NOT EVERYONE WELCOME
I AGREE wholeheartedly with Adam Mostogl, curator of Launceston Global Shapers Hub, when he says that not all those who come from non-English speaking countries and who seek to live and work in Northern Tasmania are welcomed warmly.
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I have a friend whose husband is a qualified civil engineer and who obtained those qualifications in Hobart.
He is reduced to driving a taxi to support his equally intelligent wife and three children. Why? Because when he applies for a job, he is bypassed because of his name, his looks, his slight accent or where he was born. This is just not on; it is time to embrace diversity and treat our new citizens with the respect they deserve.
There is so much we can learn from them.
Jill Clark, Riverside.
DRACONIAN SMOKING LAWS
WE WAX lyrical about increasing the smoking age, but just what is it going to do? Nothing. People who are already deemed too young to smoke already smoke, so that makes this kind of legislation moot. People are now deemed to be adults at 18 and, as such, are legally entitled to vote and supposedly make up their own minds on what they can and can't legally do.
Now we're proposing to tell adults that they cannot smoke until 21. Totally ridiculous. Education is the key to reducing smoking, health education, not draconian "you will not" type legislation.
Mike England, Hobart.
OUT OF CONTEXT ON AMBOS
JOE Acker (The Examiner, March 23) expresses his disappointment at the comments of Peter Doddy (The Examiner, March 22) regarding female paramedics.
I believe Acker is taking Doddy's comments out of context. Peter Doddy was commending female paramedics, not condemning them. Jo Acker said, "Ambulance Tasmania has equipment, including electronic stretchers used to lift patients if required". Obviously, they didn't have one when Peter Doddy needed one.
A R Trounson, Needles.
VALE PATRICIA GILES
NOTED Tasmanian "en plein air" artist Patricia Giles has sadly passed at the age of 88. Her sojourn with other artists, including the late Max Angus, to the East Coast of Tasmania, in particular the beauty of "The Hazards" of Coles Bay, was a constant inspiration and love for the artist.
Patricia had never forgotten her visits to "Coswell", a farm just south of Swansea, where the late Bess and Wally Donne provided unrivalled hospitality and a perfect location to place her easel. RIP Patricia.
Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.
FLOOD RECOVERY
Thousands of Australians are without a home to go to after the massive floods, and all the federal government can say is they will be focusing on funding and getting the polluting coal mines up and running again.
The coal mines are one of the main causes of climate change, driving these intense weather events we are now experiencing every year. Why doesn't the government look after the people without homes first and then use this opportunity to redirect our energy and employment focus to renewables instead, or else we can expect things weatherwise to get worse each year.
Russell Langfield, Kimberley.
CLEARING UP THE CASE
The Institute of Foresters of Australia was recently referred to as a powerful lobby group that is heavily funded by the industry and have the resources to sustain a continued attack (Dr Jennifer Sanger, The Examiner, March 25).
This is not the case. We are neither an industry lobby group nor well-funded. Nor do we wish to attack those with different views.
The IFA and Australian Forest Growers is an independent professional association for forest scientists, managers and growers.
We are a not-for-profit professional association that is supported by an office of three part-time staff, including myself.
We work to promote credible science-based discourse and respectful discussion around forest issues.
Like many other professional associations, such as Engineers Australia and the Australian Medical Association, our primary source of income is from annual membership fees.
Our members operate across all aspects of forest and land management throughout Australia.
We do have members who work in forest harvesting operations, however many of our members are also academics; researchers; scientists working in government agencies; conservation; forest fire management; private forest companies and urban forest management.
Our members also include forest consultants and private landowners.
As scientists, we do advocate. We advocate for good science, good solutions, and good outcomes for our forests. Our positions on forest management are informed by forest science.
We advocate for active and adaptive land management across all land tenures (National Parks, state forests and private forests).
We believe that Australia's forests, if managed well, can support all forest values including biodiversity, conservation, water, carbon, and social and commercial interests.
We also believe that the future of forest management should include two-way capacity building with Traditional Owners.
As IFA/AFG chief executive, I am proud of our independence and even more proud of our members who are passionate about forests and want to ensure the health of our forests for generations to come.