Opinion: Battle for Ryan and decking voters’ fridges with pollie magnets

Christmas is a time of giving and so it has come to pass that many of us in the federal electorate of Ryan in Brisbane’s west have been gifted two fridge magnets, writes Marg Wenham.

CHRISTMAS is a time of giving and so it has come to pass that many of us in the federal electorate of Ryan in Brisbane’s west have been gifted two fridge magnets.

Sitting member for Ryan, Jane Prentice at Parliament House in Canberra. Picture: Kym Smith

One is an official LNP jobbie featuring the Young Pretender Julian Simmonds, whose campaign for candidacy disposed of his old mentor, the sitting member for Ryan, Jane Prentice. The other, which arrived in the mail on Monday, features Miss Jane bravely smiling as she wishes us all a Merry Christmas. Rendered conspicuous by its absence is an LNP logo – in fact, there’s nary a mention of the Liberal National Party in whose Coalition Government Prentice, Ryan’s MP since 2010, served as assistant minister for two and a bit years until August this year.

LNP's new candidate for Ryan, Cr Julian Simmonds poses for a photograph at the Walter Taylor Bridge in Indooroopilly earlier this year. Photo: AAP/John Gass

Demonstrating crafty genius – and delivering more than a hint that Prentice may yet stand as an independent against Simmonds – this one incorporates a 2019 calendar, which means we voters in Ryan can be reminded of Simmo’s coup d’etat right through next year if we slap it on our fridges.

LNP dumps Jane Prentice in favour of Julian Simmonds | The Courier-Mail

This will be the case whether he wins the seat in the forthcoming election or whether he’s rolled by Ryan voters annoyed by either his overthrowing of the woman who gave him his start in politics (and who was one of the precious few female bums on LNP ministerial seats in our federal parliament), or by his ostensible rubber stamping of high-density development applications in Ryan as chairman of the Brisbane City Council’s powerful City Planning committee. And never mind the ever worsening traffic congestion thanks to a complete absence of transport infrastructure expansion.

Jane Prentice MP’s letterbox Christmas Greeting. Picture: Supplied

Simmonds relinquished this chairmanship when he seized the Ryan candidacy, but he’s still being paid a $189,000 salary (including super) while he remains in his job of Liberal Councillor for the Walter Taylor ward, which sits in Ryan.

Nice work if you can hold on to it while running as a federal candidate. He still has his ward office from which to operate on Station Rd in Indooroopilly, but he has also rented an office in The Gap from which to run his federal campaign.

Julian Simmonds LNP letterbox Christmas Greeting. Picture: Supplied

Walter Taylor wardites and Ryanites might wonder how he’s splitting his time. They might also wonder at Simmo’s new ad on the great big electronic billboard on Moggill Rd. Quite apart from the fact this billboard is right outside Prentice’s electorate office – cop that – it seems Simmo would have us believe he’s seen the light on the vexing issue of amenity loss.

Julian Simmonds, the ad flashes at us as we sit in the traffic jams, stands for “protecting our lifestyle” in Ryan. And they might wonder still more what his position – whether as councillor for Walter Taylor ward or as Ryan’s self-appointed future protector – is on the Mt Coot-tha zipline.

I understand submissions on that particularly thorny development application – made by the Council to itself for determination also by itself – have poured in, and possibly number in the thousands. Among them, no doubt, will be plenty from locals in the Walter Taylor ward and wider Ryan opposed to the project. It all makes for gripping political times.

[e-mail]