Issue 743
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Letters To The Editor
Of Geese and MenTerry Flanagan the Labor candidate for the seat of Page in the November 10 election, claims in his TV advertisement to be a farmer. Terry also lists his occupation as a political adviser. I recall Terry and the man he was adviser to, Harry Woods making all sorts of noises about a candidate who opposed Harry in a previous election who did not reside in the electorate. I am confused now why Terry finds it okay to ask people to vote for him even though he lives outside the boundaries of Page. Surely, what has applied to the goose, should apply to the gander. Another comment by Terry about closing banks (No Way, SA, Terry.) Maybe I am or maybe Terry is confused, but I most definitely remember the Labor government selling off the Commonwealth Bank years ago. Terry, the banks are now privatised, Thanks to your mates, so all your 'Huff' and 'Puff' is hot air. Ray Jeffery Click here to comment on this letter.
No CareerIan Causley states in his political 'hand out' that he is not a 'career politician'. However, he has enjoyed the benefits of a well-paid, second job for the past 18 ½ years (State 13 years and Federal 51/2 years),and a second job that he about to leave on a very generous pension. Very few people receive such a pension as the fruits of a second job. Ian, I suppose farming is your career and this would explain your attitude towards your second job. Don Hains Click here to comment on this letter.
Budget DeficitNot so long ago Shane Stone, the President of the Liberal Party, described it as being 'mean and tricky'. It seems the current government has tried to build on this image, by carrying on in the same manner. The 'mean' image is still found in the allocation of funds for public education, health, pensions and infrastructure needs, in comparison to its corporate welfare mentality. The 'tricky' part is sustained by its insistence on maintaining an illusion of being sound managers of the Australian economy. The truth is that the federal government is only responsible for Fiscal Policy ie. it spends the money it receives, the economy is much larger than any government. In reality the current government has squandered so much money on unnecessary, unproductive projects, to such an extent that the budget is now in deficit by up to $3.5 billion this year. As Ross Gittins (SMH, Aug 6) correctly points out it took the Coalition Government just five months to trash fiscal policy by $22 billion, but the government still calls themselves sound economic managers. The $60 billion of debt reduction, the government is so proud of, was achieved by selling Telstra, not by economic management. It seems Mr Howard and his colleagues have stopped listening. Terry Harvey Click here to comment on this letter.
Fuzzy TVIn 1991 UHF television was introduced into the North Coast Region and at that time the engineers from NRTV (TEN) conducted an assessment for the Lismore basin area From that report it advised the government departments of the poor coverage, and suggested a transmitter be erected on Robinson Lookout, which would give the people in the East, South and North Lismore and the town centre with good coverage. The stations were allocated by the government department the following frequencies NRN59, NEN62, NBN65 but nothing was ever done. In 2000 the Department of Communications set aside $34 million from the sale of Telstra to help the Blackspot reception in Australia, it took nearly one year for the new survey to be completed and according to the Lismore City Council figures over 3000 households in the basin area suffer from poor to unwatchable television. Lismore is a large regional city not some town out at Woop Woop. Mr Causley (our local MP) made an announcement about six weeks ago that it had given the green light to finally fix this problem, but now on November 10 we have a federal election, so if we have a change of Government, do we have to wait until the introduction of Digital TV in 2008 so we can get maybe a decent TV reception? Brad Lancaster Click here to comment on this letter.
Rollback MathsSo, Mr Beazley is going to roll back the GST to the tune of $1,000 million dollars if elected on November 10. This is terrific on the face of it. But isn't all the GST money that the federal government collects handed over to the states. So therefore, Mr Beazley is going to short change the states that will in turn have to cut back on important services such as health, education, and law and order. So how is Mr Carr going to recoup this huge drop in federal funding? It must be great to have loyal mates you can trust, even in politics. John Tate Click here to comment on this letter.
Collateral DamageRecently I watched a disturbing program about a woman's execution. She was found guilty of murdering her abusive husband. As usual there was mobs of protesters for and against the death penalty and like most condemned people she quietly awaited the executioners final act. Her country even executes child offenders, 14 in the period 1990-2000. The same country since 1973 has had to release over 90 Death Row inmates due to Police and Prosecutors misconduct. The executed woman was among 683 people killed between 1973 - 2000 by the country. In 2000, they did away with 85 people. Currently over 3,700 men and women are under the death sentence. Are they all guilty? Well, incredibly, in one part of the above country for every 5 people 'legally' killed, 2 other death row inmates are acquitted. Lucky for them they don't get taken straight to an execution ground without appeal, which is what happens in China thousands of times each year. Along with China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, the country mentioned above are the four most leading judicial executioners in the world. By now, you may have realised that I am talking about the globe's biggest self-appointing police force 'The Lovin' Guy', (his own self-description), George W Bush, has in the last 5 years in his own state of Texas put to death 150 people. George W also holds the record for a US Governor. He had an incredible 40 executions in one year in Texas. Well, everything's bigger in Texas, isn't it? Is there Judicial 'Collateral Damage' with the death penalty? Make up your own mind. Some no longer have that option For more info on the Death Penalty ring Amnesty International 1300 300 920. Smart courts in the USA, Smart bombs in Afghanistan. Dead people - the Final Result. Frosty Grego Click here to comment on this letter.
