Credit: Illustration: Badiucao
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VICTORIA
Premier Jacinta Allan may be ″getting the message″ from the Werribee byelection (″Win or lose, the premier has already got the message″, 9/2), but she won’t do what is necessary to save federal and state Labor from disaster at the next elections.
Allan is a victim of the Joan Kirner syndrome in Victorian politics. Following a successful Labor leader, Allan has inherited economic hard times not of her making, but gets blamed at the ballot box.
The tsunami of anti-Labor sentiment in Victoria is likely to first hit Albanese and federal Labor, while Dutton can’t believe his luck.
The best thing Allan could do if she really cares for Labor’s chances to stay in power, is resign now, instead of after the inevitable wipeout.
Daniel Cole, California Gully
Start tackling state debt
To borrow some lines from Chip Le Grand’s article (″Win or lose, the premier has already got the message″, 9/2), ″she knows voters want her government to do more. Just not more of the same.″ I wholeheartedly agree there needs to be change.
A good start would be to tackle the state’s crippling debt. Cost overruns on major infrastructure projects must be urgently addressed as this is just money down the drain.
Furthermore, it’s unconscionable that the Suburban Rail Loop, the state’s largest infrastructure project, is going full steam ahead despite the fact only one-third of the project has been funded, and that is by the state. Where will the shortfall come from if the federal government will not provide a third, and if value capture fails to deliver a third of funding?
When ratings agencies warn of another credit downgrade unless the state government looks at its spending, this must be taken seriously. Otherwise, all Victorians will suffer with cuts to services or further tax increases.
Yvonne Bowyer, Surrey Hills
A different class of voter
Re ″Voters abandon Labor in Werribee and Greens in Prahran,″ (8/2). What does Jacinta Allan mean by her term ″working families″ in the article. Does she mean ″working class″ like all politicians who avoid the term ″class″, or is it only families with someone employed? In which case, doesn’t care about those doing it tougher on the dole?
Marion Harper, Reservoir
Fiscal responsibility a possibility
The big byelection swings against the Allan government must give encouragement to those Victorians that are interested in good governance and fiscal responsibility. But I would caution. One swallow does not make a summer.
Dennis Walker, North Melbourne
Allan must step down now
In response to the double-digit swing against her party at the Werribee byelection, Jacinta Allan has assured Victorians that she is “listening”. If she’s really listening, she would know that it’s time to step down in order to give a new premier – almost certainly Ben Carroll – the opportunity to admit that serious mistakes have been made, to explain what they are and what he’s going to do about them. If this doesn’t happen soon, Labor will be smashed at the next state election.
Ivan Glynn, Vermont
Prahran result shows concern for Jewish community
For months, we have called on Prime Minister Albanese to take decisive action against antisemitism – to go beyond words and demonstrate that “antisemitism has no place in Australia” through meaningful steps. At times, we feared that Australia’s concern for its Jewish community – one of the nation’s smallest cultural minorities – was lacking. But yesterday’s election results in Prahran send a powerful message: the public is willing to take a stand where leadership has fallen short. Thank you, voters of Prahran, for rejecting antisemitism and holding the Greens accountable at the ballot box.
Tamara Taylor, Caulfield North
LETTERS
Step back from US
Re ″US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth: ‘Trump appreciative’ after Marles hands over $800m AUKUS deposit″, 9/2). By handing over an early downpayment, Australia is enhancing US ability ″in the subterranean space″, in the hope that we may eventually receive some nuclear-powered submarines some 15-20 years hence.
I was astonished with the alacrity with which Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles handed the money over, and rather sickened by his obsequious manner.
I was also disturbed by Anthony Albanese’s placatory response to Donald Trump’s outrageous proposal to take over Gaza. While restating Australia’s support for a two-state solution, he could have also mentioned our respect for international law, which Australia was so prominent in establishing through the United Nations after WWII.
It is beyond time that our leaders stepped back, and reconsidered aspects of our strong attachment to the US. We are now dealing with an American president who is a volatile bully, has little respect for allies and friends or international law, who makes wild and ambiguous proposals. We need to reduce our dependence on the US, step back from AUKUS and the net it is drawing us into, and develop an independent foreign policy based on co-operation with neighbours, respect for international laws, and peaceful solutions to conflict.
