Union tells 40,000 protesters to text Premier Barry O'Farrell but gives out wrong number - Polidicks

[img]http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2011/09/08/1226132/155040-public-sector-rally.jpg[/img] Rally for public sector rights in Sydney today. Striking workers meet in The Domain. Picture: Cameron Richardson Source: [url]http://www.news.com.au/national/union-tells-30000-to-text-premier-barry-ofarrell-on-wrong-number/story-e6frfkvr-1226132358153?newscomautrack=news-newsfeed-20[/url] [release]A UNION leader has told thousands of protesters to text New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell a "Not Happy Barry" message only to give them a different number. The incident occurred during a rally in central Sydney protesting against the State Government's industrial changes including 5000 proposed job cuts. Unions NSW secretary Mark Lennon told the vocal crowd: "I stand here and see over 30,000 people from across the state in front of me, who have spoken with their feet and taken action today to come here and send a very clear message to Barry O'Farrell.” He urged the crowd to text the Premier the message "Not happy Barry" and called out a mobile number. However within minutes the [url=https://twitter.com/#%21/barryofarrell]Premier was on Twitter[/url] telling his followers that the number was not in fact for his mobile. "But it's not my number! (Apologies to whoever it belongs to)" the Premier tweeted. "I was in the balcony listening to the speeches in The Domain." A spokesman for the Premier confirmed it was the wrong number: "We certainly have not received any (text messages) as it was an incorrect number," he told news.com.au "We heard quite clearly him saying 'this is Barry O'Farrell's number and text Not happy Barry to him'." A spokesman for Unions NSW told News.com.au that while the number was not the Premier's the text messages would reach him in the form of an email. The spokesman said the messages would be converted by a private company into an email that would be sent to Mr O'Farrell's email account. A spokesman for the Premier said this afternoon that no emails had yet been received by the Premier. Carrying flags and waving placards, a sea of teachers, nurses, police, firefighters and other public servants flooded into the Domain just before noon, ready for a "day of chaos" aimed at the O'Farrell Government's public sector reforms. Organisers had anticipated crowds of about 20,000 would join the rally against government plans to slash 5000 public service back-office jobs and impose a 2.5 per cent wages cap for public sector workers. The organisers have since said they believe there were more than 40,000 protesters in attendance. - with AAP[/release]

Huh, that must have been awkward.

So it really wasn't the wrong number? I was thinking 40000 had ended up sending text messages to some random person. The only problem I see is that the company didn't forward the messages...

''Honey, i'm home!'' ''Did somebody call while i was at work?'' ''You have 40,000 new messages.''

Is the Premier like the Prime Minister?

Seems more like county head from the wording. Though Premier is often used as Prime ministers in many countries.

[QUOTE=DarkSpider;32182358]Is the Premier like the Prime Minister?[/QUOTE] The Premier is the leader of the (in this case NSW) State government, whereas the Prime Minister is the leader of the country

[QUOTE=DarkSpider;32182358]Is the Premier like the Prime Minister?[/QUOTE] He's the equivalent of a governor, he is the head of the state government.