Pink batts

Peter Kemp writes: Re. “Here’s the full story on workplace deaths under Labor” (Monday). The publicity beat up over the government insulation scheme is beyond me. Why did the federal government not dispute the allegations of incompetence over insulation deaths when they all occurred because incompetent contractors (to the householders) were breaking perfectly adequate state occupational health and safety laws?

John Richardson writes: Bravo John Finnerty (comments, yesterday) for his insightful comments on the “pink batts” fairytale, so effectively pedalled by the Coalition, with the willing support of a compliant media.

I couldn’t locate The Australian Financial Review article debunking the “pink batt” myth referred by Finnerty, but I did find an equivalent piece by John Watson in The Sydney Morning Herald on March 4, 2010 which I think covers the same ground and draws the same glaring conclusions.

Of course, the pink batts saga brings to mind Mark Twain’s cynical entreaty: “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.”

Pay increases for pollies

Marcus L’Estrange writes: Re. ‘Can Do says he can’t‘ (Crikey says, Tuesday). Yes the pay increase is outrageous and high way robbery. In Victoria MPs helped themselves to a recent increase but at $150,000 a year were not as greedy as their QLD counterparts except if they loose office they now will receive a $70,000 redundancy payment.

All this at a time they increased accommodation fees for the disabled or those in supported accommodation and of course are going on many junkets overseas to gain information they could obtain from our embassies etc or the internet. The solution? Former Victorian Premier Kennett believes that Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania should become one state — Vicmania.

Or the states could follow Texas and have part time MPs or they could be simply abolished. After all what value do we get from state MPs with their snouts and trotters in the trough?