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Winning Questions
1490 votes Will you hold a referendum in conjunction with the next Queensland state election to allow the people to decide if they want Fluoride in their water? The American Dental Association warns mothers not to make up infant formula with fluoridated water and there are now 25 studies showing that Fluoride lowers IQ. Fluoride and the silicon delivered with it are threats to human health in numerous ways. Over 2.5 million people have turned off fluoride in their communities in just the last year. See www.fluoridealert.org. - Geoff Pain 827 votes Why will you not hold a referendum to allow the citizens of QLD their chance to decide if we should introduce Daylight savings or not? There is a majority of people within the southeast who find it incredibly frustrating this time of year when dealing with southern states who are 1 hour ahead of us. All I'm asking for is the chance to take this to the vote, if it looses then fair enough but let us decide please.. - Paul Smart 644 votes Last year, a state government report concluded that “the quality of Queensland's solar resource is comparable to the world's best solar resources.” Rather than build gas plants and expand the contentious Coal Seam Gas industry, what concrete steps will your government take to build baseload concentrating solar thermal power plants with molten salt storage? . - Emma CartonMore about this
You can see the full list of questions asked for this OurSay here.
The new solar projects and feed-in tariff are great. However deploying new gas only locks in fossil fuel dependence, price-rises (especially when exposed to export prices) and the dangers of CSG. As the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) report states: “wholesale prices increase steeply as … increased gas plant is installed to meet demand". Or from the UK: "almost two thirds of [the electricity bill] increase was down to rises in the wholesale gas price, compared to just a seven per cent increase resulting from renewable energy subsidies" Finally, the Queensland Government dropped the ball not getting the go-ahead for the CopperString project and instead letting Xstrata build a gas plant.
Thanks Premier Bligh for your stock-standard dismissive response on Daylight Saving. It is disappointing how the Premier continually fobs this issue off, by spinning the facts. Her claims of a small majority who support Daylight Saving are unfounded. Premier Bligh's own survey in 2010, indicated an overwhelming majority of 64% want a trial and referendum on Daylight Saving in South East Queensland. The Nielsen survey of 2007 indicated 59% of all Queenslanders want Daylight Saving. It's frustrating that the clear majority who favour Daylight Saving are continually ignored. Someone will have to fix this problem, because the issue is not going away until it's adequately resolved.
Additionally: "neither the $1.2 billion Solar Dawn project, which proposes to build a 250MW solar thermal facility in Queensland, and the $923 million Moree Solar Project, which plans a 150MW solar PV facility in the north of NSW, have been able to strike power purchase agreements, the necessary pre-requisite to get finance from the banks." - Flagships stumble: Solar funding stalls on the grid
American Dental Association Warning 2006 “If using a product that needs to be reconstituted, parents and caregivers should consider using water that has no or low levels of fluoride.” http://www.fluoridealert.org/scher/ada.egram-2006.pdf
Townsville Health Service District residents are admitted at a higher rate than people from other parts of Queensland for potentially avoidable conditions including asthma, congestive heart failure, convulsions and epilepsy, congestive obstructive pulmonary disease, dental conditions (***), ear, nose and throat conditions, and pyelonephritis. A number of these diseases are associated with and/or exacerbated by Fluoride. http://www.health.qld.gov.au/townsville/Documents/executive/e_csp_bgp3_demogr.pdf Anna Bligh was demonstrably wrong when she stated "There is no evidence that any disease or illness or condition is more prevalent in Townsville, or Sydney or Melbourne than it is in any city without fluoride."
Fluoridation questions are anti-scientific: World Health Organisation report that finds water the smallest contribution to fluoride intake: 3.5 Estimated total exposure and relative contribution of drinking-water Levels of daily exposure to fluoride depend mainly on the geographical area. In the Netherlands, the total daily intake is calculated to be 1.4–6.0 mg of fluoride. Food seems to be the source of 80–85% of fluoride intake; intake from drinking-water is 0.03–0.68 mg/day and from toothpaste 0.2–0.3 mg/day. For children, total intake via food and water is decreased because of lower consumption. Intake of food and water relative to body weight is higher, however, and can be further increased by the swallowing of toothpaste or fluoride tablets (up to 3.5 mg of fluoride per day) (Slooff et al., 1988).
