Fine politician
It was the wonderfully wise and funny comedian Groucho Marx who said: “Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.”
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Given his apparent ability to uphold that tradition, there can be little doubt that former journalist and newly-elected councillor Mitchell Nadin will make a fine Australian politician. In his letter to the editor published just three weeks ago, Cr Nadin argued vigorously that the issue of bullying in schools “is not within the local government purview” while this week he has reportedly been involved in the drafting of a motion to be put to council which achieves exactly the opposite outcome.
It would seem that those who aspire to a successful career in politics in the post-modern world of “new truth” must be capable of appearing to be all things to all people.
John Richardson, Wallagoot
Test with integrity
The NSW Department of Education must now realise that scrapping the School Certificate was an action with far-reaching and negative consequences.
Secondary students were comprehensively tested on the first four years of English and maths in their secondary education and the results were positive.
Students respected it, teachers respected it and employers respected it because it was an assessment with integrity.
That half of Year 9 would fail Minister Piccoli’s new HSC requirements should initiate further debate on the wisdom of that move. Bring back the School Certificate.
Elizabeth Blackmore, Kalaru
Reflections on Christmas
I just read the latest shocking climate change predictions, but am not finding many people who really cared about it over Christmas.
What does Christmas mean to us? Australian shoppers spent record numbers, $45billion this Christmas. Otherwise it might have been declared the worst ever Christmas season.
Contemplating that Maria and Josef were asylum seekers from the Middle East, just looking for shelter and Jesus was the least materialistic person heard of during his life time, maybe we got something wrong?
If you are not worried by all this, just didn't find the right presents, there also was novelty toilet paper available with gold flakes woven through the tissue, reduced by $100,000 to AU$1,555,335 per roll, as they did not sell a single one, since introduction in 2013.
It was described as a great fall-back gift for a relative without knowing or caring about their hobbies or interests. It was offered in the Australian jeweller's magazine with gift wrapping, a complementary bottle of champagne and personal home delivery.
If we choose not to be ignorant and sometimes feel over-fed, over-indulged, over-pampered, luckier than others, got too many unwanted Christmas presents...then we should remember those who are less fortunate.
Real gifts actually provide happiness. I myself usually hand out gift cards from Oxfam. Each one is making several people happier and provides real aid.
For over a year I spend all my spare time making Boomerang Bags, to be handed out to shoppers to borrow and bring back, if they forgot to bring their own bag or basket.
Each bag from recycled material could potentially replace 60 plastic bags per month and avoids unnecessary plastic waste, lowering our carbon footprint by using less fossil fuels. Plastic could survive for 1000 years, only photodegrades, and can break up into small plastic micro particles and be mistaken as food by animals/fish.
A helpful New Year's resolution for supermarkets could be to stop handing out billions of plastic bags per year.
What is it we are trying to sustain? A living planet, or industrial civilisation? Because we can't have both.