source : the age
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When we are discontented and want change in our democratic society (″End of days vibe for Allan’s Labor″, 16/6), we look to our parliamentary representatives and the ballot box. It is never true to globalise discontent along lazy, alienated or nihilistic lines of ″They’re all the same″. ″They″ are not. ″They″ are as diverse and flawed as ″us″. So are our organisations, institutions and political parties. There is no point just whacking the piñata (Letters, 17/6). Our democracy needs us all to decide our voting choices using criteria that transcend ideology, religious affiliation, alienation and nihilism. How, then, do we make good decisions?
Here are some criteria, gleaned from Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitis, that I think are worth considering: truthfulness; making sure everyone has access to land, water, pure air, and material and immaterial culture; universal social benefits; individual and collective agency made closest to affected persons and communities; tolerance and love that brings us together; and ways to ensure everyone has access to fairness and justice when things go wrong. Our question then becomes: ″Which of the candidates in an election is most likely to meet these criteria?″
Neil Champion, Moonee Ponds
Pier review comes up short
The Age editorial (″Allan needs to start listening to voters″, 17/6), is correct that the Premier, Jacinta Allan, must act on the grievance issues that concern Victorians.
A small case in point is the government’s broken assurance to Victorians that it would rebuild the hugely popular and heritage-listed Flinders Pier, which then saw work cancelled only two months before its completion. No explanation was ever offered despite publicly promising the necessary funds a few months earlier. Meanwhile, $12 million was spent on the Altona Pier, which sits in the electorate of the Minister for Ports Melissa Horne.
We don’t expect our politicians to be superheroes, but once in government we do expect they will deliver on commitments and finish what they start.
Charles Reis, Chair, Save Flinders Pier campaign, Flinders
The premier should look to New Zealand
As an active ALP member, and after a dismal performance by Jacinta Allen on the ABC’s 7.30 on Tuesday night, I call on her to follow the example of former New Zealand Labour Party opposition leader, Andrew Little, several years ago. Just seven weeks before the election, and with no pressure from his colleagues, Little voluntarily stepped down in favour of Jacinda Ardern, saying that, ″He was not cutting through, and it is far more important for the country that the NZ Labour Party win the election, than he being leader″, and the rest is history.
This is an outstanding example of a leader putting the cause, ahead of their ambitions, which is far too rare. Ego, power, and unelected factions intervene to prevent what should happen. He went onto to be a fine minister, far happier that he could make an important contribution to improving the life of New Zealanders, and last October, won the Wellington City mayoral race in a landslide.
Max Ogden, Fitzroy North
WFH likely to lose more votes than win
Jacinta Allan must be feeling crazy brave about the election. The WFH legislation disenfranchises teachers, aged and heath care workers and many others that have no choice but to be at work when ″at work″. It was necessary during COVID, but now it’s becoming an entitlement and businesses and shop owners as well as face-to-face employees are not happy. This popularist policy will lose more votes than it gains.
Peter Hansford, Castlemaine
THE FORUM
Hanson shortsighted
For Pauline Hanson to say at the National Press Club yesterday that Australia cannot be a multicultural country is extremely shortsighted. What does she think we have been all along? Just multiracial?
The two go hand in hand. You cannot expect people to drop all their cultural identity, traditions and language when they come to Australia. That is exactly what makes us unique.
For her to come out with such a divisive comment does not help the current societal tensions.
We have people from all over our world coming here for a better opportunity in life, and by and large, we all get along.
Hanson’s expectations of people following Australian values the moment they hit our shores is a bit hard to take considering no politician has been able to tell us what those values are.
I understand that people are disgruntled with our current political parties and what they are or are not doing, but if this is the type of person some Australians are wanting to be our country’s leader, then God help us.
Catherine Gerardson, Tawonga South
No positives from it
There was nothing positive in Pauline Hanson’s address. It was absolutely negative. By the end of her address, I felt I would be better off living in a Third World country.
