YOUR VIEWS
I FOR one, am prepared to hitch a ride on Pauline Hanson’s bandwagon to cheer her on as she aims her political artillery at the Queensland Premier, regarding her foolish crusade to host the 2032 Olympic Games.
Was the Commonwealth Games disaster not embarrassing enough, when they had to give away free tickets to fill the seats, just to make the Games look successful, for the millions of overseas people watching it on television?
The public are absolutely furious with Annastacia because she hasn’t involved herself in the national bush fire appeal that Scott Morrison asked all Premiers to participate in, to donate a $6000 gift to the regular firefighters to compensate for their loss of several weeks wages while they were fighting the fire storms.
Yet the Palaszczuk-Trad duo recently saw fit to award their public servants with a $1250 bonus gift each, and my recent check with Google revealed there are at present 217,577 on the payroll in Queensland, so I suggest you taxpayers all reach for your trusty calculators to see what this absolutely outrageous figure is.
As for Annastacia trying to hoodwink Queenslanders, by stating the cost of the Olympic Games will be around $5 billion, well the financial experts say it will blow out to at least double that figure, as did the Commonwealth Games.
Let’s hope the public get behind Pauline Hanson as she does battle with the careless spending Palaszczuk-Trad duo.
KEN WADE, GOLD COAST
IT WAS great to have something concrete on the table as to what
Spit State Government land is available for development. Looking at that aerial map of “Spit up for grabs” it seems logical that the land just south of Sea World carpark would be perfect for our cruise ship terminal!
It’s situated on the safe and tranquil Broadwater – OK, OK there is about 6km of dredging that will need to be done. Consider that 860km of canals were built in the 1950s by visionaries creating our iconic waterfront suburbs. Consider also the Suez and Panama Canals were dredged and opened for business in 1869 and 1914!
So we do not have the foresight or expertise to do the dredging? The dredging of this waterway leading up the trawler harbour and Southport Yacht Club has been much needed for years.
The CST will be walking distance to Sea World, Palazzo Versace, Marina Mirage, Fisherman’s Wharf and Sheraton Mirage and minutes to the struggling Tedder Ave Main Beach precinct, Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Star Casino and a tour bus ride to Mt Tamborine and all the theme parks.
It goes without saying that the Gold Coast CST and the hundreds of thousands on moneyed tourists it will deliver will be of immense importance to much-needed jobs in the tourist and hospitality sector as well as the extended supply infrastructure a constant flow of these floating hotels will create.
The CST will not only be a short stopover for the on-board passengers but will become a destination port for passengers flying in and out of the Gold Coast and staying over for extended periods before or after their cruise.
CHRIS BOSHOFF, GOLD COAST
THERE is an inevitability about matters Bridget McKenzie. The baying for actual blood has not yet surfaced, but that’s only a few hours away.
The situation absolutely stinks. She must do the decent thing and step down until the probe is completed. She will be thrown to the lions when the Senate resumes if she refuses to do so.
The PM is scarcely covering himself in glory. As they say, it is always the cover-up that brings down people in high places. This is merely another instance.
DAVID HALL, COOMBABAH
STEVE Minnikin (Letters 18/1) continues to hope our community has forgotten the LNP’s embarrassing record on the Gold Coast.
The LNP had three budgets and three years to allocate new funding for major Gold Coast transport projects and did nothing.
Not a single new dollar was spent on the M1.
What Mr Minnikin failed to mention in his letter to the editor is he was an Assistant Minister in Campbell Newman’s disastrous government that blocked planning for the Second M1.
The LNP’s decision set this project back years and it was left to the Palaszczuk Labor Government to preserve the corridor and do the necessary planning.
In stark contrast, our Government has started work on the Second M1, prioritising work on the first stage between Coomera and Nerang.
Public consultation has been positive, and the community input we’ve received will contribute to the best possible design for this huge piece of infrastructure.
There is more than $2.5 billion worth of joint funding flowing to upgrade the M1 across four major projects under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Works are nearly done from Mudgeeraba to Varsity Lakes and at the Gateway Merge, with two much larger upgrades locked in to start this year, creating a minimum of six lanes through to Tugun.
We’re also focusing on fixing busy M1 exits too. Work on the Oxenford Exit 57 interchange has started, Exit 54 is done, planning is underway to upgrade Exit 45 and funding is locked in to start work on Exits 41 and 49.’
MEAGHAN SCANLON, MEMBER FOR GAVEN
I WAS always suspicious as to how Greta “suddenly” went from being a “school striker” to international celebrity. Not to mention, who has been paying for all of her trips?
It is now apparent that there is a well-funded and organised effort behind her.
The ONE Movement is an extremely well-funded organisation, not to mention a highly politicised one: It takes funding from a who’s who of leftwing foundations, including Gates, Bono, Bloomberg, Google and William & Flora Hewlett and George Soros’ Open Society Foundation. The aim is clearly stated as being to lobby political leaders.
Whether the causes are worthy or not is not the point. It is clear that they are using Greta to further their political aims. I suspect she has been so brainwashed that she is not even aware of this. But the idea that Greta is a lone ranger is now no longer credible
JOHN DAVIDSON, ROBINA