Credit: Illustration: Megan Herbert
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FEDERAL OPPOSITION
In reading dissertations of the alternative government’s policies I am tempted to think many issues (such as immigration, energy, property ownership, law and order) are simply battle cries dressed up as policies. And I don’t like that.
The mere concept of initiating a policy to create division, anger and resentment is childish. I do appreciate some world leaders have made an art form of the ‘childish rebuke’ but in Australia, we should do better.
This is a time for political leaders to display humility, grace & a clear understanding of where our country is heading for the benefit of all Australians, not just the fortunate few. This is not a time to install division; it is a time to promote cohesion.
Politically, it’s a really simple comparison: Albanese is trying to unite, Dutton is dividing. So wake up Australia, and don’t be seduced by clever catchcries. This is the time to back fair and reasonable.
Stewart Handasyde, Shoreham
Fear-mongering and false scapegoats
Nick Bryant has written a timely piece on growing divisions within Australia (“Traversing a fractured Australia”, 1/2). Although most Australians have goodwill to others, certain key figures in our polity are seeking to sow divisions and resentment for their political advantage. The fear-mongering creates false scapegoats and attracts attention away from their inability or unwillingness to address the real causes of our economic and social problems. Sadly, they are abetted beamed outlets giving undue attention to their provocative and divisive statements.
Most Australians value our peaceful society, and expect our political leaders to avoid sowing divisions and hatred. In the coming election campaign, we want to see constructive policy ideas that will provide real solutions, not another descent into fear-mongering, misinformation and totally unproductive “gotcha” moments.
Andrew Trembath, Blackburn
Who is an ‘everyday’ Australian?
Re “Dutton puts cultural diversity jobs in firing line’, 31/1). Increased diversity aims to ensure that the public sector workforce better reflects the community that it serves: women, people living with disability, Australians from non-Anglo backgrounds, the LGBT+ community, Indigenous Australians.
Does Peter Dutton not consider these members of our community to be everyday Australians too? It is easy to read between the lines when Dutton speaks of his “everyday Australians”: he seems to be referring to Anglo males, whose votes he is squarely pitching for in his quest to gain the keys to the Lodge. Let us not follow America down this dangerous pathway of divisiveness and inequity.
Chris Green, Venus Bay
Reduce the gap between haves and have-nots
Nick Bryant gives a good rundown of Australia’s risks of, and defences against US style polarisation (Comment, 2/1). He identifies one risk being “economic pessimism” based on “72 per cent of Australians believed children born today will be worse off than their parents”.
My fear is not a worsening average economic situation, but rather a widening variation around that average. Wide economic variation will fracture our society more than a “falling average” which is a vague notion as technology makes life increasingly comfortable. Most of us drive cars, own phones, have TVs and enjoy choices that wealthy previous generations never dreamt of.
For societal cohesion to grow, we do not need a lift in average prosperity pretending “trickle down” economics will benefit all, but rather a commitment to reverse the currently widening gap between “haves and have-nots”.
Aiming for equal financial power and security is unattainable and counterproductive, but there is a sweet spot in balancing wealth which Australia unwittingly abandoned some time ago.
Michael Langford, Flinders
Think for yourself
What groups like Advance Australia and Climate 200 have in common is a lack of trust in the rest of us in the population to make wise decisions about who will govern (‘Teals Ryan, Spender splash $150,000 on Google and Meta ads″, 2/2). Such groups use funds from billionaire and millionaire funders to try and move us to serve their interests and the interests of their donors.
It is in our interest to have restrictions on donations and politic spending, to give us a chance to hear from more candidates that do not have wealthy backers. We should follow the example of the US city of Seattle where all voters get to make small government funded political donations in the lead up to the city elections to fund the candidates of their choice. The result is a field of candidates that looks much more like the general community.
Mark Zirnsak, senior social justice advocate, Uniting Church
Don’t look back
The opposite of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is monotony, or cultural homogenisation, inequity, and exclusion. It’s the antithesis of the modern Australia we know and love. Is that what we really want? Be careful what you vote for.
Chris Blackman, Doncaster East
Back to basics
Let’s get rid of all these poncy buzzwords like woke politics, political correctness, DEI and whatever else, and call it all out for what it really is in good old Antipodean lingo: politics of the Fair Go.
