Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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You’ve got to love economics columnist Ross Gittins’ (″Home truths that no one can ignore″, 12/2) masterful ability to cut to the chase about important issues that affects all Australians – in this instance the progressive decline in housing affordability over the past 50 years – whereby he proclaims that he’s more ″optimistic″ now that things will change “because it’s become so bad no one can go on ignoring it”.
Indeed, now that the rest of the nation has caught up to what workers in the community sector have known is a ″boiling frog″ catastrophe over decades, the solution to the problem must be ″multi-faceted″ as promulgated by Gittins. And that will require all levels of government to change their thinking – and so too the voting public’s attitude to negative gearing reform – and that the Reserve Bank may need to change its reliance on its one-trick pony (ie, the interest rate lever to keep inflation low).
Don’t hold your breath.
Jelena Rosic, Mornington
A rethink is needed on staying until year 12
Ross Gittins highlights the fact that the building industry ″can’t get the tradespeople it needs to expand its production″. There is one aspect to this problem that nobody wants to talk about: our national obsession with insisting that all students should remain at school until completing year 12.
Most teachers – I am a retired one – know this idea is ridiculous. Many students who once entered trades as 15-year-old apprentices (often via now non-existent technical schools) now linger meaninglessly – and often disruptively – in classrooms, doing little and learning less.
By the time they end their wasted schooldays, the lure of salaries greater than an apprentice’s pay (but often for non-career developing short-term gigs) kicks in. Some later go on to complete mature-age apprenticeships; most don’t.
Bizarrely, we then desperately fight with the rest of the developed world to try and attract foreign tradespeople from countries where they often left school to start apprenticeships at age 14.
Dennis Dodd, Shepparton
In the end, consumers pay
The purpose of tariffs is, presumably, to protect a local producer from cheaper imports of the same product coming in from overseas. But if there is no local producer of, say, aluminium, to protect, what is the point? It seems more like a consumption tax, payable by importers on arrival of the product in port (as occurs in Australia). Maybe that is the point: tariffs are an easier sell to voters than a consumption tax.
Either way, the cost will flow through to them, although they might be duped into blaming shadowy overseas suppliers rather than their own government.
Emma Borghesi, Rye
Here’s a cut: the GP’s $100m
Victorian ministers have been told to cut programs and services in their portfolios (″Ministers told to slash services as budget nears″, 12/2). Steve Dimopoulos, the Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events, should start by cutting the $100 million that the state government provides to the Australian Grand Prix Corporation’s car race at Albert Park.
Geoff Gowers, Merricks North
From a loop to a death spiral
“The state government is (indeed) caught in a loop” (Editorial, 12/2). Moreover, if it doesn’t act soon to address the problems Victorians have to deal with each and every day, the loop will surely morph into a death spiral.
Ivan Glynn, Vermont
THE FORUM
Addressing the future
Having lived out of the city for some years, when I do visit it is blatantly obvious that the roads and traffic have become much worse. Ask any regional Victorian and they’ll say the same thing. Our population is skyrocketing. If we don’t spend money on rail lines to the airport, tunnels and rail loops etc, the very real risk is severe gridlock and supply chain breakdown. The naysayers who don’t want money spent on getting people off main roads are condemning future generations to frustration, mobility stagnation and utter despair.
Frank Flynn, Cape Paterson
Shaping our legacy
Although I own my home, I’m with columnist Simon Taylor and his “stoic acceptance of reality spending” (“I’m replacing saving for a house with doom spending”, 12/2). I am also determined to be a good ancestor and leave our children, with quality experiences and some nice art, and the best planet that we, together, can.
We are all, regardless of our status as homeowners, or not, shaping our children’s tomorrows. That is priceless.
Lesley Walker, Northcote
Home is where the heart is
Good on you Simon Taylor for giving up the hopeless quest of saving for a home. Older boomers born after the war bought into the fervour to get a house and settle down and have children. We could too, because housing was so much cheaper relative to wages than now. Currently it’s becoming almost impossible.
