Credit: Badiucao
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AMERICAN ALLIES
I read with horror the report, “Marles backs Hegseth speech” (1/6). Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth claims: “We (the United States) are prepared to do what the Department of Defence does best, to fight and win decisively.″ As far as I recall, the opposite applies. Has he forgotten Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan? And what about Korea?
Australia must tread very carefully when dealing with the US. America will do nothing that is not in its own best interests. To my knowledge, Australia (under the Morrison government) is the only country to have publicly stated that it will join America in war with China over Taiwan. If such a war occurs, China will never attack sovereign American territory. Not so for Australia. In fact, the first targets to be taken out will be the American communication bases.
If Defence Minister Richard Marles thinks that by supporting Hegseth, we will get a better trade deal, I question his judgment.
Jim Lamborn, Doncaster
Trump’s US must not dictate our defence policy
It was disappointing to read of Defence Minister Richard Marles’ sycophantic response to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s bellicose stance on China and his push for Australia to increase our defence expenditure.
The ALP must stand by its election promise to maintain our strategic relationship with an unreliable Trumpian America while simultaneously fostering our still-recovering rapprochement with China in a way fully consistent with our national interest.
It would be intolerable to have Donald Trump’s unstable America dictating our defence policy. We must make it clear to Trump that Australia can only guarantee our strategic support when the US proves itself again a reliable ally.
Terry Hewton, Henley Beach South, SA
We need an independent defence minister
Seeking to distract from his country’s rapidly increasing disarray, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth comes out swinging with a bellicose return to a 1950s foreign policy stance, evoking all the death and destruction that has involved.
Richard Marles responds with his usual grovel but goes back even further with his slogan, “Peace through strength” – frighteningly reminiscent of “Peace in our time”.
Australia, right now, is in urgent need of an independent forward-thinking defence minister to plan beyond the increasingly irrational and ever-myopic self-interest of the US.
John Laurie, Riddells Creek
Just what is Marles actually saying?
Is Defence Minister Richard Marles endorsing Australia joining the United States if there is war with China over its claims that Taiwan belongs to China?
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
‘Peace through strength’ a contradiction
Yet again, we foolishly acquiesce to the trumpeting of war by the US. As is seen daily in many parts of the US, it is in chaos. Under Donald Trump, it has ambushed many allies on tariffs.
Richard Marles does not seem to understand that “peace through strength” is a contradiction and is not a prelude to a peaceful world. This is demonstrated every day in Gaza and Ukraine.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Marles has placed us in harm’s way
Here we go again. The last time Australia hitched itself to the Donald Trump wagon, China imposed costly trade restrictions. Moreover, Defence Minister Richard Marles has placed us in harm’s way. Trumpian America’s self-delusion knows no bounds.
America’s Vietnam adventure ended in a humiliating withdrawal. That taking on an industrialised China on its home turf wouldn’t end in abject failure is ludicrous to the extreme. If Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has any concern for the national interest, he’ll rein in his defence minister and ask Foreign Minister Penny Wong to explain to Beijing in diplomatic terms that our sabres will be rattled only in self-defence of our own shores.
John Mosig, Kew
THE FORUM
Lawrence has it nailed
Thank you to Carmen Lawrence for spelling out the reasons why Prime Minister Anthony Albanese should not have approved Woodside’s gas expansion (“Gas project extension is a mistake and worse, a betrayal”, 1/5). I would add another. The Labor government calculates that it can make such decisions and still maintain the support of enough voters who rejected the climate-wrecking Coalition.
Not so fast. There were thousands of “ordinary Australians” who worked their guts out to get Labor a second term in order to defend the progress towards decarbonisation. Their allegiance cannot be counted on next time.
Fiona Colin, Malvern East
Betrayed and disgusted
In 2005, Anthony Albanese, then opposition environment spokesman, sought to introduce a “climate trigger” to ensure that major new projects leading to the emission of more than 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide, or equivalent, a year were assessed for their climate change impact.
That same man, now prime minister, actively supports a project that will result in 87.9 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent a year, 176 times the limit he set 20 years ago. No climate impact was assessed.
We absolutely feel betrayed. We are also disgusted.
Lesley Walker, Northcote
The real danger we face
It appears we have a government incapable of seeing reality and adapting to it. The obsequious behaviour of Environment Minister Murray Watt and the almost worse stupidity of Defence Minister Richard Marles playing footsies with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth leaves me gasping for air.
