LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

SLOW PROJECTS

MAYOR Antonio is again talking about a fast speed train service between Toowoomba and Brisbane. He won’t of course let us in on any timelines for completion. Neither does Jackie Trad our State Treasurer.

But this is typical of local/state government in this state. Just look at the Railway Shed Project. I see the shed project has again had the completion date delayed by a further six months. So no more completion by the end of November 2018 but now sometime in early 2019.

The project total cost is $10 million, or so we are told. It will now be two years overdue from the original promised completion date.

There are similar “go slow” projects happening right across the council area. JOHN FRIEND, Toowoomba

GUN CONTROL

WHEN will Americans learn? Eleven killed and six or more injured in a senseless hate-fuelled terrorist style attack at a baby naming service at a US synagogue.

The offender, a middle-aged white man armed with a AR-15 automatic rifle... Why does the US relentlessly insist that its civilians have the right to bear military grade weapons?

After the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996 when Martin Bryant slayed 35 innocent people and injured 23 others (also with a Colt AR-15, L1A1 self loading automatic rifle), Australia said “no more” and made it virtually impossible for civilians to obtain such weapons ever again, and how many mass shootings have we had since 1996? None.

How many US school shootings have there been? How many random attacks at concerts, sporting and gaming venues have there been where an offender has unleashed with a full automatic weapon designed to inflict as much damage as possible with the least amount of effort by the perpetrator in the shortest time possible... President Trump deflected questions about gun control and replied with “armed security guards could have prevented the high number of casualties, this is a case where if they had an armed guard inside, they might have been able to stop him immediately”.

Sorry Trump, but an armed guard with his standard issue six shot pistol would have just been killed or injured along with the four police officers that were shot by the AR-15.

Take away the civilian access to automatic military style weapons America, that is the obvious answer.

KEV McKAY, Harristown

KIM VUGA

LAST Saturday I had the privilege and honour to meet the founder of the Love Australia or Leave Party, Townsville lady Kim Vuga. Kim travelled all the way from Townsville to Clifton to meet some of her adherents. If that’s not dedication for you, I don’t know what else is.

I found her to be a pleasure to talk to despite what the media at large portrays her to be. I agree with 99% of her party’s policies, like stopping immigration to Australia, and for leaving the narcotic-state riddled United Nations.

She loves this country, as do I, and seriously believes we must do something about the drug problem here.

I will be placing my vote for her party in the upcoming federal election for the Queensland Senate.

DAVE FREDERICKS, Toowoomba

AIRPORTS

THE Federal Government is changing policies that will see western shires, and probably the same will apply to all of the isolated areas of our wide brown land, having to pick up the cost of keeping their airports operating. In areas of long distances, mostly unsealed roads, high fuel costs, no trains or buses, air travel is essential.

Perhaps even life threatening if the Royal Flying Doctor Service is affected in any way. Airports are an absolute must in isolated areas.

They have small populations, high costs and high needs and low rates income due to low population in the small towns and drought affected graziers.

One example only; the Diamantina Shire with a rate base of just $600,000, and they have to maintain two large airfields and with air fields there are no shortcuts. No or low maintenance can mean a landing catastrophe. They are fast reaching a situation where they can no longer afford the upkeep costs.

The Federal Government simply divested itself of these assets so the local governments had no option but to pick them up to carry on.

With isolation and regular drought, the inland areas across Australia all need to be supported and the cost isn’t huge in context of a federal budget. RAY HARCH, Toowoomba