Finding Lisa
I NORMALLY enjoy reading my local paper but I have to take exception to Nic Hayes Speakers Corner, Voice, 18/03/17.
Specifically, “we all know the troubles that our Lord Mayor has found herself in…”
I am fed up with this journalistic style that people “find” themselves in these positions.
Generally it is used where people have behaved quite deliberately and made specific choices so my request—please call it as it is.
Jenny Mcallister
Mount Hawthorn

Recycling “facts”
I WAS amused to read Gilda Davies’ letter (“Renewable government”, Voice, 11/03/2017).
I am wondering where she obtains her “facts” that renewable energy is more reliable and cheaper than coal.
On Facebook?
On twitter?
Maybe in the pixie dust spread by the anti-coal brigade.
Renewable energy such as wind and solar is not as reliable, and is far more expensive, than base-load generation, whether coal, gas, nuclear or hydro.
It creates reliability problems with power systems, as can be witnessed by South Australia’s recent failures, and their belated acceptance that they must build more gas generating plant to offset shortages created by their over-reliance on large-scale wind generation.
Where will the jobs be created in renewable energy?
This is another oft-sprouted furphy with no actual numbers to back it.
I’m all for renewable, but with 50 per cent renewable energy target comes great costs, and low reliability.
That must be accepted by the community, and not glossed over.
Ian Anderson
Mt Hawthorn

Maylands maverick
WELL done Greg Smith.
You have worked tirelessly for the community of Maylands for a long time.
Unfortunately the vote for minor parties was a casualty of the tsunami against Colin Barnett getting re-elected.
The preference deal with One Nation and the in-fighting with The Nationals was the last straw.
The Liberal Party’s economic credentials have been tarnished.
A lot of soul searching needs to be done.
The $40 billion debt, $3b deficit and the money wasted on vanity projects such as Elizabeth Quay, the Perth Stadium, and new hospitals that look like hotels, rather than increasing the number of beds and services for a demanding population, are hard evidence that can’t be swept under the carpet.
The WA Federal Liberals must take on Canberra and fight for our GST to save face from this debilitating defeat.
Since registering in October 2016, our Party ran a consistent campaign to #scraptheDAP and to keep the GST for WA.
We had lots of support for this campaign with 32 candidates contesting the election.
Julie Matheson
JM Party for WA

Chicken feed
THE notice banning sitting and standing in the train station overpass first appeared some months ago (“Charities Bounced?,” Voice, 18/03/2017).
And while the people begging have disappeared, which I have to say isn’t a bad thing, the Big Issue sellers seem to have disappeared too which is a shame.
Being a pedant when it comes to language, however, it was the reference to people ‘laying’ on the walkway that drew my eye.
I posted a photo of the notice on Facebook, bewailing the fact that I didn’t have a picture of a chook to stick on (well deface) the notice with!
And I’m pleased to see that you used ‘lying’ in your article.
Terrific.
My question to the universe on Facebook was ‘when did laying come into the language in reference to people lying on the ground?’
When I was at school, teachers said that “only chooks lay, people lie”’.
Val Marsden
Submitted on perthvoiceinteractive.com

Amazed
CHRISTIANS may be amazed at the words of Usman Mahmood (Feminist Religion?, Voice, March 4) but this Christian has read the Qur’an and agrees with Usman.
These statements are the teachings of the Qur’an.
What we know as the fundamentalist, radical, ISIS (Daesh or whatever) doctrines are inventions which rose some 1400 years later, inventions which fly in the face of the doctrines of the Qur’an itself.
Christians should, however, also realise that one of the fundamentals of the Qur’an is the repeated call to all people to return to the revelation of the Almighty given in what we call the Old Testament.
It may surprise many to read that the foundation of the teachings of The Prophet is the Book of the Jews.
“O you who were given the Scripture, believe in what We have sent down [to Muhammad], confirming that which is with you…”
(Qur’an 4:47)
Rick Duley
Mabel S treet, North Perth