The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 39

39 smh.com.au Saturday, February 3, 2001 Healthy smile still rests on bank balance To our shame, the state of a person's teeth still broadcasts their economic standing, writes Adele Horin. AND TfiM -7 (TXr r- 1 which can coat a person's skin, can contaminate food which is later ingested, or can be breathed in and so be absorbed from the lungs. This means that what radioactivity is present becomes more dispersed and presents in a more readily absorbable form. This has to be more dangerous. In my opinion, the jury is still out on this one.

Dr Albert F. Bencsik, Woolwich, February 1. SOS: sail out of sight To the French: don't worry, we will keep rescuing your sailors when they get into trouble in the Great Southern Seas skipper turns away ice-bound Herald, February 1). Graeme Smith Bronte, February 2. Clever horse-trading Following Mr Packer's successful foray against the ABC, his solicitor, Mr Mark O'Brien, said "there might be a polo field or two in this little Wouldn't it make you want to chukka up? Norm Brown, North Rothbury, February 2.

If John Laws is too rich for a fine and, too well known to go to jail, does that mean Kerry Packer should not receive "a polo pitch or two" of taxpayers' money from the ABC? L. Horqan, Matraville, February 2. Punters to see the light So clubs are to introduce daylight and digital clocks into the pokie rooms. I'd like to see that! Terry Stormon, Goonellabah, February 1. Looks aren't everything For the benefit of Kerry Robinson (Letters, February 1), I am reliably informed that extra virgin olive oil is derived from very ugly olives.

Peter Dougherty, Grafton, February 1. I was wondering if Popeye's lady was a virgin? Bob Willis, Balgowlah, February 1. 1 Is 1 yta. 18 Plenty of danger signs before concert tragedy As an attendant at last year's Big Day Out, I can easily see how Jessica Michalik could have died. The injuries of the people this year were inevitable, and easily preventable.

Last year I was in a position right in front of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. When Nine Inch Nails completed their set and Chili Peppers began to play, there was a crowd surge from both the right and from behind. Consequently, the crowd collapsed. I was trapped underneath someone as well as having two people beneath me, both of whom were unconscious. In later reports, I was surprised there was no mention of injuries.

However, I am sure that the Big Day Out organisers would have been well aware of what happened (and aware of the deaths at Pearl Jam concerts overseas) and could have taken preventive measures. I guess their ethics are now in question for ignoring all these danger signs and the requests of Limp Bizkit for the T-bar stage. Joanna Creswell, Bungendore, February 1. Western terrorism Over the past 10 years, in places such as Iraq, Serbia and Sudan, the United States and British governments have carried out numerous bomb attacks, many of which have targeted civilians and were in clear breach of international law. Yet there have been no special international criminal cases, no dubious findings of guilt, no sanctions, accusations, or demands for compensation from the families of the victims.

The Lockerbie disaster was indeed a great tragedy, and no doubt very painful for those who lost loved ones, but until the British and US governments deal with the consequences of their own heinous crimes, their moralistic posturing can rightfully be dismissed as blatant hypocrisy. Jeremy Moses, Turner (ACT), February 2. Deadly when vaporised Dr A. C. McEwan (Letters, January 31) may well be correct when he states that one can handle pure uranium metal with virtually no radiation dangers.

After all, Madame Curie handled radioactive substances and was exposed to far more lethal forms of radioactivity for a great many years before she finally developed radiation sickness. My understanding is that when a DU projectile strikes metal or a hard object, the heat produced will vaporise the uranium metal and so it becomes converted into a surface area perhaps millions of times larger and now in a form WE were camped at the idyllic Bay of Fires in north-eastern Tasmania enjoying a lull in the sibling rivalry and the ABC cricket commentary. Then a fire started raging in my mouth. Toothache strikes most of us some time in life. But sitting around the campfire, nursing my face, I had reason to think of Dr G.

J. Morgan, of Westmead, esteemed letter writer to the Herald. Perhaps the misery of toothache has not yet struck Dr Morgan. Perhaps the tooth fairy whisked Dr Morgan's wisdom teeth away before they had a chance to get infected or impacted. Perhaps shehe is too young to have bits of teeth break off, or crumble round old fillings.

The good doctor, I recalled as the billy boiled, had taken umbrage at articles I had written last year about dental care. They were critical of the Federal Government for axing a $ioo million program that subsidised dental care for low-income Australians. "Since almost all dental disease is preventable by simple hygiene methods, I wonder why anyone thinks that dental disease should be the responsibility of the state," wrote Dr Morgan. "The problem your article should highlight is lack of self-care rather than lack of funding." It is not a sexy, headline-grabbing political issue. It is not defence, country roads, or even Marginal seats are not at stake.

But unequal access to dental care is one of the nation's great shames. In Australia today, the state of a person's teeth and gums broadcasts their social class more surely than does the state of their clothes. In this pre-Budget period, the Federal Government has a chance to do an honourable policy U-turn, as it did with It could reinstate the Commonwealth Dental Health Program which it ended in 1996 on the grounds that dental health was a State issue. It can do for low-income people's oral health what it does for their hearing, their eyesight, and their general health. The Federal Government subsidises spectacles and hearing aids, and maintains Medicare.

