Just a talkfest
Forget about a projected republican talkfest orchestrated by the PM there are more pressing and important issues to tackle.
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For one, a monumental fiscal blowout, started by Labor and now fanned by the Coalition, which requires undivided government energy, verve and drive to address. A mooted republican talkfest is nothing more than a political 'smokescreen' designed to disguise government's more critical and tougher areas of policy priorities. On this one the PM's judgement is again considered to be flawed and he is squibbing it.
D J Preece, Balgownie
Successful despised
Response to the letter by John Macleod, "GROWTH CONFINED" Mercury, March 30. I have little time for Malcolm Turnbull, but is it his fault he was born to parents with money? Reading between the lines Mr Macleod's comments would seem he wants Australia to become another Greece where most citizens are on welfare, no business activity, low employment and their government borrowing money to maintain a lazy welfare state. Is that really what we want?
Mr Macleod is consumed with hatred for people with money, and like most extreme socialist who write to this paper despise people who are successful in business and work hard.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
Any lawyers out there?
In your article, page 3, Mr David Joss from Southernphone resorts to some fanciful defence claiming only recently did the overwhelming load on incoming calls arrive. Wrong. Even before calls of mine went unanswered or wait and wait and wait clocking $$$$ of more ill deserved revenue.
Run by the skin of the pants. More like run by junior staff worked to the bone all on the el chepo. How else can Mr Manager claim a six figure income. And then, fact is this venture from Testra to NBN has been ill conceived, poorly executed in the extreme right from the outset and only keeps getting worse and worse and worse.
Mr Joss crying crocodile tears for the long suffering consumers and promising at least two more weeks of no Internet, no land line is the final insult to the intelligence. Where are the local Pollies, Mr Jones for one, are you listening? Or will nothing short of consumer class action bring this merry going profit drunk lot to their senses? Any Lawyers out here please look into this shemozzle.
Joseph Tomasevic, Lake Heights
Advisors in spotlight
Whenever a Government initiative or a major project is found wanting, the member of Parliament who is the Minister of whatever Government portfolio is sacked and another member of Parliament is made head of that portfolio. The bureaucrats who advised the original Minister are still left in place with their tasks to advise the new Minister on any matter. When a Government Minister of the Crown announces any project or changes to legislation, that announcement should be preceded by, "on the advise of Joe Blow or Mary Brown who head the Department of Wisdom or whatever, I announce this new initiative by this Government". There may be a revolving door of politicians in various portfolios however the advisors to those politicians get off scot free.
Elected members of Parliament may have absolutely no experience in the portfolio that they are Heads of. As an example I remember in the 1950's when the Menzies Government appointed Billy McMahon as Minister for Agriculture. Labor Party wag Fred Daly who possessed a great sense of humour made the wise crack that Billy McMahon who lives at Potts Point/Kings Cross and possesses a budgerigar has been made Minister for Agriculture due to the depth of his understanding of animal husbandry.
If any Government project turns out to be a "lemon" then the persons who advised the relevant Minister should be sacked and replaced with a more competent advisor.
Karlis Matuzelis, Bulli