Letters To The Editor

Road rage

My thanks to Robert Wirth for his letter regarding the Lands Department's tax on 'paper roads' (Echo, August 26).

I returned home from a stint in hospital and to my surprise found that after many years of paying an annual rent of $50 for an Enclosure Permit the annual rent for this year is $150. Furthermore, according to the tax invoice issued July 15, 2004 for $150, this is being increased over three years to $350, plus annual CPI adjustments.

On my small income even paying $50 annually is a struggle.

I have received no advance notice or explanation for such an increase. $350 is more than the annual rate I pay as a pensioner to the Kyogle Council, which this year is $324.20. I have no other source of income than the pension. Like Robert Wirth I have not yet been able to obtain an explanation for rent being levied on land of no practical use to me or how it came about in the first place.

Surely it is time for such 'paper roads' to be abolished.

J E Downs
Dyraaba Creek

Wish list

QA: What's the difference between someone who seizes power and does what they want; and someone who is elected and does what they want?

QB: What do you call a system that allows you to vote for one of just two parties who can reasonably expect to form a government?

QC: What's the point of free speech if your local member won't even listen?

I wish I knew the answer to these questions. I wish there was a more varied and flexible form of democracy that was answerable to the community. I wish our political leaders were less concerned with the dollar or the party room and more focused on humanitarian values. I wish we had a system that spent more on health and education and less on military hardware.

I wish more Australians could find the courage and maturity to stand on their own two feet and seek an independent future; a future that was guided by our values and our standards; rather than those belonging to other nations. I wish we had a strong enough sense of our own identity that we could disagree with our friends (on occasions) and pursue a course of our own choosing.

I believe the question of identity and culture is very relevant for Australians at the moment. I believe a country with a stronger sense of itself might be less inclined to follow. I believe these are things are attainable by us; but only if we move towards them in a conscious and deliberate fashion.

And now the answers to those questions:

A: Nothing

B: A duopoly

C: It lets him know that 'come the revolution' he's going to be looking for work!

R J Poole
Lismore

Looking for glory

Why change Government? Our politicians can only act from the information they receive from the public service.

The Navy Admiral did give a picture of children overboard. Maybe they did look for glory? The Intelligence Service did say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Maybe they too were looking for glory?

The Army General did not tell that prisoners of war were tortured. Not very good for the glory of the Army.

As we see, who we should change are all these public servants, looking for glory or forcing our politicians to buy more machines for war and more spies for the safety of our country.

G Fuga
Goonellabah

Attention to detail

Expectation must weigh heavily on Mark Latham. He seems to have promised every Australian a tax cut but cannot say how it will be funded.

Never has there been so much anticipation as with Labor's tax policy.

First we were promised it prior to the Budget in May, then immediately after the Budget, then in a few months and now in the first part of the campaign.

If we believe the newspaper reports (no doubt based on ALP leaks) under Labor every Australian is going to receive a tax break - the rich, the not so rich, and the outright poor.

What has not been revealed is how much it is going to cost or how it is going to be funded.

Each day it is delayed, understandably, the level of suspicion and cynicism among the Australian public rises.

Mark Latham is quick with the promises but scant on the details.

Bob Wilson
Alstonville

From Russia with love

Lord Alexander of Baghdad still does not understand. On Sunday he offered the services of our AFP officers to the Russian President re the Beslan tragedy. This, in the very week that two Australian internet businesses confirmed they had paid over $20,000 in extortion fees to the Russian Mafia via Latvian bank accounts. No AFP investigation or activity there.

Alex, we are not the World Police. That is George Dubya's territory. Does Dumbo, in his usual delusions of grandeur, think Mick Keelty, the AFP Commissioner, has a secret factory turning out AFP uniformed Myrmidons ready for global patrol? Australian taxpayers pay for Australian Police Officers. We want our Police protecting Australians in our own country.

John X Berlin
Maclean

Taking action

Dailan Pugh continues to promote the premise that of 22,087 hectares in the Cape Byron Marine Park, only 6000 are fully protected.

The crunch is not 6000 hectares. Recreational anglers will happily give up 6000 hectares but not when they are the prime fishing spots that will be off limits if the proposal as it stands is finally adopted.

Of all the park users, anglers will be the most adversely affected.

The Richmond Valley Anglers Action Group represents the interests of club and non-club anglers and is looking forward to negotiating with the Marine Park Authority prior to the closing date for submissions on 30.11.04. The basis of our negotiations will be that the present proposals are unacceptable.

We can only assume that Mr Pugh is playing political games when he claims that anglers are the winners in the Marine Park and that we have achieved all or more than was asked for.

My submission and that of our group were far from extreme, accepting the reality of the park and willing to admit some areas would have restrictions placed upon them, but in no way reflecting at all the proposals as they exist in the present document.

Lindsay Doust
President
Anglers Action Group
Richmond Valley

Power play

I have lived in the Northern Rivers region for 22 years. In that time there has been massive growth in population and tourist traffic in the area, especially along the coast.

