I opened the mail and there was my rego renewal, rego up $8 and green slip up $21. Combine that with my local rate increases and every other increase in everyday services and charges, leads me to ask this question:

Where do those on fixed incomes who have very minimal increases and infrequent pay rises find the money to pay these increases? The answer is we don’t; we simply reduce the amount of disposable income we spend.

For heaven’s sake, let’s draw a line in the sand and demand no more increases in any form for a 12-month period. 

Governments, state, federal and local, stop raising or imposing new charges instead of living within your means.

I recently received a reply from the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Justice David Clarke regarding the progress of the new support for male victims of domestic violence. NSW is the only state that has implemented such a service and followed a presentation I and my colleague Greg Andresen made on behalf of male victims advocacy group oneinthree to the NSW Legislative Council Inquiry Into Domestic Violence 2012.

Despite many people telling me male victims don't exist and don't deserve support I tender the following information.

The intake service NTV (No to Violence) “has received 25,361 referrals for male victims of domestic violence between November 1, 2016 and June 30, 2017. NTV referred 4089 male victims to a Local Support Service for case management”. 

These numbers are despite the new service for male victims receiving very little publicity and not being listed on the government's domestic violence website. I suggest therefore these figures probably under-represent the problem.

The NTV intake number for male victims is 1300 76 649.

Thanks to caring Coles customers in Nowra, more children, young people and families facing cancer are now receiving essential support.

Coles generously contributes five cents from the sale of every loaf of Coles Smart Buy, Coles Brand and Coles High Top bread directly to Redkite to support children with cancer and their families. Because of customers’ support and Coles’ donation an impressive $15 million has now been raised so families can access Redkite’s financial, emotional and educational support.

This support is helping to transform cancer care in Australia.

Our deepest thanks go to the local community and to the passionate Coles team who have helped to achieve this $15 million milestone.

The need for support grows greater every year. Every six hours in Australia a child or young person is diagnosed with cancer. With no government funding, Redkite relies on the generosity of partners like Coles and communities across Australia to provide essential help to families from hospital to home.

You are our champions of community cancer care across Nowra.

Transurban’s gross profit 2016-7 financial year $2.1billion – net profit $209 million. The toll road operator did not pay any company tax during the 2016-17 financial year, instead receives interest write-offs benefits of $35 million. To top it off chief executive Scott Charlton gets paid a whopping $6.604 million salary plus bonuses.

Meanwhile, the rest of us are struggling to make ends meet.