PM's tolerance of anti-vax MPs such as Christensen alienates conservatives

We discussed our disillusionment recently in respect of the Coalition's tolerance of mavericks who promote an anti-vaccination stance.

As far as we are concerned, harbouring these misfits threatens the health and welfare of our children and grandchildren.

We are both agreed that if the Coalition continues to tolerate these troglodytes, in the cynical interests of re-election sans morality, then we'll get off the train at the next station.

While we are unlikely to vote Labor, returning our memberships and voting informal is a distinct possibility. Unless the PM stops pandering to the thick, our vote is gone.

MP George Christensen used his social media to tell parents not to vaccinate their children.

Australia deported Djokovic because of concerns about his anti-vax views but we kept George.

PM Scott Morrison encourages vaccinations but his party kept George.

Almost all Australians support vaccinations but they might not keep ScoMo. Drop George, and others, before Australia drops you.

The English language got a hammering in Wednesday's paper: "Emergency lever pulled after nation's deadliest day" (January 19, p4). This is misuse of what "deadliest" means.

Every day around 470 people die in Australia. Deaths of people with COVID-19 are most likely in people with other "risk factors" (Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly), so when there are 77 of these deaths, it is sensationalist to claim the words "deadliest day" to describe what is happening.

This gives the impression that COVID-19 is wiping out our population. It isn't. Life insurance claims fell in the United States according to The Wall Street Journal when the pandemic hit. They have gone up to 200 year highs since the advent of the vaccines.

The article also fails to state the ages of the deceased; a very relevant piece of information. Readers benefit from coverage that gives them enough information to come to informed conclusions.

It was good to see an old put-down enjoy a comeback: "Morrison's reverse-Midas touch" (canberratimes.com.au, January 16).

It used to be very popular in my distant youth when someone stuffed-up. In full, it ran: "He's got the Midas touch in reverse; everything he touches turns to s**t".

Congratulations to The Canberra Times headline writer who dusted off this oldie; particularly appropriate in this case.

Scomo misused the cliché "rules are the rules" when Djokovic was first denied entry, but his bigger offence was in glossing over the fact that it is his government that makes the rules, and most rules need change to stay current.

Djokovic did contribute to his rejection but the intellectual base of the outcome deserves more consideration.

Only a few months ago Australia had a "near zero" COVID policy. Low vaccination levels and infection rates made it appropriate to encourage vaccination and require it for entry to Australia.

There were exemptions back then, including for possibly infected returning politicians and staffers and there ought to have been one for, "significant persons for a limited stay". This would have unambiguously allowed entry by a few internationals where it might advantage Australia.

But that is the past. The situation now is that we are, "COVID normal" and "living with the virus" with vaccination rates around 90 per cent. So why haven't the rules for entry been amended to reflect this change.

Using the "strong borders" argument as a cover for not amending the rules, is exactly that, "a cover" with zero intellectual substance.

Our infection rates are as high as anywhere in the world and our vaccination rates are around 90 per cent. The entry rule for today should be around very limited quarantine and testing. That would have avoided the whole Djokovic saga and Australia would be better off.

Allan Williams (Letters, January 13) may have done lake users, the NCA and everyone else affected by the proposal for seaplane operations on the lake a major favour.

His constructive suggestion of operations on the lake's central basin is an option that could work for everyone.

The lake's central basin provides more than enough space for the aircraft to land and take-off and has the advantage of not impacting the busiest areas of recreational lake usage on West Lake.

Moreover, the central basin is surrounded by lower hills and is further from the wind disruption around Black Mountain as well as further from the relatively limiting corridor on West Lake.

Central basin also provides better and more attractive embarkation points at either Reconciliation Place or at Regatta Point. The flight plan published in the NCA's discussion paper last year provides for approach and departure paths at low, pre-landing and post take-off altitudes over the central basin, so there can clearly be no logical obstacles to landing and taking off there either.

Mr Williams' letter also comments on the prospect, raised by one or two others who have written to The Canberra Times, of damage to the lake walls from seaplane wash. I've seen and operated boats in very close proximity to seaplanes. The wash that the seaplanes make is, simply, negligible under any circumstances.

