Credit:Illustration: Jim Pavlidis
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HANSON AND AUSTRALIA POST
Power comes when your Senate vote is critical
Your report, ‘‘Post boss made threat over Hanson mailout’’ (The Age, 10/9) includes some disturbing details. Australia Post’s general counsel and corporate secretary Nick Macdonald said, ‘‘mail should be delivered as addressed without delay or interference, subject to safety and other relevant protocols being adhered to’’. Maybe he should explain that statement to those of us who are experiencing delays of three weeks or more for letters and parcels to be delivered, often to the wrong address.
But of far greater concern is the sequence of events surrounding chief executive Christine Holgate and executive general manager Sue Davies flying to Brisbane to give Senator Pauline Hanson a tour of the service’s Brisbane distribution centre. With One Nation’s vote essential to ensure a temporary relaxation in daily postal services is not overturned by the Senate, are we expected to believe the matter was never raised by Holgate?
Mike Trickett, Geelong West
Sorry, patients, it’s Hanson’s mail that matters
Since Australia Post reduced the frequency of its services, I receive a distress call almost daily from a patient waiting for a prescription in the mail. It is taking up to three weeks to deliver post even in metropolitan Melbourne and sometimes the prescriptions never arrive. Meanwhile, the chief executive of Australia Post, Australia’s highest paid public servant, plays politics. She ignores the fact that many people still depend on timely delivery of letters. She appears interested only in making her organisation ‘‘profitable’’, perhaps to ensure next year’s personal bonus. She is oblivious to the harm and distress she is causing. And the federal government does not care. Where is the Health Minister?
Dr Tim Woodruff, Richmond
Waiting, still waiting for our mail to arrive
Australia Post, how about focusing on delivering ordinary items? I promised my nine-year-old son I would buy him a book every week during the lockdown but, alas, those books take up to two weeks to arrive. This delays my spending (and putting money back into the economy) and what little joy we can share at the moment.
Caroline Morgan, Mordialloc
We will decide which parcels you should receive
Why was your headline ‘‘Post boss made threat over Hanson’s mailout’’? What was shocking was City of Melbourne officials intercepting parcels while it was managing the week-long, Victorian government-enforced lockdown of 3000 people in public housing towers and deciding, paternalistically, what mail was good for them and what was not. Did they set up an internet firewall as well to stop Hanson from reaching the residents that way?
Samuel McMahon, Parkville
The long-term damage done to our country
It will take more than a One Nation-branded stubby holder from Pauline Hanson – or a replica baggy green cap from her early abettor, John Howard – to erase the ‘‘hard feelings’’ of Australians who deplore the damage they have done to Australia’s society and reputation.
Norman Huon, Port Melbourne
Thanks, Senator Hanson, but no thanks
Nothing would put me off a nice, cold beer more than a picture of Pauline Hanson and the words ‘‘I’ve got the guts to say what you’re thinking’’ on my stubby holder.
Annie Wilson, Inverloch
All we want is a reliable, speedy postal service
Rather than threatening legal action to facilitate Pauline Hanson’s egregious self-promotion, Australia Post’s Christine Holgate could better justify her bloated salary by ensuring letters take less than two weeks to traverse adjoining suburbs and parcels arrive on time and unbroken.
John Laurie, Newport
THE FORUM
Seeking other humans
Once again our Premier fails spectacularly to recognise the mental health issues of those in Melbourne who are currently in lockdown. When questioned about his self-directed, 8pm curfew he responded that under stage four restrictions, people have no reason to be out after that time. Many of us, like him, are fortunate enough to have a flatmate, partner and/or kids and can enjoy watching television with another living, breathing human being. But for many others, the evening is when loneliness is at its peak. Grow a heart, Daniel Andrews.
Avril Moore, Beaumaris
No reason for a curfew
A direction to stay at home as much as possible to avoid spreading a virus is a public health response. A curfew is a public order response. Melbourne does not have a public order issue and we should not be under curfew.
Caroline Larcher, South Melbourne
A very petty complaint
I have been living in the United Kingdom and Europe but am temporarily back in Melbourne to escape the COVID-19 disaster. How privileged are we in Victoria to have a death toll so small compared to other countries (more than 41,000 in the UK) that we are complaining about Dan Andrews imposing a curfew without the Chief Health Officer’s advice? Of course the curfew did not have a medicinal benefit.
