Yet another week

29.11.12

Letter to the Editor

Yet another week of omnishambles in the Queensland parliament where the Queensland LNP government and its leader have acted more like a dictatorship than a democratic political party by making MPs swear an allegiance to the party and its leadership, resulting in the departure of at least 2 well respected LNP MPs. The internal factions of the LNP it seems have declared war on each other; this is now the most divided government that Queensland has ever seen.

This same dishevelled, deeply divided party will ask voters within the next 12 months to elect or re-elect federal LNP MPs into a federal parliament whose current Opposition finds a 20 year old piece of AWU skulduggery the most important issue that concerns Australia’s future.

The LNP or federally the L&NP seemingly have no policies with which to wow the Australian voters, so they waste parliamentary time with conspiracy theory and conjecture instead of doing their job, which is to present alternate policy and sell those policies and to hold the current government to account on government policies.

We in Queensland have seen the huge shift in the approach of our State government who in only 8 months has deeply cut health and education services and funding in Queensland, sacked 14,000 people, cancelled projects and are in charge of a State of Stagnation, with rapidly rising unemployment (6.3%).

Queenslanders and others will really have to ask themselves one basic question given that Campbell Newman and Tony Abbott belong to the same faction within the conservative party. That question is “Do you want the whole of Australia to run in the same fashion as Queensland?”(Substitute your own State). I for one would not condemn my fellow Aussies to such a mean and inhumane government.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

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What a disgraceful presentation

26.11.12

Letter to the Editor

What a disgraceful presentation from the federal Opposition this week in the federal parliament. Their job is to hold the government to account on our behalf yet all we have seen is smear and a beat-up of an old story 17 years old? The government says that this tactic is because they don’t have any policies to talk about and are not interested in what the government is doing, this explanation seems to fit as I have heard nothing of policy from the Liberal National Coalition?

If this is the best that the federal Opposition can do, then it may well be worthwhile sticking with the current government, as they have made few mistakes and goodness knows what the LNP would do in government, especially if the Queensland government is any guide. The Liberal & National parties are divided in Queensland with the Queensland Premier having made enemies of most Queenslanders in only 8 months.

Julia Gillard has copped more criticism from the media and federal Opposition than any PM in history; still she retains her composure and leads from the front. I think a lot of voters will change their minds about Gillard before the next election and will see that she is a rare politician, one with integrity. The ALP have lead us through the Global Financial Crisis in 2008 and actually climbed the ladder to make our economy the 12th largest in the world, they must be doing something right.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

I noticed that the Oxford dictionary

16.11.12

Letter to the Editor

I noticed that the Oxford dictionary listed a new word recently to describe the UK conservative government and their performance or should I say lack of a performance “omnishambles” was the word chosen, thankfully the English language and this new word easily applies well to the current Queensland government.

In only eight months we have seen 14,000 public servants sacked, two Queensland government Ministers either resign or be sacked, Ministerial staffers sacked, this government like its conservative equivalent in the UK is in an unholy shambles, and we have gone from bad to worse in a relatively short period of time. The austerity measures have not worked, in fact our unemployment now leads mainland Australia on 6.3%. and rising.

It seems that the worst elements of conservatism (tea party- far right) have control of the Queensland LNP with it reported that the LNP leader is working behind the scenes to remove former National Party people from positions of power within the existing party. Queenslanders of age 40 or under must have wondered why it was that the LNP had been out of power in Queensland for the best part of 20 years, wonder no more young people, just look around you. Cost of living up, government services down.

The cost of living is going up with out of control electricity bills among others, that we were told would remain in check by Opposition Leader Newman, we just can’t seem to be able to trust them on anything that they have promised? Next year the Queensland LNP will again ask us for our vote for Tony Abbott, what will our answer be?

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

I would very much like

13.11.12

Letter to the Editor,

I would very much like to congratulate the Prime Minister for taking the politically courageous stand against ‘evil’ child sexual abuse; this is a harsh reality that has affected so many lost souls including myself.

As a survivor of this insidious practice I have followed the subject closely for many years, especially the religious connection. I can recall here in Townsville approximately a decade ago, a fringe religious cult hired a swimming coach for their school. The man hired for the role was recently out of prison and had a history of paedophilia and of course the events unfolded of this man interfering with the children of that school. It was covered by the Townsville Bulletin at the time.

