Saturday 24 September 2011
Breaking news
It's official! According to The Northern Star's website yesterday beer drinking (along with horse racing and surfing) is a sport.
Warning: All sports activities, including beer consumption, should be undertaken in moderation. If in doubt, consult your friendly medical practitioner. Perhaps a second opinion should also be sought
Cansdellgate: one-handed applause for Scandell
Applause
I applaud Steve Cansdell for resigning due to his indiscretion with the statutory declaration.
I look forward to applauding him further when he pays for the by-election he has caused with some of the cash he will receive from his parliamentary super and his lifetime pension.
John Williams, Clarenza.
Source: Letters, The Daily Examiner, 24/9/11
Commentary on the Nats' derby in Clarence
This comment piece appears in today's Daily Examiner.
Things can change between now and when the election is held but, as it stands, it is almost inevitable that whoever gets the nod for the Nationals will be elected to fill the position vacated through Steve Cansdell's forced resignation.
Unless the government steps right out of line, it is difficult to see voter choosing a Labor candidate into opposition or an independent, so National Party endorsement would appear to be a walk-up start to a seat in parliament.
Not that the Nationals are saying that. Predictably, they are saying it will be a hard-fought contest where every vote will count. They don't want people thinking their candidate will be a shoo-in as that can encourage a protest vote.
As of yesterday there were six prospective candidates for the Nationals. We included Richie Williamson in that number despite his equivocation yesterday, because the Nationals listed him as a starter.
Of those, it would be hard to see them go past Mr Williamson, former Maclean mayor Chris Gulaptis or Casino's Stuart George. Although Mr Williamson has the higher profile, Mr George, the son of popular Lismore Nationals MP Thomas George, has the better credentials with the Nationals. Mr Gulaptis is a former candidate, and that will count highly.
But the three other contenders cannot be discounted entirely. Karen Toms is developing a reputation as a hard worker through her position on the Clarence Valley Council, Fiona Leviny has some powerful backers and impresses with her passion and Paul O'Connor, with his legal background, has some influential friends and will be able to argue his case well. It is a healthy position for the Nationals to be in.
We have heard little from prospective Labor candidates to date but it is unlikely they will have the same field from which to choose.
Walk-up start to a seat
There is a distinct appearance of opportunism in the clamour of candidates seeking National Party pre-selection for the seat of the Clarence.Things can change between now and when the election is held but, as it stands, it is almost inevitable that whoever gets the nod for the Nationals will be elected to fill the position vacated through Steve Cansdell's forced resignation.
Unless the government steps right out of line, it is difficult to see voter choosing a Labor candidate into opposition or an independent, so National Party endorsement would appear to be a walk-up start to a seat in parliament.
Not that the Nationals are saying that. Predictably, they are saying it will be a hard-fought contest where every vote will count. They don't want people thinking their candidate will be a shoo-in as that can encourage a protest vote.
As of yesterday there were six prospective candidates for the Nationals. We included Richie Williamson in that number despite his equivocation yesterday, because the Nationals listed him as a starter.
Of those, it would be hard to see them go past Mr Williamson, former Maclean mayor Chris Gulaptis or Casino's Stuart George. Although Mr Williamson has the higher profile, Mr George, the son of popular Lismore Nationals MP Thomas George, has the better credentials with the Nationals. Mr Gulaptis is a former candidate, and that will count highly.
But the three other contenders cannot be discounted entirely. Karen Toms is developing a reputation as a hard worker through her position on the Clarence Valley Council, Fiona Leviny has some powerful backers and impresses with her passion and Paul O'Connor, with his legal background, has some influential friends and will be able to argue his case well. It is a healthy position for the Nationals to be in.
We have heard little from prospective Labor candidates to date but it is unlikely they will have the same field from which to choose.
Early nominations in Clarence by-election
Inspired by those locals who are in various stages of sheer disbelief or rolling hysteria at the thought of two state elections in one year in the Clarence electorate........
Jules notes the Nationals conga line beginning to develop in Clarence by-election 2011
Jules Faber in The Daily Examiner on 21 September 2011
I'm drunk, angry and I can tweet!
This is the Twitter account of one Mark Davidson @markdavidson Orange County, CA at 7.30pm AEST on 23rd September 2011.
According to Mark he is an Internet sales & marketing professional. I write a lot of things to amuse myself and others. On occasion, I even have deep thoughts. p://gplus.to/markdavidso
The posts he woke to that morning show that he doesn’t know zip about IT security…………………..
The posts he woke to that morning show that he doesn’t know zip about IT security…………………..
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances, the previously scheduled blog post, "How To Tweet Like a Boss" will not be posted today.
markdavidsonMark Davidson
WANTED: Social Media Account Ghost Writer. We've recently had an opening at http://twitter.com/#!/markdavidson. (Serious inquiries only.)
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Oh. I am so not dealing with this **** today. My only responsibility on this account is to respond to *all* @replies and @mentions. I quit.
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Good morning, Twitter! What's happening?
markdavidsonMark Davidson
And change your freakin' password!
markdavidsonMark Davidson
And yes, as @markdavidson's former Twitter ghostwriter of 4 years; I am drunk. Drunk and angry. (You should have changed your password!)
So let me mow tell you the truth about @markdavidson. He can barely type social media much less know what it is.
markdavidsonMark Davidson
And all the funny stuff that @markdavidson wrote, that was all me. The other 2 ghostwriters are really boring. Good luck, bro...
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Foxconn pays its employees better than @markdavidson paid his ghostwriters on Twitter for the past 4 years.
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Right now @markdavidson is probably asleep... He isn't that nice and he is cheap. I regret not quitting. So now he has 2 ghostwriters.
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Well yesterday, @markdavidson fired 1 of his 3 ghostwriters of the last 4 years and forgot to change his Twitter password.
markdavidsonMark Davidson
Hi. I'm one of three people who have been ghostwriting @markdavidson's tweets for the last 4 years while he is out playing golf.
Friday 23 September 2011
'Will he' or 'Won't he' Williamson
It's been a big day for the Nats in Clarence.
Following hot on the heels of news about Stuart George and Chris Gulaptis, The Daily Examiner reports:
 |
| Richie Williamson |
Information supplied on Friday morning to the Nationals Duty MLC Rick Colless, who is the stand-in representative for the Clarence electorate, seemed to confirm that Clarence Valley Mayor Richie Williamson had made the decision to run for preselection to represent the Nationals at the up coming by-election.
But this apparent certainty was quashed by the man himself yesterday afternoon. Mr Williamson was adamant that no such commitment had been made. A decision would not be finalised until he had time to consider "all the pieces of information" over the weekend he said.
Mr Williamson met officials from the Nationals on Thursday to discuss the potential of him joining the party.
As of yesterday he still hadn't joined the Nationals. "I will make a decision on that sooner rather than later," he said.
Read the Examiner's report here.
It's now a Melbourne Cup field looking for Nats' preselection
After reporting on Stuart George's nomination for National Party pre-selection for the by-election in Clarence and thinking all's quiet on the local front, a ghost from the past has suddenly sprung up and lodged a nomination for Nats' pre-selection in Clarence.
 |
| Chris Gulaptis |
Chris Gulaptis has returned to the local scene and announced he's going to do a big favour for locals in the Clarence valley and offer his services as a prospective local member.
To say that Gulaptis has form would be something of an understatement.
When another cousin, Tweedie Rivers, heard about Gulaptis's plans she asked, "Is Murray Lees part of Gulaptis's band of helpers?"
Who's Murray Lees?
Read The Daily Examiner's coverage of Gulaptis's nomination here.
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