Barnaby and his cruiser

[Disco44]

I'll just put it up,you can comment .Last updated: February 15, 2011




Senator Barnaby Joyce has written off a government-funded four-wheel drive

TRASHED: Senator Barnaby Joyce has written off a government-funded four-wheel drive. Picture: Robyne Cuerel. Source: The Courier-Mail

OUTSPOKEN Nationals' Senator Barnaby Joyce is in hot water after writing-off a $95,000 taxpayer-funded 4WD as he tried to drive through a flooded NSW creek.

The Queensland Senator touted as a future Nationals' leader had a lucky escape just before Christmas after his luxury Toyota Landcruiser became bogged in the flooded Burren Creek, in far north NSW.

The Coalition's spokesman on water himself became a victim of summer's above-average rainfalls and was forced to scramble to safety by wriggling through the driver's window.

News of the unfortunate accident appears to have been hushed up and calls to Walgett Shire Council did not fully explain the incident.

A staff member said he believed roads around the creek were closed at the time "as far as I know". But this could not be confirmed.

A sheepish Senator Joyce is adamant he broke no laws.
"Definitely not. The road was not closed. I got to the creek at Burren Junction and the signs said 'drive slowly'," he said.

"Yeah, I got stuck in the floodwaters but I got the car out."

At the time there was no flood indicator sign for Senator Joyce to gauge depth. He claims other drivers trapped by the floodwaters could back up his story.

Senator Joyce was on holidays at the time at the end of a taxing political year and driving the Toyota 4WD from his Queensland home in St George to a family property at Baradine, about 300km from the Queensland/NSW border.

All Federal MPs and Senators are able to drive electorate vehicles for private use, provided they pay a "peppercorn" fee of around $750 to the Finance Department.

The Landcruiser 200 has a drive-away price of $95,000 according to Toyota's website.

But it was no match for the flooded creek and its electronics and computer system was damaged so badly that it was declared a write-off by the insurance company which manages the Commonwealth fleet.

"I got the car out but the insurance company said it was a write off," a sheepish Senator Joyce said.

Senator Joyce said he was the third driver to become bogged in Burren Creek at the time and was only able to drag his vehicle out with the help of another 4WD.

But he said he didn't feel threatened by the flooded creek which was "more like a lagoon than a raging torrent"

[87County]

Ah... much scuttlebutt around about this incident (as would be expected)

If it had been anyone else community reactions may well have been different, even sympathetic

But unfortunately, most of the derogatory comments about Barnaby Goose seem to be true -

The poor man (other appropriate descriptive word/s have been used around here) probably would not have had any choice as to the car he was given -

but you expect a reasonable person to use common sense and not to feel they have to attempt the impossible just for publicity purposes...

Reliable info in this case suggests that the type car was not the problem :o

As Police/SES keep saying - don't play in floodwaters Barnaby :)

[pop058]

What was the "other 4WD" that rescued the toymotor ?

[MickS]

I trust Barnabass' peppercorn lease fee will increase in line with this event...hmmm somewhere in the vicinity of $95K...but I doubt it. Looks like $95K of flood relief will get diverted to Toyota.

What colour would you like this time Mr. Joyce?

[TerryO]

Ah... much scuttlebutt around about this incident (as would be expected)

If it had been anyone else community reactions may well have been different, even sympathetic

But unfortunately, most of the derogatory comments about Barnaby Goose seem to be true -

The poor man (other appropriate descriptive word/s have been used around here) probably would not have had any choice as to the car he was given -

but you expect a reasonable person to use common sense and not to feel they have to attempt the impossible just for publicity purposes...





What makes you think he tried 'the impossible for publiity purposes'? Maybe he was just trying to get some where and made a bad decision.

If he is a goose because be stuffed up then there are plenty of members on here that are also gooses as well for doing similar things. I don't remember to many being derided though for driving through water that killed their Disco's.

