Perth Voice Interactive

Rooned by the socialists
YOU could be excused if you thought the majority of nasty letter writers sat idle while we had the two worst prime ministers in history of this great country.
Keating left John Howard with a $96 billion debt and 17 years later Rudd-Gillard-Rudd left Abbott with a $300 billion debt and annual interest of $12b to service it—and it was heading north if we didn’t do anything about it.
Let’s do nothing better. More, let’s put Labor back in power at the next election and leave all the mounting debt to the next generation, then we will see how great this country is, or should I say was.
The consequences of the past six years of socialist government is before your eyes.
S Livingston
David St, Yokine

We should care more
I WOULD like to submit this reply to Larry Arrigoni’s letter regarding “Charles on Tuesday” (Voice, May 17, 2014).
Clearly, thousands of cars had passed the scene that morning, each driver deciding in a blink not to get involved.
With the high cost of ambulances for non-life threatening emergencies, and reported slow police response times, I am not surprised.
Perhaps more dependable support from the authorities in ambiguous cases like this would give every driver and passer-by the confidence to stop and offer their help.
Matthew Dwyer
Beaconsfield
The Ed says: Matthew’s the Voice’s good samaritan photographer who tried to help.

ABC could open its own Labor branch
IN his letter (Voice Mail, May 24, 2014) David Hawkes, a long-serving ABC identity says, “….as a long-time member of the staff of the national broadcaster and as a listener and viewer I am unaware of the leanings of my erstwhile colleagues”.
Let me give him some clues:
Alan Carpenter—7.30 Report presenter to WA Labor premier.
Diana Warnock—long-time ABC personality to Labor MLA for Perth.
Maxine McKew—Lateline presenter to Labor Member for Bennelong.
Bob Carr—current affairs journalist to NSW Labor premier and later foreign minister.
Barrie Cassidy—host of Insiders, was Bob Hawke’s press secretary.
Kerry O’Brien—host of 4 Corners, previously presenter of the 7.30 Report, was a press secretary to Gough Whitlam.
I have many more names, which I will not add, who have started in the ABC and then went on  to hold elected office for the ALP.
David please! Wink wink!
Michael Sutherland
Liberal MP for Mt Lawley
The Ed says: We’ll add the NT’s former Labor chief minister Clare Martin to that list. But it does cut both ways. Off the top of our head former ABC journo Sarah Henderson is now a federal Liberal MP and former ABC weather man Grant Woodhams joined the WA Nationals and became Speaker in the Legislative Assembly. While to our knowledge not having worked for the ABC, both prime minister Tony Abbott and communications minister Malcolm Turnbull are also former journalists.

Get off the loo and into debt
RATHER than running around being an unqualified local toilet inspector, I’d prefer to see the federal Labor MP for Perth actually do her job and concentrate on cleaning the disgusting debt and deficit mess her party left the nation’s finances in.
Darryl Moore
Federal Liberal candidate for Perth (2013)
Beaufort St, Bedford

Speed limit good, but…
IT is commendable that Stirling is carrying out roadworks on North Street Mt Lawley to reduce the speed of traffic.
However, in the process it is removing one of the safer east/west cycling routes in Mt Lawley and losing an opportunity to encourage young and old to get on their bikes.
There has been a number of recent incidents that have highlighted the need to reduce the potential for conflict between cyclists and motorists. Our own transport minister has stressed the need for cyclists and motorists to be considerate of each other when sharing the road. My concern with the North Street works is that there is no dedicated bike lane and that the lanes will be narrowed, requiring cars and buses to move to the other side of the road to safely pass.
On-road bike lanes seem to be a rarity in Perth, but very common in other capital cities where they are being rolled out in great numbers. Maybe one of the lessons is that the state government needs to take a more hands-on approach to the delivery of local cycling routes. This will help ensure the WA Bicycle Network Plan achieves its aim of making WA a place where cycling is safe, connected, convenient and a widely accepted form of transport.
Andrew
Alfonso St, North Perth