Fortunately we have paused the generation wars and the banks of mum and dad are helping their children and grandchildren. We still need to fight for the younger generation getting some sort of equity in the nation’s wealth by tax breaks on HECS and freeing up houses for home owners rather than investors.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
ATAR is the model
The Age has published several articles in which schools with the highest median VCE study scores are referred to as the “best performing”. This makes no allowance that many schools knowingly accept lower median study scores by encouraging students to select the more difficult studies. If a school’s success is judged on its median study score then 45 in Specialist Mathematics counts for no more than 45 in the much less demanding General Mathematics. A better indicator of a school’s effectiveness would be its median ATAR score. It is by means of ATAR scores that students gain admission to most tertiary courses.
Philip Anthony, Hawthorn East
Train not about to arrive
It’s Tuesday, 9.45pm. Only platform 1 is open at Parliament Station. The advice for us on the Craigieburn line is to get a train to Southern Cross. We do. The next train is in 20 minutes. Luckily we have a multibillion-dollar SRL coming in 10 years.
Greig Morris, Essendon
Housing answers
Another reason why New Zealand now has more affordable housing (″NZ housing policies expose home truths″, 11/2) is that their net immigration reduced from 96,200 in July 2023 to 67,200 in July 2024, taking the pressure off housing demand. It is not just the supply side of the equation that is relevant.
Jennie Epstein, Little River
Only reprimand needed
I’m astonished by the amount of pressure being brought to bear on Sam Kerr for a foolish drunken comment that deserves nothing more than a reprimand. Who hasn’t been embarrassed by their own behaviour on a drunken night out?
Alison Gaffney, Northcote
No doubt about it
Whenever I hear Donald Trump speaking so confidently on any topic, having no doubt that he is right, I am reminded of British author and philosopher Bertrand Russell’s famous quote: “The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people are so full of doubts.“
Kevin Bailey, Croydon
Too taxing for most
Your correspondent (Letters, 9/2) advocates a few challenging tax reforms such as removing ″absurd franking credits refunds″ in the interests of a ″fairer tax system″.
Franking credits were introduced to avoid double taxation – company tax, then tax again on income in the hands of the equities owners. Seems fair enough. But what about property owners who pay tax at every government level? Local government rates along with numerous levies and charges at the behest of state government, land tax (state), GST in certain circumstances and CGT on sale, and income tax on any profits during ownership (Commonwealth)? Have I missed any? All low-hanging fruit.
Land tax seems to show no end in sight to the lust to collect revenue by desperate state governments. Little wonder that investment portfolios are heavily tilted towards equities where you can buy and sell overnight, cheaply. No surprise that most mum and dad property investors limit their portfolio to one or two. The prudent property investor with a long-term plan finds that land taxes, escalating dramatically, at the whim of government, is a real killer. How about asking those companies and people who aren’t paying tax to cough up? And stop talking about it. Unconstitutional? That’s one referendum that would certainly get over the line.
Clyde Ronan, Yarrawonga
Land tax anger
I doubt if anything could have more angered the Victorians who opened their land tax assessments this past week to discover that despite property values declining in Victoria and wages still rather stagnant their land tax bill has incredibly, increased yet again.
These Victorians, often not wealthy at all but who worked hard to acquire a holiday house or perhaps a second property to help in their old age, now are now struggling with this tax, which often feels more like legal extortion.
What is more noisome for them, is to know that the lion’s share of this tax is being poured into the bottomless pit of the SRL and the premier’s obsession with it. No fair-minded person resents paying a fair land tax but the premier will learn in spades at the next election that they won’t tolerate indefinitely being milking cows.
Tony Davidson, Glen Waverley
Time-wasting business
Peter Dutton was pleased to allow his deputy, Sussan Ley, to dish up a platter of outrage to the Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus in parliament on Monday.
