Letters to the Editor on MP attack
This week, InDaily readers have their say on online threats aimed at politicians and the staggering amount spent on councillors’ bad behaviour.
Responding to ‘We all receive threats’: SA pollies shocked over attack on MP
Neither political or any violence has a place within public and private places. Nor does the language of violence. Those who rightly seek to take the heat out of political discourse should also reflect on the language of public discourse.
Democracy, civil society, and personal freedoms are not served by decrying a person(s) as ‘un-Australian’, ‘arrogant’, ‘autocrat’, ‘elitist’, ‘ragtag’, ‘group of extremists’, or ‘be treated like terrorists’ (which has a particular legal meaning). When public discourse descends into personal pejoratives or the language of violence that demeans those who hold different opinions or seek different outcomes, civic and civil discourse is devalued, and the ‘freedom’ to participate is oppressed.
Respectful discussion of the issues, facts and diverse opinions and perspectives about matters of public interest is more productive than name-calling, hyperbole, schoolyard antics, and personalisation. Language and action reflect thoughts and neither should reflect or effect violence whether in politics, in private, amongst people, or in the exercise of power.
Civil society requires civility from everyone.
Our hearts go out to federal Independent MP Helen Haines and her family, friends and community. – Elbert Brooks
Responding to Ratepayers slugged six-figure sum for councillor bad behaviour
How disgusting that my hard-earnt income/rates are wasted on badly behaving councillors. Make them pay for their own behaviour – they might just reconsider what they are doing or saying! – Jayne Spinkston
Responding to Uni drops Santos name from city campus
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How pathetic. Santos should put a ban on employing those graduates. Talk about ignoring the hand that fed you. Santos carried SA industry for years. – Jason Mcilvena
Precious nonsense from naive people who think money comes from trees. Reality not quite there yet. – Paul Travers
Responding to Govt reveals pay back price over golf course legal action
The government says it must protect taxpayers’ money by recovering legal costs. That principle should apply to the government’s own spending too.
Taxpayers are entitled to question why the government pursues some costs so vigorously while spending public money on projects and schemes that are wasteful or fail to deliver value. If the government expects people to be accountable for the use of taxpayers’ money, it must hold itself to the same standard.
Protecting taxpayers cannot be a rule that applies only when the government wants to recover money from someone else. The government should practise what it preaches: spend public money carefully, explain its decisions openly and take responsibility when spending is wasted. – Pasquale Basilicata
Responding to Former senator fears SA roads could sink AUKUS
We will not need roads for AUKUS – a chimera of financial nonsense meaning taxpayers pay for three submarines that will be obsolete by the time they are built, if ever, in Port Adelaide!
We need to rethink the current American political landscape and learn how many obsolete nuclear subs are languishing in English harbours because decontamination processes are unavailable. Even if they were, underwater drones could nuke them, and we would then have more environmental problems.
Neither Liberal nor Labor rejected the billions of dollars expected to be paid for AUKUS subs or an alliance with the USA and Britain. But we will all pay for the financial, environmental and social fallout consequences. – Dr Iris Iwanicki
Responding to Latest reports: MP loses leg after shocking attack
This attack is appalling and shocking. Can I just ask, given the way it is being reported, do we actually know if this was an attack on Dr Helen Haines in her role as an MP, or was this personal? Because the difference is important for how this debate develops and what changes we may see in how the public and politicians interact.
Stay informed, daily
There is a huge issue of the public feeling dismissed and disregarded in current South Australian debates. I am sure that is not isolated to SA or state politics. But it also does not automatically mean that incidents like this are due to the public role of MPs.
Can we please have rounded out journalism? – Anna Tay
Responding to City of Adelaide lays out MotoGP grievances to Feds
It has nothing to do with a ‘few activists!’ How dare this man characterise people like this as though ‘activist’ is a negative title? Activists are needed these days more than ever before to hold politicians, who are supposed to represent normal people, to account.
Adelaide is a dry city, and this premier wants to cut down hundreds of old, historical trees for a car race in a time of fuel shortages just so a few blokes can get off on auto fumes and revs. Build it over the hills in the desert.
Meanwhile, a city loses a huge part of a park that makes it so special – that being a significant historical park of great significance to Aboriginal people, those who have enjoyed it for generations, and descendants of settlers. And then there is the habitat loss. – Glenda Sutardy
Responding to Govt reveals pay back price over golf course legal action
It is a bittersweet outcome to learn that taxpayers will be contributing a substantial amount to the legal fees of the ‘golf course activists’. It would be sad if these well-meaning but misguided and poorly advised citizens are degraded into penury by their actions; however, there needs to be a punitive element to the government’s reaction, if only to discourage future futile but expensive litigation that is contrary to the general public interest.
It is time for the Adelaide Park Lands Association, the Adelaide City Council and its band of supporters to accept the fact that the Adelaide Park Lands were established ‘as a place for public recreation’ for ‘the benefit of all South Australians’.
Over time, the park lands have accommodated grazing cattle on large swathes of cleared land, agisted horses, golf courses, zoos, swimming complexes, race tracks, schools, hospitals, public buildings, cultural institutions, convention centres, cricket, football, netball, tennis, archery, car parking, restaurants, a hotel, a parade ground, tram depots, circuses, popular festivals, motor racing and a cemetery.
There had also been a police horse barracks surrounded by a hotch-potch of decaying government departments and agencies.
If the ‘stop the chop’ brigade want to do something useful and constructive, they could plant trees in the desolate and deserted areas of the park lands. – Warren Jones
Responding to Watchdog fines major sports betting agency for SA breaches
Effectively, Sportsbet has defrauded its clients, taking bets on markets they are not authorised for. On top of the meagre fine, the regulator should make Sportsbet return the illegal wagering to the punters.
If they are not allowed to accept wagering on certain events, then in what world are they allowed to keep the illegal wagering?
I am sure if I got picked up for shoplifting, the first thing I would have to do is to return the goods.
Get the penalty proportionate to the offence and then stand back and see if they make the same “innocent mistake” a second time. – Michelle Crisp
Responding to ‘Nightmare’: How far house prices plunged in three months
A clearer picture would include how much prices have increased in the years since the last reversal. – Tony Dawkins
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