Treated with contempt
Posted July 16th, 2010 by debritz
In the Courier-Mail today (July 16, 2010), Matt Condon writes of his frustration with the stock reply he received from the Premier's office when he wrote, as a private citizen, to ask Anna Bligh to intervene on behalf of Brisbane's Regent theatre, which is scheduled for part-demolition to make way for an office tower. About 20,000 people have joined Facebook groups to protest the proposed development, and an online petition to state parliament has more than 6000 signatures.
Condon writes:
I also know enough about life to understand that any government that treats its people and their concerns as unworthy of mindful consideration, that deems it satisfactory to subject them to cut and paste mimeographhs on matters that go to their hearts, and that frankly disrespects them as fools who know no better, has lost its grasp of democracy, its purpose and its obligation to the people it pretends to represent.
I think everybody who received the same form letter should write again to the Premier with specific questions -- such as: How long will the deal to screen films in the "cinema" in the new tower, albeit it on a limited, weekends-only basis, remain in place?; Why is this tower necessary when Brisbane already has a glut of office space and even the government is dentralising its staff?; and Why did the state government change its mind on this issue after initially ordering the protection of the whole building?) -- and demanding real answers. Don't let the Premier and her team treat us with contempt.
(Cross-posted, with additions, from www.savetheregent.com)
