Worth listening to this man

JOHN Kelly’s development of the State Cinema created the jewel in the crown of North Hobart. The State Cinema attracts a wide demographic who appreciate the wide range of films, the relaxed style and elegance of the State Cinema.

As president of North Hobart Traders Association Mr Kelly has highlighted the parking problems of North Hobart that are adversely affecting all businesses in the area. Will the Hobart City Council act on this advice from a person who has clearly demonstrated his understanding of how to succeed in business?

Elizabeth Osborne North Hobart

Listen to prison warning

PETER Hoult’s letter about underfunding of Risdon prison and the significant cost of operating a reasonably resourced prison built at Westbury was informative, and timely (Letters, November 15), as yesterday’s report makes clear, Risdon prison remains under resourced (“Prisons failed to predict demand,” Mercury, November 20). Doubtless, readers will recall regular criticism of the inadequate resourcing of the Risdon prison by unions and others in recent years. Why would a prison built at Westbury be different?

R.J. Walker Moonah

Wild trout special

I READ “Trout, choppers, no easy fix” (Letters, November 18) with interest. Trout are part of what makes Tasmania’s pristine WHA great, a fantastic wild fishery. Tasmanian anglers will strongly resist any attempt to lessen or degrade the status of our Tasmanian wild brown trout by any group, organisation or political party. Trout fishers will not let the status of our magnificent trout be eroded like it has been with our wild fallow deer.

S. Broadby Bellerive

Step up for kids

ANOTHER Global Climate Strike has been called for November 29, but our kids are in the middle of exams so cannot take it on. Why should they do all the heavy lifting — aren’t we leaving them enough trouble? Let’s step up as grandparents (and parents, aunties, uncles, teachers etc) and support them by running this strike with them and turning out.

As a GP, even if there were not the difficulties at the Royal Hobart Hospital, I know early intervention is best. We can keep people out of hospital with good preventive care, but how about our planet? We are almost out of time for intervention in the climate emergency and this is beyond politics. Action is our only hope. Come with me to Parliament Lawns at 12.30pm and send a strong message that we are really worried about our grandchildren’s futures. We will not accept treating our protests as worse than causing grievous bodily harm or grand theft.

Clare Smith Glebe

Riders and drivers, unite

READER Gordon Williams hits the nail on the head (Letters, November 20). We will never remove cyclists from roads, just as we will never remove cars. Motorists and cyclists should be united in advocating for better cycling infrastructure, creating a safer environment for people on bikes and better traffic flow for people in cars. Why not legislate at state and council level that every new road and road upgrade throughout the state must prioritise safe bicycle lanes as part of the project?

Wesley Sparks Moonah

Face-offs and insults

SUE Hickey’s Talking Point hits several nails on the head with one masterful blow (“Small House equals smaller ideas,” November 20). Wedging, putting party interests before the public interest, all MPs to toe the party line whatever they or their constituents think is right, overloaded therefore inefficient ministers, all add up to small ideas and incompetent legislation. Part of the problem is certainly the shrunken House but beyond that Sue questions the Westminster system, where government and opposition face off and instead of debating issues in the public interest, as was the intention, hurl insults in shouting matches in behaviour that wouldn’t be tolerated in other institutions.

But there are alternatives, New Zealand’s multi-party system being a shining example, as Sue points out. Other examples are some Scandinavian systems and the use of citizens’ assemblies. The truly sad thing is that those who could fix our system are the very ones who are least likely to do it: our party politicians.

John Biggs Sandy Bay

Green men more likely

FOR decades, headlines have espoused joyous revelations of bridges, cable cars, monorails, tunnels, footy teams, hospitals, ferries, you name it, and I won’t even mention Macquarie Point. Yet here we are, less than nine weeks from the dawning of 2020 and what do we see? Traffic gridlock, council and water rates increasing way beyond inflation, stupid parking meters, obscene hospital waiting lists, housing chaos, division everywhere, as unfunded public service superannuation and pension schemes and politician and council salaries grow fatter and fatter, while none of the projects see the light of day. I reckon they’ll discover little green men on Mars before any of these headlines get entered into the Tassie scorebook as facts. I’ll certainly never live to see either event!

Steve Bailey Glenorchy