Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Credit: Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
To submit a letter to The Age, email [email protected]. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.
HUMANITY
Amid all the horrors of war happening in many countries, and many stories of hardship in our country, we need some good news stories that help to lift us out of the gloom. There have been a couple of such stories in the past week. One was in a small township in Queensland where the local council elected to provide a gift of ham to every resident. The second was how the mayor of the City of Kingston fosters children who may not otherwise share in the goodwill of Christmas (“The mayor fostering Christmas spirit”, 19/12).
There are no doubt many people who do similar acts but go unnoticed by those outside of their community. They may not share in any awards that are handed out by various government authorities, and do not seek them, but all of us should be thankful such acts of goodwill and kindness exists, and perhaps in a way spur all of us to consider what we can do should the opportunity arise.
Bruce MacKenzie, South Kingsville
Things are getting better
I would’ve agreed with your correspondent about humankind’s self-destruction (“The road to ruin”, Letters, 19/12), until I discovered evidence that today, anyone’s chances of being killed violently are infinitesimally small compared with the long past, and the trend is continuing, despite the wars, big and small. That’s consistent with whoever noticed that over the long arc of human history, things do get better – even though it’s hard to see. We should keep hoping and working towards good outcomes. The alternative is despair and inaction.
Peter Greig, Colac
Dangers ignored
I fear your correspondent may be correct: there is little likelihood that humanity will make the changes necessary for our children and grandchildren to inherit a sustainable, liveable environment. We have, particularly since the advent of television and its advertisers’ depictions of “better lifestyles”, embraced pleasure and convenience ahead of maintaining a sustainable environment. While at first we did this in ignorance of the risks, in recent decades we have clung to these sybaritic priorities in full knowledge of the dangers. We still have time to stem this environmental damage, but must change our priorities. One immediate step will be to support David Pocock’s Climate Change Amendment (Duty of Care and Intergenerational Climate Equity) Bill, which seeks to make the environmental interests of future generations of paramount importance in all federal government decision-making.
Chris Young, Surrey Hills
Human help
It is extraordinary for your correspondent to say that the survival of the Earth’s complex ecosystem “doesn’t need mankind”. Changes can occur in nature that are not always good for the planet, and such things as managed logging and farming and fishing and mining can actually contribute to its wellbeing.
Peter Drum, Coburg
The end of the world
Recent correspondence highlights the inability of humans to exist within the Earth’s ecosystem. The quote “it is easier to imagine the end of the world, than the end to capitalism” provides a useful insight.
Peter Thomas, Pascoe Vale
Depending on nature
Your correspondent laments that Mother Nature lost the COP28 Climate Change Conference vote (And Another Thing, 19/12). After 14billion years of evolution, the natural world never loses. Only anthropological arrogance and magical thinking believes that nature will just keep on giving what is needed to sustain life despite the unsustainable environmental damage that is being done to it.
Paul Miller, Box Hill South
Peak problems
Peak human is yet to come, but peak humanity seems well in the past.
Ralph Böhmer, St Kilda West
THE FORUM
Think smaller
The real tragedy of the state’s Big Build program is not the ubiquitous cost blowouts (“Agency warns state’s credit rating at risk from project blowouts”, 19/12) but the diversion of funds away from the smaller, often more important, local project that saves lives and maintains our standard of living. The recent death of a toddler on Stud Road (“Crossing plea ignored, says council after toddler death”, 19/12) brings to the fore the human cost of underinvesting in walking and cycling infrastructure. Funds are prioritised for major stadiums, roads and railways because, we are told, people vote for them. In this process there is no room for the projects we need but are too small to attract the requisite number of votes.
Eric Keys, Flemington
Cost comes home
It should have been clear from the outset, but it’s now only belatedly apparent: governments can’t make up for many decades of underexpenditure on public infrastructure in just a few years. Not without serious financial consequences. The current situation has been worsened by temporarily low interest rates in the recent past encouraging even greater overreach by ministers and their political advisers, in cahoots with profit-centred corporations in the construction industry. So much for purchase contracts for major capital works, spuriously dressed up as so-called private-public partnerships. Where’s the frank and fearless advice from an independent public service to provide what’s missing in all this — sound planning and prudent management of public debt, combined with competent contract management?
