The Northern Territory news Tue 3 May 2011
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2011-05-03
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English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
Darwin
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
Nationwide News Pty. Limited
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/232482
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/662897
12 NT NEWS. Tuesday, May 3, 2011. www.ntnews.com.au P U B : N T N E W S D A T E : 3 -M A Y -2 0 1 1 P A G E : 1 2 C O L O R : C M Y K On this day IN THE TERRITORY 10 YEARSAGO: Cane toads are being blamed for causing the deaths of eight freshwater crocodiles in Katherine Gorge. The crocswere found floating belly-up. 20 YEARSAGO: TheMt Todd gold project, north of Katherine, is bigger than first thought. The $1.2 billion venture is being developed by ZapopanNL and Billion Australia. 25 YEARSAGO: Parliament should be recalled immediately because the Governmentwas in a state of paralysis, Opposition Leader, Mr Bob Collins, said. Letters to the editor should be kept to 175 words or less. Send your letters toGPOBox 1300, Darwin, 0801, or email ntnmail@ntnews.com.au You must include your name, home address or PO Box number. Name and address will be withheld on request. The Northern Territory News reserves the right to edit letters. Responsibility is taken by the Editor, NTNews, GPOBox 1300, Darwin, NT, 0801 TUESDAY, MAY 3, 2011 Debt control key to future TODAY is Territory Budget day but dont get too excited. Most of the headline items and quite a few of the not-so-headline items have already been announced. Budgets used to be secret until themoment the Treasurer stood up to speak in the Legislative Assembly. Not anymore. Nowadays, Territorians are drip-fed spendingmeasures from about threeweeks before what used to be the big day. Thus, we know that expenditurewill remain high on health, education and capital works. The last item is important private enterprise doesnt need the leg up it used to require, but making a dollar is tough in the Territory and government spending on infrastructure is still important. This is particularly important betweenmajor projects, as the NT is now. One crucial bit of information has not been announced the size of the deficit. Treasurer Delia Lawrie has softened us up by saying it will be substantial. The size of the deficit is obviously of importance particularly as all but one budget for the past decade has been in the black. Butwhat is also of great significance for the Territorys long-term economic health is the ratio of income to overall debt. If this gets out of control, the NT could be hocking its future. ... and another thing OUR hearts go out to the parents of the four-yearold boy drowned at Darwins Leanyer Recreation Park at the weekend. They have been handed a life sentence of grief. Nobody seems to be at fault here. The tragedy demonstrates that children can get into trouble in the blink of an eye. Letters Questions do need to be asked about the safety of the parks and the ratio of patrons to lifeguards SEE LETTER BELOW BUSHSOLUTION FOR APIDDLING 50 CENTS IF the city council decides to charge 50 cents to pee in public toilets, I suggest they look to make sure that the surrounding trees are not allergic to human urine. Marcel Paton, Driver EGGEDONAND ALWAYSKEEN CONGRATULATIONS to h2olily (NT News, April 28) for the idea of a Laksa Crawl. The Monsoon Men are all very keen on Laksa and partake regularly. Being senior Australians, The Men are of course from a generation that were brought up on meat (usually lamb chops) and three vegetables. They were also introduced at a young age to curried egg sandwiches, which are indeed made with Keens Curry Powder. These are a great Australian tradition and stand closely behind the meat pie. This is probably why Keens survives on the shelves of supermarkets and we trust will continue to do so. Curry munchers indeed Keens forever is the cry. RaySwann, Alawa NOWWISER ONWIRELESS RE: Shane from Noonamahs letter (April 29). I was also sold on to wireless by Telstra (from having ADSL), assured by them that even at the slowest speed it was still faster than ADSL. Those that are in the know can have a laugh at that, but Im not tech-savvy and took them at their word. Like you Shane, it was as slow as a wet