In the announcement Labor provided an option for how the lost GST could be recovered ensuring that states and territories do not have their current revenue stream reduced. We don’t believe we should comment on whether this option is viable or politically correct. What this option does is open up the conversation that there are other means of collecting the revenue that would be lost through the removal of the tax on sanitary products. 

If we take this matter away from being an economic discussion, our question is do you think it is acceptable for women to be taxed on products that simply address a basic biological need every month? 

We serve a community of women and girls who cannot afford to purchase these products with or without GST. We have thousands of sanitary products donated by the public each year in an attempt to provide a basic need to women and girls who are unable to provide these products for themselves.

In the Hunter, we have installed the first free Dignity Vending Machine into a school in NSW at Kurri Kurri High. This issue is a local issue not just a national issue. We work with so many local organisations throughout Newcastle and the Hunter to provide for women and girls in need in our area. This is a major step forward for women locally as well as nationally.

What we believe, along with the 104,000 people who signed our petition in 30 days during March, is that it is incredible in 2018 that women are still having to raise a question that ultimately falls to that of equality, women are being taxed simply because of their biology.  So, we believe that we should all recognise that while an announcement in the budget to axe this tax has an economic impact, really it represents an incredible step forward for gender equality.

Labor have announced that should this issue not be dealt with before the next election it will be one of their commitments. At Share the Dignity we ask that gender equality does not become an election issue, and instead all governments come together to find the right solution to remove this tax.

In Raising the Barr (The Advertiser, April 25) Clayton Barr MP first tries to make the case the NSW Liberal National Government should not have reformed green slips, then goes on to criticise the mechanism for refunding savings to green slips. 

However when the legislation went through Parliament, Mr Barr neither spoke on the Bill or voted against it. In Parliament there is a name for MPs who have lots to say on an issue in their community, but do the opposite in Macquarie Street. It isn't flattering. 

Reforms of the CTP were long overdue. NSW had the most expensive green slips in the country and were inflated because of excessive insurer profits; fraudulent activity; claims were taking years to settle; payouts were being eroded by high legal and investigation costs. The reforms ensure there are defined benefits for claimants up to six months after an accident regardless of fault. There is flexibility to assist injured return to work after six months. The scheme retains the right to claim modified common law damages  for those both able to prove fault and with injuries other than soft tissue or minor physiological injuries. 

Labor kicked this can down the road costing Cessnock motorists thousands of dollars. 

Imagine what will happen to Cessnock if we use the Return and Earn machines properly, and we get more. 

I think that the Return and Earn is very beneficial and is great for the environment. It is helping our town look tidier and clean. People go looking around the streets for bottles and cans to recycle which is cleaning up Cessnock. But these are just a few reasons how it can be improved.

It needs to be moved from Woolworths because it is blocking their car park. Woolworths don’t have a lot of car parks to start with and it is taking up more, so that means people have to park a long way away and walk far. Some people need those car parks that are close because they might be in a wheelchair or have prams or crutches.

The machine is not big enough. It is always filling up and we can’t use it. This is bad because people are wanting to use it (which again is helping the environment) but they can’t. The pick up trucks could come more times a day so that it gets emptied more often.

People using the machine need to be more responsible. In this case we could make rules about the machine, such as a fine for not using it correctly, and we could put out separate trolleys for the return and earn.

We need to use it right and be responsible. 

It’s outrageous! It is so dangerous when these unregistered motorbikes drive on roads. They drive through car parks as shortcuts and ride over our sporting fields and they don’t even care. These motorbikes drive on the other side of the road and overtake people when there’s double lines.

They’re not paying for registration which every other vehicle must. These riders aren’t paying the $75 a month that most drivers pay and it’s not fair. Some families could have a better house or car if they didn’t have to pay these bills.

Most of these riders also don’t have a licence. These motorbikes don’t need licences because they are designed for the riding in your property, not on the road. If they want to ride a proper motorcycle they should have to do the hard work to get their full licence, like everybody else.

Hopefully someone from Cessnock Police reads this text and makes a change.

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