Credit: Matt Golding
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ONE NATION
Barnaby Joyce is apparently ready to join Pauline Hanson in exploiting ″the new winds behind populist movements such as those headed by Donald Trump″ (9/12).
Australians who still believe that Australia is the most tolerant, multicultural society on earth, and that a ″fair go″ remains a core value, will be horrified, but must concede that many One Nation voters have legitimate grievances.
Madeleine Albright’s 2018 book, Fascism, warns that citizens disillusioned with failing institutions will turn to leaders who exploit nationalism, xenophobia, and target vulnerable groups. Her warning proved prescient with the re-election of Trump.
Andrew Leigh, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury warns that Australia is one generation away from US-style inequality. If major parties cannot embrace
bi-partisan approaches to desperately needed reforms we are in for a rough ride.
Priorities include taxation, climate change, housing and education. Hanson and Joyce might be ″deplorable″, but most of their followers are not. If major parties can appeal to their better angels with well-presented policies, One Nation could become irrelevant.
Norman Huon, Port Melbourne
Joyce kicked own goal
Barnaby Joyce sees Pauline Hanson as a ″fellow traveller″ and she sees him as a ″front-row forward″ (″Joyce shifts to One Nation as Hanson off to Tamworth″, 9/12). Most Australians see them as selfish players who ignore rules of the game based on science. Joyce has just kicked an own goal and it’s unlikely New England fans will be cheering from the sidelines. As Joyce’s new coach, it will be interesting to see how long Hanson has the ″full support of the board″.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn
Enough tawdry behaviour
Good to hear Joyce’s comments that he is going to put his focus back on the Australian people. Isn’t that what he should have been doing all along instead of being in the headlines for his erstwhile tawdry behaviour?
Dorothy Galloway, Mentone
Party of human headlines
David Littleproud’s description of One Nation as “a party of protest that is never able to achieve anything other than headlines” (9/12) is spot on. It is also the reason why it is a perfect fit for Barnaby Joyce.
Mark Hulls, Sandringham
Joyce should be denied limelight
One must question the wisdom of ABC’s 7.30 and host Sarah Ferguson in seeking out a prime-time interview with Barnaby Joyce regarding his decision to join One Nation. This raises Joyce’s profile and influence and gives highly sought-after publicity to his miserable policies and ignorant rejection of climate science. Best to treat him as a pariah.
Ian Bayly, Upwey
History tells us conservative vote will split
Barnaby Joyce’s defection to One Nation is likely to draw disgruntled Liberal and National party voters further to the right as they flee from the chaos of the Coalition.
This will effectively split the conservative vote in this country in the same way the DLP split from the Labor Party in 1955, condemning them to the political wilderness for a generation. It might take that long for the conservatives to sort themselves out.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
THE FORUM
Support for Jess Wilson may be high across the state, but it is the residents of the Kew electorate who will ultimately decide her political future (“Support for Wilson-led Coalition surges: poll”, 9/12).
With Monique Ryan retaining Kooyong, much of this part of Melbourne now has independent representation at both federal and council levels, and many locals are unconvinced by the state Liberal Party’s poorly developed policy platform.
The absence of credible climate policy, and planning to unwind Labor’s sensible progress in reducing Victoria’s reliance on expensive and polluting gas, is a clear example. It would not be surprising if a moderate independent candidate were to make the contest in Kew competitive in 2026.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Politicising sacred event
I have just listened to Victorian Opposition Leader Jess Wilson’s response to the premier’s apology to Victorian First Nations people. I was appalled that Wilson used that occasion to make a politically partisan speech. Premier Jacinta Allan did not mention her party; her apology was simply statements of reality and a willingness to work with First Nations people to make a better future for all Victorians.
Wilson’s speech sounded like a campaign speech. She talked about the Liberal National coalition and said ″if I am elected″. The leader of the opposition politicised what should have been a significant and sacred occasion.
