Credit: Illustration: Jim Pavlidis
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DISUNITY
The saga of Senator Payman shines a light on how every elected representative deals with the issue of personal integrity. I do expect my local member to stay true to her principles, policies and responsibility to represent her electorate to the best of her abilities, with passion and vigour. For those who are part of a party, most of this is exercised in persuading party colleagues, and in the case of the Labor Party, it’s in a caucus behind closed doors.
The reality is that members in parties will frequently face the stark reality of not getting supported within, and then having to vote in public in parliament against their own position. This creates a cloud over personal integrity. We see the results daily. Members talk in favour of party positions in conflict with their own positions. People doing this can regularly lose any sense of personal integrity and their constituents might no longer trust them. I am glad that my federal member does not have to face this crisis of integrity when voting in parliament and all of her constituents get to see that – every day.
Graeme Booth, Hawthorn
This shows the benefits of voting for independents
We are now witnessing another major party’s intolerance of opinions within its ranks (“Payman furore to come to a head as PM suggests exit” 4/7). Who could forget Liberal Bridget Archer being forced to meet with then Liberal leader Scott Morrison when she had the temerity to cross the floor?
While some party discipline seems desirable, absolute adherence to the party line seems draconian. This is why a community does better with an independent MP who can truly represent them and is answerable only to them.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Falling hook, line and sinker for an old Greens’ ruse
Far from facing an insurmountable ethical dilemma forcing her to cross the floor only two years after getting elected as a Labor representative, Senator Payman had any number of options available to her that could have avoided her self-inflicted exile.
She could, for example, have skipped the Senate vote altogether, something most senators do from time to time. She could have sought the advice of her Senate party whip about how a deeply personal issue should best be managed.
She could have raised in caucus her concerns about the difficulty she faced balancing a commitment to a birthright concern with party policy, a clash that all Labor politicians and candidates with any understanding of the long traditions of the party they belong to confront at some point.
She could have sought the counsel of senior parliamentary colleagues like Penny Wong who have successfully managed to balance the competing loyalties they sometimes face without any diminution in their personal standing.
It seems that none of these options was taken nor even explored by Senator Payman who has fallen hook, line and sinker for an old Greens’ ruse; a virtue signalling exercise dangled before a senator who might just take the bait and thus cause the government some pain. Having achieved her five minutes of fame, Senator Payman can now endure the political wilderness.
Tony Robinson, Nunawading, former Victorian Labor MP
Lessons for the Labor Party
The mishandling of Senator Payman’s concerns has exposed many weaknesses within the Labor Party. To begin with, diversity does not mean diversity in complexion, religion or race; it must also include diversity of ideas. The party has lost its way by yielding to lobbyists and foreign powers rather than maintaining its core values and principles. It is not a surprise then that voters will abandon the party they see as no different to their main political rival.
Siraj Perera, Camberwell
THE FORUM
The great state debt
Re “Urgent care clinics brace for cuts in health crisis”, 4/7. It is hardly surprising that the state government is seeking cutbacks in expenditure given the scale of its debt, but its priorities are not well-considered.
Healthcare has been struggling to manage under existing budgets and heavy usage. Primary health care clinics, designed to alleviate pressure from hospital emergency departments are now under threat of funding reductions.
Proposed budget cutbacks to hospital networks have implications for the quality, scope and availability of healthcare for Victorians and highlight the government’s budget pressures from its Big Build projects.
Current estimates of capital projects spending in the 2023-2024 State Capital Program report are $208.5 billion with an admission that costs have increased by about 22 per cent since 2021. Victoria’s debt level is set to extend to $135.5billion this year – the highest of any state.
The Big Build has metamorphosed into the Great Debt. The government’s approval of numerous concurrent capital projects, each with high and increasing budgets, does not appear to have adequately assessed its implications on other core infrastructure. The government is accountable for decisions that impact healthcare services and welfare of a population growing annually by 2.8 per cent.
