Kitching a leader in the fight against misogyny in politics

Reading Janet Albrechtsen’s column (“Labor senator took on misogynist rats in her own ranks”, 14/3) I was heartened to know that Kimberley Kitching stood up against the unacceptable behaviour that drove the talented Nicolle Flint from politics. I listened to Flint’s speech and hoped women in parliament would come to her defence. It didn’t happen. My subsequently published letter was intended to be a message of solidarity from labour women who believed that condemning misogynist behaviour was beyond party politics. I regret that an opinion piece written by Kitching in support of Flint has only now come to light. It may have encouraged Flint to reconsider?

It’s true that Labor’s affirmative action policies have made a real difference to women’s representation in our national parliament. Over the years, however, I have drawn attention to the woeful performance of the Victorian Right faction in the promotion of talented women. It has been an ongoing example of the old boys’ network.

It’s one thing to have women represented, but quite another to understand how power is exercised in the factions of the ALP. In my time, real power in all the factions was held by men. It seems little has changed. In Kitching’s own words “most of our decisions ... internally ... factionally ... are still very much made by men”. I assume the same men who failed to support her on the two occasions she contested a seat in the House of Representatives. I fail to understand why the same male factional leaders left her in so much doubt and uncertainty about her continuing on as a senator. I didn’t know Kitching personally, but I have been struck by the many diverse tributes since her untimely passing. The Magnitsky legislation will provide an enduring legacy to her substantial contribution to our parliament.

Jennie George, Mollymook, NSW

Pillar of support

There are no winners from the tragic series of miseries that ended up with a 19-year-old young man stabbing a policeman, his death after being shot, and the policeman’s years-long ordeal under murder charges. But reading Rickisha Robertson’s comments that, “It was really hard that he was assaulting me but he always said ‘I forgive you’” and “I am the one who was getting in the way” just broke my heart again (“Kumanjayi bashed me, but I loved him”, 14/3).

If anything positive can come from this tragedy, perhaps it could be the women of this country rising up to help teach all our girls that it is not their fault when a man bashes them.

City girls at least receive plenty of education around the topic, but how do we access these remote communities and convince all women that neither they nor their daughters ever deserve this? I suspect a private/volunteer system will do better than another government bureaucracy. Ideas anyone? How can we get help into a situation so volatile that nurses get hit by rocks?

Jennifer Sterrett, Turramurra, NSW

Weathering a crisis

Jennifer Oriel correctly states that we have to be more resilient in facing our disasters and there will be more, as Dorothea Mackellar wrote in the early 1900s of “drought and flooding rains” (“As disaster strikes self-responsibility, PM an easy target”, 14/3).

We, as a nation, were self reliant in many ways in that century. Farmers ploughed their soil with primitive implements, for example, and we are now one of the best in the world, producing our food for home consumption and export.

The blame-calling in our current disaster won’t help anyone. We have to get on with it, help where we can financially or manually but we cannot expect to have a platoon of soldiers outside of every town with spades at the ready. As Oriel writes: “For centuries, people have taken control of their own destinies and survived against the odds.”

Lesley Beckhouse, Queanbeyan, NSW

Shame Jennifer Oriel, victim blaming isn’t the answer. Deflection of responsibility for basic human rights in a natural disaster is not on. Your article lacks compassion for the people who have just lost their homes, livelihoods and belongings in their moment of crisis. All Australians deserve proper crisis support. We all pay taxes, live in a first-world country and flood victims are entitled to respect and concern and assistance in a timely manner. It’s un-Australian to “blame the victim”, everyone deserves a fair go, and our federal and state leaders have a fundamental responsibility to step up in times of crisis; that’s what leadership is.

Lindy Castan Blashki, Elwood, Vic

Batting on

Note to the selectors: After his last few innings do you finally get it? Usman Khawaja is one of Australia’s best batsmen and should remain a permanent fixture in the test team.

Chris Michelmore, Goodwood, SA