Letters to the Editor, March 30, 2020

In your Letters to the Editor today: Living on the road, an ongoing world health emergency and COVID-19 pandemic rules.

A 1965 split-screen VW Kombi. Picture: NATHAN EDWARDS

In your Letters to the Editor today: Living on the road, an ongoing world health emergency and COVID-19 pandemic rules.

SO MANY HOMES ON OUR ROADS

THERE are singles and couples who have sold houses and homes and are travelling in motorhomes and van set-ups worth as much as a house, and are self-contained plus have no fixed address, and if they are currently in Tasmania this is their home! I heard of a couple who had been here for six weeks — no threat. If they want to go back to Big Island, OK. If not, why cannot they stay, and be made welcome?

I am a motorhome camper and have been a camper since the 1950s. In the seventies I travelled Europe and Canada in a split windscreen Kombi. Now a grey nomad, in a 21st century Kombi. Who cannot even go to a park! Fifth generation Tasmanian, difficult times, but please some common sense and compassion!

Mick Sweeney, Turners Beach

Not our Baby Boomers

CHARLES Wooley accuses his generation and mine, the Baby Boomers, for various “crimes” against the ascending generations (Mercury, March 28). Charles describes a cohort of “greedy old duffers trampling mothers with young children as well as each other, to grab dwindling supplies of dunny paper, pasta and mince, ostensibly to ensure they survive well into their one hundred and twenties”.

I assume this scene played out somewhere on the Big Island, certainly not something one would expect in “River City.” In my previous life as a free man, before my home detention, I did not observe anyone let alone a “bunch of entitled selfish, grey, misanthropes” behave in the manner described. The customers in Kingston’s supermarkets — young and old — seemed to me to be models of virtue, good-humoured, well-mannered and patient. Hardly a gang of elderly desperados frothing at the mouth while fighting over the last can of baked beans. I do wonder however, if there is a connection with the disappearing baked beans and the increased usage of toilet paper?

Bill Perry, Kingston

Overpriced vegies

PETROL is not the only thing people are being charged too much for. There are people all over the place ripping us off. Vegie stores all of you should be ashamed at some of the prices you are charging for broccoli and cauliflower. Half a cauli $4 at Woolies, same at Coles, a dollar here and a dollar there. Truly at Woolies, a month ago an eight-pack of toilet rolls was $5 now it is $5.75. Customers of 40 and 50 years being ripped off. Not good enough. People, we are changing and it is not a good look.

Victor Barr, Glenorchy

Test of our humanity

WHAT timing! After reading a letter written by Doctors for Assisted Dying Choice (Mercury, March 24), I realised the COVID-19 is a test for our humanity. Who will be chosen for ventilator treatment and who will be refused? This is an important question, not to be answered lightly. Older Australians are not like dead wood to be pruned or removed at will. Life is a gift and no one should arbitrarily deny treatment. In this respect I’m sure our medical team will not fail.

Margaret Nicol-Smith, Blackmans Bay

Focus on secure energy

OUR island’s energy supply is secure and reliable. We’re working hard to ensure it remains so as the COVID-19 crisis plays out. Our priorities are keeping the lights on under the range of scenarios that may emerge and protecting our people and the community by helping limit and delay spread of COVID-19. We’ve segregated key sections of our workforce to reduce risks. We’ve developed back-up plans to keep delivering power in the event of reduced staff availability. In coming weeks and months, we may defer some non-essential maintenance and upgrades to prioritise critical operations. There’s also critical work to keep your network safe and reliable (which perhaps, right now, is more important than ever). We realise many more Tasmanians are staying home, meaning planned outages may cause more inconvenience than usual. Please understand any planned outages are crucial for safety and reliability. We’ll try to minimise these. See www.tasnetworks .com.au/outages and sign up for SMS updates via our homepage. In partnership with the Tasmanian Government, Hydro Tasmania and Aurora Energy, we’re determined to support Tasmanians in these uniquely challenging times.

Lance Balcombe, CEO, TasNetworks

Joining the Bear Hunt

SOME good news, the Tranmere Howrah website has joined the Bear Hunt. But we are doing a little extra. I am Grandma Mimi who writes stories for my grandchildren. I am writing a daily diary/chapter called “Shufflings from the Eastern Shore” using everyone’s pictures of their bears (and friends) and telling a lighthearted story each day about them, filtering in some handwashing and social distancing lessons. Please encourage the kids to have a look. We are on chapter three now and four will arrive in a day or so. There may be something to do in the next chapter too. Hopefully the adults will get a little enjoyment out of it too.

Miriam Cooper, Howrah

WORLD HEALTH EMERGENCY SINCE 1993

WHEN something like COVID-19 happens, we’re all reminded that diseases of this nature can stop us in our tracks.

Viruses and bacteria do not discriminate. We need to work together to eradicate diseases like tuberculosis and COVID-19 so lives are not put on hold indefinitely, or worse, taken completely. Last Tuesday was World Tuberculosis Day. Globally 1.7 million people die from TB each year. It is a harsh reminder of what happens when we fail to invest in research and new tools (diagnostics, drugs, vaccines). Despite TB being declared a global health emergency in 1993 by the World Health Organisation, the world is way behind in reaching the target of investing US$13 billion needed to fight TB. TB is spread as easily as COVID-19. It is good to see public investment in COVID-19 research. WHO and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are supporting countries in an evidence-based response to the virus.

