POLLIE PORTRAITS
Dear Editor,
An ex- PM’s portrait was hung in Canberra’s Portrait Gallery this week, depicting him in his famous shirt front sans red budgie smugglers. A tricky question is how to depict the recent ex-PM who wore so many hats?
Margaret Wilkie,
Peregian Beach.
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HOUSING SHORTAGE
Dear Editor,
Homelessness is the consequence of government inaction on social housing over the past 20 years. No one else is to blame. Migration from the southern states north into Queensland, during and after the pandemic, only exacerbates the crisis. In Australia, one of the most affluent of global nations, this crisis highlights the priorities of successive governments concerned only about their own projects for self-promotion.
The quest for the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane and the consequent cash splash in Brisbane proper, a city of 2.28 million, has overlooked the constituents who will not benefit from these international games, including in regional areas of Queensland. South of Brisbane to the N.S.W. border is well-catered for as far as public transport is concerned, however, the road network is inadequate for the ever-expanding residential building permitted on the “Glitter Strip”, to the detriment of road safety and traffic congestion concerns even further north. North of Brisbane has an antiquated public transport and road network not suitable to accommodate the traffic.
To spend billions of dollars in preparation for an event 10 years away, with no real plan to provide housing for even more vulnerable Queenslanders is unconscionable. Promoting Queensland as the tourist Mecca of Australia is irresponsible, only compounding the homeless scenario. Housing shortage is a global issue, with immigration from war-torn countries making the crisis worse.
The right to affordable housing and food security should be a priority as a human rights issue. Third Millennium governments lack the fiscal expertise, focus and foresight to provide for the millions moving into our State over the next 10 years. We are a state of only 5 million, lacking preparation for perhaps a tsunami of immigrants requiring accommodation in the coming decade. Passing the buck and delaying the inevitable is irresponsible.
E. Rowe,
Marcoola.
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Dear Editor,
Last week, a historic censure motion was passed by the Parliament against former Prime Minister Scott Morrison because of his secret appointment to five ministries.
High Court Judge Virginia Bell said: “The lack of disclosure of the appointment to the public was apt to undermine public confidence in government … and the secrecy with which they had been surrounded was corrosive of trust in government.”
His actions were a gross misjudgement by the former Prime Minister and lacked in the transparency and accountability expected of the Office he held.
A real leader, with strength of character and a real moral compass, acknowledges errors and apologises, something Mr. Morrison has never been able to do realistically during his term in office, and certainly not in his response to the censure motion.
It is to their enduring shame that 50 Liberal National COALition MPs voted against the censure motion, including Sunshine Coast LNP MP’s Ted O’Brien and Andrew Wallace. It was a display of their contempt for Parliamentary conventions and indifference for the values of probity and integrity we expect of them.
Our elected Representatives should uphold the high ideals we rightly expect of them. We will not forget.
Robyn Deane,
Bli Bli.