All Aaron’s oversights
DEAR Aaron, there you go again, picking and choosing and bending what you like to take credit for and totally ignore the issues that the community expects action on ( TB, Letters to the editor 15/ 11).
Let’s take a look at what our state Labor Government has done for us lately.
One of the first things Anna did was repeal the juvenile offending laws introduced by the Newman Government which included but not limited to breach of bail conditions.
Then Labor later introduced “bail houses” with no community consultation or regard for community safety.
Your idea that your tough stance on crime is laughable as they are driving stolen cars to court, walking out to get back into said stolen car only to be arrested again a short time later.
Further, once it appeared that Labor had completely dropped the ball on crime, not just youth crime, you insult us by telling us it’s our fault that we are the victims of crime.
Anna rezoned the electorate boundaries which in effect broadened the electorate area in North Queensland meaning fewer seats/ representatives for us but more for the southeast Queensland area. I live in Townsville, why am I voting for someone in Hinchinbrook? And on top of that, imposed mandatory four- year terms.
The population of Tasmania is about 510,000 and they have five representatives in the House of Representatives.
The population of North Queensland from Rockhampton and above is about 540,000 and we have two representatives. I have not included all the smaller and regional centres in between or out west, so I think our representation is lacking.
The money that is being sunk into a new stadium, the majority of people in Townsville would have preferred that to go towards raising of Burdekin Falls Dam to the originally proposed 14m, not the paltry 2m now being proposed only after another feasibility study which is code for waste of money, never going to happen.
You must also realise the resentment Townsville residents feel towards your beloved leader down south due to the fact she had a feasibility study done in 48 hours for her $ 6 billion Cross River rail project and broke ground a few days after that.
This waste of money that would save commuters six minutes on their daily commute would have been enough to secure the building of a gravityfed pipeline from Burdekin Dam to Ross River Dam, meaning no pumping costs ever again.
The apology and compensation that was issued to the Palm Island rioters was not overwhelmingly welcomed or applauded.
The Queensland Labor Government’s failure to assist in the bailout of QNI. We all know that when administrators are appointed, that’s it, game over.
But the argument doesn’t end there. The Queensland taxpayers ended up having to pay these people a portion of their entitlements anyway so why didn’t you just help out when asked, saving 700 jobs?
You take credit for the falling Queensland unemployment rate. That is only because our state government has reemployed over and above the numbers of public servants that Newman culled. How has that helped Townsville? It hasn’t as the majority of these jobs are in southeast Queensland.
We are losing government jobs across quite a few departments in Townsville so I don’t see this as something to be proud of. The current rate of unemployment in Townsville is 9.2 per cent. Not great odds.
We don’t need more police, we need our justice system to work how it did not that long ago under another political party. All the Labor State Government is doing is moving the goal posts to make her stats look better but, Aaron, we are not fooled.
And to really make North Queenslanders feel special and appreciated, refusing to allow consumer competition for the North in the energy market. Wow! I’m crying here! You mention that “while regular texts are aimed to criticise, it might make yourselves feel good for a while but does little to assist in making this city better”.
You are here to make this city better!
For the reasons above, a multitude of many more and the critical letters/ texts to the editor is just a glaring example that you are still not listening.
I certainly do not apologise for being critical as it brings no joy, just disappointment that what was once a great, thriving city has turned into the Bronx of Queensland.
You end your letter by asking people to be positive.
We would be a lot more positive if the big issues were addressed and action taken.
JANIS BLACKMAN,
Burdell.