Your Views: Letters to the Editor
This week, InDaily readers respond to Mike Smithson’s opinion column on Premier Peter Malinauskas starting to feel the “winter chill”.
Responding to The Premier starts to feel the winter chill as storms brew
Ambulance, health service/nurses’ unions all need to be called out for their political campaign in aid of Malinauskas at the last state election.
All carried on big time about ramping, all campaigned against Marshall’s Lib govt, even the media was calling for the health minister’s head.
Well … hear this, folks, ALP and affiliated union clones have FAILED. Ramping has only increased under Malinauskas, so I will call for his resignation and that of the union officials involved. – Grant Petras
Thank you for a balanced article. Yes, seemingly hubris is emerging with our state government.
Personally, I hope the proposed second tower does not proceed. The precinct by Parliament House, Government House, etc, is uniquely Adelaide – let’s keep some authenticity of our beautiful city and not pollute that area with an out-of-character building.
You should have mentioned Planning Minister Champion’s comments on ABC, suggesting anyone opposing the government’s progressive agenda was negative. Arrogance from a “lifer politician” who rides on the back of workers’ rights – pity about voters’ opinions and rights. It would have been appropriate for Minister Champion to say, “Let them eat cake”. Maybe life in the citadel of power has tainted his memory that he, too, is just one of us ordinary people! – David Everitt
I find myself continually disappointed with the actions of Premier Peter Malinauskas. He continues to make his bold “Captain’s Call” decisions in spite of the calls of concern from the community. Of further disappointment and concern is that his well-scripted and delivered responses to these concerns seem immune to proper scrutiny and challenge, regardless of how many holes can be shot through the position that the Labor Government is taking. Is mainstream media paying enough attention? Is there insufficient budget these days for the extent of investigative journalism required to work through the spin?
The article from Mike Smithson is good… but there’s more to the stories told and the many stories that are untold in this article. Malinauskas must also not be allowed to silently step away from his position on hydrogen, with the taxpayer money already wasted and the taxpayer money that continues to get wasted with this… to the detriment of emissions reductions, when the glossy brochure position attempts to suggest otherwise, as one example.
This “statesman” figure is causing harm. – Greg O’Grady, Belair
Responding to What to do if you’re involved in an e-scooter accident
Yes, the mere fact of possibly no insurance and no real way of identifying the scooter rider is of great concern. Asking for their name and address is all well and good, so long as they are truthful. I feel very concerned that there is no real way to identify people riding these scooters; thus, should an accident happen, the poor person who is hit is left high and dry. With severe injuries meaning no work for some time, bills to pay and rehab possible, who will pay? Meanwhile, the scooter rider is long gone and home having a cuppa incognito.
The action to make it legal to ride these powered scooters is one of the most ridiculous motions to have been passed. As for setting a maximum speed, that won’t work either. Helmets must be worn, guess the riders didn’t get the email – Dennis, West Lakes
Responding to ‘New thinking’: Australian Medical Association SA reveals ramping recommendations
My mother lives in an assisted living facility with 18 other (some very elderly) elderly clients in their own units. There are no staff after 3.30pm. If anything happens, they call an ambulance.
My mother has ended up on the floor a few times (plopped on the floor). An ambulance was called to get her up. Each time, ambulance staff have wanted to take her to the hospital because she is on blood thinners and to cover for internal bleeding. My half-sensible 92-year-old mother has refused to go.
There are other elderly residents there who have called an ambulance a number of times. They usually get taken to the hospital, very often returning the next day. Not always.
What would be good in many of those instances would be experienced paramedics or nurses who could attend and assess, and treat if necessary, and I am sure avoid a hospital visit on some occasions. Just my thoughts. – Le
As a retired nurse, I wonder how often nurse practitioners are underutilised in the community.
Nurse practitioners are well used for palliative care, but are they being unused in the community apart from rural areas? – Ruth Ryan
My father was a dentist who believed “prevention is better than cure”.
The same philosophy should be applied to the ramping situation.
The ramping issue has tripled since the start of Covid; this is no coincidence. Hospital beds are being filled with people suffering from viral infections.
The state government must promote improved ventilation in all buildings and encourage everyone to where a quality mask when around others. Positive messages reminding people to get vaccinated would also help.
It would only take one month to eliminate ramping if these measures were adopted.
Bring back “Saint Nicola”! – Jill Kennare
Responding to $400 million student accommodation tower approved
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Approved now to be built as student accommodation, thus allowing minimum room sizes and fewer amenities generally. AKA cheap. To be reclassified at a later date and flogged off as apartments. Caaching $$$$$. – Andrew, Prospect
Responding to Ditching surcharge fees would save consumers $1.2b: RBA
12 months to scrap a surcharge? Can’t we in Australia actually do anything now? The banks are totally ripping us off, as can be seen from the fact that they are the most profitable in the world. – David Tuff
Responding to Cafes, small businesses fear brunt of surcharge cut
Why not ban the banks from charging merchant fees? They are the ones charging.
Small businesses need to stump up thousands of dollars to cover it.
We used to not pass the cost on 5 years ago, and that was costing us $16,000 per year.
We began passing on the surcharge when Covid hit, and we were trying to keep our heads above water. We didn’t get a single complaint.
If people don’t want to pay the charge, they can pay cash.
This will only lead to a different charge. A service charge – same thing, different name. – Marcus Motteram, owner of Ralph Louis Frederick and The Admiral at Hains & Co
Responding to Was Robran the greatest? Debate on after SA footy legend dies
Of course, it is a debate that can never be satisfied. My personal view is that he was the best all-around player that I have seen, in the context of his era. In the same way that Laver was the greatest tennis player, Bradman the greatest cricketer, the debate cannot possibly be satisfied.
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What we should be satisfied with is that Barry was a wonderfully kind human being, with the humility of a true champion. He coupled this with amazing football skills, which defied the norms of his time in the game. – Eric Granger
Irrelevant discussion. If you were lucky enough to see Rob, you would know that he was an outstanding player and athlete. Likewise Ebert. My opinion is that Robran may have been more versatile as a player. Once again, irrelevant. Both could have an incredible impact on a game. – Ian Porteous
Responding to State govt golf course move a ‘complete surprise’ to council
Attorney-General Kyam Maher is seeking the views of the South Australian Kaurna and Aboriginal community about the consequences of the future LIV Golf invasion of park lands, Parks 1 and 27A. Park 1 is a known Kaurna burial ground. The government wants to dig it up. Maher’s consultation is linked to Labor’s rushing through state parliament the North Adelaide Public Golf Course Bill 2025 on 26 June.
A 3 July classified advert buried on The Advertiser’s page 51, “Notice of Consultation”, called for views ahead of a government authorisation to excavate. The intention? “Construction of associated infrastructure, facilities and services”. The creation of new law in June, but only in July, checking to see how the Indigenous community feels is intriguing. A project to dig up a sensitive park lands site ought to have been publicised well ahead of the June bill.
A Mawson Lakes discussion is called by the Attorney for this weekend, Saturday, 19 July. The submission deadline is 31 July. Some folks may not have seen the back pages advert, and thus don’t know about this. Maher is only consulting because sections 21 and 23 of the Aboriginal Heritage Act 1988 require him to. But after feedback – and despite any feedback – under this Act, he may then authorise the digging. The new 2025 Golf Course Act recognises the 1988 law, which allows the minister, after consultation, to do this. I see that the 1988 Act was significantly amended in early 2021 regarding this process.
Of course, in 2021, no one anticipated that Labor was planning to pass a new park lands-related law (the New Women’s and Children’s Hospital Act 2022), 18 months later. The purpose? Digging up the park lands site. In terms of the new golf course law and the $50m project’s urgency, the minister’s process appears to be just a formality, but does the Kaurna community know this? Is it aware that authorisation must follow if the project is to go ahead? I’d attend the meeting and also make a submission, but I’m not Kaurna or Aboriginal, so it appears that I can’t. – John Bridgland, North Adelaide
Responding to Anti-Semitism plan takes aim at schools, universities
Jillian Segal is using the definition of antisemitism adopted by IHRA (International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance) in 2016. It conflates Israeli and Jewish interests (purposefully?), so 370 scholars have signed the Jerusalem Declaration on Antisemitism of 2021.
They seek to protect all Jews from antisemitism, whereas Jillian Segal uses the IHRA definition to weaponise antisemitism to protect Israel and Zionism. She confuses the problem, puts Jews in harm’s way, and plays the victim card to obscure the plain-to-see truth about Israel.
Israel claims to represent all Jews, but it does NOT. Many Australian Jews yell “not in my name”, but they are silenced by this “antisemitism: nonsense. Israel’s actions are extremely antisemitic because they are contrary to all the good things about Judaism and Jewishness.
Israel is a racist, warmongering state conducting apartheid and genocide against Palestinians, and flagrant violations of international law against its neighbouring states. It is NOT complicated. Real antisemitism is as bad as other racism, but this faux antisemitism bullshit is a massive cop-out and diversion from the real issue that Australia’s government is weak on Israel and the US, making us complicit in this genocide.
This is what our government needs to do, for starters…
- Join 147 of 193 states that have recognised the State of Palestine
- Sanction entities of Israel, not just individuals such Ben Gvir and Smotrich)
- Join the Hague Group of countries
- Reaffirm Australia’s commitment to the ICC
- Join South Africa and other states taking action in the ICJ
- Stop blindly enabling US warmongering bullies. – John Grandsbury
Responding to AUKUS anxiety: Local fears grow around submarine build
I hope that Australia can pull out of this mad deal with the U.S. and U.K., as it puts us at risk of defending other nations’ interests and not our own. – Christine Sanson
Responding to Celestial platypus brings life to Lot Fourteen
Wow, that is amazing, great work, Laura! Certainly brings life to the plain brick buildings. Love it! – Pam French
