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PRIVILEGE AND POWER
Time to show some real leadership, PM
Thank you, Peter Hartcher, for your analysis of the situation facing the PM regarding the historical allegations of the rape of a woman by an as yet unidentified person who is now a federal minister (“PM can’t hope rape claim will vanish”, 1/3). As you point out, the matter can never be the subject of a criminal prosecution under NSW state law, because the complainant is dead. And any investigation by the federal police cannot address the rape allegation, because rape is a crime under state law. Your solution to this apparent dilemma is therefore the sensible way out of this mess. The accused man should identify himself and stand aside, without necessarily conceding any guilt.
Morrison should initiate an independent investigation to examine all available material and to make a recommendation on the one issue to be examined, namely: is this person a fit and proper person to be a minister of the Crown? Now we wait to see if Morrison can surprise us all and show some real leadership for a change. I’m not holding my breath.
Judith Taylor, Clematis
Non-partisan women’s movement needed
The patriarchy is in crisis. Women are speaking out. Domestic violence soars. Dispossessed men stirred up by malevolent influencers march in the street with QAnon delusions.
Who can forget the abuse and vitriol hurled at Julia Gillard? But there were women in Parliament who watched and did nothing. Anyone can dob in a politician whose alleged crimes are then dissected and judged in the media while police and the law play catch-up. Such trial by media is a huge threat combined with the total lack of leadership. The government holds itself not responsible for anything while the opposition struggles to put a coherent sentence together. Labor had policies before the last election, but Murdoch and Palmer waved their fright sticks, so now policies are anathema to Labor as well.
Men are ducking for cover, older Liberal women are playing politics – it’s about time for a more formal non-partisan women’s movement to leverage the current nascent revolution into some real and lasting change.
John Laurie, Newport
Step up when you see racism, sexism or oppression
It has been said that you teach people how to treat you. This places great responsibility on the abused to address the actions of the abuser. It puts the onus on the woman who has been sexually abused, harassed or sidelined for work or promotion, to educate her oppressor. It places the onus on the person who is on the receiving end of racial abuse to educate the racist. Not only is this exhausting for the victim, it places them in a vulnerable position as they are trying to reason with someone who has power over them. People deny another’s human rights because they have the capacity to do so. Why, therefore, should the powerless be the ones who have to stand up to the oppressor? If you are in a position of privilege and power, step up when you see racism, sexism and any other form of oppression. Thank you to Sean Kelly (“Power shamed by agents of change”, 1/3) for highlighting this.
Donna Jansz, Beaumaris
Lift the cloud of suspicion
Each time a male federal cabinet minister appears on television or is referred to in an article in the newspaper, I wonder whether they are the alleged rapist. That man must stand aside if for no other reason than to lift the cloud of suspicion from his colleagues.
Pauline Ashton, Maribyrnong
Presumption of innocence argument disingenuous
In an attempt to have the ministerial rape allegation go away, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has used the presumption of innocence argument. If that concept was truly observed we would have no remanded-in-custody provision in the legal code or the need for bail. And perhaps the Treasurer would care to explain how the government has applied the presumption of innocence argument to the people abandoned in offshore detention.
Stephen Williams, Wandin North
THE FORUM
Vote for change
How encouraging to have on the front page of yesterday’s Age a photo of two people shoulder to shoulder – a 16 year-old young lady with an 86-year-old Brigidine nun-teacher ready for a court battle for a better tomorrow. Anjali Sharma is the lead claimant of a group of eight teenage students asking the Federal Court to prevent federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley from authorising an extension of the NSW Vickery coal mine output by some 25 per cent or about 100million tonnes of greenhouse gases, due to the harm to future generations.
As an 86-year-old grandfather, I applaud this court action as a necessary step to safeguard their future. While our politicians talk, we oldies need to act and vote for change.
Neil Wilkinson, Mont Albert
Congratulations Anjali
Earth would be a more comfortable and safer place to live if more adults – in particular our political leaders – had the will to learn more about climate change and wisdom and courage to take real action, as exemplified by Greta Thunberg and now 16-year-old Anjali Sharma. Congratulations, Anjali: keep up the good work.
Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin, ACT
Women’s work
Indeed, Meredith Burgmann’s piece on aged care being a feminist issue (“Aged care: a feminist issue of our time”, 1/3) rings true. It is evident that women are often relied on – even depended on – for providing caregiving for aged parents.
I watch with a mixture of curious awe my own mother caring for her elderly mother, my grandmother, with an amount of ongoing generosity of time that is moving to see. The concept of an aged care facility continues to be a prickly topic, yet with another of my grandparents in an aged care home, there is no qualm that a high standard of caregiving can still be provided outside the warmth of family circles.
Too often we inevitably see the caregiving role delegated to women. A more proactive approach to really improve aged care facilities as a whole in Victoria will benefit first and foremost the elderly generation. The ripple effect for women, men and families alike will work towards improving quality of life for society more broadly.
Stephanie Ashworth, Pascoe Vale South
Inquiry groundhog day
As with a lot of government inquiries, it is likely that the recommendations of this past one [into aged care] will never be made fully available to the public. I wonder if there is a possibility that the recommendations of the past 20 inquiries over the past two decades could be listed side by side with a note about whether they were implemented, and by whom?
Then the public could see, most probably, that the same things are being reported time and again.
Julian Robertson, Mount Eliza
Band-aid not enough
We all know that aged care is not a place we want to go to. How many of us have told our children never to send us to one of these places. Band-aids will be applied after the royal commission report and, like climate change, the government will focus on other issues at hand.
Sharyn Bhalla, Ferntree Gully
Lift our game
April Baragwanath (Letters, 1/3) is correct when she alludes to the home environment not fostering the idea that women need to be respected. I suspect that in many cases children repeat the behaviour of the parent(s). Boys (indeed all children) also need to be taught the confidence to stand up to peer pressure, to be able to say “this is wrong” in their peer group. This can have more than an immediate effect. I recall an instance in the tea-room at my work where the conversation turned particularly nasty regarding an ethnic group and I, after waiting for far too long for it to peter out, simply said “I am not comfortable with this, change the subject”. Silence fell but later that day two of the people came to me and thanked me – and indicated that they had not felt comfortable speaking up among their work peers.
As a community, we need to support parents and teachers by lifting our game.
Vicki Jordan, Lower Plenty
Capitalism at work
It comes as no surprise to learn some Australian companies have a colourful history with Myanmar’s military junta (“Revealing the dubious links of an Australian company in Myanmar”, 1/3). They are simply following the logic of capitalist enterprise: make your money wherever the opportunity avails itself – even in rotten repressive regimes.
Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW
Planning fail
The government missed its target of 60,000 vaccinations by 50 per cent in the first week. Perhaps Greg Hunt should have spent less time making announcements about the coming of the vaccines and a bit more time on planning the rollout. Let’s hope action on the vaccines will not go the way of action on climate change where we are still waiting.
Marg D’Arcy, Rye
IT discrimination
Sue Oliver (Letters, 1/3) writes about the discrimination many elderly people feel when they are required to use technology such as QR codes when they don’t have a smart phone.
An example of technology discrimination is where pensioners are required to log on to a website to complete an online form for a government electricity bonus of $250. The site, and my local member, suggest that if they don’t have a computer or smart phone they go to the library, internet cafe, or get a friend to do it.
I did it for a friend and it is a two-step process whereby you apply online and give an email address and then get an email confirmation that the application was successfully submitted. Then, days later, another email arrives saying they need to log on again, put in some of their previously submitted information and give their banking details as to where the money is to be deposited. Imagine someone doing that at the library or internet cafe where they don’t have email or the ability to monitor an email account for replies. It is just not on. Other solutions should be introduced immediately.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
Safety first
It’s a step in the right direction that food delivery giant Uber Eats (“Uber ups safety for local riders”, 1/3) will provide its delivery team with an app that recognises if the delivery rider is wearing a helmet, as well as providing lights, vests, bells and phone holders. At the same time it would be prudent to develop the app further so that the rider is obliged to correctly answer a question regarding a road safety rule each shift before the app proceeds to organise work.
