Scrap toll roads plan
The Turnbull Government’s plan for toll roads in North Queensland needs to be scrapped.
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More than 2 years after being announced, the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility still hasn’t spent a cent in Queensland.
It has been an abject failure of this Government to not be able to get a single project off the ground in that time.
And today we learn that they plan to introduce toll roads in Northern Queensland as a way of finally getting a new road project up.
North Queensland won’t stand for it and we call on the Prime Minister to rule out the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) and Senator Canavan’s proposal to bring toll roads to North Queensland.
This government is sitting in neutral while North Queensland is crying out for jobs and investment.
Yet all we get is a sneaky plan to toll motorists and ignore North Queensland yet again.
This sneaky plan to slug North Queenslanders with tolls comes on top of Malcolm Turnbull's tax cuts for millionaires.
Just this month Malcolm Turnbull gave a tax cut to millionaires while thousands of North Queenslanders had their pay cut.
The former Federal Labor Government invested a record $5.5 billion in the road infrastructure of Northern Australia. That was real money for real projects that are now making a real difference.
Malcolm Turnbull wants to make you pay to build these roads, and pay to use them - It's another out of touch move from this elitist Prime Minister.
Anthony Chisholm
Labor Senator for Queensland
Not jumped up, not pompous
I would like to respond to the recent letter by George Harley (Star, June 24) re comments about North West Star editor Derek Barry.
In 22 years I have lived and worked in the community I have seen many journalists come and go in print and radio media and had personal contact with them.
Journalism is not a popular career, and many are deserving of criticism for their unbalance and sensational reporting.
I have had the pleasure of meeting Derek Barry and Chris Burns in many communications and done press releases.
Many have been sensitive and required unbiased and not sensational journalism just to sell a paper.
I can assure the community both Derek and Chris are extremely professional, through investigative reporting and research and have always been edicated, and always presented the truth.
They have also been very respectful and considerate of the issues at hand which is greatly appreciated
Mount Isa is very fortunate to have such high calibre journalists with a real commitment to our community and are certainly among the best journalists Mount Isa has had in my time.
Of course there are times we all have different opinions that’s a democracy.
Well done Derek and Chris keep up your great work and commitment to our Mount Isa community.
Gary Osman
Mount Isa
Red Tape
When some right wing politician tells you that we need to get rid of "red tape" to promote "Jobs and Growth" remind them that red tape could have and should have saved the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Some simple, affordable and effective "red tape" steps could have been taken.
Cheap cladding, no alarms, no sprinklers, what could possibly go wrong?
I won't waste my time on that dullard Katter, but perhaps his replacement might have more insight into simple logic, basic science and human decency.
Not holding my breath.
George Harley, Mount Isa