source : the age
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POLITICS
How abusive of Pauline Hanson to make a personal attack on Anthony Albanese, (″Emotional PM defends late mother from Hanson’s attack”, 14/9). Her comments crossed a line from political debate into malice and shows her true character.
It seems that if she hasn’t got the understanding to strike high, then she strikes low. The personal nature of Hanson’s remark reflects cheap political tactic, and my hope is that voters will walk away from her.
Julie Ottobre, Brunswick East
How will Hanson policy affect public housing?
While Pauline Hanson was making her poisonous comments about the prime minister’s mother, she also said that people should only be allowed to live in public housing for a limited period.
Is this a policy statement? Would she evict long-term public housing occupants if she was in power?
Public housing isn’t free housing. Occupants pay rent, and are subject to asset tests. It’s the same as a private rental except the rates are set to enable those who cannot afford alternatives to have a roof over their heads.
Damien Ryan, Berwick
Hanson’s vitriol an acid test
Sean Kelly (″Is Hastie a hero for tackling Hanson? It’s complicated″, 14/9) questions whether Pauline Hanson’s vitriolic attacks on her political opponents will alienate many of those voters who have recently gravitated to her side.
Pollsters have argued that many new One Nation supporters, far from being hard right ideologues, are ordinary decent Australians who have genuine concerns about immigration, cost of living and housing.
If that’s the case, we should expect to see a drop in One Nation support in the face of Hanson’s gratuitous nastiness. It would be the acid test.
Mike Smith, Sandringham
So many targets for party’s anger
Anger, personal attacks and bad behaviour appear to be the stock in trade of One Nation. Immigrants, asylum seekers, Muslims are among the targets of anger. Veterans and politicians’ mums suffer ridicule and denigration, and evidently, it’s OK to display public drunkenness and take drugs if you are an MP or plan to become one.
Mike Reece, Doncaster
Barnaby Joyce’s changing hue
Of all the politicians in parliament, Barnaby Joyce stands out as one who one would think would discourage family members being brought into any public discussion. There were some who hoped he would raise the standards of One Nation when he joined it. Barnaby, you have morphed from blushing One Nation newbie to a ruddy recalcitrant.
Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale
Hanson unfit for her role
Apologise? Pauline Hanson should resign in disgrace. She is unfit to be the prime minister and unfit to be in the Australian parliament.
Philip Henseleit, Glenlee
Try living on Newstart
I’m with Pauline. It’s a disgrace people live in public housing for decades. I look forward to seeing One Nation policy that ensures Newstart is enough to live on and workers can afford to rent or buy their own homes.
Christine Morris, Wyndham Vale
Hanson’s parliamentary record
I’m continually bemused by Hanson voters who believe this guff about her being an outsider. An ″outsider″ for 30 years? Can anyone tell me what piece of legislation she has shepherded through parliament in this time?
Carmel Boyle, Alfredton
More burning issues
I am a few years older than One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, and spent most of my early years sleeping on the front verandah of a rented house in Windsor until 1951 when my parents were allocated a Housing Commission house in Jordanville. For the first time, I occupied a bedroom inside a house at the age of 16.
My father saw overseas service for the majority of the war, but without government housing being built, I am certain that my brothers and I would have been moved from pillar to post. After some years, my parents were able to purchase the home where they lived for the remainder of their lives.
Housing Commission houses saved a housing crisis back in the 1950s. There are more important things for government than chastising people who live in Housing Commission homes all over Australia.
Ken Clarke, Wangaratta
THE FORUM
End Brethren tax status
The Age is doing its job in covering the secret and effective efforts by the Christian Brethren to disrupt the 2025 elections (“Tail, Film, Heckle,” 14/9).
MP Jerome Laxale has also done a stand-up job of chairing the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters and producing its report. This committee solicited and received many submissions and heard many people testify about the impact of deceptive and aggressive right-wing and neo-Nazi proxy organisations who did not have to reveal their funders or spending.
The government must take action now to cancel any tax benefits to the Brethren, and to change laws relating to proxy organisations. The broader public must also get involved. Democracy and fair elections are precious and worthy of protecting. There are clear examples of what happens when they go unchecked.
