Careful what you wish for
WHEN your livelihood is threatened as in the case of cane beetles in Queensland in the 1930s - the prospect of destroying the pest with a powerful outsider was too much to resist. In the US when the perception that your livelihood is threatened by the political insiders in Washington and the system in general - the prospect of electing an outsider to drain the swamp was too much resist. The result? The US has elected a powerful predator who feeds off all and sundry and cares only for itself. Donald Trump a cane toad? Who'd a thunk it.
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Tony Newport, Hillwood.
Bank tax
THE chief executives of the big five banks are screaming blue murder that there is no way they can pay the proposed government tax calculated at $6.2 million handed down in the latest budget. Well Ian Narev, Commonwealth Bank CEO; Michael Smith ANZ CEO; Brian Hartzeer Westpac CEO; Andrew Thorburn National Bank CEO; and Mary Reemst Macquarie Group CEO, you are all crying poverty and say it will have to be passed on to your users. There is a simple and painless way to raise the money just forgo all or part of your obscene bonuses you all receive each and every year and bingo there’s the $6.2 million.
David Parker, West Launceston.
Religion and schools
MARY T. Bates’ letter (Saturday, May 13) is spot on. Congratulations on a letter worded for a lot of people. As far as a religion for some of these radicals, you are spot on. As you have suggested, bullying has been around forever, and in your letter you speak about social media being a source of over bullying. School is for academic education not sex education, as most kids know about this subject already. As far as raising curiosity in young minds about all these other lifestyles, how many people experiment or try to be a radical in the school environment. At high school in the late sixties, we knew some kids were different, but they still went to school to be educated to get a job. Not educated in what you will learn throughout life’s challenges and experiences.