‘The Labor-Liberal blaming does not help. If stones were thrown everyone would get hit’

Glass houses: Daniel Andrews gets ready to lob a truth grenade. Picture: Getty Images

Welcome to the column where you provide the content. In an open letter, a group of Australia’s top medical experts urged people of all ages to get the AstraZeneca vaccine now rather than wait for Pfizer, noting: “AstraZeneca is an excellent vaccine that has already saved millions of lives and will save many more. Covid kills, and by the time you or someone you love is infected, hospitalised or in ICU it is too late.” Ian agreed, and said the time for playing politics had passed:

“Frankly the Labor-Liberal blaming does not help. Everyone has done their best and if stones were thrown everyone would get hit. Plenty of mistakes and overall as a nation we are on the podium and getting a medal. The solution is no longer with states or the federal government – it’s with us the people with the arms that need jabs.”

JohnT got political:

“Morrison secured AZ, made heaps available and many blame him for not delivering vaccines. Labor shuts down economies and pours scorn on vaccines and started up police jackbooting. Morrison has been very statesmanlike and avoided the lowly nonsense of fighting with Labor and the media trying to keep it all positive. The blame for our current malaise is our totally self-interested incompetent Labor premiers and Albanese.”

Likes from Lynn:

“Agree, the PM has done a great job and has been above the pettiness of the premiers in their ‘we know best’ attitude, and their constant blame game. The main measure of success in Australia is how few people have died, and to follow the advice of sensible, experienced experts like the writers of this piece, and just get vaccinated.”

Ken’s tip:

“The PM could learn a trick or two from the tireless spin and fear-mongering emanating from the taxpayer-funded Dan Andrews PR army. Morrison could have constantly emphasised the availability and efficacy of Astra Zeneca. Would have helped to avoid the confusion.”

Stephen philosophised:

“We get closer to death from the day we are born. Modern man will not face this fact. You can spend your life desperately extending it, or you can spend it living it!”

Pete3051 was practical:

“You can also spend it taking reasonable precautions to ensure that it doesn’t end prematurely, such as being vaccinated against potentially deadly or life-changing diseases.”

Nancy nodded:

“Thank you. This needs to be promulgated in every GP clinic, hospital, vaccination place and every Covid testing place. Hand out as a flyer to every person being tested. Perhaps people will start to believe rather than being brainwashed by the hysteria and false information swilling around.”

Arms race: Just do it. Picture: AFP

William’s warning:

“Waiting for the Pfizer vaccine after being offered AZ is like being told the plane is crashing and you don’t like the colour of the parachute they’ve given you!”

Mr Magoo moaned:

“An acquaintance recently told me he will get the vaccine if Labor wins the next federal election, but not while the Libs are in power. He thinks Morrison has a weakness on vaccines, so having a vaccine will support Morrison politically. With attitudes like that, we have no hope of achieving the 70pc or 80pc vaccination rates required to end lockdowns.”

Lee said:

“Absolutely fantastic message! Only we must regret how long it has taken, and that it hasn’t been translated into plain English and every other language spoken in Sydney’s hot spot suburbs.”

Kenny approved:

“Finally, a consensus medical opinion on the risks and benefits of our vaccines. There is absolutely no need for state medical officers to offer up their lopsided and confusing messages. The medical community needs to speak with one voice to all Australians.”

Britz backed it in:

“Hallelujah, at last we see real experts with real knowledge and experience putting this whole vaccination choice to bed. Just get it, no matter AZ or anything else.”

Ghengis agreed:

“Prof Frazer is an expert. Invented Guardasil vaccine to protect young women against cervical cancer. Listen to him, he does know what he is talking about and get vaccinated now.”

Kid added:

“ … and Tania Sorrell, Lyn Gilbert and Tony Cunningham are Australia’s foremost infectious diseases experts and researchers. Listen to them not someone who has been a health bureaucrat for most of their lives and has no specialist qualifications in the area.”

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System of a down: ‘How come I have to tax and you get to spend?’. Picture: Getty Images

Covid has brought the flaws in our original national compact back to life, according to Henry Ergas, exposing the legacy of a federation born much too soon. Simons said:

“The Australian federal system of government is poorly understood by most in media and surprisingly by the commentariat and thus misused and misrepresented to the detriment of good governance!

“The biggest disservice that many journalists and commentators do to Australia is through their persistently flawed assertion that we have a presidential system and continually pile criticism onto the PM as if he/she were omnipotent.

“Incompetence, flawed policies, parochial selfish assertions of state premiers are written as failures of the PM. The other major, relatively recent, problem has arisen with voters who have, in my view, naively been deceived by single issue independents and the Greens in the Senate.”

Ian argued:

“The federation is vital. Needs tweaking but the alternative would be an even worse mess.

It’s called the national interest which is for all Australians.”

Vic Parent’s view:

“ ‘The campaign to unite the colonies was fuelled by the hunger for status and power of a burgeoning professional class, which saw itself as leading the institutions of the new commonwealth at home while securing a position as a respected equal in an even greater federation spanning the British Empire worldwide.’

