Credit: Illustration: Jim Pavlidis
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.
POLITICS
The US is often cited as a “beacon of democracy”. I am not convinced. The US, which has the loudest voice, says this about itself, and it simply amounts to self praise. Many other democracies are substantially fairer and more civilised. Australia is an obvious superior case along with many others. If it is a “beacon” of any sort, it is a warning of where not to go; like a lighthouse helping ships avoid tragedy in the dead of night.
Andrew Barnes, Ringwood
Misplaced faith in strong leaders
We have the real possibility that “America’s Hitler” will be installed as US president. JD Vance, Trump’s choice as the future vice-president, used that term in 2016, adding that Trump was “a noxious person who will lead Americans to a very dark place”. The hypocrisy and calculation is chilling. And yet, its forthcoming elections are still being written up as if they are not much different from previous ones.
Luckily, in Australia we still believe in the peaceful transfer of political power. What’s happening in America couldn’t possibly happen here, could it? After all, we know our history – we all know what happened in Europe not so long ago when people put their faith in a strong leader, don’t we?
Claude Miller, Castlemaine
Rise of the mega-rich celebrity
Your correspondent (Letters, 17/7) states: “How fortunate we are to avoid the cult of celebrity in influencing national affairs”. We do, however, have mega-rich celebrities in Australia in the likes of Clive Palmer, Gina Rinehart, Andrew Forrest and Simon Holmes a Court to name just a few. We also have ex-PMs such as John Howard who are regularly trotted out as oracles to sermonise to the great unwashed.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
We are not so different
Senator Ralph Babet, Clive Palmer’s $100 million man and sole United Australia Party senator, has called for the deportation of Tenacious D after some off-the-cuff black humour. The irony displayed by Babet, from the party with the ‘freedom of speech’ platform, is not lost on me. We shouldn’t forget that here is a man who wiped his social media record clean once he was about to enter parliament. Babet is a conspiracy theorist who claimed our last federal election was going to be rigged. His call for deportation is as over the top as his conspiracy theories.
David Legat, South Morang
More equal societies do better
Ross Gittins (″Take Heart. The ‘fair go’ lives on″, 17/7) reminds us that in Australia improving our lives across generations remains an achievable goal. Despite the gloom and doom echoed by some of our politicians, which plays out daily in the contest for grabbing attention, the data from the Productivity Commission delivers some good news. As renowned researchers Sir Michael Marmot and Richard Wilkinson have demonstrated, more equal societies do better. Our governments must continue to keep the focus on improving the lives of all Australians through good policy and allocation of resources that ensure no one is left behind.
Anne Lyon, Camberwell
Decline of Australian egalitarianism
Australians are generally amazed at the rapid decline of the American empire and are sufficiently smug to confidently state ″it would never happen here″. But if we wonder why the Millennials are so disillusioned and cynical of their future prospects, try the privatisation of educational institutions, decimation of working conditions, job security and wages, and the increasing difficulty of securing reasonable accommodation. Perhaps this explains the rapid ascent of the teals, Greens, and other activists. I never thought this octogenarian would witness the steady decline of our relatively egalitarian society.
Robert McCulloch, Melbourne
Colonial outpost
Paul Krugman (Comment, “What would a second Trump term be like?” 18/7) provides a stark warning that the US is on the path to a Trump dictatorship. On the evidence of the cringe habits of both political blocs here, this country seems doomed to become a colonial dependency of America. In fact, if not in name.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Rudd’s school of rock
As the ambassador to the US, Kevin Rudd is in the right position to criticise the comment made by Tenacious D. band member Kyle Gass on the Trump assassination attempt, and is completely right to say his comment was inappropriate.
But to say that the band members should get ″a decent job″ is not acceptable. People who work as performers and musicians do have a proper job, and suffer from perceptions that they don’t. I don’t enjoy the particular style of absurdist comedy of Tenacious D. any more than Mr. Rudd does, but making fun of rock music pretensions and to send up politics is entirely appropriate and valuable. It isn’t unusual for comedians to inadvertently cross a line, especially while satirising politics. They should be criticised, but refusing to accept the very fact of political satire is unacceptable.