Graham Murray, Whittlesea
THE FORUM
Insurance costs
Listening to Peter Dutton in his interview on ABC TV’s Insiders (2/2) it appeared difficult to trust a politician, who aware of the facts, attempts to blame the Labor government for the rising costs of household insurance policies.
The failure of the Coalition to effectively mitigate the climate emergency during its years in power, surely contributed markedly to the rise in insurance costs. It did as little as possible to encourage use of renewables into our power grid.
Margaret McMullan, Box Hill
Visa holder housing
Peter Dutton has said that he will likely re-instate the “golden ticket” visa for those who invest more than $5 million in Australia. (“Dutton says that he will review “golden” visas″ 2/2).
Just wondering where he expects these people will live because, he has also said that he has plans to stop all foreign nationals from being able to buy residential property (″Voters back Dutton block on foreign buyers″, 29/1).
Either they will have to take up valuable rental properties, or in true Liberal tradition, will there be one rule for the wealthy and a different one for the rest of us? Or, is it just a cynical move to try and get in with a perceived important voter demographic before the election?
Rod Moran, Brighton
Ley’s Musk moment
Tony Wright’s delicious take down of Sussan Ley’s idiosyncratic take on Australian history made for incisive reading (“Sussan Ley adds Elon from Mars”, 2/1 ). Her comparison of the First Fleet’s arrival and Elon Musk’s putative space adventures is consistent with the reductive historical narratives peddled in recent years by coalition politicians.
Like black holes in space, the very real phenomena of a 60,000 plus years of Indigenous culture and over 400 historic Indigenous massacres from 1788 to the early 1930s are irresistibly engulfed in a vortex of white-centric triumphalism. These conservative politicians seem constitutionally incapable of grasping the bizarre illegitimacy of the historic ‘Terra Nullius’ doctrine; and the documented terrors of tribes being bludgeoned, driven over cliffs, ambushed as families in killing fields and dispersed over generations. The ‘Voice to Parliament’ proposal never stood a chance.
Jon McMillan, Mt Eliza
Wright stuff
And Tony Wright returns in 2025 with a bang! Acerbic, witty and oh, so insightful. Welcome back Tony. Long may you reign.
Leeann Abbott, Warrnambool.
Canadian in the coal mine
The Trump administration announcement of a 25 per cent tariff on goods entering the US from Canada, should be sending shock waves through Australian politics.
The fact the Trump government would do this to its closest ally and largest trading partner while abrogating the Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) shows they are not to be trusted to uphold such agreements. Australia needs to take steps to protect ourselves from any potential Trump effect should he decide he doesn’t like AUKUS.
David Robertson, Wheatsheaf
Not America, yet
Parnell Palme McGuinness’ opinion piece (2/2) argues young men may be influencing their mothers to turn to Peter Dutton.
Firstly, you cannot extrapolate an American phenomenon to Australia. Secondly, it should be pointed out that 38.8 per cent of couples here do not have children and 26 per cent of Australian households consist of a single person.
Thirdly, to quote a 2006 study as if the same factors applied today is very heroic. And finally, Australian mothers can be trusted to make up their own mind about Dutton without any desire to please their sons.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
Raising boys to men
Parnell Palme McGuinness (Comment, 2/2) can rest assured that mothers are, in fact, raising our sons to be young men who condemn violence, who see women as equals in life, who raise their voice against the wilful inaction on climate change and who rally against the increasing levels of intolerance in our world. We are raising our sons to be an intentional and purposeful part of a future beyond their own horizon that is based on respect, for if we don’t have that, we have nothing.
Julie Perry, Highton
The haves too much
The growing gap between obscenely rich Australians who are on board with the new US administration and ordinary struggling Australians needs action. Our tax system is obviously not working as it should. And if Dutton sacked public servants and installed contractors would only exacerbate the problem. Solutions please as part of the election platforms.
Doris LeRoy, Altona
Build now for later
We moan and groan about spending money on infrastructure, the cost and inconvenience it entails and cost overruns. If a government stops spending as happened when Ted Baillieu was premier it’s very hard to catch up. What is being built now will benefit generations to come, and it will never be cheaper to construct.
