ACU has abandoned its values in wake of de Bruyn controversy

ACU has abandoned its values in wake of de Bruyn controversy

The travails of the Australian Catholic University come as no surprise (“Catholic uni faces probe after a year of scandal”, 26/12). The dreadful conduct of staff, students and administration in the Joe de Bruyn controversy points to a sickness in the organisation. It speaks of a deep-seated malaise and, as now is clear, from top to bottom.

It takes time and gradual decay for a body, such as this university, to lose its way so comprehensively. If it were healthy and functioning according to its charter, de Bruyn would not have been so discourteously treated, and the teachings of the Catholic faith would not have been so emphatically rejected.

Frank Pulsford, Aspley, Qld

Business basket case

An example of Australia’s qualification as a “business basket case” has to be its regulation of the domestic crude oil production industry (“Ignite competition or risk reputation as business basket case”, 26/12). None of the federal or state government regulators, with the responsibility to maximise recovery of Australia’s crude oil reserves, has either the knowledge or experience to manage this multibillion-dollar resource industry. They rely on the operators to “do the right thing”.

Unfortunately, the interest of those operators, mostly from our competing countries including the US, are not necessarily the same as Australia’s economic interests. This is true of ExxonMobil, which intends to abandon the Bass Strait oilfields this year leaving approximately two billion barrels of crude oil in the offshore fields.

Similarly, Chevron intends to abandon the Barrow Island oilfield leaving up to 900 million barrels of oil in the ground. Enhanced oil recovery technology exists and is known and has been successfully employed by ExxonMobil and Chevron at operations in the US. Maximising recovery of Australian oil resources should not be decided by companies from countries with competing economic interests to avoid them turning Australia into a “business basket case”.

Robert Cook, Point Clare, NSW

Pesky popinjays

As I slowly gained my senses over a cup of tea on Boxing Day, with the deflating feeling that Santa was bringing no further gifts and with only the cricket to look forward to, Greg Craven warmed the cockles of my old linguistic pedant’s heart (“A pox on the porpentines and pesky popinjays”, 26/12). As Craven says, when we “pass” we Christians believe that by God’s grace we will also pass the next hurdle.

Linguistics barbarisms abound as they always have, but it seems that they are becoming more abundant. They abound in public utterance, including in parliaments. Craven writes that sport has escaped much of this language corruption, but what about the ubiquitous notion of an “upset win”?

The person who wins is rarely upset, and the person who loses usually is. We seem to accept the extensive use of concepts such as racism, homophobia, sexism, ageism and so on, and thus absolve ourselves from thinking. It’s much easier than summoning appropriate vocabulary to express exactly what we mean.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW

‘New morality’

When reading Timothy Lynch’s comments on the Irish attitude to Israel, I see he makes every effort to avoid the real reason for the rejection of Israel (“Why Ireland’s ‘new morality’ thrives on Israelophobia”, 24/12). It is not anti-Semitism.

It is not moral corruption through new wealth. It was simply a fellow-feeling for Palestinians. Ireland suffered the iniquities of 500 years of colonisation by English overlords and understandably wants to see the end of similar Palestinian suffering.

Caroline Graham, Cromer, NSW

Underpaying ‘stealing’

Unions are having an easy ride under the Anthony Albanese Labor government. But if an employer deliberately underpays their workers they should face criminal charges (“ALP mistake on wage theft criminal: bosses”, 26/12). In the past there have been too many instances of employers ripping off their workers, particularly so with unpaid employer superannuation contributions. If unscrupulous bosses “steal” from their employees they should face the full force of the law. It is akin to employees stealing goods from their employer.

Riley Brown, Bondi, NSW

I have lived through numerous governments of both stripes, but the current ALP government makes Gough Whitlam’s mob look like rock stars. Most of his ALP compatriots come from similar backgrounds, which means scant knowledge of what it takes to run a successful business. The ALP seems to be conducting an ongoing vendetta against businesses that provide the overwhelming bulk of employment in Australia.

Peter Jacobsen, New Farm, Qld