Credit: Illustration: Andrew Dyson
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POLITICAL VIOLENCE
David Crowe’s article (″Why our politicians feel unsafe″, 19/7) refers to the attempted 1966 assassination of then ALP federal Opposition leader Arthur Calwell at the height of anti-Vietnam War protests.
Calwell had just left the Mosman Town Hall in Sydney and, in a throng of wellwishers, noticed a young man who he thought wanted to say hello. Winding down his car window, he was instead shot at close range by a young and mentally disturbed man called Peter Kocan, narrowly escaping death.
What ensued was a remarkable act of magnanimity by Calwell after receiving a letter of apology from the failed assassin.
The politician, known for his pugnacious old warrior persona, recalled that he had replied to the letter ‘in the most feeling way I could’. He urged the man to ‘not forget the incident and I wished him well’. Despite his intention to visit Kocan in jail, that was not to be, as he died not long after.
In a tale of rehabilitation, salvation and tough compassion, after 10 years in jail Kocan became a highly regarded, published poet and author who won the NSW Premier’s Literary Award. Humanity is vital.
Jon McMillan, Mt Eliza
Caution required approaching politicians
David Crowe’s call for a dial-down of rhetoric (19/7) is spot on. Some years ago, on my way to an early-morning class in the CBD, I saw then deputy premier Jacinta Allan walking towards me. As a longtime admirer of hers, and wishing to tell her that I thought she was doing a great job, I stopped and said “Jacinta Allan?“. Her reaction was something I will never forget.
She looked around as if for help, terrified. As soon as I said I thought she was doing a great job, she visibly relaxed. She told me that one never knows what will happen if a politician is stopped in the street. I was a short older woman carrying a briefcase, hardly threatening, but she was scared.
I resolved then that I would never again stop to compliment (or otherwise) a politician in the street because to inflict that moment of terror on anyone is not right, no matter how honourable the intention. How sad Australia has come to this.
Louise Kloot, Doncaster
Attacks on MPs’ offices
Since when have savage assaults on MPs’ offices qualified as ’peaceful protest″? That’s what Adam Bandt calls them (″Bandt lashes PM on protester concerns″, 17/7). Yet, as the Prime Minister has said, they are indeed a form of political violence. And yes, they can escalate. Bandt has been slow to condemn such attacks and then cries foul when the PM calls them out for what they are.
Anthea Hyslop, Eltham
How many guns are too many?
It was sickening to hear Donald Trump’s running mate J.D. Vance at the Republican convention boasting about his grandmother having 19 loaded guns around her house, as the gun-loving fans roared their approval. Be very afraid.
Kevin Burke, Sandringham
THE FORUM
This is not new
It’s laughable that the recent reports of infiltration of the CFMEU by unsavoury elements is greeted with surprise by many in government while the opposition also seemed to not notice anything amiss in its long tenure as a government. This is a longstanding problem in many affiliated unions and was referenced in the 1954 movie On The Waterfront, showing a corrupt union using strong-arm tactics to exert influence on the docks, and including sporting events. Sounds familiar?
Such tactics may not be technically illegal or criminal in nature, but are ongoing and certainly intimidatory. What will it take for any government of either persuasion to change this? Must we depend on the media to expose this situation when elected representatives seem to turn a blind eye?
John Paine, Kew East
Airport link inessential
I agree that it would be nice to have an airport-city rail link. Forty years ago, like many people, I thought one was essential. Now? We have a very efficient shuttle bus service, the proposed link would involve a diversion to Sunshine, and cost at least $13 billion. The new Footscray hospital cost $1.5billion. Advocates say Melbourne is the only major city without an airport rail link. Cities which do not have a direct link from their terminals to the city centres include Mumbai (population 22 million), Jakarta (11 million) and Los Angeles (12 million).
Yes, it would be nice to have an airport link. But I’d rather have new hospitals and improved funding for mental health.
Michael Doyle, Ashburton
Ducks line up
The renewable energy investment ducks just keep lining up, with our corporate leaders “insisting that a vast expansion of firmed renewables, not nuclear” is key to our energy security (″Corporate leaders back renewables, not nuclear, to transition the power grid”, 19/7). This comes in the same week that banks declared their commitment to funding big batteries to firm our energy supply and BlackRock, the world’s biggest asset manager, named Australia as “one of the most attractive destinations for private capital to invest in the energy transition” in the world (“NSW battery funding deal sets world record”, 16/7). Investors are clear – capturing our abundant sun and wind resources is an opportunity too good to miss. They reckon, if it looks like a secure energy investment duck ...
Karen Campbell, Geelong
School inequity
The Future Foundations for Giving report recommends ending the charitable status of 5000 school building funds which contributed $1.23 billion towards private school capital projects in 2022.
Federal Assistant Minister for Charities Andrew Leigh will not support the proposal because he says “a world-class education system is essential to tackling inequality, driving economic growth and supporting secure jobs and our school system is a key part of it”.
We will never have a world-class system as long as government schools are underfunded. Inequality will never be addressed because Labor is too frightened to upset the powerful private and religious school lobbyists.
It would be interesting to see a list of the so-called charities who supposedly generate ″the greatest net benefits for the community″.
I am not sure how segregating our young people into religious schools results in a net benefit.