Denis Evans, Coburg
Don’t vote blindly
It should be stating the obvious, but voting purely to dislodge one party from government, without considering the policies, fitness and experience of a party that may then be elected, is a bit mad.
The only thing that might be said for it is that the new government can’t be any worse than the previous one, which is often proved false very fast.
Voting for a party that can’t articulate policies, or even agree on them, isn’t very smart either. A conglomerate of discontent is hardly the best option for a coherent productive government.
Alison Fraser, Ascot Vale
Renewable fires are rare
Your correspondent (Letters, 17/6) says the problem rural residents have with energy transition is not the towers, but the risk of batteries causing fires. In fact, fires involving renewable energy ″big batteries″ are rare.
Perhaps they should be more concerned about tractors, ATVs, slashers, combine harvesters, hot vehicle exhausts, angle grinders, welding equipment, cigarette butts and other well-documented causes of bushfires in Victoria?
Horse-drawn farming equipment might have been much safer in this respect, but it is unlikely anyone will suggest a return to that bygone era.
Helen Moss, Croydon
Refugees are people
Sarah Dale’s comment, ″Under Hanson, Socceroos stars couldn’t call Australia home″ (17/6), is a timely article given this is Refugee Week. She encapsulates the many contradictions that surround our refugee program.
What is so often missing in the public debate are the stories of those who seek asylum, after unimaginable loss, and then amazingly have the capacity to rebuild their lives if given the opportunity.
People seeking refuge are not mere statistics, but people with hopes, dreams and much to offer.
As the article states, there are millions of people seeking asylum worldwide, yet sadly refugees have become political pawns, especially with populist politicians such as Pauline Hanson.
Australia is a signatory to the UN convention on the right to seek asylum, thus we have the responsibility and legality to adhere to the convention.
It also measures our compassion and humanity.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Extreme weather on way
The Bureau of Meteorology has officially declared a strong El Niño, bringing hotter, drier weather (“Very strong El Nino event in full swing”, 17/6). Combined with a 1.5-degree warmer baseline, this is troubling news for much of Australia. Climate pollution from coal, oil and gas supercharges the impacts of natural weather cycles like El Niño.
Although it is early days, The Climate Council suggests we should be ready for a longer fire season, reduced water availability, soils and vegetation drying out, more severe extreme heat, and marine heatwaves that harm fish stocks and bleach coral reefs.
Individually, we can prepare bushfire plans, manage our water use, and ensure we have cooling options in place.
But what is the Albanese government — which continues to support coal and gas expansion — doing to protect Australians from the next round of climate-fuelled extreme weather?
Karen Lamb, Geelong
This is a deal?
What a deal! Donald Trump has given the world no indication about the fate of Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade fissionable material. There is no resolution on how to deal with future nuclear research and enrichment activities inside Iran, nor whether all of its major nuclear sites will be shut down. And, no discussion yet about limits on its missiles.
Further, Trump has given no indication at all, regarding Iran’s future support and supply to terror groups such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.
What a deal!
George Greenberg, Malvern
This is a win?
Tell me how Donald Trump can claim victory in the Iran war. The US will indirectly pay $300 billion to Iran and free up Iranian frozen assets. The US will secure a peace deal that is much worse and less effective than Barack Obama’s existing one prior to the war.
The US has spent $1 billion a day for around 110 days trying to defeat Iran. The US has created a fuel and economic crisis across the world that also affects their own economy. Republicans are likely to lose majorities in both the House and Senate.
Israel has used the war to hide what it is doing in the West Bank, Gaza and Lebanon.
Trump wanted victory at any price and is now suing for peace at any price.
So how can he say he has won?
Greg Tuck, Warragul
One Nation scrutiny
Your correspondent wonders if One Nation would be as popular if it copped the same blowtorch of media scrutiny as the major parties (Letters, 17/6). The short answer is, it does. One of the more perplexing aspects of One Nation’s meteoric rise has been that it has been achieved against a backdrop of almost universal mainstream media condemnation.
