Letters to the editor

Labor Principles

Dear editor,

Australia is a Labor country. It was founded by a Labor Prime Minister. Its ethos is Labor. The people who drive the country’s character and frame its identity, are Labor people.

Egalitarianism - that idea was formed through Labor solidarity and before that by even bigger intellectual giants - those that viewed the law as an instrument by which human dignity was given real currency (as opposed to the feudal based laws that came before).

Also, egalitarianism allows for the human to be immersed fully in the natural world rather than be its dominator or conqueror. How the globalist neoliberalism became a force (even a rump one) in Australia will never cease to astound me! Individualism, the rule of private wealth and a catastrophic disdain for nature do not belong in Australia.

And the likes of some commentators here, well, they do not even understand modern money theory!! Though this will not stop them using it as tool to espouse neoliberalism! Sounds like the work of a troll to me.

Dylan White, Coolum Beach.

Cost Of Living

Dear editor,

A local Sunshine Coast farmer, working in a field where he grew watermelons, selling what he could on the footpath above the field on his roadside stall, spoke of how he watched a man pull up at the stall, loaded his station wagon with all the stall melons and drive away without paying. They were clearly priced at a reasonable $2 each. He shared his grief and disappointment with me. I felt the frustration and pain of this hard-working farmer, who has again been exploited by, not only the big supermarkets, but by local people with a sense of entitlement. This is the society we live in, where the rich get richer, the man on the land fights to get a fair go, with those with a sense of entitlement over other people’s money and assets simply taking them without conscience. It’s theft. It reflects upon our national character.

It was quite a while ago, maybe a decade, but today the scenario is repeated in many areas of our lives in similar ways. The cost of living is in crisis, with greed rampant. With car theft and violent teens on the loose, crime and drugs a thriving business, home invasions and personal assaults with weapons more the norm, identity theft and scams, fare evasion for a free ride, we are desensitised to the news we watch daily. Simply put, those who have not, help themselves to what they want, without a compassionate thought for their victims.

Big supermarkets manipulating farmers stretched to make a living for a minimal return, with looming rising costs, big banks making $billions in profit from loans and mortgages, rising rents in a demanding market, government departments regu- larly failing their constituents, with rising registration and licence costs impacting a captive demographic, sales and GST taxes, more expensive government services, rates and charges, insurance companies calling the tune, all complicit, contributing to crushing the little guys: “to get blood out of a stone”.

This farmer’s devastation is an indictment upon a society where it is, “dog eat dog”. What has happened to Australia’s former commitment to “helping your mates”, giving them a hand in a crisis? What does this say about our once admired Australian character, into the third millennium?

E. Rowe, Marcoola.

Dementia Week

Dear editor,

With around two-thirds of people with dementia living in the community this Dementia Action Week (16-22 September) we are calling on all Australians to take action to make their communities more welcoming and accessible for people living with dementia.

More than 421,000 Australians are currently living with dementia, but this number is expected to increase to more than 812,500 by 2054.

A lack of knowledge and understanding of dementia can lead to people living with dementia feeling excluded and experiencing discrimination.

People living with dementia tell us they want to belong - they want to be part of their community and to feel valued.

That’s why this year’s theme for Dementia Action Week

- 16-22 September - is ‘Act Now for a Dementia-Friendly Future’.

All people impacted by dementia deserve to be supported and welcomed in their communities, no matter where they live.

So please, find out how you can influence change in your community to create a more dementia-friendly future at dementia.org.au.

Merran Kelsall AO, Chair Dementia Australia.

Ev Car Pitfalls

Dear editor,

Buying a car is a big decision for any household. With rapidly changing technology, the choice is harder with companies and governments often doing their own thing.

Australians thinking of buying a battery electric vehicle (EV) are drowning in information and opinion.

Attractive as they are on running costs and environmental impact, we can’t presume EVs will displace fossil fuel vehicles any time soon. They are not financially accessible to most households and don’t offer radically better transport services. They drive on the same congested roads with the same speed limits as our fossil fuel fleet.

It’s a chicken-and-egg situation. Consumers and vehicle makers won’t switch unless they are confident the required refuelling facilities will be available. But those infrastructures won’t eventuate without sufficient demand.

A dual complication and opportunity is arising. Repurposing service stations to supply clean fuels could convince consumers and vehicle manufacturers to make the switch away from fossil fuels.

This is not pie-in-the-sky stuff as the US, EU, and Japan are promoting hydrogen fuel cell vehicles as are Toyota and BMW.

Complicating the consumer’s options, petrol companies are looking at the production of clean synthetic liquid fuels to be dispensed from their service station networks. This could open the door to converting our existing vehicles to run on clean fuels.

Our consumer dilemma is revealed with the slowing take up of electric vehicles as more motorists turn to hybrid cars.

Big car manufacturers such as Ford are cutting back plans for electric vehicles as consumers increasingly opt for hybrid cars. However, the production of electric vehicles in China is ramping up and flooding the Australian market with a dizzying array of brands and models.

We need an injection of collaborative industry and bipartisan political leadership to help us see through the smog to make our choice of vehicle

Garry Reynolds, Peregian Springs.

MIGRANT WORK?

Dear editor, When immigration numbers are cut, who will staff hospitals/aged/medical/childcare or work as support /farm workers, carers, cleaners, kitchen staff, labourers, etc? Just asking for more details.

Margaret Wilkie, Peregian Beach.

No To High Rise

Dear editor, My husband and I recently moved to the area and are relieved to hear the high rises have not been approved.

I understand that housing is required, however, do not believe it is beneficial to locals to have the development as a gated community. It is only fair for locals to be able to access facilities and parks developed, as they will be able to access everything else on offer here.

Name supplied.

Comments expressed in the letters to the editor are not the opinions or thoughts of the Advertiser and are solely the opinion of the stated letter writer.

All letters to the editor must contain a residential address and be clearly written. Only a suburb will be published and a name.