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Credit: Illustration: Megan Herbert
IDENTITY POLITICS
Fatima Payman is accused of using ″identity politics″ to cause harm and disunity within the Labor Party. (″Will Fatima Payman become the Pauline Hanson of the left?″, 6/7.) All politics is based on identity; however, one identity dominates all others. Our political system from the time of Federation operates from the perspective of the dominant white culture. The White Australia Policy is a perfect example of this. Our laws and government policies operate in a way that benefits the white culture.
This is evidenced in the high numbers of Indigenous people who are incarcerated, often for crimes that would go unnoticed in the white community and laws that have a greater impact on minorities. It is a society whereby people of colour are expected to be grateful for the crumbs they are given, whilst their positive contribution to this country is disregarded and ignored.
Fatima Payman was expected to play the part of the grateful migrant and provide kudos to Labor as an inclusive and diverse party. Her sin was to go against the idea that as a woman of colour, she can be seen but not heard. She has shown herself to be courageous, principled, articulate, opinionated, and not afraid to highlight another perspective – one that is needed.
Donna Jansz, Trentham
Faultlines cross many borders
Where did we stand here in our new world of “identity politics”, asks Peter Hatcher.
Hartcher makes it clear that Payman’s gesture and the fallout here is about identity politics. He writes, “Identity is a force for good as long as it is deployed in the quest of equality”. The Gaza war has divided segments of Australian society and politicians. Rodger Shanahan, too, (Opinion, 5/7), also notes that “grievance politics” is the root cause of many of the Middle East’s problems.
Unfortunately whether “identity politics” in Australia, or “grievance politics” in Israel and the Middle East, it will not change anything there or here towards solving the conflict or recognition of a Palestinian state and a two state solution. Events there are revealing fault lines in our society, particularly as there the Netanyahu’s government is just “treading water” keeping his extremist government together and himself in power.
It appears the IDF sees the writing on the wall, of an ongoing war for Netanyahu’s political gains without the return of hostages. It seems that Netanyahu sees the hostages only as a political tool for some future political gain and biding his time, waiting for a Trump presidency to support his extremist cabinet aims at rebuilding Gaza for the messianic settler movement.
Jeffrey Kelson, Prahran
We’re successfully multicultural for a reason
It’s unfair to accuse the prime minister of being Islamophobic because he expresses concern about moves to form an Australian Muslim political party (Letters, 7/7). With abundant evidence of a fraying of social cohesion in response to the war in Gaza, it’s disingenuous to imply that the formation of such a party can be regarded as being as innocuous as, say, the presence of an Animal Justice Party. As Peter Hartcher states, Australia has never had a declared religious party at the national level (Opinion, 6/7), which no doubt helps explain why it has often been referred to as the most successful multicultural country on earth.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
A ‘faraway’ conflict matters
Rodger Shanahan (″Payman’s exit tells a different story, 5/7) suggests that ″a faraway conflict″ is having a disproportionate impact on Australian society and politics. He points out that ″many of those (protesting for Palestine) are neither Palestinian nor Muslim″. True. But nor were the Australians who protested against South Africa’s apartheid system either black or African. Within less than a decade, those protesters went from being derided as supporters of terrorists, to being joined by the Liberal prime minister Malcolm Fraser in working for justice in that faraway country.
Richard Barnes, Canterbury
Electoral impact of anger
Political pundits and voter-intention polls up and down the country have pointed to Labor’s precarious majority as it approaches the next election.
Last week, British Labour saw nine independents or Greens win with prominent pro-Palestine campaigns; others were close-run contests. The backdrop is 10 Labour front-frontbenchers quitting the party last November.
Labour’s new PM Keir Starmer had struggled to come around to an ″even-handed″ position on Israel/Palestine similar to that held by Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese here. Your London correspondent Rob Harris (6/7) is right to underline the implications: though compulsory voting might mute the electoral impact of anger at Labor here, our voter concentration – in combination with preferential voting and a much smaller number of seats – might work to magnify it.
That anger is being directed at Labor’s complete failure to reflect (even in conference policy) any understanding that Gaza now (and the annexation-by-scheming occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel over decades), is the predictable outcome of the West’s naive historical abetting of the foundation of a Zionist state in the mid-20th century.