week, like having dial-up again. Click on a page, go and make a cuppa, come back and it might be done. We put up with it for three months then rang to cancel and go back to ADSL. Telstra got a bit upset as wed locked into a contract. I told them to check the recording of when they signed us on to wireless for the faster claim, then let us know who was being unfair to whom. We are now back on to ADSL2, no problems. As a disclaimer, this is the only problem Ive ever had with Telstra. Tony,Wulagi OSAMADEATHWILL SEEDTERRORCENTURY SO Osama Bin Laden has been killed and the US is already talking about a boost to its international prestige. It will bring zero prestige. Not taking Bin Laden alive to trial and then off to prison will only appeal to fanatical animals who would like his head displayed on a pole on the White House lawn. What this will now earn the USA and the rest of the world is a century of hand grenades tied to wires and lifted aloft by nothing more expensive than a selection of party balloons into the flight path of every aeroplane. Do you think an end to global air travel is worth that head on a pike? SeanRobertMeaney, Tiwi PARKTRAGEDYRAISES SAFETYCONCERNS I WAS devastated to read the news today of a young child drowning at Lake Leanyer. This is an event that many in the outdoor recreation industry feared was an incident waiting to happen. Questions do need to be asked about the safety of the parks and the ratio of patrons to lifeguards and the supervision expected from parents. The only way to accurately know the number of visitors is to ensure patrons pay to use the facility and accept the supervision requirements as stipulated on entry. The Territory public and taxpayer can now no longer afford to pay for this facility to be free as the NT Government will be held accountable for future incidents. CarolynReynolds, Bayview TAXHIKETOHURT SMOKERS CHILDREN DID Ken Henry consider the welfare of children of tobacco consumers skating along the poverty line when he recommended a 25 per cent tax hike? Whats a tax man got to do with health reforms anyway? But then its not his job to care. This is child abuse. It is the job of government to care. Perhaps they thought it better to become a child prostitute than to have your parents die of lung cancer at age 68. AlecHussie, Fly Creek WHOCOMESSHOULD BEOURDECISION NICK (Calacouras), good on your grandfather and all like him. Australia is a better place because he and they came here. But where you strayed off reservation was when you lumped the asylum seekers in the same category. Australia decided your grandfather could come because he did the right thing, along with thousands of other Greeks, Italians and other immigrants. He was processed according to laws and requirements. It is a mantra that immigrants from non-Englishspeaking countries are discriminated against count the Irish in that too. It is an ugly side of us. Nick, we have much to be proud of in our ancestral immigration. But shouldnt we still say who comes? TedDunstan, Karama ROYALTYMERELY FEATOFTESTICLES HYSTERIA over the royal wedding is sickening. Royalty is an outdated concept. The greatest achievement the prince has accomplished is to come out of the testicle of a long-dead robber baron. People worshipping these parasites deserve to be peasants. GeorgeMamouzellos, Brinkin CONSCIENCE CALL CLEARSTHEAIR MILLSY has Hendos skill of clearing the air. True, Perons private members Bill was passed, but so was Andrews. Still the CLP leader must be congratulated for supporting Oakeshott and Windsor whose reforms of Federal Parliament in relation to private member Bills was rejected by Abbott but accepted by Gillard. BillyMoir, Nightcliff The Fixer WHAT: Water has been spilling out of the footpath on Carey St for more than a week. WHOS RESPONSIBLE: Darwin City Council. Luccio Cercarelli. CONTACT: 8930 0581 DOYOUknowof something in theTerritory that needs fixing?GiveTheFixer a call on8944 9724or email thefixer@ntnews.com.au Email: ntnmail@ntnews.com.au Text: 0428 NTNEWS Fax: 08 8981 6045 Letters: PO Box 1300, Darwin NT 0801 VOTE LAST WEEKS VOTE Your Say Should the NT Government find a way to prosecute people over the 800 cattle and horse deaths at Mataranka Station? Should the Territory Government fight for the return of the NTs euthanasia laws? To cast your vote go to www.ntnews.com.au Yes 65% No 35%