Letters: Queensland’s border stance leads to war of words

Readers have their say on the war of words over Queensland’s border stance, Westpac’s record fine and the role of coal in our energy future.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Health Steven Miles. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar

SINCE the Labor Party has been in government in Queensland under Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, a case of “foot in mouth disease” has become a regular occurrence.

However, since COVID-19 intruded into the lives of (particularly) south-east Queensland citizens, “foot in mouth” from our leaders has become almost as prevalent as COVID-19 itself.

Over time, the populace has managed to become virtually immune to the daily convoluted, confusing and contradictory utterings of the Premier and Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young, accepting that both of them appear to be out of their depth in dealing with the logistics of the situation.

One can see the immense stress that Dr Young is under, trying to do the right thing by the populace and simultaneously helping the Premier win the next election.

And now, we have Health Minister and Deputy Premier Steven Miles, taking on Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenburg over the issue of ADF support to patrol the state’s borders (C-M, Sep 25), of which he clearly had little knowledge or understanding.

A bit of advice to Miles, stay out of the front line until the election is over, which may well relieve you of any future government responsibilities.

Only a fool wouldn’t accept that the Premier’s intransigence on border control and other restrictions, is purely political in respect of the next election.

Hopefully, when the election is run and won, some common sense will prevail in terms of COVID-19.

Phil Stoneham, Middle Park

ONE would think that Annastacia Palaszczuk was in enough trouble without her deputy Steven Miles adding to her troubles.

With Miles being described by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and Josh Frydenberg as a “fool” and “juvenile” and accused of lying, and then going out and making a fool of himself in front of the press, should that not be enough to embarrass Premier Palaszczuk?

John McQueen, Redbank

WHY are Premier Palaszczuk and her Chief Health Officer opening up the border to several council areas in north-east NSW, down to and including Byron Bay, when at the same time they are showing concern that Queenslanders may meet up with “infected” holidaying Sydneysiders?

Yet they wouldn’t allow those people desperately trying to get into Queensland for funerals, seeing their terminally-ill family members, urgent medical procedures, and home rehabilitation following serious operations because of the risk that they presented.

Why are they then opening those select NSW council areas when they fear that same risk?

Is the Premier just wanting to visit Chris Hemsworth for a photo-op for the coming election?

Also, why are they not opening

up the western end of the Queensland-NSW border so that at least our farmers can be helped with harvesting, fruit picking etc after years of drought?

I guess there are no votes in it.

David Stephen, Mudgeeraba

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Westpac Bank is to be fined $1.3 billion. Picture: William West/AFP

WESTPAC FINE UNFAIR

WESTPAC Bank has agreed to be fined $1.3 billion for transferring funds for some clients without knowing the initial source or final use of the funds (C-M, Sep 25).

I have not read or heard anything that suggests any director or employee of Westpac personally committed any offence.

This fine seems to be an imposition on many innocent stakeholders of the bank, including borrowers, depositors and shareholders who could not have been parties to any misconduct.

Is it unreasonable to ask if the regulatory bodies were remiss in their supervisory responsibilities?

John K. Howes, Victoria Point

I AM not a bank lover, but to hit Westpac with a huge fine for breaking money-laundering laws in my opinion smacks of an attitude of revenge by the authorities and an extreme example of “tall poppy syndrome”.

Has it been established that these crimes were a deliberate act on the part of the bank or of any of its employees?

Or were these offences a result of procedural shortcomings, or perhaps lack of training or supervision?

Unless this was a deliberate flouting of the law I believe the penalty to be excessive in the extreme.

Rob Hore, Glenella

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BALANCING ENERGY EQUATION

REGARDING the future role of coal in our energy equation (Letters, Sep 25), I suspect that even the most fanatical of the carbon cranks understand quite well that a new coal-fired plant or two in Australia to provide us with energy security would make not a skerrick of difference to the planetary picture.

They possibly also understand that the apparent cost advantage of renewables (which does not address the issue of baseload power) is based on a combination of subsidies for wind and solar power and imposts on fossil fuels.

Sanity will not return to the energy debate until the basket-weavers weary of working by candlelight, or until the coffee machines stand idle for want of electricity.

Terry Birchley, Bundaberg

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Originally published as Letters: Queensland’s border stance leads to war of words