Since Port Arthur, Australia (and particularly Tasmania) has been recognised around the world as the initiator of sensible firearm control.

It would be a shame if we were to loosen up the legislation to make life easier for a minority of shooters.

There is a principle at stake – we ought not be seen to be regretting the direction we have taken on gun control since the 1996 massacre.

Let’s keep up the great example and continue to tighten up and save lives.

I WRITE further to Corey Martin, basketball report (The Examiner, August 14). As a candidate for alderman in the City of Launceston council elections, I supported the urgent need for a purpose build indoor sports stadium principally for netball, basketball and available for other indoor Launceston community sporting organisations.

Unfortunately it appears little progress has been made.

With the division in our community regarding the decision/s by the council to gift land to the University of Tasmania Invermay campus, I wonder if anyone thought about a land swap to allow a sports precinct to be developed at UTAS Mowbray campus?

As all of these discussions and deals were held behind closed doors we may never know.

Hopefully it’s not too late for this possibility to be explored as many sports in our community are being frustrated through the lack of vision and action by our council.

RUMBLINGS of yet another change of leaders. 

At 80 years-of-age and an avid pollie watcher for 60 of them, I have predicted correctly every such change, most especially the demise of Rudd, Gillard, and Abbott whose party made the worst decision in their history in stabbing him after only a very short term, most especially since he had almost single handedly won them a decisive victory.

Peter Dutton, a Queenslander, is the wrong choice to replace Turnbull. He is not liked in the rest of the country and is their choice because it is hoped he will sway Queenslander’s into voting Liberal in the coming federal election, they are wrong.

There are only two who have the experience, the presence and who are respected Australia-wide in leading the Libs to a decisive win in the coming election they being Julie Bishop and Josh Frydenberg.  

If not we will be saddled with Bill Shorten and that will be Australia’s downfall for  many years.

JUST thinking - who was it who framed the title The Pacific Solution for condemning asylum seeking refugees to silenced imprisonment on Nauru Island way out in middle of the Pacific Ocean? Where was the public outrage from the Australian people and from our houses of parliament?

I COULDN’T agree more with architect Jack Birrel’s comments about high-rise buildings (The Examiner, August 9) and cities made of these sky scrapers all looking the same. Permission to build one high rise hotel in Launceston would create a precedent. Surely we can retain the particular charm of our city and accomodate the tourists who visit Tasmania to experience the differences we offer.

THE Launceston council has just released a substantial document on building heights and massing, to provide guidelines and recommendations for future city development.

I consider it quite important that candidates in the upcoming elections read and understand that document and  generally deciding on agreement or otherwise with its recommendations. Further it would be useful if their views were made known during the campaign. 

This matter will be very high on the agendas of their first council meetings. It is essential that constructive comment and full participation in the matter can be made from the word go.

I WILL complete the building heights survey before the closing date of August 23. 

Even with its questionable listing of the Telstra St Johns Street building as 40 metres (the equivalent of approx 12 storeys) it is a chance to have a say.  I agree with Ron Baines (The Examiner, August 15) and hope that any planning changes arising from this report not be made by a council with just two months left to run.  

It should be the new council that makes these decisions. The report is available to download.   And the online survey is there, too - visit yourvoiceyourlaunceston.com.au

THE proposed high rise hotel for Launceston raises many concerns, apart from its height, which is just a no no for Launceston. The proposed Fragrance Hotel would be owned by a developer from Singapore most likely Chinese, and as Mr Viney points out if Launceston gets a Chinese hotel all Chinese visitors will stay there, use the transport supplied by the hotel and eat at the hotel, spend most of their money at the hotel, so the benefit to businesses in Launceston and Tasmania would be very little.

As a result tourism numbers may rise, but small businesses are going to suffer.