Power query
WHAT criteria will the State Government use to “call in” development projects and override local councils and the community? ( Mercury, August 2). One would hope that “call in” does not equate to “backroom developer deals”, “developer preference”, and other such corrupt practices.
Confused agenda
HENRY Adams’s quote, “politics has always been the systematic organisation of hatreds” seems to be the mantra for Hobart City Council. Not content with ignoring representations and petitions from ratepayers in distress because of the abandonment of building regulations and the favouring of greedy speculators, council tries to justify its existence by focusing on minority issues. I suppose stunts draw our attention from use of our rates to fund junkets to outlying countries. Divisive issues like changing Australia Day and gay marriage were not on the agenda when we voted in councillors. Australia has a national government that will ultimately decide these issues. Hobart’s latest target is Christmas carols. Let’s chop up a community celebration, the one time when families from any or no denomination come together to celebrate as one. Christmas is no time for expensive stage shows from ExitLeft or any other company. All the community needs is a large open space, like the Domain or showgrounds or a sports field, a compere and some musical accompaniment and candles. It is a time of united celebration that might heal some of the divisiveness in this community. We already have our separate worship times in separate venues on Sundays. So council thinks more of this divisiveness at Christmas will represent a true community spirit? Or is it just a hasty and ill-considered solution to an inconvenient issue?
Hold them to account
IT would appear the major parties are well and truly gearing up for the state election and it was interesting to watch and listen to the Labor Party as they made their pitch to voters of Franklin at Shoreline Shopping Centre. The thrust of their message was about “government cuts” to health and their impact, without offering clear alternative funding. Surely it is time Opposition parties were made more accountable for their promises and indeed governments for that matter, and be challenged to quantify how they intend to fund policies, particularly those that impact vital services such as health, education and law and order. If they fail to do this we are at risk of scare campaigns like “Mediscare” at the last Federal election, and heavily weighted campaigning from sources outside the state in certain Tasmanian electorates come to mind. The media has a big role to play and with their help we should establish the ground rules early to ensure all parties are held to account.