Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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HOUSING
An opposition leader who worked for over 10 years, mostly as a policeman, in the non-government workforce before entering politics. Admirable. The latter part of that being in a family business which bought, renovated, sold properties. Fair enough. And he has invested in real estate for 35 years, since he was 19-years-old, evidently successfully, making something approaching 50 per cent profit over 35 years (“Dutton’s portfolio: 26 properties in 35 years”, 26/2). Good for him. Good for the nation too, if he can lead a government with similar economic competence. It would make a nice change.
Anthony Caughey, Elwood
Conflict of interest?
Any politician who owns as many properties as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton surely has a conflict of interest in legislating changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing on investment properties. They have a vested interest in maintaining wealth creation strategies which are just not available to average Australians. In whose interests do these politicians sit in the House? Their constituents or themselves?
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Need for tax reform
I’m not a fan of Dutton but targeting him, and before him Albanese, for their property transactions is a distraction from the real issues that Australians face. I for one am far more interested in tax reform, climate change, housing affordability and now Australia dealing with the major powers as a proud nation and not a pandering puppy dog.
Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South
Wealth for some
So, an extremely wealthy man wants to be our prime minister and sack a pile of public servants, many of whom provide services to the less well off in the community. Shades of Trump and Musk.
Jane Ross, San Remo
Don’t judge a person’s retirement fund
Let’s not be too quick to criticise Peter Dutton’s massive portfolio. Any one of us would love to be part of it. It is his retirement fund. Although some people collect stamps or vintage cars, Dutton has taken collecting to new heights by acquiring 26 properties over 35 years. That’s not just home ownership; that’s a full-time real estate empire. While most people save for years just to afford one home, this seasoned politician has turned house-hunting into a high-performance sport. With all these properties, he isn’t just a home owner – he’s a landlord extraordinaire.
Anne Kruger, Rye
Housing fund claims don’t stack up
It seems that the Liberals continue to mimic the Donald Trump modus operandi. This time it is the Coalition’s housing spokesman Andrew Bragg who falsely claimed that not a single home planned under the Housing Australia Future Fund had been completed, using this as justification for their intention to terminate the fund. As The Age’s report (“Coalition claims Labor’s housing fund has built zero homes. Wrong. Here’s where they are”, 25/2) shows, 358 are completed and almost 5500 are under construction. Disappointing.
Brian Glass, Montrose
Spread the homes around
Melbourne was for seven years straight the world’s “most livable city”, but no longer holds that crown. Yet the Victorian government’s answer to the housing crisis in fast-tracking four- to six-storey high-rise apartments (“Red tape cut for low-rises, townhouses”, 25/2) compromises our health, education, infrastructure and the environment. To retain our fading reputation, we need to revisit decentralisation. In 1973 the Whitlam government began a program, allocating funds to develop cities like Albury-Wodonga. If these policies had been maintained, Melbourne would be a vastly more livable city than it is today. Decentralisation is expensive but our current path is unsustainable.
Bryan Long, Balwyn
Where you live
The latest discussion about changes to housing types and VCAT access being cut has included a number of commenters saying “where would you like to live?” This question is simplistic in that where you want to live and where you can live are often very different places. Cost, transport, facilities and work opportunities often restrict choices, severely.
The government, or the alternative government needs to think about how they can make real choices that they can implement.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill
THE FORUM
Tax reforms
Re “Inheritances are destroying the ‘fair go’” (The Age, 25/2), there is no avoiding taxes. It’s far better to tax the wealthy dead than taxing productivity (i.e. work) as our current system does, fuelling growing social inequality. Some believe inheritance tax taxes money already taxed. Taxing beneficiaries rather than estates solves this issue and is more equitable for large families.
Most money we receive has been previously taxed but that doesn’t stop the next hand it goes to being taxed.
So please bring in an inheritance tax and a gift tax, get rid of all the middle class welfare supporting non productive investment in land and buildings, trusts, expensive accounting tricks and franking credits. In return decrease income tax and business tax which slow the economy. While at it encourage R&D investment.
The elderly should spend their wealth, helping the economy.
