Townsville Bulletin

Frecklingt­on spend spin won’t wash with voters

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I AGREE with Wayne Haller’s comments in the Weekend Bulletin.

Despite the short notice, I was able to attend the 5pm meeting the council called to supposedly consult with residents about the bus hub.

It was an angry and heated meeting that ran overtime and was notable for the absence of any councillor­s.

It was clear the former ( now departed town planner) had not properly consulted with residents or the bus service, based on comments by the local Sunbus manager and representa­tives from Metro Quays and Urban Quarter apartment buildings.

It was hard to understand the logic of revitalisi­ng business in the CBD by evicting the popular hardware store.

It was also clear insufficie­nt planning and/ or handover had gone into this as the new planners were unable to answer quite simple questions.

We just want the council to properly consult all stakeholde­rs and not ram through a substandar­d project. LAUREN REICHARD,

Townsville. I KNOW trying to educate mainstream politician­s is probably a fairly pointless exercise, but with all the diatribe coming out of the LNP in Queensland I’ll give it one more shot.

The latest release that almost caused me to choke on my cornflakes was the one from Deb Frecklingt­on in our very own Bully ( 26/ 4).

In this bit of spin, Deb kindly points out to us minions just how much our political masters have seen fit to invest in one of the nation’s most crucial roads, namely the Bruce Highway.

Typical of the thinking in the major political parties, we are expected to just be grateful for any spending at all without having the temerity to question where the money is spent.

After all, our governing masters know what’s best for us. Or do they?

Have a look at where all the money was spent, and then ask your- self when was the last time those sections of the highway were a problem ( as in cyclone and/ or flood events).

Guess what, Deb … the answer is never!

Call me cynical, but I would hazard a guess as to the reasoning behind these decisions – population ( by which I mean “votes”).

Here’s a free tip for ya, Deb – when next assessing your priorities for funding, speak to a few truck drivers who regularly are parked up at the same sections of closed highway each wet season and I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

The lesson here is that the days of vote buying are over, the electorate is now way too sophistica­ted to fall for it, and the major parties who choose to ignore this do so at their own peril. STEPHEN DEAL,

Annandale.

 ?? SLIPPERY PATH: The LNP’s funding for the Bruce Highway is to impress certain voters rather than alleviate road flooding problems. ??
SLIPPERY PATH: The LNP’s funding for the Bruce Highway is to impress certain voters rather than alleviate road flooding problems.
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