State budget lacking
Local families in regional NSW are feeling the pinch when it comes to their household budgets. The cost of living has been rapidly increasing. Input costs are crippling small business. Wages remain flat.
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We've seen rises in the price of everyday goods and services, including:
- Fuel up 33 per cent
- Electricity up 18 per cent
- Transport up 12 per cent
- Childcare up 3.9 per cent, and
- Food up 8 per cent
On top of this, New South Wales is the highest taxing state - state and local taxes up $4,795 last year on average per person.
We need a Government that recognises these challenges and takes steps to address them. This budget does not address the cost of living for those of us living in the regions. This budget has no plan to help families deal with the cost-of-living crisis that is engulfing this state and no plan to help boost high quality local jobs in this state.
The NSW Liberals have spent the last two weeks trying to make up for the last 12 years of waste and mismanagement. This isn't a budget about NSW's best interests, this is a budget about the best interests of the NSW Liberals and Nationals.
I'm as focused as ever with getting on with the job to ensure we continue to have a strong voice on the issues confronting local families and businesses.
Mick Veitch MLC, Shadow Minister for Regional NSW; Shadow Minister for Agriculture; Shadow Minister for Western NSW
World Continence Week
This week is World Continence Week, dedicated to providing people with access to affordable, reliable support for incontinence. It's one of the most common conditions impacting Australian men and women, with one in four impacted.
This Wednesday (June 22) Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia will host a Continence Call-In Day for men impacted by prostate cancer.
If your readers have questions about treatment and management of the condition, they can call us from 9am to 8pm (AEST) on Wednesday for information, advice, and connection to support services. Call 1800 220 099 - we're here to help.
Bernard Riley, Head of Telenursing, Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia
Look at the alternatives
The massive increase, across the world, in relation to the clearing of land to make space for oil palm plantations is, without doubt, totally out of control.
Animals are being decimated in huge numbers. It seems that this senseless killing will only stop when all the world's forests, that can be cleared to produce oil palm plantations, have been cleared.
I assume many people would not realize that when they visit their local supermarket it would be almost certain they would buy a product, or products, containing palm oil. The use of palm oil is widespread
The clearing of land, to plant trees that produce palm oil, causes a multiple number of problems, one of which is that it adds to the ever increasing incidence of climate change.
There are a number of brands that use 100 per cent sustainable palm oil. It may be wise, for peace of mind, to have a look at some of these brands.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank, SA
FINA women swimmers
I applaud FINAs approach on men who wish to compete in women's swimming competitions events. My opinion is simple and straight. Any person born as a man should not be allowed at all and fancy them stating they were disappointed and it was hurtful. Never at any time would you have thought it may be hurtful to those women who work so hard to achieve the peaks of their careers to compete in the higher levels of the sport.
Form your own association and run your own events and keep your own personal selfishness out of women's business. Show respect for women as they are. That's as selfish as the men trying to steal their way into the athletics, and you know by your sex of birth that you will be advantaged, and that's taking unfair advantage of the female of the species for your own personal egos.
They do deserve the right to some time and things they enjoy for themselves. So go form your swimming and athletics associations and run them yourselves. Leave the women in piece; not pieces.
Allan Lisle, Tamworth
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