Following the debacle

29.09.13

Letter to the Editor

Following the debacle in India, followed by the debacle in England, is it not time for Aussies to call for a better method of selection for Test cricket players than the current politicized version that we have witnesses for more decades than I care to remember.

Recently North Queensland suddenly woke from its slumber to discover that the NSWRL actually controlled the NRL, though this has been the case for as long as the NRL has existed. The democracy that we believe we have in sport is actually an illusion with someone from time to time breaking the rules by swimming faster, or batting at a higher average (Ricky Ponting) but these people are outsiders to the Sydney sporting cliché they are tolerated but only until they can get their own player who performs half as good as the incumbent take Ricky Ponting as another example.

For some god given reason the typical New South Welshman and to a lesser degree the average Victorian have a superiority complex and they genuinely feel that because they came into being in those States that somehow they should be placed first in any line and that all those in the line need to measure up to themselves, as it is they who are superior to all other comers?

Take for example former Australian Test Cricket Captain Kim Hughes, after the disgusting treatment dished out to him after losing 6 Test matches in a row, he did the noble thing of resigning as Test Captain. Jump forward to today the current Test Captain had his last Test win against New Zealand, two years ago, and lost so many Tests I need a calculator to add the losses, He should be hauled out by his bootstraps, as quite clearly he isn’t or has never been up to the job, but, he’s a New South Welshman, so little criticism, even less hounding for him to do the noble thing and stand down.

What a great nation we think we are especially in the sporting field, politics is everywhere, in fact many moons ago my Grandfather told me that “politics is life.” I am nearing my twilight years now, and only now I understand what that great man told me, and how I wished that I had listened more.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

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Winter of our lives (best forever)

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I was interested to read

08.09.13

Letter to the Editor

I was interested to read in the Townsville Bulletin 03.09.13 ‘Abbott claims carbon tax issue creating internal Labor rifts’ it was a story which described a “developing civil war” within Labor over the price on carbon. Personally I believe there are quite a few internal pressure points that could and should for the sake of Labor voters, explode once and for all.

The Gillard government put into place many good policies, and so did Rudd, however some of the policies put forward by both Prime Ministers were at odds with traditional Labor philosophy, which has over the recent decades followed the LNP to the right wing of Australian politics, due to the control of the ALP by the right-wing anti-worker AWU/SDA alliance. This culminated in the NSW Right wing of the ALP disgracing the party Australia wide, now they and their representative Bill Shorten are eyeing off the leadership of the party, this would do immeasurable harm to the future of the ALP.

The time has arrived to finally readapt the ALP to the centre-left of politics to represent ordinary working families who do it tough whoever is in government. Labor used to be the workers friend, but since the Hawke days when the Prime Minister used to crawl to people like Alan Bond, the Labor Party is these days only a shadow of its former self. The AWU treachery involved with the dragging down of Rudd, and then Gillard is not to be tolerated, people like Paul Howes should be ashamed of themselves for their actions, they are not really true Labor people.

The ALP needs to readopt a philosophy that puts ordinary working people and the disadvantaged front and centre for their attention. Clive Palmer may be a billionaire but he only gets one vote, as we all do. It would be nice to have a party that we on Struggle Street could vote for and know that at least some of our concerns would be dealt with. Some choose to vote against themselves by electing the servants of the rich to govern, however we do not now have a party that truly represents ordinary people, and it is high time that either the ALP came back to represent their roots or a traditional Labour Party be formed before we go any further along the track to emulate the USA.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

Having just lived through

05.09.13

Letter to the Editor

Having just lived through the warmest winter in my living memory, I am rapidly approaching 60 years of age, I am again reminded of the world’s most pressing issue, that of climate change/global warming and the need in this decade to take strong and precise action to limit the warming of the planet to 2 degrees if possible.

We must do more than planting a few trees, we must try to convert the dirty means of producing energy/electricity into renewable energy/electricity and this must be done in the current decade to give civilization any chance of limiting the warming to 2 degrees, if we don’t meet our emissions target of 5% reduction by 2020 then it becomes increasingly difficult and increasingly expensive for our population to tackle. I don’t see the common sense in increasing the profits of large companies who pollute in the short term when it actually means that we may end up with an increase in global temperature of 3-4% which does not sound like much, but however that increase would bring destructive storms and cyclones to our continent and make some of our native wildlife extinct. Those conditions won’t help graziers or people living off the land either with extended drought and huge floods predicted, in fact nobody gains from this dreadful situation.

