IN early 1940, when I went to enlist in the Australian Army to fight in the war against Hitler, there was no direct military threat to Australia.
I did not go to war to fight for a king or a flag or an empire; I went to war because Hitler, an evil man, was seeking to dominate the world by force and was causing death and suffering and fear to many, many people.
I realised then that it is people who matter, not kings or flags or empires but only people, regardless of race, colour or religion. That is why I am proud of this great city of ours where we have people of many races, many colours and many religions living and working together in peace. An example the world would do well to follow.
Anyone who seeks to divide our city along religious lines should seriously consider their situation, they can only do great harm here.
Stuart Marriner,
Dandenong.
IT was not surprising to read (Star, 1 December) Paul Donovan, who was recently re-elected to represent Cleeland Ward, is apparently restarting his personal fundamentalist Christian crusade against multiculturalism and the evils of Islam.
To seemingly justify his opinions, Paul claims a major council election issue for Cleeland Ward residents was the funding of multicultural-specific programs by all levels of government.
How many of the 7000-plus Cleeland residents did actually volunteer this concern? Five, 15, or 50?
It’s quite remarkable that he seemed to find Cleeland Ward apparently so focused on this particular issue when the rest of Greater Dandenong wasn’t.
And it’s heartening to know the seemingly more intellectually enlightened Christians and the rest of our broad multicultural community don’t hold similar discriminatory views on Islam, and other forms of spiritual belief, as Paul and his evangelical fundamentalist brethren appear to do.
Paul would be wise to familiarise himself with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Australia’s Anti-Discrimination acts, and climb down from his soapbox, and also resign from council, before he incites more division and intolerance within our community.
Janet Cox-Dedogi,
Dandenong.
I SUPPORT the call for Boycott After Van Hanging” (Star, 8 December). We must teach Singapore a lesson. It is incredibly proud and it is trying to show the world what a tough country it can be. Caleb Nguyen Van Tuong was capable of reform, and he had shown that in his letters as many people can vouch.
The guards who took care of him in prison cried after he was hanged.
Caleb was just 22 when he made a big mistake in his life, why had he to die for it? Couldn’t the Singapore Government give him a long prison sentence?
It makes me sick. I shall join the Dandenong councillor in boycotting Singapore goods and services.
Let us all do our part in sending a strong message to the totalitarian Government of Singapore.
Pete Heng,
Penang, Malaysia.
Sumbitted via web forum.
I HAVE recently re-read the Residual Transfer Agreement between the previous owners of the Lyndhurst tip and the former Shire of Cranbourne.
This is a section 173 agreement under the Planning and Environment Act and, as I understand it, is legally binding. Based on information provided by the Government, the City of Greater Dandenong is, without doubt, the council with all the rights and responsibilities for the tip held by the former Shire of Cranbourne.
This must include the 33 and one-third per cent discount on tipping granted under the agreement to the council.
Council staff sought legal advice on this some six months ago and such advice is still awaited.
Upon re-reading the agreement, I rediscovered the clause, which stated that the former owners of the tip could not sell, transfer or dispose of the land or EPA licence without council’s consent. Such consent was never requested or given.
Does that mean the owners of the Lyndhurst tip do not legally own the EPA licence? And, if this is the case, does that mean they shouldn’t be accepting any waste, never mind hazardous waste?
Jani Breider,
Hampton Park.
I TAKE this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to the Springvale North Residents for their support during the recent council election.
I presented issues in the election that needed attention in our community and voters responded to the need for action to address their concerns.
I am grateful for the support shown to me by so many voters and I can assure all residents, irrespective of how they voted, I will be available at all reasonable times to help.
Finally, thanks to those who worked tirelessly during the election campaign and on polling day, which made this result possible.
Cr Alan Gordon,
Springvale North Ward.
WHEN we have rid ourselves of these obsolete, expensive state governments which are out of date by 105 years, then our council – including shires – will be in a better position to settle down and work unhindered. It is they – councils – who know exactly what and where the needs and works in their districts are required precisely, and are able to advise Canberra.
More and more faster finances would arrive first-hand, not second-hand. Party politicking prejudices have deprived a hard-toiling councillor of over 12 years, in the name of John Kelly, for the City of Greater Dandenong’s top position of mayor.
It is reminiscent of Bill French in Box Hill during the ’70s, who as former Navy man stated “they threw their skipper overboard”.
For the same reason, party politicking prejudices and discriminates.
This has been written and supplied by a three-times candidate in the region, possibly a fourth, on our political platform ‘Abolish State Governments.’
They are not necessary. Simply, Canberra to councils –similar to New Zealand, France, Great Britain – there are no State Governments.
Gordon Ford,
Australian Natives Party,
Springvale South.
THE recent events in the Sydney suburb of Cronulla should surely warn our warm and fuzzy state governments of the dangers of wading into the swamp of multiculturalism.
You can’t set up a mini Beirut inside an Australian city and expect that people will just get along.
Multiculturalism, backed up by generous government grants to ethnic minorities, creates division and mistrust among communities.
We need governments and public policies which will unite us as Australians, not divide us based on our ethnicity. It is time to view multiculturalism as the failed policy it is and relegate it to the scrapheap.
We need to support Australian laws and values, as expressed in our citizenship pledge.
Migrants who come to this country can and should keep vestiges of their culture, but they must make efforts to integrate into the Australian community. And governments must support this.
Before the resentment in our community turns to violence, we need to become united as a community and call ourselves Australians.
Those among us who don’t see themselves as Australians need to return to the violent homelands that spewed them out.
Paul Donovan,
Cleeland Ward councillor,
City of Greater Dandenong.
