At 2.40pm I attended A1 Fruit and Vegetable market in Glenorchy ( a Hobart suburb) to buy vegetables as I often do. Today I was riding my motor scooter with another rider.

On arriving at A1 I noticed three cars in an accident, Hyundai Getz silver, a Suzuki Vitara maroon, and Ford Falcon silver. I spoke to the lady who owns the Suzuki to enquire if she was ok and she told me what happened. She said she was just out of the car when she heard the scream of the car and a bang, she was clearly upset and said that she wished she hadn’t come here now. I agreed and said it could have been much worse.

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Editor, Koori Mail: A nation, like a person, should be true to itself, if it is to earn the respect of not being false in any way, at home or abroad. For Australians, this means frankly acknowledging the harmful, discriminatory treatment of the indigenous people since our formation as a nation to the present day.

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The Editor, The Age: The article, 'No room for complacency on terrorism' (The Age, 8 Sept 2011) is timely as it reveals that, of the $10 billion Australia has spent on national security reforms since 2001, less than 1% has been allocated to countering the ideology that fuels religious extremism at home.

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The Editor, The Age: Ombudsman George Brouwer`s report and your editorial on Victoria`s prisons ( The Age 31/8, 1/9) reveal that Victoria`s prisons are failing the community in the treatment of those incarcerated. Over the years an “out of sight, out of mind” policy has prevailed by those charged with protecting the community and rehabilitating offenders.

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Responding to your report “Let jurors speak, says Lindy Chamberlain” by Subiaco Post (Perth) editor Brett Christian, 3 Sept 2011: I fully support Lindy Chamberlain Creighton’s call for jurors to be allowed to speak publicly and debate their verdicts. About 10 years ago jurors in WA were banned from disclosing discussions in the jury room. Lindy was promoting an international justice conference to be held in Perth on 8-10  March in 2012, organised by Justice WA.  

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Smoking today, alcohol tomorrow, food the day after? That's the anti-free will road we're heading down, says a smoker who tells his local MP that the only thing consistent about the government policy on cigarettes is its hypocrisy.

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I am worried about personal choice. Citizens have the right to choose how
they live their own life. That should include what they like to eat! It is
extremely controlling of the government to interfere with one's choice of
foods – fast food, alcohol, cigarettes, beef in Indonesia, and now shark
fins!! Let's tell the government to mind their own business.

It's similar with the carbon tax. The GST was a tax, but at least citizens
had a choice to buy less processed foods at the supermarket and stick to
fresh produce that does not incur GST. This carbon tax will in effect make
all utilities more expensive for everyone and these are NECESSITIES of life!
It's time to make a stand on individual freedom to choose.


– Chen Ching Man, Watson ACT

Editor, West Australian: The Prime Minister is obliged to support a Presidential clemency for Andrew Chan, an Australian citizen, in Indonesia. In doing so, she is supporting the UN Human Rights Charter which advocates all nations abolish capital punishment, which Australia has done.

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While not always agreeing with Brian Tennant's stance, I did some numbers on the payout and I think Daryl Beamish has been most inadequately "compensated?". Calculating this payout, at a conservative interest rate, should he have been "paid" on a yearly basis, means his first years "compensation" was but $1205.00. I earnt $2300 that same year. That doesn't even enter into "compensation" for wrongful imprisonment.

Perhaps the names of those responsible need to be be researched and PUBLISHED. They were the real criminals. Keep up the pressure.
Keith Jenner, Perth

Editor, Canberra Times: Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott have both shed crocodile tears over the death of yet another Aussie soldier in Afghanistan. When asked about the validity of them being in Afghanistan at all, their response was: ‘We must let things run their course.’ What course? Our soldiers aren’t wanted there. The Afghans have given them and their Yankee mates the thumbs down, ‘Get out. We’ll take care of ourselves.’ But the Aussies and the Yanks are quite happy to stay and let their men be killed. And so, it seems are our PM and the Leader of the Opposition.


– Marie Gordon, CLA member, Palmerston ACT