No junkets for MP
On Friday, December 11, in Letters to the Editor, The Daily Advertiser published a letter from Brian Lynch, comparing the costs of an overseas trip he and his family had, with the cost of our federal member’s declared travel expenses.
To say that I am disappointed in The Daily Advertiser’s standards of journalistic behaviour in publishing this letter as it appeared, is an understatement.
Mr Lynch had obviously misinterpreted the article in last Saturdays’ Weekend Advertiser, where Michael McCormack, the Federal Member for Riverina, disclosed the travel costs he had incurred doing his job during the last six months. The costs were not for just two overseas travel events.
I would have expected that editorial standards, not to mention wisdom, would have required that the misunderstanding be clarified by the editor, or the staff member responsible, with a brief explanation of that actual fact. And it publish the correction as a note on the Letters to the Editor page, when Mr Lynch’s letter was published.
Otherwise, one would have to consider this misunderstanding by your correspondent to be deliberately ignored, in the hope that comments would create a similar critical response in future. Strikes me as being very partisan and deliberately obfuscating the facts on your editorial behalf.
The job of being the Member for Riverina is not confined to attending the odd local event in Wagga.
The Riverina electorate covers an area of almost 61,500 sq kilometres. Residents are entitled to see their local member of parliament for consultations, interviews or special events, which requires many hours of travel to meet these expectations.
It can take five hours to drive from east to west to the boundaries of the electorate. It is not small. Also, during that time frame of the previous six months, Mr McCormack held the position of Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance, which is why the overseas travel was required. Hardly junketing around, unless you consider modern air travel a pleasure.
Gretchen Sleeman, San Isidore
Happens to best of us
When we think of drug addicts and alcoholics we tend to think of them as being no-hopers and people who come from families who don't give a darn about what their young people are doing, and say it won't happen to my children but it can and does.
It happens to the best of families. There are many varied reasons why people take drugs and drink alcohol. Some because their friends do it, some just because it's there and others because they can't handle life’s pressures.
The ice epidemic has spread like wild fire and is so easily accessible. It may only take one fix to get hooked. It can destroy not only the user but their whole family.
I think the drug and alcohol rehab centre planned for Lake Albert is a fantastic thing, who knows, it may be our sons or daughters or grandchildren who could need it at some stage. So don't close your minds to this project.
Be thankful that the people behind this project care enough about us and our families to do something about this terrible, life-destroying problem that is so prevalent in our society.
We can't sweep this problem under the carpet so please just think about what this project may do for us and our children.
Kacee, Coolamon
Conduct of wild beasts
Separating religion and state is the key principle to running a just government. As an Ahmadiyya Muslim, I can practice my faith more safely in western countries, than in any of the so-called Muslim states. This is due to the fact that so-called Muslim states do not follow true Islamic teachings. Those who seek to spread Islam by means of the sword are not aware of its inherent qualities. Their conduct resembles that of wild beasts.
Usman Mahmood