Liz Burton, Camberwell
ALP should go nuclear
Given Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy policy is doing its job of distracting voters from the Coalition’s true desire to delay or avoid any real actions to address climate change, here’s a suggestion for Labor: agree to it.
However, unlike the Coalition’s proposal that nuclear power stations be state owned, Labor should actually take a leaf from the usual free market position of the Liberal Party and instead offer legislative support to any investor or power company willing to build a nuclear power station in Australia that will be operated on a commercial basis.
Doing so will demonstrate that the emperor has no clothes: no investor or power company will ever contemplate putting its own money into nuclear energy in Australia given the enormous cost, decades-long construction timeframe, and an inevitable lack of any financial return once a built reactor is competing with renewables in the open market.
With no nuclear investors on the horizon, the Liberal nuclear fantasy will remain just that while Labor and the private sector can continue to invest in renewable energy unabated.
David Brudenall, Palmerston, ACT
Nuclear costs
Comparing countries with nuclear-powered electricity to Australia is like comparing apples to oranges. Pro-nuclear people tell us how much some countries rely on nuclear power. These countries didn’t have enough coal or gas for domestic supply. It was a no-brainer for them to go nuclear.
In Australia, we had an abundance of both. The rise of renewables creates another supply and new markets for inventions. As we have been blessed with fossil fuels we are as blessed in renewables. We have loads of sun, waves and wind probably more than any other country when we look at a per-person rate.
Despite what Dutton says, nuclear power is much more expensive than renewables. The Australian Energy Market Operator has just released a report that says we can get to 2050 with renewables (95 per cent) and gas (five per cent). No need for nuclear. It states there may be a few days in the next few years where supply on extremely hot and cold days may be turned off for a few hours here and there. But from there, it is projected to be a smoother transition. Why in 15 years would we introduce a much costlier form of electricity?
John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
US train wreck
The one redeeming feature of the United States’ bizarre system of democracy, was that a president could be impeached and forced effectively out of office for breaking the law, as Richard Nixon was. With that feature now avoidable, and the inevitable slow-motion trainwreck about to take place, is there nothing more we can do than just turn away?
Julian Guy, Mt Eliza
Living in anomie
Anomie is defined as “lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or a group”. As we look at some individual and group behaviour in our society, there appears to be a strong case to suggest our society is in a state of anomie.
Domestic violence is endemic. There seems to be no filter as to how men respond to conflict with women. Groups of young men and women behave in ways that are so extreme that we look aghast at these actions. We have the big end of town reaping all the benefits from our economy, getting richer whilst the poor struggle to turn the heating on. Politicians agree to a payrise despite the difficulties people have making ends meet.
The pressure that comes with our lives now has led to behaviour that is only explained by our inability to live up to accepted standards. This pattern will continue unless we look to each other with care and fairness.
Graham Haupt, Ivanhoe
Limits of consent
‘Sexual consent’ does not go far enough to address current problems and so becomes glib. Consenting to sexual strangulation, rather than be perceived as ‘vanilla’, for example, invalidates any consent because it is simply a manifestation of one person succumbing to the desires of another to gain their approval.
That insecurity can then be exploited in abusive relationships and the so-called ‘consent’ becomes more about emotional blackmail and manipulation.
The only way for people to break out of this trap is to somehow make their own decisions, rather than be emotionally dependent on others. It also requires financial independence. All of this is exacerbated by media messages that prey on insecurities and normalise abusive behaviour.
Emma Borghesi, Rye
Costs of progress
It is ironic that our remnant indigenous grasslands will only be protected as development occurs, but it is development that has destroyed so much of our native grasslands. The same goes for most of our environmental issues – we apparently can’t afford to protect natural areas until they are threatened with extinction by economic ″progress″.
Jennie Epstein, Little River
Keep left
Your correspondent’s “Walking the Dog” contribution (Letters, 4/7) is spot on as a significant majority of dog owners walk their dog on the right side. Perhaps this is because most people are right-handed. Some less thoughtful people also allow their dog to walk ahead stretching the lead and potentially getting in the way of others.
