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1. Not the Butler again!

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  12:25 AM

2. Lennon also loves the QANTAS Champions Lounge at airports around the country (the 5 star version of the regular QANTAS lounge) when we’ve been invited in (Melb and Sydney mostly), we’ve been surprised how regularly we’ve seen the Premier.

   Maybe QANTAS will give him a plane?

   Posted by Elizabeth  on  12/01/06  at  12:43 AM

3. Rennay, did you really mean a ‘backwards’ hick, not a ‘backwoods’ hick?  Have the back woods all been clearfelled?

   Posted by Justa Bloke  on  12/01/06  at  01:55 AM

4. We should all recognise that Paul Lennon is the perfect physical, mental and spiritual manifestation of government in Tasmania. He is the message.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  02:13 AM

5. Lennon must be fuming, not about Rene Hidding’s rather meek call to recall parliament but Ellen Whinnet’s return to the Mercury in time for the next election.

   She knows how to spin an interesting political story into a sensational, over the top piece, example above.

   If Whinnet is allowed a free reign as political reporter to election eve witness more of this.

   While I don’t particularly like to defend Lennon on the Betfair deal, the coverage on what his hotel room cost during the racing carnival (and NOT at taxpayers expense) was utterly unwarranted.

   No corruption, no misuse of taxpayers money, no illicit favours from Packer in return for granting a license ( decision was made months prior ).

   Lennon should have revealed all, but he’s a Labor man, he obviously didn’t want the embarrasment.
   That’s it, thats’s the end of the story.

   Unfortuently for Labor The Mercury made it into a big one.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  02:43 AM

6. “Unfortuently for Labor The Mercury made it into a big one.”

   I’d say it wasnt the Merc.  They just picked the story up from a syndication.

   At the Tassie Talk forums I mentioned that the whole sorry incident was page 2 news in the Sydney Telegraph and Adelaide Advertiser, and Page 1 news in the Victorian Herald Sun and Queensland Courier Mail.

   see http://forum.tassie.com.au/viewtopic.php?p=312#312

   Posted by David  on  12/01/06  at  03:32 AM

7. ” Lennon should have revealed all, but he’s a Labor man, he obviously didn’t want the embarrasment.” said Lee

   What a thought, he is a Labor man, but justcan’t resist the offers! Should we feel sorry for the man and the others involved?

   As Mark Latham pointed out, one day we may find out how & why the rich have become richer in Tasmania, how it was possible on the island that the forests where rapidly converted to unsustainable monocultures with a minimum of labor and meaingful employment and poor forestry education and training.
   Is it / was it all due to an upgrade or two?

   Just Frank

   PS: Will we learn from elsewhere? http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrislang/56656933/in/photostream

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  04:06 AM

8. Lee Lacker must be some sort of code for the Government media unit, as in lacker scruples, lacker morals, lacker ethics.

   The other big story herein is The Merc lashing out on expenses to get a room at the Casino for Ms Whinnett.

   Surprised they didn’t ask her to sleep on one of the benches outside, well it is summer, and just vox pop a few of the penthouse residents as they went in and out.

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  05:19 AM

9. oink oink

   Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  08:38 AM

10. If we have a Premier who sees nothing wrong with this Crown freebie what else don’t we know about?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  11:18 AM

11. “No misuse of taxpayers’ money”

    Paul Lennon’s employer has paid $200 for a considerably more expensive suite and service. This is probably a taxable fringe benefit provided by an associate of the employer. If so, the additional cost will be paid at the taxpayers’ expense?

    Over to the Auditor General…

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  11:36 AM

12. The title to this thread: “The odds for a late election just got a lot shorter”.

    I don’t think so.

    An election later than March means parliament must sit again.  And that means this whole issue will fester along and then be rehashed under parliamentary privilege with even deeper scrutiny.

    An election campaign during February would push the issue aside - not bury it, but at least dilute it.  That might be more preferred than the alternative.

    Regards

    Peter Tucker

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  05:35 PM

13. It may seem highly suspicious but at the moment it is only a labor boy at the best of the best troughs. Elizabeth tells us it is not the only one he frequents.

    What’s wrong with Jetstar and Virgin; will he have to talk with a voter.

    Evidencing an understanding would most likely require an admission by one of the parties and after Rouse who is going to make such an admission and possibly end up folding sheets at the Risdon laundry.

    However, that we are not all shocked to the core that this appearance of impropriety has occured shows the level of trust in the politician.

    Any person who, being a Member of either House of Parliament, exhibits the stupidity of exposing themselves to criticism by taking a room upgrade that is worth 10 times the price for himself or any other person, upon any understanding that the upgrade is because of his elected position and personal interests, is guilty of demonstrating self serving arrogance and greed.

    I look forward to Whinnett’s scribbling. One hopes that she is wary of doing hack jobs,  bald statements must be supported by the evidence.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  12/01/06  at  10:11 PM

14. According to this morning’s Mercury, Lennon is not the only one in trouble with Lara Giddings spending up big on consultants and ‘soft-focus’ advertising.

    The Lennon thing is ultimately a storm in a teacup. He didn’t at all handle it well at the Press Conference by stating that the $6000 room at Crown was just an ‘upgrade’, and it occured AFTER Cabinet made the decision on BetFair. He was on a hiding to nothing on this.

    Though it does appear all round like poor political judgement.

    Posted by Elizabeth  on  13/01/06  at  12:57 AM

15. Elizabeth it is more than “poor political judgement” rather a deep seated lack of ethical behaviour by our Premier.

    Harry Quick speaks the truth! Lennon should go and quickly!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  13/01/06  at  01:46 AM

16. George, in principle, we agree. But this is realpolitick, and Lennon will of course hang around. He will ride this out. Doesn’t help (re: good governance) that the Liberals are incompetent and politically spent; and the Greens are just shouting ‘blue murder’ when nobody takes them at all seriously. (See Greenpeace’s lies about who crashed into who on the high seas).

    Posted by Elizabeth  on  13/01/06  at  02:56 AM

17. What has Greenpeace got to do with politics in Tasmania, or the Tasmanian Greens?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)  on  13/01/06  at  08:06 AM