The sale/leasing of such lands abides an ALP pre-election commitment not to lease/dispose of income producing assets. Even so, the economic wisdom not to re-cycle the generation/distribution/retailing of its government owned energy network is ideological madness.

The Courier Mail’s political editor Steve Wardill, C-M Oct 6 2016, ticks the ALP’s decision as a win for pragmatic politics, despite the encumbrance of rank hypocrisy. This writer suspects that the Palaszczuk/Trad/Pitt troika is presenting for public consumption a thawing of a rigid ideological position with its eyes firmly locked onto a looming election.

This week, Premier Palaszczuk drew a line in the political sand, vowing to preference One Nation last on the ballot paper next election, taunting a Nicholls led LNP to do likewise. Earlier this year, the ALP in true jack boot Joh style, king hit democracy for six, when, colluding with a coalition of crossbenchers and the two Katter Party boys, ram-rodded through without public consultation, a compulsory voting (CPV) system/replacing the optional preferential voting (OPV) system.

With the resurgence of Hanson’s One Nation in regional Queensland, this unethical political tactic may yet bite the ALP on the proverbial. Except for some belated commentary from shadow Minister Mr Andrew Cripps, the supine performance/ineptitude of the LNP Opposition has been woeful.

Given Townsville’s high levels of juvenile crime/rampant violence and the inadequate responses to date emanating from our ‘offender friendly’ policy of the ALP government, this makes the Opposition’s consistent lack of shadow ministerial presence particularly galling.

The James Ashby/Hanson One Nation, buoyed up by its spectacular re-birth, continues to up the political ante. Chief honcho, driving “Ms Hanson” in quest of more political fortune is none other than one James Ashby, he of the Peter Slipper imbroglio, who finally has been cleared of any wrong doing after a lengthy AFP investigation.

Ashby has already raised this writer’s eyebrows via his public spat with One Nation’s successful Herbert candidate Geoff Virgo, who, it seems, has been publically pistol whipped through both the print /social media for an intemperate/clumsy comment at worse. For a party, bolted to a platform of free speech, Ashby’s public excoriation of their successful chosen One Nation candidate, continues to flummox me.

Queenslanders need a nimble/energised LNP opposition muscling up to a union/leftist ALP led government, constantly kowtowing to an agenda of Identity politics and Green measures.

If Mr  Tim Nicholls can’t/won’t prosecute the Opposition’s agenda robustly and hold this government to account – then get someone who will.

Peter J Smith, Rosslea.

                                                                                                                                              SALTY PLUMS THEFT

My advice would be to put a couple of dummy packs on the counter covered in salt or something else disgusting, tobasco sauce maybe. Let em steal them. Keep the rest behind the counter.

– Taiaho Wetea Faulkner, Facebook.

                                                                                                                                             I do understand their desperation. Poor little darlings. He should keep an open bag ready for them.

– Jill McKerchar Kinang, Facebook.

                                                                                                                                              Haven’t had salty plums since we lived in Mt Isa 30 plus years ago! – Geoff Dridan, Facebook.

                                                                                                                                             That’s brand loyalty for you. It’s like a scene from Mission Impossible.  – Martin Powley, Facebook.