Issue 814
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Australian shoppers find themselves taking home six billion plastic bags each year. Whether or not these are a green colour, a strategy recently adopted by Woolworths, a large number end up along roadsides, in the bush, and in waterways and oceans where they are a hazard to marine life. Plastic bags constitute about 10 per cent of the rubbish picked up on Clean Up Australia Day.
At present, both the supermarket shoppers who refuse plastic bags and those who accept them are unwittingly subsidising the plastics industry (generally in South-East Asian countries such as China), as a small amount of money is added to the cost of every item to pay for the bags. In a second industry subsidy, ratepayers also cover the landfill disposal costs.
It is equally unnecessary to have shopping trolleys littering the streets. This problem is avoided in Europe by requiring shoppers to put a coin deposit into a trolley to use it. Virtually all the trolleys are returned.
The general view of Australian supermarkets is that if they were to unilaterally charge for bags at the checkout (rather than factoring the cost into prices) and require a trolley deposit, customers would leave in droves.
However, things are about to change. The government would never dream of bringing in legislation which would temporarily inconvenience the retail sector, but there is little it can do about competitiveness. The German-owned supermarket chain Aldi, which within the last year has been establishing itself in Australia, keeps prices down by charging 15 cents for every bag, encouraging people to bring their own. It also uses a trolley deposit system to largely avoid the need to keep replacing them.
These bags have been banned in Bhutan and Bangladesh, and partially banned in South Africa. Supermarkets could switch over to the completely biodegradable plastic bags now available which are made from starch. In the meantime, the potential for change lies with shoppers, in the form of calico bags and boxes.
Martin C Oliver
Lismore
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Anyone who has seen the interplay between your columnist Mungo MacCallum and SM Herald’s conservative commentator Gerard Henderson – for instance, at last year’s Byron Bay Writers Festival – would know they have little in common.
How enjoyable, then, that their shared distaste for the late Queen Mother would make them unlikely bedfellows.
Although Mungo wrote (Echo April 4) damningly, and aptly, about HRH, it must be conceded that Henderson played the trump card, dwelling less on Mungo’s claims that she was a pisspot, gambler and drain on the public purse than her support for both the egregious Neville Chamberlain and Adolf Hitler himself.
The latter, according to the revered Queen Mum, had ‘obvious sincerity’, which is more than can be said for her. Mungo might believe that she stayed in London during the Blitz of WW2, but according to Henderson the royal family actually retreated each night to the safety of Windsor Castle. One can only dream that commentators on both the right and left of the British media would air similar views.
Robin Osborne
Bexhill
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So scumbag bloody coward Howard made himself a big fella going down to the wharves to welcome home a section of our army personnel, what a lot of hypocrisy. He could not care less. I notice he never goes over to them, when they are over there in Pakistan or where else they are. It would be more to the point, if he took himself to Pakistan or elsewhere and never came back.
Norm Reg Turner Davidson
Goonellabah
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The letter by a T. Madden March 27 in the ‘daily’ local rag recently in my opinion was so pathetic and so blatantly untrue it defied belief!
Firstly Mr Abusive off-the-planet Madden, before you use your poison pen again on the best PM we have ever had get your facts in order.
Firstly, this complete bulldust about the sorry healing pointless “bridge walk” was only done by a minority of Sydneysiders who I suspect most did not know why they were doing it anyway! It achieved nothing and never will and our intelligent PM knows this as do most of us.
The Republic lost out simply because it was bad for us and the majority didn’t want it, thank God. Name one decent trouble-free republic anywhere Mr Madden, except perhaps on Mars where you came from (have you a return ticket) we all hope so I’m sure!
Again, the majority of us do not want a bar of these blackmailing illegals as proved beyond doubt at the recent election. Another tick for our best ever PM. Starting to feel a bit lonely out there old Tone?
Fourthly, the jury is still out on this done to death overboard rubbish and really most of us don’t give a damn anyway, either way. These ‘Arabs’ would come at anything to get attention.
Fifth, the Governor General, at least it appears, is not himself involved in these disgraceful acts of homo filth and is not guilty until proven otherwise. As our wise PM points out, there is not precedent or proof for removing him.
Finally, this so called judge you speak of, an admitted “homo” regardless of whether or not he is into the young boys bit gets no tick I suspect from most anyhow. To think a judge of any description anywhere could expect respect whilst privately or other indulging in this shocking manner is beyond belief.
Well at least T. Madden you got one thing right. Yes, we are entitled to the best and in J Howard we have it. Look in the mirror Tone. You’re now seeing a real spineless person because poor old J Howard can’t reply to your gutless attack on him.
However, I can in the same way you did. Get a life or get out! Please!