Backing Israel’s ″right to defend itself″ rings hollow when that state is a moral anachronism. A critical mass of Australian, as British, voters are now determined to force attention on this injustice.
Ken Blackman, Inverloch
THE FORUM
Saudis’ Santos move
It’s interesting to read that the Saudi state-owned companies Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. are considering making bids for Santos to increase their gas supplies (″Santos shares jump″, 4/7). What does this mean for our energy security and global greenhouse gas emissions, and what will we as a nation get in return given that we seem to get little in the way of royalties or tax from such deals and bear all the cost of climate-related disasters?
Rod Eldridge, Derrinallum
Horses for courses
There has been criticism of the first past the post system in the UK because Labour received 34 per cent of the vote yet won 63 per cent of the seats. I’m reminded that the National Party in Australia only ever receives around 4 per cent of the vote and yet when the Coalition wins the general election the Nationals get cabinet positions including deputy prime minister. Doesn’t sound particularly democratic.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Youth crime
Youth crime is totally out of control in Melbourne and the surrounding suburbs.
Something must be done to curb this scourge. Twelve to 14-year-olds are old enough to know right from wrong. A 17 year-old has been charged for allegedly driving a car involved in a high-speed crash in a stolen car that killed a man of 28 who was studying to be a doctor. The person charged was bailed.
Burying heads in the sand regarding this with weak excuses is totally unacceptable to our communities. What about the poor victims and the families affected by these crimes?
More and more victims are being left with lifelong trauma. It is so difficult to source help when the health service industry is also in crisis. Where is the compensation for these victims who have to go through ridiculously, lengthy processes to gain any justice, causing even more stress.
The Victorian government must do better to give the law enforcement the legislation to make sure this is addressed now.
Bev Goss, Parkdale
Ends don’t meet
I was drawn to write in response to “Landlord anxiety” (Letters, 6/7) that your correspondent is now paying $20 a week in land tax. I am reliant on the disability support pension. I find it difficult to muster empathy for them.
I pay $330 a week in private rent, leaving me with just $300 a week to live on. I can’t afford to run the gas heating in my home. The small fan heater that I do use only runs two hours a night, barely heating one room. It gets so cold of a winter’s night that I can see my breath in my lounge room. As for my bedroom, when I sleep my beard gets wet with condensation.
I’ve been unemployed for a total of 27 years because of health conditions. My last holiday was in 1993 when I was 19 and I drove along the Great Ocean Road for a couple of days. My last appointment with a dentist was in 2015 when I had to have eight teeth extracted. I try to make $60 of petrol last three weeks. My diet mainly consists of bread and milk, which isn’t good for my type 2 diabetes.
The last time I was in Melbourne was 2008, and I would love to return and browse the bookstores like Paperback Books and Hill of Content, but I can’t afford to, and neither could I afford any of their books.
I think the love of books is one of the few things which has kept me going these years.
For your correspondent to say that $20 a week is greedy, when there are people in the community really struggling to survive each day, is disappointing.
Daniel O’Dubhlaoich, Wendouree
Share housing
Many people in Australia are finding it increasingly difficult to locate and afford rental accommodation, including single mothers and their children, and older women who have limited finances due to relationship breakdowns and inadequate superannuation balances. At the same time, there are many pensioners, singles and couples, who own or rent their dwellings but are experiencing tight finances and often lonely and isolated lifestyles.
The Commonwealth could make a big difference to the circumstances of all of these cohorts by allowing pensioners to take in boarders, at a modest rent, without an impact on their pensions. This would help people to find satisfactory and affordable accommodation, ease the general pressure on rents, reduce the need to build more dwellings, and enable pensioners to enjoy less lonely lives with a little extra money for creature comforts. All this without any effect on the Commonwealth’s budget.
Andrew Trembath, Blackburn
East of Eden
Thank you for your great article on Moorabbin (6/7). I grew up there and in my day the most exciting thing to do was hanging around Southland or the Moorabbin Bowls, listening to the Moorabbin Bowies boast about their run-ins with the Sandy Boys or the Brighton Beach Boys. I even worked at Philip Morris. But Moorabbin has changed, it’s full of fancy eateries and drinking spots, several on Station Street when the most gourmet option used to be the dodgy fish’n’chip shop. But Moorabbin High has sadly closed, the train station is unchanged, while the old town hall, now the Kingston Art Centre/City Hall hosts a wide variety of acts including A-listers from the Comedy Festival.
