Fuel
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IT IS a little disappointing that the state government has done little to alleviate, the obvious rip off’s at the bowsers by the Oil Companies.
Why do our politicians allow such blatant discrepancies, especially here in Tasmania where railways and trams are nonexistent and every man women and child are reliant on petrol.
One or two cents can be claimed for the stretch of water between us and the Mainland, but not ten to twelve cents a litre.
This is an area that can assist a majority of Tasmania without cost to the state government and would gain the respect of everyone.
At least ask for valid reasons why we are to accept such inflated prices.
Answers please.
— PETER DODDY, Trevallyn.
John L Grove Centre
Nobody wants the John L Grove Centre to close and I have been working hard for months now with State Health Minister Michael Ferguson and my senior colleagues in Canberra to explore all funding options.
But the cynical Labor-union campaign in recent weeks preys on the insecurities of vulnerable patients, while overlooking its own role in creating the appalling mess at the John L Grove Centre.
The Giddings Government accepted $4.7 million in federal funds to establish the Centre, which former Health Minister Michelle O’Byrne rushed to open in August 2013 – just before the Federal Election. Premier Lara Giddings signed an agreement with the Gillard Government, accepting full funding responsibility for the Centre from mid-2015. Then Ms Giddings failed to make any provision in the Tasmanian Budget for the Centre’s future operating costs.
So it is long overdue that Ms Giddings and Ms O'Byrne, are held to account as to why they failed to fund the services they established with the Commonwealth.
Meanwhile, I will continue to put the strongest possible case for Northern Tasmania’s interests and to explore all possible funding options for the James L Grove Centre. If I can help fix this disgraceful Labor-Green mess, I will.
— ANDREW NIKOLIC, Bass Liberal MHR.
Political pensions
A gentleman who does financial sums in high places for a living, recently confided to me, that if our Prime Minister, Mr Tony Abbott, is so hell bent on getting Australia’s finances back into the black, he could just abolish the huge pensions that politicians receive for the rest of their lives, upon their retirement - that would definitely do it.
By the way has anyone ever received a satisfactory answer as to why this unbelievable practice exists?
What can this group of elite do, over and above every other hard working Australian, to deserve such favouritism.
Surely, if Mr Abbott were to abolish this preposterous practice, instead of cutting the already meagre battler’s pensions, and the lower end of town, who knows, he may even go up a notch or two in the popularity polls.
— JULIE YATES, Launceston.
Football
RATHER than “backing away from his preference for a one-team model playing across north and south” (Call for shake up bites state, FootyHQ, The Examiner, Monday, May 11), perhaps AFL chief executive McLachlan, having become more knowledgeable about this state and its football, now more fully realises that he is no Alexander dealing with a simple annoyance like a Gordian knot.
Our football (and mostly everything else) will only be “united” when, say, two thirds of our population live within an hour of either Launceston or Hobart.
But that’s a minor irritant compared with this one: name the Melbourne AFL club chief executive who will survive after saying this to his members at a future AGM: ”BTW next year, your club will be playing eight of it’s home games in li’l ole Tazzee!”
— LEONARD COLQUHOUN, Invermay.
Childcare
RELEVANT to all the announcements by the government is a matter that frustrates me every time it becomes topical.
It has to do with the government's obsession with getting both parents into the workforce, even though there is mounting evidence that lots of childcare is detrimental to the educational outcomes of some children.
There are many parents who would choose to stay at home and accept full-time responsibility for the raising of their children.
However, the policies of recent Australian governments seem hellbent on not allowing young parents the choice to be full-time parents.
I wonder the relative comparative cost in using the savings from childcare to support young parents to devote themselves to what is arguably our most important job, raising the next generation.
For Mr Morrison to say that to "get ahead", both parents need to be in the workforce, says something very sad about how we in Australia are measuring the worth of our lives.
It seems at government level at least, we are worshipping the almighty dollar.
Everything is about money and " wealth". There are several other ways of measuring how
— STEVE WATTS, Youngtown.
Aged care
ON BEHALF of the aged services sector in Tasmania, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the selfless volunteers who contribute hours of their time to help deliver important services to our older population.
National Volunteer Week (May 11-17) presents an ideal opportunity for those aged services organisations currently benefiting from the wonderful work of volunteers to show their support and celebrate the generous contributions volunteers make to our sector.
In the aged services sector, the work of volunteers is significant and varied, from those assisting in delivering services in the home, the board members of our organisations who volunteer their time to help ensure our sector runs smoothly, the people visiting residential facilities and engaging in activities designed to entertain and bring a smile to the residents and the many others who help improve the lives of older Tasmanians.
— DARREN MATHEWSON, Chief Executive Officer, Aged and Community Services Tasmania.
Feathered friends
IN REPLY to Betty Worsley’s article ‘Birds have vanished’.
Firstly I’m no ornithologist or even close, but I do love and appreciate the presence of birds in the garden.
Here’s my theory.
Through the summer months I was fascinated with the volume and tenacity of European wasps on our block at Gravelly Beach.
When I watched them they left no centimetre of land or bush unchecked, effectively harvesting everything edible and taking it to their hive.
I did eventually find a hive on our block and was amazed at the number of wasps leaving and returning in a few minutes.
It stands to reason that hundreds of wasps combing an area constantly would leave precious little pickings for the birds.
I’m confident with the competition for food the local birds eking out an existence in an already harsh environment simply can’t compete with the wasps.
I did deal with the hive successfully following instructions on a commercially available inexpensive powder.
Maybe if all land owners put in a concerted effort we could collectively assist our feathered friends in tipping the battle to survive a little in their favour.
— STEPHEN BOYLE, Gravelly Beach.
Budget
SO here we are budget time 2015.
A few years back Tony Abbot revealed that parental leave would be introduced over his dead body.
At the last election his major policy was that the coalition would introduce the most expensive gold plated policy to be handed out to some of the most wealthy couples in this country.
But after a fierce backlash from his government and most commonsense people, he dropped it as if it never happened.
So this budget we get a flimsy thought out child care policy.
Also all of a sudden there is going to be a massive clampdown on people so called double dipping from their employer and the government scheme.
Where was this last election if it is so rampant.
And the coalition wonder why people just shake their heads at some of the back flips they have performed just to stay popular and try to get another term in Canberra.
I feel people are not that easily fooled.
— STEPHEN CLARKE, Prospect.
AFL footy
ROB Shaw’s article on the AFL’S ‘free kick in Tasmania’ (The Examiner, May 12th ) was spot on.
The tax paying public have financed Hawthorn and North Melbourne’s entry into this state.
In particular, we have paid for stadiums in the North and South without the AFL matching the government’s largesse.
If that wasn’t bad enough, we were played for mugs-again on The Footy Show last week.
The panel parodied our population with the premier in attendance and Sam Newman, as always, did his best to show our worst on his Street Talk segment.
It’s so easy to pick on someone who’s intellectually inferior and can’t fight back Mr Newman.
Once again the AFL, and the industry that feeds it, are laughing all the way back to Melbourne, thanks to the mugs in Tasmania.
— MARCUS BOWER, Launceston.