Source: The Sydney Morning Herald [Letters to the Editor]

A fair go, not a free-for-all

It's wrong: a man stupidly dives into a rock pool, hits his head, ends up a tetraplegic and now sues the council for $8 million ("Man sues council for $8m over dive into paralysis", October 24). It is ludicrous that there has to be signs every few metres warning people of the dangers lurking if they act like ignorant fools. How many more signs? How many more lawyers?

But it is doubly wrong that there is no automatic compensation plan for people who cannot look after themselves. It is totally irrelevant how people come to be in that situation. You and I can fall off the kerb crossing the street and end up a quadriplegic, anyone can. But nobody should be forced to sue the Government for negligence, and there should be no million-dollar payouts. Just an adequate pension and provision for medical and remedial care. Nothing more, nothing less.

Carsten Burmeister Cremorne