“Reading Trove accounts from newspapers of the time, I don’t think ‘power’ and ‘status’ or any particular class created the new federation. That sounds like a class-based analysis of history while leaving out other factors.

“I have always thought Edmund Barton played a great role in the uniting of the states of Australia into a federation. He definitely did not have a hunger for power or status and did not encourage this in others. In fact we are lucky he accepted the role and took up the cause of federation by speaking in all the little gathering places of the day about the benefits both for the economy and the nation. Federation had its impetus from the United States as well as Britain.

“It has proven to be a good system. Our leaders thought carefully over the wording of the Constitution as they did in America.”

Peter was perplexed:

“Why isn’t there a nationally agreed definition of a ‘hot spot’, a ‘cluster’ and an ‘outbreak’? Why isn’t there a nationally agreed response to an area where a ‘hotspot’ has arisen? Why do some states insist on locking down in their entirety, when others lock down only affected areas?

“Why are there different rules around when state borders will close, open, for how long and to whom? Why are ‘Queensland hospitals’ only for Queenslanders when they are funded by commonwealth taxes through state grants and the GST? You could go on like this endlessly.

I think the answer to all of these questions comes down to one thing. State Premiers and their ego.”

Macbeth mused:

“I knew there must be an explanation for the irrational mess that surrounds us. And as for the comment that ‘our bodies may be locked down but minds need to be wide open’, I suggest cross referencing to John Carroll’s commentary ‘Moral outrage at “sinners” in the age of woke’. Alas, Henry, our minds are as free to roam as are our bodies: not at all, at least not without risking some form of shunning, social if not physical. The difference is that at some point the puritan gaolers of our corporeal bodies will have to loosen their grip; the puritan commissars who monitor us for thoughtcrime however seem to grow ever more strident and oppressive, and the subservient society created by never ending diktats controlling our movements will bend equally to diktats curtailing our scope of opinion.”

John’s view:

“As usual, another insightful article by this writer. There is no doubt that the late 19th century mindset of our federation is showing its flaws. It is time to revisit this subject with a view to reducing the tiers of governance down to two, i.e. a national government and ‘prefectures’ replacing both the state and local levels, the second tier being subordinate to the national body.”

Glass half full for happyj:

“Current system works well. Democracy is never smooth and as Churchill said, it is the worst system of government except for the others systems.”

Dave Wane decided:

“We could have been better off to adopt a lot more of the US system. Maybe even a full presidential system, and a republic from day one. At least the independence of the states would be clear and not ambiguous as it is under our mix of the US and British systems.

The ridiculous notion of a ‘national cabinet’ has shown us that idea … is the wrong way to go. But as Henry Ergas notes from the Coleman book: the former colonies were locked into a constitution nearly as hard to amend as the federation it created was ‘indissoluble’.”

Bella wondered:

“Perhaps the solution is to abolish the states and implement the Westminster system. Sure, we’d have to endure Labor governments from time to time but there’s always hope they might become pro-worker instead of pro-intellectual.”

From Jon F:

“The issue is Labor refuses to act in the spirit of good will. For them it’s all bully boy politics. Chairman Andrews, McGowan, AP and Albanese are only interested in power for the sake of power and furthering their socialist ideology. What is in the best interests of Australians just doesn’t come into their thinking.”

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He ain’t heavy: ‘What are ya legs?’ ‘Steel springs’. Picture: Alex Coppel.

In the toughest event in track and field, Queensland’s Ash Moloney created history by winning an Olympic bronze medal in the decathlon. But what has really struck a chord is his teammate Cedric Dubler’s selfless act in sacrificing his own race in the concluding 1500m event to pace his fading teammate home to glory. Phillthy was impressed:

“It’s a pity the petty politicians couldn’t take a leaf out of Cedric’s book and put the national interest ahead of personal ambition. Well done to both our boys.”

Alexander exalted:

“True mateship and Olympic spirit by Dubler! If I ever spot you in the pub, mate, the beer is on me.”

Julia said:

“Cedric and the athletes like him have reminded me of the relevance of the Olympics today, to show us that there is still goodness, humanity and self sacrifice left in the world today. I get it’s just an athletics race but it is representative of the selfless spirit that we could all do with more of.”

Hugh thought huge:

“If Cedric keeps competing and can stay fit (he took a significant injury into the comp so was never in the hunt) these two are good enough to go one-two in Paris.”

NeoCon was nonplussed:

“I swear like a drunken sailor in the appropriate settings. I spent 20 years in one of the toughest jobs in Australia. But I wouldn’t dream of lowering myself to do it at the Olympics. It’s called having a bit of class. This Olympics has gone mad with its wokeness and swearing.”

Andrew was inspired:

“Seeing the whole decathlon live, the ending showed these athletes with real emotion. (Moloney) was totally spent and had just had his teammate will him to a medal by two seconds. Did he deserve it? …. yeah!”

Last word to Simon:

“The Decathlon is what the Olympics is all about – 10 gruelling events over two days to find the all-round strongest, fastest, highest and furthest. This achievement by Moloney is simply extraordinary. I dips me lid.”

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