Wombat Slaughter
I WAS horrified to read about the wombat that was slaughtered by the Department of Primary Industries, Water and Environment this week near Weymouth, because of its supposed aggression.
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Surely it is the job of DPIPWE to protect the Tasmanian bare-nosed wombat.
Part of this protection should be to educate people that this is a unique wild animal.
It will naturally protect its territory and should only be viewed from afar.
Its range and number has been decimated by agriculture, feral animals and mange.
Mangey wombats have to rely on volunteers to treat them while DPIPWE sits back and does nothing.
Have we learnt nothing from the fate of the thylacine and the Tassie devil?
These animals both had a bounty put on them because they were demonised and viewed as a nuisance.
The slaughter of the Weymouth wombat sends the same message: that native animals deserve to be killed if they are a nuisance and their long-term survival is not important.
No details were given about the behaviour of the people who were supposedly attacked.
A wombat will not normally go out of its way to interact with a human, but it will attack if defending its young or territory like any wild animal.
It is a very strong animal with sharp teeth. It is not as cute as it looks and doesn't want to be patted or to pose for a selfie.
If DPIPWE won't tell you, I will: keep well away from wild animals with sharp teeth.
They can be dangerous.
Geraldine Vaughan, Perth.
Face the facts
TONY Newport (Letters, The Examiner, December 10) objects, for some curious reason, to calling a spade a spade.
Could this be reverse "do-gooding"?
We are admonished for calling those who attempt to enter Australia illegally "illegal immigrants" and calling queue jumpers "queue jumpers".
In an age of semantics, Mr Newport clearly goes too far.
We can only coat a bitter pill so far even in the fantasyland of "do-gooders".
If you enter someone's house by the back door against their will when they are not looking are you not an illegal entrant?
If you try to jump a queue are you not a queue jumper?
In my view the worst of all "do-gooders" do more harm in their fantasy land than realists who call things by their right and proper name.
Len Langan, Longford.
Company tax
ACCORDING to recent news many companies are not paying any tax at all.Tax collection from big companies is extremely complicated, expensive and slow.
They cry poor to the tax man but tell shareholders of their success and advancement.
Taxing big companies (say, capitalisation of over $100 million) could be greatly simplified if the government simply evaluated the company’s profit by the dividends the company pays.
A 10 per cent tax surcharge on dividends could replace company tax.
The company will not cry poor to shareholders and will not cut the dividend as this would drive shareholders away and reduce the company’s ability to raise revenue.
CEOs are partially paid in shares, so the share price is very important and the more that they can pay in dividends the more attractive the company is and the more that the Australian public would share in an industry’s success.
Such a scheme would be very simple to implement, dividends are declared publicly and paid twice a year, as would be the surcharge. The whole system would be self regulating.
Robert Karl Stonjek, Kings Meadows.
Same-sex
MY WIFE and I watched the closing debate and division in parliament on the same-sex marriage bill.
We were delighted at the very positive vote and just loved the fact that, for once party politics were brushed to one side.
We were moved by the rendition of "I am Australian" by the gallery.
One member was heard to say that this should be our National Anthem and I for one agree.
It has everything in it that this great country is all about and would be far better than the dated dirge that passes for it at the moment.
Richard Hill, Newstead.
Citizenship fiasco
WE CAN only trust that the fathers of the members of the High Court judiciary responsible for the decision on qualification for Australian citizenship were born in Australia, otherwise their judgements in regard to the ruling on this matter are invalid, even if only one was not born here.
You cannot have non-Australian citizens handing down judgements on those who are. This needs confirmation.
Michael Scott, South Hobart.
Sense and mercy
THREE hearty cheers for Ron Elisha, whose article Time to end battle against sense and mercy tells it like it is, warts and all.
It is an article that should open our eyes to what is happening in our world and sends a message that most of us would like a choice around our death, to leave ths body when we choose and not be bound by the dogma of religion.
When a time comes that I wish to depart this life I should be the person making any decision that is required. To all who disagree with my wishes, keep your do good attitude for those who agree with your tenets, but leave the rest of us alone.
Ron Baines, Kings Meadows.
Memory loss
MALCOLM Scott’s letter (Letters, The Examiner, December 7) ‘Memory loss’. Perhaps Malcolm Scott and friend should have had a second heart starter.
John Beattie, Scottsdale.