Is it a case of what is acceptable for Aulro members is not also acceptable for Barnaby?

cheers,
Terry

[Tote]

I trust Barnabass' peppercorn lease fee will increase in line with this event...hmmm somewhere in the vicinity of $95K...but I doubt it. Looks like $95K of flood relief will get diverted to Toyota.

What colour would you like this time Mr. Joyce?
Actually It says in the article that the insurance company wrote it off so presumably the excess will be paid and the Govt will get a new car to allocate to Barnaby. Probably not at a cost of $95000.
Regards,
Tote

[one_iota]

Well as someone on that side of the house said recently: "s**t happens"

[PAT303]

Kinda like drink driving,doesn't matter how many times people are told not to drive through floodwaters,and for very good reason idiots still do it. Pat

[MickS]

Actually It says in the article that the insurance company wrote it off so presumably the excess will be paid and the Govt will get a new car to allocate to Barnaby. Probably not at a cost of $95000.
Regards,
Tote

Governments, at least state, are self-insured. So we still foot the bill.

[Hamish71]

And dont think the government paid anywhere near 95,000.00 retail for it.
Probably half....or less.

[MickS]

And dont think the government paid anywhere near 95,000.00 retail for it.
Probably half....or less.

Of course they didn't :Thump:, everyone knows that. But it's still tax payers' money that went for a swim.

[BigJon]

In the grander scheme of things it is a drop in the ocean. Plenty of government vehicles get written off, nearly on a daily basis and no one even blinks, much less comments.

I personally picked up a NT government Patrol with about 1000km on the odometer that had done the last 50 or so metres on its roof. No forum scuttlebutt about that one.

[MickS]

In the grander scheme of things it is a drop in the ocean. Plenty of government vehicles get written off, nearly on a daily basis and no one even blinks, much less comments.

I personally picked up a NT government Patrol with about 1000km on the odometer that had done the last 50 or so metres on its roof. No forum scuttlebutt about that one.

Yes it may only be a drop, but those drops turn into big puddles that we are paying for. Everyone's blowing up deluxe about paying a flood levy, but no one wants to question a politician's decision to drive a government (tax payer funded) vehicle through a flooded creek. I bet my left one the road was closed.

I think the point is.....this was an avoidable incident, and one that appears to have been kept below the radar for fear of backlash. It happened almost 2 months ago and is just seeing the light of day now. And it seems he is just blithely "writing" the incident off.

One of our work patrols was sunk in a big mud hole out at Menai a few years ago when they went to investigate a stolen vehicle. It was written off. The escort, being the senior officer, and not the driver, was transferred, demoted and dropped a pay scale. Go figure.

Did the NT patrol get a mention in the news? If not, that's why there was no forum discussion here.

There you go Barnaby, your new chariot awaits...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/
(http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=10057612&keywords=lada%20niva&tsrc=allcarhome&__Ntk=CarAll&__Nne=15&__Dx=mode%20matchany&__D=lada%20niva&silo=1011&seot=1&__sid=12E2A6CF83EA&__N=1216%201247%201252%201282&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32%7C1%7C%7CpCar_PriceSort_D ecimal%7C1%7C%7CpCar_Make_String%7C0%7C%7CpCar_Mod el_String%7C0&__Qpb=true&__Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Cr=0&__Ntt=lada%20niva&trecs=3)

[DeeJay]

I guess he thought the latest model could do what a 40/60/70 series could do. It couldn't have been that bad if he waded out.
I equally blame the advertising agencies & 4x4 magazines

[Disco44]

What makes you think he tried 'the impossible for publiity purposes'? Maybe he was just trying to get some where and made a bad decision.

If he is a goose because be stuffed up then there are plenty of members on here that are also gooses as well for doing similar things. I don't remember to many being derided though for driving through water that killed their Disco's.

Is it a case of what is acceptable for Aulro members is not also acceptable for Barnaby?

cheers,
Terry

His reputation for foot in mouth disease precedes him.

