Drugs
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COULD it be government dependency on alcohol and tobacco revenue that has made it cheaper for addicts to turn to harder drugs?
— WALLY REYNOLDS, Perth.
WA government
AS the Western Australia government is discovering, life is full of ironies.
After such heavy criticism of the Tasmanian economy, look who is pushing for the other states and territories to bail them out.
Obviously rainy days seldom occur in WA
— A. CARTER, Mowbray.
Cliche
IF I hear another politician say when tragedy strikes, "Our thoughts and prayers are with you”, I will scream.
It has become as meaningless as "Have a nice day”.
Much better to use a few more words and say something like, "Our country will be thinking of you, those who feel they can pray will and we will give every assistance possible”.
— MALCOLM SCOTT, Newstead.
Negativity
I'VE had a gut-full of your negative, whinging voice. The political system is failing you. The education system is failing you. The industrial relations system is failing you. Someone else has too much of the pie. Consumers don't feel confident. Business don't feel confident. There's a problem with our tax system. There's a problem with the economy. Governments don't listen to you. There's too much regulation. Not enough infrastructure building. Governments are not sending the right signals for you...
On and on you go.
There is no stopping your critique - you fire off at everyone and everything.
I agree with you that there is something wrong, but disagree with your assessment of the problem.
In my humble opinion it is you and your folk who are the problem - it's your constant negativity.
Seems more like a primary school playground than the type of leadership we need.
— GRAHAM BAILEY, Gravelly Beach.
Good news
FORGET your Leo Schofield and small minded people who make the world a sad place and look at all the many, many people who came from so many walks of life to search for a young boy lost.
What a great feeling it must have been when Luke Shambrook was found, it was for many of my friends and myself and we were not there.
It shows there are caring and generous people in this country that we live.
Sadly there is so much sad news in this world, so it's great for to have some good news for a change.
— L. MORTON, Beaumaris.
Tax
COALITION senator Bill Heffernan has said that tax cheats should be treated like ISIS and the problem is akin to the church covering up child abuse.
And all this time the government had been trying to suggest low income earners and carbon tax is the biggest threat to Australia.
If we should treat tax cheats like ISIS then should we be hurrying the purchase of the F-35 along to launch air strikes on those who fill in their forms wrong?
Or have our SAS hunt down and assassinate individuals who plot to defraud the ATO?
Perhaps the Australia Federal Police could close down their computer crimes division and detectives after child predators could be after anyone avoiding tax instead.
— DAVIS SEECAMP, Trevallyn.
Major changes
IT IS very disappointing when major changes are announced by minister or parliament, that will affect everyone, and the local government mayors and public fail to comment on those changes.
Such is the case with Central Coast Council, and public. It’s no use being an arm chair critic, if at the end of the day no public comment is made and reported.
The North West Coast, and Launceston are highlighted for major changes, which many of us do not agree with. It’s time to speak up now either err by letters to the local papers, or to the politicians.
Let’s stop being apathetic and oppose these changes in the public interest.
— JIM CAMPBELL, Ulverstone.
Politics
APPARENTLY John Biggs of Sandy Bay (Letters, March 28) believes that more politicians equates to better government.
The reason that the House of Assembly was reduced from 35 Members to 25 and the Legislative Council from 19 Members to 15 in 1998 was that it over-represented the population and had become inflexible.
Tasmania has the slowest population growth of any state or territory with the present population of about 512,000 smaller now than the population of some Sydney or Melbourne suburbs.
The key to better government is quality – not quantity.
An alternative worthy of consideration is to amalgamate with Victoria (which has 10 times the population of Tasmania) and run the show from Melbourne.
— MICHAEL SCOTT, South Hobart.
Ice epidemic
RECENT conversations with the community have strengthened my concerns about the drug ‘ice’ and the devastating consequences it has for addicts, their family and friends and on society as a whole.
The drain on our economy through adverse health effects, domestic violence, crime, and burden on an overstretched public service, affects everyone.
It is tragic just how young some people are, when they begin experimenting with ice and just how quickly they acquire a serious problem.
Police are trying to cut this drug off at the source and need our support, however unfortunately some will still find its way into our community.
A multi-faceted approach is needed, and I believe education is one of the best tools we have available, for some reason sadly ignored by the government.
If elected, I intend to call on the Education Minister to roll out compulsory, substance-specific drug education, in secondary schools.
With the national task force, and possible future funding, I sincerely hope that we can move towards a ‘prevention not cure’ approach to the ice epidemic.
— VANESSA BLEYER, Greens Candidate for Windermere.
Water
WELL said Launceston Flood Authority General Manager Andrew Fullard with his call that "...citizens of this city rally for more water releases down the Cataract Gorge” (The Examiner, April 11).
With the commissioning of Trevallyn Power Station in 1955, natural water flows through the Cataract Gorge were reduced from a median flow of 50 cubic metres per second (Hydro Tasmania Environmental Review 1999) to just 0.43 cubic metres per second remaining at that pathetic level for the next 48 years when Hydro Tasmania increased flows to a minuscule 1.5 cumecs in 2003 and to the miserable 2.5 cumecs it is today in 2011.
Given these horrific reductions in natural water flow, is it any wonder an environmental disaster exists in waters immediately downstream of Trevallyn Dam?
Launceston City Council presented a submission to the 2008- 2009 Hydro Tasmania Cataract Gorge Environmental Flow Review calling on the Hydro to significantly increase Gorge flows.
An intransigent and miserly Hydro Tasmania responded in 2011 by increasing flows by a meagre 1 cubic metre per second.
Another Cataract Gorge Environmental Flow Review is well overdue, however, Hydro Tasmania appear in no obvious hurry to initiate one.
— JIM COLLIER, Legana.
Abbott
NEW Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows the Abbott government's attack on renewable energy has cost the country 2500 jobs since 2011-12.
The findings put the government's track record on job creation in the spotlight.
Some will now view Prime Minister Tony Abbott's 2013 election promise to create two million new jobs as empty rhetoric.
If the Coalition was serious about jobs in Australia they would start supporting the renewable energy industry instead of attacking it.
It's time for the Abbott government to come to an agreement on the Renewable Energy Target.
Failure to do so will result in more jobs losses and further damage to our economy.
— LEIGH EWBANK, Friends of the Earth’s Yes 2 Renewable Co-ordinator.