Really?

The Oxford Dictionary defines robust as strong, healthy and vigorous. 

Nowhere is there any mention of a license to bully, threaten or intimidate.

Perhaps it is time for our politicians, who I would suggest need a reminder are paid from the public purse, to begin behaving like grown-ups and set an example for future generations.

LABOR needs to tread very very carefully, no stuff ups so that what happened when Labor won the unloseable election in 1993, doesn’t happen in reverse.

The placing the excellent hard working senator Lisa Singh in fourth position after a unionist on the Tasmanian Senate ticket will have will have upset many undecided voters and quite a few Labor voters.

Labor’s union connections do not go down well with many voters.

I know what happened with the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party was an utter disgrace, but under Scott Morrison who presents well, they might just manage to pull themselves together before the next federal election, although I doubt it.

I personally have problems with Bill Shorten as prime minister with his union connections and how he would present on the international stage, although to be fair he might rise to the occasion, we will probably find out.

What a delight to see Tassie kids fishing on the front page, plus an article and editorial championing Tasmania’s amazing trout fishing and its value to local communities.

Our wild trout fishery is something few other anglers have the chance to enjoy.

This is what will draw the world’s best fly fishers to Tasmania in 2019. But the word pristine is a misappropriated badge for many of our rivers and lakes.

Our rivers are under tremendous stress as industrial scale agriculture sees pivots lace our lowland valleys and stitch their way into the foothills and “regulated environmental flows” are an oxymoron, few headwaters go undammed. 

My local Break O’Day, revered by David Scholes, is no longer fit for the IFS to support with stocking.

Many others around Tasmania have written to me concerned with declining water quality, loss of bank-side insects and associated birds and poorer quality fishing.

When we can’t swim in the Gorge or at St Leonards, when blue/green algae signs at Colebrook Dam advise we can’t touch the water, when flow is controlled by distant buttons, how can we label our waters pristine?

My hope is that with a little foresight we can put measures in place to protect our rivers from further decline and ensure that kids like Jesse and Layla can fish for our wild trout, and not have to rely on Petuna to generously donate fat fish for a publicity photo spruiking our incredible fishery; our visiting international fly fishers will not be so easily duped.

With interest high in the forthcoming council elections it is important to focus not only on what candidates say, but what they have done.  Talk is cheap.  

The Tamar Estuary, the South and North Esk play a major role in setting the success and direction of our city.  Launceston without an attractive waterfront for recreation sport and lifestyle would be a lesser place and yet not so long ago clogging mud blighted our prospects.  

In 2012, letters to this newspaper constantly complained about the smell and appearance of the river.  The rowing course, which will soon see millions of dollars in new rowing investment, was not fit for use and neither was the marina at Seaport.  

The difference since with the Silo Hotel open and North Bank development underway, has been the continuing removal of massive volumes of mud from the efforts of the council through its flood authority. 

The mayor, Albert Van Zetten, has been a director on the Authority Board, giving unconditional support to successful outcomes. 

When the new flood levees were severely tested in 2016 the low lying areas of Newstead were not included in that scheme. 

Help from the federal and state governments was urgently needed to assist the council fund the necessary protection.

The successful effort was led by the mayor and the Newstead scheme is now complete. 

Launceston is in good shape and getting better, but the progress our city has enjoyed is no accident, there is still much to do and voters have an opportunity in October to keep safe hands on the wheel.

WAS it the Greatest Show?  Quite possibly.  

Recently in the Albert Hall Janie Finlay presented a stunning theatrical showcase of Launceston talent featuring singers, cabaret, dancers, musicians and stilt-walkers.  

Even the famous Brindley organ was spot-lit and played. The festivities started with arriving guests promenading before a red carpet of blazing fire-twirlers.  

Inside a harp was being played as background to the usual social chatter. Suddenly the hall was shaken by the thunderously awesome pounding of taiko drumming. In a corner an artist was impressively painting the Albert Hall while dinner was served.

The greatest show ended with breathtaking circus routines performed way over our heads on equipment strung from the vaulted hall ceiling. 

There were gasps as hands and feet let go before regripping and continuing to twirl and tumble on the ropes and hoops.

I’m still catching my breath.