First of all I will say that I am an LNP supporter but saying that I am sorry to say that I do not share Malcolm Turnbull’s feelings. I find nothing to be excited about. Maybe if Pollies got more than ten kilometres away from the big smoke they would see a world of hurt. To say there has never been a more exciting time to be an Australian, Mal, well I can remember a few years back when every contractor and business in Queensland were flat out keeping up with the work. That was very exciting. Now small businesses and contractors are going to the wall in unprecedented numbers. The whole of Australia needs a big shake up.
It is sad to say that a few radicals in parliament can stop the elected pollies from doing their job, improving Australia for all. Another big problem is that the pollies seem to be there for them and not for us. The way they carry on at the House of Parliament is disgusting, if they were in a ringer’s camp they would be knocked over and told to wake up to themselves. If Malcolm thinks it is so exciting, try to get your telecommunications supplier on the phone, let alone getting a job done. I have always believed that if a business cannot get the little things right you have no chance of getting the big ones right.
I live about one-and-a-half hours away from Bowen, that is in North Queensland and I can’t get my Country Life in the mail until midway through the next week. I wonder what would happen if the Financial Review in the big smoke was like that. We have no suitable internet; it is so slow you might as well send a letter by snail mail, very exciting.
On another subject, about our bringing in refugees. I have no problem with bringing these people to Australia but when you see ads on TV about giving our homeless a street swag, well I have to wonder if that’s what refugees get. I think not. And if we bring more people to Australia, what about the lack of water. We must have forgotten a few years back, the whole of the east coast was running short. But try building a new dam and out come the rat bags. But they are the same ones to think we should open the gates and let everybody in. I think every major dam that we have now and all new dams should be linked with a pipeline. So if one is running short they could be subsidised from elsewhere. On most properties you have a backup plan for your water points, but in Australia we have none.
If we are going to grow Australia, we have to get off our backsides and start. Red tape and green tape is killing us. We are way over governed. In most projects it costs more for feasibility studies and such than it does to build. We have a Federal government saying we want to develop the North, and we have a State government saying no to everything. Just try getting a permit to build any infrastructure in Queensland. I think we should get rid of State government and just deal with Federal and Local. Maybe then we will all be on the same page.
As for all this technology and innovation we hear about, well that is fine for some, but what about us old blokes that don’t understand it. Are we just put aside and sent to the knackery like some old faithful work horse that’s served his master for years. Us old blokes like to think that we had a bit to do with building this Australia that we all should be excited about. But we need real infrastructure projects to get us working. It seems that the world has forgotten about us. If you don’t have a www dot, you don’t exist.
Finally, a word for you Mal.
Campbell Newman was very excited about being an Australian a few years back, and look what happened there - bloody disaster. But don’t treat us like fools and think that a few clever words are going to get us all feeling warm and fuzzy. You have the same opportunity, don’t blow it. Take the bull by the horns and show us something to get excited about. Build a few dams, fix some roads and fix the telecommunications for the bush. Up here we are not interested in show ponies; we would rather a pit pony.
- Bob Kohler, Sutherland Station, Bowen, Collinsville