Letters: Anzac Day will still be special

Our readers have their say on celebrating Anzac Day in a pandemic, pollies’ perks and Virgin Australia.

THE fact that we shall be commemorating Anzac Day in self-isolation, though unfortunate, may not be as difficult or meaningless as some people imagine.

After all, the day is one on which we honour and pay our respects to our veterans, both past and present.

They have fought in the air, on the sea and on land, many of them enduring and surviving unspeakable

hardships.

For many of them, their service involved isolation of a kind far different to the one we are experiencing at present.

For them this isolation was necessary for their survival, be it in the steamy jungles of Malaya, the burning deserts of Egypt, the frozen steppes of Russia or, worst of all, as

prisoners of war.

Not for them the comforts of home: food, shelter, the internet and computer. Worse still, they could not even be sure of seeing their next day.

There are many ways in which we shall be able to commemorate the day, without even leaving our homes. We can watch television coverage of the Dawn Service at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra, the 2015 Dawn Service at Gallipoli, the Centenary Commemoration Service at

Villers-Bretonneux in France and various other presentations, online, and on television.

We can study articles in newspapers and read some of the many

books written on past and present conflicts, and the part played in them by our many veterans.

More importantly, we shall have time and opportunity to reflect in a quiet atmosphere, on the enormous sacrifices made and incredible bravery shown by our veterans.

In past years this has been done by marching in parades, attending parades, talking to the veterans, who always had a story to tell and enjoyed the opportunity to tell it.

The sight of these veterans wearing their service medals, marching proudly despite their age and increasing infirmities was always the most moving part of this day for not only them, but us.

Sadly, this aspect will be missing this year, as are the dinners and

camaraderie which, for many, followed the march.

The fact that we are commemorating the day virtually alone does not make it any less meaningful.

For many thousands of us, it will be, as it always is, a day to remember our own family members and the part they played in keeping Australia a free country and our lives one of security, free from foreign domination.

Yes, we are certainly going to honour our veterans in a different way,

but there is no reason it should be any less respectful than any other

year.

It is entirely up to us to adapt to this new format and make the day a

true day of remembrance.

Lest we forget.

Sandra Davis, Wellington Point

The Cenotaph in Dalby, Queensland. Picture: Michael Doyle

POLLIES BANK COVID CASH

INTERESTING article – “Pollies gain $30k to lift their profile” (C-M, Apr 22).

You have got to be kidding! Queensland MPs are getting to keep their electorate allowances because of COVID-19 and use it to boost their profile and pay for services and events prior to the 2020 state election.

How out of touch state politicians are. At this point in time it will be highly unlikely there will be any public events prior to the election.

This money should be handed over to essential services who are in desperate need to receive all the extra funding they can get.

At the moment, most MPs, like us, are doing very little.

Unlike New Zealand, none of them have sacrificed a percentage of their income, but willingly had their hands out to accept a recent bonus before Christmas.

Where are our role models? What sort of legacy are they going to leave when history reports COVID-19?

Laelea Smith, Ormiston

IT’S not a bad lurk if you can get away with it. Queensland politicians get a $30,000 “bonus” for doing nothing because of COVID-19 (C-M, Apr 22).

Due to the virus scare pollies can’t get out to do their work so they get to keep the expenses they would have otherwise spent working their electorate.

They obviously haven’t heard of the accounting term “carrying forward” the surplus which is a saving that can offset the expenses in the next year thus saving taxpayers’ money.

How does that help sovereign debt or compare with the hospitality workers, shop assistants and other workers who have been forced into doing nothing because of their lost jobs as a consequence of the coronavirus?

Phil Greenhill, Bellbird Park

DEAL OR NO DEAL

TO COMPETE with Qantas as a full service carrier while keeping prices low, Virgin accumulated excessive debt that the COVID-19 pandemic crystallised (C-M, Apr 22).

I can understand the government’s reluctance to spend taxpayers’ money bailing out a predominantly overseas-owned business, but to see the company collapse with (almost) complete loss of the funds they invested runs contrary to the Coalition’s policy that Australia is a safe place for foreign investment.

OK, there must be some cost for running a fiscally underperforming, albeit operationally sound business. But surely it would be fairer if state and federal governments bought sufficient equity in a restructured Virgin that made it viable and preserved some of the equity invested by the current owners?

Coalition ideology against owning commercial business appears poised to reject the equity option.

The government equity can always be sold off later. Surely it is now time for PM Scott Morrison to demonstrate his much vaunted pragmatism, ignore his more ideological colleagues, and revisit the equity option with the administrators.

Donald Maclean, Fig Tree Pocket

IT WOULD appear Virgin Australia has many accounting secrets to divulge: “Airline paid a high price to use brand name” (C-M, Apr 22).

$150 million paid to Richard Branson for the use of the company name seems unbelievable. (Note, he has said he is not charging brand licensing fees during the coronavirus downturn). As do the lucrative sponsorships with sporting entities worth millions.

It would appear the overseas billionaires who own Virgin had no problem with these outgoings.

Australian taxpayers do have a problem with it though, so congratulations to the federal government for declining to participate in this debacle. Hopefully new owners will strip all the bling away, rename the company and operate sensibly and profitably into the future.

J Buchanan, Chinchilla

HIBERNATION A HIGHLIGHT

CAN I say how much I’m enjoying, not the coronavirus and the isolation it has brought, but the wonderful, interesting and fun articles The Courier-Mail has been providing of late.

In particular, after the main headlines, I turn to the Hibernation pages.

I’m trying to challenge myself with the puzzle pages but am falling short so far. And I pretend that I’m going to try all the comfort recipes.

I also learn a lot but also enjoy the various Q&As you have with various experts.

Now I’ve got the Learning in Lockdown to know a little more about what my grandchildren might be learning at the different year levels. Unfortunately, looking at the assignments set, I don’t think I would have graduated to high school!

Margaret Cumberland, Mackenzie

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE

CHUCK Norris has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

The virus has been quarantined for 14 days.

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