IS DESPISE too strong a word for the AFL? I love the game. Hate the business. The professional game has a lot going for it. No question. Nonetheless it is still our game and one can't help feeling that something has been taken away from us. AFL coverage has reached saturation point. There is literally no room for local sports to compete. They have been wiped from live TV and radio coverage and commentary. Then there is the little matter of our current state election. A game that has the potential to unite all Tasmanians has been hijacked by a business that sees us bitterly divided over the price exacted for our own team. The flow on effect at the local NTFA level has produced a major disruption to a thriving community competition. The suits have ordered their competition design and the working class - the volunteers and part time administrators at NTFA board and club level - must kiss their boots and fall into line. Two failed statewide competitions, a failed VFL team, corporate blackmail to get Hawthorn and North Melbourne to host games here, two superseded quality playing facilities, three decades of patronising dismissal of Tasmania and a deserving place in a national competition and this is the best they can do. The AFL are unofficially on our ballot. Officially they would be listed under H for hubris.
$0/
(min cost $0)
Login or signup to continue reading
Tony Newport, Hillwood
THE Victorian Supreme Court has recently convicted a company for industrial manslaughter. This might help to direct Tasmanian politicians to establish industrial manslaughter legislation here.
This legislation would be aimed at employers whose action, or lack of action, has led to a fatal accident at work. These employers are most likely to be described as aggressive, incompetent and/or not bothering about safety at work. I believe Tasmania is the only state that doesn't have industrial manslaughter laws at the moment. Workers have been calling for these laws for years.
Of course, politicians before the election are concerned about cost of living problems. If a person is killed at work, the grief of a family is compounded by the loss of an income.
Safety at work is not radical. I have heard people say that industrial manslaughter laws will be in Tasmania eventually. There are probably a few things that are described like that. Let us hope that the politicians of all the parties have the morals and courage to promise the establishment of industrial manslaughter legislation for Tasmania after the election.
Neil Smith, Howrah
SOME surprise that Rob Fair has been selected by the Liberals until you realise that his name fits nicely with the slogan: A Fairer Fare With Fair. Sadly with my surname I am not expecting any approach from either camp.
Arnold Carter, Launceston
FOR all the Liberals' talk of their massive expenditures on health in their budgets, it is pretty clear that the money is spent on simply propping up ageing infrastructure, rather than improving services or repairing equipment. To be clear, I place no blame for what I am about to write on the staff of hard-working doctors, nurses and admin staff who deal with the sick and injured on a daily basis. They were wonderfully kind and patient in all their dealings with me, while also nursing their own frustrations at having to work in such a deeply flawed system.
At a recent visit to the LGH emergency department for my daughter, I was stunned to learn that they only had one otoscope to service the entire ward, which causes undue delays in actually assessing patients. At another recent visit to the LGH emergency department, the equipment used to assess me was held together with medical tape. This was after standing in a queue for more than 20 minutes for triage - there was only one person (on crutches) standing in the queue in front of me, and nobody manning the triage desk for the entire duration of the wait.
I place the blame for this squarely on the government, who would rather pander to vanity projects and big business, than actually look after those they were elected to represent by ensuring hospitals are funded to adequately staff and maintain these essential services.
Martin Hamilton, Campbell Town
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
I am a media and communications professional with experience across print, digital, social and radio broadcasts. I am currently the Editor of Australian Community Media's Launceston Examiner.
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Mohamad Elmasry
Belen Fernandez
Brahma Chellaney
Petra Lesjak Tušek
Tarik Cyril Amar
Michael Kwet
visit website
