Sunday 5 April 2009

When "For sure" is not a wise thing to say

In 2009 Nationals protégée Richie Williamson is the 'independent' Clarence Valley Council mayor.
He is also a breakfast disc jockey on Grafton's Radio 2GF.

So when Richie decided to travel down to Coffs Harbour on 24 March and interview Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull (there to bolster the fortunes of local Nationals MP Luke Hartsuyker) he must have known that his promised ability to remain politically neutral was under scrutiny.

The Mayor/DJ did fairly well at first but fell at the third hurdle.

Turnbull replied to question number three:

Well I think that's what the Fair Pay Commission will be looking at very closely. They've got to weigh up the balance between giving people a pay rise on the one hand and its impact on jobs on the other – so that's really their task to do that.
But in many respects, I think for a lot of local businesses here, a greater threat is the modernised awards changes, which have been proposed by the Industrial Relations Commission, which the Labor Government is obviously right behind and that is going to see the cost of labour and the conditions of labour becoming a lot more expensive – particularly for people in the restaurant business and hospitality business. And you see the restaurants around Australia are becoming very concerned that they will be able to remain competitive and profitable, particularly in these difficult times with wages being increased with these new awards.

Then the mayor on a tightrope agreed with him with that fatal: For sure.

This short phrase was definitely not keeping your own political opinions tightly buttoned when out in public, Mayor.
And given the very strong anti-Howard Government WorkChoices stand the Clarence Valley took in 2005-2007, not a good move in relation to your own political health.

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