comment, opinion,

I arrived in Australia in 1955 as a migrant from Austria. I attended school and did my apprenticeship here in Australia. The measurements then were Imperial. On February 14, 1966, we changed the currency from the pound, shilling and pence to dollars and cents. In the early 1970s the Australian Parliament voted to change from Imperial to metric system and subsequently all measurements were officially changed: miles to kilometres, gallons to litres, pounds and ounces to kilograms ect. Yet our TV sets, mobile phones and other technology is still advertised in inches. Surf reports are advertised in inches. Height is commonly referred to in feet, and so are caravans and trailers. Land size is being advertised in acres and not square metres. This is unsatisfactory and confusing, because not all the people are able to do the conversion from Imperial to metric. Our children in the schools are being taught the metric system only, as it should be. I discuss this with a lot of people and I can detect some disinterest. Generally people say: “That’s how the system works”. The solution would be to make it compulsory to quote the correct conversion as well, whenever Imperial measures are quoted in advertising. It was enlightening to read Frank Kusch’s (president, Alpine Branch ALP) letter in The Border Mail on May 6, ‘Cathy Avoiding Issue’. It read: “This is particularly disappointing as most people who voted for her voted Labor second”. I also know in the last two federal elections which Cathy won I handed out how-to-vote cards for the Liberal Party and engaged in friendly talk with the volunteers who were handing out how-to-vote cards for Cathy McGowan. Most of them told me they were former Labor voters or members who had shifted to Cathy’s camp. This is the “true colours” of Cathy’s powerbase. Yet some voters who voted for the Liberal Party candidate or the Nationals gave their second preference to Cathy McGowan. We must recognise that Cathy is supported by Labor and Green voters and at the next federal election in 2019, Liberal Party voters and National Party votes must give their second preference to their Coalition partner, i.e. the Liberal Party or the National Party. Now that the North-East rail line has $100 million for upgrades as part of the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail, I feel it’s a good and ideal time for Bill Tilley and Tim McCurdy to prove that they’re not impotent opposition representatives (‘Tilley's hold still strong’, The Border Mail, December 1, 2014) in advocating to Jacinta Allan for the procurement of new rolling stock. Given Mr Tilley’s recent comments for this year’s Victorian state budget (‘Funding for North-East trains in limbo ahead of Victorian Budget’, April 27, 2017) where he said “we would also like to think that we will finally get a train service that is safe, reliable and on time”, now would be a good time for Ms Ryan and Messrs Tilley and McCudy to put aside the wishful thinking and advocate to Minister Jacinta Allan for new rolling stock. The Morwell Swimming Club will celebrate its 60th anniversary on October 15. The club is wanting to contact a family representative of each lifemember and is seeking assistance to locate Diana and Michael Hall, children of 1976 lifemember the late Mr Dennis Hall, last believed to reside in Wodonga. The club can be contacted via email coach@morwellswimmingclub.org.au or via facebook.com/morwellswimmingclub or phone Melissa on 0351273789.

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