Health ConcernsI am a Nimbin resident, working voluntarily in drug rehabilitation and mental health. Since the election of the Coalition government, I have seen services disappear, replaced by ineffective, underfunded, centralised services. Every election, we hear that public health services will be improved. Meanwhile, our regional health system has been gutted. Rural services are being moved to the cities, staff cuts and other government policies have undermined the Public Health system. We can't have health care without nurses. Our hospitals, Aged Care, Child Care, etc. need to be reinstated to the full funding calculated for regional areas, (currently we receive around 2/3rds). With 8 youth suicides per week, it is obvious we need change. Education is essential in every aspect. Vocational Training has immediate benefits in terms of employment opportunities, self-esteem etc. Research is the future of this nation, new technologies and standards of practice can push Australia to the forefront of world technological development and investment. And education and rehabilitation whether for drug abuse, domestic violence or abuse victims, or other health issues, has proven highly successful. Public health services form another vital service in dealing with problems in society, and providing security for families who can't afford private health. Only with both these vital sectors well-resourced and well-structured can we begin to meet the challenges we face today. In context of the current world political and economic situation, Australia needs to take its focus away from penalisation after the act, and concentrate on prevention and treatment. Tiago Freire Click here to comment on this letter.
HEMP for LaughsThe HEMP party may be the joke factor in the election for some people, but if you lived in Nimbin, fast looking like a refugee camp from the war on drugs, you'd know it's not funny. England has just decided to make cannabis no longer an arrestable offence and one would hope we will follow their lead. Beazley might, but Howard is dangerously ignorant. It's all one war to him. As Tony Trimingham says, drugs are probably the most important social issue and problem we have, but as is often the case in wars, truth is the first casualty. Politicians leave it in the too hard basket and live in a world far removed from the secretive illegal drug culture and its consequences. The new police corruption inquiry is a bit of a reminder. Pain is everywhere, and of course everyone tries to reduce it. Three million arthritis sufferers in Australia! Cannabis is often immensely helpful for this. At present, the global pharmaceutical companies have a monopoly on pain management whilst history's most popular medicinal herbs are all illegal. What a rort! Voting 1 for HEMP sends a clear message to the government that this is an important issue. Your preferences still count, use the system. Michael Balderstone Click here to comment on this letter.
Howard's HeroesIn 1941 this nation was led by Robert Menzies (Howard's hero). Then the government called an election. At that time John Curtin was the leader of the ALP disparaged by the United Australia Party (now the Liberals) and a large section of the media, in particular the Murdoch press, as being weak, indecisive and worst of all an reformed alcoholic, unable to give strong leadership in those dark days of war. Curtin led the country until his death, whilst in office, in 1945. Howard and co. ridicule Kim Beazley and say similar things about his leadership. If given the chance by Beazley will give strong leadership and compassion, something missing with Howard,. whose party gave us 'never ever' GST, ripped $400 million from the public health programs, stripped millions from research and development, public schools, universities and unemployment schemes. Wake up Australia! Howard is the master of divisive tactics and his strategy is to hide behind the 'war' against terrorism and repelling illegal immigrants, hoping we will forget the damage he has done to all the pensioners, working people and small businesses. Howard has had three Ministers for Defence since 1996, Ian McFarlane (resigned), John Moore (resigned) and Peter Reith (retiring). I do not call that a stable government, particularly as Bronwyn Bishop has been understudy to two of them. Her claim to fame is the publication of a book giving the location of 15,000 public toilets in Australia, perhaps she thinks that will be helpful to the Taliban, should they invade us. Margaret Hains Click here to comment on this letter.
