Credit: Andrew Dyson
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The distressing death by self-immolation of Mano Yogalingam at 23 years of age, after waiting years for a visa, is beyond unconscionable (″Asylum seeker dies after self-immolation″, 30/8) . This is a deep stain of cruelty and inhumanity on the nation. The federal government must urgently give certainty to those thousands of asylum seekers who are living in our communities in limbo, after many years. Does the government want to be responsible for the despair that leads to another asylum seeker taking their own life? Hope is fragile and a lonely longing.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Two stories, one big picture
At week’s end, the two significant human rights stories in The Age have been Mano Yogalingam’s immolation as an act of final protest against Australia’s draconian immigration policy and the WorkSafe decision not to lay charges over Indigenous woman Veronica Nelson’s death in 2022. They are tragic events and serve to remind us that life is anything but a level playing field. Not to mention that the cruel and inhumane (active) policy choices under successive Australian governments have occurred without too much community protest. An abomination of both an epic scale and indefensibility that ought to render our government of the day mute on the international stage opining on other nations’ human rights transgressions. Jelena Rosic, Mornington
A record that shames us
I have felt un-Australian for many years given our atrocious record towards asylum seekers. I feel more un-Australian than ever given the horrendous act of self-immolation by Mano Yogalingam. No oi-oi-oi from me. Perhaps our political masters might be encouraged to show a bit of humanity to those asylum seekers who survive him. John Rome, Mount Lawley
We, as a nation, should be better than this
The Age Ago column ″Tampa’s distress signal over asylum seekers″ (29/8) reminds of the standoff between the then prime minister John Howard and the Norwegian cargo ship after picking up 438 asylum seekers. It has been argued that Howard’s role in not allowing these asylum seekers into Australia returned him to The Lodge later in 2001. It appears we are still treating asylum seekers just as heartlessly and without compassion when Tamil Mano Yogalingam feels the need to set himself alight in order to protest at the government’s reluctance to grant him and his community permanent residency after 11 years of trying. The shame many of us felt over the Tampa standoff in 2001 has returned to haunt us. What kind of people are we that allows a political calculus to override our moral and legal obligation to help these unfortunate people. We are better than this, aren’t we?
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Lifeline: 13 11 14
THE FORUM
Equality for all
It’s excellent that the Labor government has responded to feedback and quickly reversed its decision regarding census questions, however it remains a puzzle as to why this had to be an issue in the first place.
While 100 per cent agreement is never reached on anything, and peak and lobby groups are incredibly powerful, surely we can agree on and work towards a principle of equality and value for all, especially for such a significant part of our community.
Fiona White, Alfredton
Why, why, why?
Better late than never, but why such a bad decision in the first place?
Annie Wilson, Inverloch
Slap in the face
Readers should walk or drive along Burwood Highway where Presbyterian Ladies College’s new sports, aquatic and fitness centre is being constructed and decide for themselves just how accurate Labor MP Paul Hamer’s description of this facility as ″humble″ really is.
What a slap in the face this structure is for every state school in Victoria struggling to provide even the most basic facilities for their students.
Paulette Smythe, Caulfield East
Definition of humble
Our grand-daughter’s government primary school in an inner city (south-east) suburb does not even have a room, let alone a hall, that all the staff and students can meet in together. That’s what I call ″humble″. It’s sad when the whole school community cannot meet inside together.
Angela Forgan, Docklands
Truman and Walz
Columnist Nick Bryant (Comment, 30/8), endorses a comparison between Tim Walz and recent Australian prime ministers in terms of their folksy ordinariness.
Surely, though, a more compelling comparison is between Walz and Harry S. Truman. The latter is now regularly rated by presidential historians as one of the greatest US presidents, having steered the US through the end of the Second World War; and into the early Cold War, the era of the atomic bomb and the Korean War.
Like Walz, he was a much underestimated mid-westerner from a modest socio-economic background. Serving in the National Guard and Army, and becoming a senator, again all in common with the Democrats’ current vice presidential nominee, Truman was selected in 1944 by the great FDR as a somewhat reluctant running mate. The pair were voted in; and, with the latter’s death, Truman became a president whose hallmarks were seen as friendliness, authenticity and strength of character in daunting circumstances. Arguably, just like Tim Walz in 2024.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Support Ukraine
Simon Birmingham, the Coalition’s shadow foreign minister is correct that Australia needs to restore its embassy in Kyiv (“Reopen embassy, says Birmingham in Kyiv”, 29/8). The Albanese government needs to give as much support that it can to valiant Ukraine both militarily and diplomatically.
Dennis Walker, North Melbourne
PM, it’s all on record
It’s a bit rich for the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to blame a journalist for ″secretly″ recording a conversation he was having at a public event. He should be much more professional than just talking willy nilly.
Everything is on the record when you’re in public, even something that was an obvious joke.
Suck it up, realise you were wrong and move on.