So even though I now live on the other side of Nepean Highway, I’m still that Moorabbin girl, which is why I’m always East Brighton, not Brighton East.
Samantha Keir, East Brighton
Caring for kids
Your correspondent (Letters, 6/7) says the ″precedent being set here is don’t teach in a state school″. I moved from a private school to teach at my local public school because I wanted to contribute to my community. Of course, there is challenging behaviour, but I am working with students I have known since they were little tackers.
On the whole, parents are friendly and supportive. I can ride my bike there in 20 minutes. Our principal said at the first assembly, ″Wominjeka, come with purpose″. It got me thinking ... what is my purpose? It’s not an easy job. But I know why I’m here. I care for the kids in our village.
Grant Morgan, Hurstbridge
Exit plans
“If the Lord Almighty comes down and tells me (to quit) I might do that” – Joe Biden’s exit plan to the world.
“If the Good Lord is mentioned one more time I shall move you closer ...” – Basil Fawlty’s exit threat to his builder. I’m feeling for God right now. She’s being unfairly invoked up and down the countryside.
Nina Wellington Iser, Hawthorn
Attlee had it easier than Starmer
Your London correspondent Rob Harris (6/7) is right to say that Keir Starmer faces a challenge to transform Britain as great as that faced by Clement Attlee in 1945. I grew up in England from 1941 to 1974. I know what advantages Attlee’s welfare state gave me.
Starmer’s challenge is even greater than Attlee’s. From 1940 to 1945, Attlee was already part of the national coalition government. Churchill had allocated Attlee and his Labour ministers the main responsibility for home affairs, while Churchill and his Conservative ministers conducted the war. Attlee also had the advantage of a civil service of high integrity, widespread acceptance of government planning, and a series of expert reports, including the Beveridge Report, setting out the aims of the post-war welfare state. Starmer will need two or three terms to rebuild a welfare state to fit the 21st century.
Nicholas Low, Cape Paterson
Oarsman’s delight
What an absolute delight to read an extended article about rowing (“The drag race of rowing: How our eights can soar,” 6/7). Rowing articles are few and far between, but this one encapsulated the spirit of rowing. It brought a tear to this old oarsman’s eye.
Gary Florence, Hampton Park
Chilling on two wheels
I loved Tony Wright’s article on Robert Harrison’s ride in the Porsche (‴That was exciting’: Doctor delivers Robert his bucket list wish – a spin in a Porsche″, 7/7). What a thoughtful article and what thoughtful carers. That was just neat all round I love reading Tony’s articles. I would love to encounter him on the road one day as I am, too, an enthusiastic motorcycle rider, who loves chilling out on two motorised wheels.
Stan Kluzek, Colac
AND ANOTHER THING
World leaders
I believe that the Biden White House now closes for business every night at eight o’clock. However, the Putin Kremlin is still open all hours.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
I’m not sure what I should fear most, a man who thinks he’s a god, or one whose intentions require a god to talk directly to him. Either way, it’s not looking good.
Martin Dix, Healesville
Ego may not be a dirty word, but it is hard to see what else is driving Biden. Come on Joe, bite the bullet and make way for well-credentialled Kamala Harris.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
I thought it would have been obvious, Joe Biden get yourself tested by a qualified independent cognitive psychologist (or two). The media’s and the public’s assessments aren’t worth a cent.
Tony Owen, East Kew
In God we trust. In Trump we fear.
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy
Could it get any weirder? By the end of the year, Donald John Trump could be a king or a convict.
Michael Petit, Brunswick
Looking at the recent crop of overseas election news (UK, US, France, Iran) the only possible question is “Anyone for a republic?” Back home, the timely answer seems to be “Play it again, Sam”.
Jenifer Nicholls, Armadale
Furthermore
Rents increase, contributing to inflation, so the Reserve Bank increases interest rates to reduce inflation, but landlords pay more interest, so they increase rents, so ...
Louise Kloot, Doncaster
NAIDOC’s drones beat fireworks any day!
Elaine O’Shannessy, Buxton
Melbourne – the world’s most ″bailable″ city.
Richard Sykes, Bell Park
Finally
The Prime Minister warns about faith-based political parties. Good, let’s start with the Christian-based Lord’s Prayer before any parliament sitting.
Denis Evans, Coburg
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