As federal trade minister Simon Birmingham correctly says, the TPP opens up significant export opportunities that can benefit the entire nation.

But unfortunately we cannot export what we cannot grow.

Successive governments have made a total mess of water policy, so we now have a ridiculous situation where water is being poured out to sea in South Australia, for no one’s benefit, yet in the southern NSW food bowl our food producers are on a zero allocation and therefore growing very few summer crops.

This is crazy beyond belief, and added to the insanity is the fact we’ve had the Murray River breaking its banks and causing unnecessary environmental damage.

The lucky country we might be … the smart country we certainly aren’t!

So while Mr Birmingham might spruik for his political gain the benefits of his TPP, those who are supposed to be rejoicing are instead scoffing at another wasted opportunity.

If Mr Birmingham and his colleagues were serious about increasing our food and fibre exports they would fix the diabolical mess that is called water policy, which would allow our farmers to do what they do best and at the same time make more effective use of infrastructure which has been built up over generations at huge cost to Australian taxpayers who, along with rural communities, are the big losers in this debacle.

I would like to thank the person who handed my wallet in to the Sturt Mall.

It goes to show there are honest people in Wagga.

Also, I would like to add nothing was missing from the wallet.

A big thank you.

I don’t know why I am surprised anymore but yet I still find it hard to believe that there are people within our communities who go about setting fires on extremely dangerous weather days.

To think of the damage that could have been done had emergency services not been so quick to act, I am not sure there is a more callous act. 

In a country like Australia, where we have seen the devastation that bushfires bring, the harshest punishment should be reserved for those who willingly put the property and lives of others in harm’s way.

It is absolutely mind-boggling that there are people out there who are prepared to set fires that might destroy a person’s home, rob them of all their possessions, possibly take their lives, and obviously put the lives of firefighters in danger too. 

Anyone that is caught for starting these fires, regardless of whether the fire does the intended damage or not, should face a mandatory sentence of many, many years in prison.

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