Whilst the possible return of the XPT service to the Casino-Murwillumbah rail line is a matter that rests with the state government, there are still issues that should be on the federal election agenda. Let's not forget that within our grasp is the exciting possibility of building a rail link from Murwillumbah to the Gold Coast, and introducing regular passenger train services from our region connecting through to Southeast Queensland. Such a link should remove any question marks about the viability of the Casino-Murwillumbah line. I believe that a cross-border project like this won't happen without action at the federal level.

Think about your choices on October 9, and if you're not entirely happy with how the major parties are handling things, use the power of your vote to send them a message by giving your No. 1 preference vote to a community-minded minor party or independent candidate. Our preferential voting system then still gives you the choice of putting your preferred major party candidate ahead of the other (or least preferred after the other, as the case maybe). Use the system to your advantage, because nothing will make the major parties more responsive to the community as much as their fear of losing power.

Nick Casmirri
Goonellabah

• Edited for length

Reasonable reforms

In response to the article on reforms to post-school disability programs (Disabilty Cuts Target Vulnerable, Echo, Aug 19) I want to assure parents and service providers that reforms to programs for schools leavers with a disability are not intended to result in a reduction of hours for participants.

Our focus is on improving employment outcomes and providing certainty to young people who may never access employment by giving them support over the long term.

It is generally agreed that ATLAS programs have not achieved adequate employment outcomes for participants. We know that only between 3-6% of participants exit to employment.

I am aware that parents and service providers are concerned about the reforms, however, it is premature to judge the outcome before the expression of interest process concludes on September 3. If it then becomes clear that service providers cannot deliver what we are asking, we will look at that.

The NSW Government is fully committed to improving outcomes for people with a disability. Funding for school leavers with a disability for 04/05 is over $50 million. This will rise to over $60 million by 2007/8.

The Hon Carmel Tebbutt,
Minister for Disability Services

Balancing act

Election 2004 is actually two elections. One is for the House of Representatives, between the Coalition and Labor, to decide who will form Government. The other is for the Senate, to decide who will hold that Government to account.

With all the talk in this election about trust, most voters, quite rightly, cannot trust either of the parties who can form Government with unchecked power. Luckily, we have the checking and balancing Senate, where we can elect members who will ensure accountability.

The importance of the Australian Democrats' independent perspective in the Senate has been highlighted recently with both:-

The community's serious, well-founded concerns about:

The further sale of Telstra, the systematic dismantling of Medicare, the Aus/USA Free Trade Agreement, the illegal war on Iraq, our treatment of refugees, the institutionalised abuse of children, and more, being championed by us in the Parliament;

And our work to expose lies such as:

"My Government will always seek to be truthful and open with the Australian public," - John Howard.

"We had clear intelligence assessments that Iraq had a weapons of mass destruction capability," - John Howard.

"Well, it did happen. The fact is the children were thrown into the water," - Peter Reith.

"The disembarkations were all voluntary," - Philip Ruddock.

"There never was a generation of stolen children," - John Herron.

The Democrats are not controlled by unions, business or single issue groups. That's how we can still keep balance in the Senate and 'keep the bastards honest'.

Julia Melland
Australian Democrats
Candidate for Page

Disabled parking trap

Local State MP Thomas George has suggested that "anyone with a mobility problem" may apply for and obtain a Mobility (disability) Parking Scheme permit from the RTA (Echo, Sept 2). Either Mr George is familiar with how to bribe the RTA or misled on the issue.

To obtain a Mobility Parking permit a person must have a mobility or sight disability of a specific seriousness and obtain specified written support from a doctor. The many people with a mobility disability or "problem" who fall outside the scheme's guidelines are not entitled to the permit and Mr George will be familiar with past local discrimination against such people.

These people would be better served if Mr George had the initiative to explore legitimate alternative options for them.

In addition, some of the parking time limits he quotes for Mobility Parking permit holders are incorrect and would incur parking fines for those who follow them.

As our State MP and a member of the Traffic Advisory Committee one would have expected that Mr George had been better informed and more respectful of RTA policy and more responsive to a variety of disability issues.

Laurence Keane
Goonellabah

Club future

Lismore RSL Club staffmembers Donna Battese and Sue Creamer (Echo, Sept 2) both failed to read and digest the text of my letter regarding members of the Lismore RSL Club being kept in the dark about the financial situation at the club.

At no stage did I suggest that members not rejoin in 2005.

I did say "members may be inclined not to renew their 2005 membership" and this comment followed the fact that no financial report has been forthcoming for 2003-2004.

If I decide to patronise a local hotel, I have no right to ask the publican about his financial situation. But I certainly have a right to be kept informed as a shareholder of a licensed club, and this is not happening under the current managers/receivers.

It is a shame both Donna and Sue completely ignored this major point in my letter.

In the past, members may have been happy to take the advice of these two staff members to just come to the club, part with their money, say nothing, and trust club management to know what's best for them.

