Pensioner puts pen to paper

IT never ceases to amaze me and Ialwayshave achuckleatthe number of pensioners who are forever complaining they don't get enough money from the government.

Yet, they somehow magically find the dollars to spend on things like bingo three times aweek, play the pokies at least three or four days aweek, find money for cigarettes and alcohol and have a punt on the TAB.

I'ma91-year-old pensioner and my only vice is a $5 daily double on aSaturday and $5 worth of raffle tickets at the local bowling club on aFriday night.

But Ipersonally know of pensioners who do partakeinthese 'activities' on aregular basis, and they still whinge and complain they don't have enough!

Goodness me, are they fair dinkum?

But, as Oliver Twist famously said, "please sir, Iwantsome more".

All Ihave is my pension, Idon't have a'cash cow' at my fingertips, or wealthy family members who can help if needed.

Ipay rent,then on top of that comes my living expenses and theseexpenses don'tinclude the above mentioned activities.

It's mentally and financially exhausting.

Perhaps, just perhaps these greedy pensioners have amoney tree in their backyard or maybe a stash of cash hidden under their mattress.

Idon't believe for one minute they have anything to complain about.

These selfish and greedypeople must havean Aladdin's Cave full of 'moola' and obviously live a lifestyle akin to the Sultan of Brunei!

Roy Foenander

Traralgon

Government hypocrisy

IWONDER why?

Today (Friday, February 3), the federal government weresoooo happy to announce the fact China will nowwant our coal so exporthas now commencedpluswewill be exporting our gas to numerous countries as well.

If it's so bad for the environment and we have to suck it up, the attitude of the government of 'do as Isay notdoasIdo' when they fly overseas at taxpayer cost (accommodation meals etc) when I'm fairly sure that most could have been video linked.

These wealthy politicians don't appear to tighten their belts or seem only to follow their own whims andseem to forget they have to work for us, not dictate to us how we have to live. Also, Ihope they are cashed-up enough to pay for the replacement of allour gasappliances,including restaurantsetc because I'm certainly not.

Carol Hogan Moe

Our roadsneedproper investment

THE Andrews Labor Government is touting $165 million in funding for Victoria’s flood-damaged roads, yet it is currently leaving regional councils to foot the bill for damaged local roads.

Councils are responsible for tens of thousands of kilometres of roads that are vital to businesses andcommunities, which werealreadyinastate of disrepairbefore last year’s major flooding.

Laborshort-changed regional communities, cutting the road maintenance budget by 10 per cent whenitcame into government, and then axing the Country Roads and Bridges Program. It then cut afurther $215 million over the past two budgets.

Now, Victorians are seeingthe results of chronic under-investment first-hand.

Regional Victorianscontinue to do battle with patchwork roads, reduced speed limits and reduced loadlimits on bridges, watching on as DanielAndrews continuestopour more money into over-budget city projects.

This underinvestment is beginning to havetragic consequences.

Late last year amotorcyclist in northern Victoria lost her life aftershe hit apothole that flipped her bike.

Our roads need repairs now, not in six months’ time, and not after it costs more Victorians their lives.

Safer country roads save lives.

Peter Walsh Leader of The Nationals

All forvotes

IREADaninteresting quote from the federal Memberfor Gippsland Darren Chester who said: “The further you are away from the natural environment,the more likely you are to vote Green.”

This is not only atruism, but also highlights a huge problem in Australian politics, our environment and, as aconsequence, environmentalpolitics.

Because unfortunately we are getting decisions being made based on the views of those who do not understandthe environments they claim they want to protect, fuelled by like-minded city-based politicianswith afocus on votesrather than positive outcomes.

Neverhas this beenmore evidentthan throughout implementationofthe Murray-DarlingBasin Plan.

The plan was built on apoliticalneed to shore up these city-based environmentalvotes,while also protecting important seats in South Australia. Communities in blue ribbon eastern seats were considered expendable.

Now we haveaplan with poorly modelled volumes that were legislated in 2012 and because of the Green’s balance of power cannot be changed, even despite unequivocal evidence (highlighted during recent flood events) that is delivering such volumes from upperMurray storages to the South Australian lower lakes is impossiblewithout manmade flooding that will cause damage to public and private infrastructure.

This is environmental madness, all to achieve politicalgain.But it willhavenoimpact on the majority of Green supporters and city environmental ideologists because, as Chester says, they are the furthest away from this natural environment.

They don’t live it, they don’t understand it and, if truth be known, while they claim to care, in reality, the cost of their latte is probably ahigher priority.

Do we get frustrated at the nonsensical decisions that adversely impact ourcommunities and the natural environments in which we actually live?

You bet we do.

Laurie Beer Mayrung, NSW

Facts point to protesters being the problem

VICTORIAN Premier Daniel Andrews has stated his government has concerns with hunter behaviour during the 2022 duck season, specifically relating to hunter compliance with bag limits.

The hunter behaviour data is freelyavailable online from the Victorian Game Management Authority’s own press release dated June 16, 2022, at: https://www.gma.vic.gov.au/ media-releases/2022/2022-duck-season-summary

During the 2022 season,970 hunter bagswere checked, and one hunter wasfound to have exceeded the daily bag limit. That’s acompliance rate of 99.9 per cent.

TheGMA alsostated: “Mosthunterswespoke to were complying with the law and enjoying their time on the wetlands. However, some hunters and protestorswere in breach of gamehunting and public safety laws.”

In the remainder of the reported data, it is not clear which of the infringements issued or offences detected were committed by anti-hunters.

One point that is clear, is that of 360 protestors thatthe GMA interacted with in theprevious season, three were issued with banning notices (effectively banning them from entering wetlands due to their illegal conduct).

So,the protesters’ rateofnon-compliance is 0.83 per cent -ormore than eight times the rate of offending that was detected by hunters not complying with bag limits.

If Dan Andrews'Laborgovernmentwantsto prevent non-compliance with the rules, he should ban protestors, not hunters!

Field &Game Australia will ensureMrAndrews and his government receive the correct advice on this matter.

Lucas Cooke Field &GameAustralia CEO

Stuffing cows with seaweed

IKEEPreceiving emails from afast-food joint claiming they are offering 'a sustainable beef burger'.

This would be laughable if it was not dangerous, misleading people into believing the absurd idea that stuffing cows with seaweed will make one of the mostpolluting businesses on the planet harmless.

Polluting industries like big coal and big meat are frantically trying to bamboozle customers into thinking their acts of greedy vandalism are not the cause of environmentally catastrophic climate change,and the latest is this Frankenstein-esque idea of stopping cows belching andfarting, as if that is the only issue. But reducing methane output while breeding still more animals ignores animal suffering, pollution from transport and excrement, deforestation, and the increased risk of diseases (including zoonotic viruses), all associated with animal agriculture.

Some 58 per cent of Australia is used for grazing

Over afive-year period, 94 per cent of land clearing in Great Barrier Reef catchments was attributable to the beef industry. These band-aid solutionsare intended only to prolong an industry that is fundamentally unsustainable.

These spin stories are reminiscent of the adslast century claiming that tobacco wasgoodfor people, even as lung cancer rates soared.

Consumers have the power to end environmentally catastrophic and cruel factoryfarming by removing animal productsfromour diets. And, with medical professionals increasingly espousing the virtues of aplant based diet,there's neverbeen abetter time to transition.

Desmond Bellamy PETA Australia

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