Candidates' Forum
I HAD full intentions of attending the Bass candidates' forum at Scotch Oakburn College the other week but decided not to go as my question was for the Liberal candidate, George Town mayor Bridget Archer, who did not attend. One would expect candidates to grab every opportunity to speak and listen to the public, whom they may represent and work for in Parliament. Maybe her mayor duties are keeping her too busy.
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There needs to be more forums and debates between candidates, as in other states, to help voters know what and if issues of concern will be addressed.
Kathleen Green, Beauty Point.
Kids in Poverty
LABOR'S would be next Prime Minister Bill Shorten has been pledging millions of dollars for Australia if elected.
My question to Bill is will he live up to Bob Hawke's pledge back in June 1987 that by 1990 "no Australian child will be living in poverty" this promise has still to be acted on.
Come on Bill, have you the will to make the same promise and this time carry it out for the kids of Australia still waiting?
And the number is growing every day.
You seem to have an empty barrel of dollars that you are dishing out from.
David Parker, West Launceston.
Party Membership
THE Liberal Party seems to have a peculiar take on democratic process when it comes to admitting new members.
Recently we took up a written invitation to join the Liberal Party. We paid our joining fee and were accepted by the local branch.
Imagine our dismay when our fee paid was returned and we received a telephone call explaining our rejection.
We were told a state politician holding a ministerial portfolio and living in our area would not attend branch meetings if we were accepted as members. No wonder political party membership is declining.
Graeme and Sue Neilsen, George Town.
Fear for Tasmania
IF Labor gets in power we will be worse off. The last time Labor was in power I had to sell my house as did others when the interest rate went up sky high as I couldn't keep up the monthly mortgage. I am now renting. I had only six years to go to own my house. Also when Labor was in government they promised a pension rise and what happened, rent and everything went up so we were no better off. I will cost us in the long run as they haven't told us where the money is coming from to even up the scales. All that glitters is not gold. Be careful before you vote in May. I'm praying for a good government.
M. Ward, St Helens.
Banking Woes
PRIOR to Heritage Isle Credit Union's recent amalgamation, the institution called public meetings to explain the nuts and bolts, what was envisaged and placed an emphasis on how much better for members it would be.
I have since discovered this to not be the case, for me at least anyway.
Firstly, when my pension or any other across the counter cash is required, I will pay $2 for this service.
Secondly, prior to this joining with the Police Bank in NSW, I had unlimited ATM access.
Now, I have just four transactions for free and you can guess what happens after that.
Thirdly, formerly there was a one-off nominal charge each time I required a new cheque book.
That nominal charge has been removed and an impost of $1 is debited from my account for each cheque I write.
So what you say, I've been paying fees where I bank.
Yes, well the Heritage Isle Credit Union prided itself on being the best, and it was, but is no longer.
In a letter which was sent out earlier this year, the credit union said in part, "integration which once complete will allow us to provide you with a greater range of banking options and more efficient and convenient ways to access your money".
Yeah, right, please show me how.
Daryl Camino, George Town.
Bad Management
NO-ONE disputes the beauty and magnificence of the environment that we have, but to limit the management to the point where we end up with many years' worth of fire fuel and allowing it to burn unchecked in catastrophic summer conditions is ridiculous.
It is also creating a monoculture situation in the bushland with many of our forests in the same stage of not having been burned, which is decreasing the diversity of both flora and fauna.
Many of our native species actually need fire to propagate, but an out of control, destructive summer fire is not the best way to achieve this.
With a well-timed cool burn, birds survive easily, fauna can escape, and microfauna can survive in the untouched damp areas.
The result is a reduction in the fuel load so that a summer fire can be much more easily fought, and is less likely to take hold and cause the destruction of a summer wildfire.
I reiterate that no management is bad management.
Tanya King, Meander Valley councillor.
Weekend V Biblical History
IS Sunday part of the weekend?
Emphatically no.
Sadly, some calendars present Sunday at the end of the week. With Easter now upon us, let us all be reminded that Sunday is the first day of the week.
The Holy Bible Luke 24, verses 1-3 (NKJ) states: "Now on the first day of the week (Sunday), very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus."
God raised up Christ (Acts 2:22-24).
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of the Christian faith.