Review of Constitution
THE CURRENT dual citizenship fiasco surely indicates that our Constitution needs major review.
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For example, all states have 12 elected senators. This means that a senator in Tasmania represents about 43,300 people.
In NSW each senator represents 650,000 people. The two senators from the ACT represent 204,500 each. Another nonsense is that Senator Anning could be appointed after receiving less than 20 first preference votes in (The Examiner, November 12).
I am sure there are many more examples.
Robin Claxton, Dilston.
School of Business
I FULLY support the call from the Chamber of Commerce to relocate the School of Business to the North of the state to be at the centre of the UTAS development at Inveresk (The Examiner, November 15).
If the Tasmanian Schools of Economics, Management, Accounting and Marketing are based in Launceston it will help build our regional economy.
For too long UTAS has based its larger schools (or downgraded many subjects from Launceston) including Business, Engineering, Law and Medicine in Hobart disadvantaging regional Tasmanians.
Tasmania is suffering from a two-speed economy with the southern part of the state growing steadily but regional communities including the north of the state being left behind.
Launceston has many start-ups and it an entrepreneurial city, but we need to ensure education of business is at the heart of the Launceston CBD moving forward.
The UTAS redevelopment will lead to more jobs and economic growth but we must make strategic decisions around education and training if we are to see the benefits flow through the community.
Senator Helen Polley, Shadow Assistant Minister to the Leader (TAS), Shadow Minister for Ageing, Launceston.
Walking Uni to CBD
I HAVE to smile when I read the letters of Richard Pickup and Geoff McLean on walking from Inveresk to CBD.
I know I am old, but walk at a good pace, but it takes me eight minutes to walk from the Centrelink office into the city centre, and it is not a very interesting walk to boot.
The point I wish to make however, is that for most students the university only functions from the beginning of March until the end of October, the winter months.
This is hardly walking weather, many days cold and wet. Also many students have cars and just drive from university to home, the city has dreaded parking meters.
Malcolm Scott, Newstead.
Relic
AFTER hearing and reading the very poor loser comments from Senator Eric Abetz about the results of the same-sex marriage survey, it proves once again what a disgrace and embarrassment he is to Tasmania.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull knows what Abetz is like, because one of the few smart things the PM has done was kick him out of the Cabinet on to the back bench, so if anyone at the next election votes Liberal on the Senate ticket if Abetz is in the top four on the list, they will be responsible for keeping this out of touch relic in the Parliament.
Mick Leppard, Invermay.
Same-sex marriage
IT IS naive in the extreme to say the majority of us in Australia want same-sex marriage simply because just over 60 per cent of those who chose to send in a postal survey say so. It is no different than filling in an order form on the back of a Fruit Loops cereal box and just as insignificant.
Jack Sonnemann, Lucaston.
Drought
WITH extreme drought conditions forecast, Tasmania could conserve a lot of water by removing the super thirsty willow trees that line the many waterways.
Elsa de Ruyter, St Helens.
Collective Amnesia
ONE WONDERS how many Christian conservatives, who are agitating for religious protections following the successful yes vote in the same sex marriage plebiscite, were in favour of reducing penalty rates for those who work on Sunday?
Similarly, one wonders how many who are descended from convicts transported to harsh Penal settlements accept the treatment of refugees on Manus Island as humane and reasonable?
One wonders if current day white supremacists descended from convicts realise that their forbears were sent here by a 19th century version of white supremacists?
One wonders how many politicians of both major parties trot out the excuse of refugees as queue jumpers and illegal immigrants - just to win over Pauline Hanson supporters in marginal electorates?
One could die wondering. Perhaps with this current lot of elected representatives - most of us will.
Tony Newport, Hillwood.
Gay Marriage
AS CHRISTIANS, we will respect the decision to change the Marriage Act, allowing gay and lesbians to marry.
We respect the right of all people, to choose how they live their God given life and we respect the law of the land. We were all given free will and this ‘yes’ vote is an example of how people used that gift. The vote taken was a fair one.
The vote was a disappointment for those of us who do believe in God’s law, but nonetheless we will respect the outcome.
For all of us ‘no’ voters, marriage is still a union between a man and a woman, no ifs or buts, just that. We now await the legislation and are mindful of the right to our religious freedoms, our right to refuse marriage in our churches, free speech and the right to teach our school children, our Bible-based faiths and the right to be able to remove them from all gay and gender-fluidity education.
I believe that cake shop owners should not refuse to bake cakes for same-sex weddings, however, if the patrons want the cakes decorated in any way, that promotes same-sex marriage, they must be able to exercise the right to refuse such a request.
Mary T. Bates, Exeter.