Boats
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THANKS to Bill Shorten, the ALP now supports turning the boats around.
Yet Tony Abbott's Immigration Minister screams that if Labor wins the next election, there will be thousands of boat people on our shores within the first week.
So just why is it that turning the boats around doesn't work? Tony Abbott, please explain.
— G. AGNEW, Coopers Plains, Queensland.
Shorten
THE Labor party conference is on with Bill Shorten now adopting the Coalitions policy on turning back the boats.
He also wants to increase our reliance on renewable energy to 50 per cent by 2030.
Very admirable but tell me Mr Shorten, where is the money coming from for the latter idea?
It will cost billions to set up wind farms, solar panels etc. and as the government is strapped for cash it won't be coming from them.
I guess the poor old taxpayer will be slugged again.
— GLENNIS SLEURINK, Launceston.
Driving
A SURVEY of 600 young people has revealed that a third of them have admitted to texting on their mobile phones while driving (The Examiner, July 23).
If they’ve admitted to doing the crime, why haven’t they been charged?
Road Safety Advisory Council chairman Jim Cox calls the offenders “crashes waiting to happen”.
If Mr Cox knows (in advance) that they’re crashes waiting to happen, exactly what is he doing to prevent them from happening?
The $300 fine and loss of three demerit points certainly isn’t working.
— A.R. TROUNSON, Needles.
Travel excesses
UNLIKE Gulliver's Travels a fantasy read, the MHR Bronwyn Bishop and Senator Helen Polly excesses in travel costs are real it seems by media reports.
Shockingly Prime Minister Abbott defends his hand picked Speaker helicopter costs as does Opposition Leader defend his Senator for flying by private plane from Launceston to Hobart and assumed return.
The only winner in this waste of taxpayers money is less trust of politicians if such a thing is possible and laughter and political gain for the Jackie Lambie, Greens and Palmer Party's.
Leaders of both political parties should not permit just a refund of misused tax money, but publically suggest to both that they exit politics by the next election.
We the Australian voters should also say to all politicians and ambassadors, commissioners and heads of departments grow up .
It is not your money to squander even on domestic and international travel and accommodation.
— MIKE GREY, Margate.
University
THE University's suggested campus migration to adjacent Aurora Stadium is a great tell of increasing prosperity and confidence within the Launceston community.
A venture like this will provide immediate jobs in construction and industry.
It will also allow for specialised buildings designed for better service delivery and better education outcomes for Tasmania's crippling education sector.
Before we cast judgment, it is worth considering the merits of model European university cities and the positive impact their universities' have on community outcomes.
Australian universities are in a great position to compete on the global higher education market and provide unparalleled opportunities for graduates and the wider community.
QS’ best student cities 2015 rankings placed Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth within the top 50 globally.
An education in Tasmania should be held in higher regard, and position itself atop the global market.
I applaud the University of Tasmania for exploring all opportunities available to increase higher education participation and education outcomes.
— JOEY CRAWFORD, Launceston.
Arts funding
IS Bass Liberal MHA Andrew Nikolic serious?
He recently defended the National Program for Excellence in the Arts and changes to art funding stating that the “measures are not a cut in funding to the arts portfolio, but simply broadening the access to funding”.
This statement, as well as his insinuation that regional communities would benefit, is completely misleading, if not false.
A total of $105m will be diverted from the portfolio to projects preferred by Minister Brandis, none of which will be in northern Tasmania.
In fact, it is very likely that the only organisation funded in Tasmania under the NPEA will be the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
The lack of consultation is evident in this funding model, and preferencing the works of long dead men over living local artists, as well as the general destabilising of the arts sector, is deplorable.
— ANDREA DAWKINS, Greens Member for Bass.
Cats
I FEEL compelled to write this letter regarding pet cats and feral cats.
Recently reading the heartbreaking letter in (The Examiner, July 15) by Jayne Richardson of her loved family pet rabbit killed by someones straying pet cat at night, which should have been kept indoors, or suitably housed outside anyway.
Domestic peg moggies dumped by thoughtless owners will eventually become a feral pest, just ask our farmers, who are really bearing the brunt of these disease carrying predators.
Owners of cats need to clean up their act, get your pet desexed and registered, like we have to register our pet dogs, (rightly so).
Limit its territory and keep them indoors at night.
Hopefully then my little blue wrens (birds) may return to my garden and not be eaten by an uninvited moggie.
— MERLENE WEST, Legana.
Ageing
WITH an increase in the demographic of ageing people in Spain, as here in Australia and in most developed countries, health experts there are now trying to come up with ideas of how to keep the ageing population active and healthy.
Instead of sitting around doing little to exercise their body or mind, or on the park benches looking at their grand children playing, the Spaniards have now introduced one such idea: playgrounds specifically for seniors throughout the whole country.
The activities at the playgrounds are designed to help maintain motor and mental abilities and simultaneously offer opportunities to mix with other seniors, thus also diminishing the risk for isolation.
The exercises vary greatly and include everything from arm cycling and balance bridges to clever mind challenges.
The playgrounds have proved to be very popular.
Although our communities perhaps are not as densely populated as most are in Spain, I think it is a great idea and at the very least should be considered also here.
One for each community I say.
— PETER HJORT, Evandale.
Space
IT'S exciting times as we probe further into space than ever before.
But no matter how many new planets and galaxies we discover, our most crucial journey of discovery actually lies within us here at home.
How to discover a way to live in peace on our own planet where there is justice, freedom and fairness for all.
Where hatred, greed, religious intolerance and the threat of nuclear self-destruction, that we live with each day, are removed from out beautiful Earth forever.
Until we achieve that, it may be a bit premature to believe that we have much to offer the rest of the universe which seems to be getting along just fine without us.
— IAN MACPHERSON, Newstead.
Amalgamation
BARRY Prismalls’editorial column “Reform benefits are real” about the Local Government of Tasmania conference seems to be missing the point entirely.
He writes about efficiencies of service and voluntary council amalgamations as if they are real possibilities of change, but ignores the fact that the councils are self-serving entities with virus-like tenacity to resist any change which is not in their own interest.
Any council controlled “debate” would have the same credibility as politicians discussing their own pay and allowances.
It is analogous with stirring the mud in the Tamar and calling it a drainage program.
Much of council business, other than imposing rate rises and inventing reasons for their own importance, is adhering to State Government regulations, and this has led to the ambiguous mess that everybody is now in.
The councils should go - all of them, and areas put under administration until the government has proper control over them.
The State Government is crying poor.
There would be massive resource savings made by getting rid of unnecessary and confusing duplication of services.
— COL HAYWARD, Goshen.
Markets
THE Melbourne and Adelaide markets offer produce at lower prices than fruit and vegetable retailers elsewhere, not so the Tasmanian markets.
For instance we went to the Devonport market, not only was there poor selection, the prices of items we sort were 30 per cent dearer than the local fruit and vegetable shops. Parking was difficult as the car parks was full.
We therefore found an open public space to park, where my wife being disabled, and not long out of hospital; did not have to walk very far.
On returning to the car, a Devonport businessman, and a Liberal member, chatted to us saying we should park elsewhere.
Well until the market improves, we will not be going to the pathetic market.
I consider it was a disgrace that disabled people can be treated this way.
— JIM CAMPBELL, Ulverstone.