Letters to the Editor

Text Line 23/7/25

Disappointed. Attended the RPC ratepayers meeting last Thursday evening. In my view it was a Clayton’s meeting, a meeting you have when you’re not having a meeting. ROGER Renmark Madison Eastmond’s article on Kardinia Caputo’s journey is...

Staff Contributors

23 Jul 2025

Editorial

Disabled lives are at stake

FROM July 1, new NDIS pricing changes have come into effect, and unless action is taken, people with disabilities will lose the support they rely on to live safely, with dignity, and with choice. The It’s Now or Never campaign is calling this what...

Hugh Schuitemaker

23 Jul 2025

Editorial

Deepfake videos a public health risk

ARTIFICIAL intelligence technology is being exploited to mislead the public into purchasing unproven and potentially harmful treatments for serious illnesses, including diabetes. The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is calling on the federal...

Staff Contributors

23 Jul 2025

Editorial

Diabetes prevention demands tax

AUSTRALIA must introduce a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages to curb the nation’s escalating obesity crisis, as the recent National Diabetes Week put a spotlight on prevention. The evidence is clear — sugary drinks are fuelling rates of obesity...

Staff Contributors

23 Jul 2025

Editorial

Food security needed on agenda

AUSTRALIA has a looming food security crisis, yet it is not being sufficiently acknowledged by politicians, according to a regional community group. The Murray Regional Strategy Group says it is time to realise the current and impending dangers if...

Staff Contributors

23 Jul 2025

Editorial

Some bloody expensive apples

IN May I presented three apples at the Yamba fruit fly check point. I had purchased them at Bourke, and retained the purchase docket. I had put tomatoes and an avocado in the disposal bins a few kilometres earlier. I was taken aback when the...

Staff Contributors

23 Jul 2025

Pat Mickan

High nerves and high stakes

BY PAT MICKAN “IF you do that again, I’ll fail you.” As if my nerves weren’t raw enough, and with those words detonating like a thunderous threat, any poise I might’ve had largely vanished. My brain was rattled by confusion and alarm...

Staff Contributors

21 Jul 2025

Editorial

No worry in our tap water supply

SAINT-Louis, France, has banned tap water after tests showed contamination of PFAS (poly-and per-fluoroalkyl substances), chemicals commonly used in products such as fabric protectants, waterproof clothing, food packaging and fire-fighting foams...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

500,000 reasons for a diabetes check

THERE are an estimated 500,000 Australians currently unaware they have Type 2 Diabetes, putting them at risk from the serious health impacts associated with it – are you one of them? National Diabetes Week 2025 started last Sunday, and the Rural...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

Climate change a major factor in costs

AUSTRALIANS are making the connection between climate change and rising food prices — and they’re right to. A recent Farmers for Climate Action poll of 1000 Australians found 65 per cent believe climate change is a major factor driving up food...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

Statement on antisemitism

THE recent attack on a Melbourne synagogue has shocked most Australians. Anglicans are appalled by this attack while people were inside at worship. Freedom of religious expression, and indeed a respect for religious traditions other than our own, is...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

Flu vaccines must be administered safely

THE South Australian Government’s decision to allow pharmacists to administer the flu vaccine to children under five must be carefully monitored for safety. Increasing access to flu vaccination is a vital public health goal – particularly for...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

No acquiescence to big, bad bullies

AMERICAN tariffs make it abundantly clear that America does not want Australian medical products – president Donald Trump threatens 200% tariffs. America must not need our life-saving antisera, or it wouldn’t triple its price. Such an...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

Punishment without growth plans?

MID Murray Council is not the worst local council in Australia, but in my view it’s not doing anything to be better. In The Murray Pioneer, a front page article describes how Mid Murray Council is fixing our housing disaster, by punishing people...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025

Editorial

Councils should help housing crisis

AUSTRALIA has a housing crisis. Two people pooled their resources and bought a block of land in a very small rural town and parked their mobile homes on it. They had a plan to build a transportable home there in the future. Seems like an initiative...

Staff Contributors

16 Jul 2025