Being a bit player, part-time letter writer, would-be novelist, full time greenie, local agitator, (current President of Noosa Residents and Ratepayers assoc.) it is with trepidation that I poke a toe into the same pool as the big boys and girls.

First, I was inspired, excited and depressed by your book. Excited and depressed because I new it was true, very depressed because I also know that hardly anyone is paying attention and the majority of those that read it were already very unhappy with John (of course that is quite a few). Now if you could get on Big Brother, Australian Idol or some greed/humiliation based variety show, you would have two thirds of the country as your audience.

I have attached my local contribution to the democracy debate. Here on the Sunshine Coast the latest assault is led by a coalition of property developers and government to abolish local governments in favour of centralised regional councils. This of course means the abolition of local strategic plans and environmental protection. The article was actually published! This is because Murdoch and Packer have yet to acquire APN news and while the content is usually banal, parochialism is their bread and butter.

It is surprising what you can slip in and I recommend that readers use the local paper forum, because they actually have a wider readership than Big Media (eg The Sunshine Coast Daily sells more papers on the SC than the Courier Mail).

PS: Perhaps this country needs a publicly owned broadsheet similar to the ABC? We could call it Uncle.

The NOOSA SHIRE RESIDENTS