Anne Sgro, Coburg North
Australia looks nice
Donald Trump revels in making a deal, one of which is buying Greenland because of its strategic importance and that it holds a lot of critical minerals, considered essential for developing renewable energy, new technologies and advanced computing. (″Trump’s Greenland talk has logic″, 4/2).
Given Australia also has these critical minerals and is strategically important to the US, will Trump also attempt to “buy us”?
Peter Dutton’s comments, and those of other ardent Trump supporters, mirror much of Trump’s aims: Negating action on global warming, increasing fossil fuel usage and nuclear power, reducing government spending, attacking inclusion programs, and stoking division within society.
Will we be simply signed over to the US? Trump would bask in the glory of the deal and Dutton and co. would be shown to be his loyal supporters and rewarded, and we would become the 51st star on the “Star-Spangled Banner”.
Rod Eldridge, Derrinallum
Obscene gift
Is there a greater symbol of obscenity than the golden pager given to Donald Trump by Benjamin Netanyahu? A decorative replica of an item that killed and maimed countless Lebanese citizens is ″honoured″ by the Israeli prime minister who made this terrible event happen, via a gift to the new president of the country who supplied the weaponry to destroy Gaza and so many of its inhabitants.
Jill Toulantas, Clifton Hill
Welcome criticism
Josh Bornstein’s timely opinion piece (“Our society needs a diversity of views”, 8/2) highlights the desire of some pro-Israel groups to shut down criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank by labelling those criticisms as antisemitic.
Does the pro-Israel lobby really believe that Israel is immune from criticism? If the only way to win an argument is by silencing those you disagree with, then maybe your argument isn’t as strong as you thought.
Guy Abrahams, Fairhaven
Camera-shy parrot
As a bird photographer, I was fascinated by Nick O’Malley’s article on the 80-year search, and now the protection of, the elusive night parrot (“Snipers, recorders – and secrets: Saving the Aussie parrot called ’birdwatching’s Holy Grail”, 7/2).
But the challenge is not over. Although its whereabouts have been confirmed by auditory triangulation and the birds have been seen at night in silhouette, to my knowledge no photograph exists. With the low-light photographic technology that now exists a good high-resolution image is the new holy grail.
Leslie Reti, Melbourne
Royal Park’s assets
The contest for sports grounds in the City of Melbourne has come to a head in the debate over the draft masterplan for Royal Park (″Seventy hectares lost″, 9/2). Realistically, the demand for sports fields will never be met. The ovals usually cater for a demographic between late teens and 40. Most people living in the city will never use them.
The majority using Royal Park are walkers, runners and cyclists: activities inclusive of age and gender. They are attracted to Royal Park because of its bush setting, bird life and plants. For example, last year the annual arrival of gang gang cockatoos was then supplemented by a large flock of yellow-tailed cockatoos.
If the City of Melbourne is serious about more participating in physical activity, then it should stop the fruitless search for enough ovals and look to ways to encourage other activities.
Further, Royal Park has huge potential as an educational resource for Melbourne’s children. The park has a rich Indigenous history. It could provide Melbourne’s children with an understanding of the Australia bush, and local historical and indigenous education.
Jan Thomas, North Melbourne
Main road childcare
Your correspondent (Letters, “Children’s needs”, 8/2) correctly points out the pollution impacts to children’s health of so many childcare centres popping up along main roads, but it’s not because the land is cheaper. It’s because these facilities are considered commercial and therefore planning regulations all but guarantee that they end up in commercially zoned land. There’s a very easy fix to this.
Belinda Moody, Diamond Creek
Taxi behaviour
Sam Kerr may well be the kind and generous person described by her teammates, but on the night of the London taxi ride in 2023 she was neither kind nor generous. She and her partner were apparently very drunk and out of control, smashing a window and vomiting inside the taxi. The taxi driver did the sensible thing calling the police and driving to the police station for support.
If Kerr had taken responsibility for her behaviour at the time, and apologised to the police officer, offered to pay for the repair and cleaning of the taxi and compensated the poor taxi driver for the distress caused to him, the outcome may have been very different.