The present situation at Lismore RSL Club indicates that members need to pay much closer attention to the financial decisions made on their behalf.

Jim Hawkins
Goonellabah

All the same

There's been much said about economic management and Labor's record on this matter.

Interest rates were and still are the domain of the Reserve Bank of Australia and Ian McFarland was deputy of the bank in Paul Keating's time. Perhaps we should look at the PM's record as treasurer during Fraser's time: interest rates 13%, unemployment 10.2%, budget deficit $9.6 million. "But don't you worry about that now!"

Margaret Hains
East Ballina

Big boys coming

Re: your story 'How green is our uni?' (Echo, Sept 2).

This writer is deeply concerned that the balance may have tipped heavily away from sustainable regional development with the recent announcement of the collaborative research venture between SCU and chemical giant and life science/agribusiness multinationals Dupont, Syngenta and Monsanto. Whilst these companies have invested heavily in greasing political and media palms to green-wash their reputations, any investigation beyond the simpering compliance of government regulators and official press releases, (which incidentally assures us that Dupont Australia's CEO is an Australian citizen) will reveal a 200 year history of corporate greed, warmongering and incestuous global resource manipulation of the highest order. Yes, the superheroes have arrived to rescue our failing rural economy by transforming our sugar industry into a biofactory to produce medicines, novel proteins and new fibres.

Hoorah!

But, what novel forms of pollution will our new industries produce? Why has the sugar industry been exempted from the impending FTA?

Will local workers be marginalised or short-changed in the new industrial paradigm? In short, will our American friends look after our interests? As the saying goes, money doesn't talk, it swears, and SCU's centre for plant conservation genetics is certainly inviting us all to play with the big boys now.

Mark Bowden
Bexhill

PM chase

On September 3, local ABC radio announced that our Prime Minister would be attending a meeting in Murwillumbah at 10am. The meeting, I discovered, would be at Boral Timber. I was eager to have the opportunity to hear Mr Howard speak.

At 9.40am I drove up to the timber yard's entrance. Several men in hard hats stood at the gates. "What did I want?" I told them that I had come to hear my Prime Minister speak. "Oh no," I was told, "there is absolutely nothing like that going on here. Nothing at all."

Two well-built, dark-suited men stood nearby. To them, I restated my business. They repeated what I had already been told: "There's no meeting, nothing like that. I had better go into town and ask. Somebody in there might know something."

Bemused, I thanked them politely. In order to swing my car around, I had to drive into the timber yard. There were two cars behind me, both expensive (I drive a 1990 Vitara), both occupied by smartly dressed people. They had no trouble in gaining entry to the meeting that wasn't happening. Nor did the Channel Nine news van that followed them.

I am a neatly dressed 73-year-old retired taxpayer. I have a keen interest in politics and like to hear what all the parties have to say. I am at a loss to understand the need for secrecy. Why did the hard hats and suits deny that the Prime Minister was even on the premises? How can I have any faith in a Prime Minister who skulks away behind closed doors, who not only seems to fear meeting ordinary, decent citizens of this country, but whose official minders lie about his very presence in my town?

Keith Heckenberg
Condong

A leaky boat

John Howard must be really threatened since he's spending money like a drunken sailor.

Since when has he been concerned about Medicare, having tried to wreck it for so many years?

It takes an Opposition which is not obsessed with financial matters to the detriment of the welfare of Australians to make him run to the Treasury.

And the blatant bribe to new parents shows a desperation not seen before in Australian politics. Is this really 'policy'? I think not. It's desperation.

More to the point, a decent dental scheme would have persuaded voters that Howard was fair dinkum. Many pregnant women over recent years would have appreciated funded dental care before their teeth dropped out. I know, I've worked in the dental health care area.

And the sudden softening of attitude in the immigration and Guantanamo Bay situations are just more of the usual immorality, deviousness and desperation of Howard's so-called 'policy'.

And the continual drum-beating about terrorism is beyond a joke. Howard suggests that he is looking after the interests of Australia in Iraq. How, beyond trying to get his snout in the trough of lucrative contracts and access to oil? How does this keep terrorism from our door?

Latham may not have the cunning and mealy-mouthed media savvy of the Prime Minister but he does have the interests of less affluent Australians at heart as well as the good of Australia in international terms.

Of course, Howard can take comfort from the fact that most Australians don't seem to care if he is liar, as long as he takes care of the back pocket. What a pathetic attitude to government!

I might add, I don't vote Labor but I'm very concerned that a lying rodent may scrape back in and come back to bite us in years to come.

Cherie Imlah
Mongogarie

Please tell us

With reference to the correspondence about the Lismore RSL Club by Jim Hawkins and the club staff. All that we as members are asking is to be kept informed about the negotiations taking place.

We also are very concerned about the future of our club, we are not asking for a mailed newsletter, but a notice every two or three weeks on the club notice board would be an enormous help and make us feel wanted and appreciated.

I feel sure that if this took place there would be no loss of members in the New Year.

Yvonne Cochrane
Lismore