Hands off free speech
I think every Australian should be feeling a good deal less comfortable following the recent raids by our Federal Police on the ABC and Newscorp journalists.
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I have always been under the impression that Australia and Australians were opposed to the concept of a Police State, yet that is precisely what we seem to be becoming. I don't agree with everything my fellow citizens say but l have always believed on their right to say what they think. It now seems that this is only provided it agrees with government policy. Free speech must be preserved.
Peter Matthews, Wagga
Don't be fooled
Attention all workers - take note: on the same day penalty rates are cut, Scott Morrison will receive an $11,000 a year pay rise. Don't be duped into thinking cuts to penalty rates create more jobs.The only thing it does is that it continues the destruction of our weekend culture and causes hardship to honest everyday workers - this is just greed.
Chris Mannion, Boorooma
Demand a pay rise
The Prime Minister is to get an $11,000 pay rise as from July 1. I know politicians do not set their pay rate but neither do the rest of the workers in our community.
If you think this is inappropriate unless the rest of us can get an extra 2 per cent pay rise coming from business growing profits. The only reason that other workers are not getting a large pay rise and stimulating consumption is because Labor did not win the last election. If you think low wages policy by the liberals is wrong please get in contact with your local Liberal and let them know you want a decent pay rise.
Ken Morehouse, Wangaratta
Roll up your sleeves
It takes 18 people donating blood monthly to treat just one person living with blood cancer. That is why this National Blood Donor Week (June 9-15), the Leukaemia Foundation is challenging more Australians to step up and become a regular blood donor.
More than 100,000 Australians are currently affected by blood cancer, including people in your local community, and many of these people require regular donated blood products to manage their cancer. What many people don't realise is the sheer volume of blood needed to support blood cancer patients.
More than a third of all blood donations (34 per cent) collected by the Australian Red Cross Blood Service go towards supporting cancer patients and people living with blood diseases. One 470ml blood donation unit includes red cells, plasma and platelets. On average, one acute leukaemia patient will need nine units of red blood cells each month, or just over 1 litre of platelets each month during treatment.
This means for every blood cancer patient in your community, we need 18 Australians to roll up their sleeves every month - not just once, but for every month of that person's treatment time.
With 35 people every day diagnosed with a blood cancer in Australia and this number expected to increase to 50 people per day by 2025, we know more Australians will become critically reliant on blood products into the future. Find out more at www.leukaemia.org.au or www.donateblood.com.au.