New minister must address the root causes to fix CFMEU malaise

New Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Murray Watt seems focused on the symptoms. The behaviour of the CFMEU is the symptom and, yes, Watt ought to address that (“Setka’s demise won’t stop militants”, 31/7).

But the principal causes are to be found in the oligopolistic nature of the large-scale civil construction industry combined with the monopolistic nature of labour supply, which the CFMEU controls. Governments support and, in some states, are complicit in this model. The anti-competitive behaviours this combination of weak competitive forces gives rise to push the industry into poor economic performance, unsafe workplaces and, as media scrutiny alleges, corrupt and criminal behaviour.

In addition to addressing the symptoms, Watt needs to consider reforms to competition and labour laws to regulate the oligopolistic behaviours and remove the monopoly; and to withdraw governments’ support for the model and increase their scrutiny of the industry. Watt could approach his task with the same enthusiasm with which the federal government is addressing the supermarket oligopoly.

Michael Angwin, Hawthorn, Vic

60 glorious years

Congratulations to The Australian on your 60 fantastic years.

I am pleased to confirm spending many hours last the weekend reading a copy from the actual first edition (cover price four pence).

On July 15, 1964, I was en route to Europe to follow a dream to race motorcycles on the continent and in the UK. As the principal communication in that period was still snail mail, an early letter from the family advised me of this new newspaper.

My dear old mum said she would put it aside for me to read when I returned. My return, however, was to be some six years away, and sure enough, true to her word, the Oz was there in a plastic file to be read.

I have saved the issue ever since and have now added the 60th birthday issue along with this to be passed on to my sons to hopefully add the 75th anniver­sary issue.

Trevor Luck, Noosa Heads, Qld

What unis teach us

Two interesting articles from Tim Dodd highlight some disturbing paradoxes about contemporary society (“Scientific solutions to the human paradox” and “Why are universities on the nose?”, 31/7).

Our scientific method and understanding as well as our engineering capabilities are so advanced that as a species we certainly have the knowledge and capacity to address big problems from hunger and poverty to global heating.

Yet we can’t seem to find the impetus. The misinformation and disinformation stemming from ideological and political stances, pushed through unvetted social media and clickbait news headlines, are distracting us from achieving outcomes that might be termed the greater good.

In contrast, universities educate many of our society’s professionals and maintain rigorous standards as centres of excellence attempting to convey truth. Like Dodd, I believe that for humanity to address the big 21st-century challenges of inequity and poverty alongside climate change and ecological collapse, we must cut through the misinformation and “acknowledge the critical benefits universities produce”.

Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic

Intractable ABC

How extraordinary that Ita Buttrose, after her exit from the top role at the ABC, should ventilate about the ABC’s lack of balance. Her silence during her term was deafening. If the ABC chairwoman couldn’t rein in the woke journo collective, then who can? It’s clearly time for privatisation and no more taxpayer largesse.

Peter Sesterka, Hawker, ACT

Despite her long career in the media, the union regards the comments by Ita Buttrose as irrelevant. Such arrogance! Buttrose’s comments about bias from many ABC journalists are in line with the thoughts of the general population. Too often, it is obvious there is another side to a story that is ignored by the journalists.

Trish Young, Brighton, Vic

Athletes show the way

There is a huge contrast between the wonderful photo of Mollie O’Callaghan and Ariarne Titmus side-by-side after receiving gold and silver medals (“Chalk and cheese, gold and silver, rivals and friends: nation celebrates with ‘inseparables’ ”, 31/7) and the shameful anti-Semitic demonstrations in Melbourne encouraging nothing but hate.

Two wonderful Australian athletes, singing our national anthem together under our nation’s flag, were something to behold.

Would it be too much to ask our politicians and teachers to look beyond what divides us and look towards what brings us together, whatever our heritage? Mollie and Ariarne are an example to all and a credit to our nation.

Ian C. Murray, Cremorne Point, NSW