Labor's crime approach fails farmers
Last week, the Labor Palaszczuk Government had the opportunity to step up to the plate and protect Queensland farmers from deliberate and malicious actions by animal extremists.
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They failed and failed miserably.
Since January, the Liberal National Party has been asking the Labor government to establish a taskforce and beef up our trespass laws and I am glad we have finally seen some movement.
But a taskforce with no teeth just won't cut it.
This is another case of Annastacia Palaszczuk being soft on crime and out of touch.
While Labor is still cobbling together a plan, animal activists are terrorising law-abiding family businesses who put food on our table and create local jobs in our regions.
These extremists have shown time and time again that they are more than happy to cop a slap on the wrist and have their fines paid, without the threat of any real punishment.
If these animal extremists really want to do the crime, they should be ready to do the time.
In New South Wales and Victoria, we saw dozens of arrests in response to similar actions, but in Queensland all we've seen is three sacrificial lambs.
It's time to make an example of these outlaws.
We need to show that in Queensland we are serious about protecting our farmers and maintaining strict biosecurity controls.
It's time to throw these un-Australian extremists who break the law in prison.
Tony Perrett MP
Shadow Agriculture Minister
Tell me why aren't we happy?
Scott Morrison goes on and on about how good the economy is, and how he has budgeted for a surplus.
He sounds like someone who took six years to pay off his credit card but didn't touch his mortgage in that time -- so the mortgage got bigger.
He forgets that an economy is supposed to be a mechanism for enabling all of its inhabitants to live well.
For example: in these days of budget surplus, house prices have actually gone down in Sydney and Melbourne by a few thousand here or there.
So how much easier is it for everyone right around the country to buy a house now?
Next question.
Is petrol easier to pay for?
Are medical expenses no longer a worry?
Can we put more food on the table?
Or do we instead eat only lotuses in Scott's economic nirvana?
Nirvana is a state of nothingness, where all is calm, still and relaxed.
There is no movement of any kind, no tension, certainly no excitement or even pleasure.
The savers and lenders of Australia know what that's like.
They provide the money which others borrow, but they can only stare like stunned mullets at the almost non-existent interest which they get on their hard-earned savings.
There's no fair go for those who had a go for so long.
Deep inside, Morrison himself must be longing for the days when Liberal Treasurer John Howard gave us interest rates of more than 20%.
Back then, the money which those rates brought in did allow at least some people to buy houses, pay mortgages, put petrol in the car and eat better.
As well as pay off the credit card.
Grant Agnew,
Coopers Plains
Responsibility for election comment in this issue is taken by North West Star editor, Derek Barry, 112 Camooweal St, Mount Isa Qld
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