Marg D’Arcy, Rye
Out of step
In its bloody minded and pointless opposition to the apology in the Victorian parliament, the Liberals have demonstrated that, despite their facelift rebrand, they are in no way liberal, are totally out of step with the community, and definitely not ready for the responsibility of governing this state.
Matthew Gilbert, Mont Albert
No defending SLV plans
If State Library of Victoria board president Christine Christian is eyeing a future career in politics, her ″defence″ of the proposed changes to the SLV in will have done her no harm (″The State Library won’t be frozen in time. Change keeps us relevant″, 9/12).
Christian’s article is less defence than deflection, littered with phrases that, intentional or otherwise, belittled those who dare to criticise the direction in which she is guiding a beloved Victorian .
After briefly addressing some of the concerns raised, she continues: ″Let me address some other wild claims″. The inference is that all concerns raised are ″wild″. It’s almost as though those who raised them should be grateful she’s given them any attention at all.
Responding to the apprehensions of Helen Garner, Christian says, ″I happen to take a clear-eyed, not a misty, romantic, view″. Such phraseology belittles those who dare question the SLV, rather than the substance of its proposals themselves.
Garner is not the only author of prominence who fears for the SLV’s future. Gideon Haigh has shared similar misgivings, while Kaz Cooke took to social media to highlight a number of issues Christian’s article does not address.
Progress is very often a good thing – but not always. If some of SLV’s services of 40 years ago are still of use today, why should they be removed or reduced?
Rather than addressing that question, Christian invokes more emotive language, suggesting her critics seek ″to recreate some imagined golden era″. Not one the aforementioned trio of authors suggested there should be no change at all at the SLV, but one could be forgiven for believing they have, based on Christian’s words alone.
Having already been concerned about the change of policy direction, reading Christine Christian’s straw man arguments has lifted my concern to anger. I hope it does the same for others who value what the State Library has provided Victorians for the past 171 years.
Andrew Gigacz, Clifton Hill
Socialist solution
If it is to be re-elected, the Allan Labor government needs to adopt a bold socialist agenda to ease cost of living pressures and reduce inequality, while also reducing state debt. It should start with a rent freeze, free public transport for all, and generous power bill rebates, all underpinned by higher taxes on our richest residents, including higher transfer duty on high-end real estate. It could also consider a “mansion tax” surcharge collected through council rates. It also needs to find new ways to raise taxes on billionaires domiciled in Victoria.
Fabio Scalia, Balaclava
Saving the ‘burbs
The Age series ‘Life in the burbs’ has revealed that greater Melbourne is actually a mosaic of hundreds of rather distinct and valuable suburban (and urban) communities. Residents are generally proud of their own suburb’s heritage buildings, green spaces and other public amenities. And most want to retain their local community’s distinguishing character.
Yet, the state government’s new planning legislation cuts out local government, community organisations and individual citizens from having any real power to halt or modify any outrageous new proposals by developers. Some can utterly change the character of neighbourhoods, including access to natural light and green spaces.
Worse, the legislation can override heritage controls. It has also relaxed building regulations to the point at which many new apartments are likely to be of poor quality. This is also a poor trade-off for dealing with the housing crisis.
There is likely to be a major backlash in the 2026 elections to the new planning regime, as people fight to retain the liveability of their current suburbs. There are much better solutions to the housing crisis.
Peter Gerrand, West Melbourne
Dog of a life
In the ABC show Kitchen Cabinet, Annabel Crabb interviewed Anika Wells and showed Wells to be determined, witty and resourceful. Politicians lead a dog of a life. How many political families bust up? And it must be harder if mum is dealing with major political issues and dad is keeping the home fires burning.
That girl’s got life.
Elizabeth Clarke, Richmond
Intolerable behaviour
Family reunions, flights and accommodation may be within the rules and may or may not pass the pub test. But having a comcar sitting outside the tennis centre for seven hours, apart from the financial waste, shows a level of arrogance and entitlement that should not be tolerated.
