Biloela family
TO SAY that I am appalled at the federal government's treatment of the Biloela family, who have been held on Christmas Island since 2018, would be an understatement.
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It now transpires that their youngest Australian-born daughter, Tharnicca whose fourth birthday is next week, has been admitted to a Perth hospital with suspected septicaemia. To add to the pathos, the father and older sister remain on Christmas Island, while the mother is in Perth coping with a sick child alone.
I would like to know how our government, in good conscience, could possibly inflict this pain and injustice on a family whose only crime has been to seek asylum out of a genuine fear of persecution. There have been one or two times in the past when I have been ashamed to be an Australian citizen and this is certainly one of them.
Ed Sianski, West Moonah.
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Climate change emergency
OUR City of Launceston council a short time ago made an interesting pronouncement by saying we have a climate change emergency.
OK, let's look at the ramifications of that, how does it help? Doesn't this mean the council will attempt to curb wasteful practices?
Why not begin with a climate change officer who has the experience to be able to check out all buildings in our municipality to be demolished? This would enable him or her to redirect materials away from landfill.
A good example would be the old iron bridge at Scamander where three spans each weighing 40 tonnes, plus 200 tonnes of concrete will be re-used is some way in the community (The Examiner, May 29).
Although I am sad personally to see it demolished, my last visit was for a photo shoot for suicide prevention, the community was consulted and apparently agreed it must be demolished, seemed OK to me.
Will be interesting to see if our council's pronouncement regarding this emergency will result in action or is it just more hot air?
Ron Baines, Kings Meadows.
Medicare rebate cuts
CONSIDERING the huge number of orthopedic rebate cuts (hips, knees etc.) is this not only a way to scare many patients off the elective surgery lists for the federal government to try and cut costs and the state governments to curb the ballooning waiting lists and waiting times.
If it is, it's very likely to blow up in their collective faces as many of the patients will end up as invalid pensioners thereby being able to become eligible for the already over taxed NDIS. These people have paid their taxes so they are entitled to the proper health care and shuffling what scheme they come under does not excuse the government of its responsibility.
Ken Terry, Bridport.
Afghan interpreter
THE word mate-ship has been applied to how we, as Australians, stand by our friends.
Now it is apparent we are about to abandon some mates, Afghan interpreters, who worked closely alongside our troops during the conflict, putting their own lives in great peril.
Now we're turning back on our promise to provide safety for them in this country, so we've become fair weather friends not to be trusted.
Peter M. Taylor, Midway Point.
Address issues
ANOTHER week passes with our current PM and his ministers being totally reactive rather than proactive in protecting its citizens.
As an example citizens in Launceston receive a cheap advertising "newsletter" with photo opportunities from our local member.
The real point citizens are interested in, Prime Minister, is why you have not addressed quarantine issues and protection of us with priority and vaccination after all you have both your vaccinations but many do not.
In fact, there seems to be a high priority for yourself but a low priority, for example, people in nursing homes in Victoria.
Bruce Hawke, West Launceston.
Quarantine facilities
AN ARTICLE in (The Examiner, June 7) said that the government is not looking at building quarantine facilities in Tasmania.
Short sighted governments in the past sold off all the places we had that would have been suitable. We had three places that would have worked great. Pontville immigration detention centre, the Royal Derwent hospital in New Norfolk with around 60 houses attached and the Brighton Army base.
All of these were sold at give away prices.
If we were to build another detention centre it would probably not be long before it too was sold off, meanwhile we have a massive detention centre on Christmas island that sits empty.
It is time that people in governments had training for their jobs. It is not good enough to just elect completely unqualified people for the job.
Every tradesperson must train, have a licence, insurance and complete ongoing training.
Politicians do none of that. Why are we run by incompetents?
Peter Godfrey, Nunamara.
Health crisis
THE ball is in the court of Tasmania's population.
Instead of continuing our complacent ways, eating and drinking unwisely, exercising little and generally following decadent lifestyles, we need to become far more active in pursuing healthy lifestyles.
This should begin in our schools. Back in the 1980s, many schools had daily exercise programs. Is that still the case today?
Every Tasmanian needs to be more active in pursuing better health outcomes with food and drink intake and daily exercise are important aspects of this.