If you live in the historic town of Westbury you would probably have a different view of why a lot of people in Westbury clearly do not want a large maximum security prison in or near their village. Most value our heritage and all other aspects of our historic village.

We do not want that spoiled by others who think they know what we want. Since last September, Minister Archer decided that Westbury was the preferred site. The people of Westbury are still waiting for the evidence to suggest this was the best site. We are still waiting for disclosure of the list of other sites.

It seems the consultation process failed, the phone survey and economic study did not give favourable results for the government, so the quick fix was to pick the closest bit of Crown land up the road. The locals are not convinced of any real benefits for Westbury, as the contract will no doubt go to one of the multi nationals who are experts at putting prison pods together.

Can the minister assure Westbury if the new site fits any of the siting principles?

IT IS unfortunate that the story "A Matter of Trust" (The Examiner, June 30) and accompanying editorial states that strip searches of minors are carried out at Launceston and Hobart police stations. This is not the case.

These searches are carried out by Department of Justice correctional officers at the Launceston and Hobart Reception Centres, formerly known as Remand Centres. Police officers are only rarely required to conduct a strip search of a minor which are governed by strict protocols.

The article also quotes Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre Michael Mansell as saying the practice "instilled a distrust and dislike of police from an early age". Tasmania Police officers are at the frontline serving our community every day. We do so without fear or favour.

As police officers we are committed to the values of our organisation - integrity, equity and accountability. We are fortunate to have a high level of community trust in Tasmania, and we don't take that for granted.

Tasmania Police is committed to maintaining a positive relationship with our Aboriginal communities, and we are regularly working with those communities to achieve better outcomes for Aboriginal people.

I SUPPORT entirely, the opinion expressed by Eric Abetz (The Examiner, June 29). There are many and varied opinions on Voluntary Assisted Dying, that speak for and against this proposed bill to be presented in the Legislative Council, by Mike Gaffney.

I attended one of Mr Gaffney's forums on the matter and it was well attended by a majority of supporters. The forum was well presented, but the content was horrific. It's astonishing, that anyone of sound mind, would support taking the life of another for whatever reason.

It is agreed and accepted by the majority, that suicide is tragic at any age, yet here is a bill seeking to assist people to commit suicide with the assistance of a medical doctor, because it should be a "right" which is currently denied them.

Suicide rates are increasing, but seeking to make it legal and supported by the medical profession, is beyond belief.

People will come to distrust their doctors and perhaps we need to ask the difficult question "do you support VAD"? just as we have sought the opinions of the Rosevears candidates, for election to the Legislative Council.

We know who we will vote for. We too have a choice.

The article in (The Examiner, June 27) states that he (Anthony Haneveer) won't shed any tears for the ABC. That's fair enough, we all know that commercial media needs the demise or serious weakening of the national broadcaster so that eternal gabfests, lifestyle shows and propaganda dressed up as news look better than Z-class television.

But please shed a couple for the long suffering audience who are forced to watch and hear this trash. There are elderly viewers who cannot manipulate pay television, much less afford it. It could be confidently predicted that, if the Coalition achieved their aim of strangling the ABC out of existence that there will be at least one United States citizen who will be eager to acquire it.