We should not be seeking to work in any way with the corrupt administration in the United States, seeking exemptions on tariffs or military games.
And forget China or Indonesia, we should certainly be taking climate change as the greatest danger this country has ever faced.
Christopher Monie, Brown Hill
Lobbying OK for some
Do the people who voted against the Voice think this government’s nod to the extension of Woodside’s North West Shelf happened in a vacuum? A lot of lobbying would have gone on prior to the announcement, and yet the referendum to allow our Indigenous people to have the government’s ear on decisions that affected them was tantamount to high treason.
Polly Mish, Hawthorn
Perils of forced marriage
The disturbing story on forced marriage in Australia (Good Weekend, 31/5) reminds me of the prescient forewarning by prominent UK activist Jasvinder Sanghera who visited Australia in 2016 to educate key stakeholders that arranged marriages (and honour killing) are occurring in this country – more often than we think – and flying under police radar.
Sanghera and her sister, Robina, were both victims of arranged marriages with one exception. She escaped, but Sanghera’s sister died by (immolation) suicide.
Notably, as incisively discerned by University of Wollongong criminologist Laura Vidal, what was completely missed by the Australian Federal Police in prosecuting a single person, Sakina Muhammad Jan, over the forced marriage of her slain 21-year-old daughter, Ruqia Haidari, was the “complex dynamic” and interplay between the matchmaker, the brothers, the extended family and the wider community. Put simply, multiple co-conspirators with full knowledge of the desired outcome.
Alas, preventing arranged marriages and the fallout (ie honour killing) arguably poses even greater challenges than in family and domestic violence for the police to intervene in a timely manner to protect young women.
Jelena Rosic, Mornington
Representing all views
Parnell Palme McGuinness (Opinion, 1/6) presents Tim Wilson as some kind of Liberal hero by defeating Zoe Daniel by the small margin of 175 votes. He has achieved personal vindication but during the campaign, there was little opportunity to hear the candidates debate policy to enable electors to make an informed choice about who would best represent our community’s values.
Hopefully, the newly elected member for Goldstein won’t be missing in action when it comes to representing the diverse views of the electorate.
Judy Williams, Beaumaris
Volunteers inspirational
I have just completed my second campaign for Zoe Daniel, now former independent member for Goldstein (“Daniel hints at rematch after recount confirms Wilson’s win”, 1/6). She was chosen by a group of community members who set up our independent movement, and was an outstanding candidate, who initially didn’t want to run. We did the usual door knocks, leaflet distribution in streets and in letterboxes, held our coffee swarms around the community to be available to talk to the public, held Politics in the Pub nights for people to attend, and many other events.
What was most moving though was the wonderful attitude of our volunteers. We had to sign a code of conduct and be our best selves. People willingly gave over chunks of their lives to be involved, and were selfless, supportive and inspirational. Wonderful to work for something bigger than ourselves.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Medical misandry not on
As someone who lost their father to a sudden heart attack, I take issue with comments by Dr Marilla Druit underplaying the significance of heart attacks and cancers in, her words, older men, and comparing it to inadequate funding for endometriosis (“Jacinta Allan knows the agony and the toll of endometriosis”, 1/6).
Medical misogyny is no excuse for medical misandry.
Joanna Wriedt, Eaglemont
Behaviour appalling
The appalling behaviour of soccer fans in Richmond on Saturday was disgraceful (“Soccer fans light flares in street before A-League”, 1/6). All future soccer matches should be cancelled until fans learn respectable behaviour.
Christine Hammett, Richmond
What’s in a name
It is about time The Age commenced referring to soccer by its actual name: association football. While Australians are proud of their home-grown sport, it has less right to be called “football” than the great game that had its origins overseas. AFL should be referred to as Australian rules. Rugby league was – and is – never football. Rugby union is rugby only. Please remember that the ruling body of association football in Australia is Football Australia.
Martin Leggett, Langwarrin
Subsidies we must endure
Your correspondent (Letters, 1/6) quite rightly points out that schools like PLC with students’ families on annual incomes of $344,000 are entitled to taxpayer funds.
Unfortunately, this situation is common and is a consequence of middle/upper-class taxpayer-funded subsidies.