Thomas Kent, West Footscray
Criminal standard
Our political leaders are unanimous in their condemnation of behaviour of the CFMEU (construction division). The Victorian premier says she has ‘zero tolerance’. Really? The reality is that governments have created commissions into corruption that are constrained to operate within highly restrictive definitions of corruption – essentially criminal standard.
They are the same governments that have weakened the protections for whistleblowers so that few now are willing to speak up. Referrals to police pursuing the criminal standard need evidence from whistleblowers.
What seems obvious is that corruption starts and grows well below the criminal standard, and it is endemic in many areas, not only the construction industry.
We need less wringing of hands, less grandstanding and more genuine and sustained legislative actions from our governments.
Graeme Booth, Hawthorn
Remember robo-debt
Peter Dutton has excoriated Anthony Albanese for taking, in his mind, feeble action against alleged corruption in the CFMEU. It must have slipped his mind that robo-debt, one of the most catastrophic failures ever undertaken by our federal government, was carried out under his and his colleagues’ watch. So far, no action has been taken against them. The gentleman doth protest too much.
Pat Anderson, Airport West
Follow UK’s off-shore ban
It’s time for the Albanese government to engage in reverse replicating of a philosophy and its regulations and legislation of another country.
The UK under the Sunak Tories used the harsh treatment of those who have, in the last decade sought asylum and protection in Australia, as a model for its handling of refugees. Rawanda replaced Nauru to punish those whose countries of birth had already punished them or their families. The newly elected UK prime minister has immediately dropped this policy. It’s time our Labor government took the lead of its UK counterpart and again remove asylum seekers from Nauru and bring those abandoned in Manus Island to our shores.
Jenni King, Camberwell
Not so hard Labor
Your correspondent (Letters, ″Time of Hard Labor″, 18/7) certainly isn’t letting facts get in the way. The overwhelming response to Dutton’s nuclear proposal has been realistic, not negative. The science and the economics say it’s just a bad idea that won’t deliver. The recent tax cuts have benefited most Australians, more so than if the LNP proposal had remained unchanged.
As to economic management, the government has delivered two budget surpluses compared to none by the previous incumbents. Finally, a lead in the two-party preferred vote and no change in the teal seats hardly suggest that people are switching to the opposition in droves.
Graeme Gardner, Reservoir
Edentulous tigers
Only a few years after the royal commission, some banks are reportedly misbehaving again, (if they ever stopped after their wet lettuce slap). I recall their CEOs thumbing noses, but no-one really held to account and jailed.
Elsewhere, we hear of opportunistic price gouging, unethical or criminal behaviour, preying on the vulnerable by corporates and individuals – rapacious landlords, supermarkets, energy companies, insurance, gambling, Qantas, PwC scandal, social media juggernauts, even government (robo-debt) – without apparent accountability or consequences.
Some are responsible for the very inflation the Reserve Bank can only bluntly address by adding to suffering of its innocent and impotent victims.
The regulators? Asleep and/or edentulous.
Many feel like Peter Finch’s character in his film, Network, bellowing in fury from the window: “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it any more!“
Unfortunately, we remain powerless until government realises (effective) regulation is not a dirty word.
Joe Di Stefano, Geelong
Tap on before complaining
That Melburnians apparently want better bus services as a priority made me snort. Based on my experiences, fewer than half of passengers actually pay for the service they supposedly value. Perhaps if the number of taps reflected the true patronage, authorities might pay more attention to the need for extra services. I’d like more frequent services, and happily tap on and off when I travel. Pity more didn’t do the same.
Wendy Hinson, Wantirna
Expand bus services
Thanks to Cara Waters for highlighting the need for reformed buses as a transport priority: ″Melburnians want airport rail and more buses before the Suburban Rail Loop″ (18/7). Despite crying poor, the state government has neglected the most cost-effective means of bringing useful frequent transport to millions – bus network reform.
It’s not as if it wasn’t aware; its 2021 Bus Plan for revamped buses across Melbourne sits largely unfunded and unacted on. This is despite the potential for buses to bring forward Suburban Rail Loop benefits decades earlier by serving as precursor routes. Likewise for Airport Rail, with extra gains for airport workers from surrounding suburbs.
