A 400-YEAR-old healthy red gum in the Lyndhurst area was destroyed recently so the Bracks Government could continue building the new EastLink project.
While our local Labor MPs sat on their hands in their black leather office chairs, I joined a selection of statewide media and members of the local community at the site to voice concerns about the destruction of a historic tree, which has now cleared the path for a section of the controversial tollway, a tollway that nobody wanted.
Proving that Labor remains out of touch with the people in our area, the Bracks Government just turned its back and ordered the destruction to occur.
The decision to put tolls on the road will be the biggest broken promise in Victoria’s history. It is a fine example of the Bracks Government’s lack of vision, direction and mismanagement of a crucial issue.
The Liberals have listened to environmental concerns throughout Victoria, hosting such events as the recent environmental forum, whereas the Bracks Government has proven it would rather bend over backwards to assist the toll companies building the EastLink project.
Gary Anderton,
Liberal candidate for Lyndhurst.
Labor misses point
NO wonder people’s faith is failing in contemporary politicians.
Federal Labor’s token opposition to the Howard Government’s industrial relations changes again demonstrates its inability to conceive of the factors that oppress the working poor of Australia and highlights just how unfit to govern they really are.
The main injustice facing workers is not the power wielded by employers over employees but the vastly superior power landlords hold over both workers and corporations alike. Anyone with a basic knowledge of economic history would know this.
Likewise, by reducing taxes on land the Bracks Government has become the landlord’s party, presiding over the transfer of significant wealth from the community to private individuals, a policy aided and abetted by the Howard government’s inequitable GST and income taxes, which the Federal Opposition naively supports.
Labor as a vehicle for social justice is now sadly defunct – it seeks only political office for its own sake with no interest in the welfare of the community. At least the Liberals don’t pretend to have this as their aim!
Paul Donovan,
Cleeland Ward councillor,
City of Greater Dandenong.
ON behalf of the members of the Victorian Cockatiel and Aviary Bird Society’s south-eastern branch, I would like to thank the Star for the articles that appeared in recent papers.
We have had many contacts because of them and also two new members joined in the first week.
The next meeting of the club will be 11 July at the Dandenong Neighbourhood House at 7.30pm. The topic and display for this month will be spangle and silver cockatiels. Contact Graeme, phone 5979 3742, or Brian, phone 9558 3634 after 6pm.
Sandra Wiefkers,
Victorian Cockatiel and Aviary Bird Society.
HOW pathetic we are becoming?
A doughnut shop opens, the area is besieged with people, police are called to control the crowd then ask people to stay away from the shopping centre. The shop must have been paying people to take their doughnuts. The situation becomes even more pathetic by a fast-food company decrying the doughnuts as encouraging obesity and promoting their own products as healthier.
To all concerned, including the marketing departments of both companies, I’d say get a life.
Brian D. Frary,
Endeavour Hills.
