A plebiscite would encourage division in the community when we need inclusion.  

When we need to celebrate diversity and create a society where people feel comfortable to be themselves not forced to suffer discrimination because of their sexual preference.  

It is difficult to understand how people (in the no campaign) can be funded to promote ideas which are basically discriminatory when we have anti-discrimination legislation to stop this very behaviour.

A plebiscite would be a waste of $160million dollars when the government is currently complaining about wanting to balance the budget.  

It is a government’s job to pass legislation with parliamentary vote and this is what this government should do to create marriage equality. A parliamentary vote will cost a lot less than $160mil.

Just as heterosexual couples can have a legal bond to their celebrations of love so too should this be available to all couples regardless of sexual preference. It is simply a right, which compliments neatly the existing anti-discrimination laws.  

Gay relationships and gay families already exist, all they are asking for is the same rights as everyone else.

Marriage equality is an issue, which would be simple to fix with legislation but instead the proposed plebiscite would create division and discrimination.

Do not let it happen.

Andrew Turnbull, Bega

Thanks to the staff at the Bega District News for the information provided to the electorate in the lead up to local government elections.  

Online, at the Merimbula forum and in the two issues prior to election day you gave fair and even opportunity for all candidates to reach the people.  

In fact you provided more information than the electoral commission and our local council combined.  

While people discuss the influence Rupert Murdoch and Alan Jones have on political debate, it is obviously a fine line to tread covering elections. Well done to you all in challenging circumstances.

Judy Geary, Bega

The Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association acknowledges and congratulates Tony Allen on his outstanding success in last Saturday’s poll to elect a new council for the Bega Valley Shire.

On ABC Radio South East, Mr Allen described the support that he had drawn from across the shire as a “most satisfying and humbling experience”. 

The ABC then asked Mr Allen if he was worried that his refusal to apologise over his breach of Council’s Code of Conduct would “come back to bite him”. 

The BVSRRA was impressed by the willingness of the ABC to broach this contentious issue with Mr Allen, who claimed that council had acted as a “kangaroo court” in its handling of the matter and that it “should never have been brought back to council”.

The BVSRRA was disappointed by Mr Allen’s response, given that the finding that he had breached Council’s Code of Conduct was made by an independent reviewer, with that finding subsequently upheld by the Office of Local Government.

While Mr Allen subsequently refused to apologise for his behaviour, as required by a formal resolution of council, he confirmed that “you must have rules; you must have regulations; you must have process. I support all of that but those processes must be used judiciously in the best interests of the councillors and the community”. 

The BVSRRA continues to ask: what happened to the interests of Muriel Campbell?

John Richardson, Bega Valley Shire Residents and Ratepayers Association