Ubers and Labor
David Griffin writes: Re. “The elephant in the Uber” (yesterday). You guys ran a letter yesterday that asked about the issue of insurance for Ubers. Here is a blog post that discusses it. Uber has been caught doing many questionable things, but at this point they have at least (mostly) solved the insurance problem.
John Kotsopoulos writes: Re. “Rundle’s tips for the ALP” (yesterday).Richard Barlow’s wildly intemperate sledge at Bill Shorten “… a paralysed deadbeat unfit for leadership” is typical of the far left who with their incessant carping against Labor end up doing the work of Tony Abbott. He along with people like Greens Senator Sarah Hanson- Young have no concept of compromise and are prepared to tolerate, and indeed sanction, a far worse outcome in pursuit of a utopian ideal. When asked about the deaths at sea arising from the activities of people smugglers her response was a dismissive rationalisation that I will never forgive her for.
On Northern development
John Richardson writes: Re. “Northern Australia a costly distraction” (yesterday). So, Crikey says that the federal government’s assertion that “a strong north means a strong nation” is nonsensical? Whilst doubtless many would agree with Crikey’s characterisation of the government’s $5 billion development fund to underwrite “major infrastructure projects like ports, railways, pipelines and electricity generation” in northern Australia as stupid, I wonder if the US military would think it such a bad idea?
I live in Newcastle in the Hunter Valley, a region with twice the population of the Northern Territory. Where’s our 5 billion development fund? We get nothing except budget cuts. Why are we paying taxes when they’re spent on a tiny minority of the population? We’ve got perfectly adequate port infrastructure here, already connected to the largest cities in Australia. There’s no need to do more environmental damage to pristine areas.
If Abbott and his government want infrastructure in the NT then they should do the “small government” thing and do it with private investment and not waste the hard earned taxpayer dollar on pipe dreams.