Just seen the Network Ten news here in Queensland. I believe that Peter Beattie is single handedly destroying Labor's chances of winning office at the federal election.

His latest move - changing legislation at the last minute from fining councils who hold a referendum on whether their people support council amalgamation to SACKING a council which does so smacks of Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen at his worst.

Does he deny the amalgamation in some areas - Noosa. Port Douglas and Redcliffe in particular - is opposed by the people who live in these areas? No. What he's doing is using "Stalinist tactics", as the Liberal leader here said on the news, to piss on grassroots democracy.

On the same day, yet another Beattie Government minister has been charged with a criminal offence, this time for assault. One has already been jailed for attempted blackmail and the other faces very serious corruption charges for conduct which personally enriched him while he was a minister.

Maybe Queenslanders will say, "Yes, Howard's team is awful, but what's better about Labor?" Maybe Queenslanders will say, "since both big parties are full of thugs who won't represent the people or the public interest (remember Beattie went to his election without revealing his amalgamation agenda) let's keep Howard in as a counter to the Labor states".

Beattie is an enemy of Rudd's, because Rudd worked with Wayne Goss to keep Beattie on the back bench when Goss was Premier (it's a factional thing). Has Beattie decided on the ultimate revenge?

What does he expect seethingly angry voters to do? The only thing they can do, I guess - slap down ALP candidates at the federal election.

John Howard has finally found a hot issue with his offer to fund local referendums in Queensland. He's on a winner and he knows it. Because of Beattie, he's back in the game in Queensland.

Who'd have thought an own goal by Labor would bring Howard back from the brink. Rudd needs to win quite a few seats in Queensland. He must be feeling cold at the pit of his stomach tonight.

PS: I'm supposed to be doing something else. This is my last foray into Webdiary for the next 3 weeks  I'm so gobsmacked by Beattie that I couldn't help myself on this one. Please feel free to post relevant links.