Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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STATE POLITICS
The Age published two articles in one day that show the state of politics in Victoria. First, there was the Victorian government’s slashing by 75 per cent of the highly successful From Homelessness to a Home scheme, which will directly affect our most vulnerable Victorians (“Help for 1500 homeless axed in budget squeeze”, 11/3). Second, was an article on the travails of state Opposition Leader John Pesutto, who is caught in defamation actions that could lead to his ousting as leader (“Pesutto resolves to lead in face of disunity”, 11/3). He is the only person with a remote chance of winning seats from the ALP in 2026 and his departure as leader would be a catastrophe for Victoria.
The quality of the government depends on the quality of the opposition. What we are seeing now in Victoria is a catastrophic failure on both measures.
Peter Farrar, Brighton East
Good governance?
The Victorian Liberals need to end the disunity in their party. At a time when the Victorian Labor Party has incurred a $177.8 billion debt and is now proposing to cut a successful From Homelessness to a Home scheme, when it is an increasing problem due to a variety of issues and housing shortages. For what reason? To find savings before the May budget. Meanwhile the government is spending $67 million to delay decision on the airport rail link. Is this good government for the wellbeing of its citizens?
We need an effective opposition to challenge decision making and provide effective change from this downward spiral.
Christine Baker, Rosanna
Fire sale helps developers
I understand that the government needs to take drastic action to address government debt, but so, too, does it need to take drastic action to address the housing crisis. It has developed policy, and made announcements – I hope it is also acting. But to read the government has sold $50 million of “land that could have been used to bolster Victoria’s social housing stock by 800 homes” (“State land ‘fire sale’ as housing crisis worsens”, 10/3). Developers will make money and how many low-income people will be housed?
Jenny Macmillan, Clifton Hill
Lack of understanding
How many of the number crunchers who’ve decided to cut funding for a highly effective housing program are homeless or at risk of homelessness? How about the MPs who’ll pass the next budget? Who among them are sleeping rough, or living in their cars, or in unaffordable private rentals?
Perhaps these people could give up their homes for 24 months (the current average wait time for victim-survivors of family violence to access public housing, up from 11 months a year ago), reflect on the experience, and then consider whether this funding cut is appropriate or not.
Catherine Reidy, Thornbury
A roof is fundamental
I read with dismay about funding cuts to a successful homelessness program. To have a roof over your head is one of the fundamentals of life. Cuts to these services should not be even considered. Yet the government finds money for many other non-necessary items, such as the grand prix.
Nola Cormick, Albert Park
First, build stability
The Labor Party has traditionally stood for giving disadvantaged people a go, of levelling somewhat the playing field. Accordingly, the Victorian Labor government instituted the “Big Housing Build”. The premier and housing minister have refused to say if this program is on track to build 80,000 homes per year, which was proposed only last year. To add to the inequity, now we read that the From Homelessness to a Home scheme is to be slashed by 75 per cent. Everything hinges on having stable accommodation: health, employment and the care of children.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
THE FORUM
Tradie snobbery
The renewed discussion about outsized utes (“Car makers must act on ‘truckzilla’ emissions”, 11/3) ignores the fact that cars have always, at least partly, represented cultural identity. Having deferred from university to work and save up for a car in the mid-1980s, upon my return a classmate mocked me for having chosen a “bogan” Torana. It was equipped with “mags” and a sports steering wheel, in the days when young tradies commonly drove noisy V8-powered utes, Sandman panel vans and, indeed, Toranas. The same, now more-affluent, market is being chased by manufacturers selling assertively styled off-road vehicles, aspirationally dubbed the Raptor, Rugged X and Xtreme.
So it is no surprise that it is Yarra Council, where the demographic is more aligned with my university acquaintance, that is taking measures against “truckzillas”. One of my friends from the Torana era now lives in that general area and on one recent occasion was verbally attacked, simply for driving a Toyota Prado. This is despite spending half the week working as a primary producer raising cattle.
I agree, most large four-wheel-drives serve no practical purpose in one of the most urbanised nations on earth, but to what extent is all this just a proxy war along long-standing social divides?
