Aren't our so-called health experts kidding themselves? And Canberrans, in saying that we are at low risk from the latest Covid outbreaks? There are outbreaks in four states now and we have little control over our borders, according to the chief minister. So any day a person could enter with Covid and go to numerous venues before it becomes evident. Yes, the QR code might tell us who will have to test and isolate but that could be too late. We should be mandating masks for all inside activities and so at least minimise any outbreak and hopefully avoid the need for a lockdown.
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And don't say masks are very uncomfortable, as did the Queensland chief medical officer. That is an obvious put-off and not strictly true.
Meanwhile, we have Morrison blaming health experts for the slow vaccine rollout when this comes from an "advisory'' body and is also not necessarily right. A case in point is their inability to recommend mandatory vaccination for all health, age and disability carers on one basis; it seems because some may leave the industry. Well so be it if that is the level of their caring. Be like the French president, who has given them a deadline of September 15 to get vaccinated.
Eric Hodge, Pearce
Be honest about outbreak origins
As the Covid Delta variant tightens its grip on Australia, various state premiers seem to be stretching the truth about where it came from. Not Australia, of course. But which state won the door prize for first Delta variant cases?
The runaway leader for all local Covid start-ups seems to have been Victoria, not NSW. In that case, premiers referring to the Sydney Delta strain are, deliberately or otherwise, avoiding the truth. And which state has had by far the highest incidences of Covid deaths? Daniel is in the lion's den, and misbehaving.
Roy Darling, Florey
Virginia nails it on PM's gaslighting
Congratulations to Virginia Haussegger for her opinion article "When Parliament gaslights start to dim and flicker" (July 15). An excellent piece of journalism which provides a detailed and an authoritative account of the modus operandi of our prime minister. She absolutely "nails" it. Everyone needs to read this article to see how manipulating and conniving he is. The level of his hypocrisy is staggering. I also congratulate Julia Banks for her courage and strength to call his and his supporters' behaviour out. I hope her book and this article will provide the impetus for other Australians to stand up and shed light on the disgraceful behaviour of this government and Morrison in particular.
Morrison's gaslighting behaviour is not a misstep such as the bungling of the Covid vaccine - it is a deliberate political tactic employed at will. Australia deserves better. I hope enough Australians are able to see it for what it is and realise the only way to put a stop to it is to vote him out. Are you prepared to step up and be counted at the next election?
Jeffrey Webb, Evatt
Reform political advertising
Professor John Warhurst's proposed reforms to strengthen our democracy and heighten political accountability are considered and constructive ("We all have a role to play in cleaning up our politics", July 15).
One reform I would add to his "shopping list" is truth in political advertising laws, which would hold political campaigners to account for misleading claims - as called for by 29 prominent Australians in an open letter the Australia Institute coordinated last year. The ACT and South Australia already have these laws; it's time federal politicians were held to the same standard.
Bill Browne, senior researcher, Democracy & Accountability Program, The Australia Institute
Truth knows no politics
Ian Pilsner's (Letters, July 14) ideological conservative tirade against Jack Waterford was, unlike Waterford's article, incorrect in almost every sentence. The crux of the matter is the truth; it should have nothing to do with the left or the right, just with basic moral integrity.
It is now an irrefutable truth that the current Morrison government is the most amoral, unethical and corrupt government this country has ever seen. And it appears to worsen daily.
Murray Upton, Belconnen
Feds out of line on support
Given the Morrison government's history of sports rorts and car park pork barrelling, it's not surprising the Liberal NSW government gets treated differently to the Labor Victorian government when it comes to Covid financial support. Yet another "postcodegate". Your editorial is right to describe the feds' use of lockdown length as "a feeble defence" ("Postcode should not determine support", July 15).
All the way through, Frydenberg has used every opportunity to criticise the Victorian Labor government and just recently again unfairly raised nursing home deaths in a press conference while in the next breath referring to the NSW government's supposed "gold standard." Aged care is a federal government responsibility and 12 months later, only 40 per cent of aged care staff are vaccinated, another federal responsibility. As you rightly conclude, Australians want their governments to "keep pulling together". The point-scoring must stop.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria
We're latecomers in their world
The human-centric, selfish attitude apparent in Peter Fuller's letter (Letters, July 14), is sadly not uncommon. It basically disregards any interests, needs or preferences of the animals who share the Earth with us and sees them only in terms of how their presence and behaviour affects us or how we can make a buck from exploiting them. Possums, like kangaroos and other native animals, have been in this area for millions of years. We latecomers should respect their right to live their lives.
Mike O'Shaughnessy, Spence
Defence is here to aid civil power
I am offended by Warwick Davis's strange letter lamenting the fact two fine soldiers have recently headed up important government initiatives instead of civilians. Mr Davis may not know that since March last year, Lt Gen Frewen was head of the ADF's response to the Covid crisis and had 800 ADF personnel ready to go into Victoria to run the hotel quarantine last year (at no expense to the Victorian government) which Premier Daniel Andrews then blocked in favour of hiring civilian contractors run by his department. The contractors turned out to be cowboys and their handling of the hotel quarantine led to the death of about 800 Victorians.
Our ADF is there to aid the civil power, which it did brilliantly in the 2020 bushfires and is doing so again in Covid. Yes, Mr Davis, the ADF is subject to civilian control, but in my experience senior ADF officers are superbly trained, capable individuals who are invariably more able in these types of roles than their public service or private enterprise counterparts.
Bill Stefaniak, Narrabundah
Manor House opposition is clear
The issue of the Manor House is clear. Jasper Lindell's article ("Split of the ages, as debate rages over how dense old Canberra should become", July 14) over-emphases any division there is in the community. More than 520 residents objected to the proposal, with just four supporting it when comments were invited by the government. It is a bit late for a small unassociated group to object now, over two months after the closing date for comments.
The ACT government plans to change the Territory Plan so that one four-unit two-storey Manor House with nine car parks can be built in Griffith on a block, where the housing is low-rise, predominantly single dwelling and low density in character (RZ1). If this change is approved a Manor House, or its equivalent, could be built anywhere in an RZ1 zone in Canberra. It would be the thin edge of the wedge. It is just bad planning and proposed change should be rejected by the assembly.
David Denham, Griffith Narrabundah Community Association president
Woolies' wealth could be shared
The chief executive of Woolies receives $12.5 million per annum and is a champion of 'wellbeingness' and corporate governance. Does this give him the right to harass and intimidate the homeless few who seek shelter near the Dickson Woolworths?
Perhaps he would find it more Christian and satisfying to share his obscene salary with the needy. He might also care to explain why the Fair Work Ombudsman has launched a Federal Court action against Woolies for underpaying employees, again?
Tom Brazier, Pearce
Something stinks in the message
We seem to be living in the distorted reality of an Alice in Wonderland world where public life becomes "curiouser and curiouser" by the day. At the point two major Australian cities were both locked down because of an out-of-control pandemic, Prime Minister Scott Morrison went to air on commercial radio and volunteered he hadn't pooed in his pants at a Maccas some years ago. The cynic in me suggests it serves some indecipherable objective in media manipulation by a master of the art. But it is an execrable way to do so.