Credit: Illustration: Badiucao
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US ELECTION
Donald Trump is the antithesis of civilisation. Taking ‘divide and conquer’ to the extreme, he targets, ramps up and rallies together primal hatreds, unfettered egos, and the lust for revenge to suit his own agenda. He does not care about who is left behind, including many of his unwitting supporters, in what may quickly become a cockfight to death: mission accomplished.
Australia has little, if any, influence on US politics but must guard against the pervasive creep of division in our political landscape. We can have authentic, civilised debate and opposing views without the scourge of hatred.
Emma Borghesi, Rye
In the grander scheme, an election about nothing
The spectre of either a Trump or Harris presidency looms large. Trump is a lying, irrational braggart and convicted felon. Harris is indecisive, and tainted by the failures of the Biden administration. The question to be resolved now is not how either will become the leader of the free world, but why America could not produce far better candidates in the first place?
Successful individuals, families, nations, empires, religions, and doctrines first struggle to survive, then rise, prosper, and finally decay. There is no better example of this than we see in America. Sooner or later, it will be democracy itself that will crumble and concede the game to its competitor. You, me, and anyone else can talk about it, and write about it, but can do nothing effective to stop or change it.
I believe we all watch on as nature’s grand evolution proceeds as intended. That is the future of all things: animate or inanimate. Nothing makes any difference.
Jim Lamborn, Doncaster
Trump forbodes cheating
Books about Donald Trump have revealed his cheating at golf, he has cheated on his wives and bragged about it, he has been found guilty in court of cheating in the operation of his businesses, and, true to form as a bad sport, he tried to cheat the 2020 election when he couldn’t accept losing.
He now accuses his opponents, in advance, of cheating at this week’s election. Trump epitomises the saying “fake it until you make it”, and will endeavour to win the US election either by fair means or foul, as it is his best, or perhaps only, chance to stay out of jail for the numerous criminal charges he faces. We await the verdict with trepidation.
Rod Eldridge, Derrinallum
Remember the women
Let’s hope America’s voters have the wisdom to protect women from Donald Trump – whether he likes it or not.
Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor,
Public dissembling reveals the man
Donald Trump loves to ramble in his public speeches. Rambling is in effect what is called free association. It shows the type of person and can reveal negative aspects of a person’s thinking.
As he gets more and more comfortable speaking to adoring audiences his negative aspects come pouring out. Some of these are hatred of anyone who has betrayed him, his obsession with retribution, his deplorable attitude to minorities including women (who are now in the majority) and his praising of alpha males.
John Rome, Mt Lawley,WA
Trump’s idea of presidential is not like anyone else’s
Having survived an assassination attempt not that long ago, you reckon Donald Trump might have toned down his incendiary comments promoting violence against his political opponents.
Not a bit of it. If anything, he has doubled down on such dangerous language when he suggested Republican Liz Cheney should have nine rifles aimed at her face. What kind of person aspiring to national leadership speaks like that? Not one deserving of the great honour to become the next US president.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
THE FORUM
Allan’s politics of envy
I find Premier Jacinta Allan’s behaviour over the past week or so quite deplorable – divisive and patronising.
She has deliberately created an environment of class warfare between those who live in Brighton and those who don’t – the politics of envy – to shut down debate on her planning proposals.
Most patronising is that she has effectively silenced the voices of everyone else in the 49 other activity centres and adjoining suburbs that are impacted, including in Labor-held seats.
Instead of debate, she has encouraged cries of ″NIMBY″, ″elitist″, ″blocker″ and other derogatory terms.
This should be a debate about Melbourne’s liveability and how best to preserve it.
For starters, what is wrong with pressuring the federal government to pause immigration as Canada has done recently?
About 3000 people move to Victoria every week and they all require housing. Not only does this mean housing supply will always be playing catch-up but growth of this nature is unsustainable in the long term and incompatible with the preservation of Melbourne’s green space.
