COULD we be seeing the next Ricky Ponting or Will Hodgman in young Jarrod Freeman, of George Town, (The Examiner, June 23)?

With youth like Jarrod representing our state, Tassie's future looks good.

— PETER GLENDENNING, Travellers Retreat.

Drug driver numbers

THE number of drug drivers caught by police increased dramatically in the past financial year, (The Examiner, June 23).

The fines and deterrents aren't working are they?

— A.R. TROUNSON, Needles.

RET decision

WHAT an absolute disgrace our federal politicians are.

Having now not only slashed the Renewable Energy Target but also included the burning of native forests which only they regard as a sustainable source of renewable energy.

Unbelievable when the world is facing dire consequences from the rampant use of fossil fuels.

They stubbornly refuse to listen to anyone: climate scientists, the majority of the Australian population, the Pope and now the Lancet Commission, which has declared that Climate Change poses such a threat to public health it risks undoing the gains of the last 50 years.

— ESTELLE ROSS, Riverside.

Pension cuts

WELL done to Barry Prismall (Pension pie off menu for middle class, June 24) for his insightful commentary on the Liberal/Green pension cuts.

Pensioners have been lied to, betrayed and deceived by Prime Minister Tony Abbott who promised no cuts to pensions.

The Greens teamed up with the Liberals to rip $2.4 billion from pensioners’ pockets.

Now, some single pensioners will lose $8200 and some couples will lose $14,000.

Over the next 10 years, more than a half of all new retirees in Tasmania will be worse off.

The Joe and Sally Smith Mr Prismall refers to are real people who are not rich.

 — CAROL BROWN, Labor Senator for Tasmania.

AFL team

WHEN will Opposition Leader Bryan Green stop ranting about Tasmania getting a team in the AFL?

It will never happen in a state with just half a million population.

At a pinch, maybe half of them that would follow the game.

You are just raking over old boring ground.

Get your mind around something positive.

— DAVID PARKER, West Launceston

America disasters

HOW often this year have we seen TV reports about disasters in the US, ranging from tornados, floods, bushfires, sink holes, etc?

When these sorts of disasters occur in other parts of the world, we soon after, see appeals launched for assistance to those adversely affected.

But not for our American friends.

Why not?

Surely, in times of these natural disasters, our American friends could depend on assistance from Australia and Australians?

How about it Red Cross, and other charities?

— BILL CARNEY, Riverside.

Launceston City Council

GREEDY, greedy, greedy Launceston City Council.

Just before 5pm on a cold, raw winter's day, I received a parking ticket whilst I was sitting in the car waiting to pick up my husband.

At the time I was parked outside St Johns Church and there were three other cars parked on the parking meters between Elizabeth and Canning streets.

Leaving about 20 empty parking meters.

LCC your parking meters will never get another cent on my money, which means businesses will also miss out on my money.

I say rock on council amalgamations, LCC need to be pulled back in line, at $25 for a parking fine we cannot afford your champagne lifestyle.

Enjoy your next function, as I have bought one of the bottles of Champagne.

— LINDY BAILEY, Prospect.

Local government

LOCAL government in Tasmania is not opposed to reform in its many and varied forms.

Councils are currently determining which options might suit their communities and deliver the best outcomes.

In conjunction with the state government, councils will then ensure options are modelled and fully tested.

It is disingenuous for the Property Council to suggest that under any reform option, rate reductions will be an outcome when there is a wealth of evidence nationally and internationally to show this is never an outcome of local government reform.

Similarly, research shows that there is not a one-size-fits-all reform solution.

Reform may, or may not take the form of mergers, resourcing-sharing, or other efficiency programs but it should always be focused on improving the reach and scope of services and local advocacy.

— MAYOR DARYL QUILLIAM, Local Government Association of Tasmania acting president.

Attack on Q&A

I WATCHED the program Q&A and I have the following comments in defence of the ABC.

The questions are vetted and only approved if they feel the question is relevant to current issues.

The question was.

Regardless of who, any member of the public has the right to ask legitimate questions.

The question was legitimate.

The only mistake made by Q&A presenter Tony Jones was not to stop the conversation when it became a personal attack on the questioner rather than the issue at hand.

Let us face it Foreign Affairs parliamentary secretary Steve Ciobo humiliated the young man and deliberately set him up to respond in the way he did.

It was an indefensible reply by the young man and very stupid.

But was Mr Ciobo's personal attack any more defensible?

It is not how freedom of speech works.

It is sad that now, the Abbott government can create fear, mistrust and hysteria over the incident.

They are giving the Australian people little bread and a lot of circus.

Sadly many still fall for it.

— ELLA MILLER, Exeter.

Super trawler

AS A long-time anti-super trawler campaigner, I would like to put on record that most recreational anglers (including myself ) have no issue with the local commercial fishers.

We need a sustainably fished industry that supplies those that aren't fortunate enough to be able to go out and harvest their own.

To be very clear, our target is foreign freezer factory trawlers of the ilk of the Geelong Star and the Margiris.

The recreational fishery is massive and worth an estimated $2926 billion to Australia.

It provides 42,000 direct jobs and 40,000 indirectly.

With 75 per cent foreign owned interests involved in this venture, the Geelong Star offers very little if anything to Tasmania.

Polls show that more than 90 per cent of Tasmanians are opposed to it, yet Premier Will Hodgman, the state Liberals and Senator Richard Colbeck support it?

We want to ensure our fishery is protected for all interests, not exploited at the expense of future generations.

Could someone from these camps please tell us why you continue to ignore the vast majority of Australians who will never let freezer factory vessels of this ilk obtain the social licence needed in order to fish Australia's commonwealth waters?

— TODD LAMBERT, Devon Hills.

Politics

I REMIND Prime Minister Tony Abbott that Opposition Leader Bill Shorten asked for the date set for him to appear before the Government's Royal Commission into union corruption be brought forward, this will now happen, July 8.

That Mr Shorten accepted Barry Cassidy’s invite to be questioned by him on the ABC’s The Insiders - this happened, July 21.

That your presumptuous behaviour towards Mr Shorten totally disregards the rule of law that exists in Australia, that of one’s innocence until proved otherwise by a court of law.

I would inform Mr Abbott that his inglorious recognition (praise) of the ABC’s presentation of the three part series - The Killing Season was given scant regard by the majority of Australians viewing question time (no less).

Why?

Because shortly after the presentation of the second part in the series, the most reputable poll in Australia, the Roy Morgan poll, had Labor well ahead in the two party preferred vote, and now level with the Abbott government in primary votes.

Mr Abbott the Australian people responded to the chaos of Labor disunity and dysfunction, now called “The Killing Season” at the 2013 election.

They have moved on from that, prepared to give Labor a “fair go”.

Why don’t you?

Is the $61 million royal commission necessary?

Yes, as for Mr Shorten’s part in this?

I sense that the majority of Australians (as indicated by recent polling) would agreeably be disgusted with proceedings leading into the Commission’s start.

With the front page headline (The Age, June 20) Shorten ex-wife enquiry target - claiming the targeting of the ex-wife of a national political leader by the $61 million royal commission will add weight to Labor claims the inquiry is part of a political witch-hunt.

— SYD EDWARDS, Launceston.