LetteroftheWeek
PRIME Minister John Howard was described by President George Bush as his “Man of Steel” in the Pacific.
Although he was alluding to Superman, some probably think John “Stalin” might have been more appropriate.
This is certainly not the case when it came to gun control. He probably didn’t go Stalinist enough on that one.
However, there were other unwelcome aspects of Howard’s “Liberal” government.
The first was the treatment of the under or unemployed. Instead of applying the dole as an anti-destitution measure (and it barely accords with that amount) successive Liberal governments have sort to punish unemployed people by putting them in fake jobs for alleged training (or is that re-education?) while real jobs are non-existent.
This simply transfers welfare payments to the business class while making the unemployed net zero beneficiaries assuming their labour is worth something.
It also is a highly inefficient way of distributing welfare because resources are diverted away from activities which are genuinely profitable just to bolster business class self-righteousness.
Secondly the statement: “We will decide who comes to this country” was double speak for “The business class will decide who comes to this country”.
Immigrants should come from different economic backgrounds. ED DONOVAN, LABRADOR
LABOR plans to increase our refugee intake by 70 per cent, just to appease the Greens, who will reward Bill Shorten with their preference votes as they do every election time. Without them Labor wouldn’t stand a chance in hell of winning an election on their own.
However, even though the LNP and the public are angered by this outrageous proposal, the media reports that Shorten is prepared to spend more than $6 billion over the next decade to fund this project, and $1 billion each year after that.
It’s about time politicians began listening to us Australians who want immigration stopped, and concentrate on our drought-stricken farmers and our own poverty instead.
It’s totally mind-boggling that Shorten would propose this rather than consider the plight of our drought-stricken farmers and our own poverty, but we all know that Labor is doing this just to please the Greens, who are our beloved farmers’ worst enemy.
This will not only enormously weaken our border protection, but our economy as well, and will place this country on continuous high terrorism alert. Is this what you voters want?
Where does Bill Shorten plan to house this massive intake of refugees, continue to place their names on top of the public housing list, like they have been doing for years, and ignore the thousands of Australian families who have had their names on that list for several years?
And politicians wonder why these unfortunate homeless Aussie families want immigration stopped – so they can get a roof over their heads, and a warm bed for their children? KEN WADE, TWEED HEADS
HOW do Premier Palaszczuk and Health Minister Steven Miles have the utter gall to play the blame game when people’s health is at stake (GCB, 28/3)? Caring? Not one iota.
And Palaszczuk again blames the federal government. She cannot ever admit her government is at fault as she bounces from one failure to another.
She is the “pinball queen” of Queensland but sadly the only bells ringing are falling on deaf ears.
Your headlines today should spell it out to even Labor stalwarts that the current government has crumbled under pressure because preparing for a rainy day only
means buying a few raincoats and hoping the rain stops.
We don’t believe what exits your mouth, Annastacia, nor do we believe in you or your leadership. Go take a holiday and let someone who knows what they’re doing take the helm.
It will take a titanic effort but surely there’s someone capable waiting in the wings. Pigs then might fly! KEN JOHNSTON, ROCHEDALE SOUTH
WORLDWIDE cruise ship terminals are great for local tourism and bring much-needed money to business. Try getting accommodation in Sydney when they are in town. As for the anti Gold Coast Premier, who cares what she thinks. ROD WATSON, SURFERS PARADISE
COMMIT an egg attack on Britain’s Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn and the UK offender is jailed for 28 days and fined $215 (GCB, 27/3).
Commit the same offence on Australian Senator Fraser Anning and the Australian perpetrator is released without charge, becomes a cult hero and a Go Fund Me page raises more than $30,000 for him.
Do we in Australia treat offenders differently, or does it depend on whether the political victim is left wing or right wing? GAVIN HARPER, HOPE ISLAND
OUR exalted leader is now realising that when you sleep with the dogs you invariable catch some of their fleas.
Pauline Hanson has been around for a bloody long time and has finely tuned her animal cunning to pass on some of her fleas to those who thought they wouldn’t be infested with her fleas. D.J.FRASER, CURRUMBIN