Selective criticism?
Local MP Roma Britnell’s attacks on the state Labor Party’s conduct raises questions about her own integrity. In her April 6 letter Ms Britnell enthusiastically criticises the Labor Party’s misuse of government funds and makes many other accusations. She states “When it comes to lectures on morality, Daniel Andrews and Labour do not have a leg to stand on”. Unfortunately, her criticism is selective and only applies to her political opponents. She does not criticize the recent Liberal Party pairing scandal. She says nothing about Mr Guy’s botched rezoning of farmland on Phillip Island and other questionable decisions when he was planning minister. She doesn’t comment on Mr Guy’s “lobster with a mobster”. Ms Britnell says of the Labor members who misuse money “if any other Victorian stole from their employer, they would lose their job”. Ms Britnell suggests twice that Labor MPs are hiding further misdeeds. “The question must be asked – what are they hiding?” This is an easy accusation to make without evidence and could just as easily be asked of Mr Guy or of Ms Britnell. By criticising Labor’s conduct Ms Britnell is trying to portray herself as being moral and honest and having higher standards but Ms Britnell doesn’t have higher standards she has double standards. The standards she holds Labor to don’t apply to Mr Guy or other Liberal Party politicians. Why then would these standards even apply to Ms Britnell herself? Recently a Labor MP accused Ms Britnell of making racist comments (29/03/2018). She was criticised by a former UDV president for undermining the dairy lobby group. One of her farm workers took her to the Fair Work Ombudsman for underpayment of overtime penalty rates (29/10/2015). She has been thrown out of Parliament at least three times for misconduct. When it comes to lectures on morality, does Roma Britnell have a leg to stand on?
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Peter Martina, Warrnambool
Show needs public holiday
The Warrnambool Agricultural Show is doomed, it has been doomed since Warrnambool City Council changed the Friday school holiday show day to the May races Thursday. Who is the genius on the council who decided it would be better to have a day off for kids to go to the races than for them to go to the show? A mid-week day off compared to a long weekend, hang on, I’ll get me head in another Liebig Street renewal councillor photo opp. Something is not right in this city, come back Brian Kelson, your city needs you before the show is over.
Dallas Bridgman, Warrnambool
Seaweed eye, nose sore
Having moved to Warrnambool from Melbourne for a sea change 18 months ago I’m so impressed with what a wonderful job Warrnambool does at keeping our city, parks and gardens clean, neat and tidy yet we neglect our biggest asset, the beach. The putrid, rotting and stinking seaweed on our shores at the breakwater and flume is nothing short of disgraceful. Surely there is an economical way of dealing with this? Contracting a fertilisation company to take it away and use it should perhaps be considered. Whatever the solution, it must be dealt with because it’s just embarrassing not to mention and eye and “nose” sore. And another thing, we are a tourist resort, yet we expect our visitors to pay for parking when they come to town to spend their money. Ridiculous. Small businesses are the lifeblood of any community and we should be supporting them and encouraging people into town not deterring them. I for one, as a local, would spend triple the time and money in town if it wasn’t for the absurdity of having to pay to do so. I love living in Warrnambool but I just find both of these issues perplexing.
Karin McRobert, Warrnambool
Build horse facilities
In reference to Tammy Good’s letter (The Standard, April 21) I would like to make these observations. Ms Good said, in regard to talks given at the Community Symposium, convened by Belfast Coastal Reserve Action Group, Sunday 15/4 at Crossley hall, "statements, quoting numbers of horses using beaches, are wildly inaccurate, and quite frankly mischievous. Suggestions that there would be up to 250 horses per day using beaches on the Belfast Coast are based on what information"? As many readers will be aware, recently a Draft Management Plan for Belfast Coastal Reserve was developed. Page 64 of that document states, 'Warrnambool Racing Club proposes for up to 280 horses per week in the Levys beach and Hoon Hill dunes (40 per day, 7 days or 56 per day, 5 days) and 120 per day on the Levys beach foreshore.' This equates to 160 - 176 horses per day. Add in the 20 - 50 per day proposed for Golfies, East beach and the numbers proposed by Warrnambool Racing Club (obtained under Freedom of Information) for Killarney beach and Rutledge Cutting (up to 50 and 20 per day, respectively) and the numbers speak for themselves. This also equates to around 25 per cent of the total beach area in the reserve being open to commercial horse training. The purpose of the symposium was to allow the community to hear the undistorted facts surrounding the current debate about the future of Belfast Coastal Reserve, its wildlife, culture, ecology and recreational uses. There is a simple solution to the acrimony brought upon the community by the unprecedented escalation of horses being trained in the reserve. That is, first class, off beach facilities such as those at Ballarat Turf Club, including an uphill sand gallop that replicates beach training. This would provide jobs in construction and maintenance, attract trainers to the area and secure the long term future of racing in the district. Relying on access to public land and beaches for an activity that is not coastal dependent is a short sighted and flawed business model.
Bill Yates, Spokesperson, Belfast Coastal Reserve Action Group Killarney