The high number of informal rates in aged care doesn’t surprise me (“Informal vote surge in aged care, hospitals raises questions”, May 26). I changed my 101-year-old mum to postal voting a couple of years ago (with her consent) because of the often chaotic voting process in her nursing home. Even though she is still very politically aware, when she voted this year I had to explain carefully to her about the number of boxes that she had to number. She told me there were numerous residents in the same home who didn’t even realise that there was an election, and almost certainly many of them would have been unaware of issues and candidates. In addition, many of the care staff have English as their second language and may not be able to adequately explain the process to residents. I also assume electoral staff sent to organise the voting would legally not be allowed to help residents fill out their votes. Maybe it would make sense for these people to give their first preference only and have it still count as a formal vote. Relatives and medical staff also need to be prepared to take the difficult decision to deregister some residents if it is clear that they are incapable of making a decision. Judy Christian, The Ponds
Australians at a voting station in Sydney.Credit: Bloomberg
An increase in informal votes should be a concern for all parties and voters. But it is not surprising that high informal vote rates are often associated with large populations of voters from non-English speaking backgrounds, poorer or less educated voters or those in seats with a large number of candidates. Where is the solution? Using TV ads to tell this demographic in their languages how to vote hasn’t solved the problem. There is more education required. Perhaps it should become part of the citizenship test. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill
Russia deserves total isolation
It is high time that the rest of the world became serious about the behaviour of Russia (“Trump hits out at ‘crazy’ Putin”, May 26). With the growth of apartheid in South Africa, the global community imposed boycotts. Flights, postal services, sporting visits, trade and financial links were either limited or banned. But when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the world stood back and did nothing. Where was the UN? Nowhere. Ukraine is asking for more sanctions on Russia, particularly by the US. European nations have tightened them already. Total isolation of Russia is the only solution, diplomatically, economically, financially and morally. How can we tolerate Russian ambassadors and diplomatic staff in our community, and our own diplomats in Moscow, while we send arms and munitions to Ukraine to help it repel Russia’s invasion? Collectively we should hang our heads in shame. Tiit Tonuri, Cowra
Barring some mishap to Donald Trump, democratic allies of the US, such as us, are stuck with him for three more years. As Maureen Dowd’s frightening assessment makes clear, he exemplifies avarice and egotism (“Trump’s prosperity starts at home”, May 26). His attempt to subvert the legitimate election of Joe Biden and his inciting of the insurrection on the Capitol ought to have destroyed this bullying political thug, but his second coming is testing allies to the hilt. Trump’s tolerance of the murderous Russian President Vladimir Putin has extended the Ukraine war and his failure to deter Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu has extended the smashing of Gaza. His policies are damaging democracy and hurting the least well-off everywhere, making even more abominable his profiting from the presidency. Trump’s unspeakable greed and his deafness to reason demand that allies openly oppose his injurious indecencies. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
End Gaza horror
Like your correspondent Georgina Whitton, I am overwhelmed by the cruelty and horror of the war in Gaza (Letters, May 26). I am a grandmother and when I see young children with metal bowls crushed as they try to receive basic food, I think “what if they were my grandchildren?“. As citizens of this lucky country, I urge people to write to their government representatives and ask for action to stop this continuing annihilation of innocents. Ask yourself: “Could I make a difference?” Judy Mitchell, Cabarita
I wholeheartedly support Georgina Whitton’s eloquent letter. Her heartfelt cry for action by the international community and the Australian government to stop the murder of helpless children in Gaza was based on morality, not politics – on humanity, not hatred. As Georgina wrote, we must “stand with humanity, stand for peace”. Her plea was not about supporting one political side or the other, but rather about siding with the innocent who die and suffer through no fault of their own. Michael Davis, Balmain East
I agree with Alison Broinowski that Australia should join the coalition advocating sanctions on Israel (Letters, May 26). According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 16,503 children have now been killed. The latest outrage is the murder of nine children whose mother, Dr Alaa al-Najjar, was on duty when their charred little bodies were brought in. Where is Penny Wong? Mark Paskal, Austinmer
The only surviving child of Doctor Ela al-Najjar lies in a hospital bed.Credit: Hani Alshaer/Anadolu
Your correspondent, like many, pleads for peace in Gaza. Could there be a more harrowing example of the need than the Israeli strike killing nine children in one family and injuring the mother’s remaining child and her husband (“Nine of doctor’s 10 children killed in Israeli strike on Gaza”, May 26). It is an atrocity and a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Give peace a chance. Vicky Marquis, Glebe
Unis on the outer
Correspondent Stein Boddington is misguided to suggest “now would be a good time for the government to offer extra support for Australian universities to recruit talented staff and students from Harvard” (Letters, May 26). Our universities, now run like corporations with CEO-type vice chancellors, have gone through, and continue with major restructures. COVID provided an opportunity to shed countless academics and the government was nowhere to be found “helping” to save these jobs, refusing to extend the JobKeeper program to the sector. Then we’ve had the arguably knee-jerk plans for the capping of international students to improve the optics of our immigration numbers since the pandemic ended. This outrageous politicisation of our public higher education system has enabled the sustained cult of “cost savings” by universities, often led by Big Four accounting firms and manifested as continuing restructures and slow-dripping uncertainty and insecurity for Australian academics. Why should we be extending opportunities to US academics and students against this cult of local anti-intellectualism? The Trump presidency is a self-inflicted disaster, after all. Robyn Dalziell, Kellyville
Nats in denial
Every Nationals supporter should read Malcolm Knox’s article (“Baffling denialism in disaster zone”, May 25). Where are these recently elected boys and girls who represent the Taree area at both state and federal levels? Fighting over petty issues and nowhere on the ground. As I watch my sister being evacuated from Dumaresq Island, I despair how anyone can support a party in climate denial. I grew up in the Taree area and have been a geography teacher all my life. I have been teaching about the issues of climate change for many years. When are we going to see some true action? Maureen Brown, Armidale
Credit: Cathy Wilcox
I was once on a plane sitting across the aisle from a federal Nationals politician on his way to his country electorate. He was friendly and keen to pass on his opinion about everything from rural issues to raising kids. I asked him about climate change. His response of “it will work itself out” was at best naive but still alarming. As we headed down to the tarmac, his police minder said to me, “That’s an hour you’ll never get back.” It seems nothing has changed within the Nationals. He is still in parliament with his mates, clinging doggedly to the past with a limited policy platform and little thought for the future. Rob Asser, Balmain East
Moderates in moderation
Sean Kelly is spot on regarding the lack of introspection within the Liberal Party (“Albanese’s goal? Minimise regrets”, May 26). The right thinks they weren’t right enough, and the moderates, courtesy of Tim Wilson, are back in the trenches fighting for the richest of the rich. Business as usual. The problem with this analysis is that Wilson isn’t a moderate. He is a dyed-in-the-wool, IPA-loving climate change denier. Being gay and supporting one left-wing cause (gay marriage) does not make you a moderate, just self-serving. The Liberal Party’s problem is that it has no moderates. While it continues to claim that the likes of Wilson are moderates, it will remain a far-right party and electoral poison. Paul Davies, Crows Nest
Development red card
The evident incompatibility of an eight-storey block of flats hard up against the boundary of an in-demand soccer field is not the only objection to that proposed rezoning in Lords Road, Leichhardt (“Football club puts boot into pitch for 200 apartments”, May 26). It would involve the displacement of a dozen small businesses currently operating out of the site, with some 80 employees. Those business owners and employees are only too aware of how difficult it would be to secure other premises in the inner west with the abundant on-site parking and ease of access of this site. As for neighbouring residents, such a development would overshadow their mostly single-storey homes and increase traffic in an already congested through-road. It would spell the destruction of 17 mature trees that screen the site from neighbours, and it would provide no real public benefits. As for its contribution to helping with the housing crisis, just 10 apartments out of 213 would be what is misleadingly called “affordable”. Finally, the site is flood prone which, along with other infrastructure problems, may prove fatal to the developer’s current plans. Meanwhile, there are other sites in the locality ripe for redevelopment without the drawbacks of Lords Road. Hall Greenland, Leichhardt
