Letters to the Editor, March 27, 2020

In your Letters to the Editor today: What do politicians want from us; stop private health hikes; and have compassion for tourists.

In your Letters to the Editor today: Politicians playing nicely, private health insurance hikes and tourists.

WHY NOT PLAY NICE ALL THE TIME?

I NOTICED during the sitting of federal parliament to pass the COVID-19 Stimulus Packages that a few members got up and congratulated all other members for their conduct, co-operation and general demeanour during the proceedings and debate. Do they want us the public to all rise as one, sing a bloody song and have a drink to this revelation? I would suggest they should behave in this manner all the time rather than the unruly behaviour, childishness and game playing that preoccupies both houses most of the time.

Noel C. Davies, Acton Park

We’re all infected

AS I walked around Hobart after Tuesday night’s national announcements I saw tight clusters of mostly young men around coffee and food takeaways as if nothing had changed. This is a huge concern. Thirty years of working with infectious children has taught me the best way to change transmission behaviour and reduce group spread is to imagine everyone around you is infected (not just people off the ships) and this means friends, family, workmates, food servers as well as strangers. This includes believing every shared surface such as door handles/cups/food/ utensils is potentially contaminated. Even your mate next to you in that queue.

If you can’t wash your hands after touching, keep some of your stored toilet paper in your pocket to use as a barrier when you have to use a shared handle. We know people without symptoms can spread this virus — it is invisible. Tasmania cannot be complacent and imagine things will be OK, we must think proactively to protect others.

Peter Cooper, Sandy Bay

No love lost in pubs

LOVE your Local, the election campaign slogan, certainly doesn’t match up with the Federal Group’s determination to charge rent for pokies in local pubs while they are closed for business. This family corporation made a profit last year of $17 million. A company that has happily profited for so many years from pokies is being consistent now in its treatment of pub-owners. Federal has never had any moral qualms about taking money from people with their back to the wall. Well done Jacqui Lambie for calling them to account.

Teresa Murty, West Moonah

Cherishing our elders

I TAKE part in a voluntary delivery service to mainly elderly clients who cannot get out and about easily to access things they need. One client was quite upset at the attention paid to the elderly by bulletins on television almost “blaming” the elderly for the spread of the virus. She had drawn her conclusion wrongly because the information being spread by the media actually is designed to protect older people. They are the most vulnerable and we must protect them because they often have other medical conditions as well.

One wonders how many have come to the wrong conclusion. Most families cherish their elderly family members and wish to protect them as much as possible in these trying times.

Di Manser, Austins Ferry

Nurtured at shops

THANK you to Woolworths New Town and the Salvation Army. My husband Max and I had a very nice experience shopping at 7am on Tuesday. We felt very cared for as we entered the supermarket having been greeted by two lovely ladies and the Salvation Army were so friendly and helpful as were Woolworths staff. We thank you for setting aside the hour for the oldies to hassle-free shop and care for our health.

Max and Jenny Roberts, Lenah Valley

No future at this rate

THE spot-on Talking Point from Peter Boyer on Tuesday highlighted the fallacy that endless economic growth is the basis for human survival while destroying the very fabric which sustains all life. Without healthy oceans and land no amount of economic manipulation or predictions will support a future for mankind. Walking through the bush today is a silent experience where once it hummed and buzzed with life, schools of couta and salmon on the Derwent and vast cod beds along the riverbanks now gone. Not to mention animals not yet extinct diseased with facial tumours and mange. Sir David Attenborough said in 50 years almost 60 per cent of life has become extinct or is at serious risk.

This planet cannot be the provider of the necessities of life and the garbage bin at the same time. If we continue down the path we have chosen at some point we will be the recipients of nature’s wrath and heaven help us all then. The coronavirus will be remembered as a mild warning.

Vyv Alomes, Dodges Ferry

Resilience-building

IS it indeed “a perfect time for our cable car” (Letters, March 24)? The closure of Moorilla Museum of Antiquities in 2007 and its re-emergence as the Museum of Old and New Art or Mona in January 2011 demonstrated the genius of entrepreneur David Walsh. Not only has Mona been a driver of economic growth for eight years, privately funded $75 million renovations helped buffer Tasmania from “extreme stress in global financial markets and banking systems between mid-2007 and early 2009” (RBA). A notable public resilience-building initiative was the Ogilvie government’s Pinnacle Road on Mt Wellington in 1934-1937 which provided work for thousands in the Depression.

Private resilience-building projects such as a $54 million cableway (fast-tracked but subject to the rigour of planning laws) will build on the legacy of Mona, ready-made for when economy and tourism recover.

Mick Bendor, Danby

PUT A STOP TO PRIVATE HEALTH HIKES

WHY hasn’t the Government stepped in to put a stop to the rise in costs of private health levies in April?

When so many people have now lost their jobs it is totally unreasonable at this time when we are in crisis.

Nobody will be able to afford the greed of private health with little returns for the premiums paid. The goalposts keep getting moved and the costs get higher, but you are no better off than when you started.

I realise the doctors need to be paid along with all the staff who need to be involved, but people only have so much to spend especially when there hasn’t been any pay rises or there is a crisis.