[V8Ian]

Yes it may only be a drop, but those drops turn into big puddles that we are paying for. Everyone's blowing up deluxe about paying a flood levy, but no one wants to question a politician's decision to drive a government (tax payer funded) vehicle through a flooded creek. I bet my left one the road was closed.

I think the point is.....this was an avoidable incident, and one that appears to have been kept below the radar for fear of backlash. It happened almost 2 months ago and is just seeing the light of day now. And it seems he is just blithely "writing" the incident off.

One of our work patrols was sunk in a big mud hole out at Menai a few years ago when they went to investigate a stolen vehicle. It was written off. The escort, being the senior officer, and not the driver, was transferred, demoted and dropped a pay scale. Go figure.

Did the NT patrol get a mention in the news? If not, that's why there was no forum discussion here.

There you go Barnaby, your new chariot awaits...

http://z.about.com/d/4wheeldrive/1/0/h/O/Niko_Niva_pohjapesulla3.jpg
(http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=10057612&keywords=lada%20niva&tsrc=allcarhome&__Ntk=CarAll&__Nne=15&__Dx=mode%20matchany&__D=lada%20niva&silo=1011&seot=1&__sid=12E2A6CF83EA&__N=1216%201247%201252%201282&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32%7C1%7C%7CpCar_PriceSort_D ecimal%7C1%7C%7CpCar_Make_String%7C0%7C%7CpCar_Mod el_String%7C0&__Qpb=true&__Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Cr=0&__Ntt=lada%20niva&trecs=3)
You're more generous than me Mick. Here's my offer. ;)
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2011/02/646.jpg

[BigJon]

Yes it may only be a drop, but those drops turn into big puddles that we are paying for. Everyone's blowing up deluxe about paying a flood levy, but no one wants to question a politician's decision to drive a government (tax payer funded) vehicle through a flooded creek. I bet my left one the road was closed.

I think the point is.....this was an avoidable incident, and one that appears to have been kept below the radar for fear of backlash. It happened almost 2 months ago and is just seeing the light of day now. And it seems he is just blithely "writing" the incident off.



(http://www.carsales.com.au/all-cars/private/details.aspx?R=10057612&keywords=lada%20niva&tsrc=allcarhome&__Ntk=CarAll&__Nne=15&__Dx=mode%20matchany&__D=lada%20niva&silo=1011&seot=1&__sid=12E2A6CF83EA&__N=1216%201247%201252%201282&__Ns=pCar_RankSort_Int32%7C1%7C%7CpCar_PriceSort_D ecimal%7C1%7C%7CpCar_Make_String%7C0%7C%7CpCar_Mod el_String%7C0&__Qpb=true&__Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&Cr=0&__Ntt=lada%20niva&trecs=3)

The rolled one I picked up was avoidable too. Most if not all incidents or crashes are.

I still don't see what the big deal is.

[crash]

Senator Joyce said he was the third driver to become bogged in Burren Creek at the time and was only able to drag his vehicle out with the help of another 4WD.


If there were already 2 bogged vehicles would that not be a good indication NOT TO GO THERE. presuming that the 2 vehicles mentioned were still there.

Would this be a different conversation if Barnaby said " I was going in there to aid the two bogged vehicles"?

[gazk]

Maybe he should get one of these, then again probably not.:D
33499

33500

33501

[KarlB]

[QUOTE=gazk;1429319]Maybe he should get one of these, then again probably not.:D

I would have thought they were more Tony Abbott's style of vehicle.

[BMKal]

Wow !!!!!!!! :o

So Barnaby drowned a cruiser. So what.

Pretty sure I've read a few stories on here about members drowning Landrovers (as others have also pointed out). Does that make them all fools too - or is it only Barnaby that for some reason is not allowed to make a mistake.

Graeme Campbell (ex member for Kalgoorlie - also well known as a "maverick" politician) lost an OKA in a river in the Kimberley a few years back. It was also written off and replaced with another OKA. He wrote the second one off out on the Trans access line when he rolled it with a load of firewood in the back.

