SOMETHING IN THE WIND
THERE is something on the wind, a subtle but unmistakeable scent of change.
It's not spring, it's the perfume of panic.
For former PM Malcolm Turnbull it is from hubris to horror, with the realisation the situation has unravelled beyond his control. Have the scales fallen from his eyes?
Driven by the ego of the born-to-rule syndrome, he has ignored fundamental tenents of basic management, never mind governance of a nation.
The art of management is getting the job done with the involvement, consultation and cooperation of people. It's called leadership and if at some time you lose your way, stop, look and listen and read the map.
Turnbull never understood or practised these principles and probably was so driven by his arrogant ego he did not consult with his colleagues or the people for fear of appearing weak.
His memoirs should be called The Silver Tailed Goose That Lost Its Way.
- B. Johnstone, Victoria Point
SPOTLIGHT ON BUS SEAT
I HAVE requested a seat and shelter be installed at a bus stop on the corner of Finucane and Old Cleveland roads across from the Spotlight store.
There are a lot of elderly people in the area. Standing there in the beating sun and or pouring rain is not ideal when there are only rocks to sit on.
My family pays rates and taxes. I have been requesting this shelter for three years, only to be told each time I ask at Redland City Council offices that it's going to be done soon.
- G. Moloney, Alexandra Hills
STAYING VIGILANT
I WRITE to thank the good people of Redlands for helping to prevent the closure of the five palliative care beds at Redland Hospital.
The state government had planned to quietly move the beds away from the hospital under the guise of the statewide Palliative Care Review.
Labor’s shameful plan toward terminally ill Redlanders was uncovered and exposed and the government was pressured by the public outcry to announce a hold on the hospital cuts.
It is sad that Health Minister Steven Miles did not come clean.
Mr Miles has had ample opportunity to rule out cuts to palliative care beds both in the budget and, more recently, at Estimates Committee hearings.
At estimates he chose to duck and weave when questioned specifically about the hospital, answering only in terms of “a bayside node”.
While I welcome the apparent restoration of the beds, I await a written response to my representations. Disappointingly, all I have are tweets from the minister’s Twitter account.
We need to remain vigilant so these LNP government palliative care beds are not cut by Labor.
- M. Robinson, Oodgeroo MP
NO BULLDOZER
CONTRARY to The Courier-Mail report of August 18, MP Andrew Laming is no bulldozer in fun runs.
As a marshall at my local 5 kilometre Saturday parkrun I have closely watched Mr Laming on numerous occasions.
Always in the lead coming past the 3 kilometre mark and close to it at the finish, his speed is considerable.
Far from shoving stalled runners out of his way, I have observed him overtaking adults, kids, strollers and dogs on leads.
Stumbling into a participant who has come to an unexpected halt (and should have moved off the track temporarily) can easily be mistaken for pushing the person out of the way. I have never witnessed such behaviour in Mr Laming.
- V. Le Plastrier, Macleay Island
WORKERS UNDERPAID
CHILD care workers are arguably the most underpaid people in the workforce.
My wife has worked for more than 30 years in child care. She is paid $26.75 per hour. Full time child care staff work 7.5 hours of contact time daily. Lunch breaks are unpaid.
They are required to pay costs of things like blue card, first aid and even in some centres uniforms.
I was a teacher and principal for 43 years. If a teacher arrives at school at 8am and went home at 4pm (few teachers exceed these hours) they enjoy a less stressful day. Contact time for most teachers is five hours and 10 minutes a day plus maybe 40 minutes playground duty, weekly.
Extra curricular activities usually occur between 3pm and 4pm and only some teachers are involved.
Few teachers have to toilet and/or change nappies, put up and dismantle playground equipment and supervise meals. My wife and all her colleagues deserve better.
- L. Schwager, Cleveland
NO NEED FOR CCTV
I AM a resident of Wellington Point who goes for a daily walk near sunset at the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve and jetty area here.
I have heard bad language used by young people there although I hear such words used more often on the 254 bus by school children.
I am aware hooning occurs because I have seen vehicles zooming up the hill from the park and I sometimes hear the squealing of tyres. I have not seen “drug deals, fires lit on walkway, signs broken and rubbish left on the jetty” as reported.
It is not in the interests of those who live at Wellington Point, and the council who have provided a great parkland, to emphasise that this suburb is of low standard behaviour and needing CCTV.
- A. Sutherland, Wellington Point
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