Questions such as “where do you ride, footpath or road?” and “Do you ride with the flow of traffic or against it?” An understanding of our road traffic rules would give delivery riders and the public a safer street environment.
Pieter van Wessem, Balwyn
Juvenile politics
The Victorian Greens can’t have it both ways. If they claim to “having backed a public health response fully”, they can’t now threaten to oppose a further nine-month extension of the state of emergency (“COVID fines for youth may be waived under deal”, 1/3). For people under 18 to be summarily let off on-the-spot fines issued for COVID-19 breaches is wrong. Anyone who is issued with an on-the-spot fine has the option of having the matter heard by a court. For people under 17 that court is the Children’s Court, where you can be sure proper standards of juvenile justice will be applied. The outcome might include upholding, waiver or reduction of a fine but only after a proper judicial hearing, with a magistrate taking into account the particular circumstances of each case. It’s called the rule of law and it’s not politics, especially not the “juvenile” politics now being practised by the Greens.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Boys’ entitlement
Yes “our boys treatment of girls has been disgusting: prefect pleads for respect” (The Age, 27/2) and until it actually changes I will continue to choose and send my daughters to a single sex school. Sue Lyons (Letters, 1/3) suggests “single sex schools are not good for boys”, does her argument then follow that we should be sacrificing girls’ education so boys can learn how to behave? Single-sex girls’ schools allow girls to achieve without the misogynist practices that are becoming a constant in our society. Until society changes here is a small slice of their life where girls can become confident, fearless learners, achieving without having to fight against the entitlement boys seem to enjoy. Education of boys starts at home.
Michelle Komljenovic, Highett
MPs on wrong track
The negative reaction of some federal government MPs, in regard to the miserly rise given to the unemployed, only shows their disregard for those on benefits. Encouraged by disgruntled employers that firmly believe in cheap labour, they fail to understand or accept the reasoning of those unwilling to exchange their time and efforts for wages and conditions that, at the end of their working day, would only be a losing proposition.
Those MPs, with salaries and privileges denied to mere mortals, will do well in checking facts and figures before uttering biased, uninformed opinions over the attitudes of those refusing to be exploited.
Victor Ramirez, Riddells Creek
Every little bit helps
Perhaps if Gerry Harvey, of Harvey Norman, having made record profits reconsiders and repays the $6 million JobKeeper payments, the government might also have a change of heart and restore my pension to what it was before the introduction of the assets test. This year, saw yet another $45 a fortnight stripped from my small part pension. How many other pensioners financed the “gift” to Gerry Harvey?
Nola Cordell, Hoppers Crossing
AND ANOTHER THING …
Credit:
Morrison
Is Scott Morrison on holidays again?
Joan Segrave, Healesville
Time for another Hawaiian holiday, maybe.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton
It’s time you held a hose mate.
Gary Sayer, Warrnambool
Scomo, the typical marketing spinner, can talk the talk but slow to get things off the ground so we wait, again.
Margaret Sullivan, Caulfield North
What’s the odds Scott will finally act now that sporting identities have warned of the dangers of climate change?
Jack Morris, Kennington
Scomo’s too hard basket must be piling up.
Peng Ee, Castle Cove, NSW
Politics
Julia’s misogyny calls fell on smirking faces … they’re not smirking now.
Gary Bryfman, Brighton
Culture in parliament an oxymoron for sure.
Peter Roche, Carlton
Vaccination
The protester carrying a sign “Jesus help us please” is presumably pre-empting his plea from intensive care after refusing vaccination and contracting the infection.
John Heggie, Hastings
Many countries are going hammer and tongs at vaccination. In Australia, it’s stammer and thongs. Jerry Koliha, South Melbourne
Furthermore
Cheers to those altruistic teens with their anti new fossil fuels legal case – a telling contrast to the government’s climate failure.
Barbara Fraser, Burwood
Bruce was special wasn’t he? We’ll all miss him won’t we?
Rob Warren, Ivanhoe
Crown employees should not have been surprised that fair wages were a bit of a gamble.
Barry Lamb, Heidelberg West
Finally
Does the irony elude Jon Faine commenting that there are people who relish finding something to whinge about. Some people even make a career out of it.
Martin Newington, Aspendale
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