Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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MIDDLE EAST
In a mistaken attempt to justify Israeli actions that include a number of war crimes, Mike Kelly (“Australia damning Israel for fighting to survive is poisonous”, 16/12) asks us to imagine a number of different scenarios. For example, “What if we had endured 18 years of a barrage of tens of thousands of rockets, missiles and drones?” Let’s put the shoe on the other foot. What if 750,000 of us had been forced out of our homes and not allowed to return? What if our homes were continually demolished so that other people could build on our land? What if our children were routinely arrested and jailed without charge? What if a giant wall separated us from our fields? This is just some of what Israel imposes on Palestine.
Israel is doing more than just facing an existential threat in its apparent campaign to take over all of Palestine. I commend Penny Wong and the government for finally voting to end the war and the occupation of Palestinian land.
Lorel Thomas, Blackburn South
Rocket attacks on neighbours
Bravo, Mike Kelly. There is understandably widespread sympathy for people living in Gaza right now. Unfortunately too few people seem to feel sympathy for Israelis who live under constant attack from their neighbours. I wonder how residents of, say, Brunswick would feel if they were on the receiving end of daily rocket attacks from Coburg, Northcote and Carlton. Would there be regular protests by residents if Brunswick decided to strike back to defend itself? It’s easy to criticise Israel from the comfort of our suburbs. It seems to be much harder for some people to put themselves in Israeli shoes and understand what it’s like for them to live under the constant threat of annihilation of their state and extermination of their people.
David Francis, Ivanhoe East
Transgressions overlooked
It beggars belief that Mike Kelly can fulminate about Australia’s “despicable” decision to vote for a ceasefire in Gaza without a word of censure about the campaign of Palestinian dispossession that Israel has conducted. To say that Israel “is fighting an existential war of self-defence” and ignore its iron-fisted military control over more and more of the Occupied Territories, its expansion of settlements in defiance of international law, its tolerance if not patronage of settler violence – to name but a few of its transgressions – is reprehensible.
Tom Knowles, Parkville
Ceasefire deals wouldn’t work
Former ALP minister Mike Kelly has called out the government’s shameful “demonisation, delegitimisation and double standards” approach to Israel, including its lack of genuine concern for the hostages. As Kelly implies, it is inconceivable that Australia’s response would have differed significantly, if it had been confronted with commensurate attacks by neighbouring adversaries. Penny Wong continues to demonstrate the incoherence of the government’s approach to resolving the Israel-Palestinian conflict. She has long said that Hamas cannot be part of a future Palestinian government, an outcome unachievable under the one-sided ceasefire deals that she has supported.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
A trail of death
Penny Wong deserves praise for calling out the war crimes committed by the combatants on both sides in the Israeli- Palestinian conflict. It is disappointing that Mike Kelly has failed to acknowledge the many deliberate killings of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces in both Gaza and the West Bank. In one example, on December 16, 2023, an Israeli sniper allegedly gunned down a mother and daughter, Nahida and Samar, inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza. One was shot dead trying to carry the other to safety. On the same day, an Israeli tank shelled the convent of the Sisters of Mother Teresa, from the same church compound. It destroyed the compound’s only electricity source and had a dire impact on the 54 disabled residents of the convent, who were made homeless without access to necessary medical equipment.
Mark Zirnsak, Parkville
THE FORUM
Nuclear forecasts
After months of vague promises of a nuclear solution, Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party have finally issued a report less than two weeks before Christmas, after parliament has closed. The first problem I see with the Frontier Economics report is that it is from an economics consultancy. I am sure the economists are very learned but, let’s face it, economists don’t have a good record of forecasting six months of economic data, let alone what’s likely to happen in 20-25 years. The nuclear proposal is first and foremost an engineering solution of fairly substantial proportions and we need engineers to analyse the issues and costs of building and construction. Not that engineers have done all that well in recent times estimating the cost and issues in large infrastructure projects (eg Snowy Hydro 2.0). Apart from the fact that we have limited experience in building nuclear plants and a lack of tradespeople, are we likely to do better than the UK or US where recent nuclear plant builds are way over budget and time? The last thing we need is another AUKUS or SRL.
