Renaming Aspen Island Morrison's greatest achievement

My quibble is that our Prime Minister has not gone far enough. Given the late Prince Philip's stalwart support to Her Majesty over 70 years, I suggest John Gordon bridge linking the soon to be renamed Aspen Island to the north side of Lake Burley Griffin be renamed in his memory. Our future Kings Charles and William, with their most worthwhile achievements for this nation in front of them, are in no need of such recognition (yet).

However I do believe Prince Andrew, with his reputation for close relations with Australians, deserves greater acknowledgement. I suggest renaming Commonwealth Avenue Bridge in his honour. With its direct access to the parliamentary triangle it would be ideal.

Finally, why not rename Mount Ainslie in honour of King George III. A monarch for the ages, God-fearing, prepared to stand up to the American revolutionaries, rabble rousers, tax avoiders and treasonous traitors all. The King never wavered from the principled application of the rule of law; useful counsel for an uncertain future.

I am absolutely certain that over history's long arc, Prime Minister Morrison's forward looking decision to rename Aspen Island will be seen to be one of his greatest achievements.

It seems that all the hard work done by the population over the last two years has gone for nothing. We have endured on going lockdowns, separation from our families, restriction of movement and have lined up to be vaccinated. All this to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

However, the recent change in the attitude of federal, state and territory governments is quite baffling. Leaders now refuse to put in place strategies which might limit the spread of the Omicron virus. They are telling us it's now up to us get on with it and we'll probably all get the virus at some stage. They are limiting PCR testing, shortening the quarantine time and encouraging us to get out and about.

I accept that we all have a responsibility to do whatever we can to keep ourselves, our families and others in the community safe. But what are our governments doing? Where is their responsibility to make decisions in the best interests of the population?

We're being told not to go to the testing clinics as they are being overwhelmed, but instead they tell us to get a rapid antigen test if we show symptoms. However, the availability and the cost of these tests make acquiring them extremely difficult. The Prime Minister is refusing to make the rapid antigen tests free for those on limited income. This will result in many families being unable to self test, thus inadvertently spreading the virus to others.

It seems we have governments who have abdicated their responsibility to govern in the best interests of the community.

Transcript (leaked) of high level COVID strategy meeting.

Location: an unfinished Connex tunnel somewhere under Sydney. Present: Premier, PM, one policy wonk (for thinking where required).

Premier: The plan is to let it rip. Business resumes at full pace. Over time there will be enough survivors who have been infected to have herd immunity. This combined with booster shot rollout means we will at last be living with COVID.

PM: Yes, how good is that? Anyway it's just like influenza.

Premier: Good marketing point. Can you handle that side?

PM: That's my game. Not so good on the policy stuff, but I can run with a slogan like nobody. As long as I don't have to hold the needle.

Policy wonk: Great strategy, but I see one problem, or oversight, I think.

Premier and PM (grudgingly): Alright, what is it?

Policy wonk: The pandemic is out of control. Hospitals will be overrun. They are now, but it will be clear to all and sundry in another week.

Premier: Very funny. What should we do smarty pants?

Policy wonk: Mandate masks in all indoor settings. Resurrect contact tracing. Discourage and minimise large gatherings. Encourage working from home. Get the PCR testing back on track fast.

Premier: Never! We are to stay the course! The country must learn to live (and die) with COVID so that business can flourish.

Policy wonk: Evolution will out.

PM: Enough. We are looking through the front windscreen not the rear vision mirror!

Meeting ends.

It will be 50 years this year since the "Aboriginal Tent Embassy" was established to promote the land rights of Aboriginal Australians. Since then the embassy has effectively symbolised a range of much broader First Nation issues.

In 2005, the federal government held a review into the embassy which included Aboriginal elders from around Australia. Perhaps it's time to do so again.

In recent years, the site near Old Parliament House seems to have been taken over by large numbers of squatters and aggressive young activists, effectively creating a no-go area for police.

The federal government should again meet with Aboriginal and Torres Strait elders to establish what best meets First Nation needs at the site.

From a local perspective, Canberrans and Ngunnawal elders should also have a say in how the site is managed.

The anti-vaxxers have a right to protest.

