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.
Credit: Cathy Wilcox
FEDERAL POLITICS
Brava Lidia Thorpe! An unruly, cantankerous, badly behaved woman with a voice. Thorpe is keeping alive her call for Indigenous rights in our senate and in other arenas of public life.
Through news, social medial, video, photos and sound – we can’t look away. Thorpe is ensuring her voice won’t be silenced. I say keep it up Lidia Thorpe. Keep us uncomfortable until Australia votes loud and clear to recognise Indigenous people’s rights.
Sandy Gifford, Fitzroy
Hanson perpetuates anti-immigration discourse
Senator Payman has done everything possible to cancel her Afghani citizenship.
As Australia has no diplomatic relations with the Taliban government, it is impossible for Payman to get her Afghani citizenship cancelled, and she has informed the AEC of this.
Senator Hanson’s tabling documents questioning Payman’s eligibility to be elected into parliament is nothing but dog whistling. No one in the ALP called Hanson out for this, electing instead to suspend Thorpe for daring to call her out (“Thorpe suspended for throwing paper”, 28/11).
The day before, the ALP introduced a draconian and discriminatory mega bill targeting refugees (“Australia to pay nations to take our unwanted”, 27/11).
It appears Albanese’s re-election policy is to be in lockstep with One Nation and perpetuate the anti-immigration discourse on the ascendancy in Australia.
Rohan Wightman, Muckleford
Australian parliament a laughingstock
Surely, there is a way to expel Lidia Thorpe from parliament?
How long does the Australian Senate have to put up with this poor behaviour?
It makes our parliament a laughingstock to the world.
Christine Hammett, Richmond
No example for budding female politicians
The behaviour of particular women in parliament this week is disappointing, especially for young women who have ideas of entering politics.
Say what you like, and slag each other off. The vision of that “finger” says it all to me about attitudes to courtesy and respect for parliament.
Noreen Donovan, Blackburn
Senate behaviour wanting
If Senator Thorpe had to throw her torn up papers at anyone,
there could not be a more appropriate person than Senator Hanson.
They are two of a kind.
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy
Keating’s quip never more apt
Watching the recent bunfights in the senate brings to mind Paul Keating’s memorable characterisation of the senate: “Unrepresentative swill”. Hard to argue with really.
Mike Smith, Croydon
Forget ideology, it’s about lobbyists
″Stitch-up deal done on political donations″, (28/11), is a very clear sign from both the Labor and coalition parties that they think money buys votes.
Clearly stated policy and political ideologies are long gone, the major parties are heavily influenced by lobbyists who don’t represent the majority of Australians.
It is time for the average voter to stand up and send a loud message that their vote is not for sale to these players of the game, by voting for independent candidates or by casting an invalid vote.
Peter Roche, Carlton
THE FORUM
Albanese the blocker
In the hit musical Hamilton, Aaron Burr, the 18th century American politician, is described as a man of no beliefs other than his own advancement. In his own words a person wishing to advance should “Talk less, smile more. Don’t let them know what you’re against or what you’re for”.
It seems that Anthony Albanese is taking this advice to heart. His recent decision to block a senior minister progressing nature-positive environment legislation follows on from his decision to block serious gambling reform, not to mention tax reform.
It seems that in Albanese’s world no issue is worth progressing if it means upsetting a powerful vested interest. Very Aaron Burr indeed.
Simon Bennett, Hawthorn East
Political expediency
Re “Albanese steps in to scupper Plibersek deal on national EPA” (28/11). Albanese’s move is disingenuous. Firstly, he undermines his credentials on the impact of the changing climate. He diminishes a popular minister which may haunt him in the future re leadership. One should be very concerned when organisations such as the Mineral Council of Australia and others who seek to exploit the natural environment for profit and are against the proposed new EPA regulations. Yet again, it is political expediency that is paramount and not elevating saving the environment as a priority.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Debasing education
Mindy McLeod’s piece (“Cheating is now so rampant that uni degrees have become worthless”, 28/11) was an excellent summary of the deflation of the university system in Australia. When once, a university degree meant a qualification that represented a level of intellectual achievement and excellence, it now seems to represent the fees university corporations can charge, so chancellors can receive million-dollar salaries.