Jack Ginger, Sth Caulfield
Future shock
Three hundred additional sacked CSIRO scientists are attending their final Christmas functions wondering which foreign corporation or government will pay for their skills in the future. Australians who value scientific research and buying Australian made products should have already decided to place the Labor Party second-last on their ballot papers when next they vote. Labor has clearly demonstrated that science, research and facts are not a priority in its world. The Liberals/Nats deserve to be perpetually placed last as they do not know what a planet is, let alone which one they live on.
Haydn Moyle, Flemington
Plastic response
It’s encouraging to see progress on super-enzymes that can break down plastics (“Solution to plastics issue within reach”, 9/12). But, as with most environmental problems, isn’t prevention a better solution?
Fossil fuel companies are ramping up plastics production, using the same petrochemicals that fuel climate change. Their lobbying also helped weaken the global plastics treaty.
If we want to stop plastic pollution, we need to cut it off at the source. Reducing the production and demand for plastics – not banking on miracle fixes – is the only solution that truly holds water.
Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn
Real world stuff
Will the federal government be putting massive funding into rural public transport, rural sports clubs and facilities so all those 16 year olds who are going to be spending time in ″the real world″ can get around to do all these exciting new things they can do?
Donna Lancaster, Inverloch
History forgotten
George Brandis predictably excoriates the Whitlam government and the Labor Party more broadly (Opinion, 8/12). He describes himself as a student of history, so I’ll give him a few lessons.
The Whitlam government was responsible for more reforms and innovations than any other government in Australian history.
Gough Whitlam himself served his country in World War II, as did Liberal prime minister John Gorton, and both of them deserve our everlasting respect.
And yes, Mr Brandis, it was the Labour Party under John Curtin that the country turned to in its darkest hours in World War II.
Tim Douglas, Blairgowrie
Choose another tipple
Congratulations go to Oscar Piastri for his achievements in F1 racing in only his third year in the elite level of the sport.
However, the tradition of spraying drivers and the crowd with sparkling wine on the podium should be questioned as it is rather childish and tired.
The practice began by accident in 1966 at Le Mans when an overheated bottle of presented champagne erupted over the winner’s fellow drivers.
This practice continued throughout the next year and has continued to this day. The wine used today is an Italian sparkling called Ferrari Trento which would make a better tipple than a water cannon.
John Guy, Elsternwick
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Politics
The media focus on Anika Wells’ travel costs is predictable and boring. When you give us all MPs’ spending on comcars or the costs of family members joining them over the past eight years, I might actually read all the details.
Colleen Coghlan, Prahran
Albanese and Anika would do well to remember that Australian taxpayers do not like being taken for a ride.
Sally Mizrahi, Hawthorn
Is Anika Wells the only one and/or an easy target?
Helena Kilingerova, Vermont
When was the last time the media got excited about a male politician making legitimate use of entitlements?
Cathrine Harboe-Ree, Castlemaine
Barnaby Joyce defects to One Nation. Transitioning from irrelevance to irrelevant?
David Raymond, Doncaster East
Congratulations, Barnaby! There you were, drunk and lying in a gutter shouting obscenities into your phone – and we thought you couldn’t go any lower. And now you have.
Ken Foxcroft, Curlewis
Barnaby Joyce. One notion ... Barnaby.
John Bye, Elwood
Faster than a speeding debt, more powerful than a CFMEU member, able to leap over former Liberal leaders with a single bound, look up in the sky, is it a bird or plane? No, it’s superwoman Jess Wilson!
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Furthermore
Re State Library cuts: We don’t want a ‘temple of engagement’ (Opinion, 9/12), we want a library!
Rosslyn Jennings, North Melbourne
As the English are playing so much golf, maybe the rest of the Ashes Tests could be played on the golf courses of Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
Wayne Smith, Myrtleford
Given his rather chequered history, it seems a bit strange that Graham Richardson has been given a state funeral.
Yvonne Trevaskis, Hobart, Tas
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