Bungling Premier puts us all at risk
HOW do you define risk?
Call me overcautious, but I’ve got some non-negotiables; I’ll never go bungee jumping, hot air ballooning, scuba diving, parasailing, or skydiving.
But I’ve added another item to the list, and that’s ‘visiting Sydney,’ because what on earth is going on down there?
For those into Covid press conferences, and especially those who followed the daily updates of the horrendously long Victorian lockdown last year, there is a format. The Premier walks out, and begins proceedings with the number of new cases reported in the previous 24 hours.
Obviously, it’s a bad day when the total is more than the day before; but once the peak has passed and there’s a steady, diminishing decline down to zero or ‘Doughnut Day’, it’s like watching your footy team finally win a game.
‘Zero cases’ is a cause for celebration, because with so many people unable to get vaccinated due to eligibility and supply issues, suppression has been the name of the game. So it’s been two parts eye-popping and one part jawdropping to observe the leader of the rogue state of New South Wales not only have the nerve to criticise states like Queensland and Victoria, which enforced tough restrictions, but put their hard-won freedoms at risk. I had a trip to Sydney booked for August, a week of birthday celebrations and catch-ups, a footy match.
Counting down the weeks, the anxiety started when the mates I was going to be staying with told me they’d had a Hazmat-suited bloke knock on their door to say that he needed to spray the outside
of their building. Turned out the removalists that transported Covid down to Victoria had moved their neighbour from across the street, so until their tests came back negative, they were in lockdown.
But despite this fast-growing cluster, shopping centres were still open, parks were packed, masks weren’t mandated and beaches and supermarkets were a free-forall. Here in Townsville, with my birthday trip edging closer, I shouted at the TV daily – ‘for the love of god, Gladys – lock the place down!’ Egged on by the PM, who with Clive Palmer had threatened
to sue the West Australian government over its lockdown, the Premier could hardly go down the route she had criticised the Victorian Premier for taking, so we were treated to ‘How not to manage a pandemic 101.’
The Berejiklian ‘mockdown’ saw infections spread from Sydney to the Covid-free ACT, the Doughnut-celebrating Vics, a horrified South Australia, Queensland’s southeast, and pristine Tasmania, Northern Territory, and New Zealand.
But did the NSW Premier take any responsibility? Surely you jest.
While two weeks of hard lockdown would have prevented this entire fiasco, press conferences simply shifted to praise and vaccination statistics, and on Thursday, with their highest infection rate yet, the Premier relaxed rules to allow outdoor gatherings. With Townsville’s current Covid-free lifestyle allowing us enviable freedoms, the PM can bully states with withheld funding threats all he likes, but a ‘70 per cent fully vaccinated’ target factors in 10 daily deaths. So thanks, but no thanks, Sydney; love you, but long distance.
The Cowboys club need a major clean out and it has to start at the board, any member who agreed on paying a player a million dollars for ten years without a performance clause needs to step down. Then the coaches starting with Payten one of the worst performances the club has had 10 losses and possibly it may turn to 12. For a coach to say we can’t run Taumalolo for 80 minutes in case he burns out is a joke. He is getting 1 million and underperforming, he hasn’t performed since his contract went to 1 million and that goes for Valentine Holmes. The forward coach needs sacking, the forwards are hopeless, then the defence coach needs sacking, there is only one player who tackles his heart out and that is Jake Granville and in the last game he gets 29 minutes, call yourself a coach Todd you are a joke. And to top it off the fitness coach hasn’t got the players fit so he has to go. I know several spectators who have been there for in excess of 20 years they are not renewing and there will be many more. Todd you need to take a leaf out of Bellamy’s book he is a coach who turns nobodies into super stars and Todd you turn superstars
into nobodies. We have a beautiful stadium without a decent team. WM 4812
Good on Mr Seaton for speaking up and out against the kid crime problem! He’s 100% right that they are getting off too lightly and the parents and guardians should be held accountable! Change has to start within a community … thank you Mr Seaton for standing up and speaking out! ANN, DOUGLAS
Assistant Police Commissioner Cheryl Scanlon has always known which side her bread is buttered on, she will be the driving force in assisting this government in effectively making Qld a police state. CARL FRIES, PIMLICO.
Lavarack Golf Club, interesting to see Les Walker calling out Phil Thompson. Seems to be some confusion between the Dept of Transport & Main roads and the Federal Dept of Defence as to this development and who actually instigated it.? As usual the old Diggers will miss out! OLEGIRL JENSEN.
The letter from Prof Wolanski predicts a danger for our regions, rugby union for our City may jeopardise the people due to Covid19 influx from interstate, little infrastructure for a population boost and more. Where is the commonsense and leadership for our future wellbeing?
M J REYNOLDS MT LOUISA
How inspiring are the athletes competing at the Paralympics! Against so many obstacles, they are doing what they love & excelling! Truly amazing to watch, gives me goosebumps. Swimming with missing limbs!!! Wow!!!! – so in awe of what they have achieved! CC 4810
What chance has this city got when even the assistant commissioner says that breach of bail won’t work. I guess the same young criminals will keep doing crimes and laughing at the police and why wouldn’t they, there’s nothing to deter them. If you’re serious about the crime rate and want to get change build a new prison and get them off the streets . What a joke. BLU KIRWAN