JO JUSTO THANKS
Dear editor,
Dear Ninderry, thank you for having me in your lives over the last seven months since I was announced as the ALP candidate. As a local I thought I knew lots of people – being a candidate ensures you meet so many more! I have had such an amazing opportunity given to me by my local Branch and I have relished every moment. I have completed my farewell roadside waves, and I hope I can go back to shopping in my gardening shorts!
What I know has changed and I am now aware of the difficulties many of you face in your day to day lives, the tough experiences, and the grand experiences many of you have had. I look forward to maintaining contact and activities.
We have been promised a lot and I for one will be keeping a close eye on those commitments.
This is such a humbling and special opportunity that is very hard to describe. All I can say is thank you to everyone who has supported me, our Premier Steven Miles and all of the good, solid progressive things we put on the table for the future of this area.
I will see you around and again, thank you.
Jo Justo,
Maroochy River.
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NUCLEAR POWER
Dear editor,
Our local member, Ted O’Brien, has been claiming nuclear power would reduce power prices, pointing to the fact that the reactor being built in Finland has finally come online and brought local prices down. I checked and he is half right. The A$20 billion project brought the spot price of electricity in Finland down to about A$100 per Megawatt-hour.
The equivalent price in Australia is $36 – about one-third of that in Finland. Nuclear in Finland is not cheap, just less expensive than power from Russian gas.
We should also recognise that building nuclear power stations would require us to manage the resulting radioactive waste. Ten years ago, the South Australia Royal Commission estimated that it would cost $41 billion to build a secure storage facility and nearly $900 million a year to operate it. The Coalition’s proposal would replace the cleanest and cheapest sources of electricity – solar and wind with storage – with the dirtiest and most expensive. They propose spending an undisclosed amount of public money – somewhere north of $100 billion – to provide less than 10 per cent of our power. The proposal is just a smokescreen to justify continuing to burn coal, when accelerating climate change demands a rapid transition to clean energy.
Ian Lowe,
Marcoola
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BUDGET BLUES
Dear editor,
I was intrigued to see during a cost-of-living crisis, Australians spending $450 million on celebrating Halloween. Maybe it is worth it for people wanting to escape the daily reality of their battle with the bills. But this battle is not new.
I was reminded of my own battles raising a family with my wife and four young children on a classroom teacher’s salary when I unearthed my 1992 weekly budget book.
I copied my parents and grandparents who had to watch their pennies through the Great Depression and WW2.
After the war, they faced a shortage of housing and the continuance of rationing plus a ‘Populate or Perish’ immigration scheme attracting boatloads of migrants from war-torn Europe also struggling with inflation.
In the 1990s, I adapted to cost-of-living pressures by moving to the country to teach and we raised a family in a vacant farm worker’s cottage. Instead of paying rent, I painted the houses from tins supplied by the landlord.
I also took up history writing and sold my books door-to-door and farm-to-farm at night.
During a heavy snowfall, I even had to get a farmer out of bed to fetch his tractor to rescue my bogged vehicle.
In the Great Depression, movie-going rocketed as people sought to escape economic pressures far greater than today and with fewer safety nets. Now, there are thriving businesses offering an alternative in virtual reality escape rooms and others supplying a booming Halloween market, no matter the cost!
Garry Reynolds,
Peregian Springs.
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SENATOR THORPE
Dear editor,
With her taxpayer-funded $250 000 annual Federal Senators’ salary and politicians’ entitlements at stake, Lidia Thorpe’s outburst was witnessed globally, her disrespect for our visiting monarchs. After the dust settled, Ms Thorpe gave a half-hearted excuse when it, “hit the fan”! She faked remorse with a quick backstep, explaining her outburst, cognizant other conservative politicians are calling for her dismissal.
Not only does she disgrace our parliament, this recalcitrant demonstrated a lack of sincerity of her original oath of allegiance pledge at inauguration, which is a privilege. Her audacious attack on King Charles as our regal representative, stunned the whole parliament. It brought our nation, our system of Government and our loyal pledge to the Crown, which all parliamentarians take, into disrepute.
Her explanation that she did not misrepresent herself originally, simply misreading “heirs” as “hairs”, was a result of her poor literacy levels, not “grammar”, as she claimed. It appeared to be deliberate, which she denies. Money is a great motivator. She bears a historical grudge towards our colonial past, failing to demonstrate genuine remorse for her choice of poor political etiquette before the nation and her peers; but literally: “Biting the hand that feeds her”!
Misrepresenting her constituents in Federal Government as their elected senator, she is paid significantly more than loyal Australians, including immigrants who take the oath of allegiance to our Constitution, taxpayers and public servants who respect government protocol, our flag and our history, besmirching her own reputation. Knowing the economic pressure on everyday Australians who witnessed this disgraceful fiasco, perhaps the $250 000 could be better invested in our society!
E. Rowe,
Marcooola.
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RED HEART CAMPAIGN
Dear editor,
At time of writing, the Red Heart Campaign has listed 74 women in Australia who have been killed violently by a partner, spouse or someone they knew.
We need to change our nation’s culture that gives perpetrators the belief that they have the right to take someone’s life for whatever perverted reason.
Starting on Monday 23rd November to 10th December the Red Heart Campaign will be organising sixteen days of activism against gender-based violence. Women have the right to live in a safe environment.
The scourge of domestic violence was once not something to be discussed in polite company. It is no longer in the shadows, and we all need to speak up when we know of it and protect the lives of vulnerable women, and often their children, so they no longer suffer in silence.
74 lives lost in ten months, as a country, we should be better than this.
Robyn Deane,
Nambour.
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SALVATION ARMY
Dear editor,
We have heard time and time again people tell their children, “Never walk past The Salvos without giving a donation, because they helped us (or your grandparents) during the war.”
It is a sentiment that has been around for generations and still exists today. A long legacy that The Salvation Army has had during devastating times of war and conflict, where they have provided a safe space of rest and support.
This year marks the 125-year anniversary of The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Defence Services (RSDS) supporting those during these difficult times. And on behalf of The Salvos, it has been an honour to have served defence members, shoulder to shoulder, during times of war over the past 125 years.
We cast our minds back to the second Boer War in November 1899, when Salvation Army founder William Booth said, “Investigate what can be done for our soldiers in the field of battle.” Since then, The Salvos have been looking to find ways to support Australia’s service men and women wherever they find themselves.
Indeed, there hasn’t been a major conflict or peace-keeping effort since the Boer War where The Salvos haven’t been there to bring support and hope. From the two World Wars to conflicts in Malaya, Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Somalia, East Timor, the Middle East, and more, The Salvos have been there.
During major conflicts, the RSDS, affectionately known as the Sallyman or Sallyma’an, were on the ground with soldiers to provide a warm drink or refreshments, a bite to eat, and most importantly a place to have a chat in a safe space.
The Salvos are proud of the strong bond we have created with our service men and women across the nation, and around the world. In these times of devastating violence, hardship and injustice, The Salvos look to bring a glimmer of hope and support to those who really need it.
We continue this important work to this day. In Darwin, Townsville, Brisbane, Singleton, Holsworthy, Canberra and Adelaide, we serve those who serve and will continue to do so into the future. It is a privilege to do so.
Major Brett Gallagher,
Chief Commissioner
The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Defence Services.
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