First there was the incompetence of the federal government in addressing the climate emergency: "I don't hold a hose mate". Then there was the incompetence of the vaccine stroll-out: "this is not a race".
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Now we have seen more incompetence from a government that failed to recognise the economy depends on people just doing their jobs - which they can't if they're at home isolating because of COVID-19.
So Morrison and Perrottet, by putting business first and opening up to soon, have shot business (and the rest of us) in the foot. To quote John Stanford of the Australia Institute, "business can't work if people can't work". His article "Healthy humans drive the economy" in The Conversation is illuminating.
Our national security, economy and society depends on looking after people first. This means dealing with the pandemic and global heating with long term planning, ensuring food, pharmaceuticals and all vital supply chains and manufacturing are geared up to supply the necessities for people. Vaccines, rapid antigen tests, nurses, ambos, aged care workers, firefighters, emergency services workers - these are all just some of the areas where this government has failed us.
We shouldn't be surprised, when they don't value the role of government in developing long term policies in the public interest, instead prioritising the interests of big business.
Kathryn Kelly, Chifley
Cause for despair
It is rare that I agree with Dave Jeffrey (Letters, January 11). However, I do agree with him that should the Morrison government be returned, "the wailing and gnashing of teeth will be heard all over the country".
And so should the country wail and gnash. What neglect Scott Morrison displayed in preparing for the bushfires and what a lack of foresight he has displayed and continues to display in relation to COVID.
Winding back JobKeeper, the vaccine roll-out, quarantine failures, inadequate public information campaigns and now the shortage of RAT kits are just some examples.
He continues to show disdain towards calls for an integrity commission and his commitment to easing global warming is questionable.
Mr Morrison has done little to promote the interests of women and has contributed greatly to the destruction of our previously good relationship with China. And, in a real coup, he was able to antagonise the French and obfuscate the United States at the same time.
There has been no progress on reconciliation with the Indigenous community, the public service and the military are becoming increasingly politicised, and the gap between the haves and the have-nots grows at an ever accelerating rate.
The Biloela family remain in limbo and Question Time regularly descends into farce.
I won't go on. You may think I am biased.
Ken Brazel, Wright
On the other hand
I have to agree with Dave Jeffrey (Letters, January 11) regarding Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese blaming everything on Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
This is a bit rich coming from the leader of a party hoping to govern Australia who thinks the PM only has one job. His only positive contribution to the COVID-19 discussion was to propose wasting taxpayers' money to the tune of $300 for each vaccination.
One must remember the Labor Party's main ministers are the same ones who, during the Rudd/Gilliard/Rudd government, sent this country into diabolical debt and dismantled our safe borders resulting in 1200 deaths at sea and 50,000 illegal immigrants flooding our country. Many of the latter are still on welfare benefits.
Penny Wong preferred not to do anything about same sex marriage during Labor's six years in power. That was left to the Liberals.
Then look at Labor premiers in Queensland, Victoria, WA and the ACT who let their health systems run down before the pandemic and have then blamed the federal government for their failures.
If you haven't got a solution to a problem then suck it up and stop whinging. It is time for Labor - especially Albo - to do this.
Ian Pilsner, Weston
NSW policy failure
As P McCracken (Letters, December 13) points out, the $1000 fine imposed by the NSW government for not submitting a positive RAT result is a bad law because it can't be enforced.
What makes it even worse is its failure to support sensible COVID-19 policy. The law only threatens a penalty for those who undertake a RAT; a process already made difficult by scarcity and cost.
Penalising someone who doesn't report a positive result has the perverse effect of encouraging somebody who has symptoms from taking the test at all. There is, after all, no fine for not taking a test.
David Brudenall, Palmerston
Another brain fade
With a $1000 fine now on the books for testing positive on a RAT and not reporting it many workers will now not take the test and will continue to work.
What a way to go. That's how an economically driven leader overcomes pandemic induced workforce shortages.
Keith Hill, Gowrie
PM is still breathing
David Perkins (Letters, January 12) was somewhat premature in describing our PM as a political cadaver.
ScoMo's expectation that "No-Vax" Djokovic would become his "Tampa" has come true in spades thanks to the Serbian tennis star foolishly making a false declaration on his visa application.
That left him open to deportation under the terms of the Migration Act 1958.
The only cadaver in sight is that of Novak Djokovic.
Mario Stivala, Belconnen
Ignorance in action
What is it about COVID-19 that this Liberal-Nationals Coalition government doesn't understand?
People are getting seriously ill, getting long COVID and, in many cases, dying while the Deputy Prime Minister supports the "right" of an ultra-conservative LNP back bencher to tout lies and conspiracy theories.
