Tim, I saw that piece too and sent this off to some dive buddies (as you know!).
Maybe others can cut'n'paste it and give it a wider circulation...
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Greetings aquanauts,
The proposed NSW dive tax has reared its ugly head again, in an article from the Ulladulla newspaper.
http://milton.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=general&story_id=512671&category=general&m=9&y=2006
I don't know where the paper's info comes from as I haven't seen an announcement on the DPI/Fisheries website.
The last we heard about it was at the close of submissions about (against!) the plan.
I certainly haven't seen it dismissed by the minister, Labor's Ian Macdonald.
Maybe he'll wait until after the March election to announce it.
Neither Minister Macdonald nor my local MP, Virginia Judge (also Labor), had the manners to even acknowledge my submission (a copy of which was sent to each), let alone reply.
However, a nice chap from the office of Opposition leader Peter Debnam rang me to say a dive tax was not on the Coalition's agenda.
Of course, this statement doesn't rule it out either, but at least Debnam's office had the courtesy to reply after I sent a copy of my submission.
The MP quoted in the Ulladulla article as being against the tax, Andrew Constance, is a Liberal.
Make of all that what you will when you come to vote next year.
Meanwhile, Minister Macdonald's email address, should you want to remind him how bad the idea of the tax is, is: macdonald.office@macdonald.minister.nsw.gov.au
Please circulate this email to other divers and send a copy to your NSW member of Parliament. (NSW MPs' email addresses can be found here: http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/members.nsf/V3Home)
Keep fighting the tax!
Good luck,
Steve Walsh
:eek: [COLOR=Blue]"Yesterday being Christmas day the people were none of the Soberest." [/COLOR]
-- James Cook, December 26, 1768.