LetteroftheWeek
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AS the clock ticks toward May 18 and the rumble in the jungle thankfully comes to a conclusion I often get the feeling there are similarities between Scott Morrison and Queensland’s long-time Premier Joh Bjelke-Peterson.
However, if Morrison was to win the election we won’t have to put up with him as long we Queenslanders put up with Joh’s catch call “Don’t you worry about that”.
His colleagues will do what they do best and have a night of the long knives, showing him the door.
D.J.FRASER, CURRUMBIN
BILL Shorten has pledged to crack down on hate speech if elected. There are a lot of kids who hate broccoli, people hate the stupidity of ALP nonsense agendas and we all hate the ignorance of politicians putting us into debt with stupid policies.
He wants to tighten the Racial Discrimination Act, make it unlawful to offend, insult, humiliate or intimidate someone, making it more readily available for use as a ‘weapon’ and means of easy ‘compo’.
A claim of racial hate or vilification does not need to be witnessed by anyone as proof, they only need to claim it was made then weep, wail and seek compensation. That is in total breach and intent of the Magna Carta on which all our laws are based.
At school on a wall was “Sticks and stones may break bones, but words can never hurt you”. This was in front of you every day.
The philosophy was you could not bully, embarrass, tease nor offend us. We took sexist comments as either a compliment or as hilariously funny and hateful words were laughed at or ignored.
Part of your education was learning not to take offence.
What has gone wrong? Why are we teaching children to be thinskinned and to take offence.
It would cost less and be more successful to use the proven education of yesteryear and put those words on the wall of every school.
The next generation would be more resilient. mentally stronger – like past generations who couldn’t be bothered to be offended.
G.J. MAY, FORESTDALE
RE: Franking credits – If Labor wins government let us hope they do not reintroduce double taxation.
Income includes dividend and total franking credits.
Credits have never been received as cash as it is a system to determine excess credits.
However, if excess credits are cancelled the taxpayer loses twice.
Firstly, by retaining them in taxable income and possibly making the taxpayer ineligible for the Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, etc.
Secondly, by then deleting the excess credits.
A major argument is that the excess credits are tax free so why not tax the excess credits which will give Labor a substantial amount of money and will help to phase in the taxpayers to the change in their situation?
BILL KENDALL, BURLEIGH WATERS
PUBLIC servant and animal rights protester Angela Banovic got off lightly for disrupting the operation of an abattoir.
Not many of us make a virtue out of planning and committing crimes.
Even so, us carnivores are in a slight moral bind over cruelty aspects of live exports.
The only real conclusion is our dependence on export earnings, especially in Queensland, to pay for the burgeoning state public service.
What do they do at their desks all day apart from planning more disruptive mischief?
DAVID HALL, COOMBABAH
THE black-throated finch is a tropical bird with thousands of square kilometres of tropical Australia to fly around and nest in.
How could a mine taking up a miniscule part of this area possibly effect it? Or is that using too much common sense?
GREG KATER, SANCTUARY COVE
BIG miners like Rio and BHP employ many geologists, chemists and physicists who can show that natural climate cycles have been occurring for millions of years. Why then are their boards pushing the manmade climate fable?
It’s all about money.
Wind turbines, solar farms and electric cars need humungous amounts of copper, steel, rare earths, lithium, silicon and aluminium for towers, transmission lines, charging stations, generators, motors, panels and batteries.
This means higher metal prices and bigger profits, dividends and bonuses. All pretty simple.
VIV FORBES, WASHPOOL
AS the Chair of the local Gold Coast Health Consumer Advisory Group, I represent a selection of community-minded people who work with our local public health service to build on its patient-focused care.
As we draw closer to the flu season I urge our community to get vaccinated, because it’s the best way to protect yourself from the flu, and related complications.
Each year, the impact of the flu is significant in our community, and we see that reflected in the increase in presentations to our hospitals during flu season.
If you have children aged 16-18 they can now visit their local pharmacy to get vaccinated.
People who fall into high risk should be vaccinated – those over 65 years, pregnant women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged from six months to five years and from 15 years and older, and all individuals six months and older with medical conditions predisposing them to severe influenza.
You can visit one of the four immunisation clinics scheduled from: May 18 at Robina Library May 25 at Pacific Pines High School Hall
June 22 at Robina Library June 29 at Pacific Pines High School Hall.
DR JOAN CARLINI, CHAIR, GOLD COAST HEALTH CONSUMER ADVISORY GROUP