CAIRNS News supports the right of Albany councillor Mario Lionetti to take a sharp dig at the Greens Party and their supporters. The councillor has created something of a furore by suggesting Greens voters should be used for army target practice.
The full quote, which doesn’t quite make sense grammatically, was posted on social media in response to a local newspaper profile of Greens candidate for the seat of O’Connor, Giz Watson, was: “Who votes these muppets in needs (sic) lining up for our army’s target practice.”
That’s the sort of political jibe one might expect around an election campaign, but a Greens candidate, backed by the local ABC station, has gone all sour-faced and is trying to make an issue of it.
No-one, except people lacking a sense of humour or ability to appreciate hyperbole in speech, would take offence at such a comment. Cr Lionetti is obviously not literally suggesting the army round up Greens voters for target practice. He was simply having a colorful dig at the Greens.
But the hoity toity Greens candidate Ms Watson think it’s a big issue. “It’s inappropriate language and inappropriate behaviour, especially for someone who holds a position in the local council,” she told the ABC. “You would expect a lot more of someone in that position and inciting violence has no place in our community.”
Cairns News sees Ms Watson’s objection as disingenuous and quite silly. Does she lack education or discernment to the degree that she cannot understand hyperbole in political debate?
We should remind Ms Watson that a former Prime Minister once branded the Opposition leader Andrew Peacock with the following words: “The Leader of the Opposition is more to be pitied than despised, the poor old thing. The Liberal Party of Australia ought to put him down like a faithful old dog because he is of no use to it and of no use to the nation.”
The ABC itself has posted a list of former PM Paul Keating’s insults and jibes in the Parliament. They make for some hilarious reading. Another example directed at former Opposition Leader John Howard: “He’s wound up like a thousand-day clock! One (more half) turn and there’ll be springs and sprockets all over the building. Mr Speaker, give him a valium.”
Albany Mayor Greg Stocks, apparently responding to ABC requests for comment, said predictably the comments “did not reflect those of the City of Albany.”
“They are indefensible, unacceptable,” he told the ABC, adding the comments could be a breach of the City of Albany’s code of conduct …(Our comment: tut, tut.) “This is not good for Albany, it’s not good for the council,” he said. “I’m really disappointed and I expect he’ll get a clip around the ear over it.”
A public clip over the ear? Now that would really be something for the Greens and the ABC to get outraged about.
