Dreadful Experiences
WITH disgust, horror and shame we have watched and read the awful story of the treatment of the elderly in aged care facilities in the media since the interim report was released, and we weep for them.
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Many of these clients are suffering many losses in their lives, their own homes, their ability to care for themselves at home, various degrees of memory loss, their freedoms and separation from family and friends.
What a huge burden of loss to have to take with them, as they are admitted to a care home, from which they will in all probability, never leave of their own volition.
I am so disillusioned, that no state or federal minister knew that our vulnerable elderly people were suffering at the hands of, presumably trained nurses and carers, all of whom would have been required to hold both National police checks and working with vulnerable people cards.
So how is it then, that these employees of care homes, were able to be so cruel and uncaring and no one knew? Are our governments happy to just hand over the care of our elderly citizens to big businesses, and forget about them? We have had a federal Liberal/National government for six years, where were you health ministers?
I say to federal Health Minister Greg Hunt, "what leadership will you demonstrate now, to close the doors of these offending places, never to be permitted to own such businesses again"? Our elderly people should be treasured and cared for, not confined to an institution and forgotten. We won't forget, and we are watching.
Mary T Bates, Exeter.
Homeless in Mall
HUMAN faeces, syringes and anti-social behaviour have plagued the Brisbane Street Mall since several rough sleepers move in about six months ago (The Examiner, November 7). That doesn't mean the rough sleepers are to blame. I can't believe the council or police allow people to camp in the mall. By the same token, I cannot believe any homeless person would want to reside in such a noisy, polluted environment.
I have been homeless for more than 20 years. I couldn't think of a worse, more dangerous place to camp than in the Launceston CBD, let alone the Brisbane Street Mall.
A R Trounson, Needles.
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Letters can be edited for space, clarity or legal reasons. Submissions should include the name and address of the author and a phone number.
Only the suburb of the author will be published.
Labor Party Disaster
AFTER months the Labor Party released its report into its loss.
I could have told them long ago what happened in one word - Shorten.
Glennis Sleurink, Launceston.
Identity Theft Concern
ANNE Brelsford (The Examiner, November 11) is right to be worried about the potential for hackers to obtain driver's licence information from the federal database.
In January this year, I renewed my Tasmanian driver's licence at Service Tasmania in George Town. Six months later, that information - my name, address, licence number was used by a woman in Sydney to purchase a mobile phone account.
I had not misplaced or lost my licence or had it scanned or copied in the six months before the identity theft occurred. At the risk of sounding like a member of the tin-foil-hat club, I have maintained that the license was stolen at the government level.
Despite all the advice I was given about protecting my identity, there is absolutely nothing I could have done differently if the information was hacked from a government database. Incidentally, when I tried to report the incident to Tasmania Police so that it could be sent to the NSW Police for investigation, they refused to take my statement, erroneously informing me "That's got nothing to do with us". The whole experience has been incredibly traumatic and people who say, "If you've done nothing wrong, you shouldn't be worried" have never been a victim of identity theft.
Louise Turner, George Town.
Climate Change
I'M A bit fed up. It seems every time I open the opinion pages there is a cartoon by Pope depicting the actions of the noble climate change protesters, and the disgusting persecution of them by an ignorant denialist government. It seems that even the most anarchistic, rabble-rousers can do no harm.
I'm sure that most people with half a brain can see that the earth and its resources are not a disposable commodity and we have to look after what we have got, but we object to being harassed by a bunch of doom saying panic merchants who seem to want to close down our economy.
Malcolm McCulloch, Pipers River.
National Disgrace
THE Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Michael McCormack, has given a whole new meaning to the term "a national disgrace".
More correctly, the National's disgrace.
Douglas Ross Robbins, Trevallyn.
Opportunity Missed?
VERY disappointing outcome. The Gorge Hotel development would have been a great addition to the Launceston community.
Stuart McCarron, Riverside.
Fire Consciousness
WE now have seen the fire devastation taking place up North and it's said that we are next here in Tassie.
So a tip for those in suspect areas, go spend $20 at Bunnings on a soaker hose or sprinkler and attach to the roof of your house, with the extension hanging down near a tap.
And if in trouble push a tennis ball into the downpipes and turn on the tap, thus filling the guttering.
It may well save you some heartache for less than the price of a packet of cigarettes.