Medicare
I HAD cause this week to contact Medicare over a claim query. I was surprised to find the phone was answered, albeit after 42 minutes.
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I expressed my query to the operator and asked, "would you like your reference number quoted on your correspondence?
In reply the operator answered, "no, the reference numbers do not correspond with anything, the system is in such a mess references do not match anything and are ignored, Give me your Medicare number and I will search your records for the reply".
About five minutes past and the operator returned claiming success on finding my query. I then stated my query, why, after two months, additional forms were required when they themselves originally provided me with the necessary paperwork.
Reply was, "I don’t know, we are not trained about those things". The operator seemed stressed but very polite. Are these people trained about anything? Are they part of the replacements for the departmental cuts, just making up numbers?
Little wonder our government departments are in a mess, and they have the audacity to demand people should, "get off welfare and start a business".
What, like this one? The old saying still exists, "the fish always stinks from the head first".
Wally Reynolds, Perth.
Climate change death
I WOULD be very pleased if you could tell me how to find out how we would die, if we fail to control climate change? What is the critical temperature for this to happen?
Would we die of hyperthermia, catch on fire maybe? Uncontrolled bush fires? Drown, as the result of ocean rise? Catch some terrible disease? Run out of food? Eaten by something which can handle temperature rise better than we can? Die of fright? A bit of all of these things perhaps? Thank you.
B.Sundstrup Newstead.
PC and democracy
COREY Martin is spot on (The Examiner, Sunday, March 12).
The laws to protect anyone from being upset are stifling debate and killing democracy and free speech.
Being hindered from free expression about race, religious etc matters because of likely offence is suppressing discussion about some important issues. Comments can be interpreted a number of ways and people vary in their reactions to them.
But attempting to police the situation to protect sensitive souls is now ridiculous and is being exploited by some.
Libel laws are there to prevent scurrilous and false statements likely to damage reputation and they have a place, but a functioning democracy must allow freer and more open public discussion than is currently possible.
So, as Mr Martin says, unless the major parties have enough guts to tackle this problem head on, they will be undermined by extreme right fringe groups who will be supported because they are the only ones offering any escape from the current oppressive situation.
John Coulson, Dilston.
Beerepoot family
THE Meander Valley honey making Beerepoot family who refuse to pay rates because they say God owns the land, not the council, need to appreciate the council rates go to paying for many services which ratepayers use and is not strictly a rent for land usage.
Further, there is no exemption, nor should there ever be an exemption for a person's religious beliefs, no matter how devout the adherents.
But if we are talking Christian then we should note that when Jesus was asked about paying taxes he said 'give them their due', discussed several times in the Gospel according to Matthew. So there is no excuse...
Robert Karl Stonjek, Kings Meadows.