The Tent Embassy has admirable longevity and a peaceful ethos but not any exclusive right to be in any area of Australia: ("Remove the anti-vaxxers: local elders", canberratimes.com.au, January 4).

After all, all protestors can be moved on by police from anywhere but not necessarily because any one person is suspected of being infectious; or because a new group might give the established group a bad name.

We are lucky in the ACT because police take a considered view of protests, or at least until recently did so.

That likely varies with certain politics rather than with police initiative.

In his fascinating article "Is the prime ministership really an 'impossible office'?" (January 4, p34), Mark Hearn wrote "Not since John Howard has any incumbent mastered the task of the prime ministership".

Dr Hearn has evidently forgotten that John Howard allowed important parts of Australia's infrastructure, such as urban roads, inter-city highways, and electricity generation to become run down while he saved money to spend on tax cuts for the comfortably wealthy.

His was not a "masterly" prime ministership that I admire.

According to Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher Australia cannot afford a high-speed rail from Sydney to Newcastle as the purported $200 billion to $300 billion cost would have to be paid for with higher taxes.

The minister has it the wrong way round. Federal governments first create the money out of thin air, and then tax back any subsequent excess money pumped into the economy so as to offset any resulting inflationary pressures.

It is not the money that is in short supply.

I sincerely hope that the editorial staff of The Canberra Times will embrace the economic principles underlying modern monetary theory, and thereby help to move our debate, with regard to what we can and cannot afford, away from our current misunderstanding of how the economy actually works.

Mokhles k Sidden (Letters, December 30) asks why Putin and Xi are so preoccupied with the Ukraine and Taiwan.

He says they should worry more about their own underdeveloped countries and hungry populations.

Maybe Mokhles it is because those two places are on their doorsteps and perhaps they see the Ukraine and Taiwan as their equivalent of Cuba.

Of course Mokhles, one could well ask why the US is so preoccupied with the Ukraine and Taiwan given that over 40 million US citizens live in poverty, America has a huge prison population and racial problems and Americans kill more than 36,000 of each other with guns each year.

The US has even had a politician-incited attempted violent takeover of their Capitol Building

Of course there's no money to support federal provisioning of rapid antigen tests. There's all those AUKUS nuclear subs to support, the vast rescinding costs of the French contract, and the other blank-cheque US-sourced-materiel deals now increasingly raining down on us.

We came into the COVID-19 pandemic with the federal government not placing timely orders for vaccines. We are now facing the Omicron variant with the federal government not having timely availability of rapid antigen tests. Their excuse this time seems to be such tests are a state responsibility. Is somebody not doing their job properly here?

Such austerity on rapid antigen tests appears unseemly given the Prime Minister's decision to commit tens of billions of dollars during a pandemic to buying submarines that don't exist. If the presumption is that weapons are more important than public health perhaps the PM could buy some "Mirage" aircraft as well?

Refusing to make rapid antigen tests free of charge for people, Scott Morrison claims, "This isn't a medicine, it's a test". Scott Morrison isn't a Prime Minister, he's a pest.

Our disingenuous PM says it's not possible for RATs to be free whilst he enjoys, amongst other things, rent free accommodation in two magnificent properties complete with staff, free domestic and international travel and accommodation, as well as free admission to major sporting and cultural events; all as part of his job. I don't begrudge these benefits, I just wish he'd show real leadership in this time of crisis.

I absolutely, totally and unreservedly agree with the Chemist Warehouse boss who has called for the axing of GST on rapid antigen tests and making them free to all disadvantaged Australians.

Never has a self-described "daggy dad" been more detached from the reality of life for everyday Australians than our current Prime Minister. His failure to plan for and acquire sufficient RAT kits and his refusal to make the test free to all is just the latest example. It's time we had an election so we can get rid of this incompetent Prime Minister and his sidekicks.

Having admired Mr Morrison's latest elegant pirouette; that we are being told to buy ourselves rapid antigen tests kits instead of getting free PCR tests for COVID, I investigated what is available. Basically nothing at present, but they will become available some time. And you'll have to pay GST. Must be the price of self reliance and taking personal responsibility.

Could free RAT kits become "a decision taken but not announced"?