Weakest LinkLate last week Ian Causley, MP sent a brochure to all people about what the National Party has done for the area in the past and also about numbering from 1 to 6 the six most important issues to you. Ian Causley mentions nothing about Aged Care Facilities, which are most important in Page as there a lot of retired people living in the area. The other 6 he mentions that you should vote 1 to 6 on are all important to the people living in Page area. In that case we should rate Ian Causley 1 to 10 and he would probably rate a number 10. Also for older people to read the map on the back of the pamphlet, you need a magnifying glass. Ian Causley, MP tells us what the National Party has done in the past and nothing about the future. What are we supposed to live on? What is happening with the refugees and the war against terrorism? Ian mentions nothing about the past how he and the Nationals voted for the GST and the wonderful job, he and the National Party did bringing the GST into Australia. We know that the GST has to stay, but Ian Causley you do not have to stay, as Cornelia says, 'You are the weakest link, Goodbye.' Walter Mulgrave Click here to comment on this letter.
Forum ThanksThe Meniere's Support Group is most appreciative of the publicity you gave us for the forum on October 20. Thank you so much. It was an excellent meeting, with three speakers and a video presentation. The hall was packed with 132 people. These are all people we can help through the Support Group, but without publicity such as yours, they cannot know we exist! Juliet Kirkpatrick Click here to comment on this letter.
Highway ProblemsThe Pacific Highway jointly funded Federal-State 1996-2006 update is on target. By 2006 we are assured that the Pacific Highway will be great travelling. We can depend on the tourist industry to encourage a great surge of traffic on it, sharing with the semitrailers and B doubles the new fast hassle-free highway. Great. But there is one snag. North of Ballina is a winding climb up to Tintenbar which has been recognised justifiably as so accident prone that trucks and buses are limited to 70 km/h. And this part of the Pacific Highway is not scheduled to be bypassed till 2008. So the great surge of traffic which 2006 will bring, expecting a relaxed fast uneventful trip will encounter the congestion of the multi-roundabouted Kerr Street, Ballina; on escaping that and winding up speed along the flat only to hit the dangerous narrow winding climb up to Tintenbar. The construction works for the bypass will be in full swing, adding to the chaos and danger in spots. All this could have been smoothed out if our Federal representatives for Richmond and Page had any foresight or cared at all for the hapless residents of Alstonville and Ballina or the frustrated travellers destined to be delayed by the congestion their thoughtlessness has condemned them to. Poor Ballina misses out on Federal funding because it wasn't going to be part of the Richmond electorate so why should he bother working to save it from chaos? And why should the member for Page lift a finger to help Ballina when it wasn't yet part of his electorate? No action, no vote is our only reasonable response. Nat B Wheatley Click here to comment on this letter.
Which BastardsWho's going to keep the Democrats honest? Both Labor and the Coalition are giving them preferences in the Senate. I want to know why when these three groups have power, ignore reality? I'm not a terrorist, but I am terrified by the rats controlling the sinking ship of state. They go to war without limits. They believe in growth without limits. They believe in the cheapest without limit, but with lots of tax deductible subsidies for the very rich. They treat the public like ignorant mugs without limit. The Greens are the only opposition left standing with integrity on November 10. David McInnes-King Click here to comment on this letter.
Evans Head AirportIt seems that with the demise of Hazelton services at Casino airport it has given Richmond Valley Council a very special opportunity to capitalise on the current dilemma facing the region's air services. Richmond Valley Council has Evans Head Memorial Aerodrome, and it is ideally positioned being virtually equidistant from Casino, Lismore and Ballina. As you are aware Hazelton has been triangulating services with Lismore, Ballina and Casino. If Richmond Valley Council was to approach Hazelton, and was to offer Evans Head as a central location to major population centres on the far north coast, I am certain they could pull off a substantial aviation coup in the region. Hazelton, which is struggling to save on costs, would reap considerable economic benefit from things like fuel costs, and it would lead to direct flights to Sydney because aircraft would be fed from the three catchment population towns. Ground staff too could also be consolidated, creating employment opportunities at Evans Head. As well services out of Evans Head would be attractive to clientele from the nearby Clarence Valley, which has very limited services at present out of Grafton. Having Evans Head as the regional airport because of its ideal all weather position would also create enormous benefits to Casino. Richmond Valley Council could close down and subdivide Casino airport, lifting the town out of its doldrums with a housing and building driven economic recovery. So come on Mayor Col Sullivan, it's time you all stopped whingeing about losing unprofitable services out of Casino, and bit the bullet and seized on this fantastic economic opportunity for Richmond Valley Council. It would prove to the far north coast community that you are visionary leaders with the far north coast's aviation future ahead of parochialism, which has led to the current aviation farce in the region. Let's see some positive action! Alex Kurchinsky, Click here to comment on this letter.