G. Wallace
South Lismore
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I wish to respond to an article written by Mr M McCallum called ‘Two leaders and a Funeral’ in the latest edition of your newspaper, April 4.
What a vitriolic piece of commentary in the third section on the Queen Mother. I am surprised your paper printed this section at all. The remarks were totally uncalled for and totally out of place. Why did you publish this article?
I would like to address some questions to Mr McCallum (I would not use his first name as it conjures up images of neanderthal man or his predecessors). Has Mr McCallum ever personally met the Queen Mother?
On what basis and by what authority does he make a pronouncement that someone else’s life has been useless? What has the royal family done to him personally that he would ever lower himself to such depths and make such remarks? What useful thing have you done, Mr McCallum, for society? Your job as a political commentator does not in my view make you a useful member of our society. Do you have another job? Are you a husband and or a father?
The Queen Mother was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother to her family and obviously treasured by them as well as by the people who are expressing their grief through vigils, condolences and waiting up to six hours in line to pay their respects in London.
Mr McCallum, I hope your epitaph will not be “a small-minded, vitriolic man who passed his life in a useless profession”.
Elizabeth Hamilton
Rous Mill
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The introduction of Legislation to our NSW Parliament to pass a bill or move for Pensioner Rate Discounts to be applied for pensioners renting all or any properties and having to pay water charges is now applicable in NSW.
Pensioner discounts do not apply for water rates to tenants. Why?!
Local Councils send out accounts to owners or agents of owners – full rate applies. Pay or else!
Already Country Energy, Telstra and other authorities give pensioner discounts and it’s about time Local Government Councils did the same. It’s discriminatory, to say the least!
You take on a lease, you pay the electricity, water, gas, maintain the property lawns, gardens etc, and pay rent, the owner pays the land rates and agents! Still you have hassles getting repairs done etc! Repairs – all tax deductable aren’t they? Are water , gas, electricity, phone allowable too?
Thomas (George), I ask you. Represent this to our NSW Parliament ASAP! Pensioners have added expenses with daily costs of living far outweighing the benefits and through no fault of their own and this would help! Thank you.
Edward Saul
Lismore
The recent “Financing for Development” conference in Mexico highlighted the need for global effort to stop the increasing gap between the very rich and the very poor.
According to the Australian Agency for International Development (Aus AID), the Australian government regards microfinance as an important element of poverty reduction strategies in developing countries, however have committed only $13 million this financial year which represents less than 1% of Australia’s overseas aid budget. Further, they are unclear what their commitment levels will be for the 2002/2003 financial year and beyond.
Microcredit has proven to be a powerful means for people to lift themselves out of poverty. In Feb 1997 the Microcredit Summit in Washington DC launched a nine year campaign to ensure that 100 million of the world’s poorest families, especially women, are receiving credit for self-employment, and other financial and business services by 2005. This will potentially benefit 500 million people because women tend to use the benefits of their improved financial status to help their entire family. This would represent nearly 50% of the 1.2 billion people who live on less than US $1 per day.
In order for Australia to contribute its share of the total assistance required from aid donors to meet the Microcredit Summit goal, it needs to increase its level of micro-credit aid to an average of $20 million per year over the next two years.
Elly Wilson
Nimbin
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Bureaucratic and political cases have recently been published on the issue of councillor members at Lismore council. It seems we might have forgotten another important point of view, that of the constituents of Lismore council. You know, the interests that this local council is intended to exclusively serve.
Unlike Federal and State parliaments, local government politician to constituent ratios and the tolerances between jurisdictions are not ‘equalised’ by legislation. Australia’s largest council has one councillor to represents 52,000 voters while in the smallest, one councillor represents just 16 voters, and there is no consistency in ratio relative to council size. Councillor members have no effect on the quality of service provision or on the effectiveness of voter representation. It may be that councillor quality will rise where more aspirants vie for fewer positions but there is no one first best formula or ratio for councillors to voters.
Councils are said to have democratic political processes and accessible, transparent bureaucratic structures. This is simply not so. In reality, councils are quite impenetrable, cloaked in secrecy, arrogant and remote. They are dominated by political elites and mandarin bureaucrats who use information, legislation and ‘rules’ to limit the knowledge and power of ordinary voters. Unorganised voters have little or no political power whether they choose to exercise it personally or through a councillor. UK research conducted over 30 years shows that councillors and bureaucrats favour political parties or factions, the interests of certain political elite or their own interests (in that order) rather than the interests of constituents.
Clearly, little can be done by ordinary voters to remedy this situation. The best that voters can do is to help create councils which are dominated by two more or less equally powerful factions or parties that complete for your vote to secure political power, and then pay you off by improving services or co-operation. The more intense the competition between these factions the greater will be the pay off for ordinary constituents.