He copped a lot of flack from the usual whingers too, probably because he was also one of those politicians who is not afraid to speak his mind and tell it like it is.

Interesting that they were from opposite sides of the fence. Campbell was Labor in those days, though he has since stood for One Nation and later again as an independent.

He never did get voted back in after he got booted out of the Labor party for crossing the floor and voting against them (and telling that muppet Keating what an idiot he was) - maybe it was the voters rejecting him for writing off a couple of taxpayer funded OKA's. :twisted:

[MickS]

Wow !!!!!!!! :o

So Barnaby drowned a cruiser. So what.

Pretty sure I've read a few stories on here about members drowning Landrovers (as others have also pointed out). Does that make them all fools too - or is it only Barnaby that for some reason is not allowed to make a mistake.



He can make as many mistakes as he likes, as long as the tax payer doesn't have to pay for them..unlike the members on here who either paid for it themselves, or were paid out by insurance companies through premiums paid by said members...he's a dickhead.

[Utemad]

The article I read priced the vehicle at $80k and said he was pulled out by a tractor that had already pulled 2 other cars out.

[BMKal]

He can make as many mistakes as he likes, as long as the tax payer doesn't have to pay for them..unlike the members on here who either paid for it themselves, or were paid out by insurance companies through premiums paid by said members...he's a dickhead.

Oh ............. so he's a dickhead because he sunk a taxpayer funded vehicle, but others who sunk their own privately funded vehicles are somehow more intelligent.

Unbelievable - the simplicity of some never ceases to amaze me. It must be ever so hard to be perfect.

As it happens - I agree that he's a dickhead as far as his political views go, but to somehow suggest that just because he's a politician who might not be popular is more of a dickhead than a member on here, both of whom have sunk a 4WD in deep water - well there's just no point arguing with logic like that I guess.

[QLDMIKE]

The Commonwealth is self insured.

Aulro members own their vehicles, pay for all of the “goodies” on them, the vehicles upkeep and are ultimately the ones that can decide what they want to do with their vehicles.
The good Senator is driving a Commonwealth asset, which he does not own. Therefore, he does not have the privilege of making a decision such as this when there is no real need. He was not in a “life and death situation”.

If someone at my workplace looses an asset, an investigation into the incident can take place, but ultimately there has to be a report written for the purposes of insurance. The report must detail recommendations as to whether the officer responsible is liable or not.
There should be a similar investigation and report written on this incident, however, I don’t think the good Senator will have to pay for the Commonwealth asset he wrecked.

There are a lot of Commonwealth Public Servants, Amy, Navy, Air Force and otherwise that have damaged or lost assets, they are paying the Commonwealth back for those assets. Senator Joyce should do the same.
If he made it known that he was paying back the asset, at purchase price to the Commonwealth, I think most Aussies would respect that and maybe even think better of him. Every risk presents an opportunity and clearly he did not think that far ahead.


BTW, I am not a hater of Senator Barnaby Joyce; I like the fact that he has crossed the floor on occassions and speaks with some passion.

[KarlB]

Wow !!!!!!!! :o

So Barnaby drowned a cruiser. So what.

Pretty sure I've read a few stories on here about members drowning Landrovers (as others have also pointed out). Does that make them all fools too - or is it only Barnaby that for some reason is not allowed to make a mistake.

Graeme Campbell (ex member for Kalgoorlie - also well known as a "maverick" politician) lost an OKA in a river in the Kimberley a few years back. It was also written off and replaced with another OKA. He wrote the second one off out on the Trans access line when he rolled it with a load of firewood in the back.

He copped a lot of flack from the usual whingers too, probably because he was also one of those politicians who is not afraid to speak his mind and tell it like it is.

Interesting that they were from opposite sides of the fence. Campbell was Labor in those days, though he has since stood for One Nation and later again as an independent.