Beyond the coming weeks we need world leaders to strengthen health systems and invest in research for vaccines and treatments. These investments are essential in saving lives now and long into the future from TB, COVID-19 or some future pandemic.

Michael Picone, Kingston Beach

HOT TOPIC: PANDEMIC RULES

Not trusted in the wilderness

WHILE so far the measures taken to protect us all have seemed reasonable, I am surprised by, and indeed upset about, the closure of all national parks in Tasmania. If we can be trusted to “do the right thing” at the hairdresser, in the shops and at our local cafe (ordering take-out), it doesn’t make sense to me that we can’t be trusted in the wilderness.

If there was ever a place where it’s easy to keep a distance from each other, nature is it. I understand the closure of facilities, including washrooms. But why can’t I go on a day hike? What I foresee is people flocking to wild places that aren’t national parks. Not only does that not curb travel, but it potentially makes these places more crowded. I can understand that there would be a time where all sort of travel needs to be curbed, but I don’t think the time has come yet, nor do I think that closing national parks will achieve this goal.

It seems out of proportion at the current time, where life in the city seems to go on more or less as usual, albeit with more take-out cups. Let’s also not forget these are stressful and anxious times. And what helps people calm down? Being in nature.

Christina Schallenberg, West Hobart

Supermarket scene

AT a major Hobart supermarket I was forced to wait several minutes at the head of a queue marked by a cross to measure out social distancing, however other shoppers were walking across the space, about 1.5 metres, between me and the counter. Clearly this compromised distancing protocol. While waiting I saw the staff member sneeze firstly into their elbow then their hand. They used sanitiser but that did not engender much confidence in me or other shoppers in the vicinity. In normal times I think it unacceptable for anyone with an apparent cold or flu to work at a consumables counter but when a threat such as COVID-19 exists, it beggars belief.

In 1947, Prime Minister Ben Chifley unsuccessfully attempted to nationalise our banks. If supermarkets don’t lift their game perhaps nationalisation could be an option and maybe other questionable industries such as banks, superannuation, insurance, airlines and telcos, some of which were managed well and honestly under government control.

Richard Lennard, West Hobart

Sex workers and dancers

I WAS very touched by the article outlining the impact of job losses on sex workers and exotic dancers (Mercury, March 27). I applaud Lana Evol for her positive and courageous approach to what must be a rather uncomfortable position. It can be too easy to leave some people behind, can’t it. Hopefully it will be a chance for a nice sit down and rest before things get up and going again.

Belinda Crisp, Moonah

Drunk on power

WE currently live in a democracy. The situation we are in at the moment is grave but when it is over let’s hope our leaders have not got “drunk” on the “powers” they have been evoking — “cops will enforce party ban”, “military to enforce quarantine”, “hundreds dob in non-self-isolation”. History has a bad habit of repeating itself and if we do not learn from history we tend to make the same mistakes.

Andrew McInnes, Claremont

Cleaners on front line

I AGREE with the front page (“Plea from front line,” Mercury, March 28), but one group of people that always gets forgotten about is the cleaners, I’m one of these people who is on the front line with my job. I’m trying to help keep people employed, however I also have asthma. I’m going to work to help stop the spread, when I should really be at home

Christopher Escott , South Hobart

QUICK VIEWS

Booze, but no bush

ALL parks and reserves are closed. My family and I can’t go for a walk by ourselves in the bush. But my local bottle shop is open and I can still go into it along with nine strangers and buy booze. Can someone who understands please tell me: how this helps my family and I to stay healthy and how it protects others and us from the spread of coronavirus?

Jonah Gouldthorpe, Dynnyrne

One-way shop aisles

IT would seem a simple, yet sensible, idea to make supermarket aisles one way, marked by tape on the floor. This would prevent people from having to pass one another.

Jean Nicholls, Taroona

Lawn bowls laid off

I’M not permitted to play lawn bowls however it seems table tennis and ten pin bowling are still being played. Golf is also being played. My sport is outside and I get an injection of vitamin B.

Stewart Edwards, Mount Stuart

Mum and dad home

IT would appear the virus has solved the traffic problem. Perhaps it means those mum and dads are both at home when their children leave for school and return home. That is a good thing for family life and safety for the children.

L.A. Bell, Howrah

That’s entertainment

HOW lucky is the modern human. Self isolated with a TV, the internet and a mobile phone. Sixty years ago, most folk would’ve been lucky to have a transistor radio, a pack of cards and a crib board to keep them sane!

Steve Bailey, Glenorchy

Cradle Mountain horror

IWAS personally horrified to see Luke Martin’s “hope” illustrated as the tourism plan for Cradle Mountain’s natural wilderness (Talking Point, March 27). Bass Strait ships and walk routes maybe, but this abomination of one of our greatest beauty spots is over the top and should surely be stopped.

Neil McGlashan, Kingston

Charity collection wrong call

I WAS staggered to answer the door to a collector for a charity on Friday (Cancer Council). How irresponsible and insensitive. Irresponsible because of the social isolation situation and totally insensitive because of the thousands of people who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.

Jill Savell, New Town

Tough love

I LIKE that saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”. Maybe toughness mixed with kindness and compassion is the tonic we need now and in the long term to help each other. Kindness and compassion matter!

Anthony Mularczyk, North Hobart

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