People must look after their health
OUT of all the portfolios the government is responsible for health would have to be the one that most politicians would try and avoid, it's a bottomless pit. I'm 61 and I've seen politicians from both major parties struggle to manage.
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Over time I have seen people's physical and dietary habits change to become lazy and overweight. We're keeping people alive for as long as we can with drugs and unrealistic expectations regardless of the patient's pain and torture, just because relatives can't let go or a doctor doesn't want to be looked at being responsible for the patient's death or passing.
We need to be responsible for our own health, but instead we have a society that seems to think the government is responsible for everything we do with our lives.
Our welfare mentality is crippling this country, sadly whoever takes on the health portfolio will always struggle.
Peter Douglas, Karoola.
Greater support needed
GIVE some thought to the people who are so frightened by the prospect of a lingering painful death, that they leave their friends and family to exit this life alone. Many go bush or vanish, leaving loved ones in trauma over their unexplained disappearance.
The community expends resources in searches for these people and if found, the searchers may have to deal with what they find. Legal euthanasia would enable these unfortunate people to exit their life in their own time in the company of loved ones.
Please support the euthanasia bill for the sake of those who desire this outcome.
Ian Kershaw, Summerhill.
Emergency vehicle ignorance
I FIND it amazing that drivers still ignore or are oblivious to emergency vehicles following them. On Friday, I was driving from Exeter to Launceston about lunchtime when I was nearing Brady's Lookout, I moved to the left to allow an ambulance with emergency lights on to pass, amazingly a small white sedan at the end of the overtaking lanes cut in front of the ambulance without indicating and sat on 80km/h until they reached Legana without any attempt to pull over. How do we get past this stupidity with all the advertisements in the media?
Michael Jessup, West Launceston.
Pedestrian and cycle safety
SATURDAY'S comprehensive interview with Infrastructure Minister Michael Ferguson was most enlightening (The Examiner, September 19). He spoke of improvements for the safety of pedestrians and cyclists.
I was saddened when the George Town Council gifted away a reserved strategic public open space. The land had previously been transferred to the council by the government for a future linkage pedestrian and cycleway within a soon to be released housing subdivision. Such short-sighted action is contrary to the aspirations of the minister and the community.
Graeme Neilsen, George Town.
Council with foresight
THE sightlines or viewpoints to our iconic Town Hall, with flags fluttering overhead, is the iconic symbol of democracy in Australia.
When gazing out from many of these viewpoints, our city is dotted with many breathtaking historical and some very ugly buildings all reminiscent of past decades.
Taking into account the changing nature of our city, redeveloping these old precincts will add much needed new growth and pedestrian flow-through in and around these under-used, rundown areas. Images of the tasteful re-birth of the derelict parts are what will sell Launceston to the travelling world. A national, iconic place our ageing population and future citizens will all cherish. Showing sensitivity to our place of history must be paramount and I applaud Global Premium Hotel's development. This new $80 million hotel approved by council will no doubt become the shining star of Northern Tasmanian marketing tourism, thus a positive financial return for every dollar invested, let alone all the new employment created.
Strict building codes protect the safety, health and welfare of the public and preserve history and property values.
I congratulate Jim Collier for taking this hotel application to task as is every citizen's right but wholeheartedly congratulate the council on its foresight and passionate vision shown in moving our city forward.
Bruce Webb, Trevallyn.
TAFE support needed
A REPORT released by the Centre for Future Work at the Australia Institute has revealed that, despite successive cuts to funding TAFE in Australia, it derives $92.5 billion per year in economic benefits.
These benefits are associated with the direct operation of TAFE establishments, higher incomes and productivity generated by the TAFE-qualified workforce and reduced social welfare costs.
The costs of investment in TAFE are modest, at $5.7 billion per year, representing only 0.3 per cent of GDP. Despite this, the direct tax revenue, which is generated as a result of an increase in productivity and incomes are worth $25 billion per year.
This represents 4.4 times return on the investment in the TAFE system. Notwithstanding this, it also supports 48,000 jobs.
The Liberals have cut more than $3 billion from TAFE and training, 140,000 apprentices and trainees have been lost. Australia has had widespread shortages of critical workers including plumbers, carpenters, metalworkers, hairdressers, and aged care staff.
Training will play a key role in boosting economic activity post-pandemic and in supporting the almost 20,000 Tasmanians who lost their job to be re-skilled in areas of need. The Morrison government must stop the cuts to the TAFE system.
There are thousands of people in Tasmania who are trying to gain employment and to avoid the brain drain we need to boost our skills at this pivotal point.
This will allow us to rebuild our economy with an appropriately skilled workforce.