Thank you to all involved
I am writing to express my most sincere gratitude to everyone who supported the recent Suicide Prevention Awareness Network (SPAN) walk.
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The committee and City of Greater Bendigo for all the work done to ensure the success of the walk.
Victoria Police for stopping traffic while the walkers crossed the road, and importantly to generate conversations about suicide. What better way to make people stop and think than to hold up traffic at the main thoroughfare of Bendigo?
Dewar’s Sound for ensuring all the musicians and speakers could be heard on the day. The musicians, Ryan Gay and Ben and Emily, who gave their time and shared their talent.
Catholic College students for acting as site monitors and helping with the barbecue lunch.
Rotary Club Strathdale for cooking the breakfast for the Ride4Life riders.
CWA ladies for assuring the sales of merchandise went smoothly.
Clan-Macleod Pipeband Bendigo for starting up the walk and leading walkers back in such a beautiful way.
Thank you to our major sponsor Bendigo Bank.
A huge thank you to local media. WIN TV, the Bendigo Advertiser, Triple M, KLFM and The Weekly for making sure our community was given the opportunity to know about the walk and to again generate discussions around this difficult subject.
Keans Free Range Eggs, Champions SUPA IGA Long Gully, Strathfieldsaye Bakery, MCG Refrigeration and Air-conditioning, Bendigo Party Hire, and Coffee Storm.
Thank you to all who supplied goods and services to help make the SPAN walk a success in 2017.
Alannah McGregor, White Hills
Eating food in comfort
On our last trip to New Zealand we noticed that bean bags were very popular, usually placed on grass areas, close to eateries.
We thought it added a nice touch to the area.
And everyone used the rubbish bins provided.
Peter Tharle, Jackass Flat
MP’s response correct
Ian Tulloch's assertion that MP Peter Dutton's response to Alan Joyce and the CEOs of other publicly listed companies – very large corporations with a lot of weight – smacks of homophobia is laughable (“Stick to your knitting or your principles”, Bendigo Advertiser, March 22).
Stick to your knitting is an old and well-used phrase, meaning mind your own business (that isn't doing that well anyway, apparently).
The fact that these CEOs used the weight of their corporation and not their own certainly entitles the minister to “put them back in their box”, so to speak.
The whole “freedom of speech” argument is a bit rich after events involving Coopers and MPs Tim Wilson and Andrew Hastie, or when conservative groups and individuals are shut down when they even suggest there might be discussion involving opposition to gay “marriage” or multi-gender “marriage”.
So don't complain about the pro-same-sex marriage side not having a say, Mr Tulloch.
If Alan Joyce or any other Australian wishes to write to the PM as an individual promoting same-sex marriage then he has a right to do so, but big corporations have no right to coerce, bully or pressure the political debate or smaller companies on a matter that the whole population should have a say on.
Helen Leach, Bendigo
Beware of nuclear power
I've one word for those who suggest nuclear should be part of Australia's energy mix: Fukushima.