I WAS delighted to read the letter of Bill Walsh published in Saturday’s Central Western Daily on June 25, 2016.
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Thank you Mr Walsh for speaking up on behalf of so many people in the central tablelands who are horrified by the current federal government policies on refugees and asylum seekers.
We live in a civilised, developed country under the rule of law which means that every person is entitled to enjoy liberty and lead their lives as they choose, unless they transgress the law developed by our political leaders to ensure that everyone is allowed freedom, safety and opportunity.
Everyone that is, but for people who are so unfortunate as to be born in countries where political unrest and war threaten their very existence.
This is enough under our fair skies, in our lucky country, to mark you as a criminal if your struggle to survive brings you to or near Australia.
Why else, and where else, would you be deprived of liberty for an indefinite period, and ultimately for the ‘crime’ of being so desperate that you would risk everything to leave your family and flee your home.
I am not proud to be Australian when I contemplate these crimes against humanity perpetuated by our Australian government and supported by both sides of politics.
Indefinite detention is, as Mr Walsh says, un-Australian.
It is also cruel, hellishly expensive for taxpayers, unjust, morally indefensible and flies in the face of international treaties to which our fine country is signatory.
Un-Australian. Shame, Australia, shame.
Let’s do something about it at this election and beyond.
We were all brought up to know and expect better.
If we are proudly Australian, it’s time to say enough.
Kathryn Jarzabek
Impact on waterways
FURTHER to the article in your Central Western Daily newspaper on June 16, 2016 regarding the proposed Orange-to-Carcoar pipeline.
I wish to compliment Anne Salter on alerting Orange City Council to the risks involved regarding the possible serious damage that could be caused to groundwater, swamps and lagoons, such as Martin’s Swamp.
Such damage could endanger water supplies in the area into the future.
The question that needs to be answered is: how the professional and – I presume – adequately-paid and qualified staff of Orange City Council were not aware of the possible serious implications of this pipeline, as raised by Anne Salter?
And why have they not been addressed?
Max Gregory
Tax breaks for pensioners
MUCH has been promised by our government and opposition parties with the impending election, however the following selected figures may be of interest to some of your readers.
Whilst the government has budgeted for big business and banks to be credited a tax concession of $50 billion, aged pensioners appear neglected.
Single-aged pensioner payments have been increased each year as follows: $55 in 2013 = $1.06 per week; $27.50 in 2014 = 53 cents per week; $12.70 in 2015 = 24 cents per week; $6.90 to March 2016 = 26.5 cents per week.