Amy Bachrach, McKinnon
Scotch’s privilege
My boys go to a government school on the Bellarine Peninsula. The school runs a breakfast club offering toasties, fruit and milk. This club is open to all, but it exists primarily to ensure that students from struggling families can start the day with a full stomach.
The article about Scotch College, ″Preserving the cardinal thread″ (14/9), describes a different world, divorced from the funding realities faced by most government schools. Scotch buys houses to bulldoze them for a staff car park. It rustles up $60 million to acquire a neighbouring property. School leaders talk of opportunity and possibility.
What goes unsaid is that these opportunities at Scotch and other private schools so often come at the expense of others. A few years ago, I wrote to Scotch College to suggest that the school might show leadership and forgo the millions it receives in federal and state funding. I received a reply, in which I was told that the school had as much right to public funding as any other.
I went to Scotch. The cardinal thread? Spare me.
Seumas Spark, Indented Head
Pause AI race
Many technological developments over the past 100 years have provided, as a side effect, an increased possibility of killing living things. Cars, aeroplanes, and many chemicals are examples.
Obviously, developments in armaments are intended to achieve this goal. The atomic, and later hydrogen, bombs were the horrific ultimate achievements that continue to test our full range of human qualities to control them. While the technicalities of these inventions may not have been understood by most people, the negative consequences of their use could be envisioned.
Today, we are in the midst of technological developments in the digital world of which most people have no understanding.
Artificial intelligence, the latest area of innovation, operates in very important spaces impacting on the human condition: the distribution of information, the control of systems, and how we interact with each other.
It also makes huge demands on our most important resources, energy and water.
We need to stop and take a deep breath to learn more about what we are facing. Not just the experts or those who will profit obscenely or politicians, but all of humanity.
Howard Tankey, Box Hill North
Trumps says relax
I’m not sure which is more frightening: the warnings from experts about out-of-control AI, or Donald Trump’s response that there’s nothing to worry about.
Bruce Watson, Belgrave
Degrees of danger
Mark Gongloff is right. When it comes to climate change, humans are like frogs in a slowly boiling pot, except we keep reaching out to turn up the heat ourselves (″Climate change effects are punching us in the face, yet we refuse to defend ourselves″, 14/9). We simply cannot seem to turn off the coal, oil and gas taps. It is deeply frustrating.
Polls consistently conclude that most Australians want the Albanese government to take stronger action on climate change, but misinformation and the powerful vested interests of the fossil-fuel industry continue to stand in the way.
It may sound like a cliché, but every fraction of a degree of warming matters, for both humanity and the natural world.
The good news is that politicians do listen when enough people speak up. Silence won’t cool the planet.
Sarah Brennan, Hawthorn
Please explain, Pauline
Pauline, Angus and Matt: Post the Nepal tragedy, how you can ignore the warnings of climate catastrophe by every reputable scientist?
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
Rules for trams
Re ″Garry was trying to tap on when he fell on a tram. Three weeks later, he was dead″ (13/9): As an octogenarian regular user of Melbourne’s wonderful trams, I make the following three comments.
The modern electric trams have such powerful acceleration that drivers should be instructed to take off more slowly.
The newer trams are not well-designed in that there are no overhead grips in the aisles. And, although I don’t really need one, for safety I now take a walking stick when I use a tram.
Kerry Breen, Kew
Drive to conditions
Road safety is a personal responsibility and the armchair commentators should always wait for a full report before rushing to conclusions.
When anyone who is killed or injured in a road incident, it is a serious matter for the family and friends of the person involved, and justice for these people is crucial.
As a driver, motorcyclist, and pedal cyclist, I am always amazed at the disregard for the ancient law of riding or driving to the conditions. How often can you notice drivers speeding in conditions that demand caution?
How often do we witness motorcyclists riding close up behind a car (often in the driver’s blind spot) then weaving past cars? As a frequent bicycle rider along dedicated walking and cycling paths, do we notice Lycra-clad riders at a good pace not either carrying a bell or using it?
