Governments get in the way of solutions

Re: Bill Mcculloch’s letter 3.3.21, highlighting the abysmal failure of the Child Protection Act, which echoes R B Landrigan’s letter of 11/02/21.

Many properties offered similar second chances and as Mr Landrigan points out, the government cannot leave successful operations alone, academics keep interfering, subsequently sabotaging the good work of genuine people. I refer to Vicki and Geoff Toomby’s Wonderland Station in the Townsville region, which suffered similar government interference (sabotage). In the Northern Territory there were also several very successful rehabilitation/reeducation establishments for troubled youth, both Indigenous and non-indigenous, closed down by government ignorance/ interference. In Western Australia, an Aboriginal owned and run, successful cattle enterprise also takes in troubled kids and turns them around – Seven Emus I think is the property concerned. It has featured on ABC programs. Perhaps its program may be allowed to survive?

There are many other examples of the ‘bureaucratic sabotage’ of proven solutions that saved several generations of disadvantaged children prior to government interference. This interference did not stop at the successful solutions to managing and redirecting delinquent youth, there was a glaring example in Mount Isa of destruction of a working program for parolees and others involved in supervised corrections orders, home detention etc. I refer to KASH, (Kalkadoon Aboriginal Sobriety House) conducted by the late Charlie Ah Wing. Under Charlie’s tutelage/guidance, his charges were occupied in the running of the organisation – general maintenance, gardening, caring for the animals, chooks, cleaning quarters, helping in the kitchen, laundry etc and on the side, some classes were offered (by volunteers) to assist in employment or re-employment on release back to their respective communities.

Intergenerational family dysfunction is clearly evident in the situation we now have, and dare I mention the foetal alcohol problem? Many children do not display the facial features linked to this condition, behaviour is often misdiagnosed as ADHD and schools are not detecting and referring children early enough, if at all for remedial classes – they are labelled ‘difficult’.

Time for government to address this situation before more deaths, and another generation is lost. There are solutions, not designed by academics, but by practical ‘boots on the ground’. ANN BRIDGEMAN,

Charters Towers.

One wonders if Aaron Harper bothers to read crime reports in the Townsville Bulletin.

Tuesday’s paper reported how a stolen vehicle wreaked havoc over the city for hours on Sunday, sideswiped a police vehicle, hit another motorist and drove on the wrong side of Ross River Road near Stockland before crashing.

Unbelievably two of the occupants were only charged with trespassing and let out on bail. Worse still, a third occupant who has five counts of unlawful use, was out on bail at the time of offending.

And all three at the time of publication, were under suspicion for another stolen car crash on Friday night.

And yet Aaron Harper in his letter on Wednesday has the audacity to claim the latest reforms are not smoke and mirrors and are aimed to keep recidivist offenders off the streets.

Sorry Mr Harper, the facts, the cold hard truth, do not match with your claims to this newspaper. I have to ask the difficult question, does this show you as being totally out of touch with reality, or are you attempting some sort of government propaganda?

As for your claim that 90 per cent of those previously charged with breach of bail went on to reoffend, they couldn’t do so if they were in detention.

I gather from the final sentence of your letter where you state you are only one of three government MPS in this city, you may be a little resentful that you are the only one who is taking flak on the crime issue while Stewart and Walker are taking a much lower profile (in hiding). It’s the only thing you managed to get right in your correspondence.

BARRY DAVIES,

Cranbrook.

Bishop Harris goes on to say he is certain the culture has changed from that era and the church is learning from the past and trying not to make the same mistakes. Then why was George Pell reinducted after an inquiry found he was aware of sexual abuse with children in the Catholic Church for decades?

HEDLEY DAHL, Charters Towers.