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Letters: Give tribunal the boot!

IT is time the ACT Remuneration Tribunal was disbanded, preferably before it grants yet more pay and allowance increases to members of the Legislative Assembly.

The Tribunal’s membership comprises Anne Cahill Lambert, Dr Colin Adrian and James Smythe, all from highly-paid executive backgrounds. There are no members from the lower/medium income sector or representatives from the large charity organisations or disadvantaged groups. So, no wonder the tribunal’s determinations almost always produce salary and entitlement gains that are orders of magnitude above the norm or indexes such as the CPI and AWE.

And to make things worse, its determinations cannot be disallowed by the Assembly and its decisions invariably flow through, not just to the proposed increase in members of the Assembly, but to judges, magistrates, statutory officers, public service executives and members of various tribunals, boards and committees. The ACT cannot afford such largesse from a body funded by our tax dollars.

Ric Hingee, Duffy

 Open government?

THE ACT Government has a target of 90 per cent renewable energy by 2020. To generate this from locally installed solar farms would require about 38 times the currently approved capacity.

The concerns of Uriarra residents about a large scale solar farm across the road would become the concerns of almost every ACT resident. Virtually all available space will be needed for these large scale industrial sites. Consultation with residents is not part of the plan. Please contact Government members and demand that the impact on communities be considered before plans are completed. What happened to open government?

Siobhan Reid, via email

 Goodbye ‘latterati’

ROBERT “The Gadfly” Macklin surely didn’t realise it, but when he excoriated (he thought) our PM Tony Abbott, quoting him as saying, re his boxing bout, “I just attacked. I never stopped. I just attacked and attacked until I’d worn him down and beaten him… until I won,” he was actually praising what most Aussies think of the true Anzac spirit, that indomitable will to keep on fighting, to never surrender until the battle is won.

We’ve had too many politically correct “latterati politicians” who ignored the plight of rural Australians, the people who put our food on our tables, in favour of a privileged minority.

“I’m appalled,” wails Robert, “by our relations with Indonesia and China” – well, mate, as an Asian-born Australian, let me enlighten you, we’re on pretty sound territory with both these neighbours. The Indonesians know all about “shadow theatre” diplomacy, the Chinese couldn’t be happier with the prospect of a “Flying Pandaroo” in coming days.

I urge Robert to stop blustering and recognise reality before it hits him over the head.

Christina Faulk, Swinger Hill

Fringe benefits?

JORIAN Gardner should book Merkel and Netanyahu for next year’s Fringe Festival, or has that already been thought of?

“Pierre the Lair”, via email

 

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One Response to Letters: Give tribunal the boot!

Anthony says: 6 March 2014 at 9:29 am

I agree with the letter that the “independant” tribunal should be abolished. They always grant ACT politicians with large unjustified pay increases every year. No pesky EBA negotiations dragging on for months, no need to trade off any conditions or perks. It will only get worse with yet more unnessary politicians , up to 25. They should have to plead their case like every other worker to a panel of voters selected off the electoral role like a jury.

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