Premier we have a stand-off it seems! Either Geoff Pain's research references are inaccurate or their source has drawn erroneous conclusions or your own advisors are not exposing you to the most recent and thus relevant findings in this debate? Solution? Let the People decide by Referendum at the imminent State election.
Premier, Mass medicating the Queensland population with toxic waste does not fit with the Legislation wording of 'safe'. You say Qld was behind the other states in introducing fluoride. The lack of it was the reason I chose this state. You have created the perfect conditions for Poor health for the poor and uninformed, and great expense and inconvenience for those of us who are aware of the dangers of putting hydrofluorosilicic acid anywhere near the human body, who are now forced to buy r/o filters or bottled water. Not to mention the environmental impact of your decision. I suppose the next thing will be to tax bottled water? And ban r/o filters so we comply? You will realise your mistake when your grandchildren finish up with brown cracking teeth and refuse to smile. Or when you break your brittle hip? Too late then to do the right thing and repeal your draconian law?
Neurosurgeon, Dr Russell Blaylock, in his Blaylock Wellness Report Vol 5, No 1 said, "There is no justification for water fluoridation, since a number of very large studies have shown no reduction in cavities with such treatments. In fact, compelling evidence indicates that aluminum in water is associated with a significantly increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease, especially if the water is fluoridated. Fluorine is a very reactive element and readily combines with aluminum to dramatically increase absorption of both chemicals from the intestines and drive the compound into the brain. Both fluoride and aluminum are neurotoxic, that is, they are toxic to the brain.”
Dear Anna, The question was, 'Will you hold a referendum to allow the people to decide if they want fluoridation in Queensland?' I didn't hear the referendum word. I have, as you suggest, obtained a copy of the 2007 NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) Review into the Efficacy and Safety of Fluoridation. This report has obvious faults. You would be aware of 'The Case Against Fluoride' - Paul Connett, Beck & Micklem. Just on the point of referendum, there is a good book - 'Fluoride in Australia A Case to Answer' by Wendy Varney. In the 50's the NHMRC put forward provisos in relation to fluoridation. The condition was that "A large proportion of the community should desire that fluoride be added to the water supply, or alternatively, a substantial proportion of the community does not oppose the addition of fluoride to the water. This reflected some compromise for those who cherish civil liberties." A little further on reads, "However, the Council has since decided fluoridation is not a matter for popular debate. It opposes suggestions that a referendum should be held, or public attitudes taken into account." This brings me to the question of the Australian Constitution. (Chapter 1, Part 5-Powers of the Parliament, Section 51-60, Section 51- Legislative Powers of the Parliament) The pertinent part is 'Parliament cannot authorize any form of civil conscription in relation to medical or dental services'. One would say that adding fluoride to the water is not to treat the water, ...but to treat teeth. If you are treating teeth to effect a physiological change, it is indeed a dental service. You make mention of other cities being fluoridated over 4 years ago. A graph showing every major city of Australia was compiled (Diesendorf 1990) showing decay in 10 year old children for 1977 and again for 1987. Over the 10 year period the figures showed decay rates had gone down in every city. All towns, except Brisbane, had fluoridation. However, the graph showed the same trend whether the city was fluoridated or not fluoridated. Perhaps better oral hygiene and better diets are the reason? Why I ask, have so many European countries now removed or never introduced fluoride? You have to admit there is a lot of scientific information out there against the implementation of fluoride. If in doubt, leave it out! The fluoridation product being used is not natural fluoride which was suggested by researcher Dr. H. Trendley Dean many, many years ago as possibly being associated with fewer cavities. May I suggest a government report as further reading. The 1989-1991 Australian Capital Territory 'Inquiry into Water fluoridation in the ACT and the Dissenting Report by Dennis R. Stevenson, MLA. The Dissenting report is some 160 pages. I was quiet embarrassed with your video reply and can only hope you are doing your own homework on this controversial subject. It appears your Health Department is on a set agenda, and certainly not providing you with all the facts. Subject to formal public awareness from both sides, let your community decide via referendum. What are you afraid of....?