Shaun Quinn, Yarrawonga
Worrying precedent
The last clean energy project, costed and commenced by the Coalition at $2 billion, Snowy 2.0, is years behind schedule and now estimated to cost $12 billion. When I tried to multiply the cost of Dutton’s nuclear proposal by six my little calculator did not have space for the answer. In addition, I pondered the demands for financial assistance the owners of the old coal-fired power stations would make in order to extend the lives of these polluting power stations. Demands the government would have no option but to meet to keep the lights on.
Judy Kevill, Ringwood
Open to a discourse
I’m nonplussed by the armchair experts in your Letters column (“Dutton’s nuclear plan based on many, many assumptions”, 15/12) who have concluded that for a variety of reasons going nuclear is a very bad idea. They have demonstrated a pro-Labor bias which has discounted an intelligent discourse on the costs and benefits of going nuclear as put forward by Peter Dutton. Disappointing.
Mandy Morgan, Peregian Springs, Qld
Back-up plan
Your correspondent (“ALP hysterical nonsense”, Letters 15/12), in defending the Coalition’s ill-conceived nuclear plan, trots out the line that Labor has a “renewables only” plan. This is not true, it has never been true. Labor’s plan maximises renewables but will have gas as a firming back-up.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Energy costs
Ross Gittins (“The ‘costs’ behind the pure profits of energy retailers”, 16/12) points out that out of every $100 we pay for supply of electricity and gas supply, up to $35 is profit for the retail energy companies. An obvious solution for struggling households is to buy plenty of shares in those companies and use the dividends towards paying their energy bills. If that seems economically irrational, how would you describe the political process over the past 30 years that has led to this situation?
Bill King, Camberwell
Consumers the bunnies
Here we go again. Now we’re told it’s the energy retailers doing their bit to push up the cost of living. Consumers seem to be the bunnies in the economy.
Everywhere you look, there’s someone dipping into funds to which they’re not entitled and pumping up the cost of the basics of our essential services. What really stings is that the RBA has based the cost of money on this feloniously inflated data.
John Mosig, Kew
Strike back
Ross Gittins’ analysis of the enormous profits (up to 35 per cent of a consumer’s bill) being made by the three major electricity companies: AGL, Energy Australia and Origin, needs a better conclusion. Gittins regrets that we will blame politicians for high-priced energy, when the blame should be sheeted home to the market operators who have allowed this monopoly situation. But he might also suggest the best response: consumer revenge.
It is so easy to switch providers now, and there are some providers who are non-profit co-operatives with climate-aware policies and pricing. Some offer mid-day pricing for as low as 0c per kWh, or for 8.5c per kWh. Use the Victorian government comparison website to find them. Avoid the raft of imitator “comparison” sites that feature a limited group of retailers – they’re just another part of the promotion strategy of the big companies.
Elaine Hopper, Blackburn
History lessons
The Age’s 2024 VCE High Achievers liftout published last week gave a fascinating look at the state of education in Victoria. There’s lots to take in, but, for me, one of the most worrying observations came from comparing column lengths (which indicate the number of participants). Of course, English, taken by almost all VCE students, had 16 columns of names. History revolutions had two columns. But one-third of a column for Australian history?
Why? Why do students walk away from studying the history of our country? The new Study Design, launched in 2021, was promised as a way to revive Australian history. Clearly, that hasn’t worked. What a sad reflection on our history, and a portent of a future of ill-informed citizens.
Pam Cupper, Dimboola
Like with like
As a secondary teacher, I appreciate it when media outlets make an effort to highlight the many successes of Victorian high school students. It is time to review the manner in which the annual reporting of year 12 results is done, though. In a massively divided and unequal education system, it is unfair and unrepresentative to simply compare schools to one another using only metrics such as ATARs and study scores. In Victoria, some individual students in private schools receive over $38,000 in total funding (state government, federal government and tuition fees combined) per year in homogenised and curated environments while a student in a public school receives just over $16,000 in total funding per year (“Private school splashes $85 million on ‘humble’ new pool complex”, 19/9). It cannot be said that we are comparing like with like.
As well as ATARs and study score averages, it would be a welcome change to see The Age publish each school’s total funding per student along with the barriers to entry for each school, be they financial, gender-based, select-entry or other. Our public schools take the responsibility to educate and support the students that other schools won’t or would rather not.