Vote HEMPI think it is really important for Australians to consider how they vote at this Federal election. In NSW I'll be voting for the HEMP Party candidates in the Senate, because they vow to try to end prohibition and reduce the social harms from drug use, and provide funding for appropriate health services and education about drug issues. I left the Labor Party (ALP), because they abandoned their commitment to social justice and have become so similar to the conservative parties. It is time to elect representatives who will deal with the difficult issues drugs pose, and to end prohibition; which we see allows some people to make a lot of money in an unregulated system; and maximise the harms from drug use by keeping it illicit, with activities and associated consequences out of public view and lacking close examination. Only large scale drug dealers profit from prohibition of drug use. Regulation will allow safe production and distribution of medical and recreational cannabis; it is extremely important for the many users to consume cannabis free from chemical residues, pesticides and fertilisers. Just think of the money and lives we could save from stopping the war on drugs - which really is a war on people - and how much money that would give us to put into health and education services, and free up police for serious crimes, not victimless drug use and small scale dealing by drug dependent users. Lucy Charlesworth Click here to comment on this letter.
Price of PoliticsWho does Kim Beazley think he's going to fool? He says he will rollback the GST to the tune of several billion dollars by eliminating the 'tampon tax', caravan park tax and electricity tax etc. Everybody except him knows that the entire revenue of the GST goes to the states and the states are responsible for allocating funds to health, education and roads. How can more money be spent in these areas when the available funds are reduced? Why has he not told us yet of the secret Labor plan to increase the GST to 12.5%? Most people over the age of 35 will remember the Fraser Government catching former Queensland Labor Senator, Mal Colston, with his fingers in the till. Beazley was finance minister for several years while this fraud was being committed but said nothing about it while he had Colston's vote in the Senate. As soon as Colston accepted the position of Deputy President, and Labor lost his vote, Mr Beazley called him a traitor and dobbed him in. It is said that everyman has his price. Beazley's is a vote in the Senate. Knowing these facts should convince voters that Beazley is not a fit and proper person to be Prime Minister. The Howard Government has also stopped a lot of Social Security fraud, which happened while Beazley was finance minister. The Opposition leader said that he will say 'Sorry' to the Aborigines. When the floodgates open with legal claims, where will the money come from? I ask the Labor Party to commit all Labor members by way of personal guarantees on their assets - superannuation, property, everything - to fund the compensation claims which will flow from an apology. John Barnes Click here to comment on this letter.
Soupie ThanksOn behalf of the Lismore Soup Kitchen, I would like to take this opportunity to express our deepest appreciation for your efforts and support that resulted in a most generous donation of $500 towards our appeal for assistance to become fully operational again. I would also ask you to convey our sincere appreciation to Ewan Williams and the bands involved for their magnificent effort in raising this money. As you no doubt appreciate, the fire of August 8 was an absolute disaster for our operations and losing absolutely in the fire, we are now forced to 'start from scratch' The Lismore City Council most generously offered us the use of a small shed in Norco lane, adjacent to the Railway station and only five days after the fire, we were able to serve our first hot meal from our new and temporary premises. Because of the limited facilities at the new site, we are operating on a reduced schedule and serve a hot meal for lunch, with the offer of cut sandwiches to 'take away' for the evening meal. Breakfast is still being offered by us, from the Lismore Neighbourhood Centre. As to where our facility will be operating from in the future, that is an unanswered question at this time. But it is the resolve of the Management Committee of the Soup Kitchen, we will do this as soon as possible. We will keep all donors and supporters up to date as to our progress. Christopher Spriggs Click here to comment on this letter.
Nimbin ConcernsAt a recent meeting of the Nimbin Older Women's Forum, we had a guest speaker, Terry Flanagan, the Country Labor candidate Page. One of the matters raised, was our deep concern about the future of the Nimbin Hospital and the present difficulties of the Nimbin Medical Centre in the provision of medical attention to the community. Mr Flanagan wrote to us a week later with a copy of the letter he had prepared for the Federal Minister of Health, Mr Michael Wooldridge. He pointed out that Nimbin, with a population of about 4,000, is classified within Lismore because it had the same postcode as Lismore, with a population of 25,000-99,000. The classification means that Nimbin are being denied access to our Nimbin Medical Centre because of the shortage of doctors. It is very difficult for older residents of Nimbin to drive to Lismore for visits to the doctor, or outpatient treatment. Mr Flanagan's letter was very much appreciated. The proposal that a similar letter be sent back to him for the information of the Health and Aged Care Minister was supported unanimously. At the monthly meeting of the Nimbin Country Labor Party Branch, the issue, and Mr Flanagan's support was discussed and supported. I hope that the readers of The Northern Rivers Echo will support us in our defence of Nimbin's Health Care System. Winifred Mitchell, Secretary Click here to comment on this letter.
