I thought according to Liberal ideology, when you give wealthy people more money it somehow trickles down through the economy and makes everyone's lives better? The Greens seem the only party with policies genuinely designed to address the housing crisis.

Why is it every time I shell out $1.60 for the Merimbula News - in the paper's Domain insert - there is a spiel from the property experts (Tim McKibbin and others from the REIA) dribbling on about negative gearing being the end of the world.

They are all talking from their pockets. They are not interested in the splitting of society from those with multiple properties supported by a tax system that draws on the rest of the taxpayers and denies young people any chance to bid against those with substantial property equity and bank funds support. When they could get off the rental merry-go-round they are denied the opportunity without other family support.

Why - because the financial interests of the property spruikers lie in keeping the water boiling and bubbling along for higher commissions. They have no concern or vision for a harmonious society nor for the next generation coming through. No other country has such a flawed model as tax relief for property purchases. The music will stop and people will eventually have to pay the piper - but hey lets drag in as much as we can while the music plays.

I understand Domain and the Merimbula News are under the Channel 9 corporate banner and no doubt other regional newspapers have the same dribble inserts - but really give it a rest - you're starting to become an object of ridicule from my waterfront coffee gang.

In the meantime I doubt I will be shelling out anymore for lectures from so-called experts who are only interested in scaring the horses to make some dosh.

Given the current election campaign, I request that those standing for the election disclose their position on their support for the regional ABC. In particular the cutbacks to ABC regional funding. The funeral announcements for the region are no longer performed. This represents a threat to our links between the South East and Monaro communities.

Regarding the Narooma Oyster Festival's contest for Australia's biggest oyster, the oyster shown is a Pacific oyster, not a native Sydney rock oyster. The Pacific or Japanese oyster will always outgrow the Sydney Rock and for decades was declared a noxious fish by the Department of Primary Industries.

It was the oyster farmer's responsibility to destroy any found on his or her cultivation, and still is in most NSW rivers. We throw any Pacifics we find in the rubbish bin. They are an introduced species.

Fortunately for Narooma, when two-to-three growers tried to get departmental approval to grow them a few years ago, local farmers overwhelmingly rejected them.

Remember: big is not always best.

The Sydney rock is a far superior oyster. It is one of only a few native oysters left in the world; 80 per cent of oysters consumed are Pacifics, mainly because of loss of native species due primarily to over fishing and water quality issues.