Way too early to say we won't need the field hospital

Thus far 104 out of 107 individuals have recovered. Sadly, three have succumbed to the disease.

All this points to there being no need for the recently built emergency field hospital in Garran.

But I, for one, wouldn't be so fast to dismiss it as a huge overreaction as some letter writers have done recently.

I desperately hope I'm proven wrong, but I am seriously concerned about the possibility of a tsunami-like major second wave sweeping through the ACT and surrounds on the back of widespread complacency and the lifting of restrictions.

That's when the field hospital will be needed.

There's no doubt Australia dodged the coronavirus bullet. All of us except the people who died of course, and their families, and their friends.

And let's not forget those who have lost their jobs or have been impacted by economic measures in other ways.

Still, it could have been a lot worse (and may still be as we come out of lockdown).

Some government leaders at various levels have been bickering and finger pointing; comparing statistics as if discussing livestock sales, and gloating that their state or territory has done more tests than anyone else or that their borders and their constituents are more important than "the others".

Bear in mind the fact that, while we cheer that beauty salons are finally opening, or that we can drag the dusty caravan out of the backyard, there are still tens of thousands of people dying around the world.

Daily statistics from Brazil, India, the US, and many other countries are sobering and terrifying.

They should be terrifying enough to wipe the smirk off the face of any prime minister or foreign minister you would think.

But no, let's all gloat about scoring points over China and ignore the simple fact this is not over yet.

At last the federal government has accepted the need to better prepare the workforce.

It could start by unpicking the system set in place by the Kangan Report of 1974 when TAFE was formed.

Technical education was lumped in with further education. There are reasons why this was not a good idea.

In Britain politicians had decided that industry was to pay for training the people it needed rather than the government. A scheme was set up to do this. This was copied in Australia, a country of small businesses unable to fund training to any extent, and able to buy in skills from countries with a different attitude to labour force needs.

In any event, the Australian National Training Authority edifice was built up at great expense. It encouraged the development of training packages in all industries based upon the concept that a trade can be atomised into competencies which can be ticked off as a pass or a fail.

A form of the English language, riddled with acronyms and repetition, and only understood by the few, was used for communication. Industries and individuals soon identified a milch cow. A third education system was developed under the rubric that training was a discrete cognitive skill, quite different to education, and definitely not what goes on in other sectors.

Contemporaneously with this, funding for TAFE has been reduced to laughable levels and scandals occur in the private provider sector.

It is well past the time for Australia to hold a thorough review and reset of the system.

It would be a miracle if that were to occur.

Byam Wight (Letters, May 25) makes a pertinent observation about the silly decision to replace Comcars with diesel BMWs. What sort of health and environmental example does this set?

He points out that in winter drivers have to queue with the engine idling (essential for heating purposes) exposing them to cancer causing diesel fumes.

Drivers should insist on regular monitoring of the diesel exhausts under the idling conditions flagged. If demonstrated to be at unhealthy levels (likely), what happens then?

Thank you Byam Wight (Letters, May 25) for pointing out the Comcar fleet of black BMWs are diesel powered.

They should have been very cheap to the point of being dumped.

With the introduction of pollution taxes on top of congestion taxes in London ($24 and $22 approximately) that apply to diesel vehicles more than four years old, I reckon the market for luxury, black, right hand drive Beemers has significantly diminished.

China looks as though it is unhappy with Australia's push for an independent inquiry as to the origins of the COVID-19 virus. It is threatening huge increases in tariffs on Australian exports to China. Meat and Barley are the two in the spotlight currently.

This is merely China wanting to pressure Australia to keep quiet and employing bully-boy tactics to ensure we are silenced

No doubt China is extremely reluctant to see an independent inquiry as they may be embarrassed with the findings. It is now reluctantly supporting a WHO inquiry which won't be truly independent.

China's record on human rights is poor at best

If China is so upset by Australian comments, and thinks their threats will make us back down, then maybe we should employ some reprisals of our own.

The first thing we should do is ban all Chinese students from our universities; let them educate their own.

