Mayoral role
THERE is a need to explain the rare ascension of deputy lord mayor to the custodial role of Lord Mayor of Hobart over the next six months. Under the Local Government Act, should the lord mayor resign within six months of the local government election the office is to be filled by the deputy. If this were not to happen, a byelection would be held, costing ratepayers an estimated $200,000.
History shows four occasions where a Hobart mayor or lord mayor has not served a full term, in 1859, 1869, 1922 and 59 years ago when Sir Archibald Park died in office and was replaced by deputy Basil Osborne. I am not wishing history to repeat itself, however I may be recorded as being the shortest serving lord mayor of Hobart. Time will tell. I have served as
Just sport please
OPEN letter to the host broadcaster of the 2018 Commonwealth Games: Just some thoughts to consider. When I switch channels to watch the Games I want to see live (or slightly delayed) sport. I am not interested in talking heads waffling on about our prospects, our reasons for not winning or what they had for dinner last night. I am not interested in post-swim interviews (especially with the Campbell sisters). I am not interested in the life story of the athletes. I am hoping that the different channels in your network might show different events. I hope to see more coverage of the minor sports. I am not averse to watching events with no Australian representatives.
Cars kill too
WHILE I am sure the writers have genuine motives, I question some of the emotion-based comments and coverage on the State Government’s proposed changes to the gun laws. The loss of 35 lives at Port
Talk is cheap
TWO letters have asked the government for answers in relation to the affordable housing question. A reader posed a perfectly valid question as to whether vacant houses will not be repaired if renovations exceed a certain dollar value, namely $5000. A fair question of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, by any measure. I wanted to know what progress had been made on two projects.
One, the promise to offer 20 discounted land and home packages on the former Brent St school site. Two, the announcement on the Government’s own website that a promise has been made to deliver 900 new homes over a period. Minister Petrusma had this to say on the DPAC website. “Thousands more Tasmanians will have a roof over their heads under a Liberal government that does more than talk about those in need; we invest in delivering better outcomes.” We do know this, talk is cheap.