This freebie is not so enticing

Everyone loves a freebie.

Imagine if someone offered you a free house... only no one else wanted it and it was in a deserted, undesirable town. Would you take it? Doesn’t sound like a great offer, does it?

If you could get a free wedding, all expenses paid…only it’s to someone you really don’t like, would you go ahead with it? I doubt it.

Does the government really think that the offer of a free university course is going to entice young people to study nursing?

Will people really sign up, just because it’s free? Even though it will lead to a job that is underpaid, undervalued, involves long hours, stress and exhaustion, with burnout common.

The reasons for the nursing shortage need to be addressed. Conditions need to be improved. Otherwise, this problem will just get worse.

Megan Woolfe, Warragul

Losses before donations

I refer to the article, “Community benefits from clubs’ donations” (Gazette, 4/10) $186,000 has been donated to local community organisations by the Warragul Country Club, the Warragul Downtowner, and the Club Hotel over recent months.

This includes $135,000 from the Club Hotel to the Warragul Industrials Football Netball Club. Funny sort of community donation. Sounds more like a commercial arrangement between the Club Hotel and the football netball club. Did the Club Hotel give money to any other organisation?

The amounts given are a tiny fraction of the money gained by the clubs from poker machine losses.

The latest figures from the Victorian Gaming and Casino Control Commission (year ending June 2022) show that players at Warragul venues lost a combined total of $12.95 million on poker machines.

That is from Warragul, excluding Drouin - in one year. This drain from our general community wealth has serious economic effects on the general prosperity of the town, to say nothing of the personal stress, depression, crime, family violence, and suicide that are the all-too-familiar accompaniments of poker machine gambling. And in return the clubs hand back a token pittance to the community.

I wonder what the board members of these clubs think of all of this?

Jim Connelly, Warragul

People power wins

Wow! I am flabbergasted! Two weeks ago the Victorian health minister said we are not going to get a new hospital? Now according to Daniel Andrews we are.

A case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?

Or a case of the truth hurts that he is staring down the barrel of a hung parliament with independents holding the reigns of power?

It wasn’t a case of money as he just borrows it if he didn’t have anything in the kitty to finance his pet product ($167 billion debt so far).

No, the writing is on the wall and the people of Baw Baw Shire were up in arms and let him know it.

Congratulations to everyone who did not take no for an answer. People power at its finest.

Now we have to keep the blood and thunder going to make sure he does not renege on his promise.

Roger Marks, Drouin

Consider your vote

I welcome the announcement last Monday by the Premier that only Labor will fully fund a new hospital at Drouin East.

The Liberals have not promised a fully funded hospital. Their promise included a conditional $200 million from the Federal Government that could never be confirmed or delivered.

The Federal Government has never given anything close to $200 million anytime in the state’s history to a Victorian hospital.

I believe health care is one of the most important issues for our community. Please consider this when you vote on November 26.

Christine Maxfield, Drouin East

On the waiting list

Last week’s Gazette reported with delight, Daniel Andrews’ promise of a hospital for West Gippsland. He’s made such promises before. In the 2018 election campaign, Daniel Andrews promised hospitals for Geelong and Melton. Four years later, construction on these hospitals hasn’t even commenced.

So, I ask, will we get our hospital before or after Geelong and Melton, which are Labor seats?

If Daniel Andrews’ previous promises are anything to go by, we will be waiting a long time before any hospital comes our way.

Election promises are easily made. After four years Geelong and Melton are still waiting.

Julie Gillam, Drouin

Gold standard lost

I am writing because I am concerned at the mess, our once gold standard health system is now in.

Quite apart from the ambulance ramping and 000 call centre fiasco, it seems our beloved premier is more interested in playing with his train sets in Melbourne, than ensuring Victorians have access to high quality hospital care.

Look at the Warragul Hospital, for instance. It is over 80 years old and when I last visited it, it was a rabbit warren.

The populations of Drouin and Warragul have increased an annual growth rate of 28 per cent and 11 per cent annually, compared to the state’s average of 2.4 per cent , due to people fleeing Melbourne after the lockdowns. So it is understandable how it struggles to cope.

Dan’s vaunted city railway loop, initially costed at $50 billion has now been shown to actually end up costing $125 billion. Imagine if just $1 billion of this overspend was spent on each of the Gippsland hospitals.

While we’re at it, imagine if experienced hospital staff, who have been prevented from working due to the vaccine mandate, were allowed back to work.

- what would happen to the staff shortages we are now currently experiencing? Dan has been a disaster for Victorians’ health. In November it’s time to give someone else a go.

I will be voting this time for local Gippslander

Greg Hansford, for Eastern Victoria in the upper house. Greg understands well, the issues, concerns and problems facing people in the Gippsland region and is willing to fight strongly for Gippslanders.

Pamela Howden, Traralgon

Challenge the hypocrisy

Should the Federal Government scrap the Coalition’s promised tax cuts?

The Liberals wedged Labor to support them, and now even Liberals like our very own Russell Broadbent are saying they should be scrapped.

Of course nothing would make the Opposition happier than the government scrapping them, I can hear the the outrage over broken promises already.

So where to now? If the Opposition is genuine about helping the economy they could simply move that the tax cuts be abandoned.

That would enable the best outcome for Australians without wedging the government. The ball is in Peter Dutton’s court.

Nicholas Peck, Trida

Election bribery

As of Saturday, October 8 I have received eight phone offers by a company accredited to the Victorian government for a “free” electric hot water system for which I don’t qualify.

It represents blatant and repeated pre-state election bribery by the Andrews regime.

If the premier seeks electoral endorsement he should recall his previous addiction to the expansionist Chinese Belt and Road initiative and invoke the Chinese Communist Party who have previously complimented him.

But would they describe him as “a man of the people.”