Big advantages in making it easier for elderly to live at home

An 84-year-old woman in aged care made her voice heard at the royal commission. Her most poignant statement was “this is not my home, it is where I live”. Very true. In Australia there are two systems for the aged: institutional care or home packages. While some are happy living in aged-care institutions, most Australians prefer staying in their own homes with government assistance. There is a long waiting list for home packages and they are not cheap.

In some developed countries there is also another way of caring for the aged; the family employ a live-in carer who receives a monthly salary plus food, lodging, superannuation and insurance. The pay is regulated by the government and carers often come from poorer countries where their wages help their families. Generally, live-in carers are not subsidised by the government. Currently the cost of a live-in carer in Australia is astronomical, beyond the means of most people. Yet, if a system was devised to make it affordable, this would give the aged another choice, save the government considerable expense and eliminate the trauma of leaving one’s home. It is most important for the aged to retain their freedom, live in the community and control their own destinies at the end of their lives.

B. Della-Putta, Thorngate, SA

Coming up Trump

I see that Stephen Loosley is a visiting fellow at the United States Studies Centre (“It takes bottle to stand up to your party faithful”, 1/3). Perhaps he should visit more often because it is quite apparent he has no idea what’s going on, on the ground, in the US with a record 75 million voting for an incumbent president. The people of Middle America have experienced a sliver of light in the darkness, a reason to hope and an optimistic alternative after seeing their livelihoods shipped off to China by the globalist elites. The establishment Republican Party and Loosley’s dinosaur heroes, Bush, Cheney, McConnell et al are no longer relevant in the lives of ordinary Americans.

Jim Ball, Narrabeen, NSW

Lucky country

During the midst of a pandemic, today in Australia much of the population is able to attend school, work, restaurants and gyms. Unfortunately some readers seemingly would like to unfurl the white flag of defeat to the virus, which would no doubt lead to its exponential growth. As a result hospitals would become full of COVID-19 patients, but some seem to be under the illusion that this would have minimal impact on their lives. This is a dangerous fallacy that must be challenged; there is not one country in the world that has thrived while the virus remains rampant.

Michelle Kerr, Asquith, NSW

By the book

Following the graffitiing of Nic­olle Flint’s electoral office by Extinction Rebellion SA, spokes­woman Anna Slynn declared: “Her (Flint’s) feeling intimidated and harassed is something we’re willing to risk for the sake of the planet” (Strewth, 1/3). Last month a prominent former rugby league player was convicted of intimidation. Why then has Slynn not been arrested and charged with intimidation by SA Police? She has already admitted the offence.

Riley Brown, Bondi Beach, NSW

Free rein

I suspect that George Williams and I might not share the same political wavelength but, on campus free speech, he has my total agreement (“Battle of ideas can’t be fought with censorship”, 1/3). He writes that our universities should be no different than elsewhere. Let them host all and every opinion not legally forbidden beyond the campus walls. And let those opinions be subject to that for which universities are traditionally associated — informed, robust and incisive probing. There should be no need for any charter to protect free speech. It should be an essential ingredient of any institution purporting to be a university.

As a retired yet concerned academic, I wish Williams and his UNSW success in the achievement of a simple yet commonsense solution.

John Kidd, Auchenflower, Qld

Palace politics

Mankind’s history is littered with murder for political gain (“Crown prince headed for a long spell in the US diplomatic freezer”, 1/3). In a shrinking world, the emergence of democracies and human rights, political murder has become an international issue. The assassination of journalist Jamal Khashoggi shocked the world and the US now attaches the ultimate responsibility for that to Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Washington will take punitive action, and the Saudis will need to decide whether protecting their crown prince is worth enduring what could become an uncomfortable political and economic freeze. But such a freeze could also have consequences for the Middle East not desired by the US.

Michael Schilling, Millswood, SA