Credit:Illustration: Andrew Dyson
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WORLD ISSUES
The only way to force Russia to capitulate
Russian President Vladimir Putin sulks in the Kremlin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov does not have the ticker to stick it out in the face of humiliation at the G20 meeting. Russian troops retreat from Kherson but then Russia rains down rockets on civilian targets in Ukraine.
It is time to take the war to Russia. Ukrainians bear the burden of death and destruction while Western allies, including Australia, provide military hardware and munitions. Russia will only capitulate when it suffers the same kind of destruction on its own soil. This does not mean attacking civilian targets but destroying the military infrastructure from which rocket and artillery attacks are launched. Nothing else will bring this one-sided war to an end.
Danny Cole, Essendon
PNG’s desperate need for vaccines and medical staff
While justifiably supplying vaccines to Indonesian farmers to protect their cattle against foot and mouth disease in order to protect our own herds, there does not appear to be the recognition of the human disaster unfolding with the widespread infection rates of tuberculosis among the population of Papua New Guinea.
This is both a preventable and treatable disease that is causing unnecessary deaths in that country. In fact, it is on the rise also in countries like South Africa where the drug-resistant form is also present with a high death rate. If any form of aid to a Pacific neighbour is warranted, it would be the supply of vaccines. An extra step would be the addition of medical personnel to aid in both the treatment of patients and the vaccination of the population.
Loucille McGinley, Brighton East
We need nearly two planets to be sustainable
This week the world population reached 8 billion yet your article about it was on page 22 and focused on the alarm in China about its low fertility rate (World, 16/11). We need discussion about the fact that the size of the human enterprise is way beyond the sustainable-carrying capacity of the planet.
Humanity is consuming Earth’s renewable resources 70 per cent faster than nature is regenerating them. In other words, the world’s current population needs nearly two planets to be sustainable. A more worrisome fact is that if everyone today lived like the average Australian, humanity would need more than four planets. And that is ignoring any further increases in population.
Ian Penrose, Kew
Climate inaction may solve population problem
Do any of the forecasts of population growth to more than 8.5 billion people by 2030 take into account the millions of women and girls of childbearing age who will die in coming months from starvation and disease? The results of global warming will be widespread, early death. The use of nuclear weapons or damage to nuclear power plants will also result in large-scale mortality. The world’s population problems may be solved as a side-effect of world inaction on climate change.
Juliet Flesch, Kew
Representative, not true democracies
Your correspondent – “Unfair representation” (Letters, 15/11) – suggests the United States is not a “true democracy” because of its “two senators per state” rule. Most Western democracies are representative, not true democracies.
In the US Constitutional Convention of 1787, the concern was that small population states (such as Montana) would regularly be overpowered in the legislature by large-population states (such as California). Thus the mixed representation plan giving states equal votes in the Senate. The population of the states is not relevant in the Senate. That issue is addressed in the House of Representatives, where representation is proportional to population.
Robert Lang, Toorak
THE FORUM
Seeking a better way
I felt ashamed watching the treatment of a young boy in detention (Four Corners, 14/11). He was being manhandled by three to five well-built staff who were determined to prevent him from moving. When will it be understood that this treatment does not benefit either the child or the staff? The only outcome is more abusive behaviours and a lack of respect on all sides. New ways need to be used to help these deprived children.
Jane Picton, Glen Waverley
Explaining the slowdown
Productivity slowdown is predicted to cost the economy $60 billion over the next decade (The Age, 15/11). This has been assumed to be related to a shift in the economy towards services, ageing of the population, types of new technology, low business investment and diminished competition among businesses.
How about the impacts of recent trends in the workplace? These include the removal of experienced, middle management, multitasking, closure of resource libraries and suppression of discussion in open-plan offices.
Also, reduction in federal and state investment into research and development, rationalisation and closure of research institutions, and assumptions that private business provide lower-cost, sound advice to governments. I almost forgot, the proliferation of investment into “unproductive” security everywhere.