However, people kept doing the wrong thing and we needed a simple method to ease the burden on the police who already have to explain that wearing a mask is not a breach of your human rights. The Premier is doing an excellent job given the circumstances.
Matthew Haysom, Essendon
More than one side to this
Yes, the mental health impacts of lockdown are devastating for many people but what about the mental health impact of opening up and forcing people to go to work while community transmission is still a threat? What about the anxiety that frontline workers will be put under? For example, the apprentice barber who sweeps up hair all day, in a confined space, not knowing if any customers have the virus. How will the train driver cope if Flinders Street Station is suddenly busy again? And the kids who work in retail will be negatively affected if they return to serving customers while there are still mystery cases out there.
Elliot Wall, Northcote
High cost of motherhood
When I read comments like Toni Ossher’s (Letters, 10/9), I feel for modern-day parents. My friends and I are are in our mid-20s to 30s and discussions of future parenthood are common.
But when the COVID-19 reality for parents (and especially women) is the expectation to show up full-time for your job and full-time as a parent, it is a road map to failure. Currently childcare access is denied for most people. It should be available for all and be free. Otherwise, Josh Frydenburg, do not expect a lot of babies from us.
Tara O’Toole, Kew
Sacrifice for common good
My generation of 70s-plus are privileged. We have not known true adversity in our lifetime. Most of us are retired and in a comfortable situation. Never knowing hardship may be why many are so vociferous about the current restrictions in Victoria. Their lives been ‘‘ruined’’ – they cannot play golf, they cannot eat in restaurants and they cannot socialise. I am totally over hearing complaints from these people.
By contrast my grandchildren, in their twenties, whose studies and careers have been impacted, do not complain. They accept the need to make sacrifices under the current circumstances in order to keep other people safe. They have a concept of the common good. Which generation is entitled?
Loraine Shatin, Middle Park
Stop the white anting
The Victorian government’s policies have saved us from certain catastrophe. Yes, quarantine was bungled and, yes, contact tracing has not been the best and may still need to be further improved. However, we are where we are. The task at hand is to stay the course and get from double figures of daily cases to single figures as soon as possible.Only then will some genuine choices be available to us. Only then will we get any dividend for our collective investment in each other’s welfare.
In the meantime, the federal government and its backers need to stop the tremendous amount of white-anting that undermines community support for the lockdown and as such, is a driver for the lockdown’s perpetuation. The federal government’s preferred policies most surely lead us to a future that makes the current difficulties (challenging as they are) mild in comparison.
Tim Thornton, Northcote
Sending MPs a message
Spring is in the air. I am an ancient volunteer gardener for a local church group. On Wednesday I attacked overgrown daisies and drove the pile to the Port Melbourne recycling centre. It was closed to all. Will I dump the pile at my local member’s office? Or on the steps of Parliament House? So they can smell the daisies of lockdown overreach?
David Hughes, South Melbourne
Just what we don’t need
It's great to hear that the Grand Final public holiday is going ahead this year. Now we get to spend another day home alone. Never mind because it has been renamed ‘‘Thank You Day’’. Thanks for nothing, Premier.
Don Phillips, Fitzroy
In urgent need of help
The Andrews government has made it illegal for thousands of sole operator-run businesses to operate during stage four restrictions (and now beyond). Even those that can run safely without any contact with the public have been forced to close. And forced to do so without access to the Business Support Fund.
As such, they have been needlessly sacrificed by Daniel Andrews for zero net gain in controlling the spread of COVID-19. While most people (myself included) agree that lines had to be drawn somewhere with regard to which businesses are closed, they should have been drawn where access to the Business Support Fund stopped. Sole operators desperately need and deserve financial support.
Josh Carmody, furniture designer/maker, Warrandyte
Taking a ‘‘clean’’ approach
Re ‘‘Putrid public toilets’’ (Letters, 9/9). We have really enjoyed discovering our local bike paths and parks and feel grateful that we have them during this time. But as we all are going to be using parks more frequently as we work from home and exercise outside, we really need to ensure that they, and especially their toilets, are left as we find them and cleaned more frequently by council cleaners.
