phone off.

And wait a minute, how old are his “kids”?

yeah im with pandy.

those carnell rumours never came from the alp.

its part of the game of politics.

Well barking toad, sonic did say something to the effect that he was stubbornly refusing to answer. Yes he was a smart arse. But he was sticking to his principles that politicans are never questioned about their sexual affairs.

barking toad2:47 pm 07 Mar 07

‘arse coverer’

Gorebal Warmening affecting spelling side of brain.

Well kiwi care to give us your real name then? I want to spread about you and your sexual preferences involving minors. You can’t handle it? Then piss off from RA turd because you dont know anything about how this situation can have an effect on his wife leading to a potential marriage break-up..

It is one thing to hound the politician over his policies: it is another to involve the wife over a 4 year campaign with not a shred of proof/name so far. Even his kids are being asked about the rumours.

barking toad2:46 pm 07 Mar 07

There would have been no stress for nohope or his missus had he ‘fessed up 4 years ago instead of trying to be a smartarse (or an ares coverer)

Sorry Pandy but if you can’t handle the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Many Canberrans have had a gutful of the Stanhopeless govt as well. What about the stress the average family is being put under with the massive cuts to anything and everything the govt can get thier hands on.
The sooner he steps down the better.

Sonic was almost going to cry like a baby on the radio.

But I sympthasise with him. He accuses th Libs for spreading the rumour (which I have heard within the Department of Immigration and Citizenship at high levels.) and that he has been hounded on who actually went OS with him via a Lib FOI request. His missus has had a gutful of politics: expect our brave leader to step down.

I thought that Symth response was pretty piss poor. Lay off.

boo hoo.

if he cant handle the life, maybe he should resign.

barking toad12:38 pm 07 Mar 07

There’s some more detail on the breaking news at news.com.au (too dumb to link)

They’re even suggesting his rantings are Lathamesque. Which, of course, they are.

The reason he should have accounted for his whereabout is because he left his post without being first relieved.

If he wanted to turn off the phone then he should have found another acting minister for emergency services.

Not suggesting that at all. I think he is a very lucky man. I just wish he had given us this assurance years ago.

BTW: My view is that personal attacks are not good. It’s not the Australian way. Where’s the debate on policy and accountability these days?

The rumours about Stanhope have gone around political circles.

Pretty similar to the ones Labor puts about so enthusiastically about Kate Carnell.

barking toad12:14 pm 07 Mar 07

Jeez, Louise, you’re not hinting something like the mayor would, like, cover up.

Muts check to see what time Mike rang.

he kept going on about allegations over ‘the blonde woman with him in berlin’ or where ever he went [meaning his wife] – and all the while the irreverent side of my brain was waiting for him to say ‘but my mistres is a brunette…’ 🙂

In S-hope’s position:
1. I would be upset if someone suggested I was having an affair if I wasn’t
2. I would also want a conventiently iron-clad alibi (spouse, a priest and a judge – reads like a b-grade movie script) to account for being uncontactable when Canberra was about to burn

I heard the CM on Alex Sloan – his response (and it seems genuine enough) is that he should have access to privacy, as every other citizen, he did say he was in Belco having dinner when he was asked and that that should have been enough, and that the opposition launched a sustained campaign against his integrity, and against his wife’s, spuriously alleging infidelity. Which, of course, he strenuously denies and I found no reason in his demeanour or his maner to doubt him on this at all…

He seemed quite believeable and he did unreservedly apologise for any slur taken by any Tuggeranong residents.

I didn’t hear the end of his bit and Alex was to have Brendan Smyth on afterwards, which I also missed.

Anyone get the whole lot?

VYBerlinaV8 now_with_added grunt11:44 am 07 Mar 07

If you cigarette butts and dog turds I would suggest a quick visit to Charny.

Thou doth protest too much, Jon.

barking toad11:34 am 07 Mar 07

The mayor is so paranoid about covering his arse re the fires that he didn’t want to ‘fess up to what he was doing on the Friday eve as it might give the citizens cause to consider Nero comparisons.

Is it just me or does it only seem that whenever he speaks these days it’s a screaming rant to defend the indefensible or to play the dear leader role for social justice?

And I’m glad I moved from Tuggeranong, away from the slime, dog turds and cigarette butts if that’s what it’s turned into.

queen_vic_toria_II11:21 am 07 Mar 07

I don’t understand why the Chief Minister doesn’t think it was a relevant question? As the Chief Minister he needs to be available 24/7, so asking where he was isn’t unreasonable.

Why is he getting so angry about it if he was just having dinner with people? and futhermore why has it taken this long to tell us? The question didn’t seem to be aimed at his personal life, just at the fact that he wasn’t available when the people of Canberra really needed him. The way he reacted was quite disturbing if anything…

i love an angry cabbage. its as if keating had a mini-me.

And if either our gutters or Tuggeranong are filled with cigarette butts and dog turds surely that is the Chief Minister’s responsibility?

(Wasted lives being our own matter to contemplate)

captainwhorebags10:59 am 07 Mar 07

And finally an image to have in mind when the CM releases a media release in his “angry voice”

http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/viewimage.asp?id=146006

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.