Marish Mackowiak, Ormond
Useful utes
May I suggest that there are two main species of ute. The first is a basic model that carries all the tools and materials for a plumber, electrician etc. The second is a luxury vehicle costing $100K plus that carries its owner’s foam lunchbox and perhaps a battery drill sometimes. The main task for the second species of ute is on weekends to move the jet-skis, dirt bikes, fishing boats and luxury campers. Peter Dutton should look at the tax deductibility rules before taking the Liberal Party to war over pollution restrictions on utes.
Neil Hauxwell, Moe
First World non-problem
Quite a few people are understandably concerned about the size and pollution levels of “truckzillas”, but still disparage electric vehicles because of range anxiety. Perhaps Scott Morrison’s, “It [an EV] won’t tow your trailer. It’s not going to tow your boat. It’s not going to get you out to your favourite camping spot with your family” is still ringing in people’s ears. EVs will not end the weekend. Several people have now driven their electric vehicles around Australia, some towing camper trailers or small boats, but some EV owners have been much more adventurous than that, and even driven them around the world. Consider Rafael de Mestre, who was inspired by Jules Verne’s Around the World in 80 Days, to in 2016 complete the journey in his Tesla Model S and with 10 other teams in assorted EVs, in 80 days. Range anxiety in Australia? You have to be kidding. It’s starting to sound like a distinctly First World non-problem to me.
Helen Moss, Croydon
Men must shift
I’m with your correspondent (“Men are the enemy” and “Violence against women”, Letters 9, 11/3). With the daily accounts of women being murdered, raped and assaulted by men, which only seems to be increasing, women should view men as the enemy until proven otherwise. If I’m walking down a deserted alley or bush track and come across a woman I’m sure she views me as a potential assailant even though I know I’m not.
The misogynist, hypermasculine and anti-feminist culture that informs the mythological construction of the Australian male has led us to this tragic reality. I would love women not to see men as the enemy and for men to see women as autonomous human beings with rights and agency in their lives. This will take a massive cultural shift led by men. Bleating “not all men” or “not me”, does nothing constructive to lead this change.
Rohan Wightman, Muckleford
Bad people
Funnily enough, the males I have known over the years have always made clear their disgust at violence against women. Brush off pleas for change? I don’t think so. The problem goes deeper than that. Bad people always have and always will be out there.
Robin McRae, Charlton
Open up
Yes, I want changes in men’s behaviour and attitudes too. But denigration, in the form of statements like “Men are the enemy, all men”, is usually not an effective way to bring people over to your cause. The rates of domestic violence aren’t going down and we can’t keep repeatedly trying these same tactics, expecting different results. To tackle men’s violence against women we must also focus on where men direct the majority of their violence, which is towards other men. To eradicate men’s violence against women, we need to address the violence and aggression that men experience throughout their lives. We need to show them it’s safe to shed their tough exterior, and encourage expressions of vulnerability when they self-advocate.
Walter Lee, Ashfield, NSW
Working together
Re: “Freemason halls brought members together, now they’re tearing the organisation apart” (10/3), my father worked on the docks in Glasgow. He joined the Freemasons for the lack of recognition of class and religion there and in Melbourne in the 1950s he met with likeminded others. He told us as teenagers (who did not understand him whispering his rituals before a meeting and the secret black case) that anyone could rise to Master in this association. He did in his local area and was very proud. He would find the current situation deplorable.
Jenny Parkes, South Melbourne
Long-term option
Chris Bowen says the average build time of a nuclear power plant in the US has been 19 years. That is not a valid argument against nuclear. We need ongoing firming power and storage to support renewables in the longer term as well as the short term. Wind turbines and solar panels have a limited life span and will have to be replaced over time.
Robin George, Canterbury
Always room for subs
Sean Kelly (Comment, 11/3) makes the point that “Albanese believes in shepherding his resources, spending only what you have”. Yet that would seem to be contradicted by the estimated $368 billion that is the cost of new submarines and other weapons under the AUKUS agreement, first agreed to by Scott Morrison. Where will the money for this come from?
