DV STATS
Dear editor,
Australia, we have a problem! Two weeks ago, I wrote about the number of women murdered, mostly violently by a partner, spouse or someone they knew. The tally then was 74, today as I write, it now stands at 83.
It is a national tragedy, a disgrace, that nine women have lost their lives in such a short time.
How come a relatively wealthy and peaceful nation such as ours has such a devastating and tragic record?
My previous letter mentioned the Red Heart Campaign which will put the spotlight on gender-based violence. The campaign runs from Saturday 23rd November to 10th December and will emphasise that women have the right to live in a safe environment.
83 lives lost so far this year, as a country, we need to be better than this.
Robyn Deane,
Nambour.
COOLUM TERRACE PATH
Dear editor,
The western side of Coolum Terrace, one of Coolum’s two original streets, is un-walkable in places that are impacted by vegetation obstructions and severe side slope. At these places, people have to walk onto the roadway between parked cars and passing traffic.
This situation combined with the increasing traffic presents an unacceptable risk. The western side verge of the terrace needs to be made walkable.
While the eastern side of Coolum Terrace has a concrete footpath, this footpath is not accessible to pedestrians for 300m on the western side of the Terrace where it is split level.
Coolum is promoted by various stakeholders as a holiday place attracting large numbers of families and tourists generally. Residents deserve to see a reasonable share of council revenue directed towards improving pedestrian safety.
As a property owner on Coolum Terrace, who is affected, I would welcome consultation from council on options to improve the walkability of the verge to a width of say 1.5 metres.
I feel that the Sunshine Coast Regional Council has not recognised the increasing safety risk and a willingness to address the issue. Residents and holiday makers deserve the basic amenity of a safe walkable verge.
Michael Caffery,
Coolum Beach.
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LEADERSHIP
Dear editor,
Leading up to the federal election we will see a gaggle of politicians purporting to be statesmen. Fortunately, a true statesman, Sir Winston Churchill, has left a legacy of barbed quotes to sort out the pretenders.
On foreign policy he says, “A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on, and diplomacy is the art of telling people to go to hell in such a way that they ask for directions.”
Tax policy is likely to grab our attention, and it is here where Churchill reminds us of an essential truth, “There is nothing government can give you that it hasn’t taken in the first place.”
Churchill was a highly focused statesman in desperate times who readily admitted to mistakes and setbacks along the way. He said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
During the darkest hours, Churchill was forthright in believing as a statesman that, “Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”
He was zealous in leading his people out of the tough times despite sniping critics, stating ,“You will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks.”
Now we’re over the American sideshow, let’s see how our own breed of politicians stand up to Churchill’s tests of statesmanship.
Garry Reynolds,
Peregian Springs.
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FEDERAL POLITICS
Dear editor,
With our 2025 federal election imminent, our current politicians should be taking note of the surprising results of the recent U.S. election. It has lessons to be learnt for our own Canberra public servants, who live in a bubble of their own sense of importance and their own self-interests, flying on public money, with generous renumeration for life.
Without listening to the heartbeat of the Australian public, without sensing the public’s disaffection and discontent with the federal status quo, even though Australia has compulsory voting, unlike the U.S, they will suffer the same fate as the Democratic Party in the U.S, should they remain stoic about their success and their own agendas for our future.
Regardless of what Federal Labor insists should be the focus going forward in 2025, the public has a different perspective on priorities, based on present pain and personal experiences. Those on the ground know the question to be asked is: “Are you better off today than you were 4 years ago?” This was Republican President Reagan’s motto which put him in power in the 80’s. This is the same motto put forward, putting Trump in a winning position for 2025.
So U.S voters got to answer the question at the ballot box. Be careful what you wish for. Ignorance is not bliss in this case. Learn the lesson from the Harris campaign. Politicians should seriously sense the vibes of their communities, with open communication with their constituents. Good listening skills and genuine regard for the general public concerns should be an active part of representation. That’s a winning formula.
E. Rowe,
Marcoola.
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NDIS AWARENESS
Dear editor,
To all users of NDIS please be warned! Make sure you receive, and check copies of invoices claimed from NDIS by your service provider.
Our son’s NDIS package for Supported Independent Living (SIL) from a local Sunshine Coast SIL provider ran out two months early in 2023, it was rolled over, but the funds continued running down quickly.
After several demands for copies of invoices we finally received some of those requested and found, on checking, that our provider had been adding “non face to face” charges fraudulently. These charges are illegal without proper consultation and agreement with the participant and/or their nominees and have amounted to tens of thousands of dollars in our case. We also found the provider had been charging for empty shifts and overcharging for other items.
This is the kind of behaviour that is putting NDIS at risk and upsetting users and taxpayers alike. Report to NDIS or ACCC as soon as possible if you notice anything suspicious.
Name supplied,
Mount Coolum.
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SLOGANS
Dear editor,
Is a slogan a policy? Did it only take one slogan to change to………… an Oligarchy or a Kakocracy? Just asking for more details.
Margaret Wilkie,
Peregian Beach.