Source : the age
Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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The major political parties both have policies in this election to encourage house construction and at the same time assist first home buyers financially. On the one hand, increased house supply will push prices down. On the other, increased demand will push them up. Labor and the Coalition are trying for an impossible balance – to make houses affordable for prospective buyers while preserving current owners’ inflated equity in their properties. They’re hoping to get everyone’s vote. Or to put it another way, to have their cake and eat it, too. Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Uninspiring suits me fine
I prefer a “limp, uninspiring election” (Ross Gittins, Comment, 23/4) to the identity politics and super divisiveness that dominated the recent US presidential election and continues to dominate in its consequences.
Graham Devries, Camberwell
I’m grumpy, and I want my democracy sausage
I voted early today. Political signage was plastered everywhere. I hope that it is recyclable like the promises that are much the same as last election. Some of the candidates’ reps were pretty in your face when they came up and told me how I should vote. Ifelt like asking them that if I vote the way they want me to, whose vote is it, mine or theirs? I felt like how a child would feel when told that he/she knew nothing. Other reps were more passive and that was appreciated. Sorry. Am a bit annoyed. Keep getting text messages on my private number. How did candidates get that? If I’m going to be harassed then I at least want a democracy sausage and there are none when you vote early.
Greg Tuck, Warragul
The conflicted interests of negative gearing
Your correspondent (Letters, 23/4) rightfully asks if Labor MPs can make impartial decisions on matters such as negative gearing when they have a vested interest in such matters, perhaps questioning their willingness to make meaningful changes. However, surely the question should also be asked of MPs who have made millions from property investment. But most of all, your correspondent seems to have forgotten that it was the Labor Party who took reform of matters such as negative gearing, capital gains and franking credits to the 2019 election and the electorate made it quite clear that it did not want any change by choosing Scott Morrison to lead the next government. Your correspondent’s concern and the lack of any change in these matters resides squarely with those who voted for the LNP in that election.
Graeme Gardner, Reservoir
Chaddy’s shining example of the freemarket
Peter Dutton should come to Chadstone Shopping Centre during the week. People are only scared in not finding a parking spot because of how crazily busy it’s been lately since the new Market Place opened. He would be envious as a Liberal of the freemarket flourishing at this shopping precinct .
Mel Smith, Brighton
Spend the money on bike tracks
There’s nothing wrong with the roads around Boroondara and Stonnington, other than there’s too many cars on them. (“Hamer hits back at Ryan blast”, 23/4) That $14 million would be better spent on upgrading the bike tracks in the area. The Yarra and Gardiners Creek could be turned into arterial bike routes as part of a city-wide transport plan. It would be far cheaper and healthier than all the over-budget and over-scheduled tunnelling that’s paupered the state.
John Mosig, Kew
THE FORUM
Race we cannot win
Clive Hamilton (Comment, 22/4) suggests that Australia should build nuclear weapons in response to US strategic decline and China wanting Australia to be a “tributary state”.
Hamilton fails to consider that China doesn’t need to invade or threaten to have easy access to Australia’s resources. At no military or reputational costs, it can just buy them, as it does now.
The only reason that Australia might be targeted for nuclear attack is that we are enmeshed with American military and intelligence forces – Pine Gap, B52s, US submarines and troops.
A handful of Ukrainian sea drones sent the Russian Black Sea fleet to the bottom. We should use similar technologies rather than committing ourselves to a nuclear arms race that we cannot win.
The “strategic defensive” approach described by adjunct professor Albert Palazzo uses missiles, surface and subsurface and air drones to make any attack on Australia too costly for a future adversary.
Max Sargent, Thornbury
Critical failings
In his suggestion that Australia should obtain nuclear weapons to protect ourselves from China, ethicist Clive Hamilton fails to address some very critical details. First, unless we buy them on the open market – a huge worry if possible – we would need to manufacture our own, despite having zero capacity to do so any time in the foreseeable future. (Even Peter Dutton’s pretend nuclear power solution is years away.)
