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I DON’T think it’s fair to target Alistair Clarkson, after all he didn’t ask for that (peanut idiot) to get in his face, and the Hawks are not a dirty team, they play (premiership) hard footy.
— SUZY CHUGG, Hadspen.
Tax
WE had 50 millionaires in this country pay no tax last year, but now farmers are going to be struggling to employ back packers in the field due to another short sighted tax measure to grab a few dollars.
— M. WELLS, Sorell.
Abbeyfield House
IN A society today, we talk about how older people are subjected to elder abuse, well this is elder abuse at Abbeyfield House to those poor residents.
Not only have they been told that they have to move as they are closing the doors, but also that they have to use their money to find alternative accommodation.
If Abbeyfield says they have no money to fund this and keep going, why are they going to refurbish and reopen in the coming months?
— B. MORRISON, Prospect.
Budget
As reported in The Financial Review by Jacob Grueber (May 13) over the next four years, for every $1 the government saves by trimming spending, another $2 will be collected via higher taxes.
According to Treasury, payments as a share of gross domestic product will fall 0.6 of a percentage point to 25.3 per cent between financial year 2016 and 2018-19.
By contrast, receipts will rise 1.6 per-centage points to 25.2 per cent in four years, which would be the highest level since 2006.
Even more significantly, Treasury tax officials confirmed that about 80 per cent of the rise in revenue outlined in the budget will come from so–called bracket creep, which happens when pay increases push workers into higher tax brackets.
Treasurer Joe Hockey when questioned over the problem of bracket–creep at the National Press Club Address , May 13, acknowledged that it is a problem that will have to be addressed.
— BRIAN P. KHAN, Bridport.
Foreign aid
THERE is a view by some in the community that we give too much in foreign aid so it was refreshing to watch Charlie Pickering explaining why reducing foreign aid is a really bad idea.
We should try to understand that as the countries we help become wealthier they are more likely to be stable and good trading partners with Australia.
Charlie’s example of South Korea, which received aid after the Korean War but now buys $22 billion worth of our goods, illustrates this clearly.
An Essential poll found that the average amount people thought we gave in aid was 16 per cent of Australia’s income (and interestingly thought that an OK amount would be 12 per cent) but our actual aid budget is now only 0.22 per cent or 22 cents in every $100 which is the lowest ever and a shamefully low amount for a wealthy country.
— S. INGHAM, Wynyard.
Prince
PRINCE Charles’ letters, written to members of the British Parliament, years ago, have now been released to the public.
This invasion of the Princes’ privacy is unprecedented.
Would anyone like to have their personal correspondence to members of Parliament made public, years after it was written?
Nevertheless, the damage has been done.
What it does demonstrate, if anyone cares to read the released documents, is that the Prince, Britain’s future King, is interested in decisions of government, and looks like he would be a “hands-on-King” if ever he sits on the Throne.
A King that takes an active interest in the affairs of State might not be quite what the established Parliamentarians would want.
However, it is what the nation needs.
An hereditary monarchy has a vested interest in the nation’s future and the viability of future generations, and his own descendants who will one day inherit the Throne.
Unfortunately, politicians are only interested in winning the next election, and the devil have the future.
Few there be among the chattering politicians who could be described as true Statesmen.
— J. NAUSS, Glen Aplin, Queensland.
Roster
AFL Tasmania Chief Executive Scott Wade and his mates must be disappointed that their disgraceful bias in the TSL roster having a bye on May 9 to try and boost the attendance figures at Blundstone Arena for the North Melbourne and Richmond game, seems to have failed.
But, they still have the chance to help the attendance figures at Blundstone and hinder the attendance figures at Aurora, because on May 30 when Hawthorn play, North Launceston players, officials and fans will be at North Hobart Oval, therefore depriving them the chance to attend the Hawks game, then on August 15 when North plays at Blundstone there are no TSL games in the south, which means that with this sort of bias AFL Tasmania can officially change it's name to AFL Hobart.
We will never know because no one will have the courage to own up to giving the order for the refusal of Kanga and Tiger players like Tasmanian stars Ben Brown and Jack Riewoldt to be interviewed by the northern media, but it was ok for them to be interviewed by the southern media.
Now that's real manipulating and parochialism at it's best.
— M. LEPPARD, Invermay.
Budget
WELL, Bill came across with good ideas in his Budget reply last night, the most important regarding education.
However, he had no ideas to speak of about where the money for these dreams would come from. He spoke of subjects that people have been talking about for years, if not decades.
More teachers versed in science, technology and maths, no hex fees for students undertaking these subjects at University.
All well and good but how do we get children to go to school in the first place let alone get them enthused about these subjects?
And the most important question, Bill, just where is all this money coming for these euphoric dreams?
Last time you were in government we ended up in the doldrums and these schemes, while fantastic, will cost and arm and a leg and we haven't got either!
— G. SLEURINK, Launceston.
Boral
Why the Launceston City Council would provide for Boral to move its plant about 400 metres and in amongst residences and businesses is beyond me.
Batching plants are not suitable for operation anywhere near residences and there is no doubt in my mind that in another decade the decision will be seen as short sighted and poor.
A good example of a wrong place for a Batching Plant is in Lilydale Road where a plant is situated 40 metres from the nearest residences.
There are continuing complaints from these residents and with one family recently relocating to avoid the noise and dust.
That too was an atrocious decision in my opinion and that of those residents in proximity to the plant.
Should the new location for Boral not be signed off I would strongly urge the Launceston City Council not to repeat the error of Lilydale Road.
— IVAN DEAN, Windermere MLC.
Budget
I am sure the Greens are grateful for the input of your correspondent Carmen Frelek (Letters, May 13) regarding their leadership.
No doubt Ms Frelek’s advice will help the Greens secure the fringe-conservative vote that has so long been taken for granted by Liberals like Eric Abetz and Andrew Nikolic.
Personally, I will be voting for the Liberals next time as the true extent of their economic genius is now clear with the new Budget.
Just twelve months ago, we had a ‘budget emergency’ and a ‘debt and deficit disaster’, an ‘intergenerational crime’, a veritable Great Wall of China to scale.
Not only has this situation been completely eliminated in a short year, the Liberals have achieved this without even passing their first Budget measures.
It seems that behind the bumbling, hesitant, sport-obsessed, gaffe-a-minute facade of idiocy, our PM is in fact a prodigy of epic proportions.
— P. LLOYD, Reedy Marsh.
Birds
IN support of the Letter to the Editor from Devonport (The Examiner, May 9), I have observed in March 2013 most small birds in the areas of Trevallyn and Beauty Point disappeared.
Uncannily the disappearance of birds in these two areas occurred in the same week.
It included sparrows, white eyes, wrens, fantails, honey eaters etc.
The only smaller birds to remain in any numbers appeared to be blackbirds, but they are now also gone.
Larger birds such as ravens, plovers and magpies are seen but in limited numbers.
I doubt it is a disease as their disappearance in one week would seem an unlikely cause.
What worries me is that perhaps it is possibly analogous to the Canary in the mine and the explanation could be very serious for us all.
Is there a naturalist who can shed some light on this mystery?
— GARY LONG, Trevallyn.