The Northern Territory news Mon 22 Jul 2019
NT news
The Northern Territory news; NewspaperNT
2019-07-22
English
Community newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin; Australian newspapers -- Northern Territory -- Darwin
News Corp Australia
Darwin
application/pdf
Copyright. Made available by the publisher under licence.
News Corp Australia
https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2019C00042
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/754786
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/773994
12 OPINION MONDAY JULY 22 2019 NTNE01Z01MA - V1 Marines publications describe this EABO as a military strategy difficult for the Chinese to counter. So that makes the military purpose of the Talisman Sabre exercises clear; it is practice for a war with China. We have to ask whether it is in the best interests of the Australian people to practise for a war with China, our major trading partner. China does not threaten us. Loss of trade with China would be a disaster. The USA may have a problem with a China but are our best interests so aligned with the USA that we would make an enemy of China? Darwin has suffered in the past from an enemy; do the people of Darwin want to experience that again? Bevan Ramsden Get involved IT was really scary watching the crowd at one of Trumps talks chanting, Go Back to where you came from. It is a reminder of how dangerous and scary humans can be when led by people that prey on the raw emotion. I believe all people are decent and want whats best, but some are plagued by mental illness, lack of education, laziness, self-righteousness and more and people prey on this. The people that complain about the ABC, most do not even watch it and would rather be spoken to by non-analytical rants. I guess it is just easier to follow that than to try and make informed thoughts based on real facts. As humans we pretty much share similar values, it is just people with their own agendas who manipulate the vulnerable. This is why we need strong intelligent genuine leaders like Jacinda Ardern. If we want better government, and better everything, get involved, get informed and let our leaders know we need more than empty slogans. Carol Phayer 1 YEAR AGO: AUSTRALIAS defence cooperation with nuclear power India will be expanded next week when Indias air force joins billions of dollars worth of supersonic fighter jets in the skies over Darwin. For the first time, India has sent a 145-strong contingent. 5 YEARS AGO: DARWIN council is showing no mercy, ruthlessly raising revenue by dishing out parking fines and cutting the number of days it holds dogs at the city pound. The council made $560 an hour from parking fines in 2013-14 a huge increase compared to previous years. 10 YEARS AGO: THE NT Government is considering a plan to cut a week from mid-year school holidays after complaints from parents having to put up with kids for a month. The plan would reduce the dry season break to three weeks and add an extra week in October. ...and another thing THE pride on show in Alice Springs yesterday for the whole country to see during the Melbourne Demons and West Coast Eagles match was amazing. The stunning scenes of Traeger Park with the MacDonnell Ranges in the background were beamed into living rooms across the country during Channel 7s nearly daylong broadcast of the match. The features the network did on the Alice Springs footy community and even Roaming Brian Taylors venture into the crowds showed just how much footy means to the Centralian citys community. Letters to the editor should be kept to 300 words or less. Send your letters to GPO Box 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. Preference will be given to letters that give the writers full name and suburb and are kept to under 300 words. The Northern Territory News reserves the right to edit letters. Responsibility is taken by the Editor, NT News, GPO Box 1300, Darwin, NT, 0801 Got something to say? Letters Gay-loving CBD AGREE Dave M (NT News 19/7) on the rainbow crossing City of Darwin chipped in for, now smudged with tyre marks and chewing gum. Not against flower planting on a roundabout but for council to keep acknowledging Darwin is a gay-loving city is a bit of a joke. Leave it to Throb nightclub, they put on a light show after dark every night acknowledging were a gay-loving CBD. City Walker, Darwin Threat of Marines US Marines in Darwin: beneficial or a threat to our peace and security? Financially, we are told they bring in income for the NT economy, but the Aussie taxpayer is covering a proportion of $2-3 billion in establishing them in Darwin with additional (unknown) annual charges. The military reason for their stationing in Darwin has never been explained. The massive war exercise being carried out by US troops and our ADF with militaries from Japan, UK and Canada, a total of 35,000, gives cause for alarm. This Talisman Sabre exercise involves practising Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). USA Trust us, the Territorys decision makers - and about 50,000 others - read your letters to the editor every day. Make your opinion count. Mayors right on face trace DARWIN Lord Mayor Kon Vatskaliss comments regarding the introduction of facial recognition as a part of the citys smart technology systems are welcome. While there may be legitimate reasons for council to use CCTV cameras to collect anonymous data about how many people are accessing council facilities and when, tracking citizens faces would be crossing a line. The concept for the initiative comes from Shenzhen in China where facial recognition surveillance has been used to create a controversial social credit system where people earn or lose points based on the way they behave. Such 1984-style surveillance is not something we want to see creeping into Australia with Darwin as its guinea pig. Councils Innovation, Growth and Development Services general manager Josh Sattler has previously moved to assure Darwinites that the artificial intelligence program will be watching, we wont be, which is reassuring to a degree. But as Lord Mayor, it is incumbent on Mr Vatskalis to make sure this is a stance that never changes. Technology is great but without the checks and balances and necessary oversight required to ensure it doesnt overstep the mark these sorts of initiatives have the potential to do more harm than good. Thats why its so important Mr Vatskalis sticks to his guns and remains steadfast in opposing any future whittling away of the rights and freedoms Territorians hold dear. Were a fairly laid-back bunch in the Top End and wed like it to stay that way, without having to worry about the powers that be watching our every move. EDITORIAL Email: news@ntnews.com.au I Text: 0428 NTNEWS I Fax: (08) 8981 6045 I Letters: PO Box 1300, Darwin, NT, 0801 THE PEOPLES VOICE IN THE TERRITORY