Cat ignores curfew
Despite the 24-hour cat curfew in Mornington, there is a cat that’s allowed to roam at all hours in our area. The result is two dead possums in my backyard (pictured above) and one on the front nature strip, all within five days. Also throw in several shredded birds over a period.
The owner seems to be unaware or simply doesn’t care about what the cute little darling gets up to when running loose, especially at night. This clearly shows why there is a curfew.
Cats are instinctive hunters and whatever they catch they certainly don’t wish it Merry Christmas.
Austin Sadler, Mornington
Tracker off course
Mornington Peninsula Shire’s pledge tracker is a farce and totally misleading (“Shire’s ‘shout out’ lobbying” The News 6/9/22).
As a candidate, [Liberal] Sam Groth can make any number of promises knowing that the chances of him having to follow up on them are very slim. There is also the fact that once in office many factors come into play as to whether these promises can be delivered.
On the other hand, [sitting Nepean MP Labor’s] Chris Brayne is unwise to make wholesale promises as he is constrained by government budgetary decisions.
He is, however, advocating very strongly with the government for a number of future projects in the local area. As our local member, Chris has an excellent record of things achieved in his first term. As somebody born and raised on the peninsula, he cares passionately about this area.
The pledge tracker will make no mention of what has been achieved in the past but will only look at what empty promises are made for the future. So, for this, it is little more than a stunt.
Marilyn Merrifield, Rye
Left, right out
Despite being called upon to reinstate the locally successful Pick my Project grants program, once again the Mornington Peninsula has been ignored by the state government.
Based on community support and not political interference, the peninsula was the most successful Victorian municipality for these grants just before the last state election.
The program now looks like an election gimmick, dropped once elected and the money returned to pork barrelling for must-win seats elsewhere.
Local Labor candidates have been ineffective in getting anything like a fair share of funding for the peninsula.
The recent suspicious preselected move to the far right church-backed Liberal candidates here has left a big gap for moderate independents to show whether they can make a difference (“Turf war splits peninsula Liberals” The News 23/8/22).
David Gill, councillor Mornington Peninsula Shire
Homeless need help
In the latest issue of Peninsula Buzz from the Mornington Peninsula Shire there is a headline “homelessness on the peninsula is at tragic levels … We need $100 million from the Victorian Gov…”.
I note that the shire budget for 2022-23 contains exactly $0 for the homeless. Also, it seems that the MP for Flinders [Zoe McKenzie] has pledged exactly $0 for the problem of homelessness.
The shire council is also running a “shout out” “advocacy” for its priorities (“Shire’s ‘shout out’ lobbying” The News 6/9/22). Is reducing homelessness one of those priorities?
Lee Seldon, Somers
Yellow-ringed hole
On Tuesday I was driving on some of the Mornington Peninsula’s roads and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the now not-so-rare yellow-ringed pothole all over the roads.
There was I hoping this pernicious being would be extinct by now, not that I’m advocating creature extinction in our environment on the whole, but this creature we could do without.
Rupert Steiner, Balnarring Beach
Negative response
I was one of several hundred concerned citizens who recently attended a forum to listen to frontline workers speaking about homelessness on the Mornington Peninsula.
Sadly, there was not an opportunity to speak at this forum.
I would have asked those of the attendees who voted at the 2019 federal election against limiting negative gearing, reform of franking credits and capital gains, that the then Labor Party was campaigning to reform.
In my humble opinion, these are much needed reforms that need to be thoroughly discussed. We really can’t afford these indulgences, which cost billions of dollars that the privileged minority receive.
With sensible reforms of these tax concessions, a percentage of the billions saved could be directed to help alleviate homelessness and poverty.
As a wealthy first world nation, it is a sad indictment on us all that hundreds of people are sleeping rough and living in poverty, including many women and children, veterans and people with mental illness.
It has been proven that if you are unemployed and homeless your chances of securing permanent employment are greatly diminished. Surely, secure housing is a fundamental human right.
Denise Hassett, Mount Martha
Decade of inaction
Who’s the duffus? Who’s the duffus? On 5 September [federal opposition leader] Peter Dutton calls Anthony Albanese a liar for not cutting Australian power bills by $275 in three months.
On 13 May 2019 then Energy Minister Angus Taylor promised the Coalition will deliver power bill relief for small businesses with a 25 per cent reduction in the average national electricity market (NEM) wholesale spot price by the end of 2021.
The $11 billion taxpayer handouts to corporate mafia fossil fuel industry are called “subsidies”, with minuscule handouts made to support social services for those most in need called “welfare”.
Shadow early childhood education minister, Angie Bell: Opposition (in government for 10 years) criticises government for not yet fixing childcare.
The opposition is very focused on Labor having been in power “for more than 100 days”.
Joe Lenzo, Safety Beach
Letters – 300 words maximum and including full name, address and contact number – can be sent to The News, PO Box 588, Hastings 3915 or emailed to: team@mpnews.com.au
First published in the Mornington News – 13 September 2022
