Credit: Matt Golding
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US RELATIONS
Isn’t it time we Australians saw an opportunity in what’s happening in the US (“Trump comes for CSIRO on scientific research funding”, 25/3) and used it to our advantage? While we apparently think we can’t unhitch our wagon from its train, it is rapidly cutting ties where we have become dependent through successive governments’ complacency and neglect.
Start by bringing AUKUS to a close and asking for our “deposit” back. We are apparently giving the US money to help with its ship-building industry so it can build subs for us that we may never see.
My vote will go to whichever party is prepared to build a stronger and more independent Australia. One where we are more neutral and broader in our alliances. Enough of this dedication to all things American cemented since John Howard. Get off the fence Albo. Get a grip on reality Dutton.
Yes, there are cost-of-living pressures. But we expect our political leaders to look after immediate issues like this one within the framework of a vision and plan for our future. The question should be “where do we want to go, who do we want to be” not “where are we going, what’s the US going to do next”.
Anne Austin, Flinders
Booby trap questions
The disgraceful and cack-handed “questionnaire” sent to CSIRO by the US government reeks of McCarthyism. It is a booby trap, designed to allow the US a fig leaf of respectability to hide its perfidy. Many of the questions are irrelevant to research projects and should attract a “not applicable” response. Which might result in withdrawal of funding. Other questions are of the “have you stopped beating your wife?” nature. The US is no longer looking a trustworthy partner. On the plus side, Australia now has grounds to withdraw from AUKUS based on the failure of the current US administration to act on improving diversity, eliminating sex and gender discrimination and failing to act on the risks inherent in global warming, since the US is not in accord with Australian values. We’d forfeit the $800 million, but it is small change in the context of the catastrophe that is AUKUS. We should send the US naval shipyards a suitable questionnaire.
Ken Richards, Elwood
Albanese should acknowledge the bigger picture
The threats from the US to pull scientific funding if it doesn’t like an Australian scientific institution’s answers to its survey questions about diversity, gender ideology, and the study of “climate justice” is alarming. That Australia relies on the US for 27 per cent of our country’s approximately $1.4 billion health research spend is equally sobering. But most disturbing is Albanese’s casual dismissal of the US threat to withhold critical funding: “My focus is on what happens here in Australia, and what happens in tomorrow’s budget.” His flippancy demonstrates an ill-founded assessment of the importance of this issue, and worse, an inability to focus on more than one thing at a time.
Robert Lang, Toorak
Trump an existential threat
The present obsession of Donald Trump to get the rest of the world to pay for improving or maintaining living standards of Americans through the imposition of tariffs while promising to lower their domestic taxes, shows the danger of self-centredness. It has the potential of creating enmity and vengefulness among the payee countries, and adds to the parlous state of human existence already threatened by our release of climate change gasses.
Graeme Foley, Werribee
A history precedes
Nowadays, when I think of the US, I think of Donald Trump. But I tell myself he is not the only American politician. Starting with Abraham Lincoln, and more recently Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter and Madeleine Albright, there have been others. The US has given the world notable novelists, composers and of course technocrats. Trump’s contribution, which is aimed at “Making America Great Again” has had just the opposite effect.
Ken Barnes, Glen Iris
THE FORUM
Health before SRL
In response to your correspondents supporting the Suburban Rail Loop development (Letters, 25/3), in an ideal world where we had adequate budgeted finances for the state’s needs, such a project could be considered. However, we know that this state has the largest debt of all Australian states, and we are seeing cutbacks in everyday expenditure to rein it in.
Yet, there are so many immediate urgent matters that need to be dealt with. Schools are desperately needed in new suburbs, and now we read that of the nine promised community hospitals, only two have been completed and they are not in use (“Two new Melbourne hospitals were built months ago – but locals still can’t use them”, 25/3).
There are many further competing needs to be met. It is time to pause the SRL, and deal with our many immediate problems.
Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills
To do or not to do?
Melbourne, projected to house 9 million people, is experiencing intense discussion about the Suburban Rail Loop. These debates are not considering the reality of an ever-growing city.
The issue appears to be cost and the business case. If Sydney knew the final cost of the Harbour Bridge when it started it seems likely it would not have gone ahead. It was paid off in the late ’80s, 60 years after it was started. Just look at the big cities around the world, they run on rail.
