DEAR News Of The Area,

THE face of the National Party is Barnaby Joyce.

His underlings chose him as leader and one assumes they did so because they support his views.

In 2019 Barnaby Joyce said he was “sick of the government being in his life”.

And yet, he was quite happy for government money to be in his life.

He was happy for government money to pay his nine month travel bills of $675,000 for the time he travelled around as “drought envoy”.

He is happy now for government money to be used on election promises such as the $1.5 billion of government money for a new port in Darwin.

He is also happy for the government to be in the lives of those earning more than $200,000 a year by securing them a tax break bigger than anything offered to people on the lowest incomes.

So, I ask, just whose lives are the National Party happy for the government to keep out of?

Is it the aged, for whom services are continually underfunded by this government?

Is it those searching for work who they are happy to keep on a benefit that has them living below the poverty line?

Is it the Australians on an aged pension who National Party MPs boast are so much better off after recent budget promises give them a pathetic $1.37 a day extra?

There are many sound reasons why a society needs government in their lives.

Responsible governments develop sound policies to protect our environment, deliver good health care, provide adequate resources for the aged, quality education, fairness, justice and opportunities for economic development to name but a few of the critical things civilised societies value.

Given that the National Party supports a leader who wants the government “out of our lives”, perhaps we should get the National Party out of our government.

Regards,
Judith FLEMING,
Sawtell.