The road conditions of Victorian roads have taken a dive in quality. This is for a variety of reasons such as greatly increased traffic, heavier vehicles, and contractors taking shortcuts building roads.
Conditions may demand extreme caution such as not driving at or above the recommended or mandated road speed limit. Ride or drive to protect yourself from danger and don’t blame the conditions.
David Hassett, Noble Park
Learn to swerve
Given the current potholed state of Victorian roads, the best way to avoid wheel damage is to leave sufficient ″swerve time″ behind the vehicle in front. Tailgaters stand no chance of seeing or avoiding road damage in time.
Keeping a slightly longer gap at highway speeds allows drivers enough visibility to straddle or steer around potholes safely.
Harley Powell, Elsternwick
Ride as Dutch do
As both a cyclist and pedestrian, I agree with your correspondent (Letters, 14/9): Shared roads and paths do not work. The answer: separate. Sharing is dangerous.
On the roads, cyclists think car drivers are entitled (and dangerous), and on shared paths, pedestrians think cyclists are entitled (and dangerous).
If you have ever cycled in the Netherlands, you will know it is bike heaven. I wish.
But, as a Dutch woman once told me, ″we all own bikes″, and strict laws and separate bike paths favour cyclists.
I encourage your correspondent to become an honorary Dutch citizen and ride a bike. Then lead by example so that when we share paths and roads, consideration and care is numero uno.
Gryff Jamieson-Ballard, Castlemaine
Train your Jack Russell
Re your correspondent’s advice to not buy a Jack Russell (Letters, 14/9): We always had a policy of adopt, not shop, and we took in a JR pup, who became a brilliant little dog – fun, lively, companionable, smart and loyal.
However, Jack Russells need to be trained, and work has to be put in to ensure there’s a clear understanding of rules, hierarchies and boundaries. This is not ideal for people who are inexperienced in training dogs.
Regardless of breed, dogs should never be left alone with babies or small children. We had our JR for almost 20 years and loved every minute.
Barbara Chapman, South Yarra
Postal code
Your correspondent from East Brighton (Letters, 12/9) draws attention to the issue of whether the adjectives north, south, east and west should be placed before or after the noun. The trend seems to be to place the adjective first. The two newest railway stations are East Pakenham and West Tarneit.
And Australia Post which delivers mail to me five times a fortnight should not worry because all should be fine as long as the postcode is correct.
Rod Watson, East Brighton
AND ANOTHER THING
One Nation
Pauline Hanson, if you want to disgracefully bring politicians’ mothers into play, that makes your own family fair game. Before you speak, maybe you need to consider the consequences of the gateway you are opening.
Mick Hussey, Beaconsfield
Given One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s anger at government support for a disabled, single mother (Albo’s mum), what are her thoughts and intentions towards the NDIS? And the disability pension?
Jennifer Beckett, Koroit
Pauline Hanson has criticised the PM’s mother for living too long in public housing. While one might assume Maryanne Albanese would have loved to purchase her own home but unfortunately, she wasn’t able to call on a billionaire friend to fund a less frugal lifestyle.
Kevin Bailey, Croydon
It’s time for Pauline Hanson to ″go back to where she came from”. And it’s high time for the Plymouth Brethren cult to lose its tax-free status as a church.
Anthea Hyslop, Eltham
Furthermore
The ideal place for the police academy could be the army barracks in St Kilda Road.
Meg Biggs, Yarraville
In reply to your correspondent regarding dog bites (Letters, 14/9): All breeds have the capacity to bite. It is how they are trained that makes the difference. I have owned two Jack Russell terriers who never bit anyone.
Karen McKay, Strathmore
Well, I have had the pleasure of living with several Jack Russells, and they are the sweetest dogs ever – must be their owners who bite.
Mary Edgerton, Port Melbourne
On Sunday, I watched the NRL finals and if you looked at the jumpers, the contest was between Unibet and Picklebet. It says it all about the influence the gambling industry has on sport.
Peter Heffernan, Balaclava
Finally
I am mortified that a story of a moneyed, private school for boys was featured on the front page (14/9). Is it still the 1950s?
Robyn Hodge, Alphington
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