Something to consider...

ONE: The burning of coal used in fuel to generate the electricity to desalinate the water so we can drink it creates pollution. Coal when on fire uses huge amounts of water to cool it down.

Why can't we put in place sustainable options? Free water tanks for every home with incentives to use this water in more than the garden (Eg. rebates for plumbing it in to houses). Tougher laws on building and bathroom renovations so that houses must be able to utilise grey water somehow. Better education so people learn how to use a broom to sweep a drive and not a hose. Plant more trees (I vaguely remember something in Biology about trees and the water cycle). Use recycled water for public conveniences (flushing toilets) and fountains. Better funding for aged care facilities so you don't have to run water for half an hour to get it warm.

I don't claim to have answers, but burning another finite resource and damaging the environment in a manner that is thought to be contributing to the cause of the drought to remove salt from water doesn't make sense to me.

TWO: Rather than eliminate Zone 3 why not put money in to improving the infrastructure so that trains can run more than every half hour to places like Pakenham, Cranbourne, Lilydale and Belgrave?

THREE: If the idea of Fundamentalist Christian party Family First gaining more power is so abhorrent to so many people why not encourage support of other smaller parties; like People Power, The Greens, and my personal choice the Australian Democrats.

The Fundamentalists in the US have a huge lobby and large amounts of power over the government, they influence many humanist debates from a warped interpretation of the Bible and enforce it on people who do not hold their beliefs (I know that statement is clumsy but I hope it communicates what I mean). If you do not want to see that kind of thing increase in Australia than think about who you are really voting for?

Oh; and as pointed out by Ari Gary Pinto; former City of Dandenong Boys member (Yes folks, that's what CDB stands for); is running in Prahran for Family First. If this doesn't make you stop and think...

FOUR: If you vote the same way as your parents do, why? I have never understood this. You don't dress like them, you probably don't listen to the same music as them. So why vote like them?

If I voted like my parents I would of voted Liberal and supported the GST; I would of voted One Nation and ignored racism; I would of put in a Counsellor who thinks all Muslims and non Anglo Saxon people should be deported.... the list continues well beyond this but I think you get the idea.

FIVE: Are people so stupid that an hour after getting a voucher from a local community aid organisation for "emergency relief" they try to sell it back to the Volunteer that handed it to them at a reduced price so that they can "buy petrol" ? I know people need petrol but if you ask for food help then you get food help. If you ask for petrol vouchers then you get sent to where they are available (Often with the assistance of a free zone 3 ticket). And how much petrol do you think you'll get for $5 anyway? (We give $10 vouchers out; on the rare occasions we have them.)

OK; That feels better now. Vent over.