Greg Bailey, St Andrews
NDIS hope
The appointment of NSW Liberal senator Hollie Hughes as the new assistant NDIS spokesperson might be a constructive decision for Bill Shorten. Some of her early constructive comments on the NDIS relating to sustainability, the increasing cost of overpriced private providers and a distinction between taxpayer expense versus a parental responsibility, suggest she may be less adversarial on the subject than her senior Coalition NDIS spokesman, Michael Sukkar, whose most recent shock jock concerns are whether “convicted rapists, predators and criminals are accessing” the scheme.
There is at least a possibility that Labor and the Coalition can work constructively together to ensure the sustainability of this remarkable example of good public policy.
Brendan O’Farrell, Brunswick
Power matters
Thank you to Jacqueline Maley (“Sam Kerr had a shocker of a night, but a racist she ain’t”, 10/3) for articulating so clearly what so many of us are thinking regarding the charges against Sam Kerr. Of course we must take racial harassment seriously, yet the situation Sam Kerr finds herself in is absurd. To quote Charles Dickens, in this case it appears that “the law is an ass”. How can it be that a young woman of Indian heritage is accused of racially harassing a white policeman by calling him a “stupid, white bastard”? Yes one could argue it is insulting, but hardly worthy of a prosecution in a court of law, one would think. But “racial harassment”, for using the word “white”. Really?
Clearly the white policeman is already in a position of power and privilege and it appears that he is taking advantage of laws that were meant to hold to account those who vilify and discriminate against people of colour and ethnic minorities. To apply the law from a position of privilege undermines and trivialises the experiences of those who are marginalised, endure racial taunts and suffer discrimination and violence simply because of their colour.
Anne Moorhouse, Inverloch
Be colour blind
Those unwilling to call Sam Kerr’s alleged behaviour racist instead peddle the very recent “theory”, right out of elite American universities, that racism is about power imbalance and that therefore no black person can be racist to a white person. It makes no difference if my skin tone resembles that of historical oppressors while yours resembles the historically oppressed. You are wrong to abuse me for my skin colour because I did not choose it, I cannot change it and, most importantly, it does not determine the content of my character.
The only way to stop racism is to recognise that it is a personal act of unjustified animus.
Jack Carruthers, Carlton
Cut some slack
Your report on pronunciation of the names of AFL footballers (“Names matter, we need to get in the game on right way to say them”, 11/3) expects too much of us. According to the Human Rights Commission, Australians identify with more than 270 ancestries. In such a large number there will be many different name pronunciation rules as well as transliteration problems when converting from non-Latin alphabet languages. On top of that, there are some who choose to transgress their own language rules e.g. F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Peter Price, Southbank
AND ANOTHER THING
Kicking against the Vics.Credit: Matt Golding
Housing
So the Allan government is struggling to “find savings before the May budget”, with help for the homeless axed, prime land sold off, and more. It looks as though the new premier is being left to pay for Dan Andrews’ Big Build.
Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills
Shame on the state Labor Party for reducing the budget of a program housing the homeless by 75 per cent. Everyone knows that providing a homeless person with permanent housing is more cost effective than leaving them on the streets.
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
US politics
Your correspondent (Letters, 10/3) writes: “As an American-Australian, I am for Biden’s opportunity to beat Trump.” As a sane human, I am for Biden to beat Trump!
Patsy Sanaghan, North Geelong
As we look at the widespread suffering and false information in today’s world and face the appalling possibility of the re-election of Donald Trump as US president, I am reminded of the prophetic words of 18th-century philosopher Voltaire. “Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities.”
April Baragwanath, Geelong
“The alternative is awful” writes George Brandis. Rubbish. Joe Biden is doing a wonderful job, both in national and international politics. Trump is a con man, a useless fool, supported by a ridiculous election system. A second Trump presidency would be a disaster.
George Fernandez, Eltham North
Furthermore
So the Pope thinks Ukraine should negotiate a peace, which means giving up their lost territory. Would he feel the same if Italy annexed a large piece of the Vatican City?
George Stockman, Berwick
Tanning: turning skin into leather. What else do you need to know?
Barry Greer, Balnarring
Furthermore
Tariffs on sanitary and menstrual products (“Budget to take a knife to tariffs”, 11/3). Who knew? Misogyny writ large. I want a refund.
Jane Ross, San Remo
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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.