Some readers of the Daily Liberal may have wondered why we gave over the front page of our Tuesday print edition to a message from the Prime Minister urging them to download the federal government's COVIDSafe app.
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Hasn't the tracing app triggered concerns about privacy protections and data security? Aren't there queries about how effectively the app works with your iPhone's Bluetooth? Didn't Barnaby Joyce express something approximating a philosophical objection?
The answers to these questions are, of course: yes, yes and yep, good on the former deputy prime minister and Nationals leader for always selflessly stepping forward to tell Australians what they never wondered he was thinking.
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Certainly, there are legitimate questions about the COVIDSafe app. And this newspaper is determined to continue asking those questions - so that you can make up your own mind. But we are also determined to see our town, our region, our state and our nation get back to normal, to get back to business, as swiftly - and as safely - as possible. That's why we reckon our readers should download the COVIDSafe app.
Like you, we want the community shutdown to end and the social restrictions to be eased so hundreds of thousands of workers, small business owners and local traders - the people who own and run our favourite cafes and restaurants, cinemas and live music venues - can reclaim their livelihoods.
So, how do we get there - back to life before anyone had even heard of COVID-19?
Prime Minister Scott Morrison describes the COVIDSafe app as our "ticket" out of lockdown.
It will give state and territory governments the confidence to ease social restrictions sooner and help the economy recover faster because it allows health officials to identify more quickly people who may have come into contact with the coronavirus.
So, if we're going to start the long journey back to normal, we need to arm our health system with the tools to respond swiftly if and when the virus is detected. The app is one of those tools.
Just think: in less time than it takes to Google Barnaby Joyce's latest philosophical ramblings or to like a string of Facebook comments about data privacy, you can activate COVIDSafe and help reactivate daily life, reduce deaths and get Australia back on the road to economic recovery.
Do you have something to say? We welcome your letters which may run in print and online.
