LETTERS
Timely apology; show sympathy to refugees It was timely that the Prime Minister Scott Morrison, on our behalf, recognised the evils of the past and apologised to those who have suffered from abuse. They deserve it. Their suffering and living with the long lasting detrimental effects of their abuse has now been well documented. Their lives have been changed forever. There are still many children who remain on Nauru with their families. They are sick and in danger of deteriorating health. Families are separated. People rejected by United States are condemned, yet we are not told why they have been rejected. Five years of detention and under daily scrutiny with no end in sight. We know what long-term detention and institutional abuse can do to people. It is hypocritical of our politicians to continue to argue about these people’s lives. Our elected leaders are still not able to agree on where and how much “punishment” they mete out to this group of people knowing of the ongoing and long-term effects of abuse and lack of hope. It is time to bring all the refugees and asylum seekers here, and sort out the details here. We have detention centres here and our treatment of refugees is harsh, but there will be an outcome and a foreseeable future for the people. Off shore detention is no longer acceptable to the majority of Australian people, and should not be accepted by our politicians. Ann Renkin, Shoreham
Refugees have a choice Once again, we have letters in this column (“Our refugee obligations” and “Refugees blameless”
Letters 16/10/18) regarding “our refugee obligations” and being told that the Nauru “refugees are blameless” and should be brought to Australia immediately. I would like to remind both letter writers that we have one of the highest refugee intake rates in the world. Combined with the US and Canada, we take in 80 per cent of the world’s refugees. So why are some disgruntled people constantly trying to guilt us? Additionally, many Australians find individuals that pay people smugglers, that cross borders illegally, and who then try to use their children as bargaining chips in order to gain entry and residency, quite repulsive. No one likes a cheat and no one likes to see children used in such an abominable fashion. The people detained on Nauru have a choice of going back to their home nations but choose not to, that is their decision. But please, stop trying to make the rest of us feel guilty about this. We have great needs in our own communities with poverty and homelessness and many of our own children needing a hand up. The worst thing we can do is to open the borders again and have another 52,000 people roll up in 830 boats. We should continue to take in refugees, but on our terms, not theirs. Christine Fry, Blairgowrie
Independent plea With the amazing results in the recent Wentworth [NSW] by election, maybe if we could get a credible local independent candidate to take on Flinders MP [Health Minister] Greg Hunt, the
federal government could fall. I am positive there must be someone out there who could give the MP Flinders a run, if not win, and make it a marginal seat. I hope I am not dreaming for that Independent but, in my humble opinion, Flinders deserves better than what we have. Don’t forget Mr Hunt put his support at the recent leadership hassle behind none other than [Home Affairs Minister] Peter Dutton, who I believe will go down in history as one of the cruellest ministers ever. I believe in the not too distant future there will be a prime minister who will apologise to our refugees for the appalling cruelty that has been taking place on Nauru and Manus Island. One hopes that they will recover from the mental health issues that are evident from this cruelty. Denise Hassett, Mt Martha
Questionable claims I wonder did [AGL senior manager project engagement] Kelly Parkinson come up with the latest instalment of AGL propaganda all by himself, or does it come from a team of writers in the back rooms of AGL’S comedy department? (“Supply concerns drive gas import ‘urgency’” The News 24/10/18). His statement about the expert reports showing this venture is as benign as he wants us to believe, are very misleading at best. Nowhere in the reports is there any mention of the cumulative effect of constant addition of chlorinated and refrigerated water to Western Port. The only thing one can possibly assume is that the report is based on a on/off discharge of these huge quantities of chlorinated and refrigerated waters. His claims of a concern for the environment, by choosing the sea water regasification method over a method using some of the gas itself for regasification of the liquid gas are highly questionable, because this method would probably make the whole venture financially unviable. I’m also fairly sure most of the costumers who signed a MOU [memorandum of understanding] with AGL are probably electricity generators. For me, this is a plan for ever greater global
warming. In the light of the latest reports from the UN climate change body, we should stop burning fossil fuels as soon as possible. If AGL really was such a great champion of society it would not be advocating the burning of ever greater quantities of fossil fuels. And singing from the same song book as our climate change denying federal government about power prices is very disingenuous. Rupert Steiner, Balnarring Beach
All time levy Twenty something years ago then Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett activated a “levy” to show on our water bill each September for $50 to the benefit of parks and gardens. Twenty something years later this levy is still there and we, the owners of dwellings, are still paying it, only now it is $77.10. It shows in pale print on the back side of your account. May I ask you to do a sum: google how many dwellings there are in Victoria and multiplay the number by $77.10. It blows the mind, hey. Am I missing something here? I would think Parks Victoria should be self-sufficient, after all it has more land than anyone else in the state. What would it do with these billions of dollars every year? From a personal point of view, I was born in 1933, survive on a limited income and am astonished and bewildered that the Victorian government can give me a $78 concession on the front side of the bill and then take $77.10 away on the back (in pale print). I would be very interested to know readers’ opinions on this. Mine is highway robbery. Audrey Doueal, Rosebud.
Letters - 300 words maximum and including full name, address and contact number - can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@mpnews.com.au
100 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK...
