Ration of disagreement
In your publication (Narooma News online, Passionfruit revelation blossoms from refugee rations, June 24) you ran a story on a teacher at Carroll College who had taken up the ration challenge to help apparent refugees in Jordan.
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Well, all power to her, but once again I am only the messenger and the voice I am hearing on the street is that people are disappointed that one of the people that they put trust in to teach their children has once again taken their personal opinion or politics into the classroom to feed it to inquiring minds.
Advice is to just do your job and leave all this personal point of view out and let these kids make up their own minds in due time and preferably inside the family unit.
I rang the school and the person I spoke to defended the teacher straight away, stating it is more than likely part of the curriculum.
Seriously, her subject is geography, not human rights. If the said teacher wants to make a difference, I suggest having a look right here in our own backyard where there are literally thousands of Indigenous and white families and children suffering everyday with lack of food and education, just for a start. No one seems to give a rat’s, but would rather put their energies into situations the average Australian has had a gut full of.
Please get your priorities right in such a delicate profession.
Pete Ward
Moruya
Firearms update
An update on the June 5, 2013 Police Brief and the December 20, 2017 “Loss of gun licence leads to Tribunal” published in Narooma News:
Five years on there was a mediation (June 18, 2018) which may provide documents withheld by the NSW Police Force, its Firearms Registry, etc, which have been used to make decisions about me.
The ‘negotiation’ of the Government Information (Public Access) (GIPA) Act with its legislated 21 day and $30 advertised price continues after travel to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) in Sydney 12 times, involving 22 days’ travel, nearly 8000 kms etc in the interlocked Firearms Licence and information access cases.
On May 15, 2017, the Licensing Manager (LPA), the Firearms Registry/Delegate for the Commissioner of Police claimed: “Your obsession with administrative practices and your view that a number of government agencies are immoral, unethical and commit illegal actions, raises concerns regarding your mental health and in turn public safety if you were granted a firearms licence.”
This assessment was made following claims by the Firearms Registry that: “I note that all of the firearms previously registered to you have been disposed.” (9.4.’14); “We are not aware of the fate of your firearms ...” (Director,Firearms Registry 27.9.’16); “I confirm all five firearms have been transferred … to another licence holder.” (same LPA 4.11.’16); “Despite being fully aware of where your firearms where (were) you continued to make accusations that the Firearms Registry misappropriated your firearms.” (same LPA 15.5.’17)
How else would I have known that the registry was not telling the truth?
It is difficult to defend yourself when you are blindfolded, the opposition aren’t and they don’t obey the rules anyway.
I believe in firearms amnesties … and NSW Police compliance to GIPA and firearms legislation.
Doug Pearson
Dalmeny
Open letter to mayor
Thank you for your letter dated 15 June 2018 regarding Cr Lindsay Brown’s resignation from external board positions.
It is pointed out in the letter, and I agree, that the LGNSW was the most appropriate body to have dealt with any breach of that body’s Code of Conduct by Cr Brown.
The letter from your office, though, has not addressed the fact that those board positions were held by Cr Brown as a de facto representative of the Eurobodalla Shire Council – he would not have been able to run for selection as a board member had he not been there as our council’s delegate.
Therefore, as Cr Brown held these positions by virtue of his being a representative of our council, the behaviour resulting in the LGNSW’s conclusion that their Code of Conduct had been breached, has also reflected unfavourably on the reputation of the ESC.
May I remind you of some words from a recent speech by Lt Gen David Morrison, “The standard you walk past is the standard you accept”, so I again refer you to the steps suggested … so that the council will be seen to have acted appropriately in this matter.
Jeff de Jager
Coila
Plastic in shops
Whilst we all celebrate the reduction of plastic single-use bags, it was so interesting that the complaints received by Woolworths made them extend the date to give us time to get used to the move.
I also noted that customers were complaining about apples being supplied in recyclable tubes. Whilst we want the plastic removed we should remember that we all enjoyed having them and reused them as bin liners. The shops are not to blame, as it was us as consumers who disposed of the bags into the environment and killed all the animals which ate them.
A lot of us shop at Aldi and have never complained about the lack of single-use plastic bags. I hope Woolworths and Coles make the announcement that they will be lowering some of the prices of goods because of the savings made from not supplying plastic bags. We may even see the return of cardboard boxes.