Lambert Park is home to APIA Leichhardt Football Club.Credit: APIA Leichhardt FC
The article about the redevelopment of industrial land to residential adjacent to the APIA Leichhardt Football Club says it all. If the development goes ahead, Platino Properties will win, and the club where children have played football since 1954 will lose. Yes, there is a need for more residential accommodation, but this is the wrong place to do it. Karen Eldridge, Leichhardt
Passion v grades
As a Year 10 student, with hours of school and additional extracurricular activities, I understand why Year 12s with even more work than me would scramble for easier subjects, particularly if it boosts their ATAR scores (“HSC students drop ‘harder courses’ to gain high ATAR results”, May 26). But why is it that subject selection has become a trade-off between one’s passion and one’s grades? I feel strongly that the markers of success for HSC subjects should be more aligned with the new challenges faced by students today. Reet Gupta, Waitara
Nobody has defined exactly what makes a “harder” or “easier” course. I placed first in the state in a leaving certificate science subject, yet I was in awe of anyone who had designed and made a formal dress or a christening robe with smocking. I still have trouble putting a button on a garment. My daughter was in the top 2 per cent of HSC candidates but she failed sewing in her early years in high school. It is all about talent and skills, not easy or hard. Robyn Lewis, Raglan
Unproductive blame
Another Ross Gittins beauty on the challenges our economy faces (“We need our economists to try a lot harder”, May 26). I can hear the cries of objection coming from the academic economists who feel slighted by his assertions. We have economists and governments agreeing that our economy’s “productivity” has stalled, but we’ll never find a solution as long as we keep blaming workers for it. It’s just too easy for business to not invest in new technology and labour-saving devices and to pocket their profit, and, instead, blame those lazy workers and the terrible unions. John Odgers, Glebe
Tax scare campaign
The purpose of superannuation is to fund retirement, not to provide a tax haven (“What you need to know about Labor’s new super tax”, May 24). Three million dollars is way more than what a couple needs to fund their retirement, so there is widespread agreement that the tax rate for income from superannuation balances above $3 million should be increased from 15 per cent to 30 per cent. It will be a very long time until retirement needs will require a $3 million superannuation balance and governments can and will adjust this threshold. Treasury has chosen the simplest algorithm, which automatically includes unrealised capital gains. Instead of a considered and constructive response, correspondent Bruce Watson has adopted scare campaign tactics, one of the main reasons tax reform has been delayed for decades (Letters, May 26). There are other, more complicated algorithms that do not tax unrealised gains. Watson would help by nominating them. David Hind, North Sydney
Labor plans to raise tax on super funds worth more than $3 million.Credit: Jessica Shapiro
All these people complaining about the superannuation tax seem to forget that both the husband and the wife can have $3 million each in super before the tax on unrealised gains come into effect. Wow, a family with $6 million in super is doing very well indeed. As correspondent John Flint explains, that will provide about $300,000 a year in family income (Letters, May 26). Peter Nelson, Moss Vale
Like most working Australians, I can only dream of having $3 million in superannuation. However, if I did I’d be happy to pay Labor’s proposed extra tax as I would already have abundant wealth, with the knowledge that this tax would help pay for much-needed services in the community. Leo Sorbello, West Ryde
Green and golden
Climate sceptics can deny it all they like, but with nations pushing ever-harder to cut their emissions, demand for “green iron” is only going to grow (“Green iron could save the Pilbara from becoming mining wasteland,” May 26). We can either produce it here or let other nations do it and reap the benefits. Given our natural endowment in renewable energy, we would be mad to let this golden egg slip out of our hands. But we’ve done it before, so there is no certainty it won’t happen again. Ken Enderby, Concord
Did Not Attain
Brian Haisman writes that the human need for spirituality is embedded deep in our DNA (Letters, May 26). I (and others) seem to have missed out on this gene. Does this make us non-human? Judith Campbell, Drummoyne
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