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Chief political correspondent David Crowe is absolutely right (″Dutton’s heartless call has a human cost – and a political price″, 14/8). To tar all Palestinians with the Hamas brush, as Peter Dutton conveniently wants to do to justify a ban on all refugees from Gaza is cruel, heartless and designed only to appeal to his conservative political base. His call lacks any kind of empathy for the tens of thousands of Gazans who are suffering at the hands of the IDF. We have a moral obligation to help those fleeing war.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Dutton take note, words matter
In the past week the director-general of ASIO, Mike Burgess, has increased the threat level for a terror attack and has warned both the media and politicians to watch their words. Burgess said there was ″a direct correlation between inflamed language, inflamed tension and violence”. Unfortunately Peter Dutton and his LNP colleagues appear not to have gotten the memo.
Instead, we have Dutton making public statements suggesting that all Palestinian refugees seeking safety from a terrible war are a “security threat″, and a blanket ban should be imposed just because they happen to be Palestinian (rather than say, Ukrainian).
I would suggest to Dutton that the real security threat lies in stoking divisions to create a climate of fear and loathing between communities. The recent riots and thuggery in the UK are a prime example of what can happen when politicians do so for political advantage.
I would urge Dutton to heed Burgess’ advice, that words matter and that politicians have a duty to bring communities together, not divide them.
Simon Bennett, Hawthorn East
Tradition of accepting refugees discarded
Peter Dutton says Australia should not take refugees from Gaza, this is despite Australia’s long history of accepting refugees from war zones. It’s not enough that the population of Gaza is going through the trauma of being bombed, Dutton would prevent lives being protected and saved through humanitarian refugee assistance. He conveniently glosses over the fact that the normal security checks would, of course, apply.
Matthew Hamilton, Kew
Stance of a political opportunist
Peter Dutton’s hard-line on refugees from Gaza is to be deplored. It confirms his role as a political opportunist. He is keen to establish himself as a tough national security defender in order to appeal to voters in outer suburban and regional electorates. Never mind ASIO director-general Mike Burgess’ considered advice about the limited risk posed by those fleeing one of the most deadly and destructive military campaigns in modern times. What Australia needs now are leaders who appeal to our once proud humanitarianism, not politicians who divide and discriminate.
Tom Knowles, Parkville
A view lifted from Trump’s playbook
The Palestinian diaspora should take note of Peter Dutton’s stance against allowing people from Gaza to migrate here when voting in the next election. Dutton’s lack of compassion is straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook.
Paul Chivers, Box Hill North
Sometimes, right is right
David Crowe makes the important point that, on some issues, whether a particular politician’s stand is ″right″ or wrong, is not determined by whether potential voters support or oppose that stand.
Ruth Farr, Blackburn South
THE FORUM
Paths to crime
Your correspondents to this page have suggested various approaches to tackling the current wave of youth crime. While many of the suggestions are well-meaning, they are probably attuned to another era (e.g. promoting scouts or asking youth leaders to run educational programs).
Today’s youth crime is nothing like the problem of 50 years ago. In earlier times, youth didn’t invade homes, steal cars and even cause the death of innocent people.
I suspect the real reasons behind the current wave is to do with lack of opportunity. The youth see glitz and glamour portrayed on social media and they wish to have that for themselves.
Today, progression in society requires education, and education is accessed easily by the wealthy, ahead of other children who have to make do in the state system. After that, without rich parents, non-wealthy students need to find ways to pay HECS debts (essentially a tax on education).
Faced with this future, and craving what they see on social media, it becomes all too hard for a small proportion of youth and they turn to crime.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
Challenging times
I agree with your correspondent (Letters, 13/8) that every young generation is regarded by some of their elders as being lazy, disrespectful and ill-disciplined.