Suzette Miller, Ashburton
Get real on solutions
Re: James Newbury’s “Allan’s towers will wreck communities”, 2/11): Mr Newbury, I’m sure most people, including Jacinta Allan, would agree with your proposal to decentralise. A great idea, but how do you suggest that it be done? Where do the jobs come from?
When governments suggest moving departments, there is uproar from those affected. How can private industry make decentralisation economically viable and desirable for their current employees? Some actual, practical solutions please.
Jim Payton, Keilor East
Opposition NIMBY
The opposition spokesperson for planning, James Newbury, has made his predictable NIMBY response to the government’s plan for housing activity centres (2/11). It is not a planning response but a “leave everything as it is” response. His fatuous “no one has asked Victorians if they want to grow Melbourne into a mega-city” needs to be refuted.
There may be rare occasions when cities seek extra people but almost always, growth is because people wish to come here and we welcome them. We need thousands more healthcare professionals, teachers and, dare one say it, tradespersons to build the necessary accommodation for our current and new citizens.
Looking at the lovely watercolour paintings of 1850s Melbourne and saying that it should never have grown is a pointless exercise. Our challenge is to plan for it to grow in the best practicable way. If that involves the privileged occupants of Brighton sharing their suburb and its amenities with occupants of some high-rise towers, so be it. It will not wreck the community but will add to it.
It is important for the government to provide the appropriate infrastructure to aid this growth. Public transport, in particular, needs development.
The Suburban Rail Loop, another of the opposition’s mindless punching-bags, should be extended not only from Cheltenham across the northern metropolis to the airport but then back through Footscray to the city and through the Sandringham line to link up at Cheltenham. This would then form a circle line that intersects with all the other radial railway lines servicing the other housing activity centres.
It is a pity the opposition is incapable of being constructive.
Allan Mawdsley, Port Melbourne
What about the bus zones?
In repeating her ambition to have more homes around train stations in 50 “established” suburbs, Premier Jacinta Allan calls them “train and tram zones” (1/11). But what about bus zones?
According to the Big Build website, the Victorian government has removed 84 level crossings, with another 26 to go by 2030. Many of those that have been completed in the past decade are in the 50 suburbs to which the premier refers. Many of them are catered for by sub-standard route bus services that have not been upgraded in the wake of the level crossing removals.
There is a misfit there.
Ian Hundley, Balwyn North
Extra runway good news
It’s great news that a third runway for Melbourne airport has been approved. As a growing and international city, we need these significant transport infrastructure improvements.
But how can we have a planning system where approval can be given without a guarantee of a railway service.
The construction of an airport rail link, which takes years to build, was abruptly halted in May last year. Work needs to resume now.
The public transport service is already so poor, it will be more horrific for all the additional international passengers projected for 2031.
Tim Hoffmann, Brunswick
Tax minimisation is good
Shane Wright (″Tax crackdown″, 2/11) highlights numerous instances where companies pay little or no company tax on their revenues. And why should they? Company tax is levied on taxable income, not revenue.
Companies reduce taxable income by incurring costs in running the business, research and development, exploration and, in many cases, accumulated losses from prior years.
I am against tax avoidance, but not tax minimisation.
And another thing: 74 per cent of Australians have money in superannuation funds. They should be applauding profitable companies and the benefit that flows to their retirement nest eggs.
David Pitts, Armadale
Sausages, hot dogs sizzle
The Age editorial, ″Council polls tallying: State deserves better″ (2/11), and Tony Wright’s article, ″Would a democracy hot dog help vote down a tyrant″, both underscore the challenge of achieving real democracy.
It seems like a long bow, but not really when you consider that real democracy needs to be underpinned by trust, authenticity, transparency, participation and acceptance.
A democracy sausage or a hot dog would certainly add the much-needed sizzle to elections here and abroad at a time when it is most needed.
In Victoria, it is not the state that is missing out but communities across our local government municipalities. The single-member wards, postal voting, and a delay of three weeks for a result hardly adds any sizzle!
In the United States, the Electoral College dilutes the election of a president to seven swing states with just 93 votes in those seven states deciding their and our future.
The sausage and the hot dog may go some way to restoring faith in the Union and the Federation.
