Credit:Illustration: Andrew Dyson
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HOUSING
So many homes left empty due to their owners’ greed
I do not believe the housing shortage is as bad as reported in Victoria There must be thousands of houses in Melbourne, many of them brand new, that stand empty for years because their owners are waiting for eventual price rises so they can make a capital gain. It is house banking, pure and simple.
Why is this rarely mentioned in the media? Why do our politicians not take action? I have suggested to my local MP and council that a levy – equal to the market rent that could be obtained – be applied to any house which is left vacant for, say, more than three months.
This could then constitute a fund from which grants would be made to buyers of existing houses to update the kitchens and bathrooms instead of demolishing the houses and re-building. This would go a long way towards reducing the amount of perfectly good housing material that is sent to landfill, and fix the shortage of building materials that is constantly bewailed. It is not rocket science – it is a matter of political will.
Don Jordan, Mount Waverley
Our situation was hard – but it’s tougher today
Your correspondent says, “Sympathy to those paying higher mortgage rates. But at least it is not the 17per cent of the ’80s” (Letters, 8/2). We borrowed at 17per cent and know the stress that it caused, but we borrowed $40,000 on a $60,000 house when we were both on an annual wage of around $20,000.
The current scenario is borrowing $600,000, with a wage of $80,000, at a lower interest rate than 17per cent. While we found it hard for six months or so, I would rather be in our former situation than the one purchasers face today – ie, borrowing the high capital cost.
Adrian Cope, Gisborne
Lenders should consider young owners’ plight
Call me naïve but, wouldn’t it be wonderful if the Big Four banks, and their shareholders, sacrificed a little of their multi-billion dollar profit/dividends to help young home owners. Surely there is a better way than simply increasing interest rates. That does not seem to be working.
Maree Harrison, Nerrina
The importance of being a responsible borrower
Your correspondent asks, “What about an inquiry into the banks that approved home loans in the full knowledge that an inevitable return to realistic interest rates would leave borrowers underwater?” (Letters 10/2). What about an inquiry into borrowers who took out home loans in the full knowledge that an inevitable return to realistic interest rates would require them to stump up more money to service those loans?
Monty Arnhold, Port Melbourne
Onus on government to come up with a real plan
A ninth consecutive interest rate rise and Jim Chalmers responds with pap: “Labor’s plan was to address high inflation through cost-of-living measures, addressing supply issues, and spending restraint” (The Age, 7/2). Mr Chalmers, you have been the federal treasurer since last May. Reality tells anyone who is half-intelligent that we could use a bit more “plan” than a pretentious essay in The Monthly.
Douglas Shirrefs, Yea
THE FORUM
An inhumane minister
It must be awful for Alan Tudge’s children to have received death threats (The Age, 10/2). However, it is hard to feel sorry for Tudge because he showed so little empathy for his Centrelink clients. What extent of self-righteousness, privilege and contempt for the less fortunate could have possessed him when he was human services minister? How could he have so badly misinterpreted the name of the job?
David Lamb, Kew East
Many failings of Tudge
What a disgraceful performance by Alan Tudge when he announced his retirement from politics. Tears for his family because he was absent from them for so long. No tears, no apology to Australians for the robo-debt scandal and the damage and hurt he inflicted on those people he castigated as falsely claiming benefits.
No apology to taxpayers for the Commonwealth’s settlement payout of $650,000 to Rachelle Miller, with whom he had an affair, and who accused him of bullying and intimidation (which he has denied). And let’s not expect Tudge to offer to repay that money from his own pocket. The man’s a coward.
Robert Saunders, Box Hill North
High cost of byelection
Alan Tudge has decided to abandon his position in parliament. He cited the pressure on his family and the recent death of his father. Was it also because of the allegation of his former staffer? Was it his performance in the robo-debt inquiry? Whatever the reason, for his cowardly act, he should be responsible for the cost of a byelection in Aston. We humble taxpayers should not have to stump up for him…again.
Greg Norton, Box Hill
Ranking is part of life
Talk of scrapping the ATAR (The Age, 10/2) or, indeed, an exam system that ranks students, speaks to me of dumbing down both effort and achievement. We should never cater for the lowest common denominator. There are alternatives for those students for whom academic prowess is not suitable, but there must be benchmarks and students have to learn to face up to testing and being ranked. It’s part of life.
Sally Holt, Balwyn
Dig deep for the victims
The image of a father holding his dead daughter’s hand – “Despair, then hope” (The Age, 9/2) – is heartbreaking. The feeling of raw grief is overwhelming. We in Australia are facing higher interest rates and talk of a recession, but these seem to pale into insignificance when we are faced with the tragedy of loss and human suffering following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Let us hope we can all dig deep and contribute something towards what is an incredible, helpless situation.
Julie Ottobre, Sorrento
Time to stand up to Putin
Looking back, how outrageous was the Berlin Wall. How appropriate it was when US President Ronald Reagan stood up and demanded, “Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” We need world leaders to stand up again and forthrightly state, “Mr Putin, stop this insane war.“
Peter O’Connor, Bendigo
The fear of privatisation
Re the discussion about Australia Post not making enough income from mail deliveries (The Age, 8/2).
