Noticed that the Labor government has been remarkably quiet whenever Opposition leader Tony Abbott opens his mouth? There was nary a peep from their ranks last week when Abbott pledged that if elected, he would take full control of the Murray-Darling Basin.

Abbott was immediately set upon by furious industry groups for taking such a “simplistic” approach while the holidaying Labor politicians quietly sniggered into their lattes. “It’s a deliberate strategy,” says one Labor insider. “We’re letting him go for the next two or three weeks and just watching him shoot himself in the foot.”

What happens when a legend does not know when to go? It usually ends in a long and bitter battle. One of Australia’s oldest and biggest environment groups is currently undergoing just such a fight. The boss has been there for more than 20 years. He is a legendary warrior who has been a protagonist in many of Australia’s biggest environmental battles. And he has led the organisation through some very tough times. But he has been there for too long and has lost the support of his own organisation.

On Christmas Eve, nearly 200 office bearers, staff and high-profile members wrote him a letter outlining that he had lost their trust and confidence and sought his immediate resignation. This included almost the entire campaign staff and more than 75% of all full-time staff, all risking their own jobs by putting their names to the letter. The old dog will not give in though, spending the organisation’s money on legal advice and stacking his executive committee with old battle-scarred friends in senior roles. Just to keep his own job.

Tricky manoeuvres designed to avoid facing the staff and members seem to only delay the inevitable and increase the pain. An offer to transit out of the leadership role was refused a while ago. Is the old dog going to guarantee the ugly battle that seems inevitable, or is he going to put the best interests of the organisation ahead of his own interests?

You might want to check out some of those inner-city student apartments you mentioned in yesterday’s “Tips and rumours“. In Sydney it’s got to the point where the flyers on CBS lamp posts make a point of mentioning that student tenants will actually get their own bedroom or won’t be sharing the living room.

Surely the fire escapes in those high-rise CBD apartments were designed to a building code that assumed 2 or 3 people per apartment, not 8. Is this a towering inferno waiting to happen? Is this even legal?

In regards to yesterday’s tip about international student numbers being down. I’d be much more inclined to look at actual application/acceptance figures than how crowded apartments are. For this year across the major Sydney universities, Indian numbers are massively down but total numbers are actually up. The deficit was more than compensated by increased applications from a variety of countries, including China.

Re. Friday’s “Tips and rumours” in which Crikey published: “Rumours are rife in suburban Brisbane that Fairfax or APN is about to make a move and take on Quest Newspapers”.

Plenty of questions being asked at Quest of advertising staff since that “tip and rumour” appeared. Management may already have got wind of it last month when a series of big changes were announced in the editorial ranks, too (see below) . Quest is so short staffed that some of the changes are yet to be implemented.

From: Melloy, Neil
Sent: Thursday, 17 December 2009 5:20 PM
To: QST-DL-Quest Editorial Dept Staff
Cc: Elgood, Mark; Corcoran, Lisa; Harvie, Jeff; Flaherty, James; Barnes, Kylie; Campbell, Mike
Subject: Appointments

All,

I am very pleased to announce a series of changes and promotions that will help take our papers to the next level.

Kylie Knight is taking over the reins in Redcliffe.

Sam Benger makes the move to editor of North West News.

Andrew Dawson brings his skills to the editor’s position at the Northside Chronicle.

Andre Grimaux becomes Acting editor Caboolture.

Alan Welburn will be shifting to Milton to become editor of the South-West News and Springfield News. He will also take on the responsibility of zone editor for the south-west, which takes in Ipswich news and Westside news.

Gary Shipway will also be filling the role of zone editor for the south-east, taking in The Southern Star, City South News and the Wynnum Herald.

As well, we are filling the news editor positions in the North and in Logan.

Julian Kennedy will step into the role in the Strathpine office and Jeni Faulkner will make the move to Springwood.

These are all talented people who work hard for Quest and are committed to their jobs. It is a pleasure to give them new challenges and acknowledge their journalistic skills and leadership abilities.

Please join me in congratulating them.

Neil

Neil Melloy | Editor-in-Chief
Quest Community Newspapers