Wightman

Each year I renew my one season – 2 rods - angling licence, and as the end of April again approaches it is time to lament. I have been trout fishing just once during 2018/19, but next season my licence will again be renewed, and a commitment will be made to escape more frequently. The licence is more than a ticket to recreation, it is my contribution to a thriving industry, which along with a National Parks Pass opens the gate to some of the world’s most significant cultural, environmental and historic places. Worthwhile commitments get in the way and prevent fishing trips with work, kids’ sport and activities, the beach, and birthday parties dictating that weekends away have taken a back seat. Angling has always been a much talked about pastime in our family. We have rods and tackle for every occasion including: river rigs, estuary setups, surf rods, fly rods - both cane and graphite, along with maps, books, magazines, art works, and a box of Red Tags, Woolley Buggers, Highland ...

Tasmanian House of Assembly Speaker, the Hon. Sue Hickey MP, recently made a strong intervention when describing our public housing system as: “not fit for animals.” The Housing Minister, the Hon. Roger Jaensch MP, responded immediately with the announcement of the second stage of the Affordable Housing Strategy – Tasmania’s Affordable Housing Action Plan 2019 – 2023 (Action Plan 2). “This second stage of the Strategy has a commitment of an additional $125 million, taking the total investment in affordable housing to nearly $200 million over eight years. This will result in a total of 3600 households assisted under both Action Plan 1 and Action Plan 2, including the new supply of 2400 affordable lots and homes.” stated Mr Jaensch in an email. In recent weeks, I have made it clear that the greater Launceston area must consider the impact of increasing population and student numbers, a rental and housing shortage, and a lack of diversity in the market including a dearth of shop-top...

After clearing Australian Customs bound for a study tour of Singapore, the first announcement I hear is the last boarding call for a JQ flight to Christchurch, New Zealand. It is Saturday March 16, just a day after an Australian has killed at least 50 people and wounded many more in two of Christchurch’s Muslim Mosques across a peaceful city in a country often compared to Tasmania in terms of natural beauty. Normally, I am in a hurry to escape the masses, and the glaring eyes of officials who stare like you have done wrong. Yet today I pause, replacing my tablet in carry-on luggage whilst feeling ashamed, saddened and worried. The unpredictability of terror and hate and marginalisation without a recognisable face is fear itself. An Australian; a racist, terrorist, white supremacist originally from northern NSW and not on any terror watchlist, has put us on the world map again with gun violence that will leave a lasting impact on New Zealanders - forever. Port Arthur now has a...

More than once, I have heard that this year is: The Year of the North. The northern economy is improving; however, to avoid this aspiration becoming a cliché, we must deliver a series of interconnected projects that build upon the growth and economic prosperity currently experienced across greater Hobart. Firstly, and even though uncomfortable, we must talk about football. Regional competitions are declining due to a lack of player numbers with once mighty clubs sadly in, or headed for, recess. Therefore, in the North, it is time to calmly debate: Do we want an AFL team of our own? Hawthorn has added in spades to the northern economy, and although an expensive sponsorship model for the State, the ongoing benefits of jobs, tourism, hospitality, and effectively promoting the benefits of sport is acknowledged. This tricky conversation will take leadership by the State Government and a willingness for discussion, but we must begin today before the next round of negotiations c...

Last week, several news items have been extremely difficult to comprehend. The conviction of Cardinal George Pell and the lifting of suppression orders, the Lawyer X scandal destroying the credibility of the criminal justice system in Victoria, and bushfires raging across another state, has made explanations to children who consume news with enthusiasm challenging. Life is tough; the next disaster or catastrophe can feel like it is just around the corner. Sometimes, it is even difficult to find the good that lives in most of us. However, the courage shown by people who have experienced the most horrendous circumstances imaginable has been both inspiring and saddening. Their willingness to speak-up, even though reliving excruciating events of the past, is extraordinarily brave. In some situations, victims are frozen by fear, unfairly ashamed or, in the most harrowing examples, unable to speak because they are dead. When I was a young person at school, speaking-up took grea...

Wandering through the Basin Café I am trying to look relaxed, searching in vain for the event director of the 2018 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards. The café is far from unfamiliar, although dramatically renovated since the days we used to pause for a lemonade icy pole after a session of swimming and half-taped tennis ball cricket. Rick Marton is usually a well-dressed and enthusiastically spoken, Launcestonian. Sitting down in pursuit of my friend, I send a text message to alert him of arrival. A man, camouflaged in a bright yellow fluoro vest more often the clobber of tradies, turns to me with a broad smile, lifting his eyes from a nest of communication devices to offer acknowledgement. “This will be an extraordinary event on a budget designed for a conference venue. The excitement is that we have built this, literally, from the ground-up. All of us, together,” states Rick emphatically. “Tasmanian companies have left their egos at the door, and worked together to deliv...