If the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) ever wanted to redeem its credibility with the new Federal Labor Government and Prime Minister Rudd in particular, it should immediately sack its whingeing, whining spokesman Jim Carden who appears to be doing his best to undermine the BAC's relations with the Government.
After Prime Minister Rudd announced an investigation into a possible curfew at the Brisbane Airport to overcome years of unacceptable noise levels for residents on Brisbane's southside, what does the quick-thinking, ever-diplomatic Jim Carden do?
He announces that the BAC might pull the plug on the $1 billion second runway project in retaliation!
Either Jim Carden is a complete dill or he is trying to find an excuse to scrap the project, because his threats of blackmail against Prime Minister Rudd are a corporate tactic which might have worked with the previous government but not with Kevin Rudd.
You see, Jim, governments are elected to represent the people - not to fatten the profits of large corporations who couldn't give two hoots about the 100 complaints a month which they receive from the long-suffering residents of Brisbane.
Jim Carden is typical of the old-fashioned breed of corporate giants which make dire threats against governments when they cannot get their own way.
Who cares if they pack up their bat and ball and scrap the project? It will make a lot of angry residents very happy, Jim.
Your company has repeatedly ignored genuine complaints from members of the public, treating them with disdain and claiming that the company's only duty is to its shareholders.
That sort of corporate thinking belongs in the 1950s.
It's time the BAC re-examined its position and said: "Sayonara" to Jim Carden if it wants to forge a proper professional partnership with the new Federal Labor Government.
The BAC should start working with the government and the people of Brisbane - and not against them.
Jim, are you listening? .... Jim .... Jim .... Jim .... Jim?
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If you are going to run a major airport corporation, the first rule for being politically-savvy is to work out who the rising stars of politics might be.
If the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) had any brains in the past, they would have worked with the Federal Member for Griffith who stood up for his constituents when they were overwhelmed by unacceptable aircraft noise.
The BAC has always been happy to ride roughshod over the rights of Brisbane residents. Just look at the DFO at 1 Airport Drive, which saw the BAC hide behind the Australian Constitution by exempting itself from having to apply for town planning approval from the Brisbane City Council just because it was located on Commonwealth land.
Now, the DFO has created a total nightmare for motorists and the BAC couldn't care less about the problems they have created. They have even had the audacity to claim that the DFO hasn't had any effect on the Gateway Arterial / Airport Drive roundabout.
Now, back to the Federal Member for Griffith who took the BAC to court to try to stop the construction of a second runway. He lost the case but it didn't stop there. The BAC hounded him into the ground for their own legal costs which could have sent him bankrupt which would have caused him to be thrown out of Parliament.
The BAC would not accept that he was acting in the public interest as they went on to extract their pound of flesh from the Federal Member.
The Federal Member for Griffith was Kevin Rudd who went on to become the Prime Minister of Australia in 2007.
Like many politicians, he never forgets.
Now, the BAC is squealing like a stuck pig over Kevin Rudd's plan to have an investigation into a night curfew at Brisbane Airport.
The BAC pays homage only to the Almighty Dollar and, based on its past performance, doesn't care two hoots about the residents of Brisbane.
This week, Airport spokesman Jim Carden put up a hopeless argument when he attempted to justify their current operations by claiming that the BAC only receives 100 complaints a month.
Only 100! Only 100! Bloody hell - 100 complaints and the BAC thinks this is normal.
Jim, you must have your head in the ground and your backside in the air, if you think that that is an acceptable level of complaints from the general public.
With people like you as the company spokesman, Prime Minister Rudd will have a field day as he goes about imposing a much-needed night curfew in his usual logical and systematic manner.
All of this will be great news for the long-suffering people on the Brisbane's southside who have been treated like dogs by the BAC for years.
And when the night curfew commences, the BAC should sit back for a long dose of navel gazing and realise that they should always treat elected members as honourable citizens and not as scumbags who might affect the company's bottom line.
Because the "scumbag" that they might be trying to destroy today, may become Prime Minister of Australia tomorrow.
And as this saga continues to play out, it it going to become one of the funniest political stories ever witnessed in Australia.
Except, of course, for the broken-hearted BAC whose political naivete will become legendary throughout the world as a result of their long-term public relations disaster when they tried to destroy a Member of Parliament who was just doing his job!This is the site for thinking and politically-astute Australians.
Do you have a contribution about Queensland or Australian
Politics or a burning consumer issue or disgraceful ripoff?
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If the Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC) ever wanted to redeem its credibility with the new Federal Labor Government and Prime Minister Rudd in particular, it should immediately sack its whingeing, whining spokesman Jim Carden who appears to be doing his best to undermine the BAC's relations with the Government.
Either Jim Carden is a complete dill or he is trying to find an excuse to scrap the project, because his threats of blackmail against Prime Minister Rudd are a corporate tactic which might have worked with the previous government but not with Kevin Rudd.
