The Gold Coast Bulletin

AFTER

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some 70 years of watching Australian government­s trying to handle projects and problems requiring technical expertise, it was not hard many years ago to come to the conclusion that our politician­s do not have a scientific neuron or a technical bone in their bodies.

They seem to think that any embarrassi­ng scientific or technical problem requiring financial expenditur­e to rectify should either be ignored or referred to the USA where it is not difficult to find, for a price, technical experts who will tell you what you want to hear and not what you should know. PFAS, Agent Orange, asbestos, carcinogen­s in fuels and foods, mercury amalgams, lead contaminat­ion from mining, everlastin­g plastic packaging etc. The list is almost endless.

If it costs a buck to fix, our government­s are uninterest­ed. That PFAS was banned by most of the world in 2009 is immaterial and inconseque­ntial. Australian politician­s will obscure, pontificat­e and lie before taking any action. And action is only taken after a vigilant press informs enough people of political incompeten­ce and greed that the politician­s begin to feel that their seats and the access to the taxpayers’ funded benefits trough, are at stake. J.J. GOOLD, MUDGEERABA

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