Credit: Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
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INDEPENDENTS
Columnist Niki Savva summarises the challenges to the major parties in the coming election. She praises the teal independents as individuals, and as a positive force overall (“Teals key in sink or swim election”, 6/3).
The teals are part of a movement rather than a party, offering jaded voters a real alternative. As community independents, if they held the balance of power in a hung parliament they would support a government offering policies favoured by their constituents.
Examples include stronger action on climate change and political integrity. The teals also could push policies such as tax reform and gambling advertisements, held back by entrenched vested interests. Julia Gillard led a minority government with the support of three of four independents and the one Green. Many countries have coalitions that include small parties, if not individual independents. Savva points out that teals do not have to “sign a contract” with either Labor or the LNP. Teals already have a contract with their constituents.
John Hughes, Mentone
Listening, not mud-slinging
Well said, Niki Savva. In 1975, 96 per cent of Australians voted for a major party, but by 2022 it was just 68 per cent. While Labor and the Coalition are busy mud-slinging and one-upping each other, independent candidates and their volunteers are hard at work door-knocking and listening to the people of their electorates.
As Savva suggests, independents are not “beholden to party machines, factions, unions or particular news outlets”, they are beholden only to their communities. The Labor/Coalition duopoly recently changed the donation laws from 2028 to be more in their favour, so the coming election could be the last that allows independents a fair fight. For our democracy and our futures, let’s get behind them. Amy Hiller, Kew
Break the dangerous cycle
The headline of Niki Savva’s article on the teals (“Teals key in sink or swim election”) is all too apt, given the cyclone that threatens to swamp Brisbane and the adjoining coast and hinterland in Queensland and NSW.
This extraordinary weather event is linked to the warmer ocean waters that for years have been absorbing extra heat from the atmosphere. That’s a dangerous cycle that most Australians want to break. The teals, as Savva points out, are by no means all agreed on policies, but as a collaborative group are conscientiously committed to action for a safe planet. They have earned our support, so we hope that voters will back them “for a better government and a better parliament” and a healthy world.
Tom Knowles, Parkville
Revival of the lickspittle lackies
Niki Savva has nailed it again, referring to ″an American president girdled by his convoy of lickspittles″. I’m reminded of the 1960s, listening in on my ancient short-wave receiver to propaganda broadcasts from China Radio International, then called Radio Peking. There were frequent references to ″lickspittle lackies of the running capitalist dogs″. With Trump kowtowing to the likes of Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, America now has a lickspittle president of the capitalist billionaires, surrounded by Republican lickspittle enablers.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
I should vote Liberal, but I don’t
Niki Savva’s insightful analysis of the Teals captures the key reason why I volunteer for Goldstein’s Zoe Daniel. She is not beholden to party machines, factions, unions or particular news outlets. She doesn’t resort to “robo-speak” because she isn’t following the talking points issued by headquarters. Given my schooling, education and middle class life, I should be a rusted-on Liberal, but they lost me years ago with their arrogance, sense of entitlement and inaction on climate change.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Independent thought
How good to read of another person having a crack at being elected as an independent member of parliament (“Independent’s whopping Wannon war chest″, 6/3). Curiously, the Liberal Party left a leaflet in my letterbox this week reminding me of the splendid performance in the current parliament of my local independent Dr Monique Ryan.
That leaflet points out that Dr Ryan had voted at times with all the major parties in the House, plainly depending on the issue under debate. It shows she even voted with the Liberals “31% of the time”. And isn’t this this what constituents want? Members of parliament who will seriously consider all matters before the House, and then cast their votes on the basis of what is best for the country.
The alternative is to be stuck with MPs like Sir Joseph Porter from Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, who said of himself “I always voted at my party’s call and I never thought of thinking for myself at all”.
Dennis Challinger, Canterbury
Science renaissance
Re Danielle Cave’s column “As Trump sacks scientists, let’s hire them. His brain drain is our gain”, 5/3. Cave outlines our moment of opportunity to develop strengths in science and technology by recruitment of redundant talent from the USA. And getting some of our own people to come home.
One of our great strengths is our capacity to educate with a well-developed, even if insufficiently nurtured, vertically integrated ability to produce skilled workforce. We don’t seem to be good at identifying or predicting our needs, otherwise we would have a better building industry making more homes, and not so many lawyers, for example.
Cave has given me hope that we can make our own future through recruitment, training, and retention of skilled workforce, if we have the will to do so. At the moment we don’t even seem to be able to manage childcare.
Clyde Ronan, Yarrawonga
Surrendering to council
Ross Gittins (″Our housing industry’s going nowhere fast. It’s not just red tape″, 5/3) highlights many significant issues that impede progress in dealing with the housing crisis. The local government approval process is often central.
Nearly three years ago, my wife and I presented plans to local council to build two townhouses replacing a near-derelict house. We aren’t developers; we sought to provide homes for our two daughters and their families. Council’s initial reaction was along the lines of “this is a great development, it should go ahead but just a few things need tweaking”. We’d worked hard to be environmentally responsible and to maintain neighbourhood amenity. 2 years and close to $50,000 in fees later, we have given up.
The project moved between multiple planners who provided contradictory advice and shifting requirements. The list of blockages was near endless. We were told we had to adhere to parking requirements that are not current Australian standards; to adhere to water use standards that contradicted those required by Melbourne Water; at great cost we needed to protect the roots of weed trees that council elsewhere provides “how to kill” advice, etc.
The final straw was council saying that if we didn’t agree with their requirements we should go to VCAT. That would’ve cost tens of thousands more and added many more months’ delay.
We gave up and so instead of two dwellings, there will be one. What housing crisis?
