Commenting on the story: Marshall Govt opens fire over new Murray-Darling compliance cop

The SA Government is quite right to protest the appointment of an ex-National Party MP for NSW to the Murray Basin water compliance organisation.

NSW governments have proven themselves to be incapable of properly caring for the river. Water theft, flood plain harvesting, illegal dams, outrageous payments for hypothetical future flows have all led to the ecological disasters of recent years.

Hats off to Rex Patrick for calling this out as he does on so many occasions. Our govt cannot rely on quiet diplomacy; don’t forget that Minister Spiers was found by our Royal Commission to have sold SA down the river when he allowed the Murray’s health to be subordinate to NSW residents’ desires.

Our government must be louder in condemning the actions of upstream states, and do so through the courts if necessary. We don’t have the population or economical clout they do, we must use every opportunity and megaphone to ensure we get a fair share of the Murray, particularly for the environment.

The previous Labor government showed the way; they may not have won all the battles but you knew they were in the ring and their actions made the media Australia-wide. Tasmania showed how to mobilise people beyond its own borders, we could do with some allies interstate too. – Ross Heitmann

Commenting on the story: Hutt St Centre welcomes Govt review into homelessness program

This looks like another ‘persecution’ of the Hutt Street Centre. Why is there so much opposition to a Centre which is effective and has so much support from the public and appreciation from the clients?

Another attempt to close it down? Or is it the fact that it is a work of the Catholic Church?

 Anyone who has even been associated with Hutt Street Centre either as seeking its services or volunteering there or working there, knows that it an exceptional Centre worthy of the highest respect. – Maurice Shinnick

Commenting on the Review: Strata//Forgivenness

I attended preview performances at  Rumpus Theatre on Tuesday, February 9th, and saw two excellent SA plays: “Strata” and “Forgiveness”.

Reviewer Ferrin Foster found that the production of “Forgiveness” couldn’t “quite manage to tap into the rich vein of emotional truth that makes a show stick with an audience”. But I had the opposite experience.

And “Forgiveness” sticks with me still. Both the script and the production were rich in exploring ways the fathers’ lack of emotional intelligence (lack of emotional education) constipated every opportunity each had to speak his truth out loud. (There are two dads, the fathers of the central late teenage heterosexual couple, one mum.)

I grew up with just such a father who, like the stage characters, got bamboozled by unexpected and overwhelming emotions. And sought refuge, even solace, in beer. I was very moved by this production.

Unlike the reviewer, however, I found no added-value in the on-stage use of the live video camera. The actors, the direction and the script were more than enough.

Fortunately, both productions play through Sunday, February 21st, and I intend to see them again. I encourage anyone interested in good theatre to visit Rumpus. – Phyllis-Jane Rose

Commenting on the story: Call to link pension rises to JobSeeker

There are also a group of forgotten people who are on JobSeeker payments that are unable to work due to health issues, but are not eligible for disability. Mostly comprising of older Australians not quite old enough for the age pension, who have worked most of their lives, usually hard physical jobs that have destroyed their bodies over the years.

The system needs updating all round. JobSeeker needs to be increased. – Janelle Hamilton