Allowing for the importation of cheaper overseas editions of books published in Australia will have the totally predictable effect of eliminating local publishers and increasing the dominance of giant transnational corporations. The only concern of the latter is profit. Education, diversity and a thriving Australian culture are of no concern to them whatever. In pursuit of increased profit, they will reduce choice, engage in anti-competitive practices, and increase the flood of foreign culture. These so-called Labor parties have a hide continuing to use the name when they betray every day the purpose for which their parties were founded, which was to protect people against the dominating power of wealthy owners.

Geoff Davies, Turner

Plight of the elderly

I am appalled that the Minister for Ageing, Justine Elliot, could describe the ''system'' for handling complaints about aged care as ''robust'', as she did on the ABC Four Corners program last night. The Complaints Investigation Scheme the cornerstone of the system is not an investigative system at all.

It only examines whether the facility has policies and procedures in place that address the issue, but does not take evidence to check whether those policies were implemented in the specific case of the complaint. What sort of ''investigative system'' is that?

No wonder the Aged Care Commissioner found that half of the scheme's ''investigations'' were deeply flawed. As an ex-cop, the Minister must know the fundamentals of the investigative process. However, her performance on Four Corners showed her to be nothing more than a mouthpiece repeating a mantra.

There should now be a thorough investigation of the Minister's new ''name and shame'' website to see what it actually does. Sounds good, but I'm sure that the Four Corners' audience will be deeply suspicious.