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
A road too far, too wide
The actual North East Link is needed, and is a fait accompli. However, the need to widen the Eastern Freeway, which to date is regarded as a part of the above project, is very dubious. It should to be deferred until the link road is open, with the need for it to be reassessed at that time. The state government must surely stop being reckless with taxpayers’ money.
Brian Robinson, Ringwood East
Gateways closed
Jago Dodson paints a compelling picture of the significant deficiencies of the approval processes for very large public projects in Victoria (“Repeated transport blowouts a blight on our democracy”, 18/12). However, it is not accurate to imply that all such projects proposed and implemented by the current government have been endorsed by the public on the basis that the platform the government took to the election included these projects. The election gives the voter the opportunity to vote only “on balance” for, or against, a large package of projects. In contrast to the current arrangements, before the 1990s such independent organisations as the Country Roads Board, Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works, and State Electricity Commission developed long-term planning and implementation strategies. There were many more project development “gates” that any large public project had to pass before reaching the final stage of execution – a good thing that has been lost.
Lawrence Edward Gebert, Blackburn
Fossil fuel battle
Congratulations to Tanya Plibersek and Labor on practical steps to replace carbon-emitting coal and gas with renewables (“Labor hails green shift as coal surges”, 19/12), as well as on specific environmental protections. But vetoing some new coal projects does not sound enough. And what about existing mines? A 9 per cent increase in coal exports next year does not fit with the COP28 “transition away” from fossil fuels. It’s certainly true that there was, as Plibersek says, a “denial and delay” on climate action under the Liberals, one of the issues that lost them the last election. But the denial is ongoing, and it affects public perceptions of what we need to do.
The Liberals pay lip service to emissions targets while supporting expensive long-term nuclear (despite having virtually ignored it for nine years). The current political climate may be restraining Labor. The opposition LNP is concentrating (understandably) on interest rates and cost of living. More should be done to promote a strong economy based on renewables. The alternative will be regular and ongoing droughts, floods and fires.
John Hughes, Mentone
Coal contradiction
How can the federal government both hail green energy and increase coal? Obviously, the words and consequent actions are contradictory and meaningless. In contrast, the Greens are correct in pushing for blocking “projects driving climate change”. In short, Plibersek, Bowen and colleagues must speed up the Safeguard Mechanism (for decarbonising) and the Capacity Investment Scheme (for renewables and grid); and do this as a New Year resolution in January 2024.
Barbara Fraser, Burwood
Community-minded
As a single-earring-wearing 20-something who looks like Y2K vomited up all of its worst clothes, I was ready to roll my eyes while reading the first few paragraphs of Darren Levin’s piece on Caulfield South (“We’re Gen Z-free and fur babies rule”, 19/12.) However, as I got through it, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself smiling at the neighbourly interactions that were, if not the same, analogous to my home suburb. It rams home the reality that we’re all just looking for some community. I just beg that older generations stop using the word “woke” as if it were my generation’s bible – no one says “woke”, no one tries to be “woke”, we’re all just trying to be good people.
Renzo Tweedie, Brunswick
A curse
Christopher Bantick is sick of swearing (“I swear our discourse is getting ruder by the day”, 19/12). I agree – and I love a well-placed swear word. But I’m tired of hearing people swear because they can’t be bothered using their vocabularies to think of a more appropriate word. People will also use a swear word as an adjective far too often – often in the use of “like”, another word I hear so much of. If you drop a brick on your foot, you are absolutely entitled to a strong expletive as a verb – every word has its place.
Wendy Daniels, Hawthorn
Choice words
Strewth, Christopher Bantick, get a grip. I have an excellent education, much verbal interest and an extensive vocabulary. I love an invective-laden rant. I just don’t indulge in front of a “person of the cloth”.
Linda Fisher, Malvern East
Sworn secrecy
The only time I ever heard my father swear was on Christmas Day, 1989, when he was sharpening the carving knife and accidentally sliced his finger to the bone, and I overheard him whisper, “Oh darn.”
