PM sings our praises
The Shoalhaven is one of Australia’s great secrets: good beaches, beautiful scenery, friendly people, and a quiet escape where you can recharge.
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At Christmas, Jen and I packed up the trailer, loaded up our bikes, boogie boards, and kayaks, and headed to the Shoalhaven for our Christmas and New Year break.
It was a carefree time with kids, family and friends: kayaking, beach cricket, board games, late sunsets and dinners, and plenty of my dad jokes to go around.
We made new friends and reacquainted with old ones – locals, holidaymakers staying at the caravan park, small business people from Western Sydney, surf life savers, rural fire service members and other mums and dads.
Everyone was so friendly which is the way all the visitors are welcomed on the South Coast.
I got to listen too, over a beer at the Heads Hotel as locals and visitors told me about their lives and what matters to them. As I wrote about in the capital city newspapers this week and talk about on national TV, my time in the Shoalhaven was real, honest and a friendly, encouraging reminder of who I work for.
So thank you again for your warm welcome to me and my family. We’ll be back.
Scott Morrison, Prime Minister for Australia
Gilmore needs strategy
In a 2018 address to the Lowy Institute, Bill Shorten stated, “the foreign policy of the next Labor government will speak with a clear Australian accent”. In the current strategic climate in which China and the US are playing a game of push me-shove you, approaching the brinkmanship experienced in the Cold War, Labor’s policy is sensible. Without abandoning the alliance security provided under ANZUS, it is appropriate Australia returns the application of the treaty to its original intent – consultation between Australia and the US in the event of an attack on one of the parties to the treaty and not blind adoption of the strategic policy of the more powerful party.
Senator Jim Molan has spoken of the need for Australia to take a more independent stance in this regard as has former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser. What Labor’s policy lacks, however, is detail or indeed any mention of how it will address what has been described as China’s “debt trap” diplomacy in the South Pacific in which our near neighbours are indebted to China to the point of potential sovereign risk.
This is a very real concern for Australia and, with a major military base in the seat of Gilmore – a base which supplies all of the aviation assets and personnel to our front-line ships – a concern for the people of Gilmore.
Politicians commit our troops to combat. Politicians expose our troops to mortal risk. It follows politicians should be able to articulate the national security policies on which they will rely in the event they are elected to represent us. To Bill Shorten’s credit, he has confirmed he will give an Australian voice to Australia’s regional strategic policy. It is time his candidates began to explain what that means for their potential constituents, particularly when they will likely be putting such constituents in harm’s way in any future conflict.
G. Kolomeitz, Gerroa
Speedway praised
Last Saturday night I had the pleasure of a trip to Nowra with my nephews and their four children. I have been a speedway and motorsport supporter for more than 65 years and I urge you all to to take your kids and their kids for an exciting and memorable family outing.
The enthusiastic management and friendly staff will make for a night to remember.
We must thank the following people for making this such a wonderful outing: Terry, Denis, Graham, Sam and all the staff.
You exceeded my expectations by more than 300 per cent. Thanks.