Margarete Lee, Blackburn
Rich get meaner
One bullet has made headlines, via the shocking attempted assassination of Donald Trump. What then, of the 12 billion bullets produced annually?
Consider the elderly civilian in a poor country shot when tending the small garden from which his family survived – a thrill-kill by a passing soldier with one of the world’s billion-plus guns. It left this family vulnerable to losing everything.
We never hear the stories of 12 billion bullets and their devastating impacts. Armed conflict, and arms-market profiteering, far outstrip humanitarian restraint, while immense suffering is callously labelled “collateral damage”. Although the UN Security Council should prevent war, its five permanent, veto-wielding members produce 74 per cent of weapons. Most prolific is the US, manufacturing 42 per cent, with France and Russia equal second at 11 per cent. China, Germany, Italy, and Britain follow, with most European and other rich countries involved.
Wealth is thus moved to the rich, mainly arms-producing countries, which block most refugees, abandoning 76 per cent of displaced persons to poorer countries.
This month, Australia’s off-shore detention program reached $12 billion in cost since 2013.
Barbara Chapman, South Yarra
Call out Iran
Penny Wong’s “toughening” of the government’s stance towards Israel is clearly driven by domestic political considerations, rather than what is required to bring about an enduring, peaceful end to this latest Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Wong states that she’s been calling for a ceasefire for eight months, overlooking the fact that ceasefires were in place with Hamas until October 6, and with Hezbollah until October 7. In each case, Israel has been forced to fight defensive wars against Iran’s terrorist proxies, which have caused the displacement of over 200,000 of its citizens. Perhaps it’s time that Wong, instead, toughened the government’s stance against Iran, which is the architect of so much of the human misery in the Middle East.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
Fearless Wong
It’s difficult to remember a more effective minister for foreign affairs than Penny Wong. Her forthright condemnation of the suffering and death of Palestinians (19/7) is just the most recent example of the balanced and fearless way she represents the Australian government’s position in a world seemingly torn apart by political and factional disputes.
Ken Barnes, Glen Iris
Redefine buck’s night
Thank you, Jenna Price for your article (“The buck’s stop here”, 19/7) questioning the anachronistic practice of the buck’s party. The difficulty is in the event’s current form, not in having a ritual to mark a life transition. Recently, I heard of an imaginative alternative in a podcast “How to redefine your buck’s party as a rite of passage”. The emphasis was on the support and sense of community provided by the groom’s male friends, as he contemplated the commitment he was about to make to his fiancee. He was encouraged to reflect on what sort of man he wanted to be. Rituals can be created to help us navigate significant life passages, with the support of others around us.
Sally Polmear, Barkers Creek
Memorable moment
Another of Australia’s most memorable moments took place at the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. In the final of the women’s 4x 100 metre relay, Great Britain led by two metres at the final change. Betty Cuthbert took the baton and unleashed a blistering sprint down the straight to win for Australia in world-record time. I was there; it was brilliant.
Geoff Schmidt, Richmond
Holding the man
Greg Baum’s article on AFL rule changes reminds me of the simple rules we played under at a pedestrian amateur pace in the 1970s. Most free kicks were given for tripping, push in the back, around the neck, throwing the ball, running without bouncing every 15 metres, holding the man, and holding the ball when tackled.
Today’s players regularly flout four of those rules. The major contributing factor to the need to revamp Aussie rules at the professional level is the speed and strength at which the players execute their skills amid a mass of other players. Currently, under the general tenor of “keeping the game flowing” the umpires tend to let many split-second rules transgressions pass without action. This contributes to faster play and excessive collision speed causing injury with long-term repercussions.
Andrew Smith, Leongatha
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
CFMEU
What better background soundtrack than Tammy Wynette’s Stand By Your Man for the private text messages of support sent to John Setka from federal and state Labor figures. (″Setka’s secret sisterhood″, 19/7).
Deborah Morrison, Malvern East
So, the progressive Labor sisterhood applies, except where the male abuser is a union heavyweight who donates a lot to your party.
Michael Helman, St Kilda East
US election
Is it my imagination or is that bandage growing larger on Trump’s ear every day?
Winston Anderson, Mornington
Re Secret Service not on roof because its slope was dangerous (18/7). More dangerous than an AK47?
Dan Drummond, Leongatha
Enough is enough – carpet slippers for Joe, a hand of bridge and a couple of games of golf croquet. The guy is spent.
Margaret Skeen, Pt Lonsdale
Furthermore
Ladies, don’t overthink the buck’s night (Comment, 19/7), it’s only the blokes’ prelude to the wedding day, said to be the happiest day of our lives.
Paul Custance, Highett
John Pesutto and the Victorian Liberals would be disappointed to see that an overwhelming majority of residents polled support each of the transport infrastructure projects currently being undertaken in Melbourne (18/7).
Garry Meller, Bentleigh
The $50 billion Labor will spend on infrastructure may benefit Melbourne residents, but rural Victoria is almost entirely ignored. A major reason for that is the rural vote installing Nationals who the Labor Party can happily ignore.
Owen Rye, Boolarra South
We don’t need “new” research (19/7) to tell us there is more potential happiness in wealth than in poverty.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
Re fixing the city’s bus problems – first would be to get the bus heaters working.
Simon Livesey, North Balwyn
Finally
The ″efficiency benefits″ of drone-delivered coffee ignores the ultimate efficiency – make it yourself.
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
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