Snowy Mountain acronyms

Harold Thornton writes: Re. “Orient express: is a big Aussie company greasing palms to get ahead in Asia?” (Tuesday). Sainsbury says:  “SMEC — once known by its full name, the Snowy Mountains Electricity Authority”.  Except it wasn’t.  It used to be called the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation, hence SMEC, which was spun off from the former Snowy Mountains Authority in 1970 in an effort to retain the world-leading engineering expertise the SMA had built up. Perhaps Michael is thinking of Snowy Hydro, formerly known as the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority?

Pick your poison

John Kotsopoulos writes: Re. “Illegal, incompetent — either way, the bribery won’t be investigated” (yesterday). Bernard Keane’s swipe at Labor over national security policy brings to mind Gough Whitlam’s famous line about policy purity as quoted in a piece by Paul Bongiorno:

“Famously he (Whitlam) chided the left: ‘Only the impotent are pure.’ He understood that vision without executive power is the prerogative of protest groups, not of a party wanting to govern.”

The Greens can afford the indulgence of indulging those who like Senator Hanson Young think that deaths at see are an acceptable trade off for a more “humanitarian” approach to boat arrivals.  A party seeking to make a credible bid for government has no such luxury. The polls suggest Bill Shorten and Labor have the balance right.

A paper worth supporting

Gus Plater writes: Re. “Independent regional paper in peril as council yanks its ads” (yesterday).  I have followed the Independent (formerly Review) since it was established. I have had a lifelong interest in the newspapers in general and can vouch for the quality of the Independent as a fine local paper. The actions of the CVRC in withdrawing their advertising is an act of unmitigated, selective parsimony which simply gives further cause for dismay to those who opposed Council amalgamations in the past.

The Independent is comprehensive and responsible in its coverage, has quality journalistic and photographic staff and encourages debate in its letters and opinion section. This ,I am sorry to say, is in sad contrast with the Daily Examiner which has morphed into just another APN provincial daily with all that that implies. Thank you for your coverage of this important local issue.