When it was forcefully rebutted as further evidence of his instigating, and continuing, politicisation of an issue that demands the urgent co-operation of us all, he remained seated while insisting his newly minted manager of opposition business, Michael Sukkar, attempt a rarely deployed gag. It failed.
All of these costly time-shredding shenanigans only served to demonstrate the very point he was arguing against.
John Dickson, Glen Waverley
Nations, band together
This may be economically naive, but the way I see it is that if countries import raw materials from other countries, it’s because they need them in order to support their own manufacturing enterprises. If all the countries that supply the US with raw materials banded together and withheld supply, you might see a turnaround from Donald Trump on tariffs pretty quickly.
Claire Merry, Wantirna
Wrong priorities
I agree with your correspondent regarding the health risks for children at childcare centres on main roads (Letters, 8/2). When considering schools for my daughter, I factored in where the school was and avoided any on busy main roads.
I also find it disturbing that many aged care facilities are also often on busy roads. Apart from poorer air quality, noise pollution is also a health hazard for all those in these places.
As your correspondent says, cheaper land wins out over health and wellbeing.
Jean Healey, East Geelong
Music is the best
How uplifting to read ″Kids get life-changing music lessons, no strings attached″ (11/2).
Accolades to the musicians in the ACO who have begun a program at Belle Vue Park Primary School which will give students in grades 1 and 2 instrumental lessons at the start of each day for the next three years.
Such a wonderful way for kids to connect with music, which will no doubt warm their hearts and change their lives. As a former primary school classroom music teacher, who also taught flute, piano and recorder, I know from experience that ″life is better with music″.
Joy Hayman, Surrey Hills
Leave nature to itself
Congratulations to The Age for the article ″How our national parks were dragged into the culture wars″ (8/2).
National parks are an internationally agreed worldwide concept of more than 150 years standing and are vital for nature conservation. They are also at the core of nature-based tourism and more than half of Australia’s top 10 tourist attractions for international visitors are based on national parks. To be dragged into the tiresome ″culture wars″ does everyone, as well as our extraordinary flora and fauna and spectacular land and seascapes, a great disservice.
Geoff Wescott, Northcote
No to noddies
With an election looming, could politicians dispense with the “noddies”, the group of paid yes-people standing behind for the cameras, nodding appreciatively. Better still, choose some noddies from passers-by so you get sceptical eyebrows raised or occasionally the loud guffaw.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
Credit: Matt Golding
AND ANOTHER THING
US politics
Of course Donald Trump does not see his vice president J.D. Vance as his successor. His successor will be called Trump. That is how dynasties work.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Donald Trump has revised 1550 French cartographer history by renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. French explorers named the Gulf of Mexico using the Aztec word Mexihco, meaning navel of the earth.
John Gordon-Kirkby, Mornington
Donald Trump’s unhinged mouth has jeopardised a continuing ceasefire and the return of hostages.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
Trump’s rules are clear: do as I say or else.
Vivienne Fry, Beaumaris
When it comes to Trump’s tariffs, Australia has a large bargaining chip – it’s called Pine Gap.
David Eames-Mayer, Balwyn
Who in their right mind would make a deposit on a second-hand car and wait 12 years for delivery. AUKUS is the folly of the century.
Hans Freyburger, Tawonga South
Elon Musk’s Tesla symbol is looking increasingly like a dagger to the heart of American democracy.
Bruce Prosser, Balwyn North
Furthermore
Foresight is far better than hindsight. In the future may today’s SLR detractors rue their shortsightedness.
George Reed, Wheelers Hill
The concept of ″doom spending″ (Comment, 12/2) seems to have been adopted by the state government.
Mark Hulls, Sandringham
Thank goodness the jury in Sam Kerr’s trial had enough sense to find her not guilty of racially abusing a white police officer. The trial was a waste of time and money.
Paul Chivers, Box Hill North
How nice to know the CBA has made a profit. Doubtless, this will be passed on to customers in higher interest on our money.
Doris LeRoy, Altona