Sophie's ChoiceOur involvement in a 'war of terror', terror against civilians living in a country where a terrorist lives apparently has 'Bi-partisan support' from Liberal and Labor. If we believe we have no choice we are effectively accepting that we live in a dictatorship. Is the name of the dictator the only choice that we have? The Australian voting public is being fooled with basic child psychology, 'which one do you want, the red one or the red one?' John Anderson has blatantly made this obvious by telling us that if we choose the green one our vote will be wasted. Isn't there an electoral law against him saying that? Do you want conscription? If your answer is no to this question I urge you to be a grownup when you vote. I always look at what someone has actually done before I vote. Dr Helen Caldicott has worked for peace for 30 years and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize; she is running for the Senate. John Corkill has dedicated his career to the environment. These people who have worked for us for so long should be rewarded with a vote. Sharyn Proctor Click here to comment on this letter.
Don't ForgetOne of my most moving memories is attending the Anzac Day dawn service as a young adolescent, and hearing the murmured response 'Lest We Forget.' As I grew old enough to resist being conscripted to the Vietnam War, the quiet but unwavering support of many of the old diggers for those who chose to resist the draft, made me aware of the deeper meaning of the phrase. So: 'Let us not forget' foolish leaders, who needlessly squander the lives of others; the lying officials and officers, (like the ones who told troops that Agent Orange wouldn't harm them); the lying politicians who said we had to fight in Vietnam because of the 'threat' from China; the lying US administration which invented the Gulf of Tonkin incident to justify their intervention in Vietnam. Lest we forget. For those carried away by the latest outbreak of fervent rhetoric and moral outrage, I suggest a pause while we soberly remember Anzac; 'Lest We Forget': Lest we forget that the US is the only country which is not a signatory to the UN international agreement on terrorism. I don't think I need to explain the reason. Lest we forget that the US has given no explanation for not accepting the Taliban's offer to hand Bin Ladin over for trial in a neutral country. It was good enough for Milosovic. Lest we forget that this is a 'war' for 'Civilisation and Justice', yet the US has bypassed the UN office in Rome, where they would get internationally legitimised UN support in bringing Bin Laden to justice. Lest we forget that until 1992 Bin Laden was one of Washington's 'freedom fighters'. Lest we forget Pinochet (Chile), Videla (Argentina), Somoza (Nicaragua), the US sponsored 'Dirty War' in Uruguay, the training in the US School of the Americas for the creation of the Death Squads in El Salvador and Guatemala and Argentina. Rios Montt, Duvalier (Haiti), Trujillo (Dominica) Granada, Thieu - need I go on? Lest we forget that in a 1998 interview former US security advisor Brzezinski acknowledged that the US had been funding the Mujahidin six months before the Russian invasion of Afghanistan with the express intention of provoking the Russians by using 'some stirred up Muslims'. In short, let us not get too carried away, lest we forget how and why the terrible attack on New York occurred. And hopefully some of us will beg to disagree with Mr Howard, when he says, 'an attack on America is an attack on us.' Personally I feel more threatened by the shallow, infantile rhetoric of our so-called 'leaders.' I probably feel a deeper sympathy for the victims of the terrorist attack on New York than most, having seen at first hand refugees fleeing, the effects of bombing, of mines, massacres and terror in parts of the world on the receiving end of US foreign policy. Yet, I cannot share the whelming sense of moral outrage that seems so fashionable in the Anglo world today. Many North Americans, many of them in New York are lighting candles for peace, holding vigils and quietly resisting this irrational, panicked rush to war. If we have to be Americans-in-training, why can't we be more like these North Americans in their sanity and wisdom, and refuse to endorse yet more military madness? Warwick Fry Click here to comment on this letter.
Refugee DisgraceThe appalling response by the Howard Government to the refugee crisis, resulting in the Border Protection legislation, must be reversed. It is based on several myths which initially had some populist appeal but which are now increasingly wearing very thin. The legislation is rapidly becoming a huge embarrassment for Australia. It is disappointing that it was supported by the ALP in somewhat amended form. I suspect that the Beazley position was largely poll driven. If elected as a Senator for the Progressive Labour Party I will move a Private Members Bill forthwith to repeal the legislation. Such a repeal will restore Australia's seriously damaged international reputation, save the Australian Government enormous amounts of dollars, is a plus for humanity and secure the contributions of highly motivated immigrants. Over 90% of the Afghan and other refugees, when processed in Nauru and other economically destitute Pacific countries, will prove to be bonafide refugees who have nowhere to go other than Australia. This madness must be ended immediately after the election. The handling of this crisis is evidence of exceptionally poor and opportunistic leadership which deserves not to be re-elected. Klaas Woldring, Click here to comment on this letter.
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