Regulation is necessary but it should not be inconsistent depending on the type of entertainment available, commonly, within the same venue. Music soothes the soul - makes people happy and encourages positive creative interaction between members of the community. Poker machines are destructive to the soul, destroy quality of lives, bring sadness and separation of families and the opportunity for gambling addiction. Surely current legislation is misdirected. Progressively there are less venues for live performance and more venues with poker machines - this situation needs to be reversed now !
Live Entertainment is essential to the nurturing of Australias talented musicians and performance artists and for expossure to the arts to the general public
because other normal community controls in venues should be sufficient and because poker machines are anti-social, destructive elements and they should be removed from communities seeking good interaction
The arts need support in this country, just like any other western country. Not only that, these poker machines are an evil, that destroy countless lives and ruin families of many. I've seen it first hand.
I support this petition because the insane situation of Australian culture being handicapped in the war against the evil of poker machines has to be rectified.
The pokies are a disgrace. They damage society in many ways.I would have thought governments in Australia would have more of a social conscience but they are no different from anywhere else. Money and votes are King , not the interest of the general public.
having lived in many other countries I can see that the development of good local live musicians in NSW is very much stifled by these regulations. A whole new generations of future musicians can be supported by reviewing improvement to these laws. Live music has a tremendous role to play in connecting people together and keeping them sane. This is something you cannot get from pokies. Live music has had this role for millenia -in every corner of the world. For better and brighter communities, live music needs to be fostered not stifled.
Music is a positive and vital influence on social and cultural development, as well as being a much underrated tourism drawcard. It should be promoted and expanded.
because the live music scene could be so much more livelier with far more choice of entertainment for audience and performer alike with the heavy-handed legislation we face now. And it's not only pokey players that vote ...
It is even worse when you remember that Syd City Council has offered "poor" compensation by way of offering busking permits which do not allow for any business cards to get the few work opportunities available, or CD sales to help pay rent, or busking "spaces" that allow for anything less than amplified / LOUD performers. This was one of the main problems the city had with buskers in the first place. Their insanities only increase. Please help get our work opportunities back !!!
Whether tragic events touch your family personally or are brought into your home via newspapers and television, you can help children cope with the anxiety that violence, death, and disasters can cause.
Listening and talking to children about their concerns can reassure them that they will be safe. Start by encouraging them to discuss how they have been affected by what is happening around them. Even young children may have specific questions about tragedies. Children react to stress at their own developmental level.
The Caring for Every Child's Mental Health Campaign offers these pointers for parents and other caregivers:
* Encourage children to ask questions. Listen to what they say. Provide comfort and assurance that address their specific fears. It's okay to admit you can't answer all of their questions.
* Talk on their level. Communicate with your children in a way they can understand. Don't get too technical or complicated.
* Find out what frightens them. Encourage your children to talk about fears they may have. They may worry that someone will harm them at school or that someone will try to hurt you.
* Focus on the positive. Reinforce the fact that most people are kind and caring. Remind your child of the heroic actions taken by ordinary people to help victims of tragedy.
* Pay attention. Your children's play and drawings may give you a glimpse into their questions or concerns. Ask them to tell you what is going on in the game or the picture. It's an opportunity to clarify any misconceptions, answer questions, and give reassurance.
* Develop a plan. Establish a family emergency plan for the future, such as a meeting place where everyone should gather if something unexpected happens in your family or neighborhood. It can help you and your children feel safer.
If you are concerned about your child's reaction to stress or trauma, call your physician or a community m
because Australia is yet to rise to the heights it deserves in terms of the quality of it's (our) self expression through music. And with the new media ownership laws, a government with a majority in the senate and tighter regulations on the content on the ABC, we must fight to see that our voice, the voice of the people is not lost.