I do not believe that the behaviour of today’s youth is any worse than previous ones. However, I do feel that they face significant challenges with the wide range of drugs that are available, pornographic and violent media and the exorbitant costs associated with further education.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
As it was in the past
Thank you to your correspondent for the most common-sense analysis of the ″youth crime crisis″ to date. Half a century or more ago in Melbourne, gangs roamed the streets looking for trouble, youth violence was common among the bodgies and widgies, jazzers and rockers who formed tribes al la West Side Story.
The present ″crisis″ is exacerbated by hysterical headlines and clickbait stories. The good old days are a fiction.
Ken Rivett, Ferntree Gully
Looking under the bonnet
You would think that 3 million homes having rooftop solar (″Renewables’ record surge a sign of future supply″, 15/8) would be enough indication of the public’s preference for clean energy. For Peter Dutton to continue with his thought bubble for nuclear energy in a country that is already nudging 50 per cent renewable sources (and South Australia closer to 90 per cent) is to thumb his nose at the voting public and surely jeopardise his chances at an election.
Dutton’s failure to understand how renewables can meet our energy needs is due to him not ″lifting the bonnet″ to see how things work. Paradoxically, he has also not lifted the bonnet on nuclear energy to see the major issues of grid incompatibility, operating expenses and capital expenditures and waste storage cost. Broader consultation with energy system engineers and scientists might help his understanding.
Robert Brown, Camberwell
Lottery of birth date
Baby Boomers are not responsible for our dates of birth (″Boomers dining out as others eat into savings″, 15/8).
We were born mostly to parents returning to so-called normal life after the war; some of us came to Australia with virtually nothing. Our parents and, we too, worked very hard to make a comfortable life for future generations. Not everyone these days has much cash for discretionary spending.
Please lay off us for something beyond our control. Granted that life is very different for the young people of today; we also had our challenges too, as they do today.
Marie Nash, Balwyn
Taking stock exchange
The Age reports that Boomers are dining out as younger people eat into savings. As a Boomer I would willingly abandon dining out in exchange for another 20 or so years of healthy living.
Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South
Solar, so good
Great news on solar power, including the Australian Energy Market Operator prediction of 80per cent of households to have solar by 2050. So does Peter Dutton agree? What is his plan for renewables from now until when nuclear cuts in?
John Hughes, Mentone
Joy just scoots by
As a CBD resident too old to ride one myself, seeing e-scooters around brings a little flash of joy.
Every day walking to and from the office I see cars, trucks and buses in gridlock at intersections and intimidating pedestrians.
So why doesn’t our mayor not do something about that instead of banning the young?
What’s next for our killjoy Melbourne City Council?
Howard Raggatt, Melbourne
Empty promise
Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas ″vows no new debt but is coy on fresh taxes″ (15/8). With the state’s interest bill set to hit $26million a day on a debt of $188 billion in 2028, that seems like an empty promise.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Hamas must be destroyed
Rodger Shanahan (Comment, 15/8) seems to think Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran will only attack Israel if Israel is aggressive. The current war may have prompted the timing of their attacks on Israel, but, like Hamas, denying Israel’s right to exist is fundamental to their ideology, so the attacks would happen sooner or later.
He also says Israel’s actions will make it easier for Hamas to recruit new fighters. Hamas subjects its people, especially youth, to relentless demonisation of Israel, so recruits have never been a problem.
What would make Israel less safe is leaving Hamas with the capacity to strike it “again and again” as its leaders have promised. Destroying Hamas’s leadership and military infrastructure is really the only way for Israel to be safer.
Mark Kessel, Caulfield North
Vengeance not a strategy
Rodger Shanahan says that the Gaza campaign only makes Israel less safe.
With the killing, destruction and displacement wrought upon Gaza over the past 10 months, Israel is likely to be less safe when military operations end than when they began. Nobody denies that Israel had a right to defend itself in response to Hamas’s own terrorist bloodletting against Israeli civilians, but vengeance is not a strategy, but more likely a “dish best served cold”.
