Joe’s Views and Commentary

Melbourne - our “most livable city” was hit by severe storm. There is little we can do to prevent storms but we should be able to minimize the damage caused mainly by uprooted gum trees. I would like to hear from our councils reason for planting gum trees that can reach up to 30 meters in height on nature strips that are some 2.5 meter wide. The roots that are up to 2.5 meter in length cause cracking of concrete footpath, damage to fences, require plenty of scares water, falling leaves create nuisance all year round, are major breeding grounds for termites, are extremely brittle and in strong wind get uprooted, causing substantial damage to property, cars, power supplies and sometime lead to loss of lives.

Surely we have plenty of native flowering shrubs that could be planted on our nature strips. I have nothing against gum trees in the bush or open paddocks . This is where they belong but to plant them in the suburbia seems crazy.

P.M. have I missed something? When I read your  proposal of selecting 1000 best and brightest to assist with advise and some new idea I wasn’t surprised. After all, no Government is infallible and a feedback of a bit of wisdom couldn’t go astray. However what made me to pause was the time of this get-together is to take place. Year 2020 - in twelve years time!  I thought  at first that the date was simple printer’s error or I needed a new pair of glasses. But my optician assured me that I can see reasonably well and as the year of this talkfest seems to be repeated it must be right.

This is the purpose of my question. Does the P.M. assumes that he will be re-elected in year 2012, 2016, and 2020? If he does so, we must admire his optimistic outlook. If one examines the tables of commonwealth statistician listing the average longevity of population it can be reasonably assumed that many selected will either be in nursing homes or not even be alive. Will the P.M.’s list be periodically adjusted to take this into account?

Finally if the Government needs some advice how to run the country better, why wait for another twelve years to get it?  If the newly elected Government  needs some answers, let’s have the talkfest  now!  No use waiting till it acquires all the experience and knowledge as it goes along during the next 12 years and by then it will be a waste of time to have the gathering of wise men and women, because Government will know everything “!”
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Since posting this letter I have been contacted by a newspaper editor informing me that the famous talkfest will be conducted in April this year ( 2008 ) As this date was not publicized like the famous 2020 I have assumed wrongly that was to be the case. I offer my apologies to readers who may have been misled by wrong dates in my letter.

Subject: Charge for shopping bags.

The suggestion of charging for plastic bags $ 1 is completely stupid. This is happening at the time when our new Prime Minister wants to keep down the financial burdens on families. The message is simple. Go ahead,  find supermarkets specials saving few cents on grocery items and pay several times the amount of your savings for bags to carry it in. It really requires a genius to think this one out! What an advancement dreamt out by a handful of econuts!

It reminds me a visit to Czech Republic in 1990. You were not allowed to enter  a supermarket or any grocery store without carrying a shopping basket. When you selected the goods and came to a cash register to pay, the content of your basket was emptied and no bag of any description was provided. Thus if you didn’t carry some bags with you the shopkeeper didn’t care how you carried the shopping out of the premises. Potatoes, bread rolls, tins of food, etc. had to be carried in your pockets!

This was a shopping standard under a socialist regime. We would call it third world country. Now some bright sparks, probably overpaid and underworked  want us to return to similar conditions. Did they really thought it through? What about plastic bottles and other containers? Would that be the next step? What would happen to domestic garbage? This is where plastic bags come handy. Apart from additional financial burden on families it would achieve little.

Has Chris done something wrong?

Please give Pearce some peace!  I am amazed with the flood of well orchestrated campaign to denigrate action of our local hard working member for Aston. Reason? He didn’t follow the politically correct mob on the question of this “sorry” business. It was his considered opinion to act the way he did and what is wrong with that? After all Chris Pearce was re-elected during the last Federal election with a large majority. Thus it can be assumed that he received an endorsement from the voters of Aston. If  electors be given the opportunity to vote on “sorry” business  as a single issue, no doubt they would express their disapproval with the action of the Labour Government.

This doesn’t mean that we should adopt some discrimination against Aboriginals. The tens of billions of dollars given by Federal and State Governments are proof of nation’s desire to improve living conditions  of aboriginal community. They are part of our nation and should be given the same consideration as other non-aboriginal Australians. However we should not go overboard in our desire to appease unrealistic and extravagant claims for compensation. Every person of average intelligence would know - or at least should know - that the very utterance of the word “sorry” is the admission of liability that gives immediate cause for claims of damages. It is estimated that such claims could mean a staggering total of some $ 50 billion!  In fact when the final figure of potential claims is added we will probably be sorry for saying sorry. Why should we, the present generation be burdened with claims for something we never did? What responsibility have I for what allegedly happened few generations ago? I am as close to the alleged wrongful action of the past governments as as average Eskimo is to Hulla Hulla girl which is probably Eskimo’s regret.

