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THE PANDEMIC
Mandates seem to have passed their use-by date
After more than two years of this pandemic, I am sure that nearly everyone knows wearing a mask and social distancing reduce the spread of COVID and other respiratory diseases. But it is also true that when given a choice most people don’t wear masks and many also resent being told to – seeing it as an infringement of civil liberties, creeping authoritarianism or just something they find physically or emotionally challenging. This appears to be a worldwide phenomenon.
Instead of demanding the reimposition of mandates and legal penalties, it would perhaps be more helpful if those who are experts give some thought to why there is a difference between what we know and how we choose to behave, and how best to resolve it. I suspect the answer lies more in psychology and sociology than in politics, laws, medical science or the advertising industry.
Mandates can’t be a long-term solution, and have probably already passed their use-by date even for short-term effectiveness because of the widespread unpopularity of such measures. We need a better way forward.
Tim Shirley, Benalla
Let’s see some leadership by example
Perhaps if politicians and other so called “influencers” are seen in public with masks, it would make a bigger statement than just saying it is people’s responsibility to do the right thing.
All you have to do is look at public transport to see how effective relying on people to “do the right thing” is.
Marie Nash, Balwyn
The government needs to act
More Australians per capita are dying of COVID than in the US or UK and more Victorians are dying than in any other state in the country (“Calls for action on COVID deaths”, The Sunday Age, 10/7).
With the state election only a few months away, it seems that the not-so-popular premier, and those around him, are unwilling to take the public health measures that would reduce the pressure on the hospital system, the new outbreaks in nursing homes, business staffing uncertainty and the threat to the immune-compromised and the elderly.
The government needs to act.
Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills
Wearing a mask is not being ‘paranoid’
Your correspondent’s use of the term “paranoid” in reference to people who continue to wear masks is unfortunately typical of the general selfish attitude in Australia (“Choosing to ignore paranoia and enjoy life”, Letters, 9/7).
Wearing a mask in winter in indoor public spaces is not being paranoid, it is being respectful and supportive of those who may be more vulnerable.
Julie Perry, Highton
Where is the balance between risk and protecting us?
COVID cases are rising rapidly in most states and our hospitals are under significant pressure, yet the federal government is allowing unvaccinated travellers to enter the country while asking Australians to get their third or fourth shot of vaccine.
Try bringing a salami through the border and see how you go. Where is the balance between risk and protecting our citizens?
Geoff Oliver, Malvern East
We haven’t benefited from the transfer of control
How have Victorians benefited by Daniel Andrews removing control of the pandemic response from experts who know what they are dealing with and can give excellent guidance and awareness of risks and transferring it to a government minister who seems reluctant to address the current state of deaths and hospital admissions.
Is this decision for the wellbeing of Victorians or is the government ignoring the issue for political reasons? Election year, anyone?
Christine Baker, Rosanna
THE FORUM
The heart of the issue
Once again the brilliant Pavlidis cartoon gets to the heart of the issue (“We need heretics in China debate”, Comment, 9/7).
We are looking, seemingly unquestioningly, to America for support in “our region” when the latter’s stability and strength is in decline: democratic principles appear increasingly under threat from vested interests such as the gun lobby, arms manufacturers, fossil fuel magnates and the religious right.
We criticise China for its failure to condemn Vladimir Putin for his war on Ukraine, but remain silent, for example, on India’s.
The AUKUS deal, brokered by the former government, projects our alliances into a far-off and far-from-certain future. For whose benefit was it instigated? The billions we will spend on the submarines would be so much better used now, for people and for peace.
Thank you, Matthew Knott, for bringing to our attention the ideas from the “heretic” Hugh White, who tells an alternative story about us and China.
“AUKUS, he says, is tying Australia closer to the US when it should be pursuing a more nimble, independent foreign policy.” The man in the middle of Jim Pavlidis’ cartoon looks powerless; but he doesn’t have to be.
Fiona Colin, Malvern East
Western triumphalism
Ben Marlow (“Putin’s desperation on show as he slowly loses the financial battle”, Comment, online, 8/7) typifies the triumphalism that Western observers of the Ukraine war are prone to indulge in.
