The Grubs: Dealing with information - why now?

Gerry, I talk to you so often I almost feel as though I know you now. Maybe you would like to pop round for dinner with me and my friends one day? I have my mum living with me and she could look after the kids - she's pretty good at that sort of thing. Three children and never lost one of the little buggers, which is amazing considering she never went to university. I know you did - your friends keep telling me for some reason.

Funny thing about your friends - don't they realise that means sod all to an Australian? That's why so many recruitment campaigns here use the slogan, "Don't tell us what you've got - tell us what you can do".

Neither are we interested in, "experience." In fact, the word "experience" can not be used in NSW Public Service recruitment procedures. I found that out the hard way when I used it in a selection report. Just because you have done something for thirty-years, it doesn't automatically mean you are good at it.

Look at you for example - you had nearly four years experience looking after children - and the only thing proven so far, is that you are a complete cock-up merchant. Not just taking care of kids - but in everything connected with this issue.

Maybe that's why we get results while high-priced Whitehall mandarins sit around tables going from A to B via the cat's bum and back again.

I was wondering if you could perhaps put me out of my misery, (not with sedatives or anything like that, I don't mean it in that way) and answer a little question?

We all know that you don't want anyone contacting you with information - you made that point perfectly clear. The thing is - why did you say it now?

We are into day - God knows whatever of the Campaign, (I thought this was a search for a missing child, not some sort of "Since I Quit Smoking" update) and you wait until now to tell the public, "I vont to be alone".

Is there any reason you didn't make that appeal earlier - when interest in the case was at it's height? Interest in the case is now waning - the "Oh no, not that again" syndrome is kicking in - largely due to your over-the-top publicity campaign.

I use a UK based news service for part of my work, and in their list of "most viewed articles," this issue is only ranked at number three - despite news of "arrests in the Maddy case." In fact it is behind, "The night Ian Richardson died in my arms" at number one. Yesterday it barely managed to get into the top ten.

This far into the campaign, leads and information would not be as forthcoming as when the public were glued to their seats watching and listening for any news. Now they get up and make a cup of tea. In simple terms, that means you would more than likely have fewer emails to handle now than in the early days.

I don't have a cynical bone in my body - honest! If I did however, I would be asking myself a question.

"Is this a way of letting the public think that due to the expensive and extensive campaign, you are now receiving so much information you simply can not handle any more - thereby justifying the expense and size of the campaign?" Or maybe you just can't be bothered any more.

Yes, I realise that is rather cynical but you have bought all this upon yourself.

Maybe it's time for you to stop being Jerry Maguire, promoter and started being Gerry McCann - father.

Gee, that was a good movie. I just loved the line, "Show me the money".