Wasting valuable time
Spot on, Ron Mildren! (The Border Mail, April 7). The "relevance deprivation syndrome", clearly applicable to Indi MP Helen Haines for her call for a review of our government's pandemic health response, is typical of Independents' narrow and blinkered views.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
They are currently wasting valuable time and seats in a reduced Parliament focused on management and mitigation of an incredibly complex crisis. Such petty political posturing and self-promotion in these life-threatening circumstances makes me angry. This includes the Indi member's naive question during Parliamentary Question Time (April 8) regarding childcare and pre-schools. Even I knew the answer before Treasurer Josh Frydenberg patiently reassured Dr Haines.
Our government and a surprisingly cooperative opposition, plus state premiers and various experts, are working valiantly to flatten this bloody curve to save lives and guide us all out of this life-threatening situation. The least we can do is follow their directions, self isolate and stay home as much as possible. I am very impressed with the leadership and statesmanship qualities which have emerged in many of our political, civic and medical personnel of late.
I am not impressed by the many "experts" (often on the ABC) and minor political players who constantly offer criticism, accusations (the Ruby Princess) and unworkable solutions just because they can. Please pull your collective heads in and support our hard-working Government ministers and relevant experts. Our lives depend on it.
Lorna Read, Lavington
Spend it wisely
With all this doom and gloom being peddled by the pollies and press, could we please have a reality check. One thing that has come out is the states governments and local councils need to be replaced by regional governance.
The smart way is to be planning for the future and spending a large proportion of this confetti on projects which will enhance Australia as a country that attracts investment in the short and long term.
Major projects like the ones below give confidence to the community and hopefully stop this hand out mentality:
- Fast track Inland rail link between Brisbane and Melbourne.
- Very Fast Rail between Melbourne and Sydney.
- Build clean coal fired power stations
- Build natural gas pipeline between Moomba and the North West Shelf.
- Approve mining investments which have stalled by red tape.
John Walker, North Wangaratta
Failure of humanity
Humanity is failing if staff from cruise ships are not given the same rights to treatment when diagnosed with coronavirus.
They must be hospitalised and treated immediately. These people are amazing - they are the backbone, who work diligently under extreme conditions for seven months a year to send money home to their families for a better life and they must be recognised.