While Victorians are all collaborating to stop the spread of COVID-19 by staying home, state Liberal Party politicians such as Tim Smith are undermining the government's public health advice. It's disturbing to see these attacks on Twitter and demands to "see the science" behind not playing golf. The federal government has managed mostly successful bipartisanship in relation to COVID-19. It would be good if the Victorian Liberal Party followed its example.

Jessica Hill, Burwood

When is exercise not exercise?

What part of golf does Daniel Andrews and his health advisers not understand? A five to six-kilometre walk, exercising the upper body with a swinging motion maybe 100 times or more and bending to pick up a ball on 18 occasions. Surely that's exercise. I thought that exercise was one of the four reasons you could leave home. Your ball and everyone else's rarely ever finish within arm's length. Maybe only on the putting green, but distance can be attained by only one person putting out at a time. My club and others issued strong rules, while golf was permitted, to maintain social distances. The clubhouses were closed. When your round was completed you left the course and went home. Payment of fees was by card only. The possibility of score cards passing the virus was removed by the use of an app on smart phones. Sensible, but stringent rules were in place to prevent passing on the virus before the decision was taken to ban playing.

Graham Carew, Greensborough

Golf not an essential part of life

Opening golf clubs would require a degree of certainty that the associated regulations would be observed in full. Most players would do the right thing, despite a lack of "policing" of courses, but there would be enough people, who when unlikely to be caught, think they know best. I am a golfer, but I do not see golf as an essential part of one's life.

John Green, Beaumaris

No time for personal attacks

I was saddened by the reports that Professor Brett Sutton [Victoria's Chief Health Officer] is being demonised by opposition politicians who want to play golf. While so many people cannot feed themselves, cannot pay the rent, have difficulty in schooling their children, are afraid for themselves and their families if they are healthcare workers, some entitled souls want to play golf. I keep hearing that we are all in this together. Think of others and stay home so this may end sooner rather than later for everybody.

Louise Kloot, Doncaster

THE FORUM

Home testing option

As an aged Baby Boomer isolating at home, the COVID-19 crisis is particularly distressing. A vaccine is 12 to 18 months away at best. Various possible cures are being trialled. But testing seems accurate. So can a focus be on providing a quick accurate home testing kit? Emirates Airlines is reported to have introduced a pre-flight blood test that only takes 10 minutes to give a result. This would allow a society-wide ability to largely stop cross-infection while giving us time to find a vaccine. Each day we could test ourselves and take action to avoid any risk to others.

Brian Benger, Fairfield

Undermining confidence

It is disappointing that some Victorian Liberals have publicly criticised the Victorian government and, specifically, the chief health officer over aspects of COVID-19 policy. Till now, Victorian government policy must be deemed successful given its outcomes of low community transmission and low death rates. Such carping can serve to undermine public confidence in, and worse, may even encourage flouting of, guidelines.

Ewa Haire, Moonee Ponds

Copyright theft

I have worked with Chinese publishers and printers for many years and contrary to some perceptions have found them to be scrupulously honest and meticulous in their reporting on copyright usage and associated royalty payments. In Australia, government personnel circulate pirated book copies – that is copyright theft and it is a crime – while the Prime Minister and others point the finger at China and suggest it lift its game. And this is to say nothing about the thousands if not millions of illegal music downloads that many people think they are entitled to.

Emma Borghesi, Mount Eliza

Don't scrap progress

Australia has faced crises as bad as the coronavirus before and recovered. It is important that the progress of the country towards a liberal society should not be discarded because of the claim that the debt must be repaid quickly. This is an excuse to impose more conservative policies that punish the poor and reward the rich. We need good government and the past month has shown that it is possible.

Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale

Prime ministerial staff

It appears the PM's staff have a lot to answer for when it comes to email communication. First it was the infamous colour-coded spreadsheet emanating from Morrison's office that he claimed he knew nothing about, and now it is pirated copies of Malcolm Turnbull's book. The PM is yet to work out where the buck stops.

Alan Inchley, Frankston

Cash and rate relief

The Darebin council has written to ratepayers to tell us that in view of the pandemic, they will be putting aside $10 million from this year's budget to be dispensed on cash gifts and rate relief for selected ratepayers. Former federal sports minister Bridget McKenzie resigned over the sports rorts issue, whereby her $100 million in grants was being channelled into marginal electorates. When politicians are put in charge of buckets of cash resembling pork barrels they are being relied on to be honest and avoid the perception of acting corruptly. If a professional politician such as Bridget McKenzie can't do her job properly, how can we expect local councillors to do theirs?

Brian Sanaghan, West Preston

Teacher demands

Teach a full day in class; even if the numbers of students are smaller, the hours are the same. Prepare and support online learning for students at home. Support online learning for one's own children. Navigate anxiety over health and financial concerns. This is a realistic description of the lives of many teachers at present. Is this sustainable, even in the short term?

Carmel McNaught, Balwyn North

Use the asset

Your correspondent, Victor Pellegrini (Letters, 20/4), could solve his problem simply: sell his mother's unit. The capital would pay for her care and there'd be no risk of a tenant failing to pay the rent. Of course, this might then require some additional outlays from the capital, but isn't that what an asset is for?

Angus McLeod, Cremorne

Yearning for transparency

Federal Defence Minister Marise Payne said on ABC TV's Insiders on Sunday that China has to be a much more transparent government. But when asked about who had emailed Malcolm Turnbull's memoir to her, she kept her lips closed.

