GOVERNMENT SECRECY
THE Examiner nails the issue facing communities fighting bad planning and inappropriate development - our government's refusal to be open and honest.
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When the government routinely prioritises corporate commercial interests over the public's right to know, we rightly ask whom our government is working for.
Across Tasmania, communities are desperate to find out what's really going on behind-closed-door meetings between the corporate sector and the relevant ministers.
Instead of a "clearer three-way dialogue between government, industry and the public", communities are excluded, then subjected to sophisticated PR campaigns dressed up as 'community consultation'.
Those of us calling to save our rivers, or fighting against TasNetworks' Marinus Project, or to protect Robbins Island from UPC's proposed wind farm, aren't environmentalists, we're Tasmanians, and we deserve a seat in the room. Instead, we're blindfolded by corporate PR and political spin.
Our government needs to start working for us, not just their corporate mates.
Ben Marshall, Loongana.
POLICE RECRUITMENT
I WISH to respond to the 'Police Training Course' letter (The Examiner, May 18).
In a competitive job market, all organisations need to reassess their recruitment strategies in order to attract and retain staff.
While we still maintain strict entry standards into Tasmania Police, attitudes to employment have changed, and the northern-based training pilot has demonstrated that in the past we have clearly missed out on some strong applicants who have had to choose between raising a family or pursuing their career aspirations. A modern policing organisation must invest in and ensure the wellbeing of its members.
The suggestion that someone who finds it difficult to be away from family is not suited to policing is not in accordance with a progressive organisation which seeks to support its members, particularly in a challenging role such as policing.
In respect to the structure of the course, we have invested in technology designed specifically to avoid significant staff travel and duplication of resources.
Like many universities and other educational facilities, Tasmania Police also has had to embrace new opportunities such as online learning methods.
I would encourage anyone considering policing as a career to contact us today. The barriers that once existed may no longer be there. Visit recruitment.police.tas.gov.au/
Jason Elmer, Tasmania Police education and training Commander.
ABORIGINAL IDENTITY
IN his correspondence to (The Examiner, May 16), David Bester asked the question of how does the 'white Tasmanian government' determine who is, or isn't Aboriginal?
The answer is quite simple, it doesn't.
That determination process is conducted by Aboriginal organisations/groups/communities who invariably use the Federal government criteria, as adopted by the Tasmanian government in 2014 for implementation by registered Aboriginal groups instead of relying one particular group's determinations, that basically has elements where a person has to identify as Aboriginal, have Aboriginal lineage and accepted as an Aboriginal person by an Aboriginal 'community'.
The government recognises it cannot have any sort of role to play when it comes to the, often vexed and contested issue of who is, or isn't, a Tasmanian Aboriginal person.
And thankfully the treaty consultation processes are engaging with a variety of groups/organisations/communities who represent the diversity of Tasmanian Aboriginal people.
Geoff McLean, Launceston.
MISLEADING JOB NUMBERS
THIS rot that keeps being thrown at us every day is unbelievable.
A living wage is considered to be $569 per week before tax $690 for a 40-hour week. Not enough to pay rent for a single person, so those on part-time are not in the equation. Employment is not part-time, and should not be included in the figures, what should be spoken of is full-time employment. Then we would see how well the economy is going.