Northern Prison
I wholeheartedly agree with the people who are asking why is our government building a new jail in Launceston or close by? Trying to improve tourism?
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We have homeless people who are in urgent need of housing, I guess it is easy for our politicians who are sitting in front of a warm fire on these extremely cold, wet nights, not to think about those Tasmanians sleeping cold, wet, hungry mostly through no fault of their own. For example, the young woman, her child and dog who were sleeping in a car on the Youngtown Football Ground.
What of the very sick people travelling in the back of an ambulance to Hobart or flying to Melbourne because there are no beds in Launceston?
The Prime Minister has announced there will be no new beds for Launceston but 124 new beds for Hobart hospital. Many of our specialists have left the Launceston General Hospital to seek works with better conditions.
It is appalling that staff at the LGH are being ground into the dirt, but does our Health Minister Michael Ferguson really care?
At least the paedophiles and murderers will have a nice warm bed, plenty to eat and guards to care for them when the Launceston prison becomes a reality.
This has been the decision by the people of Bass.
P. Skeggs, Youngtown.
City of Launceston Survey
RECENTLY our City of Launceston council put out an online survey, three replies were received.
I would guess the reason is that most would realise the whole thing is a farce, as the council has no intention of listening to what is said by residents of Launceston and its surrounding areas.
Take for example the objections to the proposed Gorge Hotel in Paterson Street, all have been ignored, as have other public meetings regarding free land to institutions that are very well off financially.
Ron Baines, Kings Meadows.
Housing Evictions
Yet again we have a family living in unacceptable conditions as read (The Examiner, June 16) three children and parents living in tents after being evicted by Housing Tasmania, who now has appealed the decision.
Perhaps we should have a tribunal set up by the government to assess the problem and reason for the eviction before the eviction notices are sent out instead of putting children in this situation.
Afterall, isn't Housing Tasmania supposed to be to help the vulnerable in our community, not demonstrating to children that government don't care? What does this teach them about whom they can trust and turn to in time of trouble?
Doreen Baker, West Launceston.
Essential services
As our politicians return to their electorates, a moment of reflection. Something is seriously wrong in our State Parliament - health, housing and children's services are evolving as treacherous portfolios.
Accusations, blame, ridicule and disrespect are not the qualities of good governance whether in power or opposition. These are complex portfolios but they are also understood by all parties and the electorate as vital for healthy communities.
Careful, considered, well-informed decisions based on local experience, knowledge and resources are the backbone of engaging with long term planning and realising the full potential of service provision and prevention.
Ongoing, negative, vindictive accusations are breeding disrespect, fear and suspicion in our communities, demoralising the hard working providers. No one wants children to die, hospitals to struggle or homelessness.
Take politics out of these vital services. Demonstrate leadership to our community through informed debate. This is not the appropriate playing field for moving goal posts and points scoring.
The time is now to restore realistic, responsible, sustainable governance to these essential services.
Joanna Shugg, Burnie.
Company Pruning
WELL, surprise, surprise, surprise the election has only a few weeks gone and workers have already been notified of pending doom - Qantas 60 (I'll bet 1500 to 2000), Telstra 6000 and Woolworths 10,000.
Is it not amazing how these figures are never released until after an election.
I'll bet that these companies will apply for a share of the $150 billion tax relief cuts to help empty people.
Scott Morrison stressed on all of the millions that would be employed during the election, but of course nothing about the unemployed.
R. Greeno, Riverside.
Northern Prison
I wholeheartedly agree with the people who are asking why is our government building a new jail in Launceston or close by? Trying to improve tourism?
We have homeless people who are in urgent need of housing, I guess it is easy for our politicians who are sitting in front of a warm fire on these extremely cold, wet nights, not to think about those Tasmanians sleeping cold, wet, hungry mostly through no fault of their own. For example, the young woman, her child and dog who were sleeping in a car on the Youngtown Football Ground.
What of the very sick people travelling in the back of an ambulance to Hobart or flying to Melbourne because there are no beds in Launceston?
The Prime Minister has announced there will be no new beds for Launceston but 124 new beds for Hobart hospital. Many of our specialists have left the Launceston General Hospital to seek works with better conditions.
It is appalling that staff at the LGH are being ground into the dirt, but does our Health Minister Michael Ferguson really care?
At least the paedophiles and murderers will have a nice warm bed, plenty to eat and guards to care for them when the Launceston prison becomes a reality.
This has been the decision by the people of Bass.
P. Skeggs, Youngtown.
Hypocrisy Editorial
HYPOCRISY of the first order is displayed in The Examiner editorial (The Examiner, June 14) when it says "we must be mindful of neighbouring properties" before further advising "new buildings should not impact greatly on sunlight or privacy".
It then goes on to wax lyrical about all the attributes the writer sees emerging from the proposed nine-storey, 39-metre Gorge Hotel in Paterson Street.
The proposed hotel will do exactly what the editorial says new buildings should not do as its overshadowing effect will completely remove any access to natural sunlight and eliminate any privacy for its immediate neighbours and approval should not have been granted solely based on that if nothing else.
City of Launceston council is fully aware of this, as is The Examiner and developer yet all, to their eternal shame, prefer to deny the fact and are quite prepared to destroy the lives of residents in nearby properties without any compunction whatsoever.