Coping with hostility
It’s unlucky that Jacinta Nampijinpa Value didn’t have the braveness of her convictions on the matter of the referendum, as she refused many interviews (“Value rejected 52 requests to talk on ABC about Voice”, 5/12). Nor apparently did others from the No marketing campaign. She says she was afraid of a hostile interviewer.
First Nations folks may give some recommendations on coping with hostility, which they’ve skilled since settlement. To a a lot lesser extent, supporters of the Sure marketing campaign skilled excessive ranges of hostility too.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Rightly rejected
One can solely commend Senator Jacinta Value for her many rejections for interviews with journalists from the ABC. Although our nationwide provider is meant to be apolitical, Value has learnt the organisation is “something however”.
Barrie Dempster, Balwyn
Favoured networks
Jacinta Value rejected 52 interview requests with the ABC main as much as the Voice to Parliament referendum, saying interviewers on ABC applications had been “hostile” in the direction of her. One other view is that the ABC interviewers wouldn’t give her a gentle interview when in comparison with how she was questioned by interviewers on her favoured networks.
Garry Meller, Bentleigh
Relative menace
About 40 per cent of prisoners return to jail inside two years, Australian Productiveness Fee figures present. In its strategy to legal guidelines for immigration detainees (“Freed violent intercourse offender will get indecent assault cost”, 5/12) the opposition is depicting non-citizens as being extra more likely to be harmful reoffenders as a result of three of the 148 just lately launched detainees had been once more arrested (one for hashish possession).
Is Opposition Chief Peter Dutton critically suggesting ministers ought to resign as a result of offenders who’ve served their time are being freed to proceed their lives? Or are we to imagine that non-citizens are someway extra of a menace to Australians and must be completely detained? Dutton, a former copper, ought to attempt to see this matter extra humanely and rationally.
Ray Brindle, Burwood
Braveness of convictions
In 2018 Australian tutorial Kylie Moore-Gilbert was convicted of spying in Iran and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment. In November 2020 she was launched and returned to Australia after serving 804 days of her sentence.
The federal authorities is at the moment introducing laws that enables judges to detain somebody on the premise of a overseas conviction in order that they’ll re-imprison asylum seekers who had been in indefinite detention. If the federal government goes to jail asylum seekers on the premise of generally doubtful overseas convictions why wouldn’t this precept additionally apply to all Australians convicted abroad? If overseas convictions are used to place somebody behind bars, ought to Moore-Gilbert’s Iranian conviction stand and she or he be re-imprisoned and serve out what’s left of her sentence?
Peter Martina, Warrnambool
Coverage on the run
The Mornington Peninsula Shire Council’s failure to tell residents and ratepayers concerning the introduction of paid parking at Flinders Pier (“Pay to play on peninsula as seashore parking charges examined”, 5/12) is a critical oversight.
Moreover, council’s pricing regime based mostly on metropolis seashores in extremely populated areas, means that coverage is being made on the run. Whereas accepting that council wants additional income, little or no thought has been given to older beachgoers who could not use cellphone apps that at the moment are required to park on the Flinders Pier; the price of seashore parking for low-income households having fun with a time out; and the financial influence on small companies in Flinders as guests pivot to these seashores on the peninsula that supply free parking.
And whereas passive customers of the foreshore now have to pay, homeowners of boats and jet skis are nonetheless entitled to park without cost on the Flinders foreshore below Victoria’s Higher Boating coverage that exempts autos with trailers in any respect public boat ramps throughout the state. Mornington Peninsula Shire Council does many issues effectively however the thought of paid parking at Flinders Pier is just not one among them.
Charles Reis, chairperson, Save Flinders Pier Marketing campaign
Royalty funds
As topics of King Charles III we now have to pay to go to Mornington Peninsula seashores, so we must always apply the identical “consumer pays” precept to fund the royal go to … say $35 for a glimpse of the King, $15 for a glimpse of the Queen? Consultants can (for a big price) advise the market fee for a handshake, a chat or an arvo cuppa and truffles.
The go to additionally supplies the chance to market take a look at the King’s private loyalty to his topics, so he must be given the chance to publicly bid sponsorship for the King Charles III Melbourne Cup or King Charles III AFL grand last.
Ian Gould, Muckleford
Market dominance
The upcoming parliamentary inquiry into value gouging by the foremost supermarkets (“Minister has a bone to select with supermarkets”, 5/12), would do effectively to have a look at the entire chain of manufacturing of farm items. A primary instance of unfair pricing has been the current value of lamb which has “gone by means of the ground”, the farmers are struggling to make a residing, but we’ve seen comparatively minor financial savings of this product within the grocery store.
There are lots of completely different strategies of value gouging and the dominance of supermarkets over major producers is one among them.
Phil Mackenzie, Eaglemont
Metropolis’s lungs
Golf programs, each private and non-private, present inexperienced areas/parklands all through cities – they supply “respiratory areas” for residents, and refuges for birdlife particularly. As Melbourne grows, the demand for leisure parkland will intensify. The lack of open inexperienced house to new housing and improvement must be seen as a calamity – the method is irreversible and a demerit to Melbourne’s declare as a extremely habitable metropolis.