Second, who, or what, would we target with them? Hitting China itself would require intercontinental missile capacity, which we also don’t have. Attacking a blockading armada (a Hamilton concern) would probably kill more Australians through fallout than Chinese.
Third, if deterrence is the purpose, it’s hard to imagine that a military superpower like China, if seriously intent on invading Australia, would be put off by fears of whatever minor nuclear irritant we might pose to their plans. There are other issues that could be raised, but for now the world needs fewer, not more, nuclear weapons.
Dennis Dodd, Shepparton
Make Vatican a museum
Pope Francis was a good man who will be remembered for his personal interactions with individuals from all walks of life. Kings, dictators, politicians, celebrities, the marginalised etc. Yet the world has not improved. Ihave advice for the next pope. Dissolve the hierarchy of the Church, make the Vatican into a museum and donate all proceeds to charity. Let the faithful be guided by their local churches.
Kati Tribe, Moonee Ponds
Madness at work
It’s ironic that increased defence spending around the world will probably support industries in the US, which has the biggest defence industry in the world. Maybe there is method in Donald Trump’s madness in destabilising the world order.
Paul Chivers, Box Hill North
Not a disappointment
The way your correspondent (Letters 23/4) characterises the devastating, disabling and deadly impacts of gender bias in healthcare as ″disappointments″, as though they are minor customer service concerns, epitomises the minimisation of women’s suffering that underpins this issue.
The serious medical consequences are self-evident. What is little-acknowledged are the other lifelong consequences for women whose records are permanently stained by misdiagnoses, misapplied labels, accusations of malingering and disparaging ″editorial″ about their credibility. They are used against women in family court and other legal proceedings. They obstruct them from getting jobs, certifications and licences that require mental or physical health screening. They inhibit their access to life, disability and travel insurance.
They are used to discredit and deny their applications for access to crucial services like the NDIS, disability support pension or workers’ compensation. And most cruelly of all, they are self-perpetuating – robbing women of the right to an unbiased assessment and ″fresh start″ when seeking future care.
These experiences also often destroy relationships between affected women and those in their lives who did not believe them, robbing them of desperately needed support networks.
These events are not mere ″disappointments″, they are calamities.
Jennifer Morris, Melbourne
Lest we forget
ANZAC day commemorations give the nation time to pause and reflect upon the enormous sacrifices made by so many on the nation’s behalf . A young Australia was pivotal in World War I in both routing the Ottoman Empire from the Middle East and in breaking the Hindenburg line in Europe. In World War II the heroics at Tobruk and Kokoda slowed Rommel in Africa and began the defeat of the Japanese empire respectively. At Pusan in Korea and in Long Tan and Coral-Balmoral in Vietnam our diggers performed magnificently against the odds in true ANZAC tradition.
In all subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping missions, our armed forces have served the nation they love with amazing courage and fidelity. Lest we forget.
Peter Curtis, Werribee South
Utes not so beaut
Peter Dutton claims we’re scared to shop due to crime. I’m afraid to go to the shops because of the oversized utes everywhere. The Coalition made shopping dangerous by encouraging people to buy massive cars with their unfair tax exemptions.
Christine Morris, Wyndham Vale
Look to Spain
I am in sunny Spain on a train. We are passing seas of olives trees, occasional fields of solar panels and the occasional wind farm. There are also many eucalypt plantations, so at times it feels like home, except my smooth, sleek and very fast intercity express feels exotic and un-Australian.
The economy here is booming and the Spanish cities are bright, confident and alive. According to the Economist article I am reading, the principal driver of recent Spanish economic growth is cheap electricity. The price here has fallen 20 per cent compared with 2021 since they reached 65 per cent renewables.
It is expected to fall another 20 per cent by the time they attain their target of 80 per cent in 2030. If we in sunny Australia could just hold the line and complete our renewable transformation, we, too, could enter a bright future of cheap energy – but we really need to fix the trains.
