But these funds were immediately transferred to PayPal in the US and converted to American currency and frozen for 10 days  awaiting clearance. Ten days later this $15, which had shrunken considerably by two lots of conversion fees was converted back into Australian currency and eventually the residue credited to me.

 Never at any time was I told where, why, and how this payment was to be handled. When I rang to ask why the transaction was treated this way, I was informed that eBay/PayPal has a policy of conducting all Australian transactions offshore. 

They have to protect the US from foreign money laundering. Little wonder that this marriage of a commercial convenience, and millions more like it, are going on under the Treasury radar.

 The Australian taxpayer has a set of consumer laws that multinationals fob off as a joke. Since my complaint I have received a bill for 1¢ as an oversight on the currency transaction fees. Let the seller beware.

Dave Cox, Corrimal

I’m sure that a police officer would much rather deal with someone stoned on marijuana rather than someone wired on ice and alcohol.

 Having known many smokers, and having partaken numerous times, I find stoners pretty tranquil and more likely to break out in a laughing fit than start a fight. Marijuana always rates highly in surveys as people’s main choice of drug and several states in America have legalised it, or are planning to.

 Perhaps giving the people what they  want, and  obtaining millions of dollars through taxation, isn’t such a bad thing. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

William Bielefeldt, Kembla Grange 

I had to laugh at the reason given by Mr Abbott for exempting firms engaged in dodgy tax avoidance schemes from disclosing information that is needed to overcome this blight on our tax system.

 He argues that such disclosure could put the beneficiaries of the excessive wealth thus generated at risk of being kidnapped.

 I’m now frightened that by making it  impossible for the Australian kidnapping fraternity to identify rich people, they might start kidnapping poor people by mistake. What about us Tony?

 I thought it was a belated April Fools’ Day joke but apparently not. 

John Martin, Woonona

While  there are only two major parties, Liberal and Labor, presenting similar environmental policies, rusted on Liberal and Labor voters voting through their pockets will continue the cycle of not voting Green for fear the other major party may get the majority vote.

As busy as today’s working mothers, fathers and singles are…unless more decisions are made in the interest of the environment they’ll have more tax dollars wasted on $2 billion desalination plants, power pole sell-offs, coal seam gas mining and even less spent on renewable energy! 

 This will fill the pockets of the big-end-of-town...not theirs!

Brian Johnson, Gymea