The Rail Loop is must-have transport, linking major facilities and radial transport lines for 9 million people keeping Melbourne functioning in 2050. The cost is almost irrelevant and probably won’t be paid off before 2080.
Trevor Pratt, Eaglemont
War of the corflutes
The federal election has not even been called but the war of the corflutes is raging in areas where voters should show more tolerance and act as role models (“Monique Ryan, husband apologise after he is filmed removing Liberal sign”, 24/3).
I once disagreed with the information on a neighbour’s supporting corflute and wrote a note to this effect on a separate piece of paper and taped it on the fence next to the corflute. This did not deface the corflute but unleashed vitriol about having paid good money for the corflute to support the party of their choice. Please could voters and supporters treat each other and others’ property with respect and tolerance.
Judith Hudson, Elwood
Doing harm
The political poster on our front fence was recently defaced for the fifth time in two weeks. Someone smeared dog poo across the photo of Zoe Daniel. To the perpetrator(s) “get a life!” I suspect it was kids.
Second, such vandalism is counter-productive judging by the reactions of several people passing by. Please, let’s conduct ourselves civilly towards all, whatever their views.
Ron Townsend, McKinnon
Why I vote independent
There is some debate over independents supporting one party or the other (Letters, “George Brandis wants impossible answers from the teals”, 25/3). Being left-leaning but sick of the way our two-party system has developed, I vote independent, seeking a candidate who most represents my views.
I would prefer to be sure that independents I vote for will not support a Liberal-National Party leader to be prime minister nor cause the fall of a minority government. Beyond that I expect them to support bills in line with their election commitments and their adherence to these will determine my vote in following elections.
Michael Langford, Flinders
Welcome disruption
Re George Brandis (“Teals must come clean before the election. Voters have a right to know”, 24/3), the teal independents are a welcome disruption to the hamstrung and ineffective stale pale (and often) male two-party hegemony. Any promised allegiance to the two major parties would render their existence pointless.
Unaligned, they are free to consider all legislation on its merits, without fear or favour. The more independents the merrier, in my opinion.
Clive Shepherd, Glen Huntly
Therapy the answer
I’m astonished that we pay $1.03 million a year to jail a young offender (Letters, “Support not punishment”, 25/3). Locking them up and throwing away the key hasn’t worked in the past; indeed it’s detrimental.
They need to be quarantined in a therapeutic environment with social workers and psychologists to get to the nub of the problem.
Rob Gordon, Kew
The wrong word
Can we please stop with the “genocide” description of what Israel is doing in Gaza. Your correspondent expressed this opinion again (Letters, 25/3) when describing Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent actions. While sickening, this is no genocide. The Israelis have “officially” killed around 50,000 Gazans out of a total of around 2 million – many of them fighters. This equates to 2.5 per cent of the total population. What is happening in Gaza is tragic and arguably inexcusable, but it ain’t no genocide. Let’s reserve this potent word for the real deal.
Peter Harris, Preston
Free the hostages
The letter “Israel must stop” (25/3) does not properly explain the background of the current situation. Israel did break the current ceasefire and is continuing the effort to put pressure on Hamas and other Arab nations to force Hamas to return all hostages. Israel offered to continue the ceasefire and make Arab prisoner swaps for hostages. Hamas rejected that and continue to delay hostage return. No one talks about how Hamas has treated the hostages.
We do not know how negotiations were progressing for stage 2 of the ceasefire – but lots of countries and mediators were involved. The negotiations were taking too long and are being delayed by Hamas, threatening the lives of hostages.
The bombing is terrible. It will not get rid of Hamas, but it may help convince many others the hostages must be returned now. Israel would have no reason to bomb Gaza if the hostages were returned.
Mediation and negotiation and diplomacy could be used to find the best solution for the Gazan civilians once all the hostages were returned.
Ian Fayman, Malvern East
Views on cleaning
Jacqueline Wilson’s tutorial/lecture on the house-cleaning deficiencies of men was doubtless well-intentioned (“I was a professional cleaner. Here are all the things men do wrong”, 24/3).
