source : the age
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The rise of One Nation’s popularity in the polls is scary. One of the many reasons for the party’s popularity is the Labor Party and the Coalition have little on offer to encourage potential voters to look at them. One Nation has shown that it is a party that is against everything and has no real tangible and achievable policies. It is racist and anti-immigration, and people are falling for it. There are no policies on health, housing, defence, education and the many other platforms the major parties are promoting that Australians are concerned about. One Nation is a party based on fear, putting suggestions out there to scare the nation if they don’t get elected.
Alan Leitch, Austins Ferry, Tas
Ignoring the party not the answer
Your correspondent proposes that The Age, ABC and The Guardian should retaliate against One Nation by ignoring it (Letters, 5/8). This wouldn’t work because a) it would make those media outlets look narrow-minded by not reporting the activities of a legitimate political party (and in the process reduce them to the same level of pettiness as One Nation), b) irresponsible, by not holding One Nation to account where necessary, and c) make them look like they were ganging up on One Nation, which would only support Pauline Hanson’s argument anyway. It would also be ineffective, because most One Nation voters are highly unlikely to read or follow any of those media organisations.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
The horror. The horror
The article ″Victorian pick a self-described conspiracy theorist″ (5/8) reminded me of The Age article by Michael Bachelard in which he wrote that the November election was shaping as ″a classic pox-on-both-your-houses election″, but if that pox were to kill off all our governing options, ″what kind of zombies will be left holding power for the next four years″. Bachelard said it was this prospect that caused him ″to wake up in fright″. Me too.
Neil Hudson, East Melbourne
Another worldwide conspiracy at work
Like One Nation’s new Victorian leader, Warren Pickering, I, too, am a conspiracy theorist. However, my theory differs significantly from his. Given that all the right-wing populist parties throughout the world of which One Nation is one are all fiercely pro-fossil fuel, anti-renewable climate change deniers I would theorise that their policies are controlled by a cabal of the powerful global fossil-fuel industry.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
No surprises in Pickering selection
Should we really be surprised Pauline Hanson has appointed a conspiracy theorist as One Nation’s leader in Victoria? In truth, Warren Pickering, like Malcolm Roberts, is the perfect candidate for those at the fringe. As with Donald Trump, Hanson pushes an anti-intellectual, anti-establishment rhetoric that demonises the media and the minorities and has boogeymen lurking behind every shadowy corner.
Matt Dunn, Leongatha
Death knell or clarion call?
The selection of Warren Pickering should, for any thinking Victorian, sound the death knell of the party’s chances. He is a self-confessed conspiracy theorist. This could make recent One Nation converts nervous, but will suit the die-hards.
Greg Cooper, Mount Martha
The importance of money in politics
Clinton Fernandes (Comment, 5/8) includes the quote from 19th century Republican businessman and senator Mark Hanna, ″There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I can’t remember what the second is.” This sounds like a policy statement from the Rinehart One Nation coalition.
Barry Doyle, Portarlington
THE FORUM
Whither our suburbs?
The state government’s new discretionary height limits around so-called activity centres will result in sunless, soulless wind tunnels along our high street shopping strips, characterless concrete towers with no trees or permeable spaces, overlooking of existing dwellings, and additional parking and traffic management problems. What will happen to our previously high-scoring liveable city? Where is the community and council consultation and right of appeal against inappropriate developments that threaten to ruin our suburbs?
Vikki O’Neil, Ashburton
Numeracy needs work
The NAPLAN reports (″Victoria shines as national test scores falter″, 5/8) show one very disturbing result. The results for numeracy from 2023-26 show those who “need additional support” or are “developing” are reasonably consistent across years 3, 5 and 7. There is also a consistent increase in underperformance from year 7 to year 9 in each year. For 2026, that increase for those needing support or developing is 23.9 per cent in year 7 to 29 per cent in year 9. Think about nearly a third of Victorian year 9s underperforming in mathematics. And what that means for their future and for Victoria.
