Perth Voice Interactive

Look out for the lefties
I REFER to your article “Save our ABC” (Voice, May 10, 2014).
The petition  circulated by GetUp to “protect” the ABC is totally self-serving as GetUp is Greens/Labor aligned. GetUp is an electronic online activist organisation of the left.
The ex-national director of GetUp, Simon Sheikh, was a Greens Senate candidate for the ACT in the 2013 federal election. It was also  disclosed he had been a member of the Labor Party for some years previously.
I had the misfortune of being socially engineered by the “right” for the first 32 years of my life in South Africa. When I immigrated to Australia I  hoped to escape social engineering, only to find we are constantly being socially engineered by the “left”, more particularly when the Labor Party is in power. The ABC is one of the leaders of this left-wing pack of social engineers.
There is not a single conservative anchor person on any of the ABC current affairs programs, shows such as Q&A are nothing short of a farce. “Mr and Mrs  Joe Average”, who are not part of the “progressive chattering classes”, and who still watch the ABC, (many have tuned out in disgust),  have long since realised there is a problem with the ABC’s left-wing bias.
I suggest those who have not read, or have forgotten about, the book written  by George Orwell, 1984 go and read it. If the “progressive chattering classes” are allowed to have their way we will have imposed on us “Newspeak” and a “Ministry of Truth”. Matters will be distorted and massaged to suit single-minded, often warped and perverse political views. Before the last election the Labor Party was working on ways to muzzle the press. Big Brother is watching you—frightening indeed!
Michael Sutherland
Mt Lawley
The Ed says: John Howard commissioned a wide-ranging (and expensive) inquiry into ABC bias. The conclusion? The ABC is absolutely fair. The ABC isn’t left-wing, it’s dead centre: Maybe the Liberals have simply moved so far to the right they regard what was once the centre as the left?

Trees rooted
DONELLE PHILLIP’S letter (Voice Mail, May 10, 2014) claiming the City of Vincent is simply uprooting and dumping Bradford Pears on Beaufort Street and replacing them with flame trees is not the case.
As reported in the Voice, there has been ongoing and significant vandalism of trees on Beaufort Street, with about 70 Bradford and other trees lost on Beaufort Street over 18 months. Those Bradford Pears that are healthy and growing remain in place.
However the council has decided that seriously damaged and destroyed Bradfords will be replaced by Oriental Plane trees in the future, as recommended by a landscape architect.
We are also dramatically increasing the number of trees planted on the street. The reason is these trees will provide much-needed shade and canopy on Beaufort Street, which Bradford Pears do not provide. Anyone walking down Beaufort Street in summer can attest to that!
Vincent is tripling expenditure on our greening plan, which includes our new ‘adopt a verge program’.  We do not believe spending more money on greening our streets is a waste of ratepayers’ money.  It is about realising the critical role trees have in cooling our streets—and making them liveable and pedestrian friendly.
John Carey
Mayor, City of Vincent

Granny crackdown
STIRLING city council is proposing to amend local planning scheme 3 requiring that ancillary accommodation (sometimes known as a granny flat) is required to be integrated as part of a single dwelling house (ie, under the same roof as the house) on lots within the area of Schedule 9 of Coolbinia and Menora.
These lots are covered by a residential restrictive covenant that reads inter alia  “….that the said land shall not be used for any other purpose than the erection thereon of a private dwelling house with its usual conveniences ALSO that not more than one main building shall be erected upon the said land and that no building erected upon the said land be used for any purpose other than for a private dwelling house….”.
This is a positive move and the city’s planners and the councillors are to be congratulated on this initiative in view of the residential restrictive covenant which applies to the lots within the area of Schedule 9.
As this amendment recognises the effect of the residential restrictive covenant which restricts the number of dwellings to one on a lot, the proposed amendment is supported.
Residents of lots in Schedule 9 who were written to in early in April, asking for comment by May 19, should do so supporting the amendment.
Arthur and Pam Mistilis,
Carnarvon Cresc, Coolbinia

Mail & stuff marooned
BOAT people “marooned” on Christmas Island at the pleasure of Her Majesty’s federal government are not the only ones there facing formidable challenges.
Early in March the federal government seconded a Mount Lawley friend of mine to the island for a year. In anticipation she shipped out personal items in February using Zentners. Being an optimist she so saw no problems.
Latest advice is that a cargo vessel has broken down en route. Delivery should not be expected before the end of June. Lots of island residents are also being affected, particularly shopkeepers. And there is more.
Cyclone Gillian damaged my friend’s office equipment and communications. On a personal note, can I send her, Express Delivery, shower caps and emery boards?
Our prayers are now on the wings of Australia Post, a service most probably denied the boat people.
NB: A secrecy undertaking by my friend prevents disclosing her name or occupation.
Bill Proude
First Ave, Mount Lawley