Sadly this has come to the attention of a Ginger Tom, obviously belonging to a nearby residence, which has recently taken to entering our garden in broad daylight in the hope of catching one, or two, of the visiting birds for his lunch.

No doubt this cat's owners believe their pussy is a nice soft gentle soft creature which wouldn’t harm anything lovingly purring when gently stroked and caressed and would cry out in horror at the very suggestion that their pet was a predatory killer but it is, as are all cats.

While Tasmania patiently awaits, hopefully, for much strengthened Cat Management Legislation cat owners should realise and accept the reality that their pet can be a monster whose natural instinct is to prey on wildlife of all descriptions, especially birds; and ensure their cats, as is currently mandatory with dogs, are confined to their properties.

DR MICHAEL Powell (The Examiner, December 26) classifies me as living in “misery”, and being “poor and addicted”. I take exception to being the subject of his biased assumptions.

I enjoy my life and revel in the freedom afforded by retirement; this includes occasionally stopping into my ‘local’ and wagering a few dollars. My wife and I do not subsist in penury. We budget for our respective indulgences, just as we do for food and utilities.

I am not an addict, I simply enjoy chancing my luck at times. In short, my gaming money is not being “leached” from me; I part with it willingly to buy a pleasant form of amusement (as others presumably do when buying movie tickets).

Just as offensive is Dr Powell’s assault on Greg Farrell. Claims of job losses are hardly “vulgar”. All businesses hire workers ‘at the margin’; once the labour required for a given task reaches a certain point, another employee will be engaged. Conversely, as the need for labour declines, employees are discharged. The latter seems inevitable if less venues have poker machines. Dr Powell’s thoughts sustain Mark Twain’s observations from the early 1900s: “Nothing so needs reforming as other people’s habits.”

FOLLOWING up on Jim Dickenson’s letter (The Examiner, January 1) let’s look at some of Launceston’s council’s achievements over the years:

1. In 1975, the sewage system needed updating so they blocked off Brisbane Street and created the mall, which was at least a welcoming and family-friendly place.

2. In 1979 they blocked off the Quadrant and created a second pedestrian mall. The sewers still needed urgent work.

3. Although it didn’t need it they changed the Brisbane Street Mall, but it’s not as nice as it was. The sewers still needed fixing.

4.  Again, although it was fine as it was, last year they upgraded the Quadrant mall and caused all manner of disruption to the shops there. The need to fix the sewers is getting more desperate by now.

5. Now, they’re faffing around with the Civic Square and the need for an upgrade to our ancient sewerage system is getting beyond urgent. But then you can’t see the sewers, can you?

WHY is it the majority of males (young, old and in-between) walk with their hands in their pocket? Do they have holes in their pockets? A spell in the army would put a stop to it.

I THINK it is high time the government introduced compulsory driver testing every five years regardless, of age or gender.

The police see so many accidents by foolish and dangerous drivers.

It is  time we try to reduce the carnage on our roads by taking the incompetent, unlicensed and drink drivers off the road.

How many of us remember the road rules from when we first got our licenses?

Rules have changed over the years and so have our driving habits.

I am a walker now and see so many near misses, so easily avoided, if only the driver would have remembered the road rules.

They are there for a reason.

Its a shame so many choose to ignore them.

“I AM powerful, therefore I am right” notion, is particularly disconcerting and pertinent regarding current American President Trump.

The implications for the United States, and the rest of the world, are subject to the vagaries of impulsive and ego driven policy, which by sheer coincidence, benefits the Trump administration.

From afar, this political administration, seems not to recognise the term “conflict of interest”.

I CAN’T begin to express my disgust and anger about the intrusion of political advertising during the cricket over the Christmas period.

Surely we don't need to be subjected to political advertising on television over the Christmas period, especially advertising that is as negative as the Liberal Party's are.

Very counterproductive in my opinion. 

We as voters are not stupid.

We know what the Liberal Party has or has not done for Tasmania, its environment and its people and will remember come March.