Today’s headlines, weather and court lists

We have compiled everything you need to know to start your day.Here’s your morning briefing of today’s top stories, overnight news, today’s weather and court lists.TODAY’S TOP STORIESAirport gears up for rush of passengersWith Tasmania’s borders set to reopen on December 15, Hobart Airport is bracing for a massive increase in the number of inbound flights it receives each day.No room for new business in Hobart CBDPredictions of a glut of CBD office space as employees turned to working from home because of the Covid pandemic have not eventuated, new figures reveal.Water safety blitz in bid to stem drowningsTasmanians are being urged to make safety their number one priority when out on the water following one of the worst years for drownings in two decades.Houseboat holidaymakers left high and dryWhat was meant to be a memorable 50th birthday holiday has turned into a nearly year-long battle for a family after Covid-19 restrictions halted their travel – and they are not alone.Council blocks bid to cancel anti-transgender forumAn anti-transgender forum will go ahead after Hobart City Council voted down a motion to cancel it, with one alderman saying “we cannot be the arbiters of what the public thinks”. LATEST >>READ TODAY’S PAPERClick here to read the digital edition of the Mercury newspaper – just as it was printed.CARTOONCOVID-19 TOOLSCOVID-19 Stats - Horizontal with Lazy LoadNational - 2021 - Covid Vaccination StatsNED-4476-Australia-Vaccinations-by-LGANED-4409-How-to-get-proof-of-vaccinationLETTER OF THE DAYGovernment should be more accountableHave we just witnessed a major reform of parliament or just a slip of the tongue that went through to the keeper unnoticed?Leader of Opposition business Dean Winter said last week, in response to the number of questions being asked in parliament during question time that “the government should give up its pointless self-congratulatory questions that serve no purpose”.Does this mean that Labor will abandon the practice of wasting Question Time by asking questions about itself – a time-honoured practice called Dorothy Dixers solely designed to help politicians avoid scrutiny? I certainly hope so.Question Time is the crucible out of which democracy is forged; more than anything else it helps keep governments accountable. So why do we put up with a third of it being utterly wasted on one politician, who already knows the answer, asking another who already knows the question that is being asked. I want my government to be more accountable and transparent, not less.Phillip Hoysted, South HobartTODAY’S WEATHER:TODAY’S COURT AND BUSINESS LIQUIDATION LISTS:Click here for today’s list of people appearing in Tasmania’s Magistrates Courts and business closures.Mercury digital subscription factbox