And now we discover that Scott Morrison, our kind and compassionate Minister for Immigration, has arbitrarily attempted to impose a cap on the number of protection visas issued to those assessed as being genuine refugees.

This tactic looks like an attempt to thwart the aspirations of those poor deluded refugees who believe that they are attempting to enter a fair, non-racist and caring country which claims to love and support the under-dog. Hand on your heart, tell me it isn't so.

Imagine this scenario: you spend six years at high school studying for your HSC.

You sit the exams and then hear that you have done well enough to gain entry to your chosen career. Celebrations follow. The Education Minister then tells you, "Congratulations on your great result but we've decided to cap the number going on to further education this year. Try again next year." I don't know about you but I'd be devastated, especially if the hopes and the welfare of my family depended on the outcome.

In essence this is what Scott Morrison attempted to do to those assessed as being genuine refugees. What Mr M seems to have neglected, and the High Court didn't, is that a refugee is one who needs a refuge, a safe haven from brutality, exploitation or repression in their home country.

If their application for refugee status succeeds then that is the end of the story, irrespective of the cunning trickery of some underhanded politician. Give them the visa, have faith that they will integrate themselves and let them get on with their lives, to the greater good of us all.

Footnote: Survey after survey shows that those who work hardest and are the most entrepreneurial members of our society are ex-refugees and recent immigrants.

The best way to ensure that your children and grandchildren get jobs in the future might just be to open your heart to refugees.

John Cowan

Cadgee

Club rescue thanks

I would like to thank the two men and staff of Club Narooma who assisted me when I collapsed on Friday, June 13 at the club.

Thanks also to the paramedics who attended. I am very grateful to them all.

Also many thanks to the doctors and nursing staff at Moruya Hospital for their good care and attention. We live in a very good and caring community.

Allan Forster

Dalmeny

Liberal spring sprung upon us

Now that we live within our means largely due to outbreak of Liberal spring that was sprung upon us by the Hon Joe Hockey.

It is beyond comprehension that the elected Federal Government Treasure can keep a straight face when describing Australian Commonwealth budget crisis to the population at large and at the same time deliver a budget that requires and maintain Australian taxpayer contribution of 38 cents towards the cost every litre of fuel used by our mining giants.

And in the same breath, increase the cost of filling our own vehicles' fuel tanks by increasing the excise that will increase year by year, while the mining giants enjoy mining welfare and no mining tax from super billion dollar profits that come their way year in year out.

The budget also delivered the beginning of stage one in the Americanization of our universal Medicare where the most vulnerable people in our society, single parents, homeless, elderly and the unemployed are required to provide upfront payment each time they or their children require medical treatment, the co-payment for all rather than increase in Medicare levy in our taxation is beyond comprehension.

Can the Liberal spring generals in Canberra Capital Hill explain why

mining giants are allowed to dig up our commonwealth from our lands and the seas without mining taxes imposed and why our oil and gas giants cannot be taxed on their super profits.

Especially now that largely our fuel supplies are sought from Singapore as our own refineries are apparently not profitable enough for multinationals.

At what point will the current Federal Government consider real tax reform that will deliver a taxation system that is equitable and fair to all citizens and stop the current patchwork and band aid solutions imposed on the ordinary taxpayer rather than have the large corporations that has the means to manipulate their tax exposure via tax havens around the globe and avoid taxes altogether or least minimize to the point of meaningless contribution towards the wellbeing of our society.

Liberal spring that is blooming around us at the expense of trade apprentices, elderly, unemployed, those that are ill and unaffordable education system that is supposedly designed to keep us at the forefront of knowledge in many fields at what individual cost.

Mark Ikonen

Dalmeny

Mayor's column… Beyond roads, rates and rubbish

There are only a few days left for young people between 5 and 18 years old to send in their stories and illustrations for this year’s Mayors Writing Competition.

Clr Fergus Thomson started the competition when he was Mayor in 2009 and the prizes are offered with the aim of encouraging literacy in young people in our community.

The annual competition is well supported by local schools and the community and the award presentation day is always enjoyable with the winning authors reading out their short stories to an enthusiastic audience.

For those of you who attend Council meetings you can imagine how these presentations of a different nature brighten up the Council Chamber meeting room for a while!

This Council event along with many others like it, and the diverse range of services Councils now provide their communities, are a reminder of how much local government has changed in the past few decades to meet community expectations.

‘Road, Rates and Rubbish’ are still vital Council services but to continue to provide them our role has extended to  one of being full time lobbyists to  other levels  of government to make sure we have the funds to continue to provide them. 

Over the past 18 months in my role as mayor, I have worked hard to build strong and productive relationships with state and federal representatives and I believe we are seeing recognition of the strong case I am continually presenting our behalf of our community.

Recent funding announcements for Eurobodalla in NSW Treasurer Andrew Constance’s budget and from Peter Hendy Member for Eden-Monaro for important road infrastructure are proof that we are taking every opportunity to keep Eurobodalla top of mind. 

In keeping with meeting community expectations by delivering services that make Eurobodalla a better place to live for everyone, I am delighted to be part of promoting some great Council activities and services to keep children and youth entertained during the July school holidays. There are too many to mention so I encourage you to visit the home page of Council’s website to see them all.

As a small snapshot of what’s on offer, our libraries are running day and night time events including a Pyjama Party and some NAIDOC Week celebrations, and Children’s Services are running holiday childcare programs and activities.

Young people can work on their entries into the Eurobodalla Youth Short Film Festival, and our wonderful Botanic Gardens will as always, be a great place for a day out with family and friends during the holidays.   

Please let me know if there are any issues that council can assist with. You can contact me at mayor@eurocoast.nsw.gov.au or phone 0418 279 215. 

Cr Lindsay Brown

Mayor of Eurobodalla Shire

Brochure doesn’t impress

I have received in my letterbox an elaborate brochure from Mr Peter Hendy, extolling the virtues of the Federal Government's recent budget.  

The brochure talks about “all Australians contributing” to reducing the deficit.  Yet even former Liberal leader John Hewson says the Government is guilty of producing a budget that is “very inequitable”.  

Quoted in the Sydney Morning Herald of June 21-22, Dr Hewson calls the 2 per cent temporary levy on people earning more than $180,000 a year “cosmetic”, and points out, “that's 1 per cent of the income for a higher earner, but they've made sizeable cuts of 10 per cent to 15 per cent for people on low incomes” through welfare changes.

Mr Hendy's brochure does nothing to counter Dr Hewson's statements about the “staggering inequity” of superannuation tax concessions.

The former Liberal leader also condemns the Government's failure to take up the economic opportunities of climate change, which Australia could have done by becoming a “global leader in technology and renewables”.   

Mr Hendy's brochure claims the Government is “helping apprentices and students”, when the reality of course is that $80 billion is being taken from the states for health and education, and university fees are being allowed to soar to unprecedented levels.

The brochure talks about “sustainable world class healthcare”, yet the Australian Medical Association strongly opposes the proposed $7 GP co-payment on the grounds of unfairness. In an opinion piece in the Sydney Morning Herald on 19 June, the AMA President, Associate Professor Brian Owler, said that:

“The health budget is not out of control.  As a proportion of GDP, Australia's healthcare spending has remained constant.”

Mr Hendy's brochure quotes Tony Abbott in saying, “the Budget preserves important safety nets for …. those that need government assistance”.  I fail to see how that claim can be sustained in the face of the proposal to make young people wait six months for unemployment benefits – with absolutely nothing to live on during that time.

Finally, nowhere in this taxpayer-funded propaganda piece does Mr Hendy deign to apologise for blatant way in which the Abbott Government has trashed the promises it solemnly made before last year's election.  

Louise Webb

Kianga