By ERWIN CHLANDA
A Cuban cigar is the prize: Be the first to spot any clearly defined initiative proposed by the Federal Opposition Leader and the Territory’s CLP Senator, for stopping the misconduct of a few dozen children.
The pair jointly called two doorstops in Alice Springs this week at which some 5000 words were spoken. You can find 3359 of them here – if you can bear it.
Worth a lesson in Australian politics?
Peter Dutton and Jacinta Price were doing a follow-up on the Prime Minister who did something very similar in this town in February, and flicked a quarter billion of taxpayers’ dollars at the problem to boot.
In touching bi-partisanship none of the three troubled themselves with an analysis of programs for young offenders that may be working elsewhere in Australia or overseas, inform the public about precise costing, and Key Performance Indicators on whose commitment the responsible minister is betting his or her job.
Not that they said so.
The exception is that Senator Price wants accommodation for staff and students at the Yipirinya School (see transcript).
To earn the Havana you’ll have to also plough through the utterances of local person Darren Clark. He is described as a business owner, mostly by Sky which clearly can’t get enough of his horror stories about Alice Springs. And he keeps supplying them.
These broadcasts are surely key to the plummeting tourism business and the challenge in getting health workers from interstate, and so on.
When we asked Mr Clark today what businesses he is in, although we know he has a bakery, we got a “no comment” answer amidst a torrent of foulmouthed abuse.
But he got to welcome Mr Dutton to Alice Springs, “on behalf of the people of Alice Springs and the Northern Territory”.
Which of those people appointed the unelected Mr Clark to deliver this welcome is not clear.
Back to the cigar: Have a good read.
Just as well I’ve given up smoking, so I won’t even try to claim the prize.
I am curious to know though how you managed to by-pass the sanctions Cuba has copped since 1962? Did you import the cigar from China?
Yes I did read the 3,359 words from the mutual admiration triumvirate. And yes I did spot a proposed initiative albeit not clearly defined.
Genius! More Federal police!
Erwin, don’t exaggerate. I found the torrent of foulmouthed abuse from Alice Spring’s model businessman to be hard to believe.
We don’t need federal police.
We just need more Darrens.
That’s just 10 words.
You are right Douglas (4 words).
Many moons ago I saw an interview with the late Christopher Hitchens. There wasn’t much I agreed on with Christopher but his assertion that “there ought to be a font for ironic” is something that resonated with me.
I got to again rue the lack of a font for ironic when I was asked why I thought we needed more Darrens. I was being ironic. We need more Darrens like a hole in the head.
Try something like this.