I am disappointed by the Mayor of Knox, Cr. Jim Penna who seems to push this “reconciliation” and “sorry” business to the extreme. It will lead only to a divided community. Our aim should be a united Australian community regardless of race or religion. I myself do not need to reconcile with nothing else but death and taxes. The task of our City Council is to look after the matters relating to successful running of this City and not become involved in matters that are not its province. Thus let me conclude - give peace to Chris Pearce! Whether you agree or disagree I would like to hear your comments.

Date: 10 January 2008 11:03:06 AM

Subject: Sorry - the most expensive word in English language.

When John Howard refused to utter this magic word, he was abused by all and sundry. His opponents claimed it is a harmless word with no strings attached. Just say “sorry” and everything will be O.K.  Now we had the opportunity to realize John Howard’s wisdom. Every student of law or politics, in fact everyone with a bit of common sense knew that to utter this word will have dire financial consequences on the nation’s finances.

We have now seen a large sum of $525.000 awarded to Bruce Trevorrow in a landmark decision “stolen generation” case. Not being satisfied with such a mighty windfall the same man decided to push his case further by claiming 37 years of interest estimated at some $1.2 million! This court decision was a first step of opening the floodgates for litigations and claims. Don’t kid ourselves the $ 1 billion will go nowhere when all this is totaled up. We will reach the figures that would make late Einstein dizzy.

Can we as a nation allow this process to continue?  Can we allow the unelected judges farm out awards that could potentially bankrupt the nation to continue? Should judges be compelled to take economic consequences  into account  when handing decisions? What would happen if all non-aboriginal parents, whose neglected  children were taking into care decided to sue the government for “stealing” their children? What about trauma accident witnesses? Should they be able to claim compensation 30 years down the road, because of sleepless nights?

What happened to countless billions of dollars spent on Aboriginals by the Government? Should that $ 1 billon being asked now, be deducted? It is about time for common sense to prevail before this unhappy saga of “sorry” will get completely out of hand.

I would welcome your comments on this important subject.
Regards Joe

I was rather amused by a newspaper report on 27th. November regarding a fake $ 1.2 million “Hotel Artwork” to be unveiled on EastLink. This 12m x 5m x 30 m high structure is a part of some 14 similar “artistic works that will “beautify” EastLink. The cost of the whole artistic project is some $5.5 million. In the total cost of the EastLink project some $ 2.5 billion, you may describe it as a mere chicken feed.

What is the purpose of this exercise? Apart from adding to the total cost which will no doubt be reflected in the cost of toll and paid by motorists using this tollway, it may distract some drivers by paying attention to these “works of art”. Other drivers may get a laughing fit that may result in car accident.

No doubt the creators of this art project will be delighted with their creation and make their bank managers happy. But I’ll return to the “hotel”. You see it is not a hotel at all. It is only a fake sort of Hollywood prop although a rather expensive one. The motorists cannot escape of thinking of Potemkin Villages erected to fool the Russian empress Catherine the Great by Grigory Potemkin , who was trying to create impression that these villages really existed. However all the empress could see was a facade. This happened some 211 years ago!

Do we have to let our imagination go back so far into history just to underline artistic imagination and damn the cost? Let us hope it will not finish like the arch of chopstics in Swanston Street that nobody wanted to take over, while it provided amusement to overseas visitors.

Wonders never cease!

In my previous letter to the Editor of a local paper I have refuted claim by one correspondent that we are living “on a stolen land”. I have pointed out that I have paid for my house and definitely have not stolen it. To the best of my knowledge same applies to vast majority of Knox residents. If somebody pinched the block of land, let’s hear about it and refer it to police for investigation.

There are some individuals who under the banner of “Aboriginal reconciliation” don’t know when to stop. Thus I was amazed to read in Knox Leader ( 25.98.07 ) that Council was going to debate whether to install plaques around the municipality acknowledging the land’s traditional Aboriginal owners and to erect A4 size bronze plaques at a cost of $ 600 each on prominent Council buildings, total cost to ratepayers of $ 4800.

To top it all Council will consider whether the wording “Kulin Nation Country” should be included on new municipality gateway signs. We are informed that these proposals came from “The Inter Council Aboriginal Consultative Committee”. I have never heard of the existence of such body and doubt the vast majority of Knox ratepayers did either. Who are the members of this committee? Who finances this “committee” ?

