It’s that time of the year when the Alice Springs News Online, over Christmas and New Year, brings you opinion pieces from locals from all walks of life, reflections on all that’s good (and not so good) in our region.
Half way through the CLP’s first term in government, after their decade in the wilderness, there is already a lot of frustration and discontent over poorly considered decisions, made without regard to public opinion.
Just look at natural gas production. Should the sequence not be: Fracking report released > public approval sought > land holders’ (white and black) approval given > gas production companies found > accommodation for mine workers created > pipeline built.
Now look at the sequence of events Adam Giles is preferring.
Of course, politics is just one subject in our wonderfully diverse community.
Join the writers we’ve invited, and have your say as well.
Erwin Chlanda, Editor
UPDATE 7am , December 5:
Mr Giles provided the following statement yesterday: “I only received Dr Hawke’s findings on Friday and I’m still going through the report which is hundreds of pages long.
“The government will look to release the report once it’s been considered by Cabinet.
“It’s interesting to see the Opposition suddenly showing such an interest in the subject when it never bothered to commission an inquiry of its own when Labor was in government.”
Saturday, April 20, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
Well, consider this: Because it is completely impractical for every single person to have their say on every given decision required to run a state or nation, we elect from our midst people who we think will most reflect our views in the decision making process.
We set our elected reps running and expect them to get the job done, make the necessary decisions on our behalf.
In fact, it is quite the norm to ridicule them if they don’t!
If they were to come back to us for input every time a decision was made, not only would no decision ever be made, but it would render our whole parliamentary system pointless!
In my view there is already far too much consultation with community and far too little decision making. Gutless governments have become the norm, the result, burgeoning bureaucracies and over regulation resulting in inefficiencies and declining production.
So, in my view governments must govern and if we don’t like what they do we have the option of kicking them out at the next election! In the meantime, seek to influence sure. But let’s not try to do their business for them!
Oh and aren’t landholders just landholders, Editor, do we really have to divide landholders into black and white? I think we are all just landholders, aren’t we?
Re: Steve Brown Posted December 5, 2014 at 4:12 pm
Unfortunately the Commonwealth still qualifies rights and responsibilities of landholders and residents using racial tagging.
Being homeless is about houses, leases, not racial tagging.
Being unhealthy is about medical care and education, not racial tagging.
Being uneducated is about education, ensuring all have basic reading, writing, mathematics, and in Australia to have functional oral English, not racial tagging.
Racists delay the cures with racial diversions.
Commonwealth expenditures on racial tag games support racists, when much better spent on housing, health and education.
When, or IF, Commonwealth ceases qualification of responsibilities and rights of Australians using racial tags things shall improve for all.
Good policy decisions require good public discussion.