City Beat: Mystery of BoQ’s Jon Sutton and the disappearing ‘yes’ vote tweet

BOQ boss Jon Sutton tweeted his support of the “yes” camp on same sex marriage but within hours the post had been removed.

BANK of Queensland boss Jon Sutton came down firmly in the “yes” camp on same sex marriage yesterday, even proudly tweeting a photograph of his completed survey form.

All well and good, but within a couple of hours the message had gone from his profile, which has 32,600 followers.

Your diarist wonders whether Sutton was so worried about the blowback from an increasingly toxic debate on same-sex marriage that he hit the delete key. Or did he put his phone in his backpocket and then accidently bump purge?

A screen grab of Jon Sutton's Twitter feed showing his Yes vote.

The bank wasn’t able to provide an explanation by deadline, but City Beat notes other chief executives have been given a hard time in the past for expressing similar opinions.

You might recall Qantas boss Alan Joyce earlier this year got a pie in his face for his pro same-sex marriage views. Sutton has been a vocal advocate of same-sex marriage in the past.

NIGHT MOVES

OUR spies among the bananas and tomatoes down Rocklea way tell us not everyone is happy about Brisbane Markets’ plan to operate night markets.

You might recall the market has applied to the Brisbane City Council to operate a market from the site from 4pm to 10pm every Friday and Saturday night.

But we hear there are concerns from existing traders, who pay a hefty premium to operate during the day at the market; they will lose business to pop-up stalls operating during the night in the central trading area. Details about what is planned are still sketchy, with a submission to Brisbane City Council noting “the markets are primarily proposed to comprise food stalls and trucks with some lifestyle stalls and live entertainment”.

Our spies tell us Brisbane Markets may need the proceeds from the new venture to pay for rising dividend payouts to shareholders. Brisbane Markets will pay a total dividend this year of 16.25¢ per share compared to 15¢ last year.

Brisbane Markets chief executive Andrew Young has played down any negative impact, saying an “Eat Street” style night market was planned, including the possible relocation of the existing Saturday Fresh Market. “How an existing trader could imagine that ... would impact on their business is not known,” Young says. “Conducting consumer markets from this site is not new.” He added tenants have been encouraged to raise any concerns they have with the market.

FIRED UP

Illustration of Damon Rielly by Jonathan Bentley

LOCAL rock station Triple M will yet again be turning over their airwaves for the 20th Riverfire display this Saturday. Triple M general manager Damon Rielly tells your diarist the simulcast event involves the station, whose bread and butter is AC/DC and Cold Chisel tracks, playing a more eclectic mix of music for the duration of the fireworks. Rielly says Triple M has been a Riverfire sponsor from the start, with the event increasingly defining the city’s image. Sunsuper, which has been the main sponsor of the event for the past eight years, is celebrating its 30th anniversary on the night.

CHINA TOWN

IT is shaping up to be a busy week for the Middle Kingdom in Brisbane. China’s most famous choreographer and dancer, Yang Liping, will premiere her contemporary dance Under Siege at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre on Wednesday as part of the Brisbane Festival.

Under Siege, which features a variety of performers from Peking Opera, hip-hop, ballet, contemporary dance, and classical and folk music, is based on the love story between the besieged warlord Xiang Yu and his self-sacrificing concubine.

On Thursday, China’s new consul general in Brisbane Dr Xu Jie will host a reception at the Convention and Exhibition Centre to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China.