The most recent example of this being, Pauline Hanson’s outrageous statement attacking the mayor of Greater London, Sadiq Khan following the tragic events in London.

The making of ill-informed, disgraceful and racially motivated statements is unfortunately, par for the course for this self- promoting megalomaniac.

As evidenced by her comments on the 21st January this year following the tragic event in Federation Square Melbourne.

On that occasion, within an hour of the event occurring and in the total absence of any factual information available, she declared the madness which took place in Federation Square to be an act of terrorism.

“Not so” as the facts subsequently revealed!  An opportunist of the basest type, Pauline Hanson has used the tragic loss of innocent life both in Federation Square and London Melbourne; as a means of attempting to justify a need for One Nation’s “fruit-loops” to be members of the Australian federal parliament.

Unfortunately, sufficient among the electorate have been so naïve as to swallow this  One Nation snake oil!

Barry Swan, Balgownie

Well here we go again , another year and another rise in health fund fees!

 The fund I'm in is much the same as every other fund and I pay 1/2 yearly and it costs me around $1350 and for this I'm covered for hospital and I get top extras cover. $ 2700 per year.

 I Went in the other day to see if we could get a reasonable price for a couple , cove ed for hospital and extras but the best they could do would be $4220 but no extras, and there would be a loading on top of this due to the fact the wife has had no hospital cover before and the loading would be 50%. I don't know how much this would equate to ?

 I was told it would be far easier to have the wife use the public hospital as it was free and the only thing is you can't choose your doctor/specialist, and she would need to be on a waiting list.

 I rang another health fund and was basically told the same thing and the prices are much the same and there is no special price if you change funds and if you change you have to go through a waiting period , usually three months if you have an ongoing condition.

 There was a few things I did find out and that was I pay to the hospital section of my fund around $1900 per year, even if I don't use it , and the extras is covered by the remainder.

In the extras, if I was to go and get a pair of glasses and they would be ' multi focus with transition lenses and Bolle frames and this would cost around $1000, the health fund would pay $200 and if I had all my teeth out and the cost was $2000 the fund pays $500 and for new dentures at a cost of $2400 the fund pays $800, so in some cases extras are good, BUT this depends  on the fund and how much you pay or can afford to pay.

Oh ! Your health fund doesn't pay for specialists , so if you have an eye condition or a heart condition you pay the bill and Medicare gives you a refund, minute but a refund.

I went to the heart specialist and was put on the treadmill and had all the attachments placed around to monitor my heart and this cost around $900, I had to pay the gap of $350.

I went to the eye specialist and had to pay $330approx. and got a refund of $110 approx.

My health fund has risen at least $90 per year for the last five years equaling $450 and now I'm a self funded retiree it is difficult to maintain these payments but I have to if I get sick and have pre existing conditions , so cross fingers and hope your health stays up not down.

T Dunn, West Wollongong