Considering sustainable tourism
THE Tasmanian government is now supporting tourism so I ask, what kind of tourism?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
It's not the kind of tourism that mums and dads, grandparents and grandchildren, and ordinary folks are doing.
It's not going off mid week for a couple of nights in another area, or visiting relatives, or going to the shack. No.
The governments are subsidising tourism for Australians who can afford big airfares to travel outside or within their states, and even possibly to New Zealand.
We are talking about luxuries because many of us, perhaps most of us, will not be able to travel anywhere in the foreseeable future.
Most Australians are having to deal with smaller wages and salaries, or perhaps no job, and having to survive on JobSeeker.
We should carefully consider what the tourism industry is asking - concessions for a small number of people, subsidies for an industry that has a very uncertain future but huge debts, while ignoring the chance to prevent 2-5 per cent of carbon emissions from exacerbating global heating.
So, let's have tourism, but not for the purpose of propping up old systems.
Keep tourism land based, and flights for health emergencies.
Helen Hutchinson, Deloraine.
Travel voucher number two
AGAIN Mr Premier thanks for nothing.
From 7pm I could not access the website. First response: Safari site down. Second response: database crash.
At least give people the opportunity to find out they have missed out.
My wife and I will save our money for Canberra on the direct flights in December.
Paul Burke Hobart.
An irresponsible failure
SENDING at risk Aboriginal youth to the Northern Territory is wrong.
Labor has been raising concerns about the Brahminy program for years. In 2012 we sent kids to therapeutic camps for a few weeks at a time. However, it was the Liberal government in 2015 that decided to place Tasmanian young people in care arrangements at Brahminy, sometimes for years at a time.
It is completely unacceptable to be shipping Tasmanian kids off to the Northern Territory instead of caring for them here, where they can be closer to the support of their families.
The state government is effectively the parent of these young people.
What responsible parent would leave their children in these care arrangements when the allegations surrounding Brahminy remain untested?
If it was a teacher or another professional responsible for the care of children and young people, they would be stood down while it was investigated.
We can provide the cultural and therapeutic care they deserve in Tasmania.
It's just that Minister Jaensch hasn't had the political will or courage to do anything about it.
Josh Willie, Labor spokesman
Addressing hospital issues
IT is frequently reported that LGH bed-block causes issues for the emergency department staff when they need to transfer patients to a ward.
How many LGH terminally ill patients could be transferred to a dedicated home-like hospice?
If such a facility was available in Northern Tasmania, maybe these patients would have already been directly admitted there, bypassing the ED
I understand there are also many patients who could transfer to aged care facilities
The acute hospital beds would then be available for those needing them, freeing up space in the emergency department.
Barb Baker, Longford.
Examiner letter guidelines
Preference is given to letters submitted via examiner.com.au and of 150 words or less. 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.
What do you think? Send us a letter to the editor: