LETTERS: No shame in being 'university trained'

IT APPEARS that Queensland is the state with the highest hypersensitivity to education and an endemic tall poppy syndrome.

GETTING EDUCATED: A letter writer says Queenslanders need to stop condemning those who have studied in an academic capacity. Picture: Jacob Ammentorp Lund

Tall poppies

IT APPEARS that Queensland is the state with the highest hypersensitivity to education and an endemic tall poppy syndrome.

In a recent NewsMail editorial, a commentator's relevance was questioned because he "had attended” a university as an arts student.

Arts, as an academic degree, requires mastery of a particular academic discipline or combination of academic disciplines, which may be, inter alia, fine arts, science, biology, economics, language, geography, geology, anthropology, history, mathematics, even literature and journalism.

Art is therefore synonymous with competence, proficiency and mastery in one or more particular academic areas.

Hence a bachelor in fine art has acquired proficiency in fine art criticism; a bachelor in journalism has acquired mastery of reportage.

To make a mistake, as made by the editorialist, appears to be a symptom of tall poppy syndrome or hypersensitivity to "university trained idiots”, a quite unique Queensland expression.

DIETER MOECKEL

Wonbah

Indigenous women

THIS week, July 8 to 15, is NAIDOC Week across Australia.

Following this year's theme of "because of her, we can” I want to tell you about the importance of women in all the work I do especially within my Aboriginal services.

Women play a significant role in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and this NAIDOC week we are asked to reflect on their contribution to the growth and development of our country.

For at least 65,000 years Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have carried dreaming stories, song lines, languages and knowledge.

In more recent times they have been there at the forefront of major turning points in Australian culture and history.

From the Torres Strait Pearlers strike in 1936, to the 1967 Referendum - which included Aboriginal and Torres Strait peoples in Australia's population figures - to more modern issues such as the 2008 apology, Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander women have been a driving force for Aboriginal rights.

Having strong female role models is absolutely crucial to helping young people grow. Not only is it important for young women, but young men draw so much from mothers, grandmothers, aunties and friends.

Across my organisation, Youth Off The Streets, we have female staff in every program.

From schools to outreach to specialist services the women in our programs contribute enormous amounts to bettering the lives of young people.

We have so much to learn from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their culture. There are many inspiring stories from women on the NAIDOC week website at: www.naidoc.org.au.

This NAIDOC week I ask you to reflect on the theme of "because of her, we can” and think about how important women have been in supporting you and your community.

FATHER CHRIS RILEY

CEO and Founder at Youth Off The Streets

Power prices

ELECTRICITY bills are on the way down for Queensland households and small business.

From July 1, regional prices reduced by 1.3 per cent, and at the same time, electricity providers announced cuts of between 1.3 and 8.6 per cent for their south-east corner customers.

Under the LNP, electricity prices rose by 43 per cent.

And under their proposed policies, government spending will rise by more than $700 million over four years.

The numbers tell the story.

The Palaszczuk Government understands that the cost of living is an issue for families and impacts on small business' capacity to create jobs.

That's why we continue to focus on putting downward pressure on electricity prices. And these latest reductions show that it's working.

Our $2 billion Affordable Energy Plan will continue to tackle electricity costs.

More than 53,000 Queensland households are reducing energy usage and bills with the energy-efficient appliances we helped them buy with our rebates.

Our means-tested, interest-free loans will help more Queensland families install solar systems.

Every household is receiving $50 off their power bill this year, and next year, and our price cap guarantees that electricity prices will not rise above inflation for two years.

Independent bodies including the QCA, Australian Energy Market Commission and the Australian Energy Regulator have variously found that our policies are working, and that the wholesale energy market is operating appropriately.

DR ANTHONY LYNHAM

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy