THANKS FROM MEALS ON WHEELS
Dear editor,
Coolum Beach Meals on Wheels would like to sincerely thank the Sunshine Coast Council for their continued support.
The Council has always been a great supporter of our service and in December 2021 we were given approval for a minor grant to upgrade the ceiling fans in the kitchen, meeting room and office.
The Coolum Beach Meals on Wheels Centre was built and opened in 1986. Ceiling fans with metal blades were installed in the kitchen, meeting room and office. Air conditioning was added to the meeting room and office at a later date. As the fan blades are painted metal, and we are very close to the ocean, they are starting to rust and paint is chipping off. As the fans are over 30 years old we wanted to replace them with more energy efficient fans with plastic blades. This would also enable the fans to be cleaned easily. The rusting and chipping metal fan blades take a long time to clean and are a health hazard.
The fans have now been installed and work more efficiently for better airflow throughout the centre. This project was proudly supported by Sunshine Coast Council’s grants program.
Sue Green,
President, Coolum Beach Meals on Wheels.
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POLITICAL CORRUPTION
Dear editor,
Transparency International’s has criticised Australia as one of the world’s most significant decliners in tackling public sector corruption and downgraded our Corruption Perception Index score by 12 points since 2012 to a record low score of 73.
Not surprising since the Morrison government has failed to establish the national anti-corruption agency they promised in December 2018. Mr Morrison has tried to shift the blame to Labor even though he has not presented his proposed Commonwealth Integrity Commission Bill to the parliament for debate.
Why are they so afraid? Was it because some in their own ranks would also not support the Bill?
Their proposal has been severely criticised by integrity experts as inadequate for the task.
Labor has committed to presenting a long overdue anti-corruption watchdog by the end of the year, should they win office.
With public trust in the governance of our nation at a very low ebb, we need a body with real investigative powers, retrospectivity and able to have public hearings – not the Liberal-National Coalition’s toothless tiger.
Robyn Deane,
Bli Bli.
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SOCIAL HOUSING
Dear editor,
It behoves our State Government to ensure even our poorest citizens have a roof over their heads. That’s why we pay taxes, in a society where equity and social justice aren’t a reality in a system of distribution of life’s necessities.
The housing and health crisis impact our national health. Our hospitals are not coping with the historical high demand. Now ambulance ramping is common. Hospital beds are in short supply and elective surgeries are on hold. Homelessness only adds to the crisis.
As a child, I grew up with other low-income families, in an entire suburb of state housing commission, low-rental homes. There were many such suburbs across our state, providing safe housing for struggling families on welfare or low incomes. It was a close-knit community that cared about each other’s welfare.
The rent crisis today, displays a total governmental disregard for those struggling to find low-cost rentals, in a high-demand, low-supply rental market. Those on welfare have no hope on the rental market. Rentals go to the highest bidder! Investment in State Government social housing has stalled – definitely not an election priority.
Rather than the billions invested in cross-river rail in Brisbane and building even more bridges and preparing for the 2032 Queensland Olympic Games – look to your citizens’ needs today. The Olympics mean exorbitant borrowing, only adding to the historically high, state deficit – a legacy of every Labor Government.
The state government’s focus on image-promoting projects with unconscionable spending ignores the crisis in state-sponsored housing. This should be a basic priority for any government, as a given. Our poorest citizens in a resource-rich nation such as Australia, deserve this provision.
Politicians prioritising working for their constituents’ welfare are a rarity. The 2032 Olympics successful bid augurs well for Palaszczuk’s resume after she moves on. Who picks up the tab, after the carnival is over?
E. Rowe,
Marcoola.
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