The upper limit to access childcare subsidies is a household income of $533,000 per annum.
The upper limit for the paid parental payment is a household income of $364,000 per annum.
No government would dare to change these taxpayer subsidies for fear of electoral wipeout. It’s a situation that we have to endure.
Ian Bennett, Jan Juc
Making a donation
There is one aspect of the $85 million PLC pool that has not been discussed – the contribution from taxpayers by way of a tax-deductible building fund. Many private schools have building funds, set up in such a way that donors receive tax benefits from the donations. School fees are not tax-deductible but donations to DGR (deductible gift recipients) foundations or funds are.
If a donation of $100,000 is made by a taxpayer to a DGR fund, the tax benefit, or tax forgone by the government, can be as much as $40,000. Not only are private schools getting obscene amounts of recurrent government funding but also help to build infrastructure that state schools can only dream of.
Louise Kloot, Doncaster
Handouts and gratitude
Two things are certain whenever there is too much rain or too little. First, farmers will demand a handout. Second, whatever it is, most will say that it’s not enough.
Gratitude to the rest of state’s taxpayers for making the payments always seems to go missing. I am grateful that a previous Labor government spent wisely to make Melbourne “drought proof”. We don’t know how long the current drought will last or how often it will return. But the desalination plant will provide a vital piece of water security for almost 80 per cent of the state’s population who call Melbourne home. Some will never have this security.
Perhaps it’s time to realise that many cleared paddocks are best served by being returned to nature or hosting renewable energy generation.
Paul Kennelly, Caulfield North
Deaths blight on nation
How tragically ironic that in Reconciliation Week, a 24-year-old Indigenous man with a disability should have his life ended in the aisle of a supermarket in Alice Springs (“‘It’s gotta stop’: Mourners’ plea at vigil for Indigenous man who died in custody”, 30/5). His crime? Concealing items in his clothes, and for this, he was allegedly forcefully wrestled to the ground. His life has now ended. The sadly premature and frequent deaths of our First Nation people remain a blight on our nation.
Graeme Riviere, Warranwood
Vale a fighter for nature
Barbara Fraser was a prolific letter writer to The Age and other newspapers. A retired educator and great-grandmother, she was passionate about nature and climate change, frequently calling on politicians to heed science. Her last letter was published on April 12. It called on Australia to “set a glorious example to the world with full climate action, specifically with ending new fossil fuel subsidising and Australian fossil fuel exports”.
Barbara died peacefully on Monday aged 93. She and her unique letters – about 200 were published in The Age from 1993 – will be sadly missed.
Jenny Smithers, Ashburton
AND ANOTHER THING ...
Environment
I wonder how my ALP friends who for years have parroted their mantra of “Can’t trust the Greens” are dealing with the wholesale betrayal by Labor on gas expansion. Can’t trust Labor.
Vaughan Greenberg, Chewton
I didn’t think it was possible to make Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy plan look good, but Anthony Albanese has achieved it with his approval of the North West Shelf gas project. Shame, ALP, shame.
Ruth Brown, Mentone
Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project in WA.
I wonder if the new federal government would have had such a resounding victory had voters been aware of its intention to allow Woodside to keep producing gas for another 45 years? Every member of the federal Labor Party deserves our condemnation
Nick Jans, Princes Hill
Defence
Heavens, it’s expensive to have so-called friends like the United States. Not just tariffs, but also AUKUS and now the suggestion that we spend more on defence. Other friendships could be more rewarding, methinks.
Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
Richard Marles, the minister for war.
Judith McNaughtan, Surrey Hills
Pete Hegseth is probably not sending the right Signal to Beijing.
Francis Bainbridge, Fitzroy North
Trump
Donald Trump is this century’s Wizard of Oz. Pulling strings behind a curtain of fear, all the while promising the world. So hop off that Yellow Brick Road, folks. I don’t think we’re in Kansas.
Myra Fisher, Brighton East
Alas, Trump’s delusional tariff optimism has left most of “us” with very disappointing floptimism.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
Furthermore
When, just when are the supposed leaders going to recognise the pain and suffering of all in the Israel-Hamas war, and end this stupid conflict?
Bruce Dudon, Woodend
Finally
Elon Musk’s department of government efficiency got one thing right. It got rid of him.
John Rawson, Mernda
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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.