There is clearly something going seriously wrong in the early years of secondary schooling. It is likely that a majority of year 7s are being taught mathematics by an out-of-field teacher. Teacher shortages may mean that the teacher also changes during the year. The resulting year 9 results are appalling. No wonder so many students are disengaged. Fixing the teacher problems may also be a good way to address youth crime.
Let’s begin by paying Victorian teachers properly and giving them working conditions that give them time to work with students who need extra help. Especially in year 7.
Jan Thomas, North Melbourne
Difference a year makes
There is some useful information to be found in NAPLAN test results, but my biggest concern has always been between comparing one calendar year with the previous year, such as 2025 with 2026. The cohorts of students are different. For example, the year 5 students in 2025 do not sit a test in 2026. As a senior mathematics teacher for many years, I always accepted that one particular year 12 mathematics class may be gifted and highly competitive, whereas, the following year students may be less able.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
Sun shines on Sunshine
Congratulations to Sunshine Primary School for its ongoing success in literacy and numeracy as shown in their NAPLAN results (″Little ray of sunshine″, 5/8). The whole school community must be proud. However, as indicated by the principal, this achievement is no fluke.
Victoria has been on an improvement path for many years utilising a strong evidence base (national and international) to inform teaching and learning. The focus has been on the quality of the teaching and learning in every classroom and leadership of and within schools. It has not been a quick fix, of phonics or any other ″off the shelf″ panacea as often reported in the media (although the teaching and learning of phonics has always been part of literacy learning). The challenge has been to stay the course and to reach and support every school and leader. We now know the impact and skill of the teacher is powerful and profound.
The work has involved enormous ongoing learning for all teachers, in professional development and collaboration and teamwork (whether they are new grads or old hands). And ongoing monitoring of students’ learning and development, using all manner of assessments and data collection.
Yes the job of teacher has changed to be an extremely demanding one, but after seeing these NAPLAN results in Victoria they should be very proud of their hard work paying off.
Julie Chandler, Blairgowrie
No Marx for this
Any time you see the toddler-level accusation ″communist″ by a politician, in the words of the immortal John Clarke, “turn away and do the crossword”.
Greg Champion, Montmorency
Old tropes die hard
Both sides of our family hailed from the Eolian Islands, north of Sicily. They arrived in Melbourne more than 100 years ago. I presumed our DNA would have identified us as “Italian”.
In fact, it identified us as Greek, Sardinian, Iberian, Sephardic Jew, West Asian, Ashkenazi Jewish, but zero per cent Italian!
So much for the monoculture. We are all boat people.
During WWII, our family’s “odyssey”, despite having lived and worked here for multiple decades, included racial abuse, disruption of the family fruit business by violent thugs, intimidation by authorities and accusations of stealing jobs from “real Australians”.
This was par for the course in those days.
But old tropes die hard. Opponents of cultural and religious diversity are now renewed and morphing into potential future political leaders.
To look forward however we must look back, to learn from past lessons of fear, xenophobia and questionable conspiracies.
Peter Russo, West Brunswick
Climate strategy
Some would have us believe that, when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow, we can’t rely on renewable energy so we need nuclear power as a back-up.
However, as the heatwave in Europe is showing, nuclear generation requires a lot of water for cooling and when that’s in short supply, generation must be scaled back as is happening now.
Logically, therefore, we need a more strategic approach like reducing the catastrophic warming of the planet before all options are exhausted.
Perhaps the answer is to burn more coal and gas to supply the energy we need. But wait, that’s how we got in this situation in the first place.
John Annison, Lilydale
Come to Surrey Hills
Repurposing and developing the former St Joseph’s Home for Boys in Surrey Hills should be welcome news (″Anger over push to turn one of nation’s oldest orphanages into apartments″, 4/8).
This site of our significant history has been sadly vacant for a very long time. Let’s welcome more people into Surrey Hills, which is so well-endowed with all types of public transport, shops, schools and parks. We may not be in an ″activity centre area″ as such, but there is an abundance of services here for more people to share.
