Peter Dutton’s scaremongering doesn’t depend on niceties like the truth, as he says Labor should go to war with the Houthi in the Red Sea, but fails to say that only about 7 per cent of Australian container traffic goes through the Suez Canal (“Crisis in Red Sea a ‘threat to economy’”, December 29). This man’s strategies contribute to the misinformation that is desecrating our democratic discourse, and it needs to be called out for what it is: swamping the media with garbage that confuses and distracts the electorate. Barry Laing, Castle Cove
If Labor does something, Dutton et al attack it. If Labor doesn’t do something, that is attacked. The Liberal’s purely opportunistic MO. There would be a problem contrived if they send a frigate to the Middle East and a problem if they don’t. Inevitably labelling Labor “weak”. Dutton is allowed to grab headlines with these niggles, amplified and validated in the media, but they are purely cynical. A dog-whistle that petrol prices will be higher because we didn’t send a ship, only personnel, is nonsense. Even more significant is the attempt to downplay a focus on our Asia-Pacific backyard. No doubt to mask the Coalition’s abject failure there over nine years and to demean Labor’s success in repairing some damage. Foreign Minister Penny Wong just topped the Herald “popularity poll”. That needs undermining, as always, no matter the cost or consequence. Nick Wilson, Palm Beach
Peter Dutton has criticised the government for not sending a boat to the Red Sea. In an even bigger surprise, the sun will rise tomorrow. One day, Peter Dutton will really shock us by saying something positive, but I doubt we will live long enough to hear it. Ross Hudson, Mount Martha (VIC)
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
When it came to carbon reduction, the Liberal Party firmly held that Australia could not make a globally significant impact. Now Peter Dutton suggests the dispatch of one Australian frigate to the Red Sea will somehow reduce international oil prices and fight inflation at home. Our politicians should be addressing local conflict caused by the crisis, not opportunistically exploiting it for political advantage. Colin Stokes, Camperdown
Peter Dutton’s thinking that one Australian naval ship at the Red Sea will help with the cost of living confirms he is not the type of prime minister we need for Australia. His reasoning is beyond belief. Peng Ee, Castle Cove
We are, by now, accustomed to mindless words from the office of Peter Dutton, but this tops it all; to commit an act of potential war for the economy, is really beyond the pale. Ian Usman Lewis, Kentucky
Get tough on the tree killers
To prevent Sydney’s current epidemic of view-improving tree poisoning (Letters, December 29), fines do not seem to be working, as they would represent just another “renovation” cost. What might work would be to brick up the windows of the beneficiary of such actions, and of any other properties they might own, for as long as it takes the trees to be fully grown back. Garry Dalrymple, Earlwood
Stage one, fine the tree vandals when they can be identified. Stage two, replant and surround the newly planted area with a large opaque, even ugly, fence until the trees are mature. Stage three, charge the vandals for any necessary maintenance of the trees or damage to the fence. John Connell, Bronte
Shall we ever see?
If the relatively massive fines and other punishments being requested by the Herald letter writers are needed to deter people from damaging trees, it strongly suggests people have little respect for the laws making damaging trees an offence. There is good reason why they don’t. Many trees are privately owned and people have fundamental rights to manage and to benefit from their own property. They rightfully will seek to exercise them. Until the public, through its various levels of government, pays due respect to the private owners of trees and allows owners to do as they best see fit with their own vegetation, don’t expect everyone to keep their hands off publicly owned trees. Ross Drynan, Lindfield
In this period of climate change, the need for trees and their benefits to our environment/ community is understated. The monetary value of a tree, from previous court records, is about $30,000 plus, so a maximum fine of $5 million is peanuts to the offenders of the recent removals on the north shore. The illegal removal of trees extends statewide and includes our state-controlled enterprises. The police should be the body that investigates these crimes, and it’s time that the true value of trees was recognised and penalties increased to include replacement cost, community service and incarceration. Brian McDonald, Willoughby
Our world is resolving
My resolutions for 2024 are to visit a workplace that the employees claim is just like a true family, with its tensions, bickering and resentments; to read a report of a wild weather event that states it was precedented; to locate the elusive loose-knit community.
Barry Wooldridge, Harden
One day, thinking ahead to 2024 and beyond, I hope I can talk on my phone to a person who isn’t on their digital machine searching, playing bridge, or buying or selling shares, houses or motorbikes. Just someone who can remember the technique of a phone conversation.
Mary Julian, Glebe
With Christmas this year falling on a Monday and New Year’s Day a week later, it feels very neat and organised. If we could return to holding Australia Day on the last Monday of January, as it always used to be, we could achieve a nice neat plan for our holiday season. If we were really bold, we could make Easter the second Sunday in April and eliminate any uncertainties for planning our year. What do you think?