Paul Chivers, Box Hill North
Voter’s dilemma
I’m at my wits’ end as to my vote. I cannot vote for Labor, especially in Victoria’s election in 2026. Labor has decimated our fiscal standing with its enormous debt our children and grandchildren will struggle to manage a decent lifestyle due to higher taxes and cuts in funding to essential services to pay the debt.
But the Liberals are not offering any solutions, and if I vote for an independent it just shuffles across to Labor. Am I alone in thinking this way?
Margaret Summers, Carnegie
Midsumma mistake
How sad that the organisers of Midsumma Festival aren’t so aged as to understand how life was for gay people of my youth: The secrecy, the shame and absolute terror of a ‘gotcha’ moment by the police.
For goodness’ sake, be grateful for the support of the police, ambos, etc. Open your arms and hug them in uniform.
Unfortunately, some of today’s gay youth seem to have no appreciation of the hard fight for inclusion in today’s society.
Ross Barker, Lakes Entrance
Belgrave back story
″Life in the Radiant Hills″, 1/2] was noted that the name Monbulk railway station was officially changed to Belgrave in 1904.
The origin of the name ’ Belgrave’ was explained by my great uncle, Ernest Benson, in a letter in The Argus in 1929: ″My late parents RG and Eliz. Benson used to attend the Belgrave Chapel, Leeds, Yorkshire. They came to Victoria with their first son in 1849, and, in 1856, built a home in Malvern and called it ’ Belgrave’ after the chapel. In 1870, my brothers selected land in the Dandenongs and called the property ‘Mount Belgrave’. The railway station is on part of that property.“
This information is also recorded in Helen Coulson’s book ″Story of the Dandenongs″.
Alison Barr, Rowville
Pam the bird
There’s a balance to be struck with graffiti Pam the Bird strikes a positive note on the artistic and personable merit side. I’d prefer that police spent their valuable time and resources finding and prosecuting the artless self-indulgent, repetitive squigglers who think they should adorn every flat surface of our freeways and trains. Art provokes thought, initials do not.
Julie Satur, Somerville
PS
At the risk of offending the more prudish and conservative members of Victorian society, I think that the police seeking to prosecute the street artist responsible for Pam the Bird, is a poor use of policing resources. Melbourne is renowned for its street art, so I would much rather see the police helping the homeless and working to eliminate the horror of domestic violence. On the matter of prosecuting those responsible for Pam the Bird, I am inclined to give the bird to the authorities.
Royden James, Tatura
AND ANOTHER THING
Donald Trump
Donald Trump: ″I have common sense″. Nonsense.
Jan Impey, Ringwood North
Mr Trump, common sense only exists when masses of the population think the same thing, not just one person.
Gerry Lonergan, Reservoir
It’s difficult to have respect for a man who denies reality and directs his government to remove references to climate change on its websites.
Robert Yates, Rosanna
Peter Dutton
Every time Peter Dutton makes a new policy announcement he becomes more like Trump. Is it only a matter of time before he paints himself orange?
Stewart Monckton, Mont Albert
How long before Trump-lite Dutton suggests that we should take over NZ?
George Reed, Wheelers Hill
Peter Dutton values Australian citizenship so much he’s prepared to sell it to people who can pay the highest fee.
Margaret Ludowyk, Brunswick
Citizenship for sale for $5million? Going, going, gone. Sold!
Fay Maglen, Abbotsford
Peter Dutton has announced there will be a review of government spending once he is elected. Does this mean robo-debt 2.0? How about policy instead of rhetoric?
Sandy Phillips, Cairns, Qld
Furthermore
I’m with your correspondent (Letters, ″You can’t cancel me″ 31/1). I wish more would appreciate what “being woke” means. This sentiment needs to be voiced as well as actioned – we have a long way to go .
Jan Saliba, Moonee Ponds
It is gross naivety to think that antisemitism will cease following peace in Gaza while Israel occupies Palestinian and Syrian land.
Geoff McDonald, Newtown
Finally
The teal ad spend (″Teals splash $150,000 on Google and Meta ads″, 2/2) is nothing compared to the $100 million dropped at the last election by the “yellow” party, or the millions from the “blue” and “red”parties.
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
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