But there is a problem with her assessment – gender equality means there is no such thing as inadequate cleaning by men. There may be a need for ongoing negotiations in some households regarding cleaning, but no woman has the last word by birthright.
The celebrated American jurist Ruth Bader Ginsburg defined the principle neatly by saying “women belong in all places where decisions are being made”. The corollary of her dictum is that men have a place in all those decisions too.
Alun Breward, Malvern East
Dual citizens
With regard to Peter Dutton’s ill-conceived thought bubble regarding dual citizenship, perhaps there is a tiny seed of something useful that could be salvaged from that conversation. It is true to say that sometimes a dual citizen genuinely does reveal, by their actions, that they have placed their other citizenship far above their Australian citizenship. So that person has become, effectively, a citizen of another country, serving that country, and is possibly even a threat to Australia.
My proposal is this: If an Australian citizen with dual citizenship (or entitlement to it) leaves Australia to serve in any form of foreign army, or non-government militia (such as Islamic State), that person should be free to do so, but have their Australian citizenship and right of return permanently revoked. Australian “boots on the ground” in support of a far-off conflict should only be provided by the ADF. We don’t want a shadow “reserve army” for any foreign nation (or non-state militia) to become established in Australia.
Geoffrey McNaughton, Glen Huntly
Green perimeter
Bravo to your correspondent (Letters, “Green space plan lacking” 24/3). When I visit your magnificent city from Sydney I, too, despair at the dwindling open spaces in your burgeoning outer suburbs. I started chatting with two friendly guys the other day in Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens who’d just been for a 12-kilometre run around the inner city’s parks; both were training for a half marathon.They had travelled some 40 minutes to have a run because they said they not only loved the city’s open spaces but were tired of just pacing streets of houses nearer to home. Thank you Charles La Trobe for your foresight in putting aside large areas of land for public gardens in the 1830s. I dearly wish we did more of the same today, far from this fine city’s centre, as we carve up suburb after suburb.
Justin Miller, Potts Point
Great things to come
Oscar Piastri is one of five Aussies to have won a Formula 1 grand prix race since 1955 when the first Australian competed. Sir Jack Brabham won 14, Alan Jones 12, Mark Webber nine, Daniel Ricciardo eight and Piastri three, with more to come in 2025. There have been 19 Aussies race in Formula 1, since 1950 when the championships started. Sir Jack Brabham is the only F1 Championship winner to have won in a car that had his name as the manufacturer. His company Motor Racing Developments Ltd, was known as Brabham. A Neilson study in December found Formula 1 was the most watched annual sporting series. It was amazing to see how many Chinese fans at the race were supporting Piastri.
Ross Kroger, Barwon Heads
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Federal budget
So many countries would love to have Australia’s budget problems. They are just pernickety differences between the two majors and whatever course is followed the country will prosper.
John Walsh, Watsonia
Angus Taylor said on the ABC that “We will provide a budget for all Australians.” When has a budget ever been not for all Australians?
Anne Dynon, Brighton
Trump
The way Donald Trump is going he might stand a candidate or two at our next federal elections.
Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South
Maybe it’s time for some “conscious uncoupling” from the US. With tariffs, university research questioned, issues re our AUKUS agreement, it’s time to reassert our independence and create a new future based on dealing with trusted partners in our region and Europe.
Denise Stevens, Healesville
Trump seeking a sponsor for the White House Easter Egg Roll underlines the profound shift as the US migrates from being the Land of the Free to the Land of the Fee.
Ian Gribble, Point Lonsdale
Re the US journalist added to the encrypted military chat, I’m surprised Vladimir Putin wasn’t in the Signal group as well.
Mary Wise, Ringwood
Regarding Michael Koziol’s US immigration difficulties – it is just as frustrating in every country I have had to deal with, including Australia. People naively believe their country must be efficient.
Stephanie Howell, Brunswick
Furthermore
I was opposed to the Albanese government’s ban on children under 16 accessing social media. After watching the series Adolescence on Netflix I have changed my opinion entirely.
Reg Murray, Glen Iris
In Scotland, in the depth of winter, my sister can buy an avocado for 75p. In Australia, in the centre of our avocado season, we have them “on special” at $2.50. How will the spin doctors justify this?
Neil Cartwright, Boolarra
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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.