Rough diamonds can shine the brightest for Tassie's AFL recruits

Brody Mihocek, originally from Burnie, was overlooked as a teenager but, after taking himself to Victoria and playing four seasons outside the AFL - two at Werribee and two at Port Melbourne - was selected at number 22 in the 2018 rookie draft (yes, the secondary draft!).

Now he is not only an AFL premiership player but has been Collingwood's leading goalkicker in five seasons and this year booted 47 goals in 24 matches - just shy of two goals a game (something of a benchmark in modern football).

Grant Birchall and Jack Riewoldt are the only Tasmanians to have achieved more than Mihocek in the AFL this century.

There can be (Tassie) jewels in the rough!

Geoffrey Harris, East Launceston

MOST political parties, the Media AND the average Joe would agree that Australia is low on numbers for our workforce albeit the paid jobs or the volunteer unpaid.

Most businesses seem to prefer to hire or employ the younger set and the more mature job seeker usually looses out. Myself and most of the recently retired would like to work if possible a couple days a week for extra income now the average living cost has risen sharply over the last two years making extremely hard just meet normal living costs.

The major problem is tax where if you are on a pension more than a day's wage limits the amount you receive each fortnight.

The whole idea of the pension was that you had paid enough tax to the government over the years so they supposedly gave you enough to live off in your twilight years, but now most people have super so the government is left off the hook for most retirees.

If a person earns say $600 to $1000 a week when you should be reimbursed by paying no or a little tax paid and this would help everyone that requires more labour, this might stop the bringing of labour in from overseas which helps no-one other than the companies that make a fortune from this.

I think most recently retirees would like to help the government and themselves by taking a part time job plus you have something more to do with extra money.

Anthony Wayne Galvin, Launceston

I STRONGLY support Rosemary Harwood's campaign for justice and for an inquest into the death of her daughter, Marjorie Harwood.

In 2018, her daughter, Tasmanian transgender woman Marjorie Harwood, passed away.

She died having refused medical care for a kidney condition after being subjected to a brutal gang rape by inmates at Risdon prison.

Since then, Rosemary has been ceaselessly fighting to ensure that what happened to her daughter does not happen again.

She has relentlessly campaigned for the better protection of transgender people in prisons and all Tasmanians should get behind her on this.

Tasmania has a responsibility to ensure that transgender people are afforded the right to safety, even when in prison.

Marjorie being housed in a men's prison contravened this right.

I echo Rosemary's call for an inquest and for recommendations to better protect trans and gender diverse people in our prisons.

Rose Boccalatte, South Launceston

DEAR SIR,

I am writing to draw notice to a road nuisance.

Our road (Parkham-Weetah) has been on the Targa Tasmania routes for years but we locals do not expect to be subjected to car rallies without warning at other times of the year. I think it wouldn't be too much to ask the Porsche Club membership to let our local road's residents know whenever an impromptu rally will speed through (Friday's instance at 9 AM this morning - 8 cars).

While Tasmania's roads are for everyone's use, just because our particular road is "fun", narrow with hill climbs, dips and turns and is therefore a "challenge" to some drivers, this doesn't invite sports car owners to try out their skills with no thought to local residents.

S & J Blakeney, Weetah