Perth Voice Interactive

O’Neill nails it
SHAYNE G O’NEILL in his letter “Garbage” (Voice Mail, December 20, 2014) nailed it for me.
The Northbridge area has always been the epicentre for homeless people where they have access to accommodation, food and medical aid, as well being able to socialise with people in a similar predicament on public land.
Most of the time they keep to themselves but are continuously and unnecessarily harassed and targeted by police who have nothing better to do than react to frivolous complaints by a bunch of recent arrivals with not a skerrick of compassion nor understanding.
Furthermore, being an intelligent lot the new arrivals should have undertaken due diligence of the area and factored in these so-called problems before moving in.
What suburb do they want these unwanted folk to move to? The developers of these el cheapo units and the buffoons from local authorities have never met these “down and outers” face to face in an effort to find solutions but instead put them down at every opportunity.
The Voice editor has obviously been hard done by the state administrative tribunal at some time in his life and continuously raises the issue of its members not being elected.
Well, mate you want to wake up to yourself big time as the buffoons elected to councils with a few hundred votes are there to look after their own personal interests and the interests of their mates.
At least with the SAT there is objectivity and if you don’t agree with the decision you have the right to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
George Bouzidis
Third Ave, Mount Lawley

Love those Voice letters
I ENJOYED the range of comments in Voice Mail in 2014. Let’s start 2015 local.
I agree with John Carey’s philosophy we should be developing around people and not cars. However, the Mary Street location for the piazza is inappropriate.
As long as Barlee Street residents are consulted first, perhaps it would be a better location. Furthermore, if the council is so concerned about this then why does it allow parking on Beaufort Street?
This is particularly the case close to the junction of Walcott, which is continually one of the worst accident black spots in Perth.
On the whole though this is a minor gripe compared to the state government which was wasting millions on trying to catch sharks when that money should be spent on health, education and housing. I think we know who the biggest shark is!
I see Darryl Moore still has sour grapes and is deluded about the “winning” federal team….just as well we have the unrepresentative swill (quote Paul Keating) of the Senate to stop/ water down some of Tony Abbott’s policies, especially the GP co-payment and the costs of uni education.
All the best for the new year to all Voice readers.
Wesley Meller
Clarence St, Mount Lawley

No tax funds for religious schools
ISN’T it high time for governments to stop giving any financial assistance to all kinds of religious schools, given that these communities are socially divisive and, given the opportunity, intolerants?
Today we see Shiites and Sunnis killing each other—despite the fact they worship the same god and believe in the same scriptures—just as the Catholics and Protestants did not so long ago.
In fact, historically millions of people have died thanks to religious conflicts. And, over the centuries, the worst human rights abuses took place under the arbitrary power of ecclesiastic authorities…the ultimate form of dictatorship and death of democracy.
No doubt about it, our tax money could be better spent helping out the increasing numbers of destitute Australians.
Frank Schenk
McDonald St, Osborne Park

Leave us alone
HOW many times does it have to be said: Vincent does not want to be part of the City of Perth.
Kate Emery is wrong when she says (“Barnett confident on council mergers,” The West online, December 16, 2014) that “the City of Vincent wants to be part of the City of Perth”.
The Vincent proposal was made only in an attempt to avoid the worst aspects of proposals from the minister and the City of Perth.
Nearly four out five of those who voted in October 2013 did not want Vincent to be abolished.
Vincent council has clearly stated its position to be that it:
• recognises the local community’s first preference, based on the results of the City of Vincent plebiscite and ongoing community feedback, that Vincent remain as its own local government entity;
• remains opposed to forced local government mergers which does not give ratepayers the final say on the future of their council.
The Vincent mayor has also strongly opposed the vote-weighting proposed by Barnett to ensure “residents don’t control the CBD”—the effect of which would be to make Vincent residents second-class citizens.
For Colin Barnett to say, publicly, the City of Vincent supports his proposed City of Perth Act can only be described as an astounding act of hubris, one compounded by his expectation the Opposition will support it, despite statements to the contrary previously made by opposition leader Mark McGowan.
Ian Ker
Vincent St, Mt Lawley