LetteroftheWeek
Have strong opinions, write in an engaging way? You could win our Letter of the Week, and with it a book from our friends and sponsors, the publishers HarperCollins. This month’s book prize is Table For Eight by bestselling author and master storyteller Tricia Stringer. It tackles troubled relationships, second chances and love old and new in this uplifting story of unlikely dining companions thrown together on a glamorous cruise.
Rules: Best letter competition runs until January 19 next year. Entries close each Thursday at 5pm. The winner is selected by 2pm each Friday. Book of the month valued up to $49. Entrants agree to the Competition Terms and Conditions located at www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/
entertainment/competitions, and our privacy policy. Entrants consent to their information being shared with HarperCollins for the express purpose of delivering prizes.
IT has been interesting to see State Development Minister Cameron Dick try to re-write history regarding the Spit and Labor’s non-existent plan for Gold Coast jobs.
Given Labor’s appalling track record, it’s not hard to understand why. Everyone still remembers the debacle we saw when Labor pulled the rug from under the ASF Integrated Resort Development, costing taxpayers millions and putting paid to thousands of jobs.
Labor’s latest plan makes no mention of any new project. An integrated resort development could also support a new cruise ship terminal, but both projects seem to be getting further away.
Brisbane is getting a second cruise ship terminal, Cairns and Townsville are benefiting from cruise ship visits as well, but the Gold Coast continues to miss out.
It is clear the Palaszczuk Labor Government has no plans to grow Gold Coast tourism. The LNP has supported a community-driven masterplan from day one and Labor’s 72 draft options are six months late.
Gold Coast residents support economic development that creates jobs but it has to stack up environmentally and address any increased congestion. If these jobcreating projects aren’t resolved by the next state election, Annastacia Palaszczuk will have failed the Gold Coast … again.
ANDREW POWELL MP, SHADOW MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, STATE DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING
ON Monday I travelled “The G” home from my office in Ashmore.
Arriving home, I realised that my phone and wallet were missing and called G-Link customer service to report this.
Being prepared for the inevitable recorded selection menu, imagine my disbelief when the call was answered by Ariel – a real person.
When I told her my name she instantly said “and you’ve lost your phone and wallet, the driver has it and will bring it to the depot, give it to security and they will deliver it to you at the nearest station to where you live”.
All this within about 12 minutes of me exiting the tram.
Sure enough two very pleasant G-Link security staff, Astrid and Anthony, delivered my phone and wallet.
In this day and age when you can spend an hour on hold to a public utility, I was impressed by this level of professional and courteous service. I don’t know the name of the tram driver but I guess it had to be Adam – this was obviously G-Link’s A-team.
J. MOIR, SURFERS PARADISE
IT seems a misunderstanding led to the LNP giving the Byron Bay City Council permission to hold citizenship ceremonies on January 26. The Green-led council has now vowed to hold ceremonies on January 25 after the misunderstanding. This is an arrogant council that is unrepentant in its decision not to obey Prime Minister
Scott Morrison’s edict that such citizenship ceremonies will be deemed invalid. And so they should be.
If new Australians cannot accept the law, they will be the ones disadvantaged. The council has no right to deny them the benefits of becoming an Australian citizen.
Indigenous feelings should not take precedence in this issue. No living indigenous person was directly disadvantaged by the events of January 26, 1788.
Enough said! Another example of a minority political group supporting a minority cultural group!
KEN JOHNSTON, ROCHEDALE SOUTH
A COUNCILLOR in Dublin, Ireland, has suggested not flying the national flag because it could offend foreign residents.
A flag represents many things to people although the national flag represents the country, its history and what it stands for. There are very few flags that should not be flown high and the only ones that come to mind are those used by terrorists as a rallying point.
The idea of not flying a flag because it may offend some foreigners devalues the cost that many paid to protect it. The foreigners who have come to a new country do so because they want to be part of the new country and the flag represents the qualities they want.
Honor the values that the flag represents and make sure it is flown high.
DENNIS FITZGERALD, BOX HILL