It seems that every third-rate education institute can now call itself a university, and hand out degrees as if they were achievement certificates.
The demise started with the middle-class obsession with equality during Whitlam’s tenure, and has been fostered by education unions prioritising equality over excellence – equality of outcome, not opportunity.
The very thing that made an Australian degree desirable, and worthy of the cost, has now been debased by foreign students who do not have the language skills to even amend AI-generated text to a level that can fool a tutor.
The tragedy is that this debasement affects not only the foreign students but also makes Australian students question the value of their HECS debt.
Mike Pantzopoulos, Ashburton
Do academics use AI too?
Mindy Macleod writes about the problems created for non-examination assessment in universities, and problems of which every academic must surely be aware.
Students having others write their essays is not new, but in times past it wasn’t common, and it was usually pretty obvious when a lacklustre student submitted a stellar paper.
Although clearly a problem for student assessment, I wonder about the extent to which academics now use AI to tweak their own articles submitted to learned journals, and on which their promotion prospects can depend to a large extent.
And the pinnacle, the PhD? Think of a topic marginally different from thousands of others, find some relevant data and let AI do the hard work.
It might be claimed some students have poor English skills and should be allowed to use AI to redress their disadvantage, but it appears AI allows all students to submit essays that require virtually no effort whatsoever.
Macleod tells us universities have put AI in the “too hard” basket, which is not a good response from the brightest minds in the land.
Al Morris, Doncaster
Unis stay the same
Mindy Macleod is right, except that the degrading of university degrees has been going on for at least three decades. Twenty-six years ago, I took a “voluntary separation package” from a local university because, had I been an employer, I would not have given a job to any of the graduates from my department.
Then, it was the ‘bums on seats’ funding model that forced departments to accept school-leavers with inadequate qualifications for the courses in order to keep the academic team together and had, therefore, to lower marking standards to get an acceptable number of graduates. I despair for professional standards in many areas of life.
Don Jordan, Mt. Waverley
Therapy does work
Re (″Therapy is helping Max. But will the music stop?″, 27/11). I have a PhD in music therapy, and work with people at the pointiest end of psychosocial disability through the NDIS. My participants have schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder, bipolar and more, often at the same time as living with ADHD, autism and complex PTSD. The assertion that music therapy is not evidence-based is a falsehood and an excuse to cut costs at the expense of vulnerable people’s wellbeing. Bill Shorten needs to uphold choice and control for participants of the NDIS, and take a look at the glut of evidence upholding this effective therapeutic modality.
Dr Kate McMahon, Thornbury
Life-changing music
As a musician, I was horrified to read NDIS funding for music, art and creative therapies may end.
Apparently, there will be changes to the $42 billion scheme, with participants needing to give evidence that ″a therapy is working″.
I’m pretty sure that it can take very different lengths of time for there to be any tangible evidence that a therapy is working , depending on the age of the participant and the severity of their disability. But this is not an acceptable reason to stop the therapy.
All I know, (from experience as a music teacher and performer), is music can change children’s and adults lives in all sorts of ways, and can contribute to physical, mental and emotional health.
Joy Hayman, Surrey Hills,
Mt Arapiles hopes
I am one of the many who are distressed at the Allan government’s plan to ban climbing on over half of the cliffs at Mt Arapiles, this country’s most important climbing area.
If this distress is hard to understand, think of it as being comparable to banning surfing within a 130 kilometres both north and south of Sydney Heads. While most climbers respect indigenous culture and artifacts, rock-climbing at Arapiles has a very strong culture of its own and this developed over many decades without anyone ever objecting.
Climbers were never consulted over these planned changes, but instead were given less than a month to comment and even then, were told that any changes to the banned areas were not up for discussion. The government’s response to counter the expected economic slump is to boost tourism to the cliffs, but to see what?
