COMMUNITY consternation has greeted the news that Geelong councillors will have an extra Tuesday night off a month.
A majority of them voted this week for a six-month trial of meeting monthly, ditching the long-standing arrangement of meeting twice a month.
At least the matter enjoyed bipartisan support, with councillors on either side of the political fence joining forces to overwhelm sole dissenter Stretch Kontelj.
Some pundits consider the trial a cop out, reducing councillors’ workload while limiting community access to council in action.
To keep everyone happy, Double Take offers the obvious solution: 50 per cent less pay for councillors while meeting 50 per cent less.
Sounds fair, doesn’t it councillors?
Councillors? Hellooo?
‘VOMIT comet’ and ‘spew cat’ are labels an ambitious Geelong-Burnie catamaran is struggling to overcome as it seeks support for its resurrection by Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie (pictured).
The proposed ferry, which also has the support of Geelong Mayor Darryn Lyons, would be a large catamaran five to eight times the size of a TT-Line Devil Cat that ran between 1997 and 2002.
But the suggested fares of $50 for passengers and $80 for cars contrast $500 million in set-up costs.
And the Burnie Advocate this week suggested, the new cat would have to shake off a less-than-glowing name for making passengers green in the heavy waters between the mainland and Tasmania.
“Once labelled the ‘spew cat’ or ‘vomit comet’, the Bass Strait catamaran had a reputation for seasickness and delays,” it reported.
FEDERAL Speaker Browyn Bishop’s been negotiating all sorts of rough weather over her $5000 chopper ride from Melbourne to Geelong to attend a fundraiser for Liberal member Ron Nelson’s failed bid for Bellarine at last year’s state election.
Critics have all but totally hijacked Twitter in recent days to slam her but sometimes with a hint of rude humour amid the insults.
As a ‘John Wren’ suggested: “If BronwynBishop’s chopper had ditched at the Werribee sewerage ponds on way to Geelong she’d have emerged cleaner than she is now”.
Ged Sweeney opined: “Instead of taking a taxpayer funded helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong, Bronwyn could have used her broomstick”.
Yet another, David Kindon, suggests Bronnie’s driver dropped her off in Melbourne then drove to Geelong to greet her on arrival.
Other wits, such as the ABC’s The Drum editor, Chip Rolley, posted the assault helicopter scene from Apocalypse Now, saying he was “exploring alternative ways to get to Geelong”.
Bronnie might be well advised, like in the film, to sit on her helmet.
