It’s then left to the police, ambulance and others to clean up their mess and explain to all concerned who are left behind. Then we see the penalties that obviously don’t fit the crime, which is even more heartbreaking for those families affected.

Authorities continue to waffle around, can’t even get the rules to be similar let alone the same from state to state. Is it any wonder good drivers get confused and cause accidents when they cross any border around the country.

A national summit is needed to address this madness. It’s time for the prime minister to take the lead as it looks like no one else will.

THE current dispute over sending traumatised asylum seekers back to Nauru, which everyone except the government seems to think is immoral, might be seen in the context of the wider problem of people fleeing persecution around the world.

It has been repeatedly observed that many refugees are fleeing conflicts which our own government has played a part in creating, by collaborating with US-led operations for regime change and control of resources. Consequently we have some responsibility to help people who have fled the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

What has not been observed, but is surely the case, is that the wars on Libya and Syria are no different, with control of the region’s oil and gas resources being the prime objective of the Western allies. As before, we are consumed with the refugee problem that we have helped create, but refuse to abandon the military campaign that is the cause of it.

But Syria is different.

Thanks to serious Russian air power, the Allies’ mercenary armies are finally being driven back or persuaded to give up the fight, and millions of displaced Syrians have started returning to rebuild their lives.

If we really want to stop people dying at sea, we should get right behind Russia and the Syrian army to help drive out the rebels of all types who have been holding Syrians under siege for the past five years, even though that means admitting what these freedom fighters really are.

ANDREW Robb says Labor’s talk of a GST is a beat-up.

It was the budget emergency that was a beat up. The Coalition must be laughing every time they pick up their pay that we fell for that.

The size of the deficit has doubled and the government states they will announce an economic/tax plan prior to the next election. So much for the “budget emergency”. To date, the Coalition has put forward many unfair saving measures that have gained the approval of the parliament.

Yet so desperate is the government they still list rejected proposals as current savings in order to improve their bottom line. John Howard provided endless tax cuts and unnecessary baby bonuses (now causing extra child care costs) leaving the nation short of revenue yet Scott Morrison wants to provide more tax cuts (buy more votes).

As for the GST, I smell a rat. If the Coalition win they will say, after the election, they discussed it with us (don’t say you weren’t warned) and we voted for them so we must have approved a GST (just as John Howard did, even he lost about 28 seats at the time).

This week's winner is Jessica Melbourne of Lavington. Please collect your double pass to Regent Cinemas Albury from The Border Mail, 1 McKoy St, Wodonga.