The base of hundreds of metres of cliff littered with ‘No Climbing’ signs at 10-metre intervals? My only hope is the climbers and First Peoples can get together for open discussion and hopefully, they will find they share far more common ground than they might think. Perhaps some compromises might be reached.
Mike Round, Montacute, SA
No way to run a park
I hoped the lack of maintenance at Yarra Bend Park in Kew meant that Parks Victoria were using funds regionally, but on a recent visit to Wilson’s Prom, was disappointed to find it also obviously under-resourced. The park was full to the brim on a hot day, but the park office was closed and not a ranger to be seen. The only water available was $8 for a litre in a plastic bottle with a cap that required a small piece of plastic to be broken off to open. Also tracks closed for years after fire damage. Visit the Three Capes walk in Tasmania to see how well managing a park can be done.
Andrew Moulton, Kew
How to run a park
I found it sad to read that the City of Yarra is not prepared to create a small community park in a street as previously planned (″New-look Yarra council adopts manifesto″, 28/11).
In Montmartre, Paris, despite its high population density and many cars, strategically chosen roads are turned into small urban parks. Gardens are planted and tended by community groups, games are painted on the hard surfaces and seats are installed to encourage multigenerational use.
Locals manage to drive in the other streets and seem quite content with allowing children to play and the community to gather. There is a lot to admire about the greening of Paris and the determination to make it more liveable.
Lisa Dooley, South Melbourne
A bad trip
I have just returned Mossvale in country NSW using the XPT service from Southern Cross station. I am appalled that travelling along the busiest route between our major capital cities, we are still have to endure 40-year old trains with no wifi.
The return trip on Monday this week from Mossvale to Melbourne was delayed by 75 minutes. This result was a journey of more than 10 hours.
The reasons provided were: heat causing track issues, signal faults, brake issues. I travelled in far superior trains in Europe back in 1988. You could be led to believe we are in a third-rate country. Surely, the NSW and Victorian governments can do better.
Beverley Goss, Parkdale
Cartoonist win
Congratulations to Age cartoonist Megan Herbert (″Political cartoonist of the year? ‘You must be joking’, 28/11). She shows us the folly and the danger of issues in your work and it helps make us all aware. And of course, All Age cartoonists’ skills are a joy to appreciate.
Nola Cormick, Albert Park
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
If Albanese was aiming his gun at his own foot, he definitely hit the mark. Voters will not forget his pavid disloyalty to both a potential government partner and a highly competent and popular frontbencher.
Mirna Cicioni, Brunswick East
Another gutless backdown by Albanese scuppering the deal done with Tanya Plibersek and the Greens which would have protected native forests and saved threatened species. Pathetic.
Don Owen, Hawthorn
It’s hard to believe that good legislation can emerge from rushing 36 bills through parliament in a day just because our representatives don’t want to return to Canberra for at least another two months.
Kevan Porter, Alphington
Given the rush of legislation passed in the dying days of this parliament, perhaps three-year terms remain a better option than four-year terms?
Rod Allan, West Melbourne
It wouldn’t be a normal week it seems, without former Greens senator Lidia Thorpe pulling another stunt. Another reason to dislike Adam Bandt and the Greens.
Carmel Boyle, Alfredton
It’s time for a new number plate slogan: Victoria – The Bankrupt State.
Brian Kilday, Jeeralang Junction
I wonder if we will hear opposition leader Peter Dutton or shadow treasurer Angus Taylor applauding the government for providing household rebates which, in large part, have contributed to a 35.6 per cent fall in electricity prices compared to a year ago.
Garry Meller, Bentleigh
Kim Williams is to be congratulated for calling out the scare tactics of conspiracy theorists no matter who they are. The ABC is a trusted organisation that uses fact checks to stop the stupidity of US politics entering our country.
May the ABC stay courageous and honest.
Ross Hosking, Blackwood, SA
The opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.