Feeding the Chooks: Trouble at sea for Rinehart in Olympics pitch
Even billionaires have their problems.
Mining mogul Gina Rinehart was tapping a rich vein about the need to tackle red tape and grey workforce exclusion in a video message to a packed Brisbane lunch on Wednesday over Queensland’s preparation for the 2032 Olympics.
Australia’s richest woman – with Annastacia Palaszczuk looking on – called for “a new can-do approach” and less bureaucracy to turn Queensland into an Olympic state.
But much of that sailed over the heads of some of the town’s movers and shakers at the Future Brisbane – Our Golden Opportunity event – put on by The Courier-Mail and Sky News – while Rinehart reflected on her own trials and tribulations of late to make the point.
Dressed in a flowing sarong on the deck of her superyacht, she bemoaned the difficulties of a finding a safe haven along the Queensland coast.
“I implore our politicians not to allow this exciting opportunity when billions of viewers will be tuned into Queensland in 2032 to be marred in tape and mediocrity,” she said on-screen, while watching from the cheap seats with former state opposition leader Deb Frecklington.
“For instance, we have just experienced days of very rough water from the southern Queensland border to the Capricorn Coast.
“Then when we arrived at the coast, not feeling that great after two very rough, sleepless nights and a rough day, many other yachts were outside marinas given the lack of marinas.”
Rinehart made it clear this wasn’t just a problem for the average yachtie.
“Let’s not forget superyachts that may want to visit from overseas bringing passengers that want to spend in Australia, these superyachts need marinas too, sadly lacking for vessels over 50 metres,’’ she bemoaned.
“It is time for more marinas large enough to cater, not only for small and medium yachts, but larger ones too.”
But what about the “sharks, crocodiles, dangerous jellyfish and stingers” that pose a risk to those game enough to take to the water?
The solution, Rinehart declared, was to have “international class beach clubs” and pools to protect swimmers.
Go for Gold Gina.
Palaszczuk drops in
And while the video message was the talk of the lunch, there was also some mumblings about one particular aspect of the infrastructure plans for the Olympics.
Brisbane arguably has had more medal-winning swimmers than any other city in the world.
But there is no world-class Olympic pool anywhere to be seen.
It was hoped that 2032 would present the perfect excuse to get that kind of pool for our best to train in during the lead-up to the Olympics and long afterwards.
But that isn’t going to happen.
Instead, the government wants to have a “drop-in” pool at the yet-to-be constructed Brisbane Live entertainment venue in the CBD.
“(Brisbane Live) will be a music venue which will probably be built earlier than the Olympics in 2032, but it will then become the home of our swimming competition,” Annastacia Palaszczuk told the audience, which included swimmer Cate Campbell.
“We will drop the pool into that Brisbane Live venue and then that is also transformational there for development around the old Roma Street Station.”
Still no talkies for one-time besties
Political insiders were wondering last week if Annastacia Palaszczuk and her former deputy premier Jackie Trad were back to the bestie days of opposition when they took on the record majority of the newly elected Newman government and won.
The Premier delivered the keynote speech at the annual White Ribbon Day breakfast last Friday.
After giving nods to various ministers, Palaszczuk then turned to Trad – who lost her inner-city seat at the October election after earlier resigning from cabinet amid a series of scandals – sitting in the audience.
“Can I also acknowledge former deputy premier Jackie Trad, a very strong advocate for women’s issues in this state. Thank you, for joining us here this morning, Jackie,’’ the Premier said.
Trad had championed the state’s move to decriminalise abortion and reforms to domestic violence laws.
But in the last term, Palaszczuk and Trad had a falling-out behind closed doors.
And while some believed the acknowledgment was a sign of an improvement in their relationship, Chooks has been reliably informed that they pair haven’t talked since the election.
Bejewelled Bleijie’s bizarre boast
Serial performer Jarrod Bleijie is back at it, this week donning a bedazzled Elvis suit to pose in front of the Parliament’s Christmas tree.
The Sunshine Coast MP, who has appeared in the column before for his Elvis pelvis and karaoke prowess, alleges he wanted to bring a “a hunk, a hunk burning Christmas love to Parliament”.
Suspicious minds would wonder whether the hound dog politician is trying to up the ante to make the Chooks column.
Bleijie used debate time on Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Olympics committee bill on Wednesday to call for jive dancing to be recognised as an official sport.
“If breakdancing can be an Olympic sport in Paris in 2024, Rock ‘n Roll dancing should be an Olympic sport in Brisbane 2032,” he insisted.
Mayor’s two-month wait
Queensland’s longest-serving mayor will have to wait two months for a resolution to assault charges brought against him after an incident at an annual bush race meet in northwestern Queensland.
John Wharton had his first appointment with the local magistrate on Wednesday to face two charges of common assault and one of creating a disturbance in a licenced premises.
The matter was adjourned until February.
He declined to comment after the hearing, but told the Chooks on Tuesday he would be defending the charges.
Wharton, 68, who was first elected as a Richmond councillor in 1991 and became mayor in 1997, is accused of assaulting two female security guards at the annual Richmond Bush Sprints horse racing event in August.
Wharton’s real estate business was one of the sponsors of the race meet and Wharton himself is a clerk of the races and spent most of the day handing out ribbons to the winning jockeys.
Pictures from the day show smiling faces and little sign of the alleged shenanigans to come later.
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