In 2006 when then Labor MP for Noosa Kate Molloy spoke out against the Beattie Government's plan to flood the fertile Mary River Valley with a whopping great dam at Traveston Crossing near Gympie she was booted out of the Party.

Labor big-wigs will claim she dispatched herself by speaking out against Government Policy, but it's essentially the same thing.

Seven months ago then Emergency Services minister Pat Purcell was accused of hitting two senior public servants, he denied it but Premier Peter Beattie let him resign from the ministry for 'personal reasons.'

Faced with legal action Mr Purcell last week confessed that had, in fact, struck the two men, which means he lied about it last year.

Newly installed Premier Anna Bligh initially didn't take any action against the disgraced MP.

Four days later Mr Purcell announced he wouldn't contest the next election due next year. He'll stay on the backbench earning $180,000 taxpayer dollars in the process.

Ms Bligh insists he's paid a heavy price. He hasn't been dis-endorsed but he hasn't been re-indorsed.

"It's precisely because of his actions that he's no longer a candidate for the Labor Party," the Premier said with suitable gravitas.

So while it's untenable for Ms Bligh to have Mr Purcell run again for the Labor Party it's OK for him to stay as part of her Government.

The issue has gifted recycled Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg an issue he can continue to goad the Government with.

Sadly while he was trying to do just that this week with demands Mr Purcell be booted out of Parliament Mr Springborg couldn't say if a Nationals or a Liberal candidate would stand at any by-election.

The 'Borg' has some problems of his own.

Borrowing from the Kevin07 campaign bag of tricks he's had some t-shirts printed up.

In an effort to lift his profile the Opposition leader wandered around orientation week at the University of Queensland while staff handed out the specially printed clothing which has the slogan ? 'The Borg is back... go the Borg.'

Sadly not too many of the kiddies who'd lobbed for a week of drunken pre-tertiary fun and games knew who 'the Borg' was, although some thought he could have been from Star Trek.

With 18 months till the next state election there's plenty of time to get more t-shirts made up.

Your Comments

10 Comments

. cobnjob - Feb 26 09:48am

"Queensland style"? Come on Patrick. Why must you, who should know better, perpetuate the stereotype for one-track southern minds that Queensland politics is any different. What, no-one in New South Wales or Victorian politics misbehaves? No South Australian or Tasmanian Premier has ever protected an MP.

Excellent blog.

. cobnjob - Feb 26 09:49am

"Queensland style"? Come on Patrick. Why must you, who should know better, perpetuate the stereotype for one-track southern minds that Queensland politics is any different. What, no-one in New South Wales or Victorian politics misbehaves? No South Australian or Tasmanian Premier has ever protected an MP?

Excellent blog.

. growl111 - Feb 26 04:31pm

We don't get value for money with any of the state mob do we mate? They ought to be ashamed... but that would indicate that they really cared.

I think you did a great write up on it.

. tigerchelle63 - Mar 03 12:47pm

And this same government expect firefighters to risk their life in their job for 16 bucks.

Sack the lying Purcell and pay other Emergency services personel his wage as a bonus.

. happyfalcon273 - Mar 08 02:52pm

typical public service stuff, i work for local govt.i know exactly what they get up to, i am going to write a book when i retire and will tell all .

. mangohillskirmish - Apr 23 09:22am

No one ever mentioned, why they got thumped.

. skippygoesbush1 - May 03 02:14pm

You show me an honest pollie and ill show you genuine rockinghorse [profane]!

. yokel.tw - May 28 01:30pm

No one ever mentioned, why they got thumped.

. k_rohde2001 - Jun 02 05:09am

Well it just seems to perpetuate the idea that politicians are thieving , lying mongrels who are only there to rip off the public .
Examine the issue of the sell-off of Australian services, utiliies and natural resources.
I was under the impression that politicians were elected to look after the country for the citizens, so that means they do not actually own it, so therefore have no right to sell any part of it.
Does this mean that it is theft?

. noffkeselwyn - Jun 03 08:05pm

hey pat remember 1986 when joh was still in power? we were asked by the B L F to protest march to festival hall from the riverside , we as unionists asked why a DELEGATE SHOULD not march with us YOUR REPLY PAT WAS THAT YOU HAD A CAMERA the only problem pat was that YOU DID NOT MARCH WITH US to festival hall , BLOGGERS WHEN THE CAMERA OF PATS WE FOUND NO CASSETTE you might ask what am i on about IF PAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN A ILLEGAL MARCH AS JOH DECLAIRED ILLEGAL I REST MY CASE

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