Bruce McGregor, Brunswick
The forgotten visitors
“Car-free superblocks”, where walking and cycling is given priority over cars, so kids can play in the street (The Age, 16/11)? People with disabilities who cannot walk far or cycle, and who need to be driven and dropped off near their destination, also visit the city. How would the superblocks work for them?
Megan Peniston-Bird, Kew
Very selective bans
Less than a year ago, Novak Djokovic (The Age, 16/11) was treating the health of Australians with contempt. For this he was deported with a three-year ban on entry. But now it is a case of “come back, all is forgiven”. Or is it a case of “come back, we can’t afford to not have you at the tennis”?
Meanwhile, thousands of refugees – who have not treated Australians with such contempt – remain in limbo, virtual prisoners in our country (or they are farmed out to other obliging countries). Not for just a year, but years. If only the immigration minister would apply his personal intervention to their cause. Maybe the best advice to those refugees is to practise their tennis skills.
Max Nankervis, Middle Park
Why let Joker in now?
The ban on Novak Djokovic entering Australia should not have been reversed. He tried to ignore the rules and the right decision was made. There is no real reason to reverse it now. Are these sorts of reversals going to be applied to all? I trust not.
Bob Whitehouse, Frankston
Next step, the refugees
With the speed and indulgence that Immigration Minister Andrew Giles has given a visa dispensation to Novak Djokovic, he has demonstrated that – as with the Nadesalingam family – it can be done. Hopefully he will now apply the same speed to granting permanent visas to the legacy cohort of 31,000 people who have been held in limbo on temporary visas by Australia for so long.
Jenni King, Camberwell
Guarantee road repairs
Many roads are not coping with the extraordinary amount of rain we have experienced and potholes are now a serious problem, compromising safety and damaging vehicles. Too often, the repairs are patch-up jobs and further rain destabilises the filling so the potholes soon return. Would a pothole warranty fix this?
According to my local council, there is some form of warranty for repairs done on local council roads although curiously, Telstra is exempt from it. I also contacted Victoria’s Department of Transport and was told it would “look into this and see whether we can implement such a change”.
Contractors should be compelled to revisit the site after a suitable period and re-patch any subsided work or broken down asphalt, preferably monitored by an independent officer from the responsible authority.
Graeme Daniels, Balwyn North
A true teacher’s views
How refreshing to read Emma Macey’s article – “Students still need old-school education” (Comment, 16/11). Not only did she display a profound understanding of how students learn. It was also a welcome change to read the views on education of a practising teacher, rather than some so-called expert from a think tank with minimal, if any, classroom experience.
Mike Smith, Croydon
Mathematical mistakes
I am writing as a senior maths teacher of 34 years’ experience (and a head of mathematics for over 24 years). The “potential” errors in the VCE specialist maths exam (The Age, 11/11) are, in fact, actual mathematical errors, and the “levelling of the playing field” as described by the Mathematical Association of Victoria has been a bit of a scourge, creating potholes in the field, instead, unfortunately.
Jennifer McKinnon, Box Hill North
Dangerous, toxic mix
The AFL has failed to realise that a mixture of sport and betting is toxic and may well lead to corruption. Ethics need to replace greed in footy. The integrity of the game demands that betting be prohibited.
Martin Newington, Aspendale
Big companies, take note
Perhaps Optus, Medibank and other collectors of our data and personal information could take a lesson from the algorithms and technology-based warning system used by betting agencies (The Age, 16/11). These had no problem in recognising, and quickly acting on, alleged betting irregularities for the Brownlow Medal.
Catherine Healy, Brighton
Please show us the jobs
Out here in Wyndham, the state government gives us a “growth corridor” so we can house a projected 40 per cent population increase by 2040 but has taken away much of our control over zoning and planning. It gives us most of Melbourne’s sewage, and a great deal of its suburban kerbside waste. We also have a disproportionate share of prisons and youth detention centres.
What we do not get is our share of jobs and job-creating proposals. The much vaunted East Werribee Employment Precinct appears to be going nowhere. Every working day, many thousands set off to work in Melbourne via the Princes Freeway or by train. These methods are already at saturation. The government must explain how the extra population will be handled without corresponding employment opportunities.
John Marks, Werribee
Where’s the integrity?
