Power sanders
Just doing its job
IVAN Dean’s suggestion that Tasmania’s Upper House should effectively be closed down because it doesn’t vote the way he likes is dangerous and reflects the antidemocratic impulse often to be found on the far Right. Kevin Bonham, who Mr Dean cites in his article, found Mr Dean’s voting patterns “strongly Right wing” and the most conservative member after the 2010 election. Mr Dean’s suggestion Tasmania become a unicameral democracy disrespects the will of voters and flags the inability of the government to work constructively with the Upper House. Voters want more compromise, consultation and collegiality, not less. What Mr Dean most dislikes is the Upper House knocking back Liberal Government legislation. He fails to accept this could be because the legislation is poor quality and is an example the Upper House is doing its job. make it an election on health, the ALP leadership decided it was all about pokies. The howls of disbelief from the top end of Elizabeth St must have been deafening. I GUESS what’s needed in the Aussies cricket team is more tradies. No way I would sand anything by hand nowadays when there’s all these amazing 18 volt compact, go anywhere, fit anywhere, grind the bejesus, colour co-ordinated (camo if you want it) and number one, no cord! experience for land-based tourists. We are informed each passenger spends $172 onshore. We are not informed that this figure is derived from the results, provided by the cruise line, of surveys voluntarily completed by a small number of passengers. No one would deny land-based tourists spend far more than cruise passengers.
As an accommodation provider, I know how unimpressed guests are in having spent a lot of money find they’ve come to the Suva of the South, with attractions so crowded they prefer not to partake. Tasmanian tourism advertising campaigns are promoting a destination that is being degraded by cruise tourism. My advice to the Tasmanian government is to forgo cruise passenger tariffs and legislate a full or partial ban on cruise ships and use this to generate publicity and attract more land-based visitors.