He never did get voted back in after he got booted out of the Labor party for crossing the floor and voting against them (and telling that muppet Keating what an idiot he was) - maybe it was the voters rejecting him for writing off a couple of taxpayer funded OKA's. :twisted:

I though the OKAs that Campbell drove were on 'loan' to him from Reymer or who ever owned OKA at the time, and not taxpayer funded. It was all tied up with Campbell being a quite outspoken supporter of the company. I thought it got him into a bit of strife being both an advocate and recipient of their favour. This was all back in the early 1990s.

As for being booted out of the Labor Party and never getting back in, that is not the case. Campbell held his seat at the next election. He was disendorsed and removed from the Party on November 1995 but stayed on as and independent until the election in March 1996 when he easily held his seat. He lost his seat at the October 1998 election, the same election that saw “that muppet” lost his Prime Ministership to Little Johnny.

[MickS]

Oh ............. so he's a dickhead because he sunk a taxpayer funded vehicle, but others who sunk their own privately funded vehicles are somehow more intelligent.

Unbelievable - the simplicity of some never ceases to amaze me. It must be ever so hard to be perfect.

As it happens - I agree that he's a dickhead as far as his political views go, but to somehow suggest that just because he's a politician who might not be popular is more of a dickhead than a member on here, both of whom have sunk a 4WD in deep water - well there's just no point arguing with logic like that I guess.

Read what you want into it pal. :Thump:But yes, the simplicity of some does amaze me.....as outlined below:
"News of the unfortunate accident appears to have been hushed up and calls to Walgett Shire Council did not fully explain the incident. A staff member said he believed roads around the creek were closed at the time "as far as I know".......

"I got the car out but the insurance company said it was a write off," a sheepish Senator Joyce said.
Senator Joyce said he was the third driver to become bogged in Burren Creek at the time and was only able to drag his vehicle out with the help of another 4WD.
But he said he didn't feel threatened by the flooded creek which was "more like a lagoon than a raging torrent".


Smart fella that Barnaby...don't have to have a long neck to be a goose. ;)

[BMKal]

Read what you want into it pal. :Thump:But yes, the simplicity of some does amaze me.....as outlined below:
"News of the unfortunate accident appears to have been hushed up and calls to Walgett Shire Council did not fully explain the incident. A staff member said he believed roads around the creek were closed at the time "as far as I know".......

"I got the car out but the insurance company said it was a write off," a sheepish Senator Joyce said.
Senator Joyce said he was the third driver to become bogged in Burren Creek at the time and was only able to drag his vehicle out with the help of another 4WD.
But he said he didn't feel threatened by the flooded creek which was "more like a lagoon than a raging torrent".


Smart fella that Barnaby...don't have to have a long neck to be a goose. ;)

Like I said - I'm no great fan of Barnaby either - but that's entirely beside the point.

But according to some - Barnaby can sink a Toyota and that makes him a dickhead.

Joe bloggs on the Landrover (or any other forum) can sink their own vehicle doing exactly the same thing, and somehow that person is not a dickhead, as it's quite OK to sink your own vehicle.

Gotta make you wonder about the objectiveness of those making the observations. ;)

Both vehicles are insured - the insurance will probably (maybe) pay out in both cases - and all our premiums go up as a result of both claims. So what's the difference whose car it is and whether the guy driving it is a politician or joe public.

Hell - I've sunk a vehicle before too. None of us is perfect - well at least most of us aren't.

[MickS]

No one is talking about Joe Bloggs and his privately owned land rover, the insurance of which is paid for by the owner. As I indicated earlier, and as Qldmike states above, the government is self insured...so where does that money come from? Us. And, as I mentioned in an earlier post, and as Qldmike mentions above, if a government asset is lost, there is an investigation. But it would appear no one seems concerned about the loss of this asset. Objectivity has nothing to do with it. You are comparing chalk with cheese. Everything he has stated about the incident has been done to remove blame from himself.

Read Qldmike's post....