Get on board for Big Split
IF Ewan Jones wishes to re-enter politics on a scale that has any real impact ( TB, August 8), I suggest strongly that he supports the Separate State movement, which is growing traction daily.
What he fails to see is that this is not about party politics, it’s about developing North Queensland, and ensuring a strong and prosperous future for current and future generations. If North Queensland prospers, it also means we can contribute, on an even larger scale, to the prosperity of our nation.
The Separate State movement is ultimately about the future of North Queensland and, at a grassroots level, it is strongly supported because it is about developing the North and Australia as a consequence. Mr Jones would do well to think more about the needs of the North than his own political relevance.
Mr Jones says he too wants better government – but how is this ever possible when the southeast corner has 73 state representatives and regional Queensland only 20? In addition, we’ve only the voice of two senators for North Queensland: one in Rockhampton and the other FIFO in Townsville. Need I also have to remind Mr Jones of the fact he knows only too well that big-city politicians do not like being told what do to by their rural and regional counterparts? Creating a new state will decentralise the system and bring government closer to the people.
North Queensland can govern itself in the way we see is fit for North Queensland, not the way those living in the southeast corner see fit. This is all about self-determination, the rights of the people in central, northwest, northern and Far North Queensland and fundamentally a true reflection of the cornerstone of democracy.
Mr Jones states that I am “misinformed” about the potential for 12 senators being allocated to the new state of North Queensland; however, it states in Chapter VI Section 121: “New States may be admitted or established: The Parliament may admit to the Commonwealth or establish new States, and may upon such admission or establishment make or impose such terms and conditions, including the extent of representation in either House of the Parliament, as it thinks fit.”
What this means is that the Federal Parliament will decide the number of senators; technically they could allocate 12 or any number up to 12. However, if Australians are truly considered equal, the state of North Queensland (population approximately 962,000 and projected to be 1 million by 2022) should end up with 12. Note that this is currently the case for Tasmania (population approximately 528,000) and South Australia (population approximately 1.7 million).
Furthermore, I do not know how Mr Jones came up with his theory of all the hospitals etc simply vanishing when a new state boundary is drawn up. Plainly the current infrastructure would stay where it is and its ownership transferred to the new state government. Obviously a lot of negotiation would prevail on many levels but there will categorically be no Armageddon-style debt as he suggests.
I think Mr Jones needs to re-read our Constitution, take a short course on Australia’s system of horizontal fiscal equalisation, revise the Federal Financial Relations Act (2009) that governs the distribution of GST and take a look at the assets v liabilities clocked up already by SE Queensland v North Queensland. Oh, and be sure to add the $5.4 billion debt that is coming our way, i.e. Cross River Rail Project: a project that North Queenslanders will inevitably pay for and have no benefit from.
From a political perspective I could go on about the lack of development in the North and the spending in SE Queensland until the cows come home; but instead I just simply ask that Mr Jones, and other naysayers, take the time to look into this a little more deeply. I’m also sorry that Mr Jones needs to resort to childish name calling when an argument can be won on facts. My advice is from constitutional experts and I am no fool NANETTE RADECK,
Mount Low.