VOTING LAWS INCONSISTENT
Prior to the last council elections we saw banners encouraging people to nominate for a position while other banners encouraged people to exercise their vote.
Another banner encouraged people to enrol so they could vote, which proved interesting because everyone who is enrolled on the state and federal electoral rolls is automatically enrolled for local government voting.
Therefore, every Australian citizen above the age of 18 would be entitled to vote for federal, state and local government.
So who else should be entitled to vote for mayors and councillors?
A little known provision in the Local Government Act 1999 permits non-Australian citizens to seek enrolment for council polling, provided they have been a resident within that council area for at least 30 days.
Voting at federal and state elections is open only to Australian citizens. Why would it be different for councils?
It is considered a norm that only the members of the cricket club elect the club officials. It is considered the only people entitled to elect a company board of directors are the shareholders (members).
If any non-Australian citizens wish to vote at council elections, they should be encouraged to firstly become a citizen of Australia.
Tas is the only other state to permit non-Australian citizens to enrol for council voting.
Without reflecting on any non-Australian, it is essentially a common-sense custom within Australia to permit only ‘members’ to vote at such elections.
Ken Grundy,
Naracoorte.
PROTECT LOCAL PRODUCERS
Australia is rapidly moving from being a producer of items to just a mere consumer of overseas imports.
While we all like to make our hard-earned dollars go further, greater consideration needs to be given to those producing or providing goods or services and there needs to be increased acknowledgement that they are entitled to earn sufficient money in return for their time and efforts and also to cover their expenses.
If not, they will ultimately go out of business and stop producing.
Our desire to purchase cheaper motor vehicles, predominantly from overseas, sounded the "death knell" of our local car manufacturing industry.
Industry closures have a domino effect throughout our community - employment opportunities, social activity, income tax, infrastructure, service needs and further population decline.
Wholesalers who continue to pursue their market share by cutting the price paid to the producer are making it unviable for some to remain in an industry.
Being able to buy milk for the ridiculous price of $1 a litre is wonderful for consumers, but do we consider the impact it is having on our Australian dairyfarmers?
Our history is littered with industries that have become unviable - car manufacturing, meat, milk, vegetables and wine. Some producers have been forced to close, while others have undergone significant change and endured prolonged hardship.
Today, in SA, we regularly face the possibility of a fuel shortage, in-part due to the closure of the Port Stanvac Refinery, resulting in our growing reliance on imports.
Australians, on the whole, have a pretty good standard of living when compared to other similar countries, but we need to accept that paying a fairer price for the Australian-made goods we consume is required.
Our high wage levels will be essential if our dependence on imports continues to grow, the cost of which will inevitably rise as they replace locally-produced items.
Will items bearing Made in Australia labels eventually disappear and only be seen by future generations in museum displays?
