Show some loyalty Labor
The Illawarra has shown absolute loyalty to the ALP over the decades. It’s now time for the Labor Party to reciprocate that loyalty. The Shellharbour Hospital public meeting unanimously passed a resolution, moved by former Shellharbour Mayor and Labor MP Bob Harrison, calling on the NSW Labor leader Luke Foley to publically declare that an incoming Labor government would take back possession of the privatised hospital by any legal means possible at no more than the original purchase cost.
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A declaration such as this would make the hospital sell off a dicey deal for any prospective purchaser and what bank would risk financing such a poisonous purchase?
Mr Foley, its time to repay the Illawarra's Labor loyalties - make the declaration to a press conference at the front gates of the hospital now!
Mick Atkin, Blackbutt
West ignores the lessons
The current acts of terrorism come as a consequence of Western Nation’s interfering in Middle Eastern and Asian affairs.
For example, what began as an ill-considered and illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003; created fertile ground for radical terrorism to thrive. The fanatics were provided with a cause to pursue, hence the insane actions in opposition to what they allege is another Christian Crusade against Islam.
The first Crusade, which occurred back in Medieval days; was sanctioned by the Church of Rome. This second millennium Crusade; had former US vice president, Dick Cheney’s Halliburton Corporation “backing it in”.
Ten years following the invasion of Iraq by “The Coalition of the Willing”; Halliburton had made a profit of US$B39.5 out of the war.
George W Bush, Dick Cheney and John Howard, ignored the lessons of history about failed Asian invasions as far back as Alexander the Great 4000 years ago when; at the barbecue at Bush’s Crawford Ranch in Texas they committed to invade Iraq based entirely upon lies Iraq possessed WMD’s.
Sadly, the evil genie of prospective terrorism they collectively released that day; will be difficult, if not impossible to put back into its bottle.
Barry Swan, Balgownie
Pollies having tea parties
Conservative government ideological values have been modified to embrace the business standards of Tea Party Politics.
For instance in NSW we are paying $534.246 per day to keep the Sydney Desalination Plant in mothballs.
The reason: conditions formalised in the 50 year ownership lease between the NSW government and leaseholders.
What are the owner’s obligations: nothing as far as I can see. Maintenance is carried out by the builders of the plant, Veolia Water (Australia) Pty Ltd.
Another nice little arrangement, every time the government needs to start up the plant and pump water from the site there is a “start up” fee of $5.5 million dollars.
The S D P had its roof ripped off in 2015. As a result the plant remained “out of service” until February 2016 (no actual operation-just water testing).
To compensate Sydney households are paying an extra $100 a year on water bills for the purpose of a $388 million gift to the owners by the government as reparation.
Why is this so? The plant is privately owned and covered by insurance? Conservative Tea Party Politics. After approximately a year and half of operation the $1.1 billion Sydney Desalination Plant, the second largest in the world, by the way, was flogged off on a 50 year lease to an investment company and a Canadian superannuation fund for $2.3 billion.
When the lease expires in 2062, relative to daily income figures, if consistent, the consortium will have received $9.75 billion in taxpayer funding and it assumed millions of dollars more in operating costs.
John Macleod, Berry
