Jump at chance to be cosy

HOUSING CRISIS

I AGREE with Teresa Murty (Letters, March 19). For many years in Victoria, there has been no stamp duty on the elderly downsizing to a smaller home or unit, a one-off opportunity. The State Government in Tasmania seems to have a very greedy attitude where stamp duty is concerned. Many elderly citizens would love to move into a new warm, maintenancefree unit where they can live independently for as long as possible. Most with the sale of their homes could afford to do this, freeing up larger homes for families. As always there is a problem with very few units being built, and not everyone wants to live in a retirement village. Why are builders not getting on board with this idea. Less land would be needed and the footprint would be smaller. logies and create jobs. However our governments are making it difficult to acquire trade skills. You can get a degree on credit (HECS), but a technical qualification requires cash upfront from precisely the people least able to pay it. Traditional apprenticeship has been virtually destroyed.

Health is different. With an ageing population, inflow of retirees and surge in lifestyle disease, simply building more hospital beds is going to fail. We have to get on top of lifestyle diseases and get better at keeping the chronically ill out of institutions. This requires political courage, time, money and removal of the barriers that make it impossible to work in home care without expensive qualifications. display placards and banners at our points of arrival. At airports and shipping depots to the island saying, “Please do not come to Tasmania unless you have arranged your accommodation beforehand.” It’s a disgrace we cannot get patients into a bed at the hospital and now we try to harbour those left outside in the cold at the Showground.

I was talking with a gentleman who said his lease had just expired and if he couldn’t find a place to stay or rent in two weeks he would be moving to the mainland. People are leaving the state because we have a disastrous accommodation and rental crisis. Our politicians and government must act now otherwise many more will have to leave the state.

Regulate letting

IT beggars belief that during what we all now know as a housing crisis, the Hodgman government is outright refusing to regulate the short-term letting market that is undeniably taking housing stock out of our city and suburbs. Instead, there is talk of building disaster-style shelters more commonly associated with major natural tragedies like earthquakes and cyclones.

To have people living in makeshift shelters while those with the finances to invest in property turn much-needed homes into hotels is a failure of government and a sure sign that inequality is not just growing in Tasmania, but supported and celebrated by our representatives.

Force amalgamation

THE State Government needs to step in and force amalgamations with the mandate they got at the election.

Good effort

I WOULD like to congratulate Scott Bacon, Jenny and all the wonderful volunteers for a great job. Well done people, a magnificent effort.

Well then

IF Tony Blair says the Russians are engaged in using banned biological weapons of mass deceit, then that’s all the proof I need.

Not so hospitable

MY dictionary defines hospitality as “the act of treating guests or strangers with generosity and kindness”. How the Tasmanian Hospitality Association can support poker machines anywhere is beyond belief. Their name simply does not match their mission. Perhaps a name change for the organisation is in order.