LAST week I attended the cardiac unit at Launceston General Hospital for a day procedure. The care I received was first class. Everyone involved was professional, caring and respectful and I would like to thank each and everyone of them. How lucky we are to have this level of care available. Now come on all you politicians, use our money to support such a wonderful facility.
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Sandra Atkins, Devonport
Well done Senator Wong
CONGRATULATIONS to Senator Wong and her partner sophie on their wedding. Penny Wong has been a fantastic politician who has the courage of her beliefs against many odds.
Mick Robinson, Beauty Point
Undemocratic proposal
THE Liberals' proposal to force MPs out of parliament who resign from their party is undemocratic. People vote for candidates, not parties, and members' priority should be their constituents, not their party.
The proposal would take power from MPs and give it to parties. If an MP became aware the parliamentary party leadership was corrupt or behaving unconscionably, they would have the choice of staying and betraying their conscience and the interests of their constituents or be kicked out of parliament.
The proposal would be open to abuse. If a party leader took a dislike to an MP, she or he could force the MP out of the party and parliament.
Andrew Inglis Clark - who devised our brilliant electoral system - was wary of parties' power and the influence of their unelected leaders and staffers. The Liberals' proposal undermines the intention of our system.
Neil Spark, President, Tasmanian Constitution Society
Water damage
I READ with absolute anger Hamish Geake's article in The Examiner (March 14), of the water damage to a Launceston home owned by the Brayfords.
What's to argue TasWater?
The house has stood for over 100 years, solid with no cracking. Then after being unnecessarily flooded for 24 days, that's over three weeks, almost a month, with mains water pouring around and under this home, the damage was done.
TasWater has admitted that it was left flooding for too long and there is also video evidence, doesn't this say it all?
How can anyone say it's not a TasWater problem?
Taswater is State owned and therefore public money, but surely this is not to mean the Brayford's should be left to endure the cost of TasWater's negligence.
Where does this leave other home owners in the future?
Andrew Kilpatrick, Kings Meadows
Basic democracy
WHY is it that the Liberal Party seems to not understand the basis of our democracy - voters elect politicians to represent their community?
Once elected, a politician's first duty is always to reflect and promote the best interests of that community.
The Liberal's planned implementation of a "stability clause" effectively calls for the election only of party hacks - politicians whose first duty is obedience to the party.
Selwyn Church, Perth
Reading and writing
IT WAS disturbing to read in The Examiner (18th March) that 'we have a quarter of the Tasmanian population that are unable... to read at an expected standard by the time they reach Year 7'. As a retired secondary school teacher I know that reading is fundamental to learning in all subjects. I recognised that reading skills needed to be developed up to Year 10 and beyond, so I developed a 'Silent Reading' program where for half an hour after lunch the whole secondary school, staff and students, read to themselves in their home rooms. This had several advantages, apart from reading, and sometimes sharing books and enthusiasm, between staff and students. It wasn't just the reading - it also meant that the school was settled before the afternoon lessons; advantages all round. I hope that the idea was 'caught' by teachers and spread as they moved to other schools.
It has been many years since I was a professional educator but my passion for learning continues. I believe that this 'Silent Reading' idea could add to the whole raft of educational tools used by our excellent Secondary educators.
Dr Tony Burridge, Kings Meadows
Blonde ambition
RICHARD Cooke might well feel that the choices being put forward at the forthcoming election might be an example of the blind leading the blind (The Examiner, March 18); yet with Labor it has to be a case of the blonde leading the bland.
Dave Robinson, Newstead