Jim Martin, Narooma
Last word
It isn’t Best Letter material, but at least I can lay claim to having the final letter (Monday to Saturday) for 2023 – Happy New Year to everyone!
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook
Full to bursting, Sydney is only going to get bigger
If Bob Carr stated in 2000 that Sydney was “full”, what would he say now? Almost certainly that Sydney was “bursting” – intolerably overcrowded with many people living under extreme stress (“The centre of political power is drifting south”, December 29). And yet probably perhaps 2 million more residents are expected by 2034. This is uncontrolled, arguably immoral, population growth, as the supply of housing, schools, health services and other infrastructure cannot possibly keep up. Are politicians asleep at the wheel in that they cannot see that existing problems will be accentuated? NSW, indeed Australia, desperately needs a well-thought-out population policy that involves ensuring every resident has affordable accommodation and accessible public transport, in fact, all the services which make for a stress-free civilised lifestyle in a clean environment. Geoff Harding, Chatswood
Sober warning
I hope MPs Richard Marles, Pat Conroy and Matt Keogh, those most responsible for our defence, grasp Mick Ryan’s sobering message that totalitarian forces threaten to make 2024 even worse than this year (“Australia is less ready to face a more dangerous world in 2024”, December 29). There is the menace posed by Xi, Putin and other authoritarians, the colossal cost of AUKUS adversely impacting our defence funds, the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and even the outside possibility of a potentially ruinous Trump presidency in the US. We all need to pressure our MPs to realise we have no choice but to pay for our democratic way of life and that it won’t come cheap. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
Flagging concern
The new Australian beach safety study which has found that 20 per cent of international students “thought the area between the flags was only for people who knew how to swim” shows that you just can’t assume anything when it comes to community safety messaging (“Red flag raised on beach safety signs”, December 29). Now I’m wondering if the people I saw over Christmas swimming all along un-patrolled sections of the beautiful but particularly treacherous Diamond Beach on the mid north coast really understood the dangers of what they were doing. Changing the signage to “stay between the flags” definitely seems like a sensible idea. Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown
Look for the flags and stay safe
Silence? Bank on it
A damning opinion piece followed by two days of letters highly critical of the outrageous behaviour of banks that we all have to endure (Letters, December 29). A perfect opportunity for any of them to say mea culpa, we could do better. Instead – silence. How predictable. Just reinforces my long-held belief that complaining about banks is about as fruitful as complaining about Qantas. Ross MacPherson, Seaforth
I had a somewhat different experience with my bank (Westpac) when my husband died three years ago. I was put in touch with their “bereavement team” and our joint accounts were updated promptly. I did have to provide evidence of sufficient funds to support a new credit card in my name, but that was also done successfully. Not all banks have lost sight of the principle of customer service. Claire Edmonds, Floraville
Negative territory
The Libs and their dear leader are not only unlikeable but didn’t have and don’t have the necessary criteria your correspondent (Letters, December 29) nominates of “effective leadership, good governance and economic management”. Those attributes cannot be achieved by responding entirely in the negative and having no policies. And therein lies their problem. Judy Hungerford, Kew (Vic)
Wherefore are thou now?Credit: Oscar Colman
I have worked at the door of a dual polling booth where it was necessary to direct people to their appropriate vote issuing desk, and by my reckoning at least 50 per cent of voters had no idea in which electorate they live nor the name of their local member, in spite of one being the then incumbent prime minister. Apathy may be a national problem, but who cares? Col Burns, Lugarno
As well as sheer ignorance, maybe seniors moments, distractions or a smattering of oppositional defiance could account for only 98 per cent of people surveyed identifying Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese. On the bright side, it’s probably a higher percentage than would remember what they had for dinner last night. Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills
Now hear this
It was a popular prank when I was a young adult to scare English tourists with tales of our wildlife (Letters, December 29). A young Englishman who stayed with me one summer complained that “this country is insane, the animals all want to kill you”. I am not proud that when the cicadas began turning up, I cautioned him that he should avoid them as they have a nasty bite. He rarely went outside. Eva Elbourne, Pennant Hills
Maybe the cicadas are just telling your correspondent to switch off the telly and immerse himself in nature’s song? John Swanton, Coogee
Tracing contact
When discussing changes in the usage of the English language (Letters, December 29), what about the term to “reach out”? I always thought that “reaching out” implied some sort of emotional connection, as in, for example, offering condolences. Whatever happened to “contact”, “telephone”, “write to” etc? Geoffrey Watson, Gulmarrad
Liberty bell
The re-done one.Credit: franckreporter
Recently refurbished and repainted in the original colours, Big Ben continues to welcome each new year – as first occurred on the last day of 1923, when BBC radio broadcasted from the belfry for that purpose. More importantly, throughout most of World War II, millions would listen to the nightly news, prefaced by the Silent Minute (measured by the 60 seconds required for the 9pm chiming and striking of the great clock). Big Ben was instrumental to the daily release of united silent prayer and reflection that encouraged millions in their resolve to defend liberty. Readers seeking a New Year’s resolution may wish to devote 60 seconds at 9pm each day for the same purpose. David d’Lima, Sturt (SA)
In the frame
Congratulations to Alex Ellinghausen (“Referendum snapshot takes Herald Photo of the Year”, December 29). The looks on the faces of the main subjects are a telling mixture of implacable anger, gratified smugness and irritated indifference. Job done, game over. And not a hint of goodwill or desire to do anything about anyone else’s disadvantage in sight. “Uncomfortable” indeed.
