The Editor
Goondiwindi Argus
Marshall Street
Goondiwindi 4390
Sir
During the recent spate of burglaries (Argus, July 14) our original wheelie bin, with its distinctive large split down the side, attracted the larcenous attention of persons unknown. Why this should have been so is quite beyond us, especially since it was the receptacle for some quite offensive items such as dirty nappies and dog droppings.
Having registered this unsavoury act with the police, we then approached Council for a replacement. “Because of the split and general deterioration due to old age, we have been intending to do this for some time,” we explained. “Do you have the bin?” they asked. “No,” we replied, “it has been removed illegally from our premises and an extensive search has failed to reveal its whereabouts.” No sympathetic questions were asked about what effect this was having on our mental state, commonly referred to as bin deprivation syndrome.
In fact, quite the opposite of sympathy emerged. “You’ll have to pay for a new one,” we were told. Why? Because Council has to be sure that you haven’t hidden the bin in your shed, given it to a friend as a shrimp bucket, or sold it on ebay. “But we have lived here for 40 years, never ‘bin’ in jail (‘wheely’), and in fact rather fancy ourselves as decent, honest, responsible citizens,” we protested. Alas, all to no avail – without the physical evidence, a free replacement bin was not on the agenda.
To be fair, Council did deliver a somewhat dusty new bin after the required financial transaction had taken place and (thankfully) our cheque didn’t bounce. The whole episode, however, and many others happening at the local, state and national levels, cause you to reflect on the sort of world we inhabit. We have been penalised so that slimy grubs, who will wriggle out of trouble in the unlikely event they are ever apprehended, can play light and loose with our venerable bin. If, poor darlings, they become infected by the contents, the public health system will take care of them for free: then they will probably sue us and win.
This is the price we pay for living in a liberal, democratic society. Tell the truth and you will be doubted. Do the right thing and you will be taken for granted. Never complain and you will be ignored. Work hard and your taxes will be used to buy votes from the ‘disadvantaged’. Once a year hand out some citizenship awards to show that we really do care about the finer things in life – it only takes some fancy paper and a couple of hours at a public function. We will all bask in a warm glow of achievement until next year, hopefully unaffected by the activities of the grubs who unfortunately missed out on awards yet again.
Most politicians are decent, well-meaning people who genuinely want to make a positive contribution to the lives of their fellow citizens. This is true of the great majority of our local councillors, and we are grateful to them for taking on what is often a thankless role. However, once elected at any level the system tends to take over, and rules do not discriminate on the basis of character, reputation or any other human quality.
The precautionary principle - it may never happen, but just in case - and the precedence principle - we mustn’t create a precedent by doing this - are major causes of the widespread disenchantment with politics.
They lead to decisions that are seen as insensitive and inflexible, making us feel like objects being pushed around without any consideration for us as individuals.
If enough small, insignificant incidents like a stolen wheelie bin stack up over time, it is little wonder that disenchantment is the result.
Enjoy the election campaign.
Bruce and Sue McCollum
Goondiwindi
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