Commenting on the story: Tax office rips $200m from returns over claimed Centrelink debts

Despite dysfunctional and corrosive methods like the discredited, predatory robo-debt, a spokesperson from the ATO says they will ‘inherently assume that a government agency issues lawful debts’.

Based on the recent track record, only a fool would believe that’s a valid assumption. – Jim Allen

I received a robo-debt after I did two weeks casual work, which I declared as part of my job report schedule.

Even after I told them who I worked for, how many hours I worked and how much I earned, they still gave me $640.

Two weeks later I got a letter sent to my mygov inbox telling me I owed them money, which I reluctantly paid back.

I ended up having to ask a relative to help me out financially, which was humiliating and made me extremely angry.

This system needs to be stopped because of the unnecessary financial and emotional strain it puts the most vulnerable people under, leading to depression, anxiety and in some cases suicide. – Mark Scantlebury

Can we apply the same to politicians caught abusing the system? Did helicopter Bronwyn Bishop pay back the 5k?

If the Catholic Church doesn’t pay tax, why does the taxpayer foot the bill for the royal commission into pedophile priests? Surely the church should be made to cover those costs. It’s the least they can do. – David Somerville

Commenting on the story: Kimba firms as nuclear dump after Hawker ruled out

Monday’s reader opinions included one that suggested the proposed national sites at Kimba and Hawker would be used for spent reactor fuel.

The facility is for low and intermediate-level nuclear waste. 

Low and intermediate waste includes contaminated material from the Lucas Heights reactor as well as medical, industrial and agricultural applications.

This is currently stored in less than ideal conditions in 100+ locations across the country.

This is Australia’s problem that we need to address, but confusing the issue with scare tactics about high level waste doesn’t help.

There is a completely different proposal for high level waste, and the federal government often fails to point out the difference between the two. – Alan Strickland

Australia is a vast country, so why was SA’s Eyre Peninsula chosen for a national nuclear waste dump?

The disadvantages are clear; one accident, no matter how small, will permanently harm agriculture and tourism there. The damage would be immense.

Again, why choose this region when there are vast non-productive areas that could be easily used.

The answer is simple, it reduces the initial set-up cost.

A dump needs a road system for transport, so in choosing this area the Commonwealth government doesn’t have to build any significant new roads.

If it chose an area without value, then there would be no roads there and the set-up cost would be far more prohibitive.

There is another aspect. This controversial matter is being put forward now as a distraction from the Government’s poor media image on climate change and associated deceits, lack of an energy policy and in particular Taylor deliberately holding things back, and a very poor and tardy bush fire response. – Paul Andrew

Yyou may count me in as horrified by this development regarding turning Eyre Peninsula into a dumping ground.

At least Labor had a consultation with the citizens of South Australia, and then dropped it.

Whereas the Libs here are simply determined to do everything possible to destroy this State, turning some of our very limited valuable land into nuclear dumping ground, and giving the Murray to the eastern states being prime examples. – Cathy Chua

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