Pointing to the Russian planned revival of the local Moskvich car following Renault’s withdrawal from the country, he proposes that this demonstrates “Russia’s self-inflicted relegation from global superpower to failed third-rate state and international pariah”. The country with the fanciest cars wins, it seems.
Let us hope that wiser heads in the West recall that Russia still has nuclear weapons, and those might turn out to be fancier than those in the arsenals of the West.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Shortchanged on hours
Melbourne’s Royal Botanic Gardens provide a pleasant and relaxing daytime environment, but this facility has now had its hours curtailed to accommodate setting up a light show until August 8.
As it is still daylight now until after 5pm, it seems a pity to close the gardens at 3pm each day (except Mondays and Tuesdays). This can be a restrictive exclusion for families and those who work weekdays.
The gardens management should review this new practice to ensure that, in future years, the gardens are open to all during daylight hours, as in the past.
Philip Derham, Surrey Hills
The right to decide is ours
I am sorry, John Ridley, but I really don’t want men as members of my women-only club (“Men-only clubs need to adopt change”, Comment, 9/7).
We like men, most of us, and we invite them to dinner, parties, lunch, interesting speakers, generally to any and all events open to guests. But if they were there from 9am to closing, at our book groups, our circles, reading the paper in our club room, lunching in the dining room, the dynamic in our club would be entirely different. We might even behave differently.
Our members are amazingly diverse and forward-thinking, and anyone who believes that we can be “progressive” only by having both genders as members needn’t bother to join.
I believe that we have the right to decide the criteria for club membership. That is, after all, what most clubs are about. Melbourne’s men-only clubs should be afforded the same right.
Carol des Cognets, East Melbourne
They’re not visitors
Possums don’t pack a suitcase and arrive in suburbia because their habitats are being destroyed (Letters, 8/7 and 9/7).
These are suburban born and bred creatures, who have adapted so well they are now in plague proportions.
Ralph Frank, Malvern East
Working with the possums
We live in Elsternwick and have a normal home with a back garden in which a beautiful, decades-old liquidambar is the centrepiece. Our garden has quite a few Australian plants and attracts both native birds and the usual pigeons, mynas, and assorted others. We also have possums, both brushtails and ringtails. We love them.
For years we have adopted the practice of feeding them. Every night they get half a banana and half a granny smith (both sliced), served on a small bird-feeder platform, which hangs from a branch of the liquidambar.
After dark the possums come down to feed. After some time, they became very tame and could be fed by hand, something kids and (especially overseas) visitors love to watch. The possums don’t mind torchlight at all.
The end result of this is that “our” possums (they are territorial) don’t eat anything in the garden other than the food we put out for them (save some new shoots on the liquidambar in early spring).
We can’t guarantee this approach as a solution for your frustrated correspondents, but it’s certainly a humane one worth trying.
Peter and Elisabeth Turner, Elsternwick
Our work is cut out for us
A mate who commits an act that impacts negatively on you immediately violates that friendship, losing the trust, which takes a lot of effort to restore, if ever. Our government in the recent past has violated the friendship of our island “family” by selfish acts over energy rights in the Timor Sea and discounting the rising sea implications of climate change.
So is it any wonder they must question whether Australia should remain their first country of choice over others who have blatant ulterior motives?
We have a lot of fence mending ahead of us and we can only hope that Penny Wong and Anthony Albanese are successful in those endeavours.
David Anderson, Geelong West
It’s not a recycling bin
Various high-profile AFL figures, including recently Mick Malthouse and Eddie McGuire as well as a number of vocal AFL presidents, believe Tasmania is not worthy of its own AFL team and deserves only a recycled version of a struggling Melbourne club.
As an ex-pat but proud Tasmanian, I want to see the green gold and rose finally running out against the Tigers, Pies and Blues as a standalone AFL team.
Tasmania is not an AFL recycling bin. It is not Tasmania’s job to rescue a Melbourne club, which is such a patronisingly Melbourne perspective. The state deserves its own team because of its AFL/VFL history and contribution to the sport over nearly 150 years.
Tasmanians will support their own team and only good will flow; it will be a win for the state and for the game.
