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THANK God I can walk to Aurora Stadium to watch the AFL live and ad free.
Hurry back Hawthorn.
— ROY RUSDEN, Invermay.
Politicians
IT’S great to see companies prevented from using ANZAC to help with publicity and profits.
This should be extended to politicians who continue to shamelessly attach their name to the ANZAC logo in publicity pamphlets.
This seems to be a problem across Australia and certainly contravenes the spirit of the Act of Parliament from 1920.
— C. BERRY, East Launceston.
Pay cut
A FEEL good story from the US.
A young guy, who started his business when he was 19, has taken a 90 per cent pay cut and given it to his employees.
Instead of getting $1 million a year, he is now getting $100,000.
How many business people have ever done that and how many would be willing to?
A starting point would be the CEOs of the four big banks who pocket millions.
Maybe they could take a cut and give back to all their bank customers.
I guess that is like getting pigs to fly.
— GLENNIS SLEURINK, Launceston.
Stopping boats
THE article, "Hundreds of migrants die as boat sinks" (The Examiner, April 16) is a reminder that the claim of our Federal Government to have "stopped the boats" is misleading.
The boats carrying desperate people seeking asylum have not stopped; they have only been diverted, heading for Europe rather than Australia.
The detention of innocent victims of persecution on islands such as Manus and Nauru is not only cruel but it is also ineffective.
Australia needs to take in more refugees and process them more quickly, but, more importantly, we need to cooperate with other countries in trying to remove the reasons why people need to seek refuge in the first place.
Sending more military personnel to Iraq to assist one side in a civil war is a step in the wrong direction.
— TIM THORNE, Launceston.
Violence
THE problem of violence in the country, especially against women, seems to be taken a bit more lightly by a particular paper.
For the sake of a smart headline one Queensland paper has gone and trivialised the search and death of the Leeton based teacher.
Oh, but how clever the editor is to have snappy headlines.
It seems the community does not have the same view, thankfully.
Prior to Easter a Catholic priest in Melbourne insulted Jill Meagher and family.
It never stops.
This entrenched stupidity needs to be addressed.
— MAX WELLS, Sorell.
Television
IT’S good that commercial TV stations have scheduled, during the week leading up to the centenary of Anzac, shows that allow people who may not be able to attend services, the time to reflect on those that have served and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Why not have these shows advertising free?
What I mean by that is, when a commentator says “after the break we will find out what happened to a certain Anzac”.
This is like having an advertising bill board in the middle of an Anzac Day march, I see no difference.
Documentaries focusing on our heroes in my opinion are not for revenue raising advertising.
— ROBERT LEE, Summerhill.
Development
THE large “tin shed”, an addition to the Summerdale Baptist Church, is a blot on the streetscape, out of scale for a suburb being predominately single storey residential.
In a Community Purpose Zone, the scheme allows the Launceston City Council to abrogate its responsibilities as to an exterior finish, to which a planning officer has indicated that it is less than desirable.
This development highlights a further flaw in the 2012 Launceston Interim Planning Scheme, that became a working document prior to formal community consultation.
Government should ensure that best planning practices within Tasmania must be adhered to, as this development does not enhance the streetscape, some would say is a worse outcome than the previous wood yard.
— IAN ROUTLEY, West Launceston.
Marching girls
HOW delighted I was to read that the marching girls are back, under a different name.
I look forward to once again seeing the Drill Dancers at various sporting venues and parades.
What spectacular exhibitions were put on in the past at football games and in parades, and how they used to get feet-tapping to the marches played.
Not only did the teams add much to entertainment but the discipline, camaraderie and character building encountered by participating in this sport did much for the youth of the day. I trust it still will.
I wish the Island Drill Dancers every success in the competition and look forward to watching them demonstrate their skills in our streets.
— A. C. GREEN, Norwood.
Targa
I AM angry after reading an item promoting Targa Tasmania The Examiner (April 18).
There was a box on the page that said motor racing is dangerous.
If motor racing is dangerous, residents should not be forced to tolerate such danger simply through the fact that they live in the area concerned.
Tasmania does not need motor racing drivers endangering themselves and other people to provide “entertainment”.
I would suggest that at least some of my anger should be aimed at the police for permitting this stupid, dangerous and potentially bloody activity to proceed.
I was a stop line radio operator on the fatal Riana stage of Targa Tasmania 1996 - so I have first-hand experience in dealing with a fatal Targa Tasmania event.
— MICHAEL HYDE-WYATT, Riverside.
Hockey
TREASURER Joe Hockey, appearing on ABC Insiders on April 19 from the US stated, “we are doing everything we can to increase revenue and balance the budget”.
Really?
He has no chance of correcting tax avoidance from large corporations in the near future.
He could do much by reversing the Howard/Costello generous welfare packages for those not in need who will spend none of those benefits in Australia to assist the budget bottom line or the unemployment problem.
These, and similar benefits, and avoidance schemes, will continue to haunt all future governments by compounding debt annually unless someone has the guts to say, “No more”.
Instead the next budget can be expected to concentrate on blaming someone else for the current government predicament and punish those that “have not”.
— WALLY REYNOLDS, Perth.
Fishers party
AS just one of many recreational fisher people involved in the formation of the Australian Recreational Fishers Party, I would like to clarify a couple of points.
The proposed party is not aligned with the Greens, nor are we a left extremist group as described by "Fedup" in The Examiner (April 20).
What we are, and hopefully will be, is a powerful representative voice that can lobby the Federal Government on grass roots issues surrounding the sustainability and protection of our local recreational and commercial fishing industry, which we believe is now under severe threat through support of freezer factory super trawlers now fishing our waters.
The Australian Recreational Fishers Party, if supported, will, listen and act on everyday Tasmanian’s behalf and create policies that will best represent Tasmania's interests, not solely for Tasmania's local and commercial fishing sectors, but also on education, health and the future fiscal management of our state.
We want to protect Tasmania’s world class game fishery forever, not give it away to foreign owned companies.
Seafish Tasmania is majority owned by NZ interests.
The Australian Recreational Fishers Party contains within its membership ranks, many highly intelligent and successful business people that if given the opportunity are more than capable of providing sound governance and representation as elected members.
We feel the major parties have forgotten and are largely out of touch with everyday working class people and as a result, they are seeking alternative representation.
We are simply offering that alternative.
— GREG QUINN, Fishing Charter Operator, St Helens.