Tim, you didn't need to resign the Australian cricket team captaincy. You did something that has come back to haunt you, however it was investigated by cricket authorities and you were cleared of any wrongdoing by that investigation.

I am sure your family were not impressed and let you know and rightly so, that would have been punishment enough.

You were thrown in at the deep end of the captaincy after the Sandpapergate scandal and have done a magnificent job as captain since. After four years it is very strange that this is being revealed now.

It's sad that someone thought to bring this to the media's attention, on the eve of the Ashes series.

It is a shame that there are people in the community who feel that there is a need to humiliate others in this manner.

It is also disgusting that the media saw fit to show the contents of those text messages.

I have always loved Test cricket but the response to Tim Paine has left me cold. The prurience. The holier than thou former cricketers and other commentators. The relish of reports of English glee.

He had a sexual dalliance. He made a mistake, which he regrets. The only difference between him and another high-profile sporting identity in Damien Hardwick is we don't know what Hardwick communicated to his lover.

Deep down we all know this is really none of our business. One can only say there is a meanness of spirit here, in the press and at large, that bodes ill for our society.

There is no excuse for his actions and a poor response from Cricket Tasmania and Cricket Australia. Tim should resign from Aussie cricket and some heads should roll in both administrations.

BLESSED, or cursed, with a fairly rare blood type, (B positive) I share Anne Leyton-Bennet's concern that the Red Cross won't accept blood from people who have visited the UK, even if only temporarily, since the 1980s due to possible contamination from what is known as Mad Cow disease! (The Examiner, 20 Nov.)

Prior to visiting the UK in the 1990s, I was a regular blood donor.

On my return to Tasmania I had every to intention of recommencing the practice, only to find my blood was no longer acceptable.

Given its rarity, I find this most frustrating and distressing, especially when the Red Cross makes emotional public appeals for blood donors as I am more than willing to donate.

Surely with the passing of so many years, and the advances in technology it is time for the Red Cross to review this situation?

THE internal disintegration of the federal government as its ideologies are crushed by reality is sad for the nation.

Having spent their years in power making it a point of pride to deny climate change and hold back the technologies that might address it, we now see Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggesting action needs to be taken.

Of course, the Nationals remain in denial, probably because of where their MPs get their rivers of money, but we are not supposed to notice that.

The problem is, this transition has not just been delayed, but actively sabotaged by the hobbling of the CSIRO, the privileging of fossil fuel interests in policy making, and defunding all bodies that could have got us on the way.

But Mr Morrison wants to pretend his transition will be all about technology and innovation.

The man who waves lumps of coal really takes us for fools, but in this he's been right before.

IT is nothing short of amazing.

Interest rates, petrol and cost of living prices will be kept lower by the Coalition according to our Prime Minister.

Lower than?

Lower than Labor of course.

Those spendthrifts who gave handouts during the GFC.

Hang on, handouts?

You mean like JobKeeper?

Petrol prices?

But what if the price of crude oil goes up?

Will they subsidise?

Cost of living, what if groceries go up, housing and rents go up?

Will they subsidise?

Can do?

Capitalism says no.

No subsidies that is.

So how will they do it?

Stay tuned.

That's the truth for this minute, this hour, this day, this week.

Bottom line:

You just can't trust Labor but you can trust us.

Until next week, when we have another truth to sell.

Would we ever lie to you?