He pays a weekly wage bill of $20,000 or $1,000,000 a year, and he decides to become “mechanised or robotised” at the initial cost of $10,000,000 allowing him to sack 35 staff and retain only five.

It saves him a salary bill of  $750,000 a year, along with no paid holidays, superannuation, and so on.

Fred’s new system improves his profits substantially, allowing his initial $10,000,000 expense on robots to be paid off in less than 10 years, and he now only needs two employees to keep things running smoothly.

He now has a magnificent home, his-and-her’s Ferraris, a private plane and all three kids go to private schools, overseas holidays, and life is good.

But most of Fred’s 37 ex-employees are doing it tough, the loss of their wages have had a huge effect upon this small town, with some leaving in search of alternative work, plus the closure of other businesses through lack of custom, as most residents are now reliant upon welfare .

Now with 30 or so individuals drawing welfare, the government is not receiving tax from those who were once employed.

In years to come, employers will come to realise that there are less and less customers for their produce, and why is that?  Because governments refused to understand the eventual repercussions of  their folly in not adequately taxing  “Freds” increasing  profits created by their ongoing use of robotics.   

This scenario has been playing out since the industrial revolution, and now the speed of this ever-increasing technology is outpacing humanity’s ability to keep up.

It dictates some very smart thinking on the part of world leaders to evaluate what is fast becoming a huge world problem, most especially in the next 50 years or so.

Don Davey, Launceston.

PRIME MINISTER Malcolm Turnbull and the banks have jumped before they were pushed, agreeing on November 30 to a banking royal commission that they hope they can control.

Mr Turnbull is now desperate to control the outcome. He released a joint statement with Treasurer Scott Morrison announcing the terms of reference. The Royal Commission would not be “the inquisition into capitalism that some have called for”, it stated. 

Mr Turnbull has pre-empted legislation for an inquiry so he could determine the terms of reference, which are much weaker than those which the Greens and Nationals had been negotiating. The most glaring and most telling difference is that Mr Turnbull’s terms of reference order the commission not to inquire into the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. 

This means that the Royal Commission is not allowed to look into the powers and practices of the authortity, even though it is the bank regulator, and the banks committed the abuses that triggered the royal commission under its supervision.

So why are the authority’s operations the one area of the Australian banking system off limits to the Royal Commission?

Rod Force, Sandy Bay.

NOT ONLY are place names such as Suicide Bay offensive to Tessa Atto (Letters, The Examiner, December 3), they are also, abhorrent to me.  

As a non-Aboriginal Tasmanian I'm in favour of name changes that reflect Aboriginal historical and cultural attachment to the land, rather than the gruesome atrocities (and historical lies) that befell Aborigines with British colonisation. I'm also in favour of changing Australia Day, to a day, that would recognise and celebrate both Aboriginal heritage and the first Nation status of Aboriginals, as well as Australia's historical multicultural demographic.

Vicki Jordan, Mowbray.

THIS MORNING I visited what used to be my favourite delicatessen/cafe in Launceston where I enjoyed a mug of coffee for $6 and a vanilla slice with raspberries priced at $7.50.   

When I went to pay I was charged $14.50 instead of the expected $13.50, and when I queried the $1 extra I was told the extra charge was because I ate in.   

Yes, that’s right, because I ate in.

That would have to be the most outrageous example of price gouging I have ever encountered and as a consequence I will never return.

Lynette Lenton, Westbury.

THE CHRISTIAN nature of the season seem to have disappeared entirely, even the poor tired worn out man anger scene seems to have disappeared from the CBD.

The rest is gluttony, stuffing yourself full of unhealthy food, drinking too much and giving presents you can’t afford or things the recipients don’t need or want.

It is all over in one day, so much for the 12 days of Christmas, completely forgotten about the next day as the yacht race, the cricket and the sales takeover on Boxing Day with only the debits on your credit card to remind you of Christmas.

I suppose the “Santa Syndrome” is nice for the children. I guess I’m what is known as a “grumpy old man”.

Malcolm Scott, Newstead.

I READ many concerns, rightly so, about traffic flows and congestion in and out of Launceston from any direction. 

More so with some of the developments occurring and proposed. When are we going to look further ahead? 

Why isn't there plans to have a main freeway route through or around the CBD? This would pick up and feed different areas.

What about a highway? Elevated road bridge. They exist in other cities. What about another bridge over the North Esk?  What about a bridge between Alanvale and Riverside? 

What is on the table to make real progress? We all don't want to go to the CBD.

Andrew Edmunds, Newnham.