David Jeffery, East Geelong
Duty to the aged
Senior economics correspondent Shane Wright reveals Australia’s difficulty in valuing its past contributors in his choice of words ″regional Australia bears the brunt of the nation’s ageing population″ (″Population plummets in the suburbs nearest CBD″, 30/8).
The aged care royal commission found that the small number of Victorian government-run aged care facilities in country areas, where private providers deemed potential profits insufficient to operate, delivered notably better care.
As each of us ages to join the ranks of veterans of economic and societal contribution, we will each bear the brunt of the failure of successive federal governments in their regulatory responsibility for aged care.
Ruth Farr,
Blackburn South
Bring back The Drum
Perhaps Kim Williams, the new broom at the ABC, would appreciate some suggestions from The Age’s erudite letter writers. I think The Inventors was one of the ABC’s most successful productions ever, impossible to produce on commercial television, watched by all and sundry and discussed avidly in the tea room the following day. I am hanging out for a return of The Drum – the perfect lead-up to the news.
Wendy Weight, Capel Sound
Subtitle scrutiny
SBS often uses subtitles in translating dialogue in a foreign language. Often the subtitles are displayed for a time that makes it impossible to read completely. A very frustrating method of reporting news.
John Walsh, Watsonia
Fighting last words
Re columnist Doug Hendrie (29/8) writing on eulogies, mine is my practice wake – the whole family gathered at a farm overlooking Swan Bay. But the best words belong to Oscar Wilde, very ill at the end of his life, saying, “My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death and one or the other of us must go.“
Margaret Skeen, Point Lonsdale
Silenced voices
The voices of Afghan women have been taken from them by the Taliban. Our voices must now be raised to demand they are free to speak.
Melanie Carter, Largs Bay, SA
Remember West Papua
Will the new “treaty-level agreement” with Indonesia which ″will see a much greater interoperability between our defence forces, an ability to operate from each other’s countries″, mean that Australia will become actively complicit in that country’s illegal occupation and human rights violations in West Papua? Up until now Australia’s deaf ear to West Papua’s call for independence has been shameful. The people of our actual “nearest neighbours” Papua New Guinea, West Papua and East Timor deserve more respect from Australian governments. Dr Jenny Grounds, Medical Association for Prevention of War Australia
Policy failures
The role of government in Australian democracy is to keep the nation safe and to develop and implement policies that should benefit the greatest number of citizens for most of the time. To the latter, the government has been called “risk averse”. A more accurate description would be “gutless”. Andrew Neeson, West Launceston
Types of freedom
Columnist Nick Bryant (Comment, 30/8) says Kamala Harris has redefined freedom. Rather than changing the basic meaning of freedom, Harris is stressing its positive side, such as the freedom to live safe from gun violence or the freedom to vote.
This can be contrasted with a more negative view of freedom reflected in the Second Amendment that says ″the right of the people to bear arms shall not be infringed″. Harris’ style of freedom often involves a greater role for government in order to help people lead better lives by provision of services such as public education and heath.
Negative freedom, which tends to be emphasised by the right, often involves a reduced role for government as that allows people more freedom to organise their lives as they wish. It will be interesting to see which type of freedom voters choose.
Rod Wise, Surrey Hills
Spud’s career move
Re the letter ″The spud’s gone flat″ (30/8), spuds do not go flat, they move to a new career as potato cakes.
PJ Bear, Mitcham
Credit: Matt Golding
AND ANOTHER THING
Census
Anthony Albanese’s backflip over the census questions is welcome. It wasn’t that long ago that we filled in a plebiscite vote to show that LGBTIQ people mattered. The Labor government, via the initial census changes, was signalling that they didn’t count.
Greg Tuck, Warragul
So Anthony Albanese can do a back-flip. Now to get him to do one on gambling ads.
Dave Torr, Werribee
Just when I thought LGBTQ stood for Labor Government Buries The Question, it has now seen the wisdom in being inclusive in the next census. Commonsense prevails.
Kevan Porter, Alphington
Albanese
Anthony Albanese at the Pacific Forum is heard referring to the cost of proposed aid by saying ″perhaps we could go halvies″, which proves you can take the boy out of western Sydney but can’t take western Sydney out of the boy.
Peter Roche, Carlton
It’s pretty simple prime minister, if you don’t want something published, don’t say it in front of journalists.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Furthermore
So fighting is being paused for a polio vaccine drive in Gaza. How comforting will this be when bombing resumes on these vaccinated children. Denise McLarty, Paynesville
I remember when the Greens’ primary focus was on the environment, trees, water and threatened species, which I applauded. Does anyone else remember those days?
Don Owen, Hawthorn
“Asylum seeker dies after self-immolation” (30/8). When will the government end this cruelty? Real Australians say welcome.
Jenny Bone,
Surrey Hills
J.D. Vance notes that childless people should not be teachers. He needs to have a stern discussion with Jesus Christ.
Tom Stafford, Wheelers Hill