If we are not fair dinkum now, our children and their children will be burdened with the expense that we refuse to take responsibility for. The first warning came with Hurricane Cat 5 Katrina in the USA, followed by Cyclone Cat 5 Larry in Australia several years ago. In North Queensland a few cyclone shelters have been established to shelter a few people, however if we turn away from our responsibility as a nation to tackle climate change I fear for the next generation, my own child and family, please consider this, the greatest moral issue of our time on Saturday when you cast your vote.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

In the last couple

04.09.13

Letter to the Editor

In the last couple of days in the election campaign the subject of climate change looms large. Aussies have wanted action on climate change since the 2007 election in which the LNP went to offering an Emissions Trading Scheme, which has been wound back to what they are calling their Direct Action Plan, which involves the planting of a miniscule amount of trees.

The Greens leader has described the Direct Action Plan as a joke, which will not achieve or even come close to achieving the 5% reduction Australia has agreed to by 2020. Surely the general public won’t be fooled by the snake oil salesman, and will understand that this plan will not offer a future for our children and grandchildren as Earth’s temperature continues to rise at an alarming rate. Make no mistake if we do nothing, our children and grandchildren will pay the price in future years through catastrophic weather events such as cyclones and other huge storms which will affect the Australia population seriously.

We have been told many times by the scientists that this decade is the decade that will make all the difference, we can vote to plant a few trees and leave the consequences to our children and grandchildren to cope with the ferocity of climate change induced weather havoc, or we can take action now by voting either The Greens or the ALP to continue the fight against this future silent killer, I know what I will do, I love my child.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

We are now

04.09.13

Letter to the Editor

We are now 3 days away from Election Day, and still we don’t know what an Abbott government would cut, this is becoming farcical now there is virtually no time to react to these cuts as a voter. My advice is if you don’t know what the LNP will cut in the way of services, you just can’t afford to vote for them.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

Hopefully the 15%

03.09.13

Letter to the Editor

Hopefully the 15% of undecided voters who are wondering whether or not they can trust Tony Abbott with the Prime Ministership of this great nation will decide by Saturday to progress Australia’s interests with the progressive government of Kevin Rudd’s.

We suffered 12 long years under the regressive government of Abbott’s predecessor with ordinary people being neglected in favor of large Aussie and multi-national’s profit line the most important feature for the Howard government.

Since the progressive government of Rudd’s arrival we have funding and a Minister responsible for Mental Health, which was not an issue that the former LNP regressive government never concerned itself with, an illness that many Aussies suffer with. The Labor government seems more concerned with its citizens than making bottom lines more profitable, yet we remain one of only 7 nations on Earth with a ‘AAA’ rating on our economy.

The LNP are trying to manufacture a snake oil salesman’s story about our economy calling it ‘an emergency’ in reality it is nothing of the kind. I hope those 15% of undecided voters come through for the rest of us and reject the fanciful stories from the LNP, who in fact want to bring in overseas workers on reduced wages to undercut us for our own jobs, the treachery involved with that move alone should alert the ordinary voter to the rest of the LNP plan.

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au

I have some sad news

01.09.13

Letter to the Editor

I have some sad news for 10,500 homes and businesses in the area of Townsville in which I live, Black River, Burdell, Bushland Beach, Deeragun, Jensen, Mount Low and Yabulu.

The sad news is that optic fibre cable to deliver the NBN Co super-fast broadband to those who live in this area is currently being rolled out and if Labor is returned, would be connected by the end of the year.

The polls are suggesting that the very people that this initiative is meant to help will vote to pay $5,000 for the privilege to have the super-fast broadband connected under the LNP slow broadband scheme, when they could have had the connection for free under Labor. Sadly if the polls are correct this would actually mean that parents in these areas are prepared to offer their children second best.

Personally I am a parent who wants the very best for my child and it is very disappointing to think that some parents do not. My family is one of the 1.3 million families in Australia who will lose the schoolkids bonus if the LNP achieve government, which puts us at an immediate disadvantage, to come so close and lose the super-fast broadband as well is a big blow. We almost made it, but sadly if the polls can be believed, we didn’t make it this time. The super-fast broadband speed loss, will affect medical clinics and schools in this area, as the advantages of super-fast broadband are well known in the fields of e-health and e-education

Regards,

Shaun Newman

13 Laura Court

Deeragun, Townsville

North Queensland, 4818

Ph: 0747516184

Email – sne35565@westnet.com.au