[Editor’s Note: This is a comment to an article by Jon Picini – Four theses on ‘green bans’ and the contemporary right to the city]
Regarding what Brisbane Aboriginal Sovereign Embassy’s Boe Spearim said at a recent public meeting about affordable housing for Indigenous Australians*, I know this has fallen (largely) on deaf ears in the past, but attempts by the Brisbane Aboriginal Community (through Link-Up) to set up an Aboriginal Juvenile Community Centre opposite West End Primary school at 26 Horan Street was subverted by Qld Public Trustee (Peter Carne formerly of Goss, Downy & Carne). He was aided in this by liberal ‘progressives’ protecting their own property values. Blackfellas pay more for properties only to have other residents complain about lowering of house prices in murri neighbourhoods.
The resultant sale of the old AHIMSA house on that site for less than 50% of market value to CJ’s Pasta indicates how close to corruption are current and prior Labor identities (Carne included) in West End.
Bernie Neville on roof of 26 Horan St West End protesting the fraudulent sale of Ahimsa house for less than half market value.
When former Labor politicians resign because of corruption in local government (Rob Pyne, sic) they are pilloried by the likes of Jackie Trad (Deputy Premier, Local government & Resources minister) and Peter Simpson (ETU).
Simmo’s outbursts against whistle-blower Pyne are doubly ironic given it was his own outing of the sell out by Anna Bligh of QRail that contributed to the fall of her Labor government.
Not wishing to labour the point 😉 the AHIMSA house fraud was perpetrated on a vulnerable old man by a person from the Left, Libertarian, Brian Laver, and architect, Will Marcus, who has received contracts from previous Labor administrations.
ETU billboard in Highgate Hill West End
Live to Fight
Most of my friends have been unable to afford housing in West End.
Department of Housing continue to chuck aboriginal and working class people out of public housing everywhere. The older houses are sold off for significant profit.
Fight to Live
Battles for affordable housing, public parks and transport are hardly new, they have been fought before in this once sleepy country town when the population was five times less that it is today … here is one fight to save Bowen Hills from freeways and developers. Not that long ago really … from 1973-4 in Bowen Hills in Brisbane … note the savage tactics of police and scabs in bringing down people’s houses (especially around 17:17).
Source: Radical Times Historical Archive
Ian Curr
21 May 2016
