However, I would go further and assert that our great leader Scott Morrison himself is severely lacking in empathy. Since he is our PM, this is obviously very regrettable. Empathy is a natural quality which most people have. The history of Morrison's leadership is littered with examples on the public record which demonstrate his lack of empathy. In the interests of brevity, I will only list a few.

After the damning findings of the Royal Commission into the banking industry were released, a commission to which Morrison strenuously objected, he did not come close to an apology. No apology to those whose lives had been turned upside down by unethical banking practices. Nothing.

During the height of the 2019 bushfire crisis, Morrison went to Hawaii on holidays. After being shamed into returning, he visited Cobargo. During that visit he tried to force an RFS volunteer to shake his hand in a very unnatural fashion and was rebuffed. Then he walked down the road and tried to create a photo opportunity through a patently shallow engagement with a young local woman who had survived the fire. No empathy evident here. He was then roundly abused by the Cobargo locals and sent packing.

After the Robo-debt scandal was exposed last year, a massive Morrison government mismanagement which resulted in some people taking their own lives, again there was no apology from him. Nothing.

Ten days ago, when Brittany Higgins went public with her sexual assault allegations against a Morrison government staffer, Mr Morrison had to seek advice from his wife as to how to respond. He somehow did not understand that basic empathy was required in the first instance.

This then is our current PM. What a shameful situation to have a leader who certainly appears to lack one of the most basic human qualities. Bring on the next Federal election.

The site of the new Budawang SSP on Croobyar Road, Milton has a lovely semi-rural setting with mature trees, swathes of lawn and a well-kept hedge. It's appalling all this is now obliterated by 50 metres of NSW Government advertising on a stark white hoarding attached the full length of the front fence. It's too low to mitigate construction dust nor is it a safety fence; it's just an advertising eyesore for Croobyar Rd residents, directly opposite a heritage-listed cemetery and a short distance from the renowned Heritage Bakery. It will also kill the plant hedge it covers.

The previous advertising hoarding was finally removed before Christmas after it completely ripped apart following several of Milton's violent windstorms. Tourists visit Milton because of its heritage streetscapes, not to see ugly NSW Government advertising. It must be removed now.

A stroll around town highlights how blasé most of us have become to the dangers of contracting or passing on the virus. Whilst businesses are doing their best to follow the COVID rules, the same can not be said for us in the general public. The 1.5 metre rule has gone out the window it seems.

Politicians receive such scrutiny about their behaviour including physical distancing but the rest of us just carry on as normal. Even photos in the Milton Ulladulla Times regularly break the distancing rule.