Seaplane operations in the lake's central basin is a better option for all concerned.

Firstly, we had Steve Evans ("Storm clouds break for wet, wet January", January 12, p3) telling us that "last year was Australia's coolest year in nearly a decade".

Then, Roderick Holesgrove (Letters, January 15) tells us a meteorologist "... correctly predicted 2021 would be in the top five or six hottest years in history...". I'm confused. Was it hot last year or cold?

Ian Pilsner has a short memory (Letters, January 14) in asserting the only positive contribution Labor has made to the COVID-19 discussion was to propose wasting taxpayer's money on a $300 vaccination subsidy.

As I recall it was the Labor Party that has continually urged the government to provide appropriate quarantine facilities; appropriate support and vaccinations for aged care residents and workers and to bring in a JobKeeper style scheme (without of course the $30 billion unrecoverable giveaway to business), and to bring forward the vaccination booster program

As for that diabolical debt, off the top of my head I think that the government debt of about $150 billion following the GFC has now been booted along to almost $1 trillion; not of all of which can be attributed to COVID. A fair slice is due to mismanagement and rorting; you know carparks, sports and so on.

The assertion that Labor premiers in Queensland, Victoria, WA and the ACT "let their health systems run down before the pandemic and have then blamed the federal government for their failures" is simply not true given the reduction in Commonwealth spending on health since Abbott's days.

Re Rod Matthews' comment about the National Archives was unclear ("History is Bunk", Letters, January 14). I understand the National Archives have already been redacting parts of the governor-generals' letters to the Queen which have recently been released.

If this is happening then on whose authority is it being done? Perhaps this is the weaponising Mr Matthews was referring to?

What an amazing medical and scientific achievement was the recent transplant of a genetically modified pig's heart into a human recipient. Can we now replace the often used expression of "in a pig's ear" with "in a pig's heart"? I wish the recipient a long and healthy life and congratulate the team that made it happen.

Given the amount of time George Christensen reportedly spends in the Philippines (at least prior to COVID-19) would it not be possible to deport him to Manila?

Are the masks we see ScoMo wearing really to protect him from COVID-19 or are they a special type of mask designed to protect him from the many issues that have blown up in his face lately? Either way, they can't protect him from responsibility.

What a waste if Aussie life is extended merely to spend more time in sub-standard nursing homes, consume more pharmaceuticals, running the homelessness gauntlet, exposed to elder violence and abuse or demeaning existence on starvation welfare? ("Aussie life expectancy rate hits record increase as US falls", January 17, p5)

As we approach the general election, it seems to me that the overarching priority of the Liberal/National Party and their supporters will be to make sure the the Labor Party doesn't win and take away their toys. We need to be prepared for every dirty trick and scare campaign to be megaphoned to us in the weeks leading up to the poll.

The decision to purchase electricity from Neoen's giant Goyder wind, solar and battery storage farm project in South Australia is good news indeed. The ACT government, whatever its many failings, is showing it is possible to phase out the use of fossil fuels over a seemingly inconceivable short time, given determination and an appropriate strategy.

There have been numerous references in the media recently to "Code Brown", in relation to COVID matters. I must say that, as someone involved, in recent years, with looking after grandchildren who have not yet been toilet-trained, "Code Brown" has a very different meaning.

A strange sight at the Australian Open was supporters of Australia's Jordan Thompson, during his match against Steve Johnson of the United States, wearing T-shirts proclaiming "We the people"; the opening words of the American constitution.

Not only has the Djokovic saga "[highlighted] to the rest of the world the futility of attempting to enter Australia illegally" (Mario Stivala, Letters January 18), it has also highlighted the perils of entering Australia perfectly legally, as ruled by a judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court whose decision was not overturned.

I have a solution to England's batting woes. In their last innings in Hobart the top scorer, after the two opening batters, was "Extras" with 13. Simply move "Extras" up the batting order to number three.

I am regularly picking up used face-masks and putting them in the bin. Could wearers who drop/discard them, please consider the danger to bird life. I have seen a bird attempting to fly off with one caught in its claws. Please do the right thing.