It is a shame to see the party of free enterprise abandon their values. Indeed, the Liberal Party was founded in Albury with the aim of stopping the heavy hand of government choosing a favoured few at the expense of "quiet Australians".

If the federal government was truly targeting spending at those in need instead of those most mendicant; surely pubs, clubs, tourism and the homeless would reach the top of the list.

Even John Maynard Keynes in his book The General Theory of Employment Interest and Money explicitly warned against using public money for simple private benefit when government is engaged in counter-cyclical spending.

So too do liberal economists from Adam Smith to John Stuart Mill to Milton Friedman.

Liberalism under Menzies meant preventing coercion and promoting voluntary cooperation between individuals. Sadly, liberalism under Morrison now concerns freedom to coercively use other people's money.

Does the Victorian government recognise Wodonga?

As our governments pledge to take out newspaper advertising to support the newspaper industry it would be useful if Daniel Andrews' urban-based government recognised that Wodonga is part of Victoria.

I refer to the full page advertisement in The Border Mail on June 12 with the headline "Albury it's time to make a difference. Teach the future".

This advertisement was provided by the Victorian state government to advertise (of all things) the Education State. Clearly they have no knowledge that The Border Mail is a cross-border publication with universities providing teaching degrees on both sides of the Border.

Are they about alienating Wodonga as part of Victoria or are they really just about poaching NSW teachers?

The end of Operation Regal over the long weekend resulted in 341 offences recorded, including 21 drink and drug offenders.

I despair at repeat reports of offenders caught driving at excessive speeds, under the influence of drugs and, in recent times, disturbing accounts of unrestrained children in the car.

I am deeply concerned by the obvious lack of respect for the unrestrained children in the vehicle, a positive test for drugs and being unlicensed, and wonder what the community would see as a deterrent or appropriate sentence to hold this offender accountable?

The fact remains that there could have been a serious accident in which those children could have been seriously injured or worse.

There could have been other innocent lives lost.

People need to take responsibility for their children and if you can't abide by the laws, then don't have children with you in a motor vehicle, don't drive a motor vehicle, and stop being so damn selfish.