Foot and mouth risk from Bali intensifies

GROCERY bills will “go through the roof” if just one case of foot and mouth disease enters the country, as Australians returning home from Bali are urged to leave their shoes behind.

Viral fragments of the highly infectious disease have been detected at Australia’s border after routine surveillance found dead virus in pork products imported from China in a Melbourne supermarket.

If the live virus enters Australia, it would decimate our cattle industry and cost the economy to the tune of $80bn.

It would also have massive implications for household grocery bills.

Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said if the disease entered Australia it would “destroy us”.

“People in the city go, it’s not really that bad. No, it’s really bad for you,” Mr Joyce told Channel 7.

“No butter, no milk, no cheese, no yoghurt, no beef, no pork, no lamb, no sausages, no mince.

“Guess what happens to your food bill?

“It goes through the roof.” Mr Joyce has questioned why travellers returning from

Bali – where there is a worrying outbreak – don’t just throw their shoes out before they board their flight home.

“Buy cheap shoes, drop them in the bin,” he said.

Opposition home affairs spokeswoman Karen Andrews went a step further and said Australia should close its border to Indonesia.

“We have to do what it takes,” she told Sky News

“Let’s not run the risk of FMD coming into Australia.”

Agriculture Minister Murray Watt on Wednesday announced new biosecurity measures designed to prevent the disease from entering the country via travellers’ shoes.

While he says the risk of a traveller bringing it in is low, Senator Watt has issued a stern warning.

“We need the travelling public to do the right thing … We need people to clean their shoes thoroughly or preferably leave them behind,” he told ABC News.

“We all have a role to play here to make sure we do stay FMD free.

“There are big fines for people, and people need to understand that we take this really seriously, and we will throw the book at people if they do the wrong thing.”

Senator Watt said if one case entered Australia, it would shut down the livestock export industry overnight.

“There will be an immediate three-day standstill to any livestock movements to try to control where the virus was first discovered,” he said.

Chief veterinary officer Mark Shipp said he was “quite confident” authorities could keep the disease from entering the country.

“We know that once it entered Indonesia it would get into Bali and spread further, and we ramped up our biosecurity efforts in response to that.”

Glenn White LTE 19/7. There are a lot of “may’s”& “might’s” in your letter. But that is the premise of the greens unicorn thinking. AS. 4814.

Living in a carrot patch, sitting in a 100 year old squatters chair, writing a political romance by dipping a feather quill pen into a pot of ink, commo’s hiding in his chook pen, wow John Mellon you really are a nasty piece of work in your put down of an old rural pensioner over 80 years of age who has the hide to write something you don’t like. How dare he! If you were a conservative who bullied an old lefty like that, social

media would have you drawn and quartered. But the left are hypocrites, zero on social media. The bully of Kelso is proof no one hates like the left. Keep going Colin Baker, you are entitled to your opinion, do not be intimidated by this bully. PEDRO CRANBROOK

SELF-CANCEL CULTURE RIFE SO SAD WHEN WE’RE AFRAID TO FLY FLAG FOR FREE SPEECH by Steve Price! What a very interesting view point! I wonder how much abuse will be filtered his way after writing that article in Tuesday paper KRIS 4817.

Scomo now tells us ‘Don’t trust governments’. Isn’t that obvious after he left us in a smoking ruin. BILLY, WULGURU

All these young crims in Townsville people are wondering what to do with them. Townsville has one of the biggest army base in the country. Why not send these young bloody crims up to Harvey Range with the army and get them doing something for this country. Make them work with the army get these crims to give back to this community and country get them to pay back what they are damaging and stealing make them work for the army. Work the crims all day and I guarantee the last thing they would want to do is roam around at night looking to steal. That will knock the sting out of them. Make them work and the army is the best place for them. Make them give back to this Community and Country. Common sense. CAS VINCENT

If councillor Tully from Ipswich CC cannot remember events from a decade ago then maybe he shouldn’t be a councillor, but an inmate in a dementia ward. Prison with his disgraced pal Pappali would be a more just outcome me thinks. RAY, HUGHENDEN.

Hi Editor. Does anyone know why the Australian flag missing from the “gateway” roundabout on Nathan Street (near the hospital)? I love our flag flying there. JOEY, TOWNSVILLE

Here is a thought For all those people who think they are too tough for the virus, and think it will bypass them and go to somebody else. Have a thought for all the medical staff that have to treat you. Grow up, mask up, and consider somebody else. DEMO KIRWAN

With the resurgence of the pandemic, record hospital admissions and eighteen Queensland deaths in the last twenty-four hours, it would be interesting to know the national total and ratio of vaccinated to unvaccinated. W WENCK, C’JONG.

Ron, Kelso – big talk given you’ve never managed to refute me. Name an international trip that Albo should have skipped. STEVE, BELGIAN GARDENS

Jim Chalmers is continuously complaining about the previous Govts’ spending. It was his party (in opposition) who continuously complained about not spending enough during the Virus. It is now time to move forward Sir & STOP UR COMPLAINING ABOUT THE MISTAKES OF OTHERS. The Ball is in your hands! Do your magic! DJ KELSO

Just watching Treasurer Jim Chalmers on TV. He was explaining being unable or unwilling to interfere in the obvious pricegouging by fuel companies, particularly in regional Australia. So, how come Anastasia Palaszczuk and her cronies can help themselves to 40% of coal companies “excess” profits? DAVE AITKENVALE

JJ Wulguru. Parliament resumes shortly, meanwhile our three silent Muppets fiddle while Miss Piggy puts her snout in the air, clueless about the Covid billions. CARL FRIES, PIMLICO.