April Baragwanath, Geelong
Legal argument
Columnist Kate Halfpenny is entirely wrong to criticise Sam Kerr for using drunkenness to seek a ″free pass″ during her trial on a racial harassment charge, yet claim she can empathise because she is also a woman (″I get Sam Kerr’s fear, all women do. But that doesn’t give you a free pass″, 7/2).
Kerr has been repeatedly contrite for her conduct. As has been widely reported, Kerr waived her right to silence to apologise to the alleged victim, PC Lovell, for her behaviour and ″the whole event″. During her trial, she admitted that she ″expressed [herself] poorly″ and that she was ″embarrassed″ by the way she acted.
The allegation that Kerr is defending is that, by referring to PC Lovell as ″stupid and white″, she was trying to hurt and insult him because she is racist. In response to being placed on trial – and thereby exposed to public scrutiny and the possibility of imprisonment – she has understandably sought to explain the circumstances that led up to her exchange with PC Lovell.
In that context, she has identified her intoxication and her female gender as two relevant factors, yet ones that were obviously far less significant than her differently coloured skin and associated life experiences.
Criticism of Kerr’s defence without reference to her apologies, whilst simultaneously expressing empathy for her, doesn’t make sense.
Shaun Ginsbourg, barrister, Owen Dixon Chambers, Melbourne
Hard-hearted times
A recent local event made me wonder how pervasive the influence of Trump is and whether status-fuelled hard-heartedness towards vulnerable people may be creeping in locally.
In a social media group for my suburb, a member queried why a tent presumably belonging to a homeless person was allowed in a public area.
The spot in question is a grungy underpass and the tent wasn’t blocking anyone from passing through or from playing basketball on the adjacent court.
Many members stated that there was no anti-social behaviour involved and homeless people shouldn’t be victimised.
Yet, others expressed that public areas were paid for with their Port Phillip Council rates and the person should be “moved on” as per council bylaws.
These state that while camping in public areas is prohibited, homeless people aren’t guilty of an offence.
The impression is that officers usually exercise tolerance, given the housing crisis. Yet, in this case it appears council chose to appease the loud voices as the tent was gone a few hours later.
Kerrie Byrne, Port Melbourne
Free Pam’s creator
Pam the bird’s creator is caged, after being denied bail. He is a superb artist, not a graffiti dauber.
I regularly travel between Beaufort and Melbourne by rail, and I marvel and delight at the more than 60 Pam the Bird images between Footscray and Deer Park. I know of what I write, as I am an elderly artist with works in over 100 public collections as well as many famous art galleries and museum in Europe and America.
I will visit Jack Gibson-Burrell in remand and take him art materials to lessen the pain he no doubt feels.
Murray Walker, Beaufort
AND ANOTHER THING
International relations
Re ″Trump backs AUKUS as Marles pays US $800m″ (9/2). We have a best friend now, who will love us until the last cent. How cool is that!
Bosko Marojevic, Williamstown
Albanese is wisely following the rule: if you can’t say anything nice, say nothing at all – especially when the alternative is getting dragged into Trump’s chaotic vortex. Meanwhile, Dutton plays the eager understudy, flattering Trump like a man desperate for a callback.
Catherine Ross, Sandringham
It’s unthinkable that Israel could recommence the bombing and suffering of over 2 million innocent Palestinians in Gaza.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
Trump has named himself head of the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts. For the next four years, only clown shows will be scheduled.
Peter Campbell, Newport
It’s been three weeks today since Trump took office. So much for time flies when you’re having fun. It might’ve been fun if it wasn’t so terrifying.
Ian McKail, Cheltenham
No doubt Trump voters will be happy to ″take it for the team″ when the inflation rate rises, they lose their job and Obamacare is dismantled.
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
I disagree with Jacqueline Maley. ″It’s Trump’s world now, we are all just living in it″, (9/2). Trump lives in La-la Land. There is every reason for Australia’s PM, and anyone with an ounce of sense, not to join him there. In politics and economics, reality eventually bites. The Trump cult can’t last forever.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Furthermore
What I read from Saturday’s byelections is that Labor is on the nose, the Greens are on the nose and the Liberals are on the nose.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Looks like Sam Kerr has kicked an ″own goal″ and young girls aspiring to be famous soccer players, will be sad and disillusioned. Bit of a storm in a teacup, I reckon.
Myra Fisher, Brighton East
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