Spare spot right there

Ghost jet robbery

IT just goes to show how out of touch our politicians are when it comes to squandering taxpayer dollars. Sending empty ghost flights to pick up our VIP politicians at a cost of about $20,000 a flight is nothing less than highway robbery to the hardworking Australian taxpayer. An astronomical, appalling figure of at least $365,000 was squandered on ghost flights around Australia ( Mercury, October 8). It beggars belief that an empty jet can be dispatched to Darwin or Perth to pick up VIP politicians like Malcolm Turnbull, Barnaby Joyce or Bill Shorten. If this was a humanitarian mission or an effort to save lives it would be acceptable. There needs to be an independent integrity commission in place or a watchdog to see this wasteful squandering does not continue. you will be inspired like I was when I visited Mona. A dive wreck is as good as Mona and look what that has done for Tasmania. AS all the bad news regarding our health system keeps hitting the paper I can’t help but wonder why the heck the Government didn’t use the spot being used by UTAS to construct the art school facilities for a new hospital wing. This would have meant no need to close wards until the new area was completed and the wing that has been demolished could still have been done so without all the chaos and bed shortages. It is a constant cause of confusion for me. An air bridge could have linked the two new sections and voila, a whole new hospital.