Australia Post is a publicly owned business and its job is to be a service to the public, not a profit-making entity. It does, as it happens, make a profit on its overall business, as do many privately owned businesses, but its losses in one area are covered by profit in other areas.
It seems to me that some people are trying to make a case for Australia Post to be privatised. This should never happen as services would deteriorate and costs would go up because profit, not service, would be its main priority.
Ron Moore, Warragul
Parcelling up postcards
I always send postcards to my grandchildren when I am on holidays. Given Australia Post’s priority for parcels, I wonder if I should put the postcards in boxes so that they will be delivered before I get home.
Heather Barker, Albert Park
A conflict of interest
This has to be the straw that breaks the camels back. Labor’s Michelle Rowland received $19,000 in donations from Sportsbet when she was shadow minister in charge of online betting (The Age, 9/2).
Now, as Communications Minister, she oversees the Interactive Gambling Act. Aside from the laughable rules that do not require timely disclosure of such donations, the perception that there may be favourable treatment for Sportsbet rings loud and clear. Rowland should be removed from her post.
Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South
Six very long years
Lidia Thorpe’s move to the crossbench must leave the Greens (and the rest of us) wondering why Senate terms are six years. If only she had been elected to the House of Representatives, we would not have to put up with the grandstanding for so long.
Jenny Macmillan, Clifton Hill
Too little, too late, ATAGI
So thousands of vulnerable Australians – and some who were just plain unlucky – have died in the recent COVID-19 surge. Is anyone going to ask the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation why the fifth doses were not allowed from, say, September or October last year? We cannot blame Scott Morrison any more.
Stephen Yolland, Templestowe
End the flood’s cover-up
After the recent revelations – “Flood inquiry chief quits after homes swamped” (The Age, 8/2) – the flood-affected residents along the Maribyrnong River cannot trust Melbourne Water to run an inquiry. We want a royal commission that investigates warnings, planning decisions and responses. No more cover-ups.
Pauline Ashton, Maribyrnong
Our closed “republic”
On a guided tour around Stockholm’s City Hall, we were told that all council meetings for that important city were open to the public. Therefore I was disappointed to read that the pipsqueak “people’s republic of Yarra” city council had dispensed with that essential of democracy by restricting public access to council meetings to once a month (The Age, 7/2).
One assumes that Yarra’s key duties of maintaining its environment and services, in the broadest sense, take precedence over other desirable, but less key, agendas. Confidence in that requires open decision making – it would be interesting to hear the arguments behind the council’s decisions that we ratepayers fund.
Adam Thomson, Collingwood
Our ingrained racism
The discussion about “interracial” couples (The Age, 7/2) overlooks the point that the term “race” is a social construct rather than a biological description, given the genetic similarity of all human beings. As such, we are really only talking about superficial aspects of appearance and culture, the latter particularly if talking about first-generation migrants.
So it is disappointing Australians remain conservative in choosing partners from a similar background, if this demonstrates any prejudice, though it is usual to select from one’s own socio-economic group as well.
Most concerning is the widespread Australian suspicion of those who do not look European-Caucasian and do not speak English as a first language. This ingrained “racism” is casually slipped in between banter I have often encountered among friends and colleagues, or reported by international students I have taught. No wonder it also reflects in marriage patterns.
Marish Mackowiak, Ormond
Sharing love and hope
What a beautiful message for grim times – “Sharing the rainbow connection” (The Age, 10/2). I still have a photo I took of a crocheted rainbow left on a fence at Coburg Lake Park in January 2021. It lifted my spirits and made my heart sing. I wondered who had left it. Thank you, Veneta Cue, for your art with its heartwarming messages of love, colour and hope.
Anne Sgro, Coburg North
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
Alan Tudge
He will be missed. What was his name again?
Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale
It’s all very well for Tudge to play the sympathy card for himself and his family but he had no sympathy for the victims of robo-debt.
David Seal, Balwyn North
Tudge won’t need to fudge any more.
Francis Bainbridge, Fitzroy North
Goodbye and good riddance.
Damian Meade, Leopold
Politics
Re Joseph Frydenberg re-entering parliament. As Paul Keating said, a soufflé never rises twice.
Scott Ramsay, Kennington
Eating your Greens isn’t always healthy.
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
I doubt Dutton will visit Victoria to campaign in Aston. That would completely kill the Liberals’ chances.
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick
Australia was once called “the clever country”. Why don’t governments fully fund public schools? Inequity in education. I despair.
Shirley Purves, Gisborne
The Nationals, Tony Abbott and the Sky News cabal are advocating a No vote on the Voice. That’s good enough for me. I’m voting Yes.
Paul Jurkovsky, Ferntree Gully
Does Communications Minister Michelle Rowland not know what a conflict of interest is? She should resign.
Ted McCabe, Barwon Heads
Furthermore
Well, David Warner is looking good for another Player of the Series award.
James Lane, Hampton East
Re the protection service officer’s “redirection strike” (10/2). George Orwell would be very proud.
Graham Fetherstonhaugh, Carlton North
The public must be asked whether they want letter deliveries to continue before any decision on this is reached.
Glenise Michaelson, Montmorency
Fair go Peter Baddeley (7/2). Roshena Campbell is surely a worthy successor to Amanda Vanstone.
Laurie Hook, Junction Village
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