Too much of the Netanyahu government’s decision-making has been driven by a short-term desire for vengeance rather than a long-term need to provide for Israel’s future security. Hamas cannot be entirely eliminated as recruits will be easy to find. The elimination of Hamas will not bring peace and security to Israel.
Jeffrey Kelson, Prahran
Israel’s deterrence
It’s notable that Rodger Shanahan doesn’t suggest any alternative way for Israel to have responded.
What is clear is that any lesser response would have left on Israel’s border, with its military capacity intact, a genocidal terror group that had made its intent abundantly clear with its October 7 atrocities, and has promised to carry out similar attacks until Israel is destroyed. It’s hard to see how this would have made Israel any safer than it is now.
Israel’s response has not been driven by vengeance, as Shanahan claims, but by the need to prevent such attacks from recurring, both by destroying Hamas’s capacity to do so, and by re-establishing deterrence.
Danny Samuels, Malvern
We are not pets
Spot-on Bianca Denny (Comment, 11/8) for your considered and considerate assessment of the anthropomorphism of many pet owners – animals are animals and we are rational animals – yet, as you say, the way these people think and behave demeans both the animals themselves and those who are treating them as people.
Peter Drum, Coburg
Tonnes of trouble
Jacob Elmasry’s comment (14/8) concerning 3-tonne Tesla trucks is timely. So many ″trucks″ (i.e., SUVs on metropolitan streets) now weigh 3 tonnes or thereabouts.
Elmasry covers well the lack of safety of SUVs. These vehicles are simply too long, too wide, too high, and too heavy to drive alongside smaller, more metropolitan-suitable family cars. Among other problems, the damage to our roads is expensive to taxpayers.
Barbara Darvall, Caulfield North
Useless bike lanes
Can we take a pause on bicycle lanes? Other than a short rush-hour period, these lanes are empty. Yet we spend an enormous amount on infrastructure that is used by a few.
I don’t doubt the health benefits of cycling. Nor the environmental benefit of a trip taken by bicycle over a trip taken by car. My complaint is whether the cost to taxpayers and the inconvenience to all those who drive a car is a reasonable allocation of scarce resources.
If our government wants to limit cars, then do so. There are options. Registration fees and congestion taxes for example. But please stop the waste of bicycle lanes.
Stephen Minns, South Yarra
Let’s change our tune
I will not sing the second verse of our national anthem, ″for those who come across the sea, we’ve boundless plains to share″. I would like to see our immigration policies change to accept more people in danger but, failing that, we need to change our anthem.
Helen Pereira, Heidelberg Heights
AND ANOTHER THING
Dutton
As desperate Palestinians flee the war zone, Peter Dutton provides the classic Trumpian response – our doors are shut.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
Good call Peter Dutton, we certainly don’t want desperate people trying to avoid being killed by an IDF missile in our country.
Russell Patterson, Heathmont
Are empathetic and sensible people swayed by Peter Dutton’s dog whistling?
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
Peter Dutton has given another example of dividing the community and showing no regard to those in need of assistance.
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy
Presumably, Peter Dutton would include Israelis in his proposed ban on accepting those fleeing from the Middle East conflict zone.
Peter McCarthy, Mentone
Peter Dutton would get the gold medal for negativity in any world competition. And Michaelia Cash would be right behind him with silver.
John Walsh, Watsonia
E-scooters
Lucy Dahan (Comment, 14/8) makes good points about e-scooters, but fails to mention the option of buying one, rather than hiring. It seems hirers are the problem.
Peter Greig, Colac
Jacinta Allan, luckily you are not an 84-year-old exiting a shop right into the path of a speeding e-scooter.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
E-scooters: a classic case of the problems outweighing any benefits.
Ian Macdonald, Traralgon
Furthermore
Direct instruction = teaching.
Barbara Lynch, South Yarra
Maybe Boomer bashing should be a new event added to the Olympics.
Ross Byrne, Pakenham
While AUKUS will cost Australia many dollars and cents, the agreement makes no sense.
Melanie Carter, Largs Bay, SA