WEDNESDAY’S gabfest in the Star Chamber at Ivory Towers could well be a non-event, given the number of non-starters who claimed they wouldn’t be able to make it for the first Wednesday in September when asked to hold the 2010 mayor-making then.
You may remember the law requires all councils in NSW to hold mayoral elections in September, unless the mayor had been elected by popular vote for a four-year term in 2008.
Dep’ty Dawg Graham McLaughlin let them all know early this year he would be attending a family wedding in the UK at the time of the second meeting, ie September 22.
He asked councillors to consider another date, prior to September 16 when Fam McLaughlin fly out.
September 15, a night scheduled for an information session, would have been fine, with Ken “hurricane” Halstead back from his pre-advised absence for the first two weeks of September.
Suddenly, there were attendance gaps everywhere, with Big Jim Mauger off to check his investments in China, Larry “won’t miss a meeting” Whipper not available and failed Throsby Liberal candidate Juliet “I love an election” Arkwright unsure where she’d be.
In the event, both Lazza and Big Julie will be at a water conference on September 13 and 14 and if not too fatigued by the gripping reports to consider, could easily be back on September 15, which was always a scheduled information night meeting.
Julie’s response to mild-mannered McLaughlin’s request to have the meeting on September 15 was to subject him to a third-degree Q&A session.
Was it a daughter getting married, a sibling, what relationship exactly was involved?
She stopped short of asking gentle Graham if his parents were the ones to marry.
On her part she gave no reason for being available for only September 22 and McLaughlin was too much of a gentleman to press the issue, thus forced to accept the fact Lazza and Julie were ending his year of being Dep’ty (and effectively sacking Mayor Slam Dunc as well) in a most capricious way.
What’s the betting, come 3.30 next Wednesday afternoon, they’ll all be there except for Ye Ken?
MAYORAL machinations, Part 2: It seems Ken “cry ‘Havoc’” Halstead has been sounding out the Gair side of the table to see if the numbers are there for a tilt at Gair.
He’ll deny it of course, but the prospect is being viewed with alarm in certain staff circles.
There is a particularly apt quote from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in which Mark Antony proclaimed;
“Cry ‘Havoc’, and let slip the dogs of war...”
HOW MANY will put their hands up for the mare and dep’ty jobs on September 22?
G. McLaughlin won’t, because he will be in England, now that autumn is in the air there.
Gentleman Jim Clark probably won’t; he’s too much of a gentleman to grab for the chain.
Slam Dunk certainly will, he’s done a good job and deserves to be judged on his merits, not become victim of a crass political power-grab.
Lazza and Ms Arkers, having set the scene, are now coyly denying any mayoral ambitions and probably David “no” Stranger won’t go for the top job, but would make a handy deputy, while Big Jim Mauger always reckoned if Arkers got the nod, he’d be the real power behind her.
We know Paul “I’m no toe-cutter” Tuddenham would do almost anything to get the mayor’s chair but has stayed loyal to Dunc so far.
So, of eight who’ll be there, you can really rule out only one, Gentleman Jim, and with his revered leader Bob “gone for the doctor” Brown doing the deal of the century in Canberra, I guess anything could happen when the main prize looms.
But as wily old Woodsy always said, you’ll never know until the hands go up.
MEANWHILE, back at the rumour mill, who is the big man around town who’s been skiting about protecting his points on his licence, following a traffic breach, by getting his loving wife to put her hand up as the driver?
It shouldn’t take jailed Judge Einfeld to tell you that’s not a good idea even if, like him, your psychiatrist says you’re suffering from something defined as a “grandiose disorder” in which the patient’s judgment is clouded by overwhelming self-importance.
DUDLEY’S Thought for the day:
There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer’s research.
This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.
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