Those with wealthy parents are already advantaged by income-producing education that money buys, no need to increase the advantage gap with untaxed inheritance.
Put the threshold at $300,000 per benefactor so members of a bigger family do not miss out, then tax away.
Michael Langford, Flinders
Marketing costs
Your correspondent talks about the financial implications of Nine Entertainment selling Domain (“Domain a diamond in the rough for Nine, but what’s it worth?” 25/2). Just as important is the effect a sale will have on the current exorbitant cost of real estate marketing. As a property consultant, I witness the unfortunate reality of the REA Group having a virtual monopoly. Most of a seller’s overall marketing expenses is paid to the REA Group. The REA Group not only charge thousands more to advertise than Domain, their contract terms are also unfair e.g. yearly memberships are compulsory. Let’s hope a new owner of Domain can take on the juggernaut that is the REA Group and create some healthy competition that will bring down the price of property marketing.
Peter Rogozik, Yarraville
Heed the warnings
Dennis Glover, (“Ignore history’s lessons at our peril”, 26/2), is right to draw direct parallels between current European geo-political developments and the rise of fascism in the 1930s.
Putin’s testing of the resolve of NATO nations in relation to Ukraine bears real similarities to Hitler’s strategy in 1938 of initially annexing vulnerable provinces using spurious irredentist claims in relation to Czechoslovakia before seeking total control of that neighbouring nation. Glover’s reference to Steve Bannon’s knowledge of history is very apposite. In a milieu of reckless and uninformed Trump advisers, he stands out as someone who has cultivated the likes of the populist Hungarian PM Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin in promoting a trope of Christian Europe being threatened by Muslim invaders. He has been an intellectual driving force for ultra-conservative think tanks based in Budapest. As Glover suggests, these groups know their European history; and their malign calculations are informed by what took place in the ‘appeasement’ era a century ago. With Trump heeding their theories in the White House, the warnings here are obvious.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
History repeats
Dennis Glover’s insightful piece draws clear comparisons between 1920s-30s Germany and current US (and German) political trends. As a history lover, I am alarmed at the direction our world is taking. Rising authoritarianism, intolerance, violence, censorship either real or in practice dance with an ugly dose of antisemitism and white supremacy.
Technology enables us to communicate more effectively, quickly and widely then ever, and yet we do it appallingly. We shout from one respective silo to another, closing our ears to those we disagree with, highlighting differences instead of finding common ground.
All this while the Earth’s climate is changing visibly, powerfully and destructively around us.
The proverbial canaries in the coal mine are struggling to breathe. Yet short-term commercial interests continue to power politics, at the cost of our health and environment. The long-term financial costs of this are immeasurable. Just ask the insurance industry.
Is it so very hard to be kind? To walk in the shoes of our brothers and sisters? Populist politics always comes at the expense of society’s most vulnerable and our collective consciences. Surely, we have learnt from history that this price is too high to pay.
Jennie Irving, Camberwell
Cost of living
While I do not disagree with the thrust of the letter warning of the danger of political change (“The benefits of change”, 25/2), I do challenge the comment that “Australians are struggling with the cost of living”. Some Australians are, but not all. Just witness the restaurants where one must book to ensure a place, the busy cafes, the takeaway coffees, the thousands who attended the Australian Open at exorbitant prices, the numbers taking trips overseas. A generation or two ago these were activities enjoyed by a privileged few. To infer that all Australians are struggling creates a sense of discontent, even with those who are clearly not struggling. This suits the narrative of some, like Peter Dutton.
Margery Renwick, Brighton
Market forces
It’s sad to see the Vic Market stallholders having to strike (“Why Queen Victoria Market fruiterers will strike for the first time in 147 years”, 25/2). I don’t blame them for a minute as this issue will be just the tip of the iceberg. Just look at what has happened at the South Melbourne and Prahran markets, which have become trendy shopping and eating houses. Not many of us ordinary folk can afford to shop there any more. At South Melbourne market I hear that the rents are astronomical – if your goods don’t suit management you’re not wanted. Fruit and veg is dearer than the supermarket and the fish prices out of this world, hence I no longer go there. The whole concept of a market is being lost and I blame those who run these markets and local councils.
