Political survival
NOW that the euphoria or misery (depending on your perspective) of the federal election is over, one party believes it has a “mandate” and the Opposition considers it needs to oppose everything.
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In the House of Representatives, voters elect a local to represent us in Canberra. Then he or she toes the party line, responding to the power brokers of the major population centres and voters become disenfranchised.
We also elect 12 senators to ensure that Tasmania is not disadvantaged by the larger states. Once again, toeing a party line results in Tasmania losing representation.
Both state and federal Upper Houses were, until recent years, independent houses of review which supported good legislation and rejected or modified the bad. Nowadays, with parties enforcing loyalty, we no longer have that safety net.
Locally elected parliamentarians ought to take note of the fate of Geoff Lyons and Andrew Nikolic. Toeing the party line, rather than representing your electorate, means your demise.
Robert Clark, Burnie.
Motorists
FORTY ONE people died on Tasmanian roads over the 12 months to July (The Sunday Examiner, July 17). That’s terrible.
The Road Safety Advisory Council has a vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads. And that’s all it’ll ever be – a vision - when speed camera infringement notices rise by 40 per cent a year. Clearly showing that the (slap on the wrist) fines and demerit points system isn’t working.
A.R. Trounson, Needles.
Greyhound response
I WOULD like to respond to the opinion of Andrea Dawkins, Bass Greens MHA and Animal Welfare spokeperson in The Examiner, July 20. The greyhound industry in Tasmania is the strictest and most supervised racing business of any state in Australia. Not one person, although there have been lots of allegations made, has been found guilty by authorities of live baiting.
Why do people opposed to greyhound racing keep identifying the industry with what has happened in NSW?
I have doubts if Ms Dawkins has ever been to a greyhound property let alone a race meeting. I think she would be amazed at how well greyhounds in this state are looked after, a lot of children are brought up in far worse conditions.
Her assumption greyhounds are put down because they are not “fast” is not accurate. The way the system works is that some are born deceased, some get badly injured growing up with their litter mates in the rearing yard, some get injured on the track, the same as sheep and cattle in paddocks, some get re-homed as pets and some are unsuitable for re-homing.
Her statement that the government props up the industry to the tune of $5 million is wishful thinking. The government of the day, Labor and the Greens, sold the racing industry’s life blood, Tote Tasmania, for $180 million to get itself out of a hole and promised the industry $40 million for the next 25 years as a trade off.
Ask the RSPCA how many dogs of all breeds they take in and how many are put down, they won’t give you an answer. I tried.
The Launceston Greyhound Racing Club offered to purchase a property for the Greyhound Adoption Programme three years ago but Tasracing declined the offer.
I would ask this: Has Ms Dawkins thought about those put out of work?
I previously trained a greyhound for a former Greens leader’s husband and both he and his wife enjoyed the industry. I was heavily involved with the industry for over 40 years and saw nothing untoward.
I offer Ms Dawkins a day out to have a look at any properties she chooses and a night at a race meeting.