Great support for our Christmas appeal
Kmart Australia and our charity partners, The Salvation Army and Mission Australia, are overwhelmed by the amazing generosity of Australians who contributed to the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal in 2016.
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Our Appeal, closed for the 29th year and has again provided much needed Christmas cheer with 342,997 gifts distributed to people in need across the country. New South Wales and The ACT accounted for 104,653 of the overall gift tally.
With Kmart Warriewood collecting the most gifts in NSW/ACT.
We know how much it means to those who hit hard times, to know that people out there care and are willing to support in any way that they can during Christmas.
On top of the gifts given, shoppers also showed their generosity online and at Kmart registers donating more than $135,000 in cash contributions, which will continue until the end of January.
We also loved seeing the amazing support from the community, young and old, on social media and can’t thank everyone enough for sharing their posts and encourage others to also give.
On behalf of the entire Kmart team and our friends at The Salvation Army and Mission Australia, I would like to thank each and every person and business who donated to the appeal and particularly the incredibly generosity of the people of New South Wales and Australia’s Capital Territory.
Ian Bailey
Kmart Managing Director
Please look after dogs in hot weather
As temperatures soar and reach new records all over the country, please remember that dogs should never be left in parked vehicles—which can become death traps in a matter of minutes.
Even on a mild, 25-degree day, the temperature inside a car parked in the shade can soar to between 37 and 50 degrees in minutes, and on a 30-degree day, the temperature can reach 70 degrees in less than 10 minutes.
Leaving the windows cracked (or even halfway down) and/or leaving water in the vehicle will not keep animals comfortable or safe.
With only hot air to breathe, dogs can succumb to heatstroke in as little as 15 minutes, resulting in brain damage or death.
Symptoms include restlessness, excessive thirst, heavy panting, lethargy, lack of appetite and coordination, dark tongue, and vomiting.
Please, when it’s warm outside, leave animals at home. If you see a dog left in a car, have the car's owner paged at nearby stores or call 000 immediately – the dog’s life depends on it.
Ashley Fruno
Associate Director
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Australia
Cutting company tax is unfair
The Federal Treasurer, Scott Morrison, wants to cut company tax but not tax for anyone else.
On behalf of Christians everywhere and the National Party, I object.
It's outrageous that the Liberals want to make the wealthy even wealthier, while not making life any easier for battlers.
Fred Nile at the very least has to remind them of what Jesus said about the rich entering the kingdom of heaven.
It's also outrageous that the Liberals want to discriminate between farmers who have formed themselves into companies and those who haven't. Barnaby Joyce simply must say something here - I can't speak out for him forever.
The obvious answer is to hold a plebiscite on cutting company tax but not other taxes.
The result of it is easy to predict, but there's no need for the Liberals to worry about that.
As they know full well, the result of any plebiscite can be ignored.
GTW Agnew
Coopers Plains, QLD
Is the age of entitlement over for politicians?
The age of entitlement was supposedly over - if we wind the clock back to the previous Treasurer Joe Hockey - yet we continue to see our politicians apparently abusing a system that is intentionally complex.
It is clear that those who are already ingrained in this system will continue to use and abuse it.
Joe Hockey an example himself, receiving pension payments, claiming child care fees and also receiving a massive salary.
Then there is Bronwyn Bishop and the chopper debarcle and now our Health Minister Susan Ley apparently taking her electorate for fools.
It beggars belief that our political class think it is appropriate to use the system for their own personal benefit, while telling their electors that "the age of entitlement is over", to quote Mr Hockey.
All this while we see aged pensions under further scrutiny and a Centrelink debt recovery process that would not be tolerated in any real business.
This from our Health Minister, who's portfolio is one that should be setting the standard for the social fabric of our government.
There is a clear solution to this ongoing issue; make the system clear, simple and transparent - expenses should be submitted to treasury for approval through a formal budget process and the information available to the public.
The current political group must reform the parliamentary payments system immediately, to be in line with the rest of society.