RECENTLY there have been a number of stop-work and protest meetings of nurses and midwives and many letters in support of their actions.
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I wish I were a little more optimistic about the outcome of their efforts.
Few, if any, professions require the degree of empathy and altruism displayed daily by the overwhelming majority of nurses. Governments of all persuasions have always known this, and have traded on their compassion for their patients to consistently require them to do more with less.
It's true that the only way to seriously get the attention of politicians who prioritise the economy over people is to withdraw labour, which is what's happening. But anyone who knows a nurse knows just what this is costing nurses in terms of worrying about neglecting patients, agonising about what's happening in their wards during their absence, and just plain free-floating guilt. Meanwhile, the pollies are agonising mainly about the political cost on the eve of an election.
That's why strikes in this profession happen so rarely, don't last very long, and probably end with a sigh of relief from all concerned. A week or more would be required to make any impact on our political masters, who would grit their teeth and spin like mad; but the nurses themselves would crack first, victims of their own compassion.
Political parties of all colours must take note of the general public's growing disgust with "couldn't care less" capitalism, its disdain for the vulnerable in our society, and the poverty of its discredited "trickle down" economic promise. Sadly we've run out of time before the federal election for policy tweaking.
Greg Cussan, Toronto
Our lake's not a racetrack
CALL me what you like, including a stick in the mud or a spoil sport, but I cannot and do not share the same sentiments or even vision for our exquisite lake as those of the mayor of Lake Macquarie Council, the "fast and loud" Kay Fraser.
I grew up on the lake and have lived and breathed its beautiful waters all my life. I have fished, swum, boated, picnicked near, walked around and gone to school on its shores. It is part of me and I believe I am part of it.
That is why it hurts me to have the weekend's boat races taking place on its waters, races that no doubt pollute with noise, but also disturb and distress all manner of marine life including the shoreline and bird life.
Start thinking and thinking hard, Lake Macquarie Council. The lake has given us so much and we need to start giving back by way of care and protection.
You have it in your power to be a council with environmental vision concerning this wonderful asset. As far as I am concerned, turning the lake into a racetrack should not be part of that vision.
Julie Robinson, Cardiff
Online polling gets my vote
THE security of personal voting in Australia is ludicrous.
Take for instance the information one is required to provide when voting, such as, your name, postal address and DOB (all readily available these days). One is also asked "have you already voted?" If one had already voted, why would one be there again or if one was illegally voting for a second time, or more, would they say so?
With the above information provided one does not have to prove that the person intending to vote is actually the person on the electoral roll. For instance, one can go to other voting places in the electorate and vote again, after already being manually marked off the roll originally. The Federal Electoral Commissioner revealed that in the 2016 federal election 18,343 people voted multiple times and not one was prosecuted.
Surely, with all the current computer security systems available, it would not be that difficult to make our voting system more secure and start ensuring voting fraud is mandatory to punish? Perhaps secure online voting is a stretch too far?
John Cooper, Charlestown
Walk a mile on minimum wage
MY rational brain says that the proposal of tax cuts across the board that give nurses about a $650 tax rebate increase and high income politicians a $10,000 rebate solves nothing.
Researching incomes, 20 per cent of Australians are on low to minimum wage - less than $50,000pa for the household.
Now the tax-free threshold is $18,200 for incomes for all taxpayers. Handouts are very short term and hold no real benefit for the recipients or the economy. Without employers having to pay for increased wages, raising the tax free threshold to perhaps $25,000 for only low income people, for example, households earning $40,000-$50,000, would give them a $2000-$3000 rebate.
The effect of this or some similar policy on the economy could possibly be an answer to some extent.
When we have so many of our citizens so poorly off there should be more we can do. The smaller businesses, and so called self employed who get little or no support because they do not fit the pigeon holes our system demands continue to be unheard and suffering.
Homelessness and underemployment are not accounted for with our so-called brilliant economic recovery as reported in the press.
The unemployment figures are as rubbery as a cheap tennis ball. Forty years ago government figures stated you were unemployed when you worked less than 15 hours a week. Now it is one hour a week, or even if you are doing unpaid volunteer work.
Finding ways to adjust a system to support one fifth of our population now living in dire circumstances.
Should you wish to imagine paying rent, eating and going to a minimum wage job, set your weekly budget to $800 per week for one, two, three weeks then decide if you can truly feel support for these people.
Lyn Rendle, Rankin Park
Want nuclear waste in your yard?
HEY Stevo, saw your post in the Herald last week, ("Nuclear is the only answer", Letters, 12/5).
As a man of the nuclear persuasion, can I ask you to donate the corner of the backyard as a geological disposal facility?
Our UK brothers are also embarking on a nuclear reactor expansion and seem to be struggling. I think we all agree with them that temporary storage (now 60 years on) needs to be underground. They seem to think it's going to take 15 to 20 years to just get a suitable site and design. I mean, how difficult is it to dig down 600m then backfill and pat with the back of a shovel?
Their $53 billion cost seems a bit rich, surely there would be some things from Bunnings. Also, I see no reason we need to be able to dig it up or look at it. They're saying it needs to be checked for 100 thousand years; they're joking - after you move house or sell, who's going to know, and we aren't about to live that long anyhow? Not to mention the time wasted and unnecessary cost.
If you're up for it, let me know. I can put in a few arvos as well. Might be able to sell it to the Poms. Thanks, mate.
Paul Duggan, Garden Suburb
SHORT TAKES
I RECALL former Liberal PM Malcolm Turnbull and his policy on affordable housing. He told young people in Australia who were struggling to buy a house, to borrow the money from their parents. PM Scott Morrison told those struggling to pay the rent, if that's the case then they should buy a house. Shades of, "no bread, then let them eat cake".
Dennis Petrovic, Rutherford
AFTER watching the life story of the president of Ukraine on TV, I was wondering if we could swap our prime minister for him. He seems like the sort of leader we need. Got rid of corruption with an ICAC.
Ray Dean, Thornton
IN my opinion, people considering voting for the newly minted so-called teal independents might as well just vote for Labor because they are only campaigning in marginal Liberal seats. Their motive is pretty obvious as well as the fact that they won't say which party they intend to side with, it seems to me that voting for them is like a lucky dip; you don't know what you are going to get until after the election. A big risk!
Ian King, Warners Bay
FAIR enough the Jets haven't made the playoffs, but our near neighbours CCM have, yet the Saturday night sport report on NBN again had no mention of the A League finals. The A League seems to be like ScoMo; over - gone and soon to be forgotten.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
YOUR choice on Saturday; ScoMo without his bulldozer or Albo, the man with a hundred plans.
Alan Harrison, Glendale
I WILL be voting Labor next Saturday, so that the Murugappan family can return to their home, friends, and jobs in Biloela. The shame of it all.
Richard Ryan, Summerland Point
THE only ones who can think that the ABC could have a hand in any election, are noisy wallets who want to get rid of it.
Dave Wilson, Bar Beach
SCOTT Morrison returned to Newcastle, ("Battle rages on in Hunter", Herald, 12/5). Wow, really? Why? Didn't he learn his lesson last time?
Adz Carter, Newcastle
GRAHAM Kime's statement, "There isn't a single person on this planet who isn't concerned about global warming" ("Renewables can't cope right now", Letters, 14/5), apart from being a double negative is gross overreach. There are many things people should be concerned about. The imaginary beliefs of others are interesting but of no concern. Mankind throughout history has believed the most astounding things, until they learned otherwise.