Why are these negotiations not carried out once the details are available instead of doing deals with the Greens and crossbenchers and buying their votes with concessions in no way related to the legislation being under consideration. For example relaxing laws on gun importation and the payment to pensioners to offset increases in power costs. If the changes are for the benefit of all schools surely the legislation will be passed by the Senate without the need to offer incentives or rejected on its merits.

IF SMOKING is to be eliminated from society then some kind of scheme for achieving this needs to be in place. One method is fairly straight forward, that of requiring people to have a doctor's certificate stating that they are addicted to nicotine and require tobacco to feed the habit.

Smokers would be given a grace period of some number of months to get to a doctor and explain their condition. Doctors have the opportunity to explain the impact smoking is having on the individual and available methods of giving up before issuing the certificate which should be in the form of a photo ID card that the smoker must produce before purchasing tobacco products.

Whilst existing smokers will have no problem getting a card, it will be near impossible for a new smoker to have an addiction before buying their first pack of cigarettes. This will greatly deter new smokers.

IT IS somewhat perplexing as to why Chloe Jenkins (Your Say, June 20) would have the belief the Premier Will Hodgman would step in to stop the slaughter of the bull used to provide the carcass for the performance art 150.Action.

Afterall, the bull was not slaughtered as part of the performance but was humanely killed, according to regulations, the same as thousands of cattle (and other animals) every day.

That its carcass was used in the performance art instead of food was somewhat symbolic in order to provoke thought and discussion, which is one purpose of art, about how in western society there is so very little consideration of how meat is processed and ends up anonymously wrapped in styrofoam and plastic in supermarket coolers. In that respect it certainly achieved its purpose.

CECIL Neil Guy makes a valuable social comment (The Examiner, June 20) about the Heritage Council.

This body supported by taxpayers’ dollars is about as esoteric as any public body can be and totally out of step with economic reality and public opinion.

The fact remains that the only practical thing to do with the defaced and skeletal remains of the CH Smith building was to pull it down.

It was a disgraceful scar on the face of our city for far too long and development of this site was opposed and upheld by a few minority factions, the Heritage Council included, to our cost.

It has, and never had, any appreciable historic "significance" and the energy and expense squandered on a blind and socially empty resistance to change stand as both a monument to stupidity and wanton social prodigality.

Mr Guy, you are totally right in your observations and it is time that the wings of the Heritage Council and other curious out of step minority factions, were clipped so that the rest of society can fly above their limited vision.