Peter Cook, Essendon
Stay in the shade
I agree with the recent views of correspondents (Letters, 5/3, 6/3). One of the problems in Surrey Hills is the illegal removal of significant shade trees before a new building project commences. The current fine of $20,000 is not enough to deter many prospective builders in this area.
Boroondara council has satellite images of all properties in its neighbourhood. They are able to show the locations and sizes of all shade trees on any block. One way of reducing the number of trees illegally removed in the area would be to maintain the fine but also introduce laws making it illegal to build directly over the shade area that existed before that tree was removed.
Chris Birch, Surrey Hills
Waiting room
Jacinta Allan should spend a couple of hours observing the emergency department of one of our major public hospitals. On Tuesday afternoon, after attending a priority urgent care clinic, my grandson was sent with a letter of referral explaining that he had a broken collar bone, for an x-ray and treatment at Austin Emergency.
Over the next three hours in the paediatric waiting room, only two children were taken in for treatment. By the time my grandson was called in, the waiting room was full of sick and injured children. However, this was nothing compared with the adult waiting areas which, were filled to capacity with every possible illness and injury one could imagine, and a line at triage that continued to grow. To live in this state and know that there is nothing on the horizon that is likely to improve our healthcare system is truly frightening.
Margaret Hirth, Rosanna
Speed limits
Reducing the suburban speed limit to 30km/h may slow down some motorists but a lot of others won’t change their ways, they’ll keep ignoring limits and go their reckless way.
Maybe installing hundreds more speed cameras throughout the metro area and in regional cities would get better results.
And just think, all the millions raised in fines would help pay off the state’s massive debt.
Stan Thomson, Sandringham
Working from home
Is Peter Dutton’s proposal to force public servants back to the office five days a week a cunning way of achieving some of his savage cuts by natural attrition? His policy would mostly affect the careers of women who find that an office/home balance best suits their other responsibilities, and research shows that this balance does not negatively impact productivity.
Grace Brisbane-Webb, Skye
Thrift booms
A colleague of mine owns/operates a retail clothing shop. There are now three tax-exempt charity op shops in its immediate vicinity. They have destroyed his business.
Turnover and profitability has dropped alarmingly in recent times, despite slashing his prices in an attempt to entice passers-by in.
Even his more affluent clients now turning to local op shops for their clothing needs.
It is only a matter of time before he closes his business. More jobs gone.
Michael Gamble, Belmont
Long black integrity
Adam Liaw (Good Food, 27/2) and several other writers reflect on coffee drinking habits in different states and countries. I read with interest and some bemusement as lattes, flat whites, magic and assorted variations are identified.
But what about, long black drinkers, like me? Are we in the minority, as it seems we are never part of the picture?
With a long or short black, you cannot hide or disguise a ‘bad coffee’.
Angie Griffin, Warrnambool
Review captures thrill
Hats off for Tony Way’s review of one of the great orchestral works ever written (“Mahler’s daring dream is given life”, 3/3).
Every concert review should read like this one such that those who were not at the concert could enjoy what those who were there enjoyed.
This masterpiece deals with the rising of the spirit to the afterlife and the last few minutes of the work involves all of the 140 odd players and 120 choristers performing to the maximum as the spirit rises to the heights. In most of the great concert halls in the world, these last few minutes at maximum volume would have the floorboards shaking from a massive pipe organ, which Mahler would have conceived.
But not in our Hamer Hall. We had not a pipe organ, but a ‘pop-up toaster’, which contributed nothing. Why? When a work to be performed insists on a massive pipe organ, we Victorians – who, after all, own the Hamer Hall – must go to the Melbourne Town Hall.
So, instead of being proud of what we Victorians can produce, we stared not at the massive number of players and choristers assembled, but a plywood front wall. What a disgrace.
Murray Stapleton, Darraweit Guim
Black is the new white
You know the world has gone crazy when the footy is not being played because of the weather, when Peter Dutton doesn’t want to be part of the new “coalition of the willing” but Albanese does, when Russia and America are getting along, and when the Yanks want to end a war rather than start one.
Peter Martina, Warrnambool
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
Cyclone Alfred
I wonder how many climate change sceptics are heeding the Bureau of Meteorology warnings about Cyclone Alfred.
David Charles, Newtown
A forward-thinking AFL would be hastily relocating its northern teams to Tassie. Cyclone Alfred is just the start of climate change disrupting our beloved fixtures.
Jenny Smithers, Ashburton
Cyclone Alfred is another stark reminder that as we greedy, blinkered humans persist in exploiting and suffocating Mother Nature, she will keep protesting with rage and fury.
Kevin Burke, Sandringham
Trump world
Considering Australia’s support of the United States in an immoral war (Vietnam) and a useless one against the Taliban, politically we owe them nothing, despite any mouthing off by Donald Trump.
Barrie Bales, Woorinen North
It now looks like Reds in the beds, not under the beds.
Marie Teague, Ocean Grove
Will JD Vance have time to write a sequel to his 2016 book, Hillbilly Elegy?
Fiona Wilson, Thornbury
Furthermore
Will all the consultants Peter Dutton replaces public servants with be made to work in the office? Paula O’Brien, St Kilda
It is all very well to promise funding for various projects, but will the start of said projects see the light of day until just before the next election?
Marie Nash, Balwyn
Your correspondent might have it the wrong way around (Letters, 6/3). Due to the horrendous condition of our roads, drivers will be struggling to reach 30km/h.
Helen Moss, Croydon
Finally
Personally, I’d prefer to partake
of the Lord of the Flies rather than the Lord of the Fries (“Middle-Earth isn’t lord of the courtroom”, 6/3). Fast food is probably more harmful to my health than worshipping a non-existent demon.
Wayne Robinson, Kingsley