So, please, no more talk of relocating struggling Melbourne teams, or the token offering of a few Kangaroos and Hawks games in Hobart and Launceston, like scraps thrown to hungry seagulls. Tasmanians want their own team, nothing less.
Mark Slater, Melba, ACT
Wearing masks is sensible
Let’s get selfish: any one of us can need the services of an ambulance, hospital, doctors and nurses from one moment to another.
Right now they are stretched to the limit. So let’s make sure they can be there for us by masking in indoor settings and making sure we have all our boosters in a timely manner.
Ruja Varon, Malvern
He can’t take a trick
Daniel Andrews was castigated by sections of the media and the moribund opposition for going too hard in his attempt to control the spread of COVID. Now he is being criticised for not doing enough to curtail its impact.
Damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
You ride and injure, you pay
It’s time to make all players in the e-scooter game take responsibility. During the trial, scooter companies should be funding compliance officers and authorities should be closing the loopholes that allow medical bills to be rejected because riders are not obeying the law.
Scooters that can’t travel faster than 10km/h and large plates displaying an identification number that can be seen from a reasonable distance would have to be an improvement.
I, for one, would contribute to a GoFundMe campaign to assist Julia Miller in suing the rider who injured her (“How a run-in with an e-scooter cost a pedestrian months of pain and $15,000”, The Age, 9/7).
You ride, you injure, you pay. Only fair, I reckon.
If you’re going to make money from this business or have the convenience of this form of transport, you don’t get to leave some other poor person literally footing the bill.
Scooters – great. Taking responsibility – even greater.
Susan Hunter, Launceston, Tas.
That’s entertainment
How was work, Mum?
I got yelled at, and humiliated. Then someone was spat at, and another woman was abused.
That’s an unsafe workplace, Mum.
No, love, it’s sport. They call it entertainment.
John Singleton, South Melbourne
We could help
Fijians living and working here in Australia are concerned that they may not be able to vote in their national elections later this year. This is something they should not have to lose sleep over.
The Australian Electoral Office has a fine record of running trusted electoral processes, with experience in mobile booths and an established network of offices.
Pacific Island nations are very stretched economically and it would be an excellent gesture from the Australian government to put in place a mechanism to enable islander expatriates to vote in their national elections.
It is this kind of foreign aid that will not only provide stability for the many island nations, but also ensure our continuing goodwill within our Pacific “family”.
On a more humorous note, maybe we could also offer to conduct elections for the United States – for a fee, of course.
David Hassett, Blackburn
AND ANOTHER THING
The possum problem
Try the electronic strobe light and ultrasonic contraption. I’ve used it successfully on possums for several years (Letters 8/7 and 9/7).
John Gordon-Kirkby, Mornington
Coronavirus
Just because you’re not paranoid, doesn’t mean that the coronavirus isn’t out to get you (“Choosing to ignore paranoia and enjoy life”, Letters, 9/7).
Brian Collins, Cardigan
Mandate masks and hopefully avoid a lockdown.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
Non-maskers know the facts and make their own selfish decisions. They are completely responsible for this disturbing lack of consideration for others. Don’t blame the government.
Margaret Ward, Sorrento
Current COVID cases in Victoria are about 55,000, which is less than 1 per cent of our total population of about 6.6 million. In other words, more than 99 per cent of Victorians don’t have COVID. Perhaps that explains the general lack of concern.
John Laurie, Riddells Creek
Politics
The UK has a lot to learn from Australia about removing unwanted prime ministers. Firstly, don’t stretch it out.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
The Russian and Chinese ruling parties, like the Liberal Party in Australia, would be vastly better for their countries if they had much higher female representation.
John Walsh, Watsonia
Furthermore
The main problem with The Drum is that it prioritises diversity of identity over diversity of opinion.
Geoff Feren, St Kilda East
An Ellen Fanning fan here. I love how she makes The Drum a conversation between equals rather than acting as a referee among strangers.
Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn
Finally
Passport renewal submitted June 15 and Australia Post delivered it on July 7. Great service by the Australian passport office and the post.
Robert Hutchings, Kew
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