Marc Favre, East Malvern
Investigate debt
The resignation of Treasurer Tim Pallas in the context of a forecast net state debt of some $187.8 billion, with little prospect of financial recovery, demands more than a rearrangement of deck chairs on the Titanic (“Treasurer quits parliament after 18 years as state bogged down in debt”, 16/12).
Parliament’s unrestrained approval of multiple simultaneous Big Build projects, most of which have significant budget blowouts, requires scrutiny as to what prior consideration was given to the state’s capacity to fund all major projects from the state budget, while sustaining existing commitments across all portfolios. The parliamentary processes leading to this suboptimal outcome require investigation by the establishment of a royal commission to put in place measures mandating financial accountability and to ensure that infrastructure plans are financially viable prior to their approval. The impacts of the current debt are intergenerational and adversely affect key portfolios such as health and education, impacting the entire community and will have long-term effects on attracting business investment.
Liz Burton, Camberwell
Election reform
The Melbourne City Council has been democratically compromised by a City of Melbourne Act and its electoral provisions. (“Mayor donations show we need laws not words”, Editorial 14/12). We have a lord mayor and councillors who have been elected during a campaign in which there were donations in excess of $2 million and a gerrymander that provides two votes for non-resident property owners and business. This has resulted in numerous calls for a review and reform of the City of Melbourne Act and its electoral provisions. A People’s Assembly should be established by the council to provide advice to the state government on the reform needed to restore faith and integrity to the governance of our city.
Martin Brennan, Carlton
Rethinking names
Why is the naming of new infrastructure, public places, streets etc so predictable? (“Arden station name to stay”, 16/12). They should be given Indigenous names. It would make Victoria a much more interesting place. Indigenous people would be proud to see their language in such places and as a non-Indigenous person, so would I. Australia is well-known for its distinct flora and fauna. It always comes up in discussion about Australia. Whether I am overseas or from visitors. Imagine visitors (and residents) learning Indigenous words from place names. Who knew Messrs Joseph Arden and Farquhar McCrae (associated with Moreland)? Now it is linked to slavery and racism, who cares? Even if there are places named after people that were perfect humans, the names should be changed.
It was excellent when Moreland Council became Merri-Bek Council. We now have a distinctive Australian name that is associated with our region and nowhere else. Think of all the Melbourne suburbs that are named after an equivalent in Britain. Interesting? I don’t think so. It is 2024. Time to move on.
Michael D’Aloia, Coburg
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Nuclear power
The same people who couldn’t build a car park by a train station are going to build a nuclear reactor in half the time and at half the cost compared to America’s reactors? Yeah, nah.
Sean Geary, Southbank
If we don’t know which cost estimates on a nuclear future are accurate, CSIRO or Dutton’s; if Dutton doesn’t know, or isn’t saying, what effect nuclear power will have on our electricity bills, we should take the advice he gave us during The Voice referendum. “If you don’t know, vote No.”
Nicholas Elliot, Brunswick
I look forward to Peter Dutton brandishing a lump of enriched uranium in parliament and telling those present not to be afraid of it.
Stephen Szalla, Donvale
Furthermore
It was once illegal to sell or provide alcohol to anyone under 21. It didn’t stop us drinking as it was difficult to police. But the law meant pubs and bottle shops could be prosecuted. The social media ban means a company can be prosecuted if they are targeting young persons or making it easy to circumvent restrictions.
Laurens Meyer, Richmond
Having unearthed the bigoted views of George Arden, perhaps we should reconsider the naming of Elgin Street, Carlton, given the activities of the seventh and eighth Lord Elgin in Greece and China.
Brian Kilday, Jeeralang Junction
For a nation that calls itself the Home of the Brave, there sure are a lot of people scared of the unknown (“Thousands report mysterious drones above New Jersey”, 16/12). It’s Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds all over again.
Peter McGill, Lancefield
Anthony Albanese deserves credit for walking a tightrope of diplomacy resulting in the release of the Bali Nine.
Alan Fancourt, Werribee
Finally
Surgeons allegedly behaving badly (“Surgeons probed over ‘operating on multiple TAC patients at same time’,” puts a whole new meaning on “physician heal thyself”. Yep, it’s in the Bible!
Myra Fisher, Brighton East
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To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.