Speak Up: Should cheap, $2 cleanskin wines be banned?
DON’T KNOW I’ve
DON’T KNOW
I don’t drink it, I drink
beer.
NO How are old
people and pensioners
meant to drink? It’s
usually expensive.
YES Banning it might
never tasted one.
SHELLEY WALTHO, Rapid Creek
LORRAINE RAMKINE, Malak
JOE FRAWLEY, Alawa
AMANDA SULLIVAN, Coonawarra
we were honestly struggling,
and I found myself getting
frustrated and asking if they
had any compassion or were
they heartless?
She replied: ‘‘Well if you’re
going to put it like that, we
can simply deduct any
money we choose from your
account and then sit back
and watch you suffer!’’
As you can imagine, I was
livid. Enraged.
I cannot express my horror
and disgust that this person
would say such a terrible
thing. I went off my head and
she eventually did apologise.
But, the damage was done.
We have had numerous terrible dealings with CSA over
the years.
Their system, and staff,
need a complete overhaul.
I LOATHE dealing with
CSA.
Please tell me we are not
the only ones to suffer such
callous treatment at the
hands of CSA?
Disgusted, hard-working
dad, Farrar
ON EAST POINT CROC
■ I’ve been surfing in Darwin
for 25 wet seasons. I’ve seen
crocs out in the surf on several occasions over the years.
Not once have they ever
bothered me. Sure, it’s their
domain... but far out. If you
wanna live in a protective
bubble, go ahead. I’d rather
live a little. Yoris of Darwin
■ Aaron, perhaps you don’t
remember where you are living, mate so I’ll remind you.
It’s Darwin, ok, and unless the
water is cold, carbonated and
tastes like hops there’s a good
chance the crocs own it. Rob
■ This is not Europe or down
south mate, small inflatable,
kayak or canoe, you potentially present like a prawn on
a cracker to a decent size
handbag in waiting. Jack of
Darwin
ON EX-CHIEF
■ One new Chief Executive
in, six senior staff members
out . . . tells a story, doesn’t it?
Bugly of Humpty Doo
txt the editor
ON KIDS AND
RESTAURANTS
■ To the ass face who wrote
in about the crying kids: Don’t
like it, stay at home.
■ I agree! Babies and young
children should stick to child
friendly restaurants, or even
better be at home in bed. I
don’t want to eat my dinner
listening to your over-tired
baby cry!
■ Re: Taking kids to restaurants. My daughter was two
www.ntnews.com.au
The Alice is visibly bleeding to death
THE security situation in Alice
Springs (and other NT towns) has
been out of control for decades. However it is only now that businesses and
the (largely) white suburbs are being
affected, that the town is visibly bleeding to death, not that anyone is really
listening. All along Aboriginal people,
especially young women, have been
subject to ongoing abuse at the hands
of their own men. Their life is an ongoing nightmare. Political correctness,
acknowledging black-on-black violence has precluded any action. This is
the racism.
But now we (rightly) hear the booming voices from (white) business men
and women who are experiencing repeated property crimes. They are taking to sleeping in their businesses.
An increasing level of alcohol fuelled violent and delinquent crime is
sweeping through our town. Businesses are increasingly turning to
shutters for security that will turn our
lovely town into an African look-alike.
Thieves now come through the roof
and walls. Our town is no longer safe
to go about your business after dark.
Men face violent assault and women
face rape, set upon by (often) juvenile
gangs wielding knives, sticks and
stones. Loitering behaviours have
been tolerated for too many years.
What reasonable person can justify
that juveniles (under 10 years) should
be roaming the streets after 9pm, let
alone 2am? Yet this is too common in
The Alice. Many of these kids have nowhere safe to sleep because the town
camps are lawless and there is little
safety to be had therein. Many of the
camp residents have houses out bush
(built by working taxpayers), but
choose the town ‘‘lifestyle’’ or even in
C M YK
LAST year I changed jobs.
I pay child support
through Child Support Agency (CSA) and contacted them
before I left my old job to inform them of this change, so
it would be organised for
when I started my new job.
It took CSA an unbelievable four weeks to process
this, and as a result my payments were in arrears.
Three weeks before Christmas, CSA contact me by letter, stating they will be deducting an extra $70 per
week to amend my failure to
keep up to date on my payments. As we were doing it
really tough then, and it was
also Christmas and power
bill time, I rang to ask them
to defer this until January.
I spoke to a rude woman.
I explained our problem,
but she wasn’t at all interested in helping us (and supporting the four children
who do live with me).
She didn’t care that it was
their fault I was in arrears or
that it was Christmas, or that
SOAPBOX
One reader says the situation in Alice has been out of control for decades. This
photo shows where thieves simply smashed their way in. Picture: ANDREA SULLIVAN
extreme cases, the political platform
afforded by town camp residency.
