Odds shorten on Shorten becoming prime minister
The latest opinion polls only confirm what most conservative fear and that Bill Shorten is completely outperforming Malcolm Turnbull and is heading for victory at the next election.
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The PM’s continued display of a lack of political nous, backed up by his under-performing ministers, is there for all to see. Governing with slimmest majority was never going to be easy but to put it in simple terms,Turnbull is gone.
There are none on the reserve bench that have the ability to stop the slide and therein lies the problem. Many are saying they have shot themselves in the foot and this view is hard to argue with.
The decision to dump Abbott is now not looking, so good. In fact it was a disaster.
On current form the return of Labor to the government benches, led by Bill Shorten is simply a formality, and really all said and done, this may not be such a bad thing.
The conservatives have only themselves to blame.
The only ones still smiling are Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin.
B. Cumberland, North Nowra
Global economy hurts families and workers
Globalisation, the free movement of people, goods and capital, grew around 10 per cent a year from 1949 to 2004. But from 2005 onwards, increased reliance on digital data – e-commerce, web searches, online video, machine-to-machine interactions - brought about change.
The upshot, the ever increasing flow of digital data – e-commerce - has had an effect on the world’s economy with globalised growth slumping to an annual rate 1.3 per cent, with no signs of picking-up.
Add to this our conservative government’s failure to collect business taxes, privatisation, sale/lease of infrastructure and publicly owned property and severe changes to health and education will see the government’s main source of income dependent on the Australian labour market.
These factors will further widen the wealth divide but also the family environment in terms of unaffordable health and education.
J. Macleod, Berry
Gun culture grows with annual hunting festival
As legal guns when stolen become illegal and since even licensed gun owners can be careless, angry or short-sighted, surely it must be a sensible idea to discourage gun ownership at arms fairs across the country, and especially at HuntFest.
This festival and celebration of hunting, modelled on American lines, was granted a licence from the Eurobodalla Shire Council to take place annually on crown land in the heart of Narooma.
It has grown and been attended by increasing numbers of gun dealers ever since it was started as a “photographic competition” in 2013.
Even if the Adler 110 repeat-action shotgun is banned there will still be plenty of lethal weapons for the amateur hunter to choose from on future occasions, while his children can take part in activities designed to convince them that shooting and killing animals is “fun”, and gun ownership is desirable.
Although gun proliferation is deplored by my most politicians at state and federal level it is in danger of being encouraged by the latest National Firearms Agreement and by the Eurobodalla Shire Council, for the benefit of a powerful gun lobby, at the risk of endangering the community.
S. Cruttenden, Dalmeny
Bypass date awaited
Mike Baird keeps telling us the sales of our electricity is good for the people of NSW. Maybe so if you live in Sydney or south of Kiama. But we cannot get a starting date for the Albion Park Rail bypass.