Andrew DysonCredit:.

Annika Smethurst (Comment, 26/8) documents voters’ disillusionment with Australia’s major parties. The article concludes, albeit lukewarmly, that the party system ″⁣has, for the most part, served us well″⁣. A lot of voters don’t think so. On the evidence of the past decade at least the system is broken. Independents elected at the recent federal election seem to be intelligent, honest, courageous and personally committed to the policies they campaigned on. That is, as opposed to many major party candidates – apparatchiks and former ministerial advisers, toeing the party line and embarking on the next step in their political careers. It’s unsurprising the electorate is rethinking its political representation and voting for independents.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills

Compulsory voting defence against extremism
Annika Smethurst’s argument that a collapse in support for the two-party system opens the way for more extremist political candidates overlooks an important fact. The two-party system is no guarantee of preventing extremes in our politics. In the past, when support for the two-party system was arguably stronger, we have often had a few independents who have represented extreme and/or sectional interests. Some have even had the balance of power.
A more important factor in keeping Australian politics more closely aligned with the centre is our compulsory voting system. It has been shown repeatedly that most people, when forced to make a decision about who leads us, will make moderate choices. It is only in countries where a large minority of people choose not to vote, such as the Brexit vote in the UK, that extreme political views risk being over-represented.
Bronwyn Benn, Burwood

Duopoly needs major reforms
The view that the “party system isn’t perfect but for many years it has, for the most part , served us well″⁣ doesn’t equate with voters’ responses at the May federal election. A glaring problem with the two-party system is each major party has a large number of ineffectual backbenchers who make minimal, if any, contribution to parliamentary debates. The duopoly is not a system that is serving us well and needs major reform.
Des Files, Brunswick

By Australia’s norms, we’ve just escaped the risk
Annika Smethurst claims the demise of the two-party system raises the risk of extremist parties gaining seats. I disagree. We have just escaped from an extremist federal government, at least by Australian standards.
The pro-free enterprise but egalitarian party founded by Robert Menzies was dragged to the right by John Howard, Tony Abbott and Scott Morrison to become dedicated elitists, so committed to small government they delivered almost nothing.
Menzies founded the Liberal Party following the collapse of the UAP. The teals might be the embryo of the party needed to replace the unelectable ideologues now calling themselves the Liberal Party. Then, we might resume a stable two-party system.
Geoff Witten, Lower Plenty

FORUM

Of little merit
As Waleed Aly suggests (Comment, 26/8), if an inquiry into Scott Morrison’s actions is ″⁣mere schadenfreude″⁣, it has little merit. It might even further damage the already low trust the public has in politics and politicians.
If Anthony Albanese is serious about improving Australia’s political culture he should not automatically grab every chance to weaken his opponents and heighten partisan differences.
Rod Wise, Surrey Hills

Hold to account
As Waleed Aly points out, we are in furious agreement that Scott Morrison did the wrong thing when he appointed himself to five additional ministries. Not illegal, but wrong. Surely the purpose of the inquiry is for the Albanese government to hold to account all those responsible for knowingly and deliberately riding rough-shod over the conventions of responsible government. Some kind of censure is required. Aly makes it sound as though Morrison has done us a favour by reminding us how important these conventions are. This inquiry will achieve that purpose.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris

Reverse quitting
Your correspondent writes of “Quietly Quitting” (26/8) as if it is a new phenomenon.
On the contrary, over decades in HR and IR I have seen many employers that ″⁣quietly quit″⁣ on their employees, particularly as they get past the age of 45-50 years.
They quietly change the shape of their organisations, quietly marginalise their older employees, quietly shift certain responsibilities to younger, less-experienced employees to avoid paying a higher rate, quietly offer ″⁣suitable″⁣ training to younger employees and quietly contract out work previously done by older employees, quietly ignore concerns raised by older employees about process, policy or procedure.
This mostly happens to women. Lots of employers quit on their employees.
John Harris, Williamstown

Blood and gold
It was very distressing to read ″⁣Blood Gold″⁣ (The Age, 25/8), which identified many complexities with gold mining in Ghana. Perhaps most disturbing are the issues of death, poverty and exploitation of a resource that belongs to the Ghanaian people. It illustrates the broader situation that relates to why people, especially from many African countries seek asylum.
Countries, such as Ghana, are resource rich eg, gold or Nigeria with oil, yet the level of poverty experienced is obscene. There is also the degradation of the landscape, that never heals and therefore is unliveable.
Is the jewellery worn by many in rich countries blood gold?
Judith Morrison, Nunawading

Garden of delights
I relished reading Megan Backhouse’s inspiring report about Bev Hanson’s 53-year-old, beloved, rambling, pacifying garden (“The staying power of the ’70s”, The Age, 26/8).
By working with natural surroundings and allowing native species to thrive, it seems Hanson has achieved a wonderful haven and “overall atmosphere of calm”. Hanson’s realisation that few of today’s young people can embark on such extensive gardening projects, makes her story bittersweet.
More time spent gardening would significantly boost our collective well-being.
Amy Hiller, Kew

