Turn off and reconnect

PEOPLE who invented mobile phones, iPads and the like should be charged with offences against humanity. The art of conversation and family time is slowly going the way of the dinosaur. Speaking about dinosaurs, that is what my mobile phone is but it is all I need. I can receive and make calls and texts, apart from that it has no other function or capability. I love it. Everywhere you look people are on some form of mobile media device; in the home, in the street, on transport, at work, watching TV at the same time, in restaurants,

Worrying cancer wait

DR Ginni Mansberg of the Australian Cervical Cancer Foundation was quoted as saying it was ridiculous pathology labs could not get quick access to the National Cancer Screening Register. The register is taking up to two weeks matching test results to women’s medical histories. I wonder how worrying this would be for the cervical cancer patient of the Royal Hobart Hospital classified priority 1 Urgent (which on the RHH web pages states pa-

Tourist levy on agenda

WHILE a visitor/tourist levy might not be on the agenda yet and while the best model for collecting one might need further thought ( Mercury, September 11), we need to plan. It seems reasonable to get key players together to discuss options and look at models working well elsewhere. Responses to making tourism sustainable is a topic of discussion around the world. Hobart’s next lord mayor should put this on the agenda. If we can find a way to relieve ratepayers from the increasing costs of tourism infrastructure we will be doing our job as decision-makers.