Paedophilia more often than not leaves children that it touches with emotional problems later in life; in some of the worst cases it absolutely ruins the child’s life for life. The child gets a life sentence; the perpetrator walks away or is hidden by the institution he works for. Enough is enough, vulnerable children must be protected from this ugly, evil unsavoury practice for good.

Prime Minister Gillard will and should be remembered and praised for the courage she has shown particularly on this issue. I should imagine the hierarchy of the Churches and religious cults would welcome this Royal Commission also, so that for once and for all they can rid themselves of this dark slur that has been attached to them for many decades, at this point in time.

Hopefully this wide ranging Royal Commission will be allowed to continue its work to fruition with the support of both sides of politics.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 074751684

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

The solid trouncing

08.11.12

Letter to the Editor

The solid trouncing of conservative politics in the USA must give Julia Gillard some heart in her battle with the same in this country. The citizens of the USA quite rightly rejected Mitt Romney and his ultra-right wing policies which would have seen the end of a health care system largely based on our Medicare system.

Prime Minister Gillard’s first term as PM was shrouded in mystery due to the way she came to the job, in her second term as PM she is now more experienced and much wiser these days. Gillard relies on the great economy that she has been able to build post GFC with low unemployment, low interest rates and an economy the envy of the world. A strong Australian economy means an investment stream in the tens of billions for Australia which in turn means jobs for our children and grandchildren, prosperity.

As President Obama said to USA citizens “We are an American family and we rise or fall together as one nation and as one people” Australia, under Gillard is in a similar position which is why we, as Australians need to rally behind our Prime Minister to make sure that our economy is not interrupted in mid-stream, and continues its path of growth well into the future.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

213 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

If Rob Quiney

05.11.12

Letter to the Editor

If Rob Quiney plays his first Test at the Gabba this coming Friday it will mark a huge change in the way Test players are selected and long may it remain that way? Rob was last season’s domestic player of the year and has performed admirably against the South Africans in the match he played for Australia A.

Many players are selected for Test duties because of who they know, and which State they have come from. It has been obvious to the average cricket fan for many decades. The last time I can recall that a player was selected on form and against the other criteria was when Matthew Hayden got a second bite at the cherry, public pressure was too great to keep him out, and what a great performance he gave cricket fans everywhere.

In my humble opinion players should only ever be selected on merit and in form. We can see how the favoured Test Players fared in the recent NSW v Queensland match, the favoured Test batsmen Warner and Clarke 39, 28 respectively in the second innings and the favoured Test bowler Starc 6-1-36-1. Nothing there to indicate brilliance of any kind, yet they will be playing Test cricket on Friday at the Gabba.

Why can’t we see our best players playing their cricket for Australia?

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

Townsville Bulletin article

02.11.12

Letter to the Editor

Townsville Bulletin article Most Aussies back Obama 02.11.12. Interesting that a Lowy Institute poll a whopping 80% of Australians want to see President Obama returned in the USA. Obama is progressive, not conservative.

It would seem that the USA conservatives (Republicans) have a similar problem to their Aussie counterparts (Liberal/National Party) in that they have chosen the wrong man to lead their campaign. In the USA that man is Mitt Romney a multi-millionaire from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon’s) who does not relate well with everyday citizens, in Australia that man is Tony Abbott from the Roman Catholic Church who likewise does not relate well with everyday people.

Conservative politics is difficult enough to sell at the best of times; you really do need a good salesperson running for the top job if you expect success. The Australian conservatives are offering little in the way of policy that everyday people can relate to and understand and what little we do know is the return of WorkChoices, which the Australian people clearly voted against in 2007. If the public are to change horses in mid-stream then there must be a good reason to do so, propaganda is not enough.

Australia retains its AAA rating for our economy, which is far in front of most other economies on Earth, we have only small amounts of industrial disputation and enjoy small government debt, especially compared to many other countries, in fact we have climbed the ladder to become the world’s 12th largest economy, Gillard and her government must be doing something right. The relentless negativity of the federal Opposition would have us believe we were on par with Greece or Spain doing badly, instead of the reality that we are in fact doing very well.

If the conservative coalition persists with Tony Abbott as their leader then they do not deserve any better treatment than the electorate will hand them at the next federal election.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au