All power to the Firefly bus driver for his professionalism and skills in driving on this road. Sadly the roads are in such disrepair that we all need to be complaining to VicRoads to repair them.  

The damage caused to suspensions on vehicles would be increased due to the poor state of our roads. What is cheaper, fixing the roads or dealing with constant vehicle damage and possible injuries to people?  

Any damage caused to either vehicles or people, I believe, should be referred to VicRoads.  

Please, everyone, complain to VicRoads and-or speak with Emma Kealy.

SHARON WILLIAMS

Horsham

IN debate, if you want to convince your opponent he is wrong don’t abuse.

Obviously Gary Howard (Mail-Times, May 2) bases his approach on our degenerative parliaments where the aim no longer is to convince but to demolish.

He ought to be wary of quoting the ABC because of their obvious bias.

The ABC, of course, is not biased, it simply does not publish anything that expresses a conservative outlook.

They are quite happy promoting any viewpoint that in any way upholds the popular saying that ‘if you repeat a lie often enough it will become the truth’, a concept that was a useful tool to Adolf Hitler and his henchman, Dr Goebbels. 

Gary Howard is a perfect microcosm of a world that has been brainwashed into believing that it is possible for a person, any person of whatever intelligence level, to become a marksman with a 100 per cent strike record in a period of a few days.

It takes a lengthy period of intensive training to achieve the level of accuracy that allows for a few misses that would be the envy of most people who are regular users of firearms.

The marksman who fired the shots in rapid succession in Port Arthur that day was of a much higher standard than that. 

My view on this has nothing to do with sensitivity, accuracy or offensiveness but is an evaluation of an in depth independent inquiry.

RON FISCHER

Horsham

IN this so called exciting time to be an Australian, in the exciting era of ideas and innovation, the federal government, with its hundreds of staffers, has only had one idea, and it’s not a newbie, it’s to once again bash up smokers for doing something that’s completely legal.

Yes it’s a filthy habit, it destroys health, and smells terrible. So why not make it illegal if they’re serious about our nation giving up the habit?

The reality is, while smoking related illnesses cost the health budget an additional $3.2-billion a year, the current combined GST and excise tax reap is $6.2-billion annually.

The new budget has increased this by $2.8-billion so smokers will now be contributing $9-billion per year to government coffers. Are you starting to understand why they don’t outlaw it? Smokers are in fact the biggest benefactor the federal government has. While anti-smoking campaigns and governments preach that the price increase will force people to quit, this is only true to a very small percentage of smokers.

As a  smoker and somebody who has worked the counter in a supermarket for many years, I can assure you the reality is those who can least afford to smoke will return food to shelves to purchase tobacco. These ridiculous increases only serve to take the food out of the mouths of children.

If the government is serious about us quitting as a nation and preventing future generations from taking up the habit, then how about each year we raise purchase age.

For example, this year you have to be born before this date in 1997 to buy cigarettes, next year, you will still have to be born before this date in 1997, and so forth. We can phase this habit out over a generation and leave the current smokers alone.

Everybody has their vices and people need some freedom of choice.

Given that smokers are ostracised in where they can smoke, they really have no impact on non-smokers anymore.

No crime such as road trauma or domestic violence has ever been contributed to having one too many PJ’s.

So could our federal government please, in this era of ideas and initiatives, please actually have one?

MARK CORY

Former Federal Candidate for Mallee

FOR far too long, the consequence of poor infrastructure causing people to fall in the street has been ignored.

With funding from VicHealth, Victoria Walks commissioned Monash University Accident Research Centre to conduct a detailed study of falls while walking. The results are worrying.

The research found trips and falls in the street send more than 5000 pedestrians to hospital in Victoria each year – even more than collisions with cars.

While people of all ages might fall in the street, the consequences of falling can be devastating for older people in particular.

Older people are more fragile so more likely to be seriously injured and they take longer to recover after being tripped on a footpath or kerb.

The Victorian and federal governments need to start investing in making walking safer and supporting councils to improve footpath surfaces and road crossings.

DR BEN ROSSITER

Executive Officer, Victoria Walks