However as banks closed at 11am, I made the daily trip to complete our company's deposit about 10am.

Walking through Launceston’s The Avenue I noticed several confused tourists and eventually stopped to speak with one group after hearing one of them on the phone saying, ‘Oh this one is closed as well, maybe they don't open until 10am?’

I had to advise them that for some it was a public holiday due to the Launceston Cup and most businesses closed at 11am, however some had obviously chosen to not open at all.

That is their choice, however a simple courtesy sign in the window advising of this would be helpful to those visitors unaware of this.  

Judi Clarke, Launceston.

EVERYBODY loves a winner, that’s the reason why we all enjoy watching the Olympic Games. However, the one thing we cannot abide is to see a smiling winner standing on the dais, medal aloft, and holding suspicions that their result is due to substance abuse.

We would also not be particularly impressed if we knew we had to wait 18 months to find out the results of the official drug test.

So let’s compare this situation to the election at the weekend.

I owe no allegiance to any political party, but in a supposed democracy, just like the Olympics, we all expect, demand and deserve fair play.

The whole process should be transparent and in the Australian tradition, a genuine fair go for all. That’s who we are isn’t it?

In truth, secrecy and the power of vested commercial and private companies has become the modus operandi behind the scenes of all levels of government and just like the corrupted Olympic athlete, the Liberal Party of Tasmania is guilty of its own substance abuse in the form of the visually obvious, and obscene levels of funding from the gambling lobby.

And just like drug dealers, the suppliers and sellers do not care about the effects of this on society as long as their source of power and wealth is uninterrupted.  

We, as Australian citizens deserve better than this and our “representatives”, our “servants” have nothing less than a duty of care to do so much better than this.

Leigh Murrell, Mowbray.

MALL design backlash was a feature article (The Examiner, March 2) outlining the difficulties one stakeholder is having with the City of Launceston’s planning process, and as he sees it, the negative impact on his business of the proposed design. 

The article included a sketch of a new sloping roof, a rather stodgy looking affair of strips of brown timber battens.  

Previously published (The Examiner, October 16, 2017) was another feature article, arguing this new scheme is much better than one originally agreed to.   

That article also included a roof sketch, but that roof was flat although still including brown battens.

Further there was an initial roof design, which looked like a grouping of connecting inverted umbrellas and probably the best design of the three.

Anyway quite obviously, as different articles and designs keep appearing, one’s confidence in the success of City Heart flatlines.

But more to the point, why does the very smart, well designed existing roof, with its elegant curved pipe frames and very clever seamless floating polycarbonate covering, need to be demolished at all?   

It won’t interfere with any proposed new paving. It’s quite a work of art that should be kept and admired.

Jim Dickenson. Launceston.

NOW the election is over we find out that the premier has been sitting on a policy of loosening Tasmanian gun laws. 

He says the interested parties have been consulted - doesn't he think the public might be 'interested parties' as well? It will be us, the public, that will be the victims of any inappropriate use of firearms, not the self-interested pro-gun lobby.  

Steve Saunders, West Launceston.

NOT WORTHY of an "Oscar" but a "cash" prize for the best performance by a politician in question time. The tax funded politicians are not earning their keep, perhaps a salary cut may bring them to their senses. They would be better served with the help of a childcare professional. 

Hugh Boyd, Prospect.

IS IT not fabulous that we get to vote in Tasmania and Australia? What great systems for establishing electoral inclusiveness. Some may claim flaws but that is around the edges. Our systems work.  Many systems do not.

Geoff Dickinson, Beauty Point.

AFTER contributing a considerable amount of money and support to the Liberal Party election advertising campaign. I’m concerned that the gambling industry will have a considerable amount of influence on the government of Tasmania.

Kathleen McLaren, Lenah Valley.

GUNFIRE will soon shatter the peace and tranquility of Tasmania’s waterways as the annual senseless cruel slaughter of the state’s harmless native waterbirds continues under the guise of ‘sport and recreation’.

Poet Ogden Nash put it into perspective when he penned the following words many years ago: “The hunter  crouches in his blind; ‘Neath camouflage of every kind, and conjures up a quacking noise; To lend allure to his decoys. This grown-up man with pluck and luck; Is hoping to outwit a duck.”

Jim Collier, Legana.