Townsville Bulletin

Retrospect­ive legislatio­n smacks of a dictatorsh­ip

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THE Queensland government wants to change legislatio­n again because it doesn’t suit it to get its own political ilk into local government.

And this is causing shock, horror and dismay?

Labor has a history for doing this. A colleague and I challenged our department regarding an unfair work practice and took our dispute all the way to a public service tribunal.

Our QPSU (now Together Queensland) advocate agreed that our complaint was valid, however, it was unlikely to succeed.

He said that the union considered that then-premier Beattie was a virtual dictator and changed the rules to suit himself. I thought this farfetched.

Shortly after the hearing we were advised our complaint had failed. Public Service regulation­s were being changed and made retrospect­ive to ensure we were unsuccessf­ul.

That a government was prepared to do this to squash two little people over a relatively minor matter made me feel cold and I have since been afraid of the Queensland government.

This is like being stopped in your car by a police officer and told that, at 60km/h, you were exceeding the speed limit by 10km/h.

When you reply the limit is 60km/ h, the police officer says that the limit is being changed, however, it will be retrospect­ive.

So, you are fined and lose points. So, I am not surprised Premier Palaszczuk will change legislatio­n regarding local government for political gain.

She understand­s that she can fool most of the people all the time and has donned the Beattie mantle of dictatorsh­ip.

This is democracy Queensland style.

However, it is what the quiet majority voted for.

God help us.

JEFF WILLIAMS, Condon.

 ??  ?? A reader says the quiet majority has voted back into power a government that’s taken on the Beattie mantle of dictatorsh­ip.
Picture: ZIZI AVERILL
A reader says the quiet majority has voted back into power a government that’s taken on the Beattie mantle of dictatorsh­ip. Picture: ZIZI AVERILL

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