LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

From Africa

RAY Harch, I applaud your take on the antics of our politicians but feel I must correct you re your assertion that our indigenous citizens did not come from “some other country”.

Yes, our indigenous fellow Australians have been here a very long time and deserve rights and recognition; however Australia was never the “cradle of humanity”.

A simple Google search will tell you this - “the first genome analysis of an Aborigine (sic) reveals that these early Australians took part in the first human migration out of Africa. They were the first to arrive in Asia some 70,000 years ago, roaming the area at least 24, 000 years before the ancestors of present-day Europeans and Asians”.

Apart from that, your email has good points well put.

Extended shopping

I WAS surprised to hear that the average income is now $80,000 per year.

I bet that was a shock to the thousands of people that have never seen $50,000 per year.

The reason for this figure is the gross overpayment of many CEOs. Remember the ex-boss of Australia Post, $4.8 million and then a retirement bonus of more than $11 million and then praised for the increase in parcel post.

Whoever had been in the chair, the same result would have happened because of the increase in internet shopping.

Now the government has made it possible to rip us off again by looking after its big business friends with the increase in trading hours.

The fact is we only have so much to spend, so the same amount is available over a longer period. It will cost big business more in wages, electricity etc. There are only two ways to recoup this loss: Increase prices or rip customers off the struggling mum and dad stores. — JEFF JOHNSON, Toowoomba

Marriage

TONY ABBOTT has had a lot to say about same-sex marriage.

He seems to be zeroing onto the subject of limitations on free speech and possible religious persecution against those who, in future, might speak out against SSM.

Maybe he does have a point.

In overseas jurisdictions that seems to have been the case. There is a lot of anti-discrimination legislation in place that could be used to stifle free speech and religious freedom.

Naturally, the proponents of SSM don’t agree with Tony. However, we must tread carefully in this matter. I am always suspicious when both sides of politics agree on contentious issues, because after the decisions have been made things are never the same as before.

Australia has a poor record in getting a “Yes” vote in referendums. If people have doubts they vote “No”. Perhaps in this instance that too might be the safest option. — JAY NAUSS, Glen Aplin

Specific surveys

I WAS disappointed to see that Dr Peter McIlveen did not refer to specific surveys in his letter (29/8/17) regarding the wellbeing of children in this situation.

Was it a survey of Australian children? Were they still living with their parents? How were the children contacted? We need grass-roots information, not just a statement from a professional body which might not have been given any authority from its members to make such a statement. — PATRICIA BYRNES, Toowoomba