OUTDATED INSTITUTION
WE have a new Governor.
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The past governor justified her position by saying she gave 300 speeches during the year.
That's a cost of $200,000 a speech.
The Governor is unelected and should have no role in the life of tax-paying citizens.
The present governor and the new governor both have legal backgrounds which they say equips them to be the queen's representative in Tasmania.
They represent the crown at a cost of over $600,000 a year.
The governor gets to live in the best house in Tasmania with many servants to cook, clean and mow the lawn.
Not only does the governor get a wage of over $350,000, they undoubtedly receive their superannuation from their previous careers.
If the job is necessary now and in the future, there must be more cost-efficient methods of ensuring our democratic institutions survive.
Undoubtedly the recent governors are highly skilled in their areas of expertise but that doesn't mean that they should play any role in the political life of citizens of Tasmania.
Denis Brown, Sidmouth.
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor:
A POSTER OF THE COSMOS
ON the evening of June 5 I was privileged, along with my wife, to join a small audience at IO Performance's production of Lanford Wilson's play "A Poster of the Cosmos".
From the unusual set design that greeted us onwards, the whole performance was a masterpiece. The play centres around a police interrogation in New York and Chris Jackson's monologue of a seedy, working-class man in trouble was nothing short of brilliant. I can honestly say that it was one of the most consummate pieces of character acting I have seen in my very long life.
IO Performance is a multi-award winning group and this performance shows just why.
Anyone who has a moment should not miss it. It's great.
Richard Hill, Newstead.
US V AUSTRALIAN POLITICS
I WOULD like to endorse Tony Newport's response to Jack Sonneman's comments on the size of the Australian Senate compared to the US Senate (The Examiner, June 5).
I for one would much rather the incompetent and sometimes corrupt bunch of clowns, both local and federal that Australia is saddled with, than be subject to the appalling scenes currently being played out in America, where the very essence of democracy is under attack by a venal and cowardly Republican party, both in Congress and the Senate. I have never been a big fan of the convoluted system of American politics, but what is being played out in America is frightening and should be ringing alarm bells in Australia.
Brian Lee, Riverside.
TAMAR RIVER SILTING
AS quite rightly pointed out by Bruce Cassidy (The Examiner, June 5) what we need is people with vision to solve the problem. The first part of that vision is to look further afield than close proximity of the already existing ponds.
These were never properly researched in the first place and as has been stated early in the week unsuitable for the job.
There are solutions, such as pumping the mud to the flats close to Glebe Gardens which would be easily done by a floating pipeline and booster pumps use the North Esk as a channel. As for the semi-dried mud, this could be used at the tip mixed in with the garbage which is semi-toxic anyway.
The many old quarries that litter the area behind the tip and across to Lilydale road could also be used as settling areas if the sludge was pumped there.
Solutions are there just open your eyes and look further than the river itself.
Ken Terry, Bridport.
A FRUITLESS CAMPAIGN
CRIME Stoppers Tasmania recent launch of a fruitless "war on drugs" campaign is similar to past wartime campaigns to gather aluminium pots and pans from citizens to help defend the country, both forms of propaganda are/were designed to instil a misplaced form of confidence and contribution amongst its citizenry. It may be a case of "doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result".
Kenneth Gregson, Swansea.
ROYAL LAUNCESTON SHOW
THE Royal Launceston Show should be in Launceston. Launceston should build a new showground, probably in Rocherlea where the primary school was.
Brett Templeton, Launceston.
SPIRIT OF TASMANIA
BECAUSE of travelling restrictions in Victoria, I had to change my travel date on the Spirit by two weeks.
To amend the date I had to pay an extra $171.
Road access to Tasmania is only possible via the Spirit.
The Spirit has a monopoly and changes the cost for the Bass Strait crossing without a good reason, or justification.
I wonder why the Spirit increases the fare, while the federal government lets cars travel for free in an attempt to stimulate the tourist industry?
Horst Schroeder, Devonport.
EXPERTS GUESSING
JUST because one may know more than others on a topic doesn't make one an expert - especially if that knowledge is sufficient to make one's guesses still only guesses.