ICPOTA man
I loved Gina Brotchie’s letter (26/8) about her daughter dressed as a tree for Book Week. When I was desperate for ideas many years ago I dressed my son as an ICPOTA man. Remember him? Don’t all avid readers end up reading The Age? Although not at all competitive about such things I was outraged when confections of gaudy crepe paper won the prizes.
Margarete Lee, Blackburn

Serious reading
I remember reading Patricia Wrightson and Colin Thiele when I taught. These were quite complex and nuanced books, and I had to really concentrate to read them properly. But no one dressed up as a pelican, or a Nargun to appreciate the stories. Later, I reluctantly read aloud Harry Potter books, which I found predictable and bland. It’s not about costumes or Harry Potter paraphernalia, it’s about serious reading and the development of the child’s imagination.
Jeff McCormack, Czech Republic

Pause for the day
Having four primary-aged children, I found the perfect answer to the pressure put upon parents for Book Week. I kept my children at home for the day. Problem solved and everyone was happy.
Clare Harris, Southbank

No costume dramas
Many years ago, the members of the Victorian Committee of the National Book Council celebrated Book Week in a very effective way. Wearing a navy blue T-shirt with a white logo reading Take a Look at a Book, we travelled up and down tram lines in off-peak hours, offering free books to passengers.
The books were supplied by local publishers and passengers were delighted. Encouragement of reading requires access to texts rather than costumes.
Juliet Flesch, Kew

A wonderland
My young daughter went in Book Week as Alice with a dress sourced from an op shop. To enable her to play croquet, a flamingo was made using recycled plastic orange drink containers, covered with papier mache that we made together and painted in pink and black.
The hedgehog body was made from an orange covered with its original bag and studded with cloves. Its nose was a segment of an egg carton held in place by the netting of the orange bag. We had lots of fun making the costume and reading Lewis Carroll. Out-of-pocket expenses: about $5.
Charlotte Chidell, Eltham North

A debt to be paid
Robo-debt was the witch-hunt, Peter Dutton. It hounded some to their deaths while placing others abruptly into desperate circumstances. A change of government might seem like a good opportunity to bandy around a witch-hunt soundbite and sweep this beyond-shocking occurrence under the carpet, but no, those responsible need to be held to account. Whether or not the Labor Party is capitalising on that is irrelevant: the enormity of what took place dwarfs political games and must be addressed, regardless of political sway.
Emma Borghesi, Rye

More than scores
It has been great reading the Schools that Excel articles over the past few days. It would be great if this series had a broader scope than schools with fully engaged students with great VCE scores, such as special needs schools where teachers work with highly challenging students to help them gain independence and re-engagement units/schools that work with traumatised students. Many of these schools have highly innovative programs and committed and creative staff working to educate the most disenfranchised and disengaged students in the state. There is more to excelling schools than high VCE scores and NAPLAN results.
Rohan Wightman, McKenzie Hill

Vital organ
Spot on, Douglas Lawrence (Letters, 26/8) about the need for a pipe organ in Hamer Hall. One has to wonder why the $1.7 billion that is going to be spent on the revamp of the Southbank arts precinct, including the State Theatre, can’t include installing an organ in the concert hall.
Joy Hayman, Blackburn North

Wrong priorities
It is distressing but not surprising to see the article ″⁣Top uni chiefs make more than $1m as student satisfaction falls″⁣, (26/8). The trend towards business models in the university sector has been obvious for decades and vice-chancellors have come to see themselves as CEOs, with salaries to match. Their traditional academic leadership role has declined, and with it so has student satisfaction. Universities need a less business-focused leadership.
Tony Haydon, Springvale

AND ANOTHER THING

Qantas
Qantas might reconsider investing some of its $400 million in a share buyback not in new lounges and planes but in people to answer the phone when you try to call.
Kim Abrahams, Richmond

Qantas gives patrons $50 and announces 10 to 20 per cent fare increases. Huh?
Stephen McIntyre, Parkville

Politics
John Howard and Tony Abbott do the LNP no favours with their commentary. Kevin Rudd and Paul Keating probably don’t help the ALP either. Ex-PMs should follow Julia Gillard’s example.
John Walsh, Watsonia

Why wouldn’t Peter Dutton want higher wages for underpaid workers or an inquiry into robo-debt?
Bill Burns, Bendigo

Peter Dutton, a robo-debt inquiry is not a witch-hunt. It’s called accountability and transparency in governance.
Maree David, Wujal Wujal, Queensland

I agree with Waleed Aly (Comment, 26/8). Scott Morrison is gone and dusted. Let’s move on to solve more pressing issues.
Kon Wong, Surrey Hills

Robo-debt needs to be investigated so that we can have rules to make sure governments can’t do this again. Conventional ideas of fairness and decency (aka “the pub test”) are not enough.
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick

Will Scott Morrison be paid all the salaries, entitlements, superannuation, benefits and pensions accruing to the five extra ministries he was sworn into?
Sarah Endacott, Croydon South

Decline of the two party system (Comment, 26/8) is an opportunity for better representation and governance.
Belinda Burke, Hawthorn

Matthew Guy’s spiel to build new hospitals without explaining how they would be staffed recalls the Yes Minister episode where the most efficiently staffed hospital in England ran like clockwork because it had no patients.
Phil Alexander, Eltham

Most Viewed in National

From our partners

Source: Read Full Article