YOUR VIEWS

WRITE TO: P0 Box 1, Southport, 4215 EMAIL: letters@goldcoast.com.au FACEBOOK: facebook.com/goldcoastbulletin

THE Queensland Government has demonstrated pathetic leadership in the critical phase of our virus crisis.

The serious flaws include a total ignorance of economics, the behaviour of its electorates when under stress, and a sense of betrayal by lack of direction, planning and purpose. Our political masters have dismally failed in seizing the advantage of using vast distances and dispersion of communities as a critical phase in applying a “hold the line approach”.

Such initiatives could have prevented further economic disaster.

Its failures which could have been successes are many. Its leadership could have provided unity, hope and faith yet, sadly the result is despair, fragmentation and a fear for tomorrow.

If you will not open our state border, then in God’s name remove the smothering restrictions in Queensland.

There is always a chance it could revive hope and a fighting spirit

GEORGE MANSFORD, EAST TRINITY

RE: Ron Nightingale’s letter (GCB 22/5), I am in total agreement with your inspirational letter to keep supporting our local small businesses here on the Gold Coast. (What goes around comes around)!

Unfortunately, it is so easy to forget that the fresh food markets were there for us working ungodly hours, navigating COVID-19 guidelines to provide prompt, safe food deliveries to our many doors when the big retail food chain stores weren’t.

We certainly appreciated and needed these smaller guys in our recent lockdown period and even now. They were our saviours, especially servicing our elderly who needed fresh, nutritious produce to maintain their health as they were already vulnerable to this potentially deadly virus.

I will remain loyal to my local fruit & veg market as I won’t forget how they contributed greatly to our GC community, plus the fact that their produce is super fresh and thus hasn’t travelled the food miles, unlike that which usually sits forlornly in our big stores.

I would be grateful if savvy GC shoppers consider giving back their support to these cheerful small businesses as they are our backbone when things get tough and it’s a “Sam Kekovich” right thing to do! (For those who don’t know, Sam is our Aussie lamb spokesman!)

PAM DELAHUNTY-HUNTER, BIGGERA WATERS

I REFER to Matt Keegan’s comments in “Bring Back The Party” (GCB, 23/5) where he wants to supercharge the Gold Coast’s party status.

As a resident who lives permanently in Surfers, the last thing we need is to have clubs and bars serving alcohol after 3am let alone 24hour trading. It seems the only ideas to come forward as to how to liven up the Coast all revolve around increasing alcohol abuse.

There is already insufficient policing available to curb the current alcohol and drug violence which occurs nightly when patrons spill out of these venues with total disregard for surrounding persons or property. This is not the sort of entertainment precinct that the Gold Coast should be promoting.

Perhaps some of the owners of the licensed venues should actually stay in Surfers overnight and witness the behaviour of many of their patrons as they wander the streets looking for another place to “let loose”. I urge the government to not consider relaxing the restrictions just because it would increase nightclub revenues.

The reputation of Surfers Paradise is already tarnished and this is not the way to boost our image as a family friendly place to come for a holiday.

G. MEYER, GOLD COAST

THE JobKeeper scheme must use the same computer models as the climate emergency crowd and the COVID forecasters. All run hot. Maybe there is a computer virus spreading?

VIV FORBES, WASHPOOL

PETER Dutton has once again shown his true colours by siding with Pauline Hanson over the Queensland border storm in a teacup. Then again, one can understand why he would sink that low considering he has been almost neutered and Hanson has been more than happy to put Dutton under her wing.

And the beauty for him is he can’t slip a great deal lower.

D.J. FRASER, CURRUMBIN

I MUST admit that I find it surprising that it would appear that noone (not senior government officials, the government and other politicians – and that includes you Mr Albanese and Dr Chalmers, plus the commentariat) applied a reasonableness test to the figures being thrown around concerning the number and cost of the JobKeeper scheme.

After all if there are about 12 million in the workforce, deducting from that figure about 2 million public servants (including local government) and probably about another 1 million still employed in the banking, insurance and mining industries and private and tertiary education sectors, this leaves about 9 million so a figure of 6.5 million accessing the JobKeeper scheme would mean three out of four would be accessing the scheme.

Surely a figure this high should have raised questions, yet there was not one comment or question raised until the last day or so.

BILL TURNER, HOPE ISLAND

FROM a tower of indifference in Brisbane city, our leader oversees resolutely closed state borders, established against other Australians. This while thousands of Queensland workers in hospitality and tourism are surging to insolvency.

In addition, daily TV exposure of a massive scale is very satisfying for the Premier, coverage which is usually not obtained.

Photos are seen donning a hard hat for mining voters despite years of legal barriers placed against Adani by Labor Governments.

This until the federal election produced the unexpected result. Suddenly mining secured a green light.

Labor have been in power for 25 years of the last 31 years. It’s time for change.

Let LNP leader Deb Frecklington build dams, roads and start constructing the Bradfield Scheme which has been discussed for years. Also open our borders and get Queensland moving again.

REG SPENCE, SURFERS PARADISE