THE solution is simple. Employ more nurses, more and better educated carers in aged care homes, 24/7 nurses plus a pay rise for all, including paramedics. Yes, we need all that. The federal government can afford that, even if it means more taxes, so the funding is not so much the problem. The problem is simply "where do we get the people?" You can't just pluck these people out of the air. So we are always at least two or three years behind in training the people we need for these and other health critical areas.
Luckily, people in public service areas have had an advantage over the past two years with job security and steady pay while those in private industry have had more reliance on programs like JobKeeper which did a remarkable job in saving many thousands of businesses but many more thousands were forced to close down or become bankrupt due to ongoing lockdowns. Yet in spite of this, the economy remains strong. We can afford to pay more to carers but the job starts now. Start the pre-training in our high schools, similar to how our trades are now being started off there.
And it is my earnest hope that we end up with a federal government that maintains a consensus with whoever is in opposition for this is what we truly need in these capricious times. Less working against each other. Working together, great things can be accomplished, for example, in Darwin the population was sent to interstate locations while their city was rebuilt after the bombing, and in the 70s when Darwin was rebuilt with more wind resistant housing after Cyclone Tracy. It can be done in Lismore and other places. Maybe people can be housed in the Queensland quarantine centre, which is currently vacant for example. And maybe Lismore can be rebuilt on less flood prone land. Here's hoping. That's more important than cutting time off commutes in the major cities.
Garry Robinson, Mannering Park
Credibility the first casualty
SENATOR Fierravanti-Wells joins the jostling queue of those eager to denounce our current Prime Minister as dishonest, untrustworthy, and manipulative, even of using his religion to bully and isolate those in his path. The queue is almost too long to list in a short letter. Right up front is former John Howard staffer Niki Savva, who described the treacherous nature of the man in her 2018 book, "Plots and Prayers", then behind her, the betrayed Malcolm Turnbull, the confused Barnaby Joyce, French President Macron, Pauline Hanson, Bob Katter, and many others.
Of course, they could all be wrong in their frank and damning assessment of our leader's character, but the breadth of political views present lends them credibility, the sort of credibility so lacking in a Prime Minister who flatly condemned electric cars just three years ago, who shares an intimate relationship with a lump of coal, who sees the way out of the rent trap as simply buying a house, who rules out a federal corruption commission, and who can't even estimate the price of RATS, bread, or petrol.
Is he our worst?
John Beach, Cooks Hill
Politicians just suit themselves
I AM 71 and retired from work after 55 years of work and paying tax. I have never begrudged the fact that I paid income tax and people of age could receive an aged pension. My circumstances now are that my wife who is younger than myself works as a teacher in Binnaway, near Coonabarabran. I have had my aged pension cancelled twice in five years because of my wife's income.
I report every fortnight her gross income as per the rules. If her income is over a certain amount I receive nothing from the Centrelink. The costs my wife incurs in living and working three and a half hours away from our home is inconsequential according to Centrelink. I have made representations to my federal member and Centrelink, but with no satisfaction. I do not ask for special treatment but just a fair assessment of our outgoings so my wife can work in her chosen occupation.
The education department struggles to recruit teachers to live and work in country areas, but we cannot deduct my wife's living expenses from the gross amount I have to report. When I see politicians getting $288 living away from home allowance and all of their other perks they accept as a work entitlement we are disappointed to say the least. If Labor wins the upcoming election will the situation change for us? Somehow I think not. The politicians make the rules to suit themselves.
Peter Marsh, Shortland
A slap in face to retirees
WHAT an insult to retirees dependent on the aged pension,the battlers who have worked hard in low income jobs all their lives, paid a third of their wages in income tax, don't own their own home or have enough super to support them through their twilight years, and in a lot of cases paying more than half of their pension in rent which has skyrocketed in the past decade or so, while rent allowance has hardly moved. When is the aged pension going to be treated as an entitlement, as it is for politicians and public servants, retired police etc, and not a welfare payment.
To give these people a one-off payment of $250 to ease cost of living pressures, for how long, a week, is an absolute slap in the face, these people need long term support and deserve a lot better for the contribution and sacrifices they have made for this country throughout their working life.
Steven Busch, Rathmines
Money could be better spent
WOULDN'T it be nice if Clive Palmer spent some of his billions on helping these poor flood victims get their lives back together instead of squandering all that money on a defamation case against the Premier of WA, as well as the millions on newspaper and TV election advertising that very few people even take any notice of anyway? He would be much better thought of if he actually did something to benefit people less fortunate than himself, after all he can't, like the rest of us, take his money with him when he falls off the perch can he?
Ian King, Warners Bay
Warne out by Shane coverage
EVEN though I am sorry for the loss of Shane Warne, I am getting really, really annoyed with the length of the media's "bits" about him on the night news. He was a great cricketer but there are many people who have lost their lives this year.
What would I like instead? Well I look at some of the rumours going around eg are the areas being flooded affected by the development of housing in previously used flood plains? Is there a serious move to move Lismore homes higher up the hill, or even to build with empty areas under the house (very visible by old houses built near rivers)? Is the local council using up possible tram tracks to the suburbs with cycle tracks and new development? Why is the huge development on the promised park lands of the old rail line but lots of derelict buildings still around in Hunter street to Mayfield?
When are accidents going to be reported as a problem for the responsible person rather than emphasizing the police involved. I was taught media provided data, and finally maybe an opinion
Kathryn Bow, Wallsend
SHORT TAKES
I WOULD like to say I did not know Shane Warne at all, but I sat down and looked at his service. The highlight was the name of the stand at the end of the night. His kids talked about his life and they said all the good things they knew about him. His mates talked about him and all was in good fun. As I said I did not know him, but after looking at his service I feel I now know him more and what he has done to make this place a better place for all to know of him.
David Cox, Belmont North
WELL said Geoff Hassall. The only way this project would speed things up is if the trains don't stop at both Wyong and Tuggerah giving a saving of about three minutes, a great waste of a lazy billion straight out of the piggery.
Neil Slavin, Shortland
THE Treasurer and Prime Minister are not good at doing sums. In the budget, handed down last night, they allocated $250 to people on income support, at the same time as they gave $420 to people earning over $100,000 per annum. Not a good look to alienate 28 per cent of the voting public, and we will remember on election day.
Joan Lambert, Adamstown
SO this is normal? Another major flood in northern NSW and south east Queensland. So what do we call a major flood a month after a major flood. This is perfectly normal, are you kidding me. I am so sick of listening to climate denialists saying nothing to see here. This is climate change.
Cathy Burgess, Stockton
DEBORAH Richards' Perspectives article, (Weekender, 26/3), made me laugh, especially the black snake bit. Foolishly years ago whilst walking our dog, I stepped on a red belly black snake and was very lucky to not have been bitten! Although I was quite proud of my Olympic qualifying reverse long jump. More funnies please, Deborah.
Sandra Iceton, New Lambton Heights
JENNY Barnes, I'm currently in Adelaide and may I suggest the quickest way is to fly directly from Sydney. We used to fly Newcastle to Adelaide via Melbourne, but it's easy to get the train to the airport via Central. However, I don't know what the future holds with a ban on fossil fuels meaning the end of the air industry by 2030. If we are to save the world Adelaide will only be a destination if your last name is Flinders.
Steve Barnett, Adelaide (via Fingal Bay)
APPARENTLY Riverina growers are still crying out for fruit pickers. Vanstone's (March 31) demonstration of cherry picking ought to have rural labour hire companies beating down her door!
Rick Frost, Mallabula
THE best time to try and be silly is at the interview for your jester's licence, for that's the only way to be guaranteed the freedom to speak freely.
