Economy
PRIME Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s ‘innovative and agile’ economy is still far from a reality in Tasmania. While we have pockets of brilliance, the transition from high labour-low training-based industries is still catching out young people, particularly in our regional areas.
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The Gonski reforms promise better educational pathways for our youth with needs-based funding. Gonksi funding will provide more teachers and fund specialists who will assist students who have barriers to learning.
This will ensure our future generations have an equal opportunity to learn, participate in and contribute to their community. Instead of guaranteeing this funding, we have seen the Liberals back away from this commitment to the prime minister’s ideal.
The state government recognises the need for full Gonski funding, worth $8 million to Launceston alone. We can’t have innovation without education.
Malcolm Cowan, West Launceston.
Buses
IT’S clear some things are changing for the better on buses and there are more people using them.
The school buses that were notably old and tired have been modernised, Metro is buying 100 new buses, and the new bus routes are attracting 1000 more people onto buses every day.
This is all good news for our roads and our economy but there is a very big missing component. Easy access buses are not much use if there is no bus stop to shelter with your pram or wheelchair and there is no safe, smooth footpath to allow you to start your journey.
With the exception of a few icon sites in our CBDs, many of our bus stops are still missing footpaths, shelters and lighting and remained unchanged from 20 years ago. Also, most other capital cities have real-time timetabling information. Let make the our journey’s complete by providing finishing what we have started.
Andrew van Emmerik, Transport Consultant, South Hobart.
VOTING
ONCE again I am glad to be and live in Australia other than compulsory voting. Imagine living in America and dealing with their system, length and now candidates running for office.
At least if you’re interested in the electoral system in either country, they say that it’s your right and privilege to vote and have your say in running our great nation. I wonder if anyone has run a poll for the percentage of votable age, the so called silent few or just the average Australian who feel this way and still have to turn up to have your name ruled through with a pencil because if you object and don't vote you could be fined.
The old joke is if you vote for them, it only encourages them. At least we have the opportunity to exercise our right where some countries around the world there is no option.
Anthony Galvin, Mayfield.
Queen
I HOPE those that advocate for Australia to become a republic enjoyed the Queen’s birthday long weekend. The definition of being hypocritical, may I say, is a republican actually taking the day off. It’s fair comment.
Robert Lee, Summerhill.
Candidates
I’M AFRAID that David Boarder may be waiting a long time (The best candidate, Letters, June 10). Very few questions are asked of candidates about their understanding of the elected position they are standing for.
One often-stated role of a member of the House of Representatives is ‘represent the electorate’. What does this grand statement mean? Can the incumbents list the main duties and responsibilities that underpin this role?
Does a member have a duty to represent the concerns of a person with whom they disagree with because of personal beliefs, with the same vigor as those of a person with whom they agree? If not, the candidates should tell their electorate their ethical and moral criteria applied in such decisions.
The election coverage hasn’t shown that candidates have a good understanding to their candidature
Graeme Lindsay, Deloraine.
FOREIGN AID
THANKS to Pastor Jeff McKinnon for an excellent article Conversation needed (The Examiner, June 8).
He questions the statement that the only way to stop deaths at sea is by locking up vulnerable asylum seekers, saying: “We do not want to be a nation that habitually breaches human rights" and proposes reasonable and practical solutions which would simultaneously save Australia millions of dollars and show some moral leadership.
He also recommends restoring Australian aid to pre-2014 levels, citing eradicating extreme global poverty as one of the best ways of maintaining political stability in developing countries. Thank you, Pastor McKinnon and The Examiner for a well-reasoned article, food for thought of the best possible kind.
Sara Strong, Launceston.
Kidney
DURING the first week of June the Kidney Health Australia Big Red Kidney Bus visited the dialysis units in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie under beautiful sunny skies and frosty nights.
We met many of the dialysis patients who have treatment at the units three days a week for five-hours-a-day, some of the home haemodialysis patients, the dialysis nurses and staff team, members of the Kidney Health Australia Tasmania Consumer Committee and Tasmanian Redline Coaches staff.
Our welcome was warm and sincere from everyone we met. The Big Red Kidney Bus travelled back to Victoria on the Spirit of Tasmania on June 3. We are aware of the catastrophic weather events that occurred the day after our departure.
We know that those of you we met, your families, your friends, your colleagues, your neighbours, your local businesses, your farms and animals and your community in general have been dramatically impacted and devastated.
We are deeply saddened by this news. Please contact the Big Red Kidney Bus team if you think we can assist in some small way from Victoria.