Would be nice if we can discuss this without personal abuse of each other as well – remember there are libel laws in Australia – I’ve read stuff on Facebook that was clearly libel & I think that person was lucky David Imrie didn’t see that comment.(I haven’t seen anything that bad here yet though as I presume this is partly moderated?)

While I can’t support all the Mardi Gras decisions over the last 12 months – I also can’t support peoples black and white assessments of the organisation and its activities.

The parade and party and festival and Harbour party were not monumental failures some of you are painting them as – they may not have been the best ever but neither were they the worst – & if you think otherwise please specify exactly how you come to your conclusions as I’m hearing a lot of general winging with few specifics.

One example of a positive is the Azure (harbour) party issues that were ongoing & never fixed. e.g. Cover over dancefloor in a predicted torrential storm? Forget it. NMG take over …& voila there’s a cover.

Anyhow, I hope you will all be at the AGM and are all members? you want change you vote for change & all organisations need voices of discussion and dissent to thrive.

Mr Imrie backed down on this decision at the very last minute as a lot of Volunteers were about to walk away, several days out from the Parade. This included Area and Assistant Area Co-Ordinators, people who make the Parade run.

A lot of Volunteers will not be returning to the 2010 Parade because of all this drama by him.

But my final word is, David is not going to be Chair after the AGM, so it’s now time to support the new Chair (whoever that will be) and then move forward to the future. And hope that NMG will again listen to it’s members and the greater Community.

Good-Bye Mr Imrie, you will NOT be missed.

feel free to direct complaints to

Peter Walton

I applaud David for giving up a year of his life for the community while others cant give up an afternoon or evening in support of one of the biggest gay events in the world.I just don’t understand way people have to focus on the negative aspects of MG and not on all the many positive aspects of Mardi Gras. I love Mardi Gras am a member and will continue to be a member and support all the changes

Well done David, and most of all thank you for your commitment and hard work not only this year but over the past few years.I wish you all the the very best.

Scott Abrahams article most certainly should have included the fact that NMG had secured NSW Government money for the first time.

That factual reporting should include a definitive effort to confirm or deny the story that the splitting of Parade and Party was a logistic screw up, not a strategic plan.

(C’mon SSO that is your job, get to the bottom of it, don’t let blogging rumours and assertions become fact!)

Something that is indeed interesting is that Imrie is personally credited with everything unpopular yet is given no credit whatsoever for anything good about NMG.

As for Foxtel, how on earth can Imrie take credit for that? The parade used to be broadcast many years ago on national, free to air broadcasters and the internet. I dare say it has more to do with Foxtel wanting to be involved than NMG drumming up new business.. Of course it was great to watch, but I think u will find it didn’t make NMG a single dollar. In-Kind sponsorship is easy to get, it’s the cash that supports the organisation that matters.

I hope the next person to fill the Chair will take it seriously and be committed to championing a cause for the community, not championing an already inflated ego.

Is your real name David?

Or perhaps you work for that Dolly rag you can’t find outside the clubs these days? You know the one, the one that posted an fluffy, non-substantial article about imrie’s resignation 30 minutes before the Mardi Gras board had even started meeting.

Hmmm – perhaps the bias is elsewhere?

Are you serious mate? What great achievements are you speaking about?

As far as I or anyone else in the community is aware there weren’t any.

If he had dome an amazing job (as you claim) he would not have been criticized, but merely debated.

He refused to listen to the members, despite promising when he was appointed (NOTE: NOT ELECTED) that he would have MORE opportunities for members to be a part of the organisation.

He has out right lied to the members and community on many issues including BGF and next year. And finally he continues to use his role and title to gain media attention and comp tickets to all the events he can manage.

The new board has a big job to do over the next year in winning back the respect of the members and community. I pity the poor schmuck who has to take up the reins this year and make something of a very poorly made bed.

It is shameful for a publication that purports to be a community publication to so openly and aggressively attack a community organisation and a hard working volunteer.

The facts are simple, yet seem to be ignored: Whether you prefer to attend a parade and dance party on the same night or on consecutive weekends, no one will know whether it is successful until after the fact.

Aside from that controversial move, consider the last couple of years with an open mind: David Imrie and his NMG committee created a Parade that for once wasn’t boring, convinced Foxtel to broadcast it, convinced the NSW government to invest half a million dollars in Mardi Gras, threw great parties and donated large sums to ACON and Queer Screen.

At the end of the day, it appears to be widely known that the splitting of Parade and Party were the result of an administrative error and the NMG committee then had to go into damage control. If anything we should feel sorry for Imrie that he was forced by his committee to deliver the news as if it was the result of strategy rather than error, in order to protect McInerny.

Perhaps it might be more community spirited to report and remember the many great achievements of Imrie and his committee rather than seek out the one thing that doesn’t suit your social life but can’t be changed anyway?

How about telling us the results of your own journalistic investigation of the decision to split the Party/Parade?

Shouldn’t this story have included the results of the SSO on-line poll that showed 50/50 support and opposition to split Parade/Party.

This is doesn’t read like a report so much as an opinion piece from the author.

Give more facts, less corroboration from SSO blogs (there were also blogs in favour of the split!) and let readers make up their own mind.