Thin blue line is getting a bit ragged in Victoria

While growing up in Melbourne more than 70 years ago, my parents instilled in me a respect for authority, including the police. We were proud that our cops were like London Bobbies and did not carry guns. Later, my family had close friends who were very senior members of the force and highly respected members of their communities. In a couple of decades the force has done all in its power to destroy the trust and respect its members, such as our friends, had earned.

We had a police commissioner who on the day of the Black Saturday fires went to the hairdresser, had an interview with her biographer and went out to dinner with friends. We have learned of a force that trawled for complaints against a senior clergyman, found no credible ones but proceeded to charge anyhow, resulting in the imprisonment of an innocent man. We have seen the fiasco of the totally unethical and illegal Lawyer X case. Almost daily we have seen images of VicPol harassing people, including elderly ladies sitting on park benches and a pregnant woman in her PJs. We have seen and heard senior officers offering support for selected large-scale protests while threatening other, perhaps misguided, protesters with severe retribution.

Now we have coppers including the Critical Incident Response Team — why? — running down, then attacking, a mentally ill man, resulting in him being hospitalised and put into a coma. The force of the contact by the police car could have killed him if his head had hit the road. This was followed by a police shooting in a shopping centre on Tuesday. Through all of this we have heard not a peep of regret from the Premier, Police Minister or Commissioner.

Michael Smith, Mooroolbark, Vic

The police have certainly been busy in Victoria in recent days. They have arrested and handcuffed a pregnant mother for a social media post and while wearing helmets and shields confronted people in a market. Then they used disproportionate force on an unco-operative man in the street and appeared to kick him in the head. No wonder Victorians are angry.

Brian Whybrow, Wanniassa, ACT

Renewables vs gas

The prime objection to the PM’s “Power up or we build gas plant” (15/9) strategy is the community’s environmental concerns. If renewables could competitively meet industry’s feedstock and energy requirements there would not be any requirement to develop our gas. Renewables require more time to replace natural gas. In the meantime, gas is necessary, and the alternative is the demise of industry and relying more on imports, which have a higher carbon footprint.

Don McMillan, Paddington, Qld

Sexism in Kakadu?

I see a walking track in Kakadu has been routed past rock art that must not be viewed by women, resulting in probable litigation against Parks Australia by Aboriginal custodians (“National Parks on sacred site charge”, 15/9). This “no women” rule is sexual discrimination. It is illegal. The fact it has been going on for a long time does not make it right. And do the custodians have an opinion of those women who choose to identify as men as they walk past the rock art? I suggest, respectfully, that the subject needs more consideration.

Joanna Hackett, Macleay Island, Qld

Bird-dogging bad

Olivia Caisley describes the hounding and intimidation of Liberal MP Nicolle Flint by GetUp operatives during her campaign before the last federal election (“‘Stalked and harassed’ female MP wants GetUp’s bird-dogging wings clipped”, 15/9).

The behaviour orchestrated by GetUp has no place in Australian politics and is particularly despicable when directed at a woman candidate, any woman from any party.

Bruce Collison, Banks, ACT