Naval Base to be supplied with mains water Compiled by Brodie Cowburn ACCORDING to present calculations the naval base at Westernport will be supplied with water by the new year. While the main efforts of the Water Commission have been concentrated on providing the supply for the naval base, regard has been made for the needs of towns on the route of the service, and it has been found that the whole of the area as far as Mentone at least fall naturally within the scheme. It has now been agreed to extend the scheme northwards so as to include a supply to the whole of Mordialloc and Mentone. *** WE are compelled to hold over report of the Somerville Branch of the Australian Comforts Fund, and several other interesting items till our next issue. *** TONIGHT a concert for the Frankston Soldiers Repatriation Fund will be given in the Mechanics. There should be a bumper house for such a worthy movement, especially as the money raised will be expended in the district, and on our own boys. *** MR J. C. Murphy, who has seen three and a half years of active service at the front with our troops, has now purchased the dairy business of Mr T. Reeves, in Bay Street, Frankston, and solicits a continuance of the support accorded his predecessor. *** REV O. J. Boyle, Methodist Home Mission Deputation, will preach on Sunday next at Frankston, morning;
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Langwarrin, afternoon; and Somerville, evening. He will address a public meeting in the Frankston Methodist Church on Thursday evening next at 8p.m. *** THE president of the Frankston Progress Association acknowledge with thanks, the receipt of the following donations to Madden Memorial Fund. Amount previously acknowledged, £25 17s 6d; Dr Foreman (Sydney), £5 5s; Sir David Hennessy, £2 2s; Miss R. McAlister, £2 2s; Miss M. V. Primrose; £1 1s ; John Jolly esq. £1 1s; Mrs John Jolly, £1 1s ; Mrs Agnes Shidds, 10s ; Total, £38 19s 6d. Donations acknowledged only up to 25th Oct. 1918. Th President of the Frankston Progress Association has received a communication from Miss M. V. Primrose, organising secretary of the Australian Visiting Trained Nurses’ Association of which the late Sir John Madden was President. Miss Primrose anticipates being able to forward a donation of £1 1s for each of the members, by a later mail, for the Madden Memorial Fund. Miss Primrose also wishes and suggests that a public function to raise funds for the Memorial be inaugurated in Melbourne in which the Australian Trained Nurses Association would assist and take part. The suggestion will be brought before the next meeting of the Progress Association. *** 8th Presentation to Frankston Volunteers. On Thursday evening the Mechanics’ Hall was well filled, at
Southern Peninsula News 30 October 2018
the invitation of the local branch of the Red Cross Society, in order to bid farewell to a few more of our brave lads, who have now reached the age that renders them eligible for enlistment, and who were only too eager for that time to come. The chair was occupied by Cr Chas. Murray, President of the Shire, in the absence of Mr James Grice, who was unavoidably absent. A good musical programme was commenced by the singing of the National anthem, Miss O’Grady presiding at the piano, and also playing most of the accompaniments. The following programme was then gone through: Mr Payne, song and encore; Mrs Boyett, song; Miss E. Murray, song; Mrs Aitken, song and encore. The chairman then said that the most important part of the programme would now be proceeded with, viz. the presentation of medals to the lads who had enlisted in defence of their King and Country. He spoke of the deeds done by our Australian lads who had already gone, and felt sure that the lads that evening would emulate those deeds. These young men, as they come of age, were keeping up the traditions of Frankston, and if the other parts of the State had followed that example there would have been no need for compulsory enlistment. Dr Plowman said the presentation this evening to volunteers from Frankston was the eighth that had been made since the commencement of war. There had been 136 presentations
made and with the six to be made that evening, made up a total of 142 volunteers who had received presentations. In the first instance presentations of wristlet watches were made, but it was afterwards thought that medals would be more suitable and last longer as mementoes of the occasion. The chairman then made the first presentation to Private Allan Tivendale (formerly employed in the local post office) and accompanied the gift with a few words of cheer and encouragement and a wish for his safe return. Private Eric McComb, whose brother, Private Bert McComb had made the supreme sacrifice, and he was going to fill his place. Private Reg. Coxall, Private F. Johns, Privates Earps, and Private Evan Jones, were then given their medals by the chairman, who expressed great admiration at the action of the lads and a heartfelt wish for their safe e return. Private R L. Green, a returned man who his re-enlisted and gone to the front for the second time, and Privates Reginald and Robert Grierson, the two latter being present and are just about leaving for the front, will also receive medals at a later date, their names not having been given to the hon. sec. (Dr Plowman) in time for presentations to be made that evening. After the presentations, three hearty cheers were given and “ For they are jolly good follows” sang with enthusiasm. After Mr Payne and Mrs Aitken
had favored the company with songs and the Misses Murray with a duet, for which an encore was demanded. Cr Mason proposed a hearty vote of thanks to all those who had assisted in making the function the undoubted success it had been. Refreshments were then handed round, and the proceedings termnated in a dance, which was much enjoyed. *** OUR LETTER BOX. THE WATTLE CLUB. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—In your last week’s issue of the “Standard “ there appears an article, criticising the Wattle Club, in which you state that the Wattle Club absolutely refused to lend any of its furnishings, or to assist in any way, the welcome to two Anzacs. Now, Sir, I wish to say that that statement is absolutely inaccurate, as the president gave me full permission to use whatever I required of the club’s crockery, furnishings, etc. They even left the decorations up in the hall which had been in use the night previous. Trusting you will do justice to the Wattle Club by inserting this disclaimer.—Yours etc. ALICE McCOMB. We quite understand that the Wattle Club material was loaned to Mrs M’Comb personally, and also we have on reliable authority that it was refused the Welcome Home committee as a body. Why ?—ED. *** From the pages of the Mornington Standard, 2 November 1918