These people occupy positions of power and, rightly or wrongly, some people will listen to them.
Where is the leadership from the Prime Minister in slapping down this unscientific drivel and deliberate misinformation?
Gary Fan, Reid
Driver beware
Bob Salmond's The Widow Makers letter (December 9) about dangerous gum trees brings to mind the huge gum branch overhanging Adelaide Avenue opposite The Lodge. That's a priority case for removal or major trimming if ever there was one, I would have thought.
I always avoid merging into the left lane until after I pass it, just in case.
Byam Wight, Kingston
Republic irrelevant
Here we go again on The Republic. Could someone, anyone, explain to the homeless young woman and her faithful dog outside the supermarket how a republic will make one scrap of difference to her plight?
And if you are looking for presidential candidates with a track record of service to the nation I suggest you start with the list of firefighting volunteers in the SES who put their lives on the line for us.
Ronald Elliott, Sandringham, Vic
Summernats' COVID impact
To what extent might the poor compliance with mask-wearing and social distancing observed at Summernats ("Was the Omicron crisis avoidable?", editorial, canberratimes.com.au, January 12) have contributed to COVID case numbers surging in NSW council areas adjacent to the ACT?
The Queanbeyan-Palerang LGA for example reported 93 cases for January 6 (pre-Summernats), followed by 143 and 204 positive PCR tests for January 10 and 11, respectively.
Sue Dyer, Downer
Truth is truth
Yes, Judith Erskine (Letters, January 12), rules are rules. But the truth is also the truth.
The PM did not break any rules with his Father's Day travel last year, despite your claim to that effect.
Both the Chief Minister and ACT Health confirmed at the time that the PM's travel had been within the applicable rules and travel exemptions for parliamentarians.
But let's not let the truth get in the way of petty political point-scoring.
Kym MacMillan, O'Malley
Call in the troops
Due to Omicron a lot of people who drive supermarket trucks are in isolation.
As a result many essential items aren't making it to supermarket shelves and buying limits are back in place right across the country.
Why not ask the highly-skilled truck drivers from the ADF to help fill the gap?
This needs to be done as soon as possible.
Malcolm Webster, Boronia, Vic
To the point
FIRST WORLD WOES
Am I the only one who is getting tired of the repetitive reports of first world problems in the media, especially the national broadcaster? Spare a thought for the millions of people in Afghanistan who can't find food, let alone paracetamol, ibuprofen or toilet paper. Toughen up, Australia. This, too, shall also pass. We're better off than most.
N Ellis, Belconnen
SHORTAGES? WHERE
Are the reports of shortages exaggerated? My little local supermarket had plenty of meat (including chicken Kievs and schnitzels), vegetables, bread, analgesics and even toilet paper on Thursday morning. The only thing they can't get are rapid antigen tests.
R Green, Jeir Creek, NSW
CHICKEN OR THE EGG?
It is interesting that at my local supermarket the other day there were plenty of eggs, but no chicken for sale. At last we have an answer to that age old question of which came first.
Rob Ey, Weston
RODENT SHORTAGE
Where's the plague of RATs when needed?
Howard Ubey, Kingston
SWISS CONSCRIPTION
An even briefer retort to John Rodriguez (Letters, January 10): of course you are quite right about Gough ending conscription in Australia. This makes his choice of Switzerland as an exemplar for how a nation defends itself even more curious. Luckily for John he lived in Australia. If he had lived in Switzerland he would have been conscripted; as those living there now still are.
Ian Pearson, Barton
NO WHITEWASH
Re "England hold on to avoid whitewash" (January 10, page 38). Sub-editor to note please. The correct term is "clean sweep"; a whitewash is a cover-up. And to be pedantic, the headline should have read: "England holds on to ..."
Don Sephton, Greenway
HISTORY IS BUNK
It's probably desirable that significant quantities of our National Archives decay and are ruined since, otherwise, parts of history might be weaponised and deployed in contemporary political debates.
Rod Matthews, Melbourne, Vic
POPE NO EXPERT
So the Pope, a childless man, has suggested couples who prefer pets to children are selfish. I think it is selfish to bring babies into an overpopulated world given the numerous catastrophic and existential threats facing humanity as succinctly explained by Bob Douglas in his article (Canberra Times, January 9).
Felicity Chivas, Ainslie
THE (EX)TERMINATOR?
I think the NSW Premier Dom has earned the title "Dumb Dom". The other day my friend called him the Terminator. He seems determined to exterminate all the NSW population.
Mokhles k Sidden, Strathfield, NSW
THE POLLEN POX
This year has been named the worst year in Canberra for asthma due to pollen. Many trees have been planted in ACT that do not normally grow in the same country or same environment. This has caused a cocktail of pollens.