Deb Pace, Coburg
It’s over to you, PM
I just finished teaching a unit on sustainability to my year 9 students. One of them asked: ‘‘If we already have alternatives to fossil fuels, why aren’t we using them?’’ Can you please answer their questions, Prime Minister because I do not have the heart to.
Anna Douglas, Richmond
Prioritise environment
Why is it always individuals and dedicated wildlife organisations, and never our governments, that seem to be committed to saving our wildlife? The brilliant conservation ecologist, Debbie Saunders (The Age, 9/9), reminds us yet again that fractured government policy is driving our animals to extinction; thus, for example, endangered species’ habitat is still being logged, despite the damage already done by the bushfires. So while they are trying to reach agreement on borders can our politicians get their act together on environmental issues?
Michael Read, Carnegie
Learning and human spirit
Petra Stock (Letters, 10/9) says that ‘‘kids isolated and ignored while their parents try to work is not ‘problem-solving’ or ‘collaborating’’’. Surely, when parents and kids are at home trying to get their schooling and work in order, this is a ‘‘problem’’ and I am sure many are succeeding in a ‘‘collaboration’’ and benefiting in many ways.
Learning is not necessarily built up like interest in a bank. It depends, too, on the human spirit. Countless individuals have survived holidays, war, internment, sickness, travel, refugee camps and poor language to find great success. As Dr Emma Rowe, a senior lecturer in education at Deakin University, says, it is too early to measure the long-term economic impact of lost face-to-face learning this year.
John Sutton, Inverloch
Truly challenging Targets
Am I alone in thinking that a Tiger Mum has been put in charge of the Age’s daily Target puzzle? All of a sudden, the minimum number of words required, formerly classed as ‘‘good’’, is now considered ‘‘average’’. And the proportion of words I have never heard of in the published solutions has grown exponentially. Did someone think we needed to be taken down a peg or two?
Anita Ophoven, Carlton
Why I’m not surprised
So a study commissioned for the aged-care royal commission shows there is only a weak correlation between earnings and the quality of care in most for-profit nursing homes (The Age, 9/9). Who would have thought?
Brian Kilday, Jeeralang Junction
A message from Alan…
There is a nightly, changing collection of books on Alan Kohler’s desk during the finance report (ABC News). Is the selection random or is he trying to tell us something?
Malcolm Rust, Northcote
…and a message to him
As an avid reader of Kate Atkinson’s novels, may I suggest two of her titles for Alan Kohler’s desk – Started Early, Took My Dog and When Will There Be Good News?
Lindsay Markham, Mount Waverley
In praise of our Jon
Jon Faine (Comment, 8/9), an astute, knowledgeable and common sense treasure within our society.
Brian Williams, Vermont
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
Coronavirus
My wife grooms our dog (10/9) and cuts my hair. Guess who ends up bleeding.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Re people who whinge about Victoria’s restrictions. Empty vessels make the most sound.
Diane Maddison, Parkdale
It can’t be a choice between saving lives or livelihoods. The path out of this mess must do both.
Peter Venn, East Bentleigh
No Tamworth Country Music Festival in NSW? Bloody Dan’s done it again.
David Allen, Bayswater North
Is Dan, is good.
Gerry Danckert, Torquay
Who knew we had so many infectious disease experts?
Margaret Ludowyk, Brunswick
Judging by the number of people who wear masks below their noses, we’re a city of mouth breathers.
Erica Grebler, Caulfield North
I watched Utopia and began to see how the hotel quarantine program was stuffed.
Ian Baxter, Point Cook
Je suis Dan.
Gloria Meltzer, Chewton
Wanted. Hairdresser living alone for short-term ‘‘bubble buddy’’.
Ian Powell, Glen Waverley
It’s time we had a serious, sensible debate about our federation and the usefulness of the states.
Kerin Greenwood, Elsternwick
Perhaps Victoria could secede.
Ross Barker, Lakes Entrance
‘‘We are all Victorians’’ has morphed into ‘‘We are all epidemiologists’’.
Roger Leslie, Pakenham
The US
Intelligence briefing in the Oval Office is an oxymoron.
Michael Higgins, Erica
If Trump were a doctor, he’d tell his patients their cancer was nothing to worry about right up until they died.
Robert De Graauw, Mount Waverley
Thousands die laughing at Trump’s claim to be a green president.
Ros Gillett, Daylesford
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