Responding to Premier concerned no one will visit long-awaited arts centre

If it were about the creation of yet another new sports arena, time and cost would not be an issue, I’m sure. – Stephen Gallagher

I think the Premier is being astute and is spot on when he questions whether Tarrkarri would actually bring people to Adelaide.

Instead of spending (a lot) more money on this project, the state would be better off expanding and celebrating Tandanya – already established, highly regarded and well-located in the East End.

If the $57 million allocated for Tarrkarri in the Budget were reallocated to Tandanya, it would flourish as the state’s major First Nations art and cultural centre and the dormant land at Lot 14 can be used for another project. – Barbara Fergusson

Angry, angry, angry, angry

One hundred thousand for the maintenance of a vacant property while still debating whether an Indigenous cultural museum is worth investing in.

If it isn’t sport-related and involves chaos in the Adelaide CBD, it doesn’t rate. – Jill Cooke

Responding to Council hopes to mend ‘broken’ relationship with govt over city events

So, has the white flag been hoisted? We ask.

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Apparently, someone may well have remembered what happened 30 years ago when Dean Brown sacked the Adelaide City Council for being ‘dysfunctional and obstructive’.

Given the likely trajectory of their recent activist opposition, the council was on track to ensure history repeated itself.

High time they decided to be part of the solution instead of the problem … realising that it’s better to be at the table than on the menu.

How curious, though, that even steadfast park land defenders such as Kieran Snape, Patrick Maher and the Lord Mayor herself thought it a good idea to support Henry Davis’ motion! Strange bedfellows indeed. – Peter Adams

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Responding to Council bid to dump fossil fuel sponsor from major event

Would we allow tobacco companies to sponsor and advertise at major sporting events? According to researchers at Harvard University, air pollution from fossil fuels like gas kills over eight million people every year – more than tobacco. So why do we allow an iconic event like the Tour Down Under to be plastered with Santos’ gas branding? At least 15 councils across Australia, including the Mitcham council, have already banned fossil fuel advertising. If tobacco’s out, fossil fuels shouldn’t get a free pass. Clean competition deserves clean sponsors. Good on the Adelaide Hills council for calling on the Malinauskas government to address this issue. – Lloyd Adams

Responding to Local council election delay another cat amongst Parliament pigeons

Local government elections are postal votes and non-compulsory. Therefore, all votes are returned to a central location, the exception being the option to take your ballot paper to the council office.

This is unlike a State Government election, which has multiple polling stations and the logistics of collecting the votes.

Local government elections do not need the delay. After all, it is the level of government closest to its community and does not need the uncertainties. – Dave Burgess

A few decades ago, when I was the owner and editor of some country newspapers, the local council would appoint a senior officer to be the returning officer to conduct the election for mayor, chairman and councillors. The officer would run advertisements, open and close nominations, check that candidates were eligible, advertise the nominees, polling places and election date and recruit a team, most of whom had officiated at previous elections, to hand out and receive ballot papers. The same team, sometimes watched by the candidates’ scrutineers, would count the votes and, unless there was some unforeseen hiccup, the returning officer would announce the results, in public, the same night. Job done.

I question the wisdom of one bureaucracy, the Local Government Association of SA, meekly handing over this simple and straightforward procedure to another bureaucracy, the Electoral Commission SA, which has admitted it is incapable of conducting two elections eight months apart, in March and November, in one year. – Richard Peake

Responding to Police union hands top cop vote of no confidence

So what?

The Police Commissioner is appointed by the Premier and not by a union that appears to have delusions of grandeur.

A police officer has three choices: continue doing the job they are paid to do, find another job and then resign, or resign and find another job; the officers have no right to decide who their boss will be.

Do the journalists at InDaily get to decide on who the editor is or the editorial policy? I thought not.

Unions do have a role in protecting their members – they do not have a role in managerial decisions, as that is the role of management. – Simon Lovell

Responding to Elite private school to monitor Stefanovic keynote

I have wanted to see Karl Stefanovic removed from our screens for many years. It seems that he has caused his own removal, and I feel that your option to replace him as a guest speaker should be taken up. There are many better role models and achievers to choose from.

I sincerely hope that you will receive more replies from people who agree and that you secure a suitable speaker ASAP. – Linda Dunstall

Responding to Upgrades underway at Housing Trust horror site

If the render is an accurate representation of the replacement units, it stands out as one of the ugliest, most institutional-looking buildings I’ve seen for a long time – a new horror site. Perhaps it is to be touted as a set for a new series of Severence? – Mark Laurie

Responding to Surgeon says no silver bullet for ramping as hours triple

The comments from the AMA State President are apposite, and the assessment of the nationwide dysfunction of our hospital system is accurate. However, it is always disappointing that this traditionally august medical body, apart from offering informed commentary and general advice, is very rarely able to explore practical solutions for its front-line constituency.

Certainly, the languishing of the frail aged in precious hospital beds and deficiencies in community and GP care are the root cause of the critical hospital overload, but the solution to these problems is largely in the remit of the federal government.

At present, compared to other states, SA is doing reasonably well. The current government has committed to an unprecedented health budget, particularly to hospitals. There has been a major recruitment of medical and nursing staff, and an ongoing increase in hospital beds and resource allocation, both within hospitals and in the community.

Our ambulance ramping has now fallen and stabilised over 11 months and has withstood the recent dramatic increase in ED attendances.

Apart from internal modifications in patient care, the State Government is restricted in what it can achieve.

In the meantime, the reality of ambulance ramping is no longer a political or electoral issue, and the putative fringe stakeholders, such as the Liberal Opposition, the AMA and other professional bodies, should offer constructive and practical solutions and support, not just media rhetoric. – Warren Jones

Responding to Top SA public servant salaries revealed

I’d like to see what these people are expected to do and what they do for these salaries. – Robbyn Hutton

I’ve just read the article on the SA public service salary. It is interesting, particularly the growth rate.

But I think you should put these salaries in perspective and compare them to equivalent (where possible) salaries in the private industry. – Ian Greig