Much of the upgrade work has been on the books for over a decade.

Slow progress indeed but better late than.

It seems that an economy damaging virus has some unexpected positive side effects.

From my observation, governments, in general, are very focused on the economy in tough times, like during pandemics and when the financial system collapses. The only other time they are interested in the infrastructure of the nation seems to align with the few weeks just before elections.

Now, I am not proposing more disasters but perhaps in the scheme of things, the way to get better infrastructure and services is to have more elections, where the pollies will be a little more focused on the people, rather than the fewer elections they universally bray about. You know "we need a longer time in power to execute our plan", the plan which only ever includes spending on the electorate just before an election.

With more elections at least there is a better chance we will remember what they promised but failed to deliver last time.

No, it is more elections we need, keep the "bastards" interested I say.

DURING the past 12 months I have had to go to the day surgery unit at the Launceston General Hospital for two procedures.

Both times I was there I was treated with dignity and respect. I want to say a big thank you to the surgeon, anaesthetist, nurses, reception staff and all involved. A very caring and professional job done by all.

I read that our former health minister Michael Ferguson thinks that voluntary assisted dying is suicide. Maybe he needs to rethink his ideas about suicide.

If a person has an illness or condition that means they will have a long drawn out and painful death then choosing their own time of leaving the body is not suicide.

If as some Christians believe it is up to God when we die, then maybe no one should accept any life saving medical treatment such as resuscitation.

Accepting such treatment could be seen as going against God's will by trying to stay alive longer than our allotted time.

Even Jesus got to choose the time to leave his body, he knew he was going to be killed and voluntarily went to his death.

Although it was not really death because he was resurrected.

If people believe in an "afterlife" then we are not dying, all we are doing is leaving a damaged body behind and going onto a better and happier state of being.

I WOULD like to see the the council and the department rectify the problems which have caused the business by moving the bus stop. Small businesses struggle to survive at the best of times. If there is no reason why the bus stop can't be moved away from the opposite the front of the shop in Rocherlea and moved down the road then let that be. Don't force another small business to close.

PLEASE consider this ill extremely carefully, it affects all of us forever.

Tasmania's environment and human-scale towns and cities depend on the planning system, which includes significant protections for threatened species, built heritage and liveability. The major projects fast track gives too much power to the minister and creates a special deal for certain hand-picked developers, where they will be removed from the normal planning rules that everyone else must abide by.

Projects such as the Fragrance Hotel, Westbury Prison, Cambria Green proposal, Rosny Hill Tourism Complex and the cable car(s) would all be eligible for major project status. There is no right of appeal and only token community input.

Appeal rights provide the community with an avenue to have bad decisions reviewed and removing appeal rights greatly weakens our democracy. Your elected councillors will be sidelined. Elected councillors will not have a say over the approval of major projects. Panel members are unelected and not accountable to the community.

There are insufficient checks and balances on the development panel who may be open to influence from the proponent or state government.

BEFORE getting bogged down with the detail of the Major Projects Legislation before the Upper House ask yourself if this is just another way for vested interests to bypass public debate and the will of the people?

Is this simply a tactic to fast track contentious plans?

Is this how elected representatives of the people help the economy to sort itself out, by removing the obstacles the rest of us comply with to maintain a balanced approach to development?

Ultimately, who gains?

Do we have to accept the flawed premises of this dystopian era where we can rollback on blatant lies or pause when the truth is becoming inconvenient?

This legislation is devised to provide a free pass for big developments to avoid the rules established by common sense and evolving circumstances.