But look at what the experts do: Guide dogs are trained to walk on the left, as are those going to obedience training. Many puppies were purchased in the pandemic, so some missed puppy school while more trainable.
VicRoads’ website advises: “If walking with a dog, keep them to the left of you so they don’t obstruct other path users”. And let’s face it, most dogs would probably prefer the left side where there are more interesting things to sniff.
Graeme Daniels, Balwyn North
Train your dog well
Your correspondent advises using a choker chain to check/correct the dog while walking. In my experience as a vet, these are old-school using negative reinforcement and considered cruel as they inflict pain on the dog when they make a mistake. A little like smacking a child. There are much better ways to train dogs to teach them to walk beside you and not out in front. If that’s what you want.
Kerry Bail, Beaconsfield Upper
Canine imperiousness
Amidst the misery and suffering in the world (and unlike Letters, ″Walking the dog″, 4/6) we take comfort that our rescue wraith is expanding into fellowship with the Royal Sandringham Society of Nicely Rotund Labradors. She has us calibrated! She must hear the vacuum cleaner coming around the corner, but there she lies radiating ″I’m fast asleep, you’ll have to vacuum around me″.
Fair enough, but I end up shouting: ″Move it, fatty″. Just one reprimanding eye opens and fixes me with: ″This is most inconvenient. I shall have to speak with housekeeping, they must know that this is my preferred winter sunshine spot″.
I turn off the vacuum cleaner, she rolls over and stretches to beckon ... ″a tummy tickle would be simply divine″.
Ronald Elliott, Sandringham
DFAT warnings
Seriously, if you took too much notice of the DFAT Smart Traveller warnings you’d never travel anywhere (″Rising hate in Europe fills me with doubt″, 4/7). Likelihoods need to assessed, along with DFAT’s obligations.
Wherever you go, there’s always a chance of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but the odds are low, so don’t let fear unnecessarily thwart your adventure plans.
Paul Spinks, South Geelong
Marvellous matinee
Yesterday, we went with two granddaughters to see Wicked. I use a walker, and as soon as we arrived at the theatre a Marriner employee offered to guide us to the lift. This involved walking through the adjoining restaurant.
At the end of the wonderful performance an usher appeared beside me with my walker, which had been stored out of the way. Another showed us to the lift, and we exited through the same restaurant which stayed open to accommodate people in my situation. Such care. We are most grateful.
Christine Bradbeer, Mont Albert North
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
US exceptionalism
The fundamental problem for America is that the Civil War has never gone away.
Jon Smith, Leongatha
Congress established Independence Day on July 4, 1776. Will the Supreme Court judges now change that to celebrating Trump’s birthday?
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
If Donald Trump gets elected, we might have to Stop the Planes.
Ian Brain, Brown Hill
Biden’s denialism, his failure to acknowledge frighteningly diminished cognitive abilities and foresee the state he will find himself in four years hence, is the sad proof of his unfitness for future office.
Peter Rushen, Carnegie
Time to look now to our own system of democracy. Have we granted immunity to the person or persons who are responsible for robo-debt, and even possible deaths by suicide? Please explain.
Jean Kirkwood, Tweed Heads, NSW
Just who was Groucho Marx talking about when he said: ″He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot, but don’t let that fool you he really is an idiot.″
Bruce Dudon, Woodend
Furthermore
″Government teams up with Amazon to store sensitive info on ’top secret cloud‴ – Age online headline (4/6). What could possibly go wrong?
Kim Kaye, Surrey Hills
Rather than Senator Payman leaving the Labor Party, it is more accurate to say the Labor Party has left Senator Payman. So much for freedom of speech.
Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale
Labor like to tell us the conservative Christian lobby has too much say in the Coalition. It looks like the Islamic lobby has a bit of say in the Labor Party.
Murray Horne, Cressy
Finally
The current run of near-zero overnight temperatures could be rectified by switching back from metric to imperial scales. We would then have much larger temperature numbers in the low 30s range. It works OK in the USA.
Jim Spithill, Glen Waverley
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