Humanity gone missing
One recent Monday, someone's son set himself on fire to end his despairing life in the Australian run prison/detention centre on Manus Island, PNG. "Smashed by hopelessness" is how Iranian writer Behrouz Boochani describes his life there.
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Despair clouds the prison. What happens on Manus is veiled in secrecy but we do know that at least 50 other men have self harmed in desperation.
More than 500 men have been kept there for almost six years.
The system dehumanises and the economic burden on Australian taxpayers is massive.
Our government has budgeted to spend $526 million on off-shore processing in 2019-20. We need leadership and vision on this.
The governor of Manus is calling for Australia to take responsibility for finding a solution we have created.
The offer of visas for these refugees to start a new life in New Zealand has been refused by Australia.
Any of you who have fathers, brothers, uncles, sons can imagine what hopelessness grows when men are imprisoned, without a trial (because they have not committed any crime) and without any hope of a future.
Let's ask ourselves: "Would I be OK with this happening to my family?"
We are a clever, rich country with a reputation for generosity of spirit and a can-do attitude.
Surely we can be smarter than spending millions on a policy that produces smashed hopelessness.
Clare Cunnington, Yackandandah
Angus has the touch
Angus has had a long history in wheat politics and in his mission to drive key fundamental changes in the industry he left no stone unturned and with his strong linkage to the Liberal Party was ultimately successful in his endeavours.
Today producers and especially the younger generation of growers have real concerns on wheat imports, the declining quality of the crop, the cost of freight and handling and the encroachment of our key traditional overseas markets by the Black Sea and other suppliers.
It would be hoped that Angus will use his obvious talents, experience and commitment to provide leadership in taking the industry forward and ensuring that Australia regains the pinnacle of global wheat marketing as it had done for 60 years.
Jock Munro, Rankins Springs
Forgotten finch
Adani must be a truly massive enterprise if it is to cause this bird's extinction considering its distribution covers most of the entire state of Queensland.
I wonder where the concern was when the bird became extinct in NSW?
Chris Weller, Corowa
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