Time for an election
Last Friday the nation watched as a weak Prime Minister was replaced with a man with a massive integrity and credibility problem. All you really need to know about Scott Morrison was revealed in his first sentence to the nation as PM. “We’re on your side, that’s what matters. We’re on your side.” This populist statement comes from the same man who told the Australian public for two years as treasurer there was no need for a Royal Commission into the banking industry. Since the disgraceful revelations of the Royal Commission became public, this arrogant hypocrite has remained silent, as well he might.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Morrison also showed a singular disregard for human rights and a regrettable lack of empathy and concern for asylum seekers when he was Minister for Immigration.
What a shameful situation we are all in now. No matter what side of politics you are on, the ideal of a PM who we can all look up to with respect seems further and further away. Bring on the next election.
G. Miller, Little Forest
Protect our children
National Child Protection Week runs in Australia from September 2-8 and encourages us to promote safety for children in our communities. The sad reality I have come to realise is that many young people who are abused believe that this behaviour is normal. Adults in our community are letting our young people down.
Courts are far too lenient on people who abuse our children; communities are looking the other way, ignoring the abuse of children because this is the easiest option. People don’t want to get involved in notifying assaults on our young people because of the fear of the consequences from the perpetrators. We have lost the ability for adults to serve as collective parents for all the young people in our neighbourhood.
Nothing is more important than protecting our vulnerable children from abuse and neglect. Victims endure a lifetime of psychological and emotional distress, they often become drug users, attempt suicide, self-mutilate and have major trust issues. As a society, we must ensure we provide our children with a safe and supportive environment, so they have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Fr C. Riley, Youth Off The Streets
No time for silly games
I was dismayed to see at the Shoalhaven City Council ordinary meeting last night a belligerent attitude by some councillors to an addendum to a motion about assistance to local dairy farmers that council writes to the federal government requesting that clear cut policies be put in place to combat the effects of climate change. While it is commendable that council unanimously agreed to rate relief and other measures for dairy farmers in difficulties because of the drought it must be seen as a band-aid measure only. As Mayor Findley put it, how long are we, the community, expected to keep providing aid without doing something about the cause.
Gone are the days of denial that the long-term effects of climate change can cause prolonged drought conditions. This is scientifically proven fact and has been in the public domain for over a decade from institutions such as the CSIRO. The National Farmers Federation president Fiona Simson stated at the National Press Club that climate change is making drought conditions worse and tiptoeing around the subject is not doing any good to regional communities.
When several councillors called out the mover for making the drought issue “political”, the very fact of them stating this made it yet another political issue for the continual and somewhat childish game playing antics now a frequent occurrence in council meetings.
As a postscript to this letter I would like to point out that I am a retired CSIRO scientist and our charter has always been to conduct research for the good of the country and without political influence.
