GST promises
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AS always with politicians the wording is deliberately ambiguous as no mention is made as to what constitutes Tasmania being “worse off”.
Does this include the $132 million additional funds yet to distributed or provided we receive an amount the same as last year.
Will this be considered satisfactory by Bass Liberal MHR Andrew Nikolic?
When push comes to shove, will Mr Nikolic be prepared to vote against his party?
It would make a great headline, “Government Whip defies his own Party”.
— A. CARTER, Mowbray.
Students
THE statistics showing a very low retention rate for students in Tasmania do not separate those students with parent support from those who are classed as disadvantaged with schools struggling to retain them in spite of the many difficulties they present.
Because these parents are not likely to read the many excellent educational articles in the media, they need a different approach
Dick James’ letter (April 14) stresses the value of the parental role in nurturing as well as encouraging the love of learning and enquiry.
He also points out the critical role the schools have in involving parents many of whom have not had a good track record and do not trust schools
Much money is spent on buildings and equipment but that money could be better spent in engaging the right people to break down the existing barrier between some parents and school.
Maybe this could mean the appointment of a suitable trained person who can approach and encourage whoever brings the child to school on the importance and value of working together to support their child.
After all, both the parent and the school working in tandem give children a very worthwhile future.
Some schools are already doing this but the middle school is a very different story – it is vital to continue with the support system.
— M. CAMPBELL-SMITH, Launceston.
Health services
OVER and over again, we have to break the news to the elderly and sick in our community, that the health services to keep them safe and healthy in their own homes are being withdrawn.
It appears that the media are assisting the bureaucrats in their dirty work.
By concentrating on the big issues of hospital closures and maternity services, they are neglecting the smaller rural communities.
While the health department is busily shutting down vital services and people are facing the loss of their jobs, not a word is printed.
Full consultation was promised, as well as the promise of no loss of services. Communication to local members is ignored.
One wonders if the politicians and the bureaucrats ever learn by their mistakes in the past. Change is never easy to implement, but it is well known that when there is a good consultation process, the process runs more smoothly.
They arrive with preconceived ideas and a model of practice firmly entrenched in their minds that have no relevance in the rural community context.
But they plod on convinced that their way is the only way. It works in town doesn’t it?
Each rural community has its own unique combination of effective communication strategies and community perception of the value of information received is directly relative to the credibility of the person providing it.
But why worry about irrelevancies when the voting numbers are so small.
Why do we let the bureaucrats make all the decisions without community input?
It happens over and over again. Budget cuts are blamed but the inefficiencies continue.
Do we have no original thinkers in the state?
— MYRLE GRAY, Rural GP, Oatlands.