GOVT'S POLICIES ARE THE PROBLEM

THE Australian Council of Trade Unions' Greg Combet is reported to be
appalled and disgusted with the secrecy surrounding the "seven-page
submission to the Remuneration Tribunal'' by the Howard Government, a
submission that supported a 40 per cent increase in the wages of public
service mandarins (CT, 4 March, p.2). On the other hand, the Government's
strong opposition to the ACTU's attempt to increase the minimum wage of
average workers shows whose interests the Howard Government is pledged to
support. How elitist can a government get? And how obtuse can it get when
its supports a "zero tolerance" approach to drugs on the advice of a failed
United States drugs policy?

This support is maintained despite the fact that Australia's own chief
executive officer on Australia's Alcohol and other Drugs Council, David
Crosbie, states that the fundamental problem of drugs cannot be solved by
using "prison as the solution to poverty and drug use'' (same page). Thank
heavens someone has at last had the guts to publicly make the connection
between poverty and drug and alcohol use! Face up to it, Mr Howard!
Australia's high use of alcohol and drugs is a symptom and not a disease.
It has a social basis and you and the elitist policies of your Government
are not the solution; you are the problem.

If the electorate wishes to contribute to the solution it must first
eliminate the problem at the ballot box!

JOHN COX

Pearce