Juliet Allen, Fitzroy
Concerns assuaged
Bruce Wolpe’s incisive article (“Time right for a Biden back-up”, 19/12), points to two realities that should, by the time of the next US presidential election, have assuaged the legitimate concerns about the dangerous Donald Trump once again being president: Joe Biden, notwithstanding his ageing issues, is a very competent and rational administrator; and the Republicans’ best hope for winning the presidency, the rational Nikki Haley, will be terminally stymied by the irrational Trumpites. Surreally, the electoral implications of Trump becoming a convicted felon are being underestimated.
It is surely stretching credulity to think that US voters could abandon the cherished notion of patriotism and countenance a known amoral criminal as their national leader.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Putin’s rival
Yekaterina Duntsova, 40, a Russian journalist and single mother of three, has announced she will run against Putin for the presidency of Russia in the next elections. I fear for her. Does she not realise that’s akin to signing her own death certificate. Will she be “accidentally” poisoned, or perhaps fall “mysteriously” from a high-rise building?
I wish her luck.
Geoff Lipton, Caulfield North
Unreasonable criticism
Your correspondent casts doubt over concerns about antisemitism (“Glimmer of hope”, Letters, 18/12). While it is true that showing concern over the casualties in Gaza, or criticising Israel’s military conduct, aren’t antisemitic, the nature or conduct of attacks on Israel can make them antisemitic. It’s antisemitic to deny Israel’s right to exist, which is to deny Jewish people the same right – and self-determination in their homeland. Accusing Israel of being as bad as the Nazis is antisemitic, as is aiming demonstrations at or graffiti attacks at synagogues, for example, or boycotting businesses owned by Australian Jews.
Robbie Gore, Brighton East
Revenue raised
Your correspondent provides a long list of costs incurred by the government in facilitating duck hunting but fails to mention the revenue generated from hunting licences, waterfowl identification tests and firearm ownership licences (“Cut hunting costs”, Letters, 19/12). I am not a duck hunter and don’t particularly condone the sport, but this income goes a long way to offsetting the costs to government.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
The word matters
Christmas is much more than a religious symbol or celebration. It is the joining together of friends, family and communities. It’s Christmas, and it should be called that. Hence Stonnington’s “Make Merry” branding has attracted much criticism (“Frosty reception to council that stole ‘Christmas’,” 15/12). Why is it hard for some councillors to understand? It’s not about the money it’s about the omission of the word Christmas. Are we to also surrender what many of us hold dear?
John Lotton, South Yarra
AND ANOTHER THING
Santa power
A local petrol station has just raised its price from $1.69 to $2.19 per litre. Fortunately, Santa doesn’t use petrol. It’s quite likely the petrol retailers will find a fossil fuel present from Santa in their Christmas stockings – some coal.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill
Gamblers’ curse
“It puts wind in our sales going into next year,” says CEO Adam Rytenskild (“Tabcorp wins tight race for betting rights,” 19/12), but it leaves just air in the pockets of gamblers.
David Charles, Newtown
Council costs
Fewer kinders, libraries and sports fields in new suburbs? (The Age, 19/12). So children going to school for the first time will have fewer skills, be less fit and less well-read. Where is the sense in that?
Myra Fisher, Brighton East
Budget blowout
The irony of Victoria’s ballooning transport infrastructure debt – the previous premier stays out of sight.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill
Furthermore
Immigration is a hot button issue, lucky we have the cool head of Clare O’Neil to defuse it.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
With extreme weather across Australia, governments need to be doing everything, not something, to limit climate change.
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick
152 countries have called for a ceasefire in Gaza. I want to know what would have been the response of any or all of those 152 countries had they been attacked as Israel was and suffered the same casualties on a per capita basis.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Stephen Miles is not expected to retain government for the ALP in Queensland. But Palaszczuk was not expected to win her first election either. Listening to Miles on ABC’s 7.30, it would be no surprise if Queenslanders voted him in.
John Walsh, Watsonia
I object to the expressions “more unique” and “most unique” or even “totally unique”. Soon we’ll be hearing “uniquer” or “uniquest”. Oh well, perhaps that’s uniquely my problem.
Pamela Pilgrim, Highett
The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform your own. Sign up here.
To submit a letter to The Age, email [email protected]. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article