Abuse of power
Does this sound abusive to you? My friend's husband won't let her visit her friends or family. He has made her stop all contact except by phone or computer. He reads and censors her comments on social media. He makes her feel like she is going crazy for thinking he's controlling her and that she is being ungrateful. After all, he is only doing this because he cares about her.
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He doesn't want her to eat out or go to the gym or church anymore. He doesn't want her to work anymore. His income will look after her. He lets her out to get necessities and when she does, he makes sure to have people guilt trip her and shame her for it.
He makes her cover her face before leaving the house to make her invisible to others. He wants her to have this medical procedure done and tells her if she does, he will allow more freedoms. He constantly tells her he is doing this for her own good.
Oh wait! Did I say husband? I meant the current government.
Now re-read that! You are all outraged if a person does this to their spouse, but are passive and compliant when it comes to our government doing it to us and our fellow Australians.
It's abuse of power, and their positions. They work for us. Listen, and start asking questions. Turn off your TV (Tell-a-vision) and use your brain my friends.
Jody McKenzie-Smith, Merimbula
Donate to Legacy online
Far South Coast Legacy normally holds fundraising for Legacy week (August 29 - September 4). Once again this will be an online event due to COVID-19.
Donations can be made at www.legacy.com.au/legacy-week/ stating funds are for Far South Coast Legacy - 100% of donations are used to support our local war widows and veteran families in the Eden, Pambula, Merimbula and Tura area. Alternately donations can be sent to Far South Coast Legacy, 4/11 Tura Beach Drive, Tura Beach 2548. Your support is appreciated by Far South Coast Legacy and the families we care for.
Elaine Heath, Tura Beach
Nurses under 'incredible strain'
The NSW Nurses and Midwives' Association proudly represents over 73,000 nurses and midwives across the state. As frontline workers, our members have been shouldering the burden of the pandemic, working their guts out to hold the health system together.
Many have gathered the courage to come forward publicly and speak about their experiences, bringing attention to staffing issues that are putting themselves, their families, patients and residents at risk.
What is not helpful, is the NSW Health Minister continuing to deny the fact our hospital system is at risk of reaching a breaking point. Our members are telling an inconvenient truth. One the NSW Health Minister refuses to acknowledge.
The fact is, in addition to the increased stresses of COVID-19, nurses and midwives are dealing with a significant reduction in staffing from forced isolation and redeployment of nurses to COVID-19 vaccination hubs, testing clinics and quarantine hotels.
Every day, as case numbers continue to rise, nurses and midwives are putting themselves and their families at risk, without enough support to do their jobs.
Right now, 871 COVID-19 positive patients are in hospital in NSW, with 143 of those in intensive care units (ICU), needing one-to-one care. This puts an incredible strain on those who remain in our public hospital system.
It's time the NSW government listened to what's really going on in our public health system. Nurses and midwives are fatigued, burnt out and feel unsupported at work. We will lose some of our most valuable workers if the NSW Health Minister doesn't wake up to the crisis we are facing and offer more support.
Brett Holmes, NSWNMA general secretary
EPA decision welcomed
Climate Action Monaro (CAM) has welcomed the decision by the NSW Land and Environment Court in favour of Bushfire Survivors for Climate Action (BSCA) against the NSW Environment Protection Agency (EPA). The court found the EPA must develop environmental quality objectives, guidelines and policies to ensure environment protection from climate change.
It is the first time that an Australian Court has ordered a government body to take meaningful action on climate change.
This is a landmark decision which will have considerable ramifications with governments now being held to account on climate policy.
Bushfire survivors know all too well the links between bushfires and climate change. The fires of Black Summer in 2019-20 followed three years of severe drought that we know were exacerbated by climate change.
The BSCA's case was clearly helped by the testimony of former Chief Scientist, Prof Penny Sackett, who presented expert scientific evidence on the links between bushfires and climate change.
It was the first time such evidence was allowed in an Australian court. Now the ball is in the EPA's court to develop and implement policies that ensure environmental protection from climate change.
The best policy would be to introduce a carbon price, despite neither major party being willing to support one.
The Gillard government's carbon price has been the only measure that has brought emissions down in this country. It had no ill effect on the economy. There is abundant evidence from many nations that carbon prices are effective in driving carbon emission reductions.
Failing that, the EPA could require industry to reduce emissions to safe levels. The Grattan Institute provided an excellent blueprint on that just this week.