How can several unknown individuals propose that we live in a “Kulin Nation Country”? I was under the impression that I live in Australia. Am I mistaken? “Kulin” is the name I never heard before. How did it spring up? I would like to hear what your readers have to say.

Subject: Reconciliation or not?

I was sitting here on my best behaviour until I read the last sentence of a letter by Ray Higgs (Knox Leader September 12th.) Ray Higgs reminded me that “ we are living on stolen land and that we are reaping benefits of our past injustices and Aboriginal reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility”. Firstly let me correct Ray. To the best of my knowledge I am not living on a “stolen land”. To acquire a small piece of Australia I had to pay hard cash for it as all of us who ever purchased any real estate will verify. Whom do I need to reconcile with?

One doesn’t need to be unkind to the Aboriginal population to state that there was no wealth created at the time of white settlers arrival on this continent. One obscure economist even claimed that on the eve of British arrival the indigenous economy was strong, sophisticated and dynamic is just plain nonsense. Prior to white settlement there was no infrastructure in existence. No rails, no roads, no schools, no hospitals, no factories of any sort and no orderly civilised society as we know it today. The wealth of this country was created by the white settlers.

The benefits of this wealth was shared by the Aboriginal population who benefited by health, educational services and welfare assistance that increased their standard of living to where it is today. To this day Federal government contributed countless billions of dollars to Aborigines. Are they grateful to us? It seems not. With each concession given, new demands emerge some of them, verging to ridiculous are being presented. If you or I would declare that any stretch of land is our sacred land without having to lodge any proof, we would be laughed off or even finish in a mental institution. However if such claim is made under cover of aboriginality it becomes “untouchable”. Let us establish fairness on this subject stick to facts and do not try to re-write history.

Just 4 days ago it was 6 years’ anniversary of the terrorist attack on New York trade centre. I was looking in vain for leaders of our Muslim community to come into open and condemn this act. Silence! This brings me to wonder where their loyalty is. It doesn’t appear to be to this country.

This brings me to the point. Let’s get rid of this rubbish of multiculturism. Show me one country that have succeeded. It was tried in U.K., Germany, France, Holland to name just a few and proved to be a complete failure. People who migrate should be encouraged to integrate fully into our society. Otherwise we’ll finish with a nation of tribes. We need to review of immigration policy, before it’s too late.

It is not racism to demand from those pleading to be allowed to immigrate to this country to confess the loyalty and willingness to contribute to its wellbeing. Unfortunately it appears that the major motivation of many migrants it the access to our generous welfare handouts.

What do we expect from our government is much stricter selection process for prospective migrants. Don’t hand the citizenship certificates like confetti. It should be a priviledge to become an Australian citizen. Extend the term to 5 years and any migrant who commits criminal act during this period should be deported to the country of origin - no questions asked.

Our motto should be: Australia you like it or leave it!

I couldn’t agree more with sentiments expressed by John Stone, former senator and Treasury secretary who wrote in Herald-Sun 27.8.08 that to be re-elected Prime Minister John Howard should and I quote: “announce tough measures restricting further entry of Muslims into Australia. Muslims do not integrate into the wider Australian community, nor will they ever put loyalty to Australia above loyalty to Islam. We should learn from the sombre experience of Europe.”

This statement has nothing to do with racism. It is only stating the obvious. We have enjoyed the freedom of speech and freedom of religion in this country. But we should ask ourselves. How much longer it is going to last? Just look at some legislation pushed through Victorian Parliament limiting the freedom of free speech under a guise of so called “racial vilification”. Even stating the truth is becoming a offence under the Act.

The history has tought us that certain cililizations do not mix. Does anybody seriously believes that trying to settle large sections of say Shiiates, Sunis and Kurds in this country they will be a harmony amongst themselves? Of course not. This is demontrated on daily basis in their own native country of Iraq. Blowing themselves up and causing a carnage of innocent victims, children and women is almost a daily ritual. Do we want these tribal and religious disputes import to Australia? If given a vote I believe the vast majority of Australians would say no!

I don’t want to be branded as an intolerant person, but I have as little in common with some Muslim practices like an Eskimo has with Hulla Hulla girl. No doubt it is a great loss to the Eskimo! Our politicians need to examine problems of many European countries who adopted open door policy to Muslim migration and now regret it. However it is too late to do anything about it. As the old saying - you can’t unscrumble the egg. This is a reason why I say “good on you John Stone”‘