Why? Because they chose the status quo, and simply, the normal people have long ago shifted to a ‘what about me’ attitude.

To put it mildly, the one per cent are looking for a voice against the 99 per cent, who own all the wealth. In the last federal election in Australia, 5.91 per cent of the people voted informally in the house of reps.

That figure is up from the 2013 election and the highest since 1984, when Bob Hawke was considered a ‘shoe in’.

That would make the ‘informal voters’ a significant player in parliament today.

The subject of this letter is responsibility, not voting, but if you cannot take responsibility for what you do on a day to day basis, why on earth should you expect the same from others? As a socialist and Buddhist, I have learned one thing, that you take responsibility for your own actions.

You do not ask of others what you are not prepared to give, and the care for those less able to care for themselves is paramount.

What has this to do with Donald Trump?

In Buddhism, there is no God or Messiah, it is all about you and what you do.

Like-wise socialism. We look after the less fortunate as a community. Patriotism is a luxury for people living in the past.

For people looking to the future, we embrace all ideas that benefit the community as a whole. I am embracing the change in attitudes. I just don’t delude myself that Donald Trump is the new Messiah. You may just find out that he is just a ‘very naughty boy’ (with eternal gratitude to Monty Python).

WILLIAM McILWAIN

Minyip

NEW environmental reforms being considered by the Victorian government could lead to inflamed tensions between farmers and other residents in rural communities.

Under a planned overhaul of the Environmental Protection Authority Act, the EPA would be given new powers and a multi-million dollar funding boost to investigate environmental complaints.

The Victorian Farmers Federation believes the proposed reforms, which include expanding the EPA presence into local councils across the state, are ripe for abuse if environmental officers are given the resources to investigate every complaint made in farming zones.

There is a real concern that people who do not understand the nature of commercial farming could make complaints just because they do not like the smell, or they do not like the noise or the dust.

We do not want a system that lets people make nuisance complaints if farmers are already following the law, so the government needs to give us peace of mind that this will not occur by outlining strict guidelines for investigating complaints.

Farmers should be trusted to comply with current environmental laws. The current framework being championed by the government could infringe on a farmer’s right to farm.

It is in the farmers’ best interest to do the right thing on their land, and we do not need more laws to watch over us and see that we manage our land appropriately.

Farmers are concerned their right to farm could be taken away if any person is able to ring up their local EPA officer and tell them to investigate smells or noises they do not like.

The federation has vowed to work with the government to refine the proposal to minimise possible impacts on farmers.

Commercial farming businesses, operating within industry guidelines, need to be supported so they can continue to grow the food and fibre required by all Victorians, which is a keystone of our economy.

DAVID JOCHINKE

VFF President