Letter of the Week

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HAYDEN Hart is right to say (GCB letters 18/9) it is hard to compare the Gold Coast infrastructure investment record of Labor vs LNP.

That’s because of the total absence of any new LNP transport infrastructure investments on the Gold Coast when it was in power.

The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s strong record includes two fully-funded M1 upgrades, Light rail Stage 2 and heavy rail duplication done and light rail Stage 3 to Burleigh getting close.

Rail upgrades are indeed precious and important parts of the transport infrastructure that support growing Gold Coast needs – that’s why our government will build three new train stations on the Gold Coast in the next few years.

I can assure Hayden too I will never skip a whole week of Parliamentary sittings to go on a luxury cruise in Canada and let down my local constituents like LNP MP for Burleigh Michael Hart did last year.

I’ll always fight for jobs and infrastructure in Parliament whenever it sits.

MARK BAILEY, TRANSPORT AND MAIN ROADS MINISTER

WHEN wealthy nations, rich in natural resources, manipulate price and quantity to consumers reliant on imports, it creates a power imbalance. Those with most to gain from political global unrest and hunger for manufactured and natural resources, dictate the terms of engagement.

Saudi Arabia, oil-rich nation, one of the few Opec nations, controls the lucrative ebb and flow of oil, to their financial advantage. It supplies about 10 per cent of world demand. These friends of USA, despite unchallenged human rights abuse towards their women, are now under attack from their enemies. Middle Eastern unrest has brought the consequences across our sea border, threatening our very existence both politically and economically. Any attack upon reliable sources creates world instability.

The gap between rich and poor of the world widens with terrorist and internet criminal activity, threatening oil security in Australia, despite political rhetoric to the contrary. No-one is immune from oil insecurity. The giants who control unlimited natural resources are now powerless to contain the threat. Like the 9/11 attack on the US World Trade Centre, terrorists know how to hit at the heart of power. Oil is the currency of power.

ELOISE ROWE, GOLD COAST

IN response to Ron Nightingale (GCB letters 18/9), we are not in the middle of a bushfire crisis as it’s only just begun.

It started behind my house in Mount Nathan as the Queensland fire service had a controlled burnoff, which got out of control. Not the fire service’s fault as they had controlled burn-off at this time of year for decades with no problem. However, with the emergency crisis we are in, it shows that the Government needs action now so no more animals, people and property get destroyed in these trying times.

The only way of making the Government act is to distrupt business as usual. Although Mr Nightingale said the Gold Coasters would not stand for the protesters, he seemed to have changed his mind. You never know, he might even participate in this march.

SHAUN CUNNEEN, MT NATHAN

IMAGINE if we had a political system where our money was not criminally flushed down the drain for virtue signalling and posturing media theatre.

Just watch the pantomime of Question Time to see infantile point-scoring.

Imagine if all parties spent more time actually governing the nation instead of playing silly games with non-productive side issues.

Imagine the savings if we Trump’erated the stupid Paris Agreement which will do nothing to change the climate but see spivs in the UN and elsewhere pick up and see us shooting ourselves in both feet for no actual good. Spend the dosh on hospitals, research, dams, power and defence. And reduce our overseas aid for foreign corrupt cronies while we are at it.

Imagine if we got rid of the useless blockage in the “S bend” which is the Senate. It is a complete waste of money and a boil on the backside of progress. An elected government is unable to actually govern. You might as well chuck state governments into the bowl too.

Imagine if Australia developed its uranium and thorium and used nuclear power to build dams on our east coast and northern rivers to then pump all that water back over the ranges into pipes to rejuvenate our inland primary producers and towns. We have the power and we have the water but we do not have the leadership and intelligence.

Imagine if we demanded our politicians get a bit more mongrel and did a bit less mucking around. Others, not particularly nice people, are watching. And waiting.

Imagine if the “wheels on the bus were going round, round, round”, and not bogged.

KEN ALLEN, SOUTHPORT

SO Premier Palaszczuk wants the state and federal governments to purchase its own aircraft to help fight fires. While this may be a sound plan, I would have thought there might be more dialogue about building several dams as were once planned years ago.

Drought along with the unavailability of access to water is crippling life in so many areas that surely dams should be high on any agenda. Abandoning Traviston was a travesty thanks to a former Labor Premier as was Wolfdene during the Goss Labor years. Damn these inept administrators.

KEN JOHNSTON, ROCHEDALE SOUTH