Listen to frontline medicos

I FULLY agree with the editorial that the health portfolio would have to be the very worst for any minister ( Mercury, December 18). However, bureaucracy and coverups in the Tasmanian Health Service appear to have been ongoing for a considerable period, which is totally unacceptable. What amazes me is the number of letters to this newspaper from high-profile doctors from within the health system who have been ringing alarm bells for ages as to the shortfalls of the Royal Hobart Hospital. Yes, one can certainly make lots of allowances for the current makeover of the Royal. Yet the administrators of the THS seem to turn a blind eye to these concerns and sadly patients are departing this earth as a consequence of the failure to take heed. There is no doubt the health system is in crisis mode and the challenge is for the Hodgman Government to bite the bullet, recall parliament and get the job done. And a good start is to sit up and take notice of frontline medicos.

Long weekend

I AGREE January 26 is an irrelevant date out of the range of events that occurred in early 1788 (Letters, December 7) but it may be irrelevant for a more significant reason. A poll found only 43 per cent of Australians could even identify what the date commemorated, 20 per cent thought it was the arrival of James Cook, about 15 per cent thought it was the anniversary of Federation, 7 per cent thought it marked a treaty with first nations and 2 per cent thought it commemorated a WWI battle. If more than half of Australians haven’t got a clue about its purpose, why not just change the date back to its traditional long weekend in January, which for most people marked the end of the summer holidays. That seems more Australian than the jingoistic rubbish it has become.