Noel overlooks the reason most people use EGMs: enjoyment.

Emotion, not logic, determines what individuals find pleasurable.

I play the machines.

Is it a wise use of time? No.

Is it a prudent use of money? No.

Am I likely to win a fortune? No.

But they provide me with amusement and diversion.

My other indulgence is a Ford Mustang.

There is no rational basis for having this car, it has difficult entry, meagre rear seating, a heavy clutch, and a petrol hungry V8, but it provides the joy only muscle cars can deliver.

If I play the pokies at extreme levels; they will destroy me.

If I drive my car to its extreme (280km/h), it will destroy me.

The choice is mine, not the machines I use.

Equally, blame for my abuse of these machines would rest with me, not the Ford Motor Company or Federal Group.

STRANGLE our democracy and the result you will see.

Is that absolute power can corrupt absolutely.

There is an implied threat from our Premier Peter Gutwein regarding a hung parliament. Unfortunately, this has been echoed by the opposition.

Neither party says they will consider doing a deal with minor parties to form a government.

It would be different if the devil himself were offering his services.

Both parties would fall over each other in the rush to do business with him in order to gain or retain power.

And the implied threat?

If we don't vote him back in as a majority government then we will have another election.

Perhaps we will continue going back to the polls until we, the silly voters, learn how to do our job properly.

NO doubt Tasmania's health system is stretched to breaking point.

In Sydney I would wait a month to get my five-yearly colonoscopy.

Here in Tasmania it took two and half years from a doctor's request to my having the procedure.

It's all very well saying that the COVID pandemic has been managed well in Tassie, but it has hardly been a challenge - so far.

Given the health system is barely coping now, how will we fare when the more virulent variants of COVID start making their presence felt?

It would be sheer hubris to say that Tassie will keep them out.

The time to build extra capacity into the health system is now.

We only need to look at the chaos and suffering overseas to see what happens to countries with inadequate health systems.

The next state government needs to take note.

THE state of Tasmania and all states need to address the issue of critical shortages of full trained paramedics, particularly at the expense of our community's health needs and outcomes.

There should never be a question of volunteers having to do a professional's line of work.

Perhaps we need more volunteers in parliament, and maybe then some serious national issues may be addressed.

Oh my, what a society we have become.

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