YOUR SAY: The mishandling of our COVID shemozzle

Each state stood alone in this matter when the PM and his health minister, who only had one job, distribute it, made the federal government the disastrous fumblers in the distribution. The NSW deputy premier, John Barilaro, four weeks ago, blatantly pontificated that the citizens were to blame for the dangerously low hits with the jabs by not stepping up for the remedy. The day before his questionable statement hit the newspapers, I contacted my usual surgery of over forty years in Kirrawee for a dose. As the supplies of the injections were practically nil, I was informed that I could not be accommodated for about seven weeks. In a surgery of nine or more doctors with nursing staff, the receptionist was frustrated by the mishandling of deliveries. He suggested another practice about four kilometres away from where I might be accommodated sooner, about four weeks. Four days later, the government announced an increase in despatches to doctors. Four days later, I was accommodated by my doctor. Thank you, Gladys!

Australia now has its own version of Donald J Trump. Morrison, the recipient of many accolades from The Donald, seems to have attended the same politics school specialising in running off the governing rails. BOOM!

Doug McLaughlin, Bonnet Bay

Given that the medical experts have changed the "age " recommendations again for the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, my views below seem more relevant.

Another Australian, a female aged 52, has unfortunately died from an AstraZeneca vaccine for the Covid-19 disease and the medical profession still describes this as a rare side effect.

How can the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation, the TGA and the Chief Medical Officer of the Commonwealth justify the thrombotic side effects of this drug treatment as rare, given that the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine and all other vaccines has been rushed without extensive clinical trials and human challenge studies?

In October 2020, the Australian Government gave suppliers of two COVID-19 vaccines indemnity against liability for rare side effects. AstraZeneca has been granted government protection from product failures. AstraZeneca asked for indemnification and got it.

The oral coercion being applied by medical experts to Australians over 50 to have the AstraZeneca does not sit well in the minds of many of us. The Prime Minister of Australia is aged 53, and he was permitted to have a Pfizer shot, as was the Premier of Queensland. Both Australians over 50 years old.

The spin being dished out by Scott Morrison et al., to us over 50's needs to change as we don't consider ourselves to be guinea pigs to be gotten rid of with a cheap and nasty vaccine.

Joanne Jones

Our PM seems to rely heavily on others for advice. When he met President Trump, he tried to take his mentor pastor, he asked his wife how he should feel about the young intern that reported being raped allegedly in government offices, he is waiting on advice from department medical experts on what should happen to a 4-year-old Australian girl, that our government has kept in detention all her life. She has been denied adequate medical care and was transferred to a hospital when gravely ill.

We re-elected the Morrison government on their claims to be good financial managers.

I don't quite follow? e.g.

i) The decision to buy French Submarines that needed a substantial redesign to replace the nuclear power that was politically unacceptable - this project has blown out 78 per cent (to date) from $50 Billion to $89 Billion. Proven German boats were available at half the original budget cost?

ii) Subsidising oil, gas and coal exploration and technologies by $10B each year, why do that while scientists, economists and private energy companies all recognise that renewable energy is cheaper, even when including the cost of upgrading the grid and installing batteries?

iii) Proposing a $600 Million gas power station that is not required?

And a renewable grid would be achievable in a shorter time frame.

iv) Paying over $6 Million to keep a family in detention when they want to go back to Biloela and work and pay taxes?

v) future cost of climate disasters $50 Billion per annum.

Indeed, good financial management costs us dearly

Doug Bell, Caringbah

It was interesting to read the front-page story about the ordinary-looking house in Cronulla, which sold for almost 5 million dollars in last week's edition. However, I wish it had been put in the context of housing affordability.

According to the Australian Taxation Office, the median salary these days is $52732 per year. Back in 1967, when the house was purchased, the average weekly wage was $62.40 per week or $3244 per year. So, the price paid for the house was 5.2 times more than the typical annual income at the time and the most recent sale is 89 times more than today's annual typical income, not even considering the extra cost of home loan interest repayments. However, in 1967, two young adults could work for 2.6 years full-time, stay at home with their parents, have all their living expenses paid for, and buy the house outright. There is no better example of being in the right place at the right time.

Dario Strbenac,

Sutherland

Recently my husband and I drove over to Sutherland Hospital to see the Cancer Specialist.

The Specialist put my husband straight into hospital. I am disabled and was unable to drive the car home. A nurse made a note of that, and when I made arrangements for it to be picked up the next day, I was not charged any fee. The staff, without exception, have been wonderful, helping both my husband and I over this terrible time and I wish to thank them all for their kindness.

Jan Gorrel, Sutherland

As a long-term carer and user of the wonderful Sutherland Shire Carer Support Service (CSS), it is devastating to hear of its closure by the end of the year. Services including peer-support groups for a variety of carer situations (including language differences); workshops with topical information or activities; telephone and face-to-face support- will all be lost. Local knowledge, professional conduct and genuine empathy were hallmarks of the Service. Unfortunately, the federal government and state governments decided an online platform (Carer Gateway) had priority over locally embedded and grown knowledge and service delivery. Both withdrew funding. The CSS fought on, trying to source grants and find sponsors because it knew what was at stake- carer wellbeing. The Service has saved lives.

Carer Gateway is not a substitute. Recently I was contacted with the offer of a three-day workshop on carer wellbeing at the northern beaches. I cannot get three days off to attend a workshop, irrespective of the location, let alone travel that far. The voice of a service that understands carer needs has been lost. Service delivery where it matters, in the community, has been lost. It makes you wonder if our political leaders understand what makes for a healthy community that values all its members (and many of us will be a carer at some stage). Thank you, present and past staff, volunteers and Board members of the CSS. You went above and beyond your remit.

Helen Mabbutt,

Gymea Bay