Please stop the levy rise in private health costs this year.

P. Potts, Blackmans Bay

HOT TOPIC: TRAVELLERS

Some compassion for visitors

FOR those people who are already here and have been here for some time and pose no risk to us, compelling them to return to their home state means in transit they may have to self-isolate at state borders or even pick up the virus themselves.

This order is lacking compassion. They probably have families relying on them to remain healthy. Staying put is their safest option. This order lacks morality.

Paul Grigg, White Hills

Good, safe hosts

JUST finished seven days travelling around the state in our motorhome, and there are literally thousands of interstate campervans, caravans and motorhomes all over Tasmania. Most are quite happy to remain here until the COVID-19 scare is over, especially faced with two weeks isolation each time they cross a state line on the big island.

Most are on fixed incomes so are staying in low-cost camp sites, which are almost entirely council owned and run. They are spending money in our shops and services every day and have always practised self-isolation, because 90 per cent are, well, aged, like me, and know how to avoid getting sick from others. They can look after themselves. We need to be careful about limiting where they can stay for the near to long term.

Some Parks and Wildlife Service campgrounds, such as Bay of Fires (Binalong Bay), are long term and require no management by PWS personnel, and should remain open. Obviously, no PWS personnel should be put at risk, but where that is not a risk, the sites should remain open. We can be good hosts to our fellow Australians and stay safe at the same time.

Miles C. Pitman, Dover

Haircuts vs bush tracks

WALLS of Jerusalem National Park tracks are closed as are many national park trails. So we can’t go to national parks that clearly have major mental health benefits, social distancing well and truly covered and few people (except of course Wineglass Bay and Cradle Mountain), but we can still have a cut and blow wave by a person 10cm from our face or go to bootcamp in the city park. Unbelievable. Retail is open but wilderness is closed!

Jane Kilpatrick, Hobart

Crossmatch rego data

CONSIDERING most coronavirus cases emanate from travellers returning to Australia and Tasmania why doesn’t the Federal Government crossmatch immigration or passport data with other data it holds and test all travellers, isolating those who test positive? I have seen a few interstate cars visiting tourist spots. These have obviously come via Spirit of Tasmania. They know the registration numbers, why don’t Tasmania Police check those who have arrived in the appropriate timeframe using automatic number plate recognition vehicles? This would identify infected people quicker than asking people to self-isolate even though they might not be infected.

Stephen Coombs, Trevallyn

Hotel for Tasmanians

WHY hasn’t the government set aside a hotel for Tasmanians returning from overseas to self isolate, keeping them in a room to be closely watched and food delivered to their rooms, keeping the community safe before someone spreads this virus in the community.

Karren Devine, Sandford

Sensual mint danger

A TV commercial for cruising shows a lady at a bar on a ship, sensually smelling what would appear to be a leaf of mint. Seconds later, it is taken from her by the bartender and promptly placed into a drink he has made sitting on the bar. I sincerely hope the drink is for the lady, because if it isn’t, heaven help the poor soul it has been made for. One thing’s for sure, once the pandemic leaves us alone, I won’t be travelling on that company’s ships.

John Hunt, Warrane

QUICK VIEWS

Try being a teacher for size

TEACHER appreciation has always been thin on the ground, but here they are again, holding it all together for the benefit of others, at a time when they’d rather be at home with their loved ones. I’ve got a funny feeling they’ll be appreciated a lot more after parents have had some weeks, possibly months, in isolation with two to three kids.

Max Knight, Taroona

Fast-track nursing students

THE Tasmanian Government requests our retired nurses to assist. Why not follow the NSW government and fast-track the nursing students with six months to go and allow them to assist our health department. This would put the retired nurses in a less risky situation. The Tasmanian Government would then be seen to assist our uni students.

David Polley, Claremont

Spaced-out smokos

SOME Tasmanians are still not taking COVID-19 seriously and seem to think that social distancing does not apply to them. Workers out Derwent Park way virtually sitting on top of each other during their smoko. This is selfish, thoughtless and potentially deadly. Such behaviour needs to be called out in the interests of us all.

Neil Cranston, Battery Point

Capitalist alternatives

PETER Boyer asks us to take this opportunity to renounce capitalism, without apparently understanding the high level of healthcare we have is directly attributable to market based economic theories (Talking Point, March 24). If you really want to look at what results from the alternatives to capitalism just look at where the virus came from.

William Buchanan, Mount Stuart

AFL pay deal

THE CEO of the AFL needs to show the way with a 50 per cent pay cut. Then you might get the players to play ball.

Tony Geeves, Rosetta

Test the whole state

TASMANIA could test the whole population for about $25 million and make Tasmania virus-free. This would mean everyone could work here and venues could open. Axios says tests developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cost $35.92, with other commercial tests $51.33.

Barrie Machin, Kingston

Clamp down for early exit

I AGREE with the Australian branch of the Young Presidents Organization of chief executives that federal and state governments should implement the lockdown of society (Mercury, March 25). They correctly argue tighter lockdown will see us come out of the impact quicker. Singapore, Hong Kong and China are good examples.

Ike Naqvi, Tinderbox

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