Letters to the Editor, June 7, 2018

TODAY readers have their say on who is to blame for Queensland’s rail fail, whether swearing is acceptable and the gay wedding cake debate.

One of the Indian-made New Generation Rollingstock trains QR is introducing. Photographer: Liam Kidston

WHEN will Labor accept responsibility for the state’s appalling rail system?

Transport Minister Mark Bailey seems to think paying $1 million every fortnight in overtime (C-M, Jun 6) is acceptable.

At the same time, we have a train timetable with reduced services and little prospect of any improvement soon.

Meanwhile, Acting Premier Jackie Trad keeps going on about the Newman government being responsible for the decision to buy the new rolling stock that is plagued with problems.

That can’t be changed.

What can be changed is Trad and Bailey showing some guts and standing up to their union mates in the interests of getting a better rail service for Queensland with an adequate number of drivers and guards, and stopping this terrible waste of money on overtime.

Des Deighton, Coolum Beach

WITH more than $40 million spent in overtime payments since October 2016, when will the rail fail end?

It was reported in January that Queensland Rail had failed to resurrect its full timetable, with the embattled operator reverting to last year’s reduced schedule instead.

Train passengers have dealt with reduced services since 2016, but QR is still unable to say when it will return to a full service.

To make matters worse, the powerful Rail, Tram and Bus Union continues its battle to protect archaic closed-shop recruitment rules instead of promoting train driver vacancies to the public.

The $2.5 million Phillip Strachan inquiry named QR’s external hiring restrictions as one of the four factors contributing to the train driver shortage and recommended opening recruitment to the public.

But instead, closed-shop internal hiring restrictions were conveniently locked into QR drivers’ new enterprise agreement.

With incredible overtime penalty payments, a 12 per cent pay rise over four years and bonuses just to come to work during the Commonwealth Games, it becomes apparent how much grip the Rail, Tram and Bus Union has on QR.

With QR preferring to operate with an undersupply of train crew, it’s not hard to surmise that it is skewed towards the pecuniary aggrandisement of unionists.

But instead of shifting with the times to adopt modern recruitment practices based on a meritorious process, the public unfortunately will continue to endure continued restricted services as arduous appointment processes are favoured ahead of expediency.

Milvio DiBartolomeo, Wellington Point

I HOPE the State Government and relevant authorities and businesses are already planning on extending the Airtrain from Brisbane Airport to the new Brisbane Cruise Terminal at the mouth of the river.

Jennifer Rabbets, Greenslopes

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F-BOMB BLOWS UP

FEDERAL Health Minister Greg Hunt uses the F-bomb, allegedly aggressively, during a meeting with Katherine Mayor Fay Miller, and six months later apologises after the matter is referred to the Prime Minister and the media.

In 2007, another Liberal federal health minister, Tony Abbott, swore at Opposition health spokeswoman Nicola Roxon when he said “That’s bulls---” while defending himself after being late for a debate between the two.

Obviously Hunt thinks that swearing at people, who happen to be women, might be a pathway to the prime ministership as it didn’t seem to hurt Abbott’s chances.

Valdy Kwitowski, Salisbury

ONCE one becomes aware of the origin of certain swear words they lose their gloss in conversation, but they’re handy when you’re trying to tell some no-hoper to wake up to himself.

Accordingly, such terms should be uttered economically to ensure the message gets across and isn’t diluted through overuse and repetition.

For what it’s worth, I have known men who could not make a single sentence without using the F-word.

I think they would be struck mute if they were, somehow, permanently debarred from its use in their vocabulary.

Marg Wenham, in her column “When sorry seems to be hardest word” (C-M, Jun 6), seems to be losing the import of such a valuable and often insulting term in making a point.

However, overuse of any blasphemous saying is bad and to be avoided.

Otherwise the whole point of having such a handy put-down is completely lost.

Merv C. Bartlett, Pallara

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‘ANTI-GAY’ LABEL TAKES CAKE IN BAKING DEBATE

COLUMNIST Margaret Wenham (C-M, Jun 6) wrongly infers that American baker Jack Phillips is “anti-gay” in refusing to bake a wedding cake for a homosexual couple.

The US Supreme Court ruling quoted the explanation Phillips gave to his customers: “I’ll make your birthday cakes, shower cakes, sell you cookies and brownies. I just don’t make cakes for same-sex weddings.”

This was not discrimination against them because of their sexuality. It was a conscientious objection to using his creative skills to make a particular cake, which he felt would have been “a personal endorsement” of same-sex marriage in violation of his religious belief.

The couple no doubt had their needs met by choosing another baker who had no objection to providing a wedding cake.

So no harm was done, and a legal battle was unnecessary.

In a democratic, pluralist society, we should have respect for the views and rights of others, even those who are religious, and strive for fairness for all.

Alan Baker, Carina Heights

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