A POOR EXCUSE
In reply to the letter by Member for Whitlam, Stephen Jones, (Developing the region, not playing politics, Illawarra Mercury, Thursday, December 1, 2016), well, lets open the strawberries and pop the champagne corks Mr Jones, because the Maldon-Dombarton rail link has been a political football for at least five decades and your correspondence proves it.
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In his second paragraph Mr Jones states "It was the Wran Labor Government that commenced the project that was subsequently cancelled by the Greiner Liberal government".
Yet, the Unworth and Carr Labor governments failed to continue the project. Why?
In his third paragraph Mr Jones states "It was the Rudd Government that commissioned the feasibility study to recommence the project, it was the Gillard government that put $25.5 million in 2011 to get the engineering and design work done and it was the Rudd Government that budgeted $50 million for the project in 2013 which was subsequently canned by the Abbott Government".
However, may I ask where was the Hawke and Keating Labor governments who were in office for a combined 13 years. Labor could have completed the project, but would not.
The Liberals know that doing anything for this region means nothing politically, because this region is a stronghold for socialist-left elites. This is true, but a poor excuse for not investing in the region.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
BROADBAND BUNGLE
An interesting article in the Illawarra Mercury (November 26, 2016) reporting the PM Turnbull smarting at the compensation to the Federal Government by IBM for the census bungle.
It is a pity he was not as concerned for the thousands of vulnerable people who rely on their emergency medical/alert systems that won’t work in the event of a power failure due to the watered down NBN installations that does not include a backup battery.
The original NBN connections with "fibre to the home" included a backup battery.
The watered down alternative now being installed, of "fibre to the node " and using existing wiring to the home, does not include a backup battery hence the phone and by default the medical alert systems do not work. Most medical alert systems are fitted with a backup battery provision.
When contact was made with the Minister for Communications (who returned an automatic reply of receipt of the email and no other response) and the NBN Co. complaints department whose response was that the providers of these alert systems must move with technology.
Yes, the providers of the medical alert systems have an alternative device that operates on the 3G and 4G mobile networks but at a cost of $400 plus.
Why should these pensioners (in most cases) replace their perfectly functioning units because of the government decides to provide a watered down version of the original NBN system as a cost saving exercise.
A person who relies on the medical alert units was informed by the NBN complaints department that power backup units were available from electronic stores obviously at their own expense. Just goes to show the vulnerable and aged are a burden on this Federal Government.
Robert King, Koonawarra
PRIVATISING AUNTY
The ABC’s Michelle Guthrie has hired Jim Rudder, a veteran consultant to Rupert Murdoch’s global pay-TV company, Sky, to help restructure the ABC. A former product executive at Foxtel in Sydney, Rudder has spent most of his career working for Sky.
He also spent a year as news director for Channel Nine in 2003. This the second Murdoch executive Guthrie has coaxed to the ABC. Is the start of privatisation and the end for Aunty?
John Macleod, Berry