There also needs to be strong incentive structures in place to moderate bureaucratic and political self-interest such as short term performance contracts for executives, short electoral terms to keep councillors focused on the desires of voters and greater disclosure of any factional or party allegiance and of policy platforms.
Thinking voters will see that the number and quality of councillors is of little importance to their interests. What is critically important is that voters choose to vote for any change which will disrupt the balance of factional power at council and just hope that the new order of things will create a more equal, fragile, and competitive power structure. Then, and only then, will the interests of ordinary constituents be truly served.
Stephen Soul
Lismore
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By now the residents of Lismore will have received their copy of the Lismore City Council Annual Report. There appear to be two contradicting policies being promoted by Council in their ongoing attempts to put forward an acceptable Memorial Baths Redevelopment as well as the Riverbank Redevelopment.
One cannot perceive a swimming pool complex perched above the banks of the Richmond River as being an attraction to the amenity of the riverbank.
The baths redevelopment would be ideally suited to the wasted land in Diadem St where the travelling circus area is situated and could be designed in keeping with the proposed extension to Lismore Square. This area, with the ugly open drain presently running through it, could be transformed into useable attractive public space with a pool complex and car parking located closer to the population that it is intended for.
Going even further why not have Council buy out the total area of the RSL club instead of just a bowling green. The club, with its new found wealth, can then develop further the RSL Goonellabah complex and the eyesore of the old club could be demolished together with the old Memorial Baths to bring the riverbank back to its natural setting and available for everyone to access.
It seems obvious that the only way to enhance the riverbank is to get rid of the ugly obstructions built in a bygone era and to develop the parks and green space for the people, both residents and tourists to enjoy. One could envisage the total area from the rowing club car park to the Ballina St Bridge as open space and only then will Lismore have an attractive riverbank to be proud of.
Or we could continue as is with the only beneficiaries being the current architects and planners taking our money on a one way trip to mediocrity.
Len Rhueben
Goonellabah
In America, new federal health insurance guidelines classify a developing foetus as an “Unborn Child”.
The move marks the first time in American federal law that human personhood is extended to conception, and the declaration establishes a legal case for arguing that unborn children should be afforded the same rights as their postnatal counterparts.
Phillip Gosper
Lismore
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Australia is possibly the most fortunate country in the world.
Letters to the Editor demonstrates the political freedom we take for granted. In many countries people are victimised, terrorised, disappeared or tortured, for publicly, or even privately, expressing dissent.
Our short post invasion history has never been punctuated with widespread warfare, terrorism, or violent social conflict.
Imagine for a moment if Australia was a country where girls were not allowed to attend school, or if women drivers who accidentally exposed the skin on their arm were beaten or pelted with stones.
Imagine living in fear of the police force coming to your door to take your husband to be executed, simply because he was Catholic, or Methodist, Buddhist, Islamic, Jewish... any religion other than the One religion approved by the government.
Imagine knowing that a close member of your family’s life was in danger...selling everything you and your family owned to try to pay for their passage to a safe haven may be the only way of saving their life. Would you do it?
Thank heavens Australia is not this nightmare, but for many asylum seekers, these are the very reasons for leaving their country of birth to arrive on our shores.
Before casting another stone in their direction, lets practice a little Christian charity and make them welcome, while their claims are assessed. Remind ourselves that we are a compassionate, freedom loving nation, and ask ourselves “What if it was Me?”.
In this debate, lets remember that human beings deserve to be treated humanely and with dignity, lest our nation loses its humanity.
Lisa Bartholomew
Lismore Heights
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On this day an asylum-seeking vessel sank and 353 refugees drowned while on the way from Indonesia to Christmas Island. If we are to accept the possible explanation by former Australian diplomat Tony Kevin, writing in the Canberra Times (Mar 26), the Australian Navy and Government could at least have prevented this disaster. Instead, in his view, they may have knowingly allowed the heavily overloaded and unseaworthy boat to leave Indonesia and sink soon afterwards.
Furthermore, contrary to post-Tampa policy (intercept agressively close to Indonesia), the Navy apparently stayed far away to avoid having to come to the rescue. Kevin suggests that the sinking of this boat on October 19, saved Australia’s faltering border protection regime. No more boats have set out from Indonesia since then although the cyclone season did not begin until December.
Are these very serious matters investigated in the Senate Inquiry?
Have the media further investigated the suggestions made by Tony Kevin? If so, why are the results not published? If Kevin is right the citizens need to know. If not, it needs to be explained why he is wrong.
Klaas Woldring,
Pearl Beach
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Letters To The Editor