YOUR SAY: ‘Morrison has not wasted time’

‘If you walked a mile in his shoes you would understand how the job is time consuming’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison visits Cobargo, NSW on Thursday. Picture by Sean Davey.

Scomo back to work

ANY Prime Minister who works 70-plus hours a week needs a break with his family. If you walked a mile in his shoes you would understand how the job is time consuming.

Yet PM Scott Morrison cut short his holiday and arrived home as soon as possible, to a barrage of criticism.

But he has not wasted time and has started helping the victims in the crisis that confronts him and has now allocated a generous tax-free payment for extended services to NSW volunteer firefighters (and expanding to include other states).

His moving speech on return to home soil stated that we should be enormously proud of all Australians that act in time of crisis to defend and protect people’s homes, businesses, and stock, while not knowing the fate of their own.

This is above courage, and we must pay tribute to these firefighters.

Perhaps it is time that this segment of our society is recognised as “Australian of the Year”. And in addition, presented with medals of recognition for their personal sacrifice to fellow Aussies.

It has once again initiated a chorus of donations and generosity from the general population – an unbeatable Australian trait.

The bottom line remains that Mother Nature dictates the terms on this vast country – fire, drought and monsoon.

There needs to be harsher penalties for arsonists who contribute to worsening the scenario.

And we should re-adopt fire fuel reduction initiatives, like land clearing around rural homes. And not be persuaded by political correctness and in polling booths.

Lives are more important.

Bryan Scott, Andergrove

Pope slap

AN 83-YEAR-OLD man gets his arm grabbed, causing obvious pain, and as the person won’t let go he slaps her hand twice, for which he later apologies.

This shouldn’t be a worldwide story featured on most TV news and in daily newspapers, although as he is the Pope, and a leader and role model for so many people, the action takes a new meaning.

The message as reinforced by the Pope later is that you shouldn’t hit women although, in reality, you shouldn’t hit anyone, even in self-defence, if it can be avoided.

A couple of slaps on the hand won’t cause too much harm but we see so much violence in the world that every slap and worse diminishes us as humans.

There should be no violence anywhere and I am sure that this is the subject of many prayers, although I think divine intervention may be needed as no one on this planet seems to have a solution. Let’s pray for a better world but, more importantly, let’s put it into personal action, even in our own small daily lives.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Victoria

Ms Understanding

THERE appears to have been a misinterpretation of points made in my recent letter to Your Say, and on instantly reading the caption accredited to that letter knew it to be incorrect as it presented the opposite view that was mentioned and intended.

The point being that all were entitled to holidays but that those in high places do need to inform the public but not necessarily the destinations, and stated reasons why.

The public was not fully told due to poor public relations and the PM’s holiday occurred at a bad time. However, a sharp eyed correspondent picked up the “fake” news and ran with it, expressing another opinion, to which all are entitled.

Also, though being widowed, I still continue to unashamedly use the title “Mrs” as opposed to some strange made-up word that sounds more like a buzzing mosquito or insect than a form of address.

Patricia Russell, Mackay

Lessons to be learned

WHAT have we learned over the past decade and what lessons can we take forward into the next decade?

We have learned that climate change is very real and the impacts are accelerating beyond what most scientists have predicted.

This past decade in Australia we have seen just about every temperature record, heatwave record, bushfire record, drought record, flood record and coral bleaching record broken.

In some cases, broken numerous times.

No doubt records will continue to tumble in 2020.

The lesson that we must take forward into 2020 and beyond, is that only we can make things right.

Over the past decade, many of us have become quite adept at making excuses for not stepping up to take serious action on climate change; outright denial, ignoring the science, hoping that others will step up, even counting on our political leaders to take bold action on our behalf. Not likely

Some people even use despair as an excuse – it’s all too late – so they do nothing.

For those who have faced bushfires, droughts and floods, inaction, particularly despair, is not an option. Our inaction has forced them into action just to survive.

It is time to accept the fact that we are in serious trouble and there is nobody out there that is going to help us. Only we can step up and take the kind of action that will make a real difference in this climate emergency.

We must all make our New Year’s resolution to join the revolution for a for a just and quick transition to effective climate action now.

Tony Fontes, Jubilee Pocket

Sprinkler safe

ALL urban and rural fire appliances in Australia that transport personnel should be fitted with a sprinkler system to protect the appliance and personnel inside as a back-up to the fire shields inside the appliance.

If the appliance and personnel are caught in a fire storm and there is still water in the appliance, sprinklers could be turned on for protection, this could be the difference between life and death.

Just because these brave people risk their lives does not mean that they have to lose their lives when a bit of added engineering could prevent this from happening.

Norman Timms, Bungundarra

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