The merging wave on show
HOBART has the most courteous drivers in Australia. When sharing roads, particularly busy arterials or when roadworks occur, our drivers are the first to extend the friendship wave when merging. Letting Metro drivers leave their stops usually results in a wave and keeps them on schedule. I headed out early for two hours on back-to-school day yesterday to see traffic flows, through the city, on the bridge and at several schools and witnessed these courtesies. Sure, not everyone does it, but many of our drivers do compared to other capitals. Traffic flow results were positive with the exception of a vehicle breakdown on the Brooker Highway between 8.15am and 8.45am. The biggest delays were in the drop-off zones at schools between 8am and 8.30am where it can take 15-20 minutes to get moving again. A big thank you to Tasmania Police, and to Metro for the “travel free before 7am” program. I subject myself to public criticism when saying our peak hour is still only 30 minutes through the city, but understand the frustration of delays and traffic. There have been suggestions from election candidates surprisingly familiar to our own council traffic planners. Our council looks forward to working with the government after March 3. Any major decisions, be it light rail, ferries, wider roads, underground bus terminals or increased Metro services, are not going to happen overnight. It will take several years and results, if we start now, will benefit our children. It is vital we support the Federal Government-Hobart City Deal Heads of Agreement and I am pleased council has approved writing to the Prime Minister to support and strengthen this Agreement with our officers identifying the urgent needs of our city now and in the future. cation and assistance programs funded by profits of pokies are the only rational way to deal with addiction. Virtue signalling by Labor, Greens and JLN will do nothing to deal with the problem as research has found fewer people are frequenting the pokies and more are visiting online gambling sites. Is moving money overseas of benefit to Tasmanian workers? I think not.
People first
IN the event of a “hung parliament” is it not possible for the Governor to call leading vote winners to Government House and instruct them to form a government amongst themselves? We may end up with half decent ministers, and people we actually voted for in ministerial positions, not someone who got in on someone’s coat tails. Incumbents would be instructed to work as a team with decisions made outside of party influence. An interesting position where people are first and not the party. Any breach would be subject to dismissal and possible incarceration. The premier would be selected by the Governor and ministerial positions sanctioned by her. Wouldn’t imagine this would be popular with parties though.
Costly military gear
BUILD military equipment here (Letters, February 5)? Australia’s totally inadequate French-designed 12 submarines, due for service in the mid 2030s, will cost at least $36 billion (Australian Strategic Policy Institute estimate). India is planning to design and build their own seven stealth frigates and six nuclear powered attack submarines for $16 billion. They already have designed and built their own ballistic missile submarine.
The entire US B-2 stealth bomber program, from design and development through to flying, cost less than $60 billion and the procurement cost for each bomber is less than $1.2 billion, one-third of the cost of each of our World War II subs. And the B-2s are currently flying around our skies unseen as indeed do the nuclear submarines of various countries undetectably patrol the oceans. The suggestion Australia should make its own warplanes and warships is pure dreamland and for our politicians to pursue this fantasy only emphasises their unsuitability to govern the nation.
Vaccine funds welcome
I’M a local GP working in Huonville. I wanted to thank the Federal Government for the announcement that the lifesaving vaccine for Meningococcal W will be funded for all infants at 12 months of age under the national immunisation program from the middle of this year. This is a potentially life threatening illness that led to the hospitalisation of at least eight Tasmanians in 2017, most of them children. I am grateful this can soon be offered to all free of charge to all families of young infants that I provide care to.