Jane Hudson, Surrey Hills
Torpedo sub-portfolios
Although Premier Ben Carroll has acted commendably to reduce his new ministry down to 20, there remains a need for rationalisation of the excessive 63 different sub-portfolios now crammed into those 20 ministries.
Some arrangements are sound – for example, the combination of energy and resources, environment and climate action in one portfolio makes sense as these are related areas.
However, that contrasts with the jumbled portfolio arrangements for jobs, industry and advanced manufacturing, and trade, tourism and investment, which are split between two portfolios, yet are just different outcomes of or areas needing action as elements of economic development, which itself is shown in a third portfolio, when maybe two portfolios would have sufficed.
And why is prevention of family violence not included in the portfolio with police and crime prevention, and why is community sport split off from sport?
Thomas Hogg, East Melbourne
Potholes everywhere …
Please can people stop banging on about potholes.
Having just returned from a road trip that took us through Victoria and parts of NSW and Queensland, it is apparent that these states all have issues with the ubiquitous pothole.
We even saw a sign in NSW that read “potholes trialling” – we weren’t sure if they were trialling new shapes for potholes or working on a method of successfully repairing the wretched things.
Some suggested causes of potholes range from heavy trucks to extreme weather conditions. There have certainly been plenty of the latter in recent times.
After working on our own remedy, we have decided there is a very simple solution for this ongoing problem – bring back the Country Roads Board.
Graham and Louise Bell, Blackburn
… Even in Brisbane
Victoria’s Liberal promises to fix potholes could be treated with scepticism. Brisbane has had 20 years of Liberal government. Yet in inner Brisbane some potholes seem to reach to the centre of the Earth.
Glenn Wood, Bardon, Qld
An election possibility
Why has no one been honest about the possibility of a hung parliament after the November state election? I was living in Tasmania in 1989 when the ALP and the Tasmanian Greens had to form a government because that is what the voting public determined in their voting at the election.
The reality is that if Pauline Hanson’s party gains the relevant numbers then they will have to govern with one of the major parties. That is our democracy at work. That is why voters need to understand this possibility when they vote on November 28.
Maree Williams, Kew
In whose interests?
I agree with your correspondent (Letters, 5/8). Just because someone is super wealthy does not mean they have the best interests of the community at heart. In fact, they often get rich by self-interest. Not the best quality for politics.
Kim Abrahams, Fairhaven
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
Should One Nation be known as One News?
George Reed, Wheelers Hill
There are conspiracy theorists galore for One Nation party opponents to explore. Warren Pickering is one such person.
Eric Palm, Gympie, Qld
The contrast between the One Nation candidates and what they believe in and the exemplary work of independent senator David Pocock, in regard to wagering and taxation, is extraordinary.
Peter Baddeley, Portland
If Pauline Hanson is moderately successful at the Victorian and next federal election, all the major parties have only themselves to blame.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill
Furthermore
New Zealand has shown us the way on greyhound racing. How long will it be before the industry is shut down in Australia?
John Walsh, Watsonia
Gambling advertising in any form should be banned, and we need a powerful federal industry regulator. Full stop.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
With children struggling with the basics of learning, let’s help them by stopping confusing fads like using “learning” as a noun.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Re potholes, the only way to fix the problem is to run annual Tour de Victoria bicycle races.
Keith Robinson, Glen Waverley
If all Jetstar passengers paid for overhead luggage storage there would be no improvement in boarding and in punctual departures.
Virginia Heller, St Kilda
Not sure the world could cope if Donald Trump won the mid-terms as Clinton Fernandes (Comment, 5/8) suggests.
Marie Nash, Balwyn
Finally
It is the little things in life that matter. Every morning, rain or shine, a kindly neighbour picks up our delivered newspapers and puts them on top of our letter box.
Susan Munday, Bentleigh East