Glenn Sutherland, Campbells Creek

Trust and the tracing app

I'll gladly download the COVID-19 tracing app on my phone when the government demonstrates that we can trust it. This would entail repealing the metadata retention laws; legislating protections for whistleblowers; strengthening freedom of the press laws; inviting scrutiny and debate on all legislation; releasing government papers and reports in an expedient manner, and not producing highly redacted manuscripts; applying transparency to funding arrangements and funding based on needs and merit; developing policies from science, social science and genuine evidence, not idealism; and removing all incentives for politicians to do anything except work for the public interest.

Christine Morris, Hoppers Crossing

The right information

Oh, the irony. I found it bizarre listening to Senator Marise Payne refuse to state the source of her pirated copy of Malcolm Turnbull's new book (ABC Insiders) with Annika Smethurst sitting on the panel. Apparently Senator Payne thinks it is all right to send in the Australian Federal Police to raid a journalist's home to find a source of information while not providing information on her own source of an illegally distributed book.

Greg Oates, Huon Creek

Compulsive downloads

A path to ensuring maximum uptake for the use of the new contact tracing app is to encourage/require people using certain services to have downloaded and have active the app. This could apply for example to gyms, therapists, schools and kindergartens (parents of students), libraries, pharmacies, even supermarkets, and workplaces.

Jillian Pappas, South Yarra

Accountability is serious

Before I sign onto a government contact tracing app there needs to be clarity around what it can be used for, who will oversee it, who will have access to it and how it will be overseen by an apolitical committee. Most importantly, who will be held accountable if the app is found to be incorrectly used or hacked? The government has an unparalleled history of stuff-ups, dishonesty, corruption and dodged ministerial accountability. I will sign on when accountability unambiguously rests with the minister responsible, with clear serious consequences for him and the government in the event of misuse or poor security.

Michael Langford, Ivanhoe

Dentists trained to cope

Given some health service providers are being considered for easing of restrictions ("Restart of elective surgery on horizon", 20/4), it is timely to see The Age report on another category of health practitioner effectively out of work ("Dentists hoping to bridge the gap", 20/4). I work in a dental practice and my husband is a sole practitioner. We have chosen to continue providing emergency dental care to patients but this only gives us a day's work at best and we have registered for the JobKeeper program. Dentists are trained in and maintain strict infection control practices. As the national cabinet formulates "the road out", it is vital that all categories of health providers are given a voice when considering lifting restrictions.

Sidra de Zoysa, Glen Iris

Zero cancellation fees

The practice of travel agents charging exorbitant cancellation fees and withholding refunds is a disgrace ("Holiday heartbreak: refunds in limbo", 20/4). We recently had to return just five days into a five-week European holiday, all booked online. Cathay Pacific is refunding the total airfare amount without applying any cancellation fees, and various other pre-booked accommodation, sporting events and theatre tickets, also booked directly, are in the process of being refunded fully or close to it. It may take a little more time doing it yourself but given this latest experience I doubt anyone would risk using a travel agent in the future.

David Parker, Geelong

Refunds take flight

We did not cancel our London via Hong Kong flights booked through Flight Centre, the flights were cancelled by the airline. Cathay Pacific emailed us announcing the cancellations and offering a full refund, unless we booked through a third party who was then responsible. Flight Centre offered a refund less $300 each for "our" cancellation, payable in eight to 12 weeks after having "checked with the airline". We have watched the stores closing, staff let go and the share price fall with trepidation and growing doubts about the recovery of any money. The failure of Flight Centre to compromise on even a reduced cancellation fee with its customers will be remembered when the virus itself has passed.

Brenda Marcus, Caulfield North

No trace of trust

As theoretically attractive as you may sell it, the "tracing app" is no silver bullet, or hardly silver plate. Many people most at risk don't have internet much less technological skills. Rolling out any technology goes notoriously over budget – it will be a waste of money and truly, you expect us to trust Google? You may not actually help anyone. At first we were told it is voluntary, now it's voluntary "for now". That's where you've lost my trust.

Laurie David, Camberwell

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics

Not trusting the mobile tracing app comes down to two words: Peter Dutton.

Brian Hawkes, Daylesford

Attempts by a number of state Liberals to score political points off Daniel Andrews by questioning the Chief Health Officer's decisions only confirms they are exactly where they should be, in opposition.

Phil Alexander, Eltham

Hell hath no fury as that of a politician scorned.

Mary Wise, Ringwood

What a sad place Parliament House seems to be. This new dummy spit reminds me of one Mark Latham wrote.

Anne Flanagan, Box Hill North

Oh for the dignity of Julia Gillard.

Anne Fitzpatrick, Abbotsford

Have any of Peter Dutton's critics realised that he was in hospital and then further isolated for almost a month? Give him a break.

Joan Mok, Kew

I am all for Peter Dutton going to China to investigate the origins of the coronavirus. Go Pete!

Bruce Dudon, Woodend

Coronavirus

Perhaps Tim Smith would like to play golf with the Aspen set?

Derek Wilson, Cheltenham

The ABC is again demonstrating its importance in a crisis. Perhaps the US would have benefited from a similarly independent media outlet in recent times.

Bill Burns, Bendigo

Australia Post

A carrier pigeon or Shank's pony would have been quicker than Australia Post to send a card from Hawthorn to Armadale, two kilometres away. Sent last Sunday, arrived on Friday, very disappointing for the receiver.

Olivia Cuming, Hawthorn

Finally

Morrison's office reported to the AFP over "massive" copyright breaches. Well that's the end of that then!

Ian Maddison, Parkdale

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