Adrian Connelly, Springwood
Alex Ellinghausen’s exquisitely timed photo presents a flash point moment in the debate for the Yes campaign … his winning image perfectly captured the No campaign – whitewashed and overexposed. Janet Argall, Dulwich Hill
Alex Ellinghausen’s winning photographCredit: Alex Ellinghausen
Congratulations Alex Ellinghausen. The look on Michaelia Cash’s face says it all. This was the culmination of everything the Coalition had been working so hard to create – black on black division. Thanks to Senator Price and a small band of contrarians, Cash & co could now sit back, and wash their hands of any racist claims. Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn
What a perfect, although dispiriting, choice. And how very percipient: people who engineered the No vote in the referendum for the sole purpose of embarrassing the government. The smugness of Michaelia Cash is balanced by what one would like to think is the regret of Barnaby Joyce and the interest of Sussan Ley who might find something else to disappoint her. How much longer will our Indigenous people wait for disinterested justice? A long while if this photo is any indication. Nola Tucker, Kiama
Quality learning is a numbers game
It amazes me that parents often choose private schools because they think their children will get a better education (“Teacher-student ratios revealed”, December 29), often based on hearsay or the school uniform. One of the most important things, especially in the early years, is class sizes, which I’m happy to see in the story. If parents investigated properly before enrolling their children in private schools, they would find many of the low-fee ones, including those in the Catholic systemic system, have class sizes in kindergarten that exceed 30. The local public school will have 20. Having taught for many years in the K-2 section of schools I can assure you that in those crucial early years every extra child has an impact on the learning of all the children. Mary Lawson, Marrickville
I feel sorry for parents trying to work out if an average teacher-to-student ratio of 16.5 is better for their children’s education than 10.6. Instead, parents should be looking for indicators of quality teaching and leadership, such as the extent to which children enjoy and improve their learning. They should also look for trends in the school’s trajectory of improvement in learning over time on indicators such as NAPLAN. Hetty Cislowski, Roseville
I was at a school where the average class size was 25. This has decreased across all schools, but one thing I note is the behaviour of students seems to dictate class size. Jenny Greenwood, Hunters Hill
Postscript
This Christmas/New Year time is often considered a “silly season”. You know, there’s not much hard news around so the media often moves to cats in yacht races, the meaning behind Australian heraldry and how many packets of cocaine can swim ashore this week.
The Herald letters writers, though, are made, mostly, of sterner stuff. There has been some light-hearted discussion about the being or not being of cicadas, and a continuation of the subject of death notices, but this week has also been about serious subjects.
It started with housing, the lack thereof, and a ticking-off for Premier Chris Minns and his plans to ease the crisis, which are not being well received by writers. There was also a lot of discussion about the ABC – is it right, right-wing or just past its prime? – as well as the media generally falling into the pitfall of “balance” by using too much conservative (mis)information.
Horror stories about banks abound all around. One mention of how badly one person was treated always brings a flood of letters agreeing, recounting similar stories and demanding more royal commissions, plus strong support for credit unions. (A readers’ tip to the big banks – service counts, get well-trained people back in the branches.)
Grammar is a perennial favourite subject on the letters page, taken far too seriously to be counted as part of a silly season. This week started with pleas for retaining the “-ing” (not, as you might think, a small monkey, but, alas, a grammatical suffix in danger of moving from “Vulnerable” to “Endangered”). Writers want Boxing Days, racing days and swimming meetings – politicians please note and, if possible, pass legislation.
Harriet Veitch, acting letters editor
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