Although growing slower than Melbourne, Sydney is beating us when it comes to public transport usage and growth. It added frequent service and reformed buses such that its waits are often half ours, especially at night.
It’s time for Melbourne to also rethink the bus and swing to service so that we get full returns from our infrastructure and public transport can be more useful across more suburbs.
Peter Parker, Chelsea
No one asked me
Re ″Melburnians want airport rail″, (18/7) reports on what we apparently want for transport infrastructure. No one asked me.
Firstly, we need to repair and maintain existing road and rail. Removal of level crossings didn’t get a mention, but it made sense, to get our existing conditions up to speed. Likewise, fixing the bus routes. And potholes.
The speed limit on Tullamarine freeway should be increased to 90km/h because that’s what everyone does anyway, and it optimises utilisation.
The big builds shouldn’t have taken place all at the same time, unless there were economies of scale in so doing.
Keeping the contractors, workers and tools in steady engagement over time makes more sense.
Why didn’t it occur to anyone that we were being ripped off by crooks affiliated with unions and motorcycle clubs? Wouldn’t that be part of your due diligence to find out? Clyde Ronan, Yarrawonga
Electricity hike
In a letter from my electricity provider, l have been told that there will be a change in my tariff. In the advice there is a header “Your new prices”, and l am then invited to read a confusing and impenetrable explanation of the new pricing arrangements. I assume that there has been a price rise.
A percentage increase is not provided, no doubt deliberately.
It is not only the CFMEU that is allegedly running a racket.
Dennis Walker, North Melbourne
Quixotic Bradbury
Tom Decent’s contribution (″Australia’s Most Memorable Moments″, 18/7) is an impressive catalogue of feats by Aussie athletes.
However, he might have considered Steve Bradbury’s quixotic win at the 2002 Winter Olympics when all leading skaters fell over just short of the finish line, allowing Bradbury our first gold in the winter games.
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose″.
John Margetts, Grovedale
Welcome to journalism
Best wishes to your stable of new trainee journalists (18/7). May they thrive in their craft of translating the results of endless curiosity into words.
Jane Ross, San Remo
Not so welcome
I derive no pleasure from the report that King Charles III and his spouse will come to this country in October.
I am no republican, however, I have never liked ″freeloaders″. The Royal pair should be required to pick up the entire cost of their proposed regal tour.
It’s a cost they can well afford and one which should not be subsidised by taxpayers in this country. Michael Gamble, Belmont
AND ANOTHER THING
CFMEU
As well as putting the CFMEU into administration, authorities might like to roll back the excessive 20per cent pay increase.
Ross Ogilvie, Woodend
Will the premier reconsider her refusal to initiate the duck hunting ban and perhaps listen to the science experts? Or will she continue to listen to lobbying by the CFMEU?
Chris Alkemade, Vermont
Despite the current CFMEU scandal providing many photo opportunities for the premier, we have probably seen the last of the high-vis/hard hat fashion accessories.
Chris Hudnott, Canterbury
Pity the government doesn’t show the same enthusiasm against tax avoidance by big business as it does against elements of one trade union.
Ken McLeod, Williamstown
If the receiver of the bribe is charged with corruption, why is the giver of the bribe not charged with corruption?
Peter Roche, Carlton
US election
One of the most depressing and inexorable of funeral marches is being played out in current USA politics.
Barrie Bales, Woorinen North
Both Republicans and the Kremlin applauding J.D. Vance as the vice-presidential candidate shows how bizarre America’s new normal is.
Jane Edwards, Peterhead, SA
I think most doctors would tell Joe Biden that if he’s capable of such a dreadful debate performance when he’s tired and not feeling well at 81, things are not going to improve.
Joan Kerr, Eastern Beach
Kevin Rudd claims we can work with Trump and Vance. I suggest we hold back on any such statements. Project 25 is designed for the absolute destruction of US democracy.
Geoff Cheong, Aspendale Gardens
As wrong as Kyle Gass’s comment was, Kevin Rudd’s ″get a decent job″ was a slap in the face of anyone in the arts.
Maureen Gunn, Strathmore
The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.