But it adamantly refuses to subsidise dental care. Poor teeth and gums can cripple people's lives, restrict their job opportunities, and badly affect their general health. And the sufferers are not necessarily to blame. Oral hygiene fanatics I've known, who spend more time flossing than making love, can also experience, sooner or later, a dental problem. People who eschew junk foods as Dr Morgan advised, can grind Tax Office fine for doing unpaid Tax Office work And frustration: in 1999 I took an extended "holiday of a lifetime" trip to Europe.

I needed to pay two successive quarterly tax payments, so I sent two cheques, clearly marking the second with a covering payment-in-advance letter. Collecting my mail on the way to the airport, guess what? An ATO refund cheque for the second amount. Arrrrrrgh. Kevin Mulqueeney, Fairy Meadow, January 30. I believe that there is a reasonable case to be made that the GST is unconstitutional.

I base this on the wording in the Constitution as follows: Section 51. Powers of the Parliament Para xxx iiiA, which reads, "The provision (inter alia) of medical and dental services" and then adds the words "but not so as to authorise any form of civil I contend that the imposition How can the Australian Taxation Office fine business owners for not getting their BAS forms in on time when the businesses are actually doing their work for them, unpaid? Not only are businesses putting in many unpaid hours per week on this work, they are also paying the bank and government charges for depositing GST collected into their bank accounts and also when they withdraw it to pay the Tax Office. Inciden- tally, what are the employees of the Tax Office doing now that businesses are doing their work for them? And why are companies not allowed to claim the GST on compulsory green slip insurance premiums? This is a legitimate business expense and yet we are not allowed to start claiming it until 2003 and even then, we will not be able to claim the back money. Many people in business do not even know this is the case as the instruction books for the BAS were not sent to many companies. C.

Power, Blacktown, January 31. The Australian Taxation Office should be renamed the Department for Extraction, Anarchy and Frustration (DEAF). The extraction section wants your money on time and the return demands to know how you arrived at the answer. And don't tack an extra $10 on to the cheque in case you have overlooked an obscure interest payment. Anarchy: try to change a BAS to an IAS.

Nothing happens. I registered a company for an ABN in August. I was unable to send out invoices until I received an ABN number which finally arrived on Christmas Eve. The BAS statement is yet to turn up. of the GST is a form of civil conscription.

Why? Because civilians are forced to collect taxes from others, keep records and then remit such taxes to the Government without payment and subject to punishment in the case of non-compliance. This is quite different to the payment of taxes due by each citizen and business relating to their own income. It is not reasonable to conclude that civil conscription only applies to medical and dental services particularly as the tax is specifically stated to be a services tax! Frank J. Robinson, Lindfield, February 2. There must be many acronyms for the business activity statement.

But this one, overheard passing a council workers' morning tea break, is the most descriptive yet: Bring A Shovel. Greg Copeland, Annandale, February 1. 'Incidentally, what are the employees of the Tax Office doing now that businesses are doing their work for their teeth to stubs when fast asleep. And even those who can afford six-monthly check-ups and cleaning can run into trouble in middle age. Letters and RSVP addresses: GPO Box 3771, Sydney 2001 Fax: 9282 3492 Email: letterssmh.fairfax.com.au All letters and email (no attachments) to the Herald must carry the sender's home address and day and evening phone numbers for verification.

Letter writers who would like receipt of their letters acknowledged should send a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Ideally, letters will be a maximum 200 words, and may be edited with consultation. Letter writers please note that letters published in this newspaper may be republished by the Herald on the Internet, CD-ROM, by photocopying and by other methods. Who said cheats never prosper? TwHftf PIP HE Pie OffJ A3 LM Mr Skase's highly reputable and doubtless well-paid doctors came up with a timely emphysema and now cancer. What next a body? Picture the sad funeral scene, all weeping and gnashing of teeth.

But wait, who is that shadowy figure with plastic surgery and a sheepish but triumphant grin in the background? Surely not! Tim Stafford, Mosman, January 31. The Government should desist from wasting time and Christopher Skase in Spain. Rather, it should divert those resources to initiating appropriate action against those Spanish Paralympic who have prostituted their country and themselves by jeopardising the hopes and desires of all those intellectually disabled athletes who see the Paralympic Games as assisting their efforts in proving to normal society their rights to be accepted therein. J. B.

Maguire, Kings Cross, January 31. Postscript Bad things happen to good people And being good, I gloomily concluded at the Bay of Fires, was overrated. If I flossed all night, I would never have teeth like Julia Roberts's. What I did have was money, a private dentist, and prompt attention. But for hundreds of thousands of poorer Australians unable to afford hefty private fees, or private insurance, a dental problem is a major crisis.

They rely on State-funded dental clinics. But most clinics only treat people in pain. For fillings, dentures and crumbling teeth, patients are told to go to a private dentist. As for check-ups and cleaning, that's a middle-class luxury. Dental care has been primarily a State responsibility since the Chifley government's failed attempt more than 50 years ago at a national health scheme that included dentists.