In the past a person who could not afford to rent a shop could get a stall in the market the rents were reasonable they could sell their goods at a price people could afford. They supplied a real need.
I worked in South Melbourne market in years past so I knew many little stallholders who worked this way. Markets were never invented to be trendy expensive places to shop.
Nola Cormick, Albert Park
Albo can do it
Your correspondent (Letters, 25/2) suggests that an Anthony Albanese-led government cannot win the next election as his “oratorical skills, his political courage and indeed his charisma are all sadly lacking”. These (largely personal) criticisms ignore what I see in Anthony Albanese and his government so far: consecutive budget surpluses and debt reduction despite what was inherited from the previous LNP government, inflation falling from 6.1 per cent to 2.8 per cent, over 1 million jobs created with an unemployment rate of 4.1 per cent, an increase in minimum wage and a pay increase for care workers, reduced cost of medicines, affordable childcare and much more.
That’s all the achievements that the Albanese government can be attributed for in this current term.
I don’t have any statistics regarding oratorical skills, political courage and charisma for either Anthony Albanese or Peter Dutton to back it up, but I’ll support the government for a next term over the alternative.
Jae Sconce, Moonee Ponds
God status
In view of Donald Trump’s aspiration to instrument-of-god status, I cannot help recalling these words of another scourge of the wicked: “O people, know that you have committed great sins, and that the great ones among you have committed these sins. If you ask me what proof I have for these words, I say it is because I am the punishment of God. If you had not committed great sins, God would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.” Genghis Khan, after capturing Bukhara in 1218.
Trevor Hay, Montmorency
Privileged privy
I hope the people who stole the gold toilet did something worthwhile with the proceeds (“Blenheim Palace’s $9.6m golden toilet stolen in just five minutes”, 25/2). The golden toilet seat was not art, and was not funny, interesting or thought provoking. Simply obscene. Sure, have a gold toilet, but not until every last person on the planet is well fed, housed and educated and the animals are free and healthy and the environment is given space to heal from the damage we’ve done to it. Then and only then may you have a gold toilet worth $9.6 million.
Karen Morris, Newport
Bubbles and art
What a delight and surprise it was to be able to drink a glass of champagne while viewing all the beautiful artworks at the Melbourne Art Fair. If only the NGV and our suburban galleries would allow patrons that privilege when visiting exhibitions in small group numbers. Bubbles and art makes life more fun darlings.
Mel Smith, Brighton
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Dutton’s properties
And some Liberals had the chutzpah to criticise the “timing” of Anthony Albanese’s house purchase.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Will Peter Dutton’s extensive property portfolio be a point of attack for politicians, showing him as someone out of touch with ordinary people struggling to buy just one home? No. Politicians in glass houses won’t throw stones.
Matt Dunn, Leongatha
Can we now stop calling Peter Dutton a former policeman and label him for what he is, a property developer and investor. Much of which has been done while serving in parliament.
Graeme Gardner, Reservoir
So Peter Dutton has bought and sold property. Is that a crime?
Tony O’Brien, South Melbourne
Now I know why Peter Dutton and his fellow Liberals are so opposed to winding back negative gearing. It is for “mum and dad” investors like him.
Michael Martin, Wheatsheaf
Federal politics
If the federal election campaign began on Sunday with the Medicare announcements, are we in for an Annie Oakley style campaign: “Anything you can do, I can do better, I can do anything better than you”?
Wendy Brennan, Bendigo
Peter Dutton is going to cut 36,000 jobs from public service. Are these places going to be taken by expert consultants who never provide frank and fearless advice?
Patricia Norden, Middle Park
Trump
I wonder how many US public servants drafting their five reasons for continued employment are now reconsidering that MAGA flag in their front yard?
Catherine Ross, Sandringham
With a friend like Donald Trump, who need enemies?
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick
Finally
Like Thomas Mitchell (Opinion, 22/2) and your correspondent (Letters, 26/2), I too have an unwelcome 3am alarm. But it’s not in my head. It’s a good way south of that.
Damien Ryan, Berwick
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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.