Symphony Under The Stars
SYMPHONY under the Stars at City Park, Launceston on Saturday, February 23 was blessed with perfect weather and music.
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It was wonderful to see new Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra chief executive Caroline Sharpen at the event with her zest and enthusiasm for the new role.
The Hobart based Symphony under the Stars equivalent with its location change to the beautiful Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is a positive one, but the unexplained, restricted number of attendees policy to both events for 2019 is quite perplexing?
Hopefully, the concept of Symphony under the Stars will be expanded to the North-West Coast in future years, with a host of beautiful locations quite capable of accommodating the TSO, with its mission to inspire and possibly create a new and continuing experience, especially for the more youthful members of the audience.
Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.
Elephant in the River
RECENT correspondents accept that siltation in the Tamar estuary will not disappear if Trevallyn power scheme is decommissioned. The North Esk River runs freely but is also silted and less than pristine.
Poor water quality in the Tamar estuary is mainly due to effluent Launceston citizens cause to be dumped into the estuary every day. Separation of stormwater and sewage and tertiary treatment of both to safe drinking water standard will clean up the estuary much more effectively than de-commissioning Trevallyn Power Station.
This is the elephant in the river which must be addressed urgently.
Ross Warren, Devonport.
ABC appointment
Having ignored the advice of the independent panel's suitable recommendations for a replacement ABC chairperson, Prime Minister Scott Morrison opted for his own choice in 77-year-old Ita Buttrose.
She has little experience in the area of audio and visual broadcasting.
Still, it allowed Mr Morrison to show that the Coalition has no gender bias.
A.Carter, Mowbray.
Labor Taxation rebuttal
DAVID Johnson (The Examiner, February 27) Labor supports a fair tax system that promotes equality of opportunity, rewards hard work, and drives productive investments in the future of our country.
Under the Morrison-Turnbull-Abbott government, the budget deficit is eight times higher than forecast just four years ago and debt has continued to climb. Repairing the budget comes down to choices. In its last budget, the government increased taxes on seven million working Australians.
At a time when wages are growing at record lows, we think this is unfair and it further impedes the ability of working families to get ahead, pay the bills and save up to purchase a home. The original dividend imputation system introduced in 1987 did not allow for cash refunds.
The introduction of cash refunds for excess imputation credits in 2001 has created a fiscal time bomb. If the current arrangements are allowed to continue, future governments will be faced with an $8 billion annual hole in the budget over the medium term. Losing $8 billion a year in revenue is equivalent to more than Commonwealth spending on Australia’s public schools this year. In other words, the current policy settings are unsustainable. Australia is the only country with a fully refundable dividend imputation system.
This means we are the only country where cash refunds are provided for excess imputation credits. If elected, Labor will move back to the dividend imputation system that existed prior to 2001 which brings us back in line with the few other nations that have dividend imputation systems.
Helen Polley, Tasmanian Labor Senator
Vinegar importance
IT is amazing that vinegar plays an important part in our lives especially with taste.
I never knew it could be used against mould as we saw heaps sent to flood victims to kill the mould. Vinegar has always been an issue from time to time on the quality sold for consumer use.
I've always enjoyed it with fish and chips, but over the years the taste seemed to weaken from Skipping Girl vinegar most used.
I've tried a few different brands but not happy until seeing a double-strength vinegar sold.
Definitely, the taste is strong and one may have to water it down slightly.
People should give the double-strength vinegar ago if you feel something not right with the taste of vinegar.
Walter Christy, Shearwater.
Catholic Church
PLEASE, can someone explain to me the difference (if any) between brainwashed Muslims and Catholics who cannot accept that George Pell is a proven child abuser?
Believers in the Catholic Church now need to be de-radicalised urgently.
Bill Chugg, Campbell Town.
Pumped Hydro Schemes
IRRESPECTIVE of the merits of pumped hydro schemes their capital and operational costs must be allocated 100 per cent to the cost of having wind and solar in the electricity system. Only then can an honest comparison be made of different systems. So how cheap are wind and solar in a very large, sparsely populated G20 country (Australia) with the considerable added disadvantage of not being able to use other countries’ spare electricity?