Overcrowding cannot be solved unless
quotas are set and are strictly enforced. This will mean evictions and
the media will have a field-day. Poorbugger-me will be the chant. Time for
tough love! Jenny Macklin cannot repair/build the camps fast enough. In
fact doing so will only encourage more
to arrive and to fight their tribal feuds
in public places!
Yet so often we hear the call for
more police. Would another 20 or 200
or even 2000 perhaps make a real difference? Of course not! More of the
same approaches will simply produce
more of the same outcomes! Today we
It’s Darwin ok and unless the water is cold,
carbonated and tastes like hops there’s a
good chance the crocs own it — SEE
COMMENT BELOW
■ Sounds like the NT Police;
new commissioner (blow-in)
equals many senior police
resignations with years of experience and an acute understanding of the NT’s core
problems. Richard of NSW
■ Hmm. just another ex public servant airing their dirty
laundry. Nothing new here.
Bill of Leanyer
ON SCHOOLS
■ My School website is a lie
to itself and depreciating
these kids who go to school in
the Territory. It’s not helpful,
it proves nothing, just creates
more angst among our chil-
are now promised 18 additional temporary police. So what! We demand
on-going action. The time for Aboriginal ‘‘leaders’’ to take control is long
overdue. Hollow words from hollow
men and women are all we get. They
simply lack credibility after so much
inaction. It is time for a different approach. The carrot approach needs to
be balanced with the stick.
Many Aboriginal people are disenfranchised by white fellas who know
better. May God help us all.
Jerry Barclay, Alice Springs
Write to THE SOAPBOX, PO Box
1300, Darwin 0801 or email: [email protected]
dren and should be shut
down. Kalamondi
■ It’s like it’s a test just by
southern-based colonialists.
It’s just the Queen’s English
which is irrelevant in Darwin.
It would be better to teach
the Larrakeyah Nation language and include Chinese and
Bahasa Malay. You’re not
comparing apples with apples. Kids are better off treating it as some kind of joke.
NotColonialistSouthernerWanka of Darwin
■ These user comments are
the best in ages, thanks NT
News. We’ve got a whole cohort of idiots complaining
about how much better education was in their day, and
how bad it is now, replete
with spelling, grammar and
basic syntax errors. Love it!
Also love how people complain that THEY have to continue their child’s education
at home. The nerve of these
schools today, eh? Making
you do basic parenting. I dunno...in my day. Nik
0428 NTNEWS (686 397)
weeks old when we first took
her for dinner at Hanuman.
Over the last 4 years my husband and I take her out for
dinner at least once a month
and have no problems as she
knows how to behave in restaurants. The problem is when
you stay home for 4 years,
take them out and just expect
them to know what to do.
Ally, Cas
restaurant, you obviously
don’t have a family or want a
family or your children have
already moved out. Pull your
head in — y dont u go to the
buffet or Maccas. Families can
go out to u know!
■ To the whinger complaining about getting their romantic evening ruined at a
■ Presumably a romantic dinner is a prelude to a relationship that produces kids. Just
Front page headline ‘PERVERTS ON THE LOOSE’
was so misleading. This story had nothing to do
with AFL players at all — warrior
remember not to go back to
the restaurant. Ross, Winnellie
sible. No one to blame, just an
unfortunate accident, and
people just came together to
help the hurt girl, but also assured myself, the driver, that
it was not my fault. A special
thanks to the lady in the grey
top — you were wonderful to
us both.
ON OTHER THINGS
■ Re: pedestrian accident on
Lee pt rd, Tuesday 1st March.
Sincere thanks for all who
stopped, helped and supported, not only the hurt pedestrian but the driver respon-
■ To the bloke and his kids
who were spearing all the female cherbin with eggs on sat
night at darwim river how do
you expect them to breed up
for next wet its people like
you stuffing this place up,
f*** off and dont come back
■ Nina. Would love 2 have
coffee with u 2. Contact
Megan at NT News for further
info. Mandorah Queen
■ Well xcuse me to the dickheads complaining about twn
camps. I live in one and I’m not
very happy but who are you
guys whinging? I’d luv a job
thank you very much, but it’s
assholes like you that make
it impossible.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011. NT NEWS.
13
PAGE: 13 COLOR:
Enraged with
dealings over
child support
JOHN ANDERSON, Malak
DATE: 9-MAR-2011
LETTER OF THE DAY
YES It’s crazy — we’re
trying to ban 4L casks,
so (drunks) now buy
port. It’s just
encouraging people to
drink.
PUB: NT NEWS
Letters
stop a bit of the
alcoholism throughout
the Territory.