source : the age
Credit: Matt Golding
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Walk for the truth
It’s well past time that we heard truth telling about the lives of First Nations people since settlement (“After 191 years, long walk for truth takes 400 km”, 24/5). The staff of the Yoorrook Justice Commission have been hearing these truths for some years, mostly without publicity. Many are unaware of this dark history. It is so important that the Reservoir East Primary School with its many Indigenous children and teachers publicises the commission’s work and celebrates the final stage of the commission’s report to parliament on June 18 by walking the last leg on that day.
If truth telling had been heard before the Voice referendum perhaps Australia would have voted for a Voice to parliament. Indigenous people are best placed to advise what will work to Close the Gap. Why don’t we join the 4000 already registered for this walk (see Yoorrook Justice Commission website) and walk part of it with our First Nations people? Or join the ceremony at the end at Parliament House on June 18.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Beaches need protecting
What a retrograde step of councils to abandon selective hand cleaning in favour of indiscriminate mechanical raking (″Seaweed stink ends cleaning of peninsula beaches by hand″, 21/5). I commend the hand-cleaning trial and hope it continues for the majority rather than minority of sites.
Our beaches are not just for the view, they are part of a larger ecosystem in need of protection. I am dismayed that beachside residents prefer to look at a picture perfect beach, but have no understanding or appreciation of the environment. The habitat and nutrients provided by seaweed are essential. Why waste and create another problem with landfill? We need to stop taking and instead give back by cleaning up our industrial mess and leaving the seaweed and natural debris alone. What’s next, complaining that the beach is too sandy and the water too salty?
Belinda Isles, Ormond
It’s all mental
The Liberal and National parties have a new theme song – If You Leave Me Can I Come Too by Mental as Anything.
Peter Heffernan, Balaclava
The bigger issues
The article ″Australians can’t stand sore losers. How did politicians miss the memo?″ (23/5) makes some extremely important points in support of our long-stable and healthy democracy.
Sour grapes and a desire for ″their representation″ and not more representation does not justify a fundamental change to the voting system. Historically, those in a losing position after an election have been gracious in their acceptance of defeat, duly recognising and accepting the merits of the system. This includes prime ministers and opposition leaders. There will always be losers and there must always be the opportunity for the electorate to move when necessary to restore a balance that favours the centre and not the extremes as happens in some other countries.
With so many bigger issues to deal with, government processes should not be distracted by this unwanted argument. Let’s instead focus on climate change, energy security, tax reform and restructuring of education funding.
Robert Brown, Camberwell
No peace in appease
Note to Liberals: appeasement never works.
Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg Heights
Fear the Menzies’ era
Following the disarray within the Liberal Party, there is a concerted demand that it embrace the days and ways of Robert Menzies, as if this would magically reveal the sunny uplands of yore and the party would assume its natural place in government. That would be a mistake.
The reign of Menzies was neither moderate nor industrious. He tried to proscribe the Communist Party, tied the nation to Western imperialism which led to unqualified support for apartheid in South Africa and the sending of conscripts to aid the United States’ war on Vietnam. He choked our collective imagination.
Menzies ensured he was surrounded by lesser men (only Enid Lyons would briefly serve) in his ministries, a strategy that left the country in the unsteady hands of John Gorton and William McMahon. Public spending on infrastructure was minimal and Menzies was content to preside over a commodities-based economy. Little wonder Donald Horne’s The Lucky Country employed that ironic title. As he wrote: a nation “run mainly by second-rate people who share its luck”. Let’s not go back there.
Kevin Summers, Bentleigh
The rich are doing OK
Well I’ve heard it all now. Millionaires and their supporters are concerned that the proposed changes to the superannuation law taxing more fairly super balances of $3million or more will affect the young in 30-plus years is ridiculous. Many changes will take place in these coming years.
Should we further aid the rich who have benefited from negative gearing and a taxation system that gives them advantages that average taxpayers can only dream of?
Felix Carra, Ivanhoe
Tips on rubbish
Most people are not aware but tip owners have to pay the state government almost $150 per tonne of rubbish taken to tips. This amount increases every year. The tips’ owners will naturally increase their fees to cover this expense. It is always the poor end user who ends up paying the extra cost. This is why people dump rubbish on the side of deserted roads.
Councils can help the situation by having more vouchers to help people get rid of rubbish. They should also pick up rubbish dumped on roads as quickly as possible. This is the same for graffiti. The longer graffiti is allowed to stay on walls and buildings the more graffiti there will be.
Dominic Cutroni, Williamstown
Retaliation calculus
After the initial terrible attacks and slaughter of people by Hamas most people expected and understood Israel would retaliate. But I, like many people, have become increasingly appalled at the killing of children who could not possibly have any influence over Hamas to end this conflict, yet they are victims of the Israeli response.
To those who express justification for these atrocities as “Hamas hides behind civilians so it is their fault” I say this: if you saw someone who had committed a terrible evil against you standing on the other side of a playground and there were 100 innocent children between you and them would you drive through those children, killing every one them, in order to run down that person?
Surely not.
David Parker, Geelong West
Is this hope?
Your correspondents (Letters, 23/5) rightly point to the unbearable suffering in Gaza.
It is hoped the proposed US-backed mechanism to deliver aid via the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – secured by Israeli forces and private contractors – is a practical step forward. It seeks to ensure food and medicine reach those in need, rather than ending up in the hands of Hamas, who would use it to prolong the war.
No country can be expected to supply its enemy while that enemy holds hostages and continues attacks. Calls for an end to Israel’s campaign should ask: what comes next? A ceasefire that leaves Hamas intact won’t bring peace – only more grief, for Israelis and Palestinians alike.
Jennifer Stewart, South Chadstone
Uses of the Weekly
My local hair salon in Hadfield is very similar to your correspondent’s (Letters, 24/5), except ours has a TV and not a radio. Just the other day, while having a perm, I was offered coffee and then, because it started drizzling, was given a copy of a well-thumbed Women’s Weekly, to cover my perm on the way out.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
