Looking for work. Photo: Fairfax
WHEN the Australian states federated in 1900, you can bet the Poms lumped the new Australian federal government with the responsibility for the diseases, feral animals and noxious weeds they had allowed to infest Australia.
Since then successive state and federal governments have failed to put adequate quarantine in place and more overseas diseases, feral animals and noxious weeds have been introduced.
In cases like the cane toad and prickly acacia they even recommended introduction. Therefore it’s only right and proper that state and federal governments should be totally responsible for the management – or preferably, total annihilation – of these introduced menaces!
We have a huge unemployment problem. Let’s get the unemployed to work month-on, month-off getting rid of these pests. The month- on would entail them being taken to camps where they are fed and housed. That way the dole would be satisfactory wages. The month-off would give them the chance to look for a job. If they failed to do the month-on they are automatically off the dole for good.
If I knew I would have to spend a month on a chipping hoe or looking in gross places to kill cane toads, I’d be looking for that job pretty hard and making sure I kept it when I got it!
No need to bring in foreign workers then!
Frank Brown
Richmond