SMALL STEP AT A TIME

LIKE a toddler standing on shaky legs and about to take a step, today our economy starts learning to walk again.

Gold Coasters might feel like partying bigtime today as the easing of restrictions, introduced to flatten the curve of the pandemic, extends in small measure to bars and restaurants, with patrons allowed back in – but only under strict guidelines.

However, we have to walk before we can run. There might be a spring in everyone’s step today, but this is not the green light to go crazy. People might be growing tired of the warning but we will repeat it again: let’s not stuff this up.

The further easing of restrictions is about confidence. What is happening in the range of restaurants and bars that choose to open for in-house service, from finedining venues to those serving up fine pub nosh, is highly symbolic rather than an immediate fix for our tourism economy.

It is a signal that we are stepping back from the brink, that our economy needs rebooting and this is just a first, cautious step in doing so. It is an indicator that our hospitality sector, one of the major pillars and employers in Gold Coast tourism, is reawakening.

These past few months have seemed an eternity for businesses – big and small – and the thousands who have lost their jobs, have reduced work hours, or are parked in limbo, employed in name only and clinging to Canberra’s financial lifeline that is keeping their jobs and bosses’ businesses afloat in the stormy seas whipped up by the coronavirus, if only in the short term. We all know the bucket of money will run out, so it is vital that the economy starts moving again.

But on the other hand, we also know that if the coronavirus does get itself firmly established in Australia and a feared second wave occurs, the pain of these recent months and the impact on the economy, already languishing with the unemployment rate rising toward a forecast 10 per cent, will be significantly worse.

As the world searches for a vaccine – and the stakes are high, with criminals or unfriendly nations trying to hack into the quality research being undertaken in Australia and elsewhere – what has been demonstrated is that social distancing and stringent hygiene practices actually work.

Gold Coasters must be sensible. They have the nod to go out and about, to enjoy a meal and a social drink provided they have been able to secure a coveted spot, but they should keep observing the 1.5m distancing and keep washing their hands.

We all want the economy back on its feet. We all want our families and friends back in work. And we all want our children back at school being taught by education professionals and loving being reunited with their friends. Let’s not stuff it up.

RELAX Tim Mander, you might think that chaos and confusion reign supreme in our State Labor Government (GCB, 13/5/20) but rest assured, everything is under control.

Cameron Dick is taking his big bazooka to the ninety billion dollar State debt whilst, at the same time, negotiating to purchase an airline.

Kate Jones is tackling tourism with a Crocodile Dundee knife and Steven Miles is no doubt working on a name change for the State in order to save us millions (a la Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital).

Overseeing this merry little band, Annastacia Palaszczuk will continue to take orders from the union movement on both Government policy and ministerial appointments.

What could possibly go wrong?

GAVIN HARPER, HOPE ISLAND

IT came as no surprise that a letter that set out to praise Alan Jones was mostly made up of a criticism of a woman and was written by a man.

The woman targeted in the letter was NZ PM Jacinda Ardern.

The letter writer, Howard Hutchins (HH) was clearly a devoted fan of Mr Jones and as such had acquired one of his hero’s trademark tendencies – criticising and denigrating women.

One wonders how many other regional papers HH had written to from his home in Victoria or whether he’s singled out the Gold Coast as the sole target for his Alan love & Jacinda contempt?

Let us not forget what a divisive character Alan Jones can be and how many of his fiery tirades have landed him in trouble over the years. In fact he has breached the media regulator’s standards more than any other broadcaster this decade.

He is famous for insulting many people but one of his more recent ones was an appalling comment he directed at Ms Ardern when he called on Scott Morrison to “shove a sock down (her) throat”.

This has been widely criticised as misogynistic and disrespectful.

HH however added insult to injury by announcing that where the NZ PM was concerned, he gave Morrison “permission” to “put a bloody great big sock in it” on his behalf.

In one hit he compounded Jones’ insult and added his own.

He failed to mention that Jones was forced to apologise on-air.

No mention was made, of course, of any of Ardern’s impressive achievements such as her widely acclaimed leadership skills, most notably in light of the Christchurch massacres and her handling of the COVID-19 crisis in her country.

But then Alan Jones wouldn’t have praised her either.

Jones’ retirement from radio has been greeted by many with jubilation

HH might miss him in the future but I can assure him many won’t, in fact they’ll be saying “good riddance”.

YVETTE DEMPSEY, CARRARA

HOW hypocritical of the State Greens to suggest that they would substantially raise taxes and royalties on coal and LNG when they have spent years and millions arguing that we shouldn’t be mining and exporting coal!

BILL TURNER, HOPE ISLAND

READ with utter dismay the letter published Thursday, May 14 concerning bats.

The shamelessly uninformed comments and baseless correlations sadly perpetuate and incite ignorance and misinformation about a keystone species.

Reckless demonisation of bats, a protected native species, is ecologically and morally criminal, and only serves to underscore a wantonly myopic failure of reason and understanding.

In the 21st century, verifiable information and research is at our fingertips, so we are much better placed than in earlier times to understand this species’ biology and their vital ecological niche.

The massive impact upon bats and their habitat from humans is undeniable. Blatantly inaccurate demonisation never helps.

We owe our children a legacy that is based on education and protecting our ecological balance and integrity.

LEONARD FITZPATRICK, ROBERTSON

ISN’T it ironic and rather amazing that Titans footballer Bryce Cartwright has suddenly produced evidence from a doctor that in the past he suffered complications after an injection and hence cannot be expected to get a flu jab?

With his considerable salary on the line, one wonders why this ‘evidence’ wasn’t produced earlier.

After all, he’s argued for weeks that he was an anti-vaxxer and was not prepared to bow to the demands of the NRL.

All this smells of something I cannot quite put my finger on!

KEN JOHNSTON, ROCHEDALE STH

QUEENSLAND Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has delayed the opening of schools against the Prime Minister and Chief Health Minister’s advice that it is safe for students to return to school. Why?

Would it be that education results in Queensland have been deteriorating? Would it be that the Premier and Minister want to blame COVID-19 for any diminishing results at the end of the year?

Students have been compromised over the past couple of decades so do not use this virus for the education department’s failures.

BEV PRESCOTT, ATHERTON