The earlier golf course, Jap, in Doncaster has gone; the previous Kingswood golf course in Dingley Village is below menace of housing improvement, and now the previous Yarra Valley Nation Membership is within the firing line (“Pleas for a ruling on ex-golf membership challenge”, 5/12). If the answer to an absence of housing is to infill parklands with new homes then we’ve critically acquired it mistaken.
James Reiss, Abbotsford
Clever design
If planning rules (or lack thereof) are to experience roughshod over native councils and residents to squeeze in 1000’s of individuals into current suburbs, we’re going to lose most of our gardens and bushes. That is the very last thing we want if we’re to turn into resilient within the face of local weather change. We’d like clever designs to make sure that our cities don’t turn into unliveable, and builders, as a rule, don’t have a look at the larger image when earnings are in danger. Unsustainable inhabitants progress is destroying the setting we have to improve and maintain our wellbeing, in addition to dismantling our democratic processes.
Jennie Epstein, Little River
Too many males
Whereas it’s at all times fascinating to listen to of books that is perhaps good studying, Jason Steger’s checklist of really useful books (“Learn your approach by means of Christmas”, Age, 5/12) is unbalanced. Of his 13 titles, twice as many are by male authors as by females, although extra books revealed are written by girls, and ladies outnumber males as each readers and patrons of books.
Freya Headlam, Glen Waverley
Defence let down
Re: Peter Hartcher’s column (“Chinese language subplot spells hazard”, 5/12), there may be clear proof that China is a menace to world peace and that Australian governments aren’t ready to spend money on the safety of our nation. The present authorities has underspent on defence within the final 12 months by practically $1 billion, cancelled vital defence tasks from satellite tv for pc methods to armoured personnel carriers, regurgitated the earlier authorities’s bulletins as in the event that they had been its personal, and so on. Within the authorities’s personal phrases that is “Australia’s most difficult strategic setting since World Battle II”. However the actuality is the federal government is doing nothing about it however making motherhood statements.
Shawn French, Greensborough
Within the pink
Wanting up on the pink star festive decorations within the metropolis yesterday, I questioned if I used to be in Barbie land. Christmas inexperienced and purple out, joyful holidays in a Pinkdom in?
Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff
Smart change
For me, the checklist of associations with the color vivid purple consists of: China, Republicans, MAGA, struggle, warning, prohibition, hazard, anger, violence, blood, Coca-Cola, Christmas … The CBD decorators did effectively to take away Christmas from that checklist and on to a listing together with softer ideas reminiscent of romance, childhood nostalgia, femininity, well being consciousness, artwork deco and flowers. If we should maintain Christmas in any respect, let’s maintain it pink.
Ralph Böhmer, St Kilda West
Simply name it a day
Check Cricket is as Australian as chilly beer and corned beef sandwiches. Each are delights that make summer season days watching the cricket memorable and delightful. Fortunately, as of late of Check cricket might be enhanced by the approaching retirement of a cricketer who was the architect of Sandpaper Gate. With him gone, the sport will once more be healthful, thrilling, and performed by individuals who will depend on guile and ability to win.
Andrew Dowling, Torquay
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit score: Illustration: Matt Golding
Politics
The Coalition desires launched detainees to do the time earlier than they do the crime.
Bryan Fraser, St Kilda West
So a Senate report desires to show college students how you can behave? Right here’s an thought! How about setting an instance in parliament.
Helen Cole, Glen Waverley
Royal go to
How weird that it’s headline information that our head of state goes to go to Australia.
Gretel Lamont, Aireys Inlet
King Charles is coming, everybody look busy.
Paul Custance, Highett
The report on the royal go to began “Charles to pay …” I guess he doesn’t.
Adrian Tabor, Level Lonsdale
If we will cancel the Commonwealth Video games for monetary causes, then certainly we can cancel Charles and Camilla’s go to for a similar motive.
Mary Fenelon, Doncaster East
Charles and Camilla’s go to will take a look at the pull of a monarchy with out “riz!”
Joan Segrave, Healesville
Moreover
The parliamentary inquiry into pig welfare jogged my memory of the previous saying relating to bacon and eggs: All in a day’s work for the chook; a lifetime dedication for the pig.
Bruce Crowe, Sunbury
Sure, the massive supermarkets ought to freeze the value of ham, nice thought from Senator Murray Watt. Certain to be a giant assist with Christmas prices. And perhaps mince pies too. And bread, and milk, and dishwashing liquid, and cat meals, and some different issues?
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick
On the entrance web page of The Age, a fantastic information story (“Message of affection as long-lost child pictures discover a approach dwelling”, 5/12) of child pictures being given to their rightful homeowners.
Mary Cole, Richmond
Lastly
Ham will return to your correspondent’s Christmas desk when “extra humane beautiful strategies are employed” (Letters, 5/12). How’s this for a suggestion? Go vegetarian.
Linda Fisher, Malvern East
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