Launceston ratepayers’ money would have been better spent on a total upgrade there than wasting money on upgrades to Brisbane Street Mall and Civic Square, the playground would be better patronised and enjoyed more.

The council needs to take a leaf out of Rockhampton City Council and look at what they have achieved in Kershaw Gardens after it was ruined by the 2015 cyclones, they have installed one of the most fantastic playgrounds that I have seen in Australia.

I DOUBT if a $37,000 flight to Perth via Adelaide by Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, would pass the “pub test” no matter how urgent it was (except for a national emergency, which it wasn’t).

We well remember the $5000 helicopter flight from Melbourne to Geelong by Bronwyn Bishop, which pales into insignificance in comparison.

Who do these politicians think they are? Politicians unfortunately.

Labor is quiet on the matter, it happens on both sides.

I seem to recall Senator Helen Polley had a love for flying between Launceston and Hobart, saving at the most half an hour.

CONGRATULATIONS to the organisers and volunteers of the 37th Cygnet Folk Festival for such a wonderful and enjoyable experience.

Blessed with wonderful weather and community spirit, one of the highlights was singer/songwriter Olivia, who was busking and a participant in the Young Performers Competition at Loongana Park.

Influenced musically by her father, who incidentally was kept very busy supplying his daughter’s ever diminishing CDs.

Thank you to all involved in what now may be considered a Tasmanian institution, namely the Cygnet Folk festival.

I AM not usually a believer in conspiracy theories, but lately I have begun to develop a theory of my own. I am beginning to believe that the TV companies are conspiring to get us all to switch to pay TV.

Apparently they are not making enough profit by showing endless repeats of outdated shows, inane reality shows and news repeated 20 times a day, 50-year-old black and white movies and ads that take up almost a third of the viewing time.

Supposedly we will get so bored that we will have to pay for the privilege of watching anything decent. Tough luck if you are a pensioner or someone on a limited income.

WHAT brownie points does Prime Minister Scott Morrison hope to achieve by making local councils have citizenship ceremonies on Australia Day? When I received mine it was on Australia Day back in 1993 and since then as far as I know the Launceston City Council has held one on January 26  every year since.