Paul Johnson, Clifton Hill
Trump hypocrisy
Pope Francis spent his entire life fighting to uplift the lives of the poor and under-privileged. Donald Trump has spent his entire life enriching himself and his uber-rich buddies. Trump’s attendance at Pope Francis’ funeral is hypocritical and an affront to everything Pope Francis stood for.
Gary Hodgskiss, Warranwood
Hoping for a minority
Sean Kelly has nailed this campaign (Comment, 21/4). Neither of the two main parties are willing to address inequitable funding of private v public schools. Why are private schools funded by taxpayers at all?
And why are both parties bending over backwards to show empathy to young voters – and the not so young – unable to buy a home; offering them ways to get into deep debt with policies that will raise home prices – instead of shutting down negative gearing and capital gain relief for property investors?
Meanwhile, the ALP is not moving fast enough on climate and environment while an LNP majority will prove the death of any progress at all. Let’s get real when we vote, and not waste yet another three years. A balanced minority parliament will have strong leverage and the guts to right these long-standing wrongs.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Giving and taking
Last week driving through regional Victoria, I was struck by the amount of road construction. Although it slowed my journey, I was pleased that the roads were being improved. But I was struck by the number of rough roads still awaiting attention. This is why I am disturbed by any reduction in the fuel excise. It’s the money we pay at the bowser that is used to fund road construction and maintenance. The federal government funds the national highways but passes the bulk through to the states for their roadworks. The Liberal Party promise to cut the fuel excise by 25 cents a litre for one year might well mean that we have to wait a year for those potholes and rough roads to be fixed. In that case, will a saving of 25 cents on petrol cause us to spend more than that on car repairs and new tyres?
Ron Harper, Camberwell
Investment is good
In re to the indignation shown towards people owning investment properties. If you rent, someone has to own the property, and by definition doesn’t live in it. That’s reality. And isn’t it of social value?
Chris Waters, Ormond
Messy logic
The football stadium ″bloody mess″ that Jeremy Rockcliff wishes to avoid (″Tassie premier out to avoid ‘bloody mess’ with stadium″, 22/4), is known in other places as independent review, community consultation and democratic process.
Geoff Collis, Eltham
Saddled with handicap
The best horses are not handicapped out of the Melbourne Cup and they can still win. Pity our best athletes don’t have the same opportunities in the Stawell Gift.
Tony Delaney, Warrnambool
Credit: Matt Golding
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
If crowds at early polling booths in Mornington today are representative, then parties are leaving it a bit late to be announcing new policies.
Dianne Lewis, Mt Martha
I voted today. A pity the Liberal Party didn’t have all of its policies out so I could evaluate them.
David Moore, Kew
On polling day, we’ll get a sausage of unknowable content wrapped in highly processed white bread. An apt metaphor indeed.
Ralph Böhmer, St Kilda West
What’s the point of yet another leaders’ debate? The polls opened yesterday. The horses have bolted.
Wendy Brennan, Bendigo
I regularly travel by train, at night, weekdays, and weekends – and always feel safe. I actually feel safer in a train than I do on the roads. I also feel quite safe going shopping.
Wendy Logan, Croydon North
On Liberals’ preferences, congratulations Peter and Pauline, may you be very happy together.
Simon Gould, Arawata
Furthermore
Clive Hamilton, (Comment, 22/4) in reply to your question: does Australia need nuclear weapons, the answer is ″No″, there far too many in the world already.
Lorraine Bates, Balwyn
After listening to the tributes given to Pope Francis about his compassion, kindness and inspiring leadership, I have felt myself take a deep breath and thank God we still have leaders we can look up to and say “Good and faithful servant well done.“
Jane Cheong, Aspendale Gardens
The loss of Pope Francis is a savage blow to the fortunes of mankind and society. To lose a friend and champion voice of the poor, neglected and marginalised members of society who always promoted peace is a loss society can ill afford.
John Max McCaffrey, East Brighton
Finally
This would be a good time to torpedo that submarine deal.
Paul Perry, Fitzroy North
