Credit: Matt Golding
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A political move
So seven days ago the 2026 census wasn’t going to have any LGBTQI-related questions as the government didn’t want to create division. However after backlash from federal and state MPs, particularly those in urban seats, the PM has said there will be one ″test″ question, proving that the only division the government was worried about was that of MPs being divided from their positions at the next election.
Samantha Keir, East Brighton
Politicians can’t win
It’s sad when listening to the voice of the community and changing a policy position is described as a backflip. It seems we complain when politicians don’t listen to us and we criticise them when they do. All in the name of a ″gotcha moment″.
Chris Burley, Balwyn North
A losing strategy
Unless you’re aiming for a hollow victory, bankrupting your employer isn’t usually a good strategy for winning an industrial dispute (″Ambulance Victoria hit in coffers by billing ban″, 29/8).
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Fairer school funding
In Australia, elementary education is compulsory for all children.
Governments, therefore, are responsible for ensuring that equitable and accessible schooling is provided for all children. Governments are failing to meet the needs and expectations of most its citizens.
Providing schools for all is no doubt complex. Far-flung schools are more difficult to staff, and may have small numbers of students. Children with special needs are far more costly to educate, as they generally require a smaller student-teacher ratio, and may often require aides.
A public system where everyone gets a sound education requires much better funding than at present.
The first hurdle to overcome is that of fairness. It is not acceptable that some children are schooled in second-rate facilities, or in schools that are not easily accessible. Governments have a duty to ensure that all Australian children have reasonably similar educational opportunities.
In the past, politicians have failed to declare conflicts of interest. Those whose families do not use public education should recuse themselves from budget decisions which allocate public funds to non-government schools. Money has been channelled into alternative educational institutions at the expense of the public system.
We can see where the gaps are, and we can see very little action in closing them. It’s about time that the needs of most Australians were addressed.
Chris Pearson, Kyneton
Organ failure
Last week we attended a marvellous concert showcasing Fauré‘s Requiem at Hamer Hall, conducted by Lawrence Renes.
The only thing that marred the performance was the use of an electronic organ throughout the performance.
This was necessitated, of course, because instead of a grand organ gracing the rear wall of the stage, there is what looks like a vast flat expanse of mission brown-painted chipboard hastily bought from a hardware store to fill in the space where the organ should be.
We don’t know why the Hamer Hall grand organ, which is currently languishing somewhere in storage, has not been reinstalled.
However, it is a disgrace and an embarrassment that we don’t have one in our premier concert hall.
Malcolm Morgan and
Yvonne Stolk,
Brunswick
Short tour of inequity
If Box Hill MP Paul Hamer views a $50 million aquatic centre proposal for a private school as humble, perhaps he should tour the sporting facilities at my kids’ local public high school. For 1900 children we have one worn-out gym, one basketball court, one netball court and two outdoor table tennis tables. The largest open space (asphalted) within the grounds would be smaller than two tennis courts. The kids do have access to a local council-owned oval with three AFL goal posts – that’s two goal posts and one point post, at one end only. The tour won’t take long.
James Thyer, Northcote
Broken city
I was not surprised to read the well-heeled are on the move from Sydney and Melbourne (″Population plummets in the suburbs nearest CBD″, 30/8). My own municipality is at the top. In my area I know people are leaving because the area is being choked by large development. More people mean an increase in cars, long waits for doctors’ appointments, overcrowded schools, and unrealistic wait times at hospitals. In general, communities that are not coping with the sudden increase of growth and an infrastructure that is playing catch up.
Melbourne is not working any more and the concept of community living is all but gone. If you have enough money you can move, but many can’t, which in itself creates a more divided society.
Sharon Hendon, Glen Iris
Footy fans and DNA
To answer columnist Kate Halfpenny’s question ″Is it all right to change footy teams? (Comment, 31/8), the answer is ″no″. I haven’t been to a game in years but the Bulldogs are welded into my DNA code. As a child it didn’t bother me one bit that Footscray only won two or three games a year. Ted Whitten and John Schultz were my heroes. I was the only boy at my private school who barracked for the Dogs, but that didn’t bother me either. Today I am in awe of ″the Bont″, Cody and their teammates.
Go Dogs!
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
Cycle of stupidity
Does anything, of recent date, again represent the sheer stupidity of human beings (mainly men?) that we bomb other humans and children, inflicting death, destruction and untold misery and suffering, only to pause to inoculate the youngest of them against a terrible illness with a vaccine that these same human beings created in order to reduce suffering and misery; after the pause we intend (presumably) to again resume the bombing. Go figure.
Brendan O’Farrell, Brunswick
The shame on our shores
We are astounded and cry at the situation in the Middle East. We forget what happens in our own country. An asylum seeker can wait more than a decade for a decision, which was too much for one Tamil. He took his own life in desperation.
Shame on our system.
Pat Agostino, Port Melbourne