Experience is good
Good health is the top priority
WITH a state election on the horizon, it is disappointing that the Premier and some ministers have resorted to personal attacks on Labor Leader Rebecca White, suggesting she is “inexperienced”.
The record shows that Ms White has actually been in Parliament since 2010, including the four years up to 2014 when Labor was in Government in Tasmania.
Although Will Hodgman has been in Parliament for 15 long years, for most of that time he was in opposition, so has only had three years experience in actually running the state.
The supposed “experience” of the Liberal team did not help to prevent the salmon farmers turning Macquarie Harbour at Strahan into an environmental disaster. And there was certainly no experience or good judgment on display when they tried to sell the Tamar Valley Power Station, with our dams at rock bottom and the state in a prolonged period of drought. The ongoing poor management of the Tasmanian health system is another glaring example of how the community is being shortchanged, with scathing criticism of the many serious problems by the AMA, the Nurses Federation and even the State Coroner. Any government that we elect to office is expected to deliver basic services in an efficient, sensible and cost effective manner, without secrecy, coverups, political grandstanding or unwarranted personal sniping at the Opposition. With an early election now expected in the spring, the time is fast running out for the Hodgman team to really get its act together. themercury.com.au readers have a new way to have their say. It’s free to use, just register and have your say. For more details and to register, visit the website.
Listen to the people
I AM a Liberal supporter but do not support the Government’s views on forests.
I believe that my vote does not give them a mandate on all matters. Perhaps this is why even I am looking at voting independent and I support 100 per cent the independence of our Upper House.
Our current government needs to start listening to the views of Tasmanians.
Stewardship is key
CLEARLY Resources Minister Guy Barnett belongs to that branch of conservative Christianity that still believes in Dominionism.
This worldview derives from the passage in Chapter One of the Book of Genesis where the Creator gives man dominion over all living creatures plus the environment, inviting us to subdue it and in addition to go forth and multiply.
Today we can no longer afford to do this, whatever we did in the past.
We are facing widespread species extinction, there are seven billion of us living on a finite planet and there are few areas of wilderness left.
The emphasis today is on stewardship, not destruction, which sadly Dominionists do not understand. Wilderness areas are precious which is why we need to preserve them for future generations.
The Upper House obviously does understand this even if the Liberals in the House of Assembly prefer to play political games and remain locked in the past.
Reality check
EVEN after chemical warfare on innocent human beings by Syria, and trying to do what’s right, people are still condemning the US and Donald Trump. A saying goes, “the world’s major superpower has the responsibility to be the worlds police’’. And until the toothless UN changes its mandate from peacekeepers to a global police force, unfortunately that’s the way it will be.
Times are tough
MALCOLM Fraser was known for the quote, “Life wasn’t meant to be easy”. What will come from today’s PM? “Life is to drain the cup of misery and toil under its affliction” or “the frown of fortune is to roll the stone of Sisyphus”? Life can be easy, if you know the way to power, like Turnbull.
Second coming
IS Sarah Heald (Letters, June 15) suggesting David Walsh is the new Messiah? Even he would blush.
Amalgamations due
MELBOURNE’S 32 councils down to one supercouncil. Tasmania 29 councils going nowhere. Take note Mr Gutwein, fly over and see how it’s done.
Bible lesson
IF Peter Jones (Letters, May 29) and others can prove that Jesus taught anything else but his father’s love for one another, then I’ll stop believing.