Danger to public is only getting worse
ALTHOUGH the police have warned against fighting back, (in plain terms, “vigilantism”), facing the extreme phase of crime being perpetrated by young criminals in Townsville, circumstances are inevitably leading towards that very occurrence.
Even the police themselves are instructed not to pursue vehicles being stolen and wrecked by these out-of-control, lawless hoodlums.
This weak, hopeless, useless state Labor government is sitting back and allowing this to happen. The state government is virtually encouraging vigilante behaviour but is too dumb to recognise the fact. And it is just that – a plain, in-your-face, reality.
And yet most voters still support the very Labor Party that is wrecking their lives.
How moronic, how foolish, how dimwitted can people be?
As long as this very administration stays in power, the worse it will become.
The reality is the public will, without doubt, be forced to protect themselves and their families to stay alive.
The young criminals will finish up committing murder because they simply don’t care, and they know they can get away with it. COLIN BAKER,
Pentland.
CRITICISM UNWARRANTED
AUSTRALIA’S enemies could not hope for a better propaganda mouthpiece than the ABC and SBS World News, spruiking a show about contractors desperately trying to flee Afghanistan during the recent turmoil.
SBS World News claimed this particular individual had been “deserted by the ADF”.
Given the situation in Afghanistan recently and the fact the US dictated when operations were going to be wound down, surely it’s an unwarranted slur on their reputation to accuse anyone in the ADF of deserting anyone.
The Australian government on the other hand may deserve a harsher assessment on dragging its feet in getting contractors to safety in the past six months or so.
However, the tens of thousands of Australians who served with distinction under governments, both Labor and Liberal, certainly do not deserve to be accused of deserting anyone.
DAVE PASKE, Aitkenvale.
DEATH BILL A CONCERN
I AM really concerned if the voluntary assisted dying bill is passed as I will become vulnerable to the expectations of those who believe in assisted dying, especially if I can no longer express my true intentions.
I would hope that there will still be hospitals allowed to practise and not offer voluntary assisted dying.
My faith has helped me through some very difficult times, and I am not prepared to suddenly abandon this belief.
What has been observed through all the discussion around the introduction of this legislation is the lack of substantial funding towards ways of improving palliative care.
This is especially true of palliative care for young people. It would seem to be easier to apply lethal doses to people who are dying than to insure more work and research is spent on providing good palliative care.
As for strict guidelines to be followed before agreeing to voluntary assisted dying, it is a great concern that doctors working with the dying do not have to have any expertise in patients’ terminal conditions or end of life care yet can make decisions on life expectancy, counselling care of the patients and assess the competence to decide on voluntary assisted dying.
This is not good practice for doctors who are expected to use their knowledge appropriately according to their decision making power.
Countries like The Netherlands and Belgium have permitted voluntary assisted dying over many years and there has been a tendency not to adhere strictly to the guidelines.
Hopefully our politicians will think long and hard about the repercussions of this bill. GWENYTH MARY CUTLER,
Kelso.
FED UP WITH RANTS
IS anyone else fed up with Vikki Campion’s weekly rants?
I like to read good, thoughtful well researched journalism – even if it clashes with my own opinion and values. But the Saturday 21/8 article was a hotch potch of wild ideas and inflammatory statements.
She covered so many unrelated subjects – climate change, Taliban, China, cancel culture, the role of the ADF – that I had to read it twice before I could make any sense of it.
And at the same time – sneering at the valuable work the Australian Defence Force was doing in the community in the middle of a dangerous pandemic.
And condemning the rescuing of Afghan interpreters, claiming it’s inviting terrorism.
It sounds like she’s channelling Barnaby who also embarrasses himself with his illinformed and unintelligent public rants.
BUNTY ELLIS-FREEMAN,
Bushland Beach.
Re number of parole applications to free up space in Qld prisons, would it be over simplistic to suggest building another adult & juvie corrective establishment to cope with incarcerations? Sorry, my mistake, I forgot our govt has a softly softly approach. OLD FART, MOUNT LOW
CJ Palleranda do you also say: I have no problem with gluttony, smoking, speeding, alcohol abuse, failure to heed the doctor’s advice etc, so long as they don’t use the hospital and pay 4 their own costs? Be rational in this debate please! DM CONDON
Here we go again with our politicians: We have a plan but we can’t tell you yet blah blah blah blah. FED UP MOUNT LOUISA 4814
When did our justice system start favouring the guilty, closed court hearings, early release to free up jails, consequences for their actions are nonexistent. The word plan is not the answer. Repeat offenders have no place in our society, they only create more victims who will definitely not vote for these incompetent MPS. CRIS WULGURU
When is the health minister and premier going to let us know when our borders are going to open up or are waiting for the people of Qld to get their jabs up to 80 per cent like NSW and Victoria are doing. I think it’s about time that they come clean on when they are doing and when. SMILEY 4817
I call for the Minister to live here till
Christmas. Make it at ground level not in ivory towers so he can hear the sirens all night. JEFF IN VINCENT 4810
To the three blind mice. Due to your Youth Justice laws, the media are not allowed to report if the 16-yearold that allegedly stabbed that poor innocent woman on a Mackay beach has been released on bail or not!
How is that in keeping with community expectations or safety of the community in general? JB 4818
If the Katter Party was serious about increased funding for palliative care they’d negotiate productively instead of using the issue to try and block VAD. Just another dumb stunt from the party of dumb stunts. STEVE, BELGIAN GARDENS
Talking to friends about citizens being attacked by juvenile cowards in Townsville shopping centre car parks. They said most people they knew avoided the centres as much as possible because of the dangers. When forced to, they try to spend as little time as possible in the open and the main goal was to get home as quickly as possible. There is always the feeling of apprehension. That is shocking in a city of under 200,000. JEFF, CONDON.
The Premier promised $30 million to upgrade the Kirwan Police Station. After 12 months not even a plan has been sighted. Why then did work on the Toowoomba quarantine facility begin before she had even announced Queensland taxpayers were partly funding it? REB KELSO
Promised before the 2017 state election, 53 front line coppers, Riverway Drive duplication stage 2. Haughton pipeline stage 2. Promised before the 2020 election, 2000 extra coppers for Qld, 150 for Townsville, $30 million upgrade of Kirwan Police station, Haughton pipeline stage 2, Riverway Drive duplication stage 2. None delivered yet! I hope you haven’t been sitting on your hands Mark Ryan, they would be dead from lack of blood flow. RON KELSO.