We could go further and ban all Chinese citizens from working in Australia: there are plenty of people that would be very happy to work here from other countries that have more respect for our values than the Chinese leadership

So, Frydenberg thinks it is good news for taxpayers not to be spending $60 billion, and Morrison thinks it is good news for the economy as it is $60 billion that will not need to be borrowed.

Not a word of apology or remorse. I can hardly believe their crass indifference and lack of empathy for those who received no financial assistance.

I actually saw them say it. And I am pretty sure it was not just a Tik Tok video.

Mr Morrison must be terribly naive or thick skinned if he thinks his demonising and taunting of China on a range of issues has nothing to do with the recent trade disputes and is more to do with "technical matters".

It is just domestic, megaphone, sabre-rattling politics by Mr Morrison. Oh, and haven't the Nationals been quiet on this?

My partner and I took a walk around our inner north neighbourhood this past Saturday afternoon and noticed some road signs had been knocked down - including one announcing a "crest". Perhaps the subliminal meaning of it all was to be "crestfallen"?

A few months back one of my friends ended a fruitless search for petite lingerie only to start being marketed breast augmentations.

Now one of the geniuses in the "Pinterest" algorithm team has decided because I'm searching nursery and baby themed items I need to see weight loss recommendations.

I'm lucky enough to respond with detached mirth to seeing diet tips at 25 weeks pregnant. However, for a large number of people, these advertisements are going to represent significant pressure. People already overwhelmed by their changing lives, homes and bodies are going to feel the excessive stress of pandering to pressures exacerbated by some algorithm-making clown.

Yes, people should be healthy; they should keep moving and they should eat more apples. But a pregnant woman looking at mountain murals doesn't need to be inundated with pins about a "30 day shred".

Why not go positive? Is it absolutely necessary to feed insecurities and suggest people aren't good enough?

When social media in general is demonstrably a waste of time why do I have an account with Pinterest?

I like the pictures of mountains. But if they make non-evidence based, unqualified and worst, unsolicited, recommendations about weight loss to me again, I won't be.

"I think everybody's got to put their weapons down on this" declared the Prime Minister when he made his pitch about reforming the minefield that is industrial relations. I hope ScoMo was talking about himself and his government first and foremost. Their record in this field to date has tended to be more antagonistic than consensus.

I had to have a bit of a giggle when Canberra pollies started bragging about saving Canberra's "historic" walls around Lake Burley Griffin. It is all of 50 years old at the most. My house is older than that and it doesn't get "historic" status. 1500 year old walls are historic.

Douglas McKenzie (Letters, May 26) asks why, if brumbies are afforded heritage protection, rabbits and cane toads should not be afforded similar protection? It's possibly because no rabbit or cane toad inspired Banjo Paterson to write two of Australia's most well-known poems, nor Elyne Mitchell to write her famed series of children's novels.

Presumably supporters of lakeside residential development at west basin, such as Richard Johnston (Letters, May 16), would have been happy to see the ASIO headquarters in Kings Park.

I must take Bill Handke to task for describing Ms Julie Bishop as merely elegant. (Letters May 26). In the words of the late, great, lyrical genius, Cole Porter, she is delightful and she is "de-lovely!" (And very competent and clever as well).

We should ban all imports from China that are toxic to the environment (such as plastic goods). There are a lot of other countries out there. Let them enjoy our wines and excellent products.

Thank God we still have journalists of the calibre of Jack Waterford. His piece: ("Shooting ourselves in the boot again over China", canberratimes.com.au, May 23) goes a long way towards enabling us to understand the issues involved. I strongly agree with his last line: "I very much doubt that the whole affair has enhanced national prestige, or the reputation of our leaders".

So Boris's man drove 80 kilometres because he was concerned about his eyesight failing. Aussies would advise a simpler solution: Stop it! Or you'll go blind...

Nah, Mike McGettrick (Letters, May 25), bring back the $1 and $2 notes plus the copper coins. Let's have real money again.

Is it beyond the wit of the Federal government to spend some of the unspent $60 billion from JobKeeper on the universities and important research?

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