Credit: IIlustration: Matt Golding
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Canberra chaos
My wife and I had the embarrassing experience of attending the public gallery of the lower house at parliament in Canberra for question time last month.
It was reasonably full, including many who were in national costume, most likely overseas visitors. If they came to witness Australian democracy in action, they were either sorely disappointed, or maybe just disgusted by the behaviour of our politicians.
Whenever a government minister rose to speak, a cacophony of invective issued from the opposition benches. The Speaker called for order but was ignored, and certainly did little to rein in the bombardment of vocal outbursts.
If the scene had been repeated in a business environment, there would be serious repercussions, however, such appalling conduct now seems to be the norm in parliament.
Members are representatives of their electorates, paid by their voters. They need to act like adults, not unruly schoolkids. There is no excuse for putting juvenile antics above the serious issue of governing for Australians.
Mike Reece, Doncaster
Not slouching, trying
Your correspondent (Letters “Stop slouching, act” 12/10) is fed up with people that criticise elected representatives, and suggests they join a political party or stand as a candidate.
Sounds easy. I was an active member of the Liberal Party for 24 years because one of its core beliefs concerns freedom of the individual. I and a very few other members continually argued for a policy of voluntary voting. The party response usually ranged from being ignored, snubbed, or derided.
I resigned and stood as an independent candidate in the state election on a number of issues, but mostly on the primarily voluntary voting issue.
It might have helped if I’d sought financial assistance like some other ‘independent’ candidates.
I considered running as a candidate in the Senate and, accordingly, renounced my Irish and British citizenship (at considerable cost).
Then I discovered I’d need 100 people to nominate me, $2000 for a deposit, as well as the need to ‘deal’ with preference harvesters/vote whisperers.
Sorry, but participating in Australian democracy is not easy.
Michael Doyle, Ashburton
Bad behaviour
When Sussan Ley said Richard Marles should resign over alleged treatment of his chief of staff this week, I was reminded of bad behaviour by another minister who didn’t resign.
In 2021, Julia Banks alleged that in 2017, a male minister brazenly moved his hand up her leg between her thighs during a parliamentary vote session in a room full of colleagues.
She did not name the minister so until today every time I see a member of the Coalition on TV I wonder ‘were you that sleaze or a colleague who saw it and said nothing, thereby condoning the behaviour?’. We will probably never know who it was, and all ministers at the time will forever be suspect.
Vivien Wertkin, St Kilda
What’s ‘reasonable’?
Professor Katy Barnett (Comment, ″Intimidatory behaviour not on″, 12/10) observes ″reasoned criticism of the Israeli government policy is important″, but any such criticism is often immediately described as antisemitism without any analysis of its reasonableness.
Bill Pell, Emerald
Silencing scientists
Re Comment, “Intimidatory behaviour not on”, (12/10), concerning the occupation of the office of Professor Steven Prawer by protesters, many of them masked.
I have known Professor Prawer for 27 years. He is one of Australia’s most eminent scientists and his groundbreaking research has helped develop the bionic eye. He is a member of the Australian Research Council’s prestigious College of Experts.
My paternal grandfather was murdered by Stalin. My paternal grandmother and her family were murdered by Hitler and the Nazis. Now crypto-fascists and Stalinists associated with the terrorist, misogynist and anti-gay Hamas organisation are attempting to silence Australian scientists.
When I worked at Melbourne University in the 1970s, the university was dedicated to teaching and research. Today, it is more concerned with appeasing those with extremist views. Perhaps that is the reason it is descending the ladder of prestigious international universities.
Professor John Zeleznikow, South Caulfield
Get out of the way
A new way of conducting international relations: Israel to UN peacekeepers, aid and health workers, and journalists, ″We told you to get out of our way”.
Penelope Buckley, Kew East
Mental health fail
Following the tabling of the final report in 2021 of the findings of the Royal Commission into Victoria’s Mental Health System the then premier Daniel Andrews stated the report revealed “one inescapable truth: we are failing. And it is costing lives.“
And this morning, three years on, yet another local family grieves the loss of a loved one as a result of suicide.
And this very same morning The Age reports that “State shelves key promise on mental health bodies” (12/10).
Having attended a commission forum, with its obvious “preset” agenda, very limited time frame and the usual “run out of time for questions”, following years of meetings with local politicians and various Bendigo Health staff and officials with their platitudes and promises, I subsequently attended my son’s funeral.
No surprise, then, to read of the secret shelving nor of the lack of an adequate “sorry” from the premier for her disregard for those affected by the failings of Victoria’s mental health system. The royal commission was a complete waste of time, money and emotional input.
I can only hope that those involved in the findings and decision-making of the Coroner’s Court may choose to listen a little less dismissively to the stories of the bereft families in the future.
Sue Skahill, Bendigo
Government priorities
A key state government promise involving regional mental health and associated 800 jobs has been shelved.
One wonders how country Victorians feel about this while the building of the underground train line to Cheltenham continues unabated.
Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills
Mental health levy
Reneging on key mental health promises can’t be state government policy (12/10). It must lack funds. How about a mental health levy to pay for it?
Allison Stanley Preston
Tim Smith, again
After reading the Tim Smith opinion piece in The Age earlier this week, it was with much interest that I read Tony Wright’s opinion of that opinion (″Now’s the time to come to the aid of the party″, 11/10).
Commenting on Smith’s characterisation of a “handful” of MPs deciding the leadership I had to LOL at Tony’s remark that “a telephone box comes to mind”. An astute and pithy comment as usual.
John Paine, Kew East
US numbers’ game
As Peter Hartcher says, the elections of 2000 and 2016 both resulted in the winner not receiving a majority of the national vote (Opinion, ″160 million Americans will vote. Only 538 will choose the next president″, 12/10).
However, in 2000 it was not the 538 members of the Electoral College who were the crucial players in producing what could be regarded as an undemocratic result.
It was the nine judges of the US Supreme Court who, in a 5-4 decision, ruled that recounting of votes in Florida should stop, which meant George W. Bush won Florida’s 25 electoral votes and hence a majority in the Electoral College.
So in effect, the decision of a single Supreme Court judge determined who became the US president.
Rod Wise, Surrey Hills
Genius move
If the Democrats in the US are smart enough to control the weather, it’s a good reason to elect them.
Joan Kerr, Eastern Beach
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