Letters to the editor | June 14, 2022

Most winners of the higher levels awarded do so merely from the positions they occupy (and suitably paid) as their normal employment. If volunteer service is over and beyond their normal working hours, then so be it.

Many low-level workers contribute more of their excess of working time to services, with little or no recognition. These awards should be given to more worthy recipients inter alia self-funded volunteers. Our society still mostly benefits the upper echelons and those politically connected, unfortunately.

THE football fraternity want us to build a gigantic football arena when there is not enough money to build enough accommodation to house all the people of Tasmania and not enough money to employ specialists and nurses to staff our hospitals.

People are on long waiting lists for necessary operations. Many people can't afford food or pay their power bills and they want the government to pay for a football stadium.

Get real, people. Most people can't afford to pay to go to the football.

KERRY Nielsen (The Examiner, June 9), I have been complaining to the City of Launceston council regarding the parking problem in Landale Street since 2017.

I have sent many emails and photos to the council and the only concession I received was painted parking bays that made the problem worse because they fit more cars in.

If you have a driveway and want to reverse you cannot see what's coming out of a laneway used by the opposite side of the street. As elderly people living in Housing Tasmania units, we have to slowly crawl forward with half of the car exposed. You just can't see and it's frightening because it's not just cars driving through, we have Toll trucks and buses.

With so many cars parked you can't move and as for visitors, they are non-existent. I hope I never have to call an ambulance, it would not be able to park.

It seems like big business rules and we have no rights.

ONE wonders if Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton will have the decency or even the courage to face the Australian people and explain how their appalling stupidity has managed to cost the Australian taxpayers $850 million, chasing the dream of nuclear submarines from America 18 years down the track, if then.

Given the rule of law and democracy is in freefall in that country with the final vestiges of both receiving the coup de grace at the 2024 presidential election, one can only imagine what sort of society will be around in 2040.

It probably won't be a democracy anyway that will have the slightest interest in selling submarines to Australia. And I will ask the question again, what are we going to do then?

IAN Wheeler's letter (The Examiner, June 11) wanting a designated seat in Parliament for Indigenous people just handed to them is not warranted.

If all Indigenous people are registered voters, what is wrong with an Indigenous person putting their name up to become elected to Parliament as everyone else does?

Everyone then has an opportunity to vote for you or what you look like regardless of who you are or what you stand or believe in. Seats of Parliament are not gifted, you have to be elected by registered voters. Win your seat the democratic way as everyone else does.

I WANT Housing Tasmania to start filling up the empty houses in Launceston.

Instead, they are being left vacant and bored children are setting fire to them. Instead of putting people in the homes, it is just boarding up the windows and leaving them to rot. I have counted at Ravenswood and Waverley alone, there are 14 places that could have people in them.

If 4500 animals were being neglected, the government would be answering to the RSPCA. But don't worry, they are just numbers. I don't think anyone in control actually cares because they are not the ones who are homeless.

Come on, let's help the less fortunate. Wake up housing department.