New Year, new variant, new way? That’s why the state government failing to deliver on a promise made in 2020 to bring 4000 new ICU beds into the system is so unacceptable. We need those beds and that surge capacity, which Labor knows, but fails to address or explain. The Liberals and Nationals would have ensured we kept an essential promise like that to support our healthcare workers and system. It’s why the Liberals and Nationals were calling for preparatory action on rapid antigen tests (RATs) in August 2021 and again when they were fully approved by authorities in November. It’s why it’s so disappointing that Labor responded by labelling our calls a “desperate political stunt” in Parliament. It’s now clear that the Liberals and Nationals were right to call for action on RATs, whereas the state government spun their wheels. In September, Health Minister Martin Foley promised that the state government would stockpile rapid tests, but they have since been silent on that stockpile. I think it is only fair to assume that the stockpile doesn’t exist – they only ordered RATs on Christmas Eve after three months of sitting on their hands. Those tests would do so much for our state as Omicron embeds itself in the Victorian community. The Liberals and Nationals would have ensured that people were not compelled to line up for hours for a PCR test, only to be turned away, or compelled to park their cars in testing lines overnight. We have needed more testing centres and longer opening hours. We would have put testing and vaccination pop-up sites across holiday hotspots, and we would have opened key testing sites for 24 hours to take pressure off our stretched testing system. The state government spends millions of your dollars on spin and on advertising themselves. The Liberals and Nationals would redirect much of that spending to support the health system, to pay for additional healthcare workers, and to raise awareness for people due for their third dose of vaccination. These may seem like small differences, but they add up to a drastic change to the way we approach the pandemic – with last minute reactionary
decisions under the state government, or with a plan to move forward under the Liberals and Nationals. That’s what I would do differently as Deputy Premier with the Liberals and Nationals. Peter Walsh Leader of The Nationals
People’s model pivotal to success of becoming a republic
IN 1998, I was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention held in Canberra to discuss an Australian republic elected on the ticket of the former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Clem Jones, who advocated for an Australian head of state directly elected by voters in a national ballot. After the 10-day Convention – which spent little time considering a model for a republic and too much time on futile monarchy-versus-republic debates – a model sponsored by the Australian Republic Movement emerged that proposed our head of state be chosen by a two-thirds vote of federal parliament. It failed to secure majority support even among Convention delegates with 73 voting in favour of it, 57 voting against, and 22 abstaining. It was soon labelled “the politician’s republic” and predictably defeated at the 1999 referendum. After two decades the ARM has released its “new” model which unfortunately echoes the rejected “politicians’ republic” by offering voters only a pool of candidates chosen for them by federal and state parliaments. Once again it has already been dismissed in predictable attacks by constitutional monarchists with one reported as saying the ARM model gives Australians “no choice” over their head of state “as only politicians will decide on the candidates”. The Real Republic Australia, which Clem Jones initiated and which since his 2007 death continues campaigning for a genuine directly elected head of state, wants to see as little involvement as possible by politicians in choosing our head of state. The ARM is entitled to put forward its model, but
they do not have a monopoly on ideas. In coming months the Real Republic Australia will release a discussion paper seeking feedback on our model. In the end, no pro-republic group should expect to mandate the model put to a referendum. That’s why we want the next federal government to hold a national plebiscite asking Australians if they want a republic and also asking them to choose from a shortlist of models. Whatever model is chosen in that plebiscite should be the one that goes forward at a future referendum to formally change our Constitution so that we become a republic. In that way the final model we vote on will not belong to the ARM or the Real Republic Australia, it will be the Australian people’s model. David Muir AM Real Republic Australia chair
Reducing speed limit will add to frustrations
SO the state government thinks that by cutting the speed limit from 110 kms/hr to 80 kms/hr will save lives. All it will do is make people push motorists’ doing the right thing into going faster so they can break the speed limit. We have a section of road from Longwarry through to Traralgon which is 110 kms/ hr except for a couple of towns which are 60 and 80. All reducing the speed limit will do is cause frustration and make people try to go faster. The best way to stop people speeding and therefore stop people dying on our roads is a good police presence. We are probably the only state which doesn’t tell people where speed cameras are, and to me, that’s a good move. Premier, if you want to stop people dying on our roads, put more police out there, and put less police behind desks, reducing the speed limit will only cause more frustration, and potentially more serious injuries and deaths on our roads, some of which are nothing short of atrocious in condition. Garry Mitchell, Yallourn North
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Page 32 — The Latrobe Valley Express, Wednesday, 19 January, 2022
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THE start of 2022 marks the beginning of a third calendar year of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the less severe Omicron variant taking over from previous variants, Victorians are vaccinated, and it is time for governments to find a new way forward. People in the community often ask me what I would do differently if I was Deputy Premier. The fact is that there has been crucial things overlooked by the state government. While in isolation they may seem small, these overlooked strategies would have had a huge impact on our healthcare system and taken some stress and pressure off our front-line workers. As the Omicron variant sweeps across Victoria, we are all feeling the impacts of the virus and the state government’s response – whether that be someone we know becoming unwell, limited stock on the shelf, newly imposed buying limits, or our local shop or café being closed because of staff being exposed or isolating. This is despite Victorians rising to the task and achieving world leading vaccination rates amidst the world’s longest and most heartbreaking lockdowns. We’re now taking up third doses with similar enthusiasm to keep ourselves and our communities as safe as possible. We were promised that we would get our lives back if we got vaccinated. We’ve gotten vaccinated, and governments should be holding up their end of the bargain. They have had two years to prepare the system for the inevitable surge in cases. They have had plenty of time to put us in the best position to trust our safe and effective vaccines. All governments have an obligation to prepare communities for the future. That’s never more important than for a crisis such as this COVID-19 pandemic. As a community we need a strong, reliable healthcare system to support us while we transition to living our lives with COVID. Our healthcare workers have done a remarkable job over the last two years, and I am confident they will continue to do their best.
