Cr Chipman points out that TasWater paid $16 million in dividends to councils.

He justified this practice on the grounds that ratepayers had paid for water and sewerage assets in the past and therefore were deserving of continued returns.

Clearly TasWater charges are inflated - to the tune of $16 million annually to provide funds for the dividends to the councils.

Who pays these inflated charges for water? The same ratepayers that are deserving of continued returns.

Clearly you would need to have a PHD in council management to believe that ratepayers are better off by paying inflated charges for water so that their council will receive a dividend from TasWater.

Bernie Lee, Deloraine.

AUSTRALIA has a mounting debt that will soon hit $500 billion, yes folks that’s billions, not millions.

Where is the accountability? That lies with the general populace, because while the proletariat accept it, the government will continue to spend it.

You see that the greedy apathetic masses think it’s the norm, and when treasury say things like “the path of debt in nominal terms continues to rise over the medium term”, that continues with the theme of normalisation.

If Australia was a business or even a household, it would have been declared bankrupt long ago.

Australia badly needs responsible and competent leadership. I look to the horizon, and all I see is more of the same.

Politicians deserve the ridicule they get when they can’t even use a calculator, and are more concerned with marriage equality than something as annoyingly irksome as our national debt.

Ted Horlock, Latrobe.

I AM SO impressed with the artist's interpretation of the JAC Groups proposed Gorge Hotel that I need to register one small voice of support for what would be an outstanding addition to Launceston’s 21st century eclectic architectural development.

One only needs to look at the old quarry face that is the backdrop to the Penny Royal complex to appreciate the source of inspiration.

The snapshot of the interior continues the Gorge theme with stone walls and a zig- zag staircase and I have no doubt that Mr Chromy’s vision to build a beautiful hotel as his legacy to Launceston would be achieved in an impressive manner.

I encourage those in our community who share this view to speak up as the application progresses through the stages of approval.

Alan Roberts, Riverside.

I WANT that time back when my parents spanked my rear because I was late coming home, or was being a smarty pants.

I loved the times when after dinner or tea, we all sat around a radio and listened to either music or some scary show.

I treasured the times grandparents came around and we listened to their tales of sorrow and hard work.

What has happened to family values and lots of love around a kitchen table? Our children hopefully do not watch the news or hear the lamentations of badly treated minority groups.

I do not want our youth to grow up with issues not meant for children and teenagers. There will be enough years ahead for them to adjust without having more than they can handle.

But hey, I am just a granny, what do I know?

Felicity O’Neill, Deloraine.

I WAS moved and certainly impressed with a Polish organisation 'The Only One Foundation' and its founding of the now what will become global annually the Miss Wheelchair World beauty pageant.

The event has broken down stereotyped barriers for women with a disability worldwide, and the organisation’s motto is "a wheelchair is not a constraint impossible to bestride, it is just something additional to your personality".

Congratulations to the inaugural global winner Aleksandra Chichikova from Belarus - what a beautiful winner.

Robert Lee, Summerhill.

THE Prime Minister has now got the go ahead from all states for the latest step in fighting terrorism.

The agreement to allow the use of all facial recognition data by the federal government so CCTV can be used to identify anyone caught in view.

The Prime Minister has been watching the television sit-com A Person of Interest.

Smile Australia, you are all on candid camera. 

David Parker, West Launceston.

I NOTICE that Southern Cross has moved Cannonball to 11.30pm. Thank heavens.

That awful program Yummy Mummies seemed to die a death after all the hype from the adverts.

But now, there is another mind numbing, must see show coming up - The Wall.

I know they are cheap to make but surely the TV programmers have some other shows up their sleeves that won't send us to sleep or turn to pay TV.

Glennis Sleurink, Launceston.

DIDN’T Qantas chief executive officer Alan Joyce sack 5000 Aussie workers in 2014 and replace them with foreign workers?

Didn't Mr Joyce just give $1 million to the yes campaign?

Didn't Mr Joyce's salary just increase to $24,600,000 per year or $68,000 every day?

And he wants Aussies to give him their hard-earned money? He's kidding right?

Jack Sonnemann, Lucaston.