Honour the dead, fight for the living

As we look back over the past 16 months and turn towards the future, it’s more important than ever to pause for reflection this Anzac Day. Anzac Day means so much to so many people. For some, it’s a day to remember family and friends long gone. For others, it’s a day to cherish those who remain, to hold a loved one close.
Tasmania has a strong history of involvement in Australia’s Defence Force and military engagements. In WWI approximately 15,000 Tasmanians went to war, from a small population of just over 200,000 people.
Today, that would be like 37,500 Tasmanians signing up, the combined populations of all the men, women and children in the towns of Sorell, Brighton, Longford, St Helens, New Norfolk, Deloraine, Bridgewater, Prospect Vale, Campbell Town, Sheffield, Westbury, Swansea, Cressy and Richmond.
Some Tasmanians will today pause to reflect on the sacrifices made by the Anzacs who fought so bravely in that terrible conflict. Others may look to the troops who defended Australia and democracy during WWII. Even more may take a moment to remember those who served more recently in subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping missions – Korea, Vietnam, East Timor, Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq among them.
Not one of us is without thanks for the bravery of these servicemen and servicewomen. But it is not enough to remember those who died on the battlefield. We must also honour those who returned and do more to provide the support and care required to confront the rate of veteran suicide in Australia.
Since 2001, at least 400 returned service personnel have taken their own lives. That figure continues to rise. I addressed the parliament last month on the need for a royal commission because I wanted to be able to look the veterans in my community in the eye and say that when the opportunity arose, I spoke up for them.
The national parliament last month voted for a royal commission to be held with the Prime Minister subsequently announcing a royal commission into veteran and serving defence personnel suicides on Monday April 19.  It is those people – veterans, friends and families affected by suicide – who must not be forgotten when we come together on April 25.
Many readers will recall how Anzac Day could not be commemorated at public gatherings in 2020. I remember waking before dawn to stand at the end of my driveway and listen to the live-streamed memorial service and Last Post. I know many other Australians also woke up early, lit their candles and laid their wreaths.
Millions of Australians stood alone but as one to commemorate Anzac Day last year and now, in 2021, we can again come together, in both body and spirit.
I will be there at dawn again and, like so many others, I won’t be alone.

– Brian Mitchell MP, Federal Member for Lyons

Team Liberal Bus

Just to be clear about who’s on and who is off the Team Liberal bus. One candidate, like Hickey, has the audacity to offer differing opinions to the Party spin, had little prospect of being elected and most likely with limited resources: ie. dispensable. Mr Gutwein unceremoniously throws her off the bus and is commended for his strong and decisive leadership all the while spouting some nonsense about offering stable, majority government.
The other is charged with pretty serious fire arms offences, has a good chance of being elected and just happens to donate obscene amounts of money to the Party’s coppers: ie indispensable. The Premier with much back slapping keeps him on board, steadfastly supports his candidacy and is commended for loyalty to his man. Have I missed something here?

– Dr Ian Broinowski, Battery Point

Resign Now!

The 2021 Tasmanian state election is proving beyond any doubt that Tasmania’s political system is corrupt and broken.
In 1981 114,000 Tasmanians (45% of voters) wrote “NO Dams! “ on their referendum ballot papers in defiance of the Tasmanian Parliament. In 1981 the Tasmanian Parliament spat in the faces of those 140,000 Tasmanians.
Here we are 40 years later and the Tasmanian Parliament still behaves like a corrupt toxic boys club, treating the Tasmanian community with utter contempt.
Nothing has changed!
In May 2021 we need 100,000 Tasmanians to write “Resign Now!” on their election ballot papers. We need 100,000 Tasmanians to demand the Governor of Tasmania:

  1. to dissolve the entire Tasmanian Parliament;
  2. to appoint an administrator to run the affairs of Government;
  3. to appoint a committee of political review and reform, to review the current political system and make recommendations to strengthen and broaden democracy in Tasmania;
  4. to hold a referendum to test community support for recommended changes to the political system in Tasmania; and
  5. to hold fresh elections to establish a new Tasmanian Parliament.

Any other result on 1 May 2021 will be an abdication of democracy in Tasmania.

– Gordon Bradbury, Hobart

Three Men from Waratah – An Open Letter to TasWater Executives and TasWater Board Members

This is a short story about water, three men from Waratah, a dip in the ocean and consequences.
About Water Water cleanses and dissolves, water is power, water is transparent, there are healing springs and holy water. Clouds consisting of water vapour can carry microscopic particles over large distances, depositing rain drops with their payload many kilometres from where they formed.
Three men from Waratah Three men, long term residents and well-respected Waratah community members passed on during the last three years. Each of the men opted for cremation, with two of them requesting donations to “Friends of Waratah Reservoir Incorporated”, instead of customary floral tributes. The third man requested his ashes to be released into Waratah River, so they could travel its waters to meet the ocean,
A Dip in the Ocean This is about a couple living in a house at Adelaide’s seaside. They liked to start the day with a swim. One bright morning the young couple passed a group of people on the beach as they entered the water. They did not give them a second thought. When they returned from their swim they noticed something odd about the group on the beach. They realised, that the group had scattered an urn of ashes, and that on their return to the beach the young couple was touched by some of the ashes. It was years later when they
revealed, how strange they felt about that incident.
Consequences Next time you turn on the tap to have a sip, consider the many different droplets, which make up that glass of water, and you will ponder their potential payload, evoking awareness of right and wrong and of those three men – respected members of our association, who died – their rights denied.
We will remember them.
You shall remember them.

– Helmut Ernst, Founding Member, Friends of Waratah Reservoir Incorporated

Tobacco 21 – More evidence on the benefits of a higher minimum legal age

Unfortunately  most Tasmanian politicians (except for Mike Gaffney, Ruth Forrest and the Greens) are uninterested in evidence based policy on tobacco – they appear to prefer to listen to the tobacco industry, via front organizations like ATHRA (Alex Wodak) and the retailers.
The latest policies mirror tobacco industry wish lists. At best they are guaranteed to increase or plateau smoking rates.
Corruption is endemic in Tasmania.
See our recent April 2021 article  in the BMJ Tobacco Control.

– Dr Kathryn Barnsley, Smokefree Tasmania

Don’t vote for climate criminals

My name is Colette and I am a veterinarian, conservationist and forest activist. I am standing in an ex-forest in the northern Tarkine region of Tasmania.
Behind me are the charred remains of an ancient rainforest, decimated by ‘Sustainable’ Timber Tasmania. The Tasmanian Liberal and Labor parties think that clear-felling and burning native forests is good for the environment.
Dont vote to support these climate criminals. This has to stop

– Colette Harmsen, Tinderbox

Editor’s note: see also the featured image at the top of the post. Thank you to Colette for sending in these photographs.