But surveys revealing a silent epidemic of bad dental health among poorer Australians prompted the Keating government into the field in January 1994 with its $100 million contribution. Almost overnight, the situation improved, with a reduction in waiting lists, and a one-third reduction in the proportion of poorer clients who needed extractions. But it was the very success of the Commonwealth program Peter Costello cited when he axed it. And ever since, the Federal and State governments have been fighting. States have increased their funding but, in general, replaced only 20 per cent of the Commonwealth funds lost.

No doubt the States should do more. But it's time dental health was treated as a national issue. Instead, millions of Commonwealth dollars are now used, through the private health insurance rebate, to subsidise dental care for better-off Australians. People told heart-breaking stories to the NSW Council of Social Service's dental heakh survey last year: They couldn't chew, they couldn't smile. I now have a glimmer of what that means.

As the US HOME ZlCfrtESS Time to hear full story from medical fund In his letter (January 27) Dr Richard Tjiong, chairman of United Medical Protection, leaves a major part of the jigsaw missing when describing the apparent accountability and transparency of United Medical Protection. Why won't United tell members the estimated liability for unreported medical mishaps which have already occurred and which may lead to major claims? Other insurers do so and as this issue represents the sleeping giant of medical indemnity, so should United. If it's big, then future calls on members seem inevitable. As Australia's largest medical indemnity fund, United has an obligation to estimate it, disclose it, prepare for it and reassure members about it. Maybe then we can work together to avoid the "financial storm" to which Dr Tjiong makes such regular reference.

Dr Robyn Napier, Artarmon, February 1. Innovating or meddling? Oh joy more funds for science research for more things we don't need such as fruit which has been relieved of its sweet- money in pursuing extradition proceedings against There were many plaudits for the Government's innovation statement this week but letter writers were quick to expose its cynical underbelly. Many recalled that five years ago the same Government had cut $5 billion from the budget: "Academics and scientists can do arithmetic. The simple sum of minus $5 billion plus $3 billion still comes to a negative number," wrote Roy Clark, of Forestville. Science was identified as "the political football of choice" and there were calls for a long-term commitment to the sector by all political parties.

With business activity statements due, it was a time for reflection and retribution. There were many complaints about the time taken to gather the data and fill in the form, and the fact that business is now doing the work of the Taxation Office. Peter Maresch, of Lane Cove, was the exception: "I run two small businesses and was able to complete my BAS inside an hour." Shane Warne's on-air outburst brought out the wits. Melissa Mason, of Marrickville, suggested the "ACB invest in a book of Shakespearean insults, then perhaps we could hear Thou errant clapper-clawed codpiece' being screamed down stump-mic And finally, a letter from John Diamond last Saturday placed the former ADI site, undergoing redevelopment, in Ryde. It is, in fact, located near St Marys.

The mistake occurred in the editing process. Jeni Harvie, Letters Editor. daughters, folks, and would somebody please stop the world. I want to get off. Jan Carroll, Avalon, February 1.

A fair English test Reg St Leon stated that the International English Language Testing System test was inadequate as a means of assessing the English of overseas students Herald, January 18). This claim is not only wrong, but mischievous. The test pro ness, taste and texture, but will last on the shelf indefinitely and probably survive a good nine holes of golf making supermarkets very happy, but leaving yours truly very sour indeed. And weren't we all thrilled to hear of yet another "breakthrough" with cloned sheep and immature Matilda having her eggs "collected" when she was only three months old (a I was so thrilled I nearly threw up! What are these scientists on? Lock up your vides a measurement of performance in all four skills, reported on a scale of one to nine made available to all interested parties. The question is whether or not universities choose to lower their entry requirements or ignore the advice of the test developers to suit their ends just as they might lower the UAI to fill their courses.

Mr St Leon should get his facts straight before rushing into print. Don't blame the gatekeeper. Clare McDowell, Balmain, February 1. surgeon-general wrote last year, the mouth and teeth 'Weren't we all thrilled to hear of yet another with cloned represent the very essence of our humanity. They allow us to speak and smile; sigh and kiss taste, touch, chew and swallow.

through our facial expressions, they tell the world how we feel. II 11 FACULTY OF 1 1 Advanced Courses to Advance your Career. It's your Choice. UWS College of Law and Business offers an innovative and dynamic, range of programs from single subjects through to Masters degrees. Careers that make a difference Are you still looking to commence a course of study in 2001? fl Are you interested in health, computing and management? The Bachelor of Applied Science (Health Information Management) integrates information technology, management and healthcare.

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However, the Commission has determined that it is in the public interest to fully investigate the matter. The investigation will be conducted for the purpose of determining matters referred to in Section 13 (2) of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Act 1988 (as amended), i.e., whether any corrupt conduct tias occurred andor whether any administrative systems facilitated corrupt conduct. The Hon. Jerrold Cripps, QC, has been appointed to conduct any hearings that may be required for the purposes of the investigation. The Hon.

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