Martin Brennan, Carlton
Candidates in shadows
Thank you, Tony Wright for nailing so perceptively and eloquently the bizarre characteristics of the 2024 local government elections in Victoria (2/11).
“The disembodied local candidates from a soulless written list” and “no eyeballing of anxious candidates”certainly reflects my experience in a City of Whitehorse ward where only four of seven candidates could be “eyeballed” in shopping hubs where we have the opportunity to see into the souls, assessing if their self-described testimony is a reliable indicator of their merit.
What is puzzling and worrying is the three candidates who did not appear to campaign or present themselves for public meet and greets have cumulatively garnered 30 per cent of first-preference votes thus far in my ward count.
Local government election process needs urgent reform.
Diana Yallop, Surrey Hills
Set tree canopy targets
Your correspondent is so on the money in arguing for maintaining and growing Melbourne’s tree canopy cover, (Letters, 2/11). Who knows how many trees have been lost in redevelopment?
Until several large canopy trees adjacent to me were unceremoniously pushed over to moonscape an established property for sale and subdivision, I too, had no idea or interest in where our city was heading. Nor did I know that saplings require decades of growth to have a cooling effect.
Not only does the state government need to set tree canopy targets, incoming councils have a lot of work to do to educate us, the hoi polloi, about planning new housing builds with the preservation of existing trees.
Cynthia Pilli, Doncaster East
Connection anxiety
I have some empathy with your correspondent (Letters, 2/11) and his difficulties transitioning to an electric car from an internal combustion engine, and discovering there are different AC and DC charging connections.
I have had issues doing the opposite – after using an EV for two years, I recently used a petrol car. Adjusting to the car’s clunky acceleration, lack of regenerative braking, lower safety features, smell, pollution and noise was tricky. Then I discovered that I couldn’t refuel at home and had to find a service station. The refuelling was further complicated by there being four different coloured nozzles at the service station pump.
Comparisons aside, your correspondent’s issues are understandable and his call for standard connections commendable. Change can be difficult but initial unfamiliarity shouldn’t detract from recognising that electric vehicles are an improved technical and environmental transport solution.
Tom Maher, Aspendale
Don’t bet on it
Approaching the killing season, when noble, gentle, intelligent animals senselessly die for the amusement and benefit of a few, I find another reason to be repelled by my membership of the human race ... pardon the pun.
Janneke Hall, North Fitzroy
AND ANOTHER THING
Donald Trump
Why do more Australians reject Trump than Americans? Maybe our national character gifts us an inbuilt “bull-dust” detector?
Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff
He wouldn’t pass a working with children check.
Simon Williamson, West Footscray
Both Trump and Harris’ campaigns have featured trash talk. Maybe Trump is more trick than treat? Nevertheless, Trump will win because so many male voters won’t vote for a woman of colour.
Kevin Burke, Sandringham
It’s the sequel you hoped you wouldn’t have to sit through, “Trump II, No Guard Rails!“
Matthew Hamilton, Kew
Living in America during an election but not having a vote does not quite exclude foreigners from involvement. In my case, it involved driving people to a polling place in a car festooned in Democrat blue ribbons. It left me a staunch believer in our compulsory voting system.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Furthermore
Who dictated the restrictive black and white dress rule for Derby Day? Eddie McGuire ?
Susie Holt, South Yarra
Learner drivers have a wait of up to 10 weeks to sit a driving test (″VicRoads was sold off with a promise of better service – but the deal made it worse instead″, 3/11). If Births Deaths and Marriages is privatised, there may be a delay up to 10 weeks to be born, die or be married.
Malcolm Cameron, Camberwell
Since when has privatisation ever delivered lower costs? Private companies are only in it for profit for their shareholders, regardless which organisation is involved.
Marie Nash, Balwyn
Another climate catastrophe, floods in Spain – but 30 per cent renewables worldwide gives hope. Let’s crank up and publicise Australian efforts.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
Finally
So, I’ve apparently been mispronouncing Reservoir my entire life (2/11). Damn!
Ian Macdonald, Traralgon
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