Asylum Seekers
WITH another boat from Indonesia nearly landing on our shores, are our migration laws legitimate or illegal/immoral?
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Just imagine if you had a family and lived in one of the hotspots where most of these people are coming from.
You could stay with your family and try to survive or leave and try to relocate to another country to raise your family in safety.
Arriving in the new country, you are treated like a criminal and sent to a detention centre or a jail. I can remember when the Vietnamese started to arrive in Australia after the end of the war and were greeted with open arms and resettled in Australia. What is the difference between the newer arrivals and the Vietnamese? Is it the country they're from or the old White Australia policy raising its ugly head again or something else stopping this country helping these people out by taking them in and showing a bit of compassion?
Just remember that Australia is located at the bottom of Asia with more than one countries' government hostile to Australia and its people and is against what most people in Australia believe in.
Anthony Galvin, Launceston.
Election Perspective
THERE has been an understandable smugness among many local Liberal supporters since the Morrison Government's miraculous election victory, to use the PM's own description.
However, Tasmanian Liberals are well advised to keep the election success in perspective.
While nationally a slight majority (51 per cent) re-elected the government, here in Tasmania a clear majority preferred the change that Labor was offering - and that's not even including the votes for progressive independent Andrew Wilkie who topped the Tasmanian poll. It was Queensland, where ratbag right-wingers like Hanson and Palmer boost the conservative cause, which again proved Labor's downfall.
Put aside the Queensland result and Labor holds a clear majority of seats in the rest of Australia. But the political pendulum will swing, even in Queensland where in three years Adani will not be an issue, probably through economic collapse, and Palmer's millions and his party and fake policies will also not be around, and the urgency of climate change might be hitting home even in Queensland, the state most impacted by extreme weather.
Closer to home, Tassie voters in early 2022 will again be deciding the fate of Liberal governments in both Canberra and Hobart, coincidentally each seeking 12 years in office.
Will the punters just accept more of the same with simply promises of tax cuts and better times ahead, or will they be demanding the real change and progressive leadership necessary to meet the challenges facing our state and nation?
Patrick Naughtin, Sandy Bay.
Climate Change
I HAVE just seen a screening of the film 2040 which shows just what we can do with today's technology, to positively affect climate change.
What inspiration and hope this film will give to us all.
If you are a farmer who wants to understand the wonderful and important role you can play, or a parent/grandparent worrying about placing the weight of the world on young childrens' shoulders by involving them in the debate, then go along and see this film to regain your hope for the future.
And to Carmen Frelek, a regular correspondent to this page, I challenge you to see 2040 and tell me that you still haven't 'seen the light'.
Susan Hunter, Launceston.
A Resurgent Tony Abbott
WITH Arthur Sinodinos vacating his Senate seat the position could be taken by the former Member for Warringah.
How does Senator Tony Abbott sound?
Our Constitution is flawed on many levels.
Rod Fenner, East Launceston.
Labor's Rebecca White
IT is great to see the Health Minister Michael Ferguson convene a meeting with the auditor general about our health crisis.
It is also good to see an invitation to the opposition as well.
I would like Rebecca White to go to this meeting with a positive attitude instead of all the negatives that have been coming from the Labor Party lately.
Hopefully this might be a start to repairing our overworked health system.
Cyril Patmore, Poatina.
Bass Election Result
I WOULD really like someone to explain, please.
Please explain why with 29,104 primary votes Bridget Archer only has a 570 vote margin that is in (The Examiner, June 1), with Ross Hart at 23,883, a primary vote surely takes precedence over odd votes from another candidate who it would seem does not want them.
The UK has a first past the post model which seems to have been working quite well for many years, in which case Bridget is way in front.
A lot of our legal and other systems stem from the mother country, so how did we manage to make such a complete hash of voting?
Why not use the kiss principle?
Keep it short stupid.
Ron Baines, Kings Meadows.
Aussie Democracy
THE cartoon in (The Examiner, May 28) depicts two Australians and it suggests that the man of indigenous descent does not have a voice in the constitution.
Democracy is based on the premise of one person, one vote; as all Australians over 18 years have a vote, then this suggestion is incorrect.
All Australians have an equal voice.