This has echoes of Donald Trump’s rise 10 years ago, where he threatened to “drain the swamp” of what he saw as an established government and media elite maintaining a corrupt status quo, a view that gained traction among the disaffected – the so-called MAGA crowd.
Pauline Hanson is singing from the same hymn sheet, and is using social media to portray herself and her party as victims. Social media is where many get their political news and opinion, not from established media outlets, almost all of whom have been rightly critical of One Nation.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
Call your MP
There is a lot that people can do to stop hoons in Port Melbourne (“It’s impossible to get a decent sleep in this bayside suburb”, 17/6). The best thing is to ring or email the local member and tell them that unless they do something about the problem, thousands of people will not be voting for the same party in November. This will immediately solve the problem.
Members in safe seats know that they don’t have to do anything about any problem because they will always be elected, election after election after election.
People complain bitterly about a problem but at election time, they continually vote for the same party.
Dom Cutroni, Williamstown
Talking as a solution
How wonderful that Ryan Martin has written a book promoting discussion rather than altercation between parents, teachers and principals (″What teachers wish the parents of ‘problem children’ could recognise″, 16/6).
When one of my sons was in
high school, he came home incensed that his science teacher had said to the class that everyone in the front row, you are all excellent students and will go to university.
She then noticed my son also sitting in the front row and then corrected herself to say, ″except you Fred″.
As parent-teacher interviews were the next week, I approached this teacher with caution and said I was concerned there was awkwardness between her and
my son and their relationship in the classroom.
Things did improve after that and Fred did end up completing a bachelor of science degree.
Catherine Bruce, Balwyn North
A desperate PM
The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has raised questions about Pauline Hanson’s suitability to represent Australia internationally.
This is desperation from the prime minister. It will win zero votes.
The electorate does not care about foreign affairs, especially in current circumstances when living standards are under serious stress.
It is also sad, because Albanese has suffered at least one episode of foreign policy embarrassment. He went to Papua New Guinea to sign a treaty in 2025, however, there was no treaty to sign.
Alun Breward, Malvern East
Cares and priorities
Every day, there is someone complaining about their lot. We know it’s a ″me″ world but maybe in the grind, think about a family living in a car or a child without their school books, not about your trivial stuff like the new tax system not suiting you or losing a few dollars to make things more equitable.
It’s called caring and priorities.
Nola Cormick, Albert Park
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
Hanson voters, like the Trump faithful, would indeed get the government they deserve. Sadly we, like all other Americans, would get the government we don’t deserve.
David Johnston, Healesville
Pauline Hanson is considering that her daughter be the next leader of the One Nation party and Barnaby Joyce is calling Melbourne Pyongyang?
Tom Stafford, Wheelers Hill
How effective are lobbyists who convince politicians that climate change is not an existential threat when everybody else knows this to be untrue?
Bill Burns, Bendigo
What would PM Pauline Hanson do about El Nino? Try to send it back to where it came from?
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick
″Fire the Liar″: simplistic populism, again!
Gerry Balding, North Hobart
Why is Gina Rinehart supporting Pauline Hanson?
Bruce Dudon, Woodend
The Coalition is right to be angry with Labor government over its broken promises. That’s traditionally been Liberals’ territory. Work your own side of the street prime minister.
Greg Abramovitch, Portarlington
Furthermore
I now understand what the public expects from the government: make the prices of the houses I don’t own go down, and make the prices of the houses that I do own go up. Simple.
Angus McLeod, Cremorne
Aussie values on show: the haves screaming blue murder over the have-nots getting a leg up.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Geoffrey Robertson on Donald Trump’s birthday (Comment, 15/6) sums it up perfectly. Trump is a failure in his job and has caused untold harm to the world.
Greg Cooper, Mt Martha
I don’t think, I know I would prefer new French submarines to second-hand US models.
Tony Bishop, Port Fairy