Why are both major parties in Victoria competing against one another with lofty promises that, from past experience, we know will probably be sidelined after the election? We want promises that address our real concerns, ensure taxpayers’ money is allocated to the benefit of citizens and which have been developed after consultation with specialists in all fields, including medical, town planning, infrastructure and gambling. Promises with integrity that we can rely on.
Christine Baker, Rosanna
A political young man
I’ve just seen Matthew Guy’s television advertisement where he celebrates joining the Liberal Party when he was 16-years-old. I would say that boy was definitely unusual, strangely motivated and decidedly naïve. Still, he must judge that revealing this to voters is constructive.
Dennis Richards, Cockatoo
Destruction of forests
My shoulders sag every day as I again see no reference to the logging of old growth forests in Victoria in any of the dispatches from the major parties.
The bumbling responses from Environment Minister Lily D’Ambrosia in a recent ABC interview with Virginia Trioli led only to the belief that conservation in Victoria is in the wrong hands.
As we watch the cases play out in court, with recent landmark wins to those fighting to protect our old growth forests from the perpetrators of this industry (which would not survive a week without heavy government subsidies), Daniel Andrews surges ahead with his inane promise that logging will end in 2030. As one forest supporter said: “Daniel Andrews promises to end Victorian forests by 2030”.
Gabrielle Gardner, Montmorency
Significance of time
Scott Morrison’s failure was Josh Frydenberg’s schadenfreude. He squibbed seeking the leadership (The Age, 14/11) not because of loyalty but because of the loss of party goodwill and time. Timing is the destroyer of political systems. Bad timing for Frydenberg produced good timing for teal Monique Ryan.
Anna Cook, Kew
The right to turn left
We recently had three months driving in the United States. Right-hand turns (ie, left-hand turns in Australia) can be done even when the lights are red. How many millions of cars daily sit at a red light, wanting to turn left when there is no traffic, burning fuel, creating more carbon dioxide and wasting money and time. Common sense says this is ridiculous.
John Cayless, Briar Hill
Cross-country looting
Museums and galleries across Europe are bulging with “stuff” looted from Africa, South America and Asia over the past 500 years, but who does our balanced, objective and independent ABC focus on? The program, Stuff the British Stole, will have more credibility if it is followed by a series on treasures the French, Spanish, Germans, Portuguese, Belgians and Dutch stole from their former colonies.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
How Democrats can win
The challenge for the Democrats is to ensure Trump is the GOP nominee and not someone actually electable like De Santis.
William Wallace, Ascot Park, SA
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
Brownlow
It’s ironic that the AFL, which sold out to the gaming industry a long time ago, now has issues with betting on the Brownlow.
Andrew Mason, Highett
Will the latest betting scandal be enough to persuade the AFL that gambling advertising isn’t worth it? Sadly, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Huw Dann, Blackburn
Gambling on sport may lead to corruption. Whoever would have thought that a possibility? Probably just about everyone.
Louise Kloot, Doncaster
The Hollywood-hyped spectacular held in Victoria’s citadel to gambling should be re-branded the Lowbrown Medal Count.
Rob Park, Surrey Hills
Djokovic
The Joker has the last laugh. Bad call, immigration minister.
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
COVID-19, I can cope with. Djokovic, I can’t. What a joke.
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy
Was there ever any doubt?
Geoff Lipton, Caulfield North
It would be ironic if he caught COVID when he was in Melbourne.
Susan Munday, Bentleigh East
Furthermore
Felling old growth forests to killing ducks. Labor, you’ve lost my vote.
Kate Read, Canterbury
Red wave – red ripple – becalmed.
Richard Wilson, Croydon
How can Australia criticise other countries on their human rights record when we lock up and abuse children?
Jane Taylor, Newport
“Series one, episode one, two” etc. Streaming services provide this basic information. Why don’t free-to-air TV channels?
Brian Noble, Ferntree Gully
Why do chipped plates always move to the top of the stack, and chipped cups to the front? Any political correlation?
Rick Whitelaw, Anglesea
How much greenhouse gas from 8 billion of us (16/11)?
Rod Matthews, Fairfield
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