Perth Voice Interactive

Polite applause
WHILE Chatfield’s “Lisa Michelle” (Voice, May 16, 2015) might differ in style from the “Mona Lisa”— and anyway, Perth’s lord mayor is facing the opposite direction—his effort is plausible and worth applause.
Neither can Ms Scaffidi be taken for a woman of Algiers, yet by acquiring her portrait Perth city council might well make a shrewd investment for the city. After all, the chain-bearer is Perth’s first woman to hold such office. She has re-invented its functioning and in doing so gained considerable popularity.
Charlie Benskin
Kingston St, Nedlands

Give buses  a chance
I AM writing regarding your front page story of May 9, 2015 where you slam the Barnett government for, in your words, the proposed “bog standard” bus lanes on Fitzgerald Street.
As an Inglewood resident and regular user of public transport, I can say the extended, dedicated bus lanes along Beaufort Street, between Grand Promenade and the city, where buses run every three minutes during peak periods, are incredibly well patronised and work very efficiently to get people out of their cars.
Now the government wishes to replicate the success of the Beaufort Street experience along Fizgerald, but is being slammed for it.
It is true residents are not being offered a light rail service but, due to the financial constraints affecting every aspect of state government activities, it is petulant to slate what will be an effective shorter to medium-term solution, which will actually encourage the use of public transport.
Last year, when the City of Vincent realised its declared $4 million surplus was actually a $4 million deficit, it had to change its spending priorities pretty quickly. Why then does it fail to understand that with falling revenues the state government must do the same.
Gary Clyne
Ninth Ave, Inglewood

Cops pinged for laziness
SORRY to hear items from the change rooms of the Mount Lawley Football were ransacked recently (Voice, May 23, 2015).
Contrary to the reported advice provided by the police, the police do have powers to search without a search warrant.
Herewith an extract from Legal Aid website. “Police can carry out a search of your person and property, your place or your vehicle at any time with your consent. However, police also have wide powers to carry out a search without your consent and with or without a warrant.”
The problem lies in the fact that a search of the premises where the phone “pinged” [the pings are very accurate] was detected was simply the laziness and ineptness of the police added to the fact the members of a football club were regarded as a bunch of nobodies. Status carries a lot of weight in the community these days.
If an indigenous person had been suspected the house would have been torn down.
George Bouzidis
Third Ave, Mount Lawley

Room for more
IRELAND has put up its hand for marriage equality and I imagine the same thing could happen here.
Given a referendum on the matter Australia would most probably want such unions solemnised, or sodomised as some folk say. My prediction is the whole world will fall into line eventually. After all, we are living in the end times, the last days. It is Satan’s world and the next big battle is probably the battle of Armageddon. Do not be surprised how much debauchery, misery, suffering, sorrow, violence is yet to appear.
Hell ain’t full yet but it’s getting that way.
Raymond Conder
Central Ave, Inglewood
The Ed says: So WWI, WWII, the Crusades, the Inquisition, the Mongol invasion of China, the European invasions of the Americas/Africa/Asia/Australia, the Vandal destruction of Rome, the influenza pandemics, smallpox, bubonic plague, slavery, priests raping kids—these are all ho-hum? It’s people loving each other who want to get married that’s going to bring on the Apocalypse? Sheesh.