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He kept signing off on it
Governor-General David Hurley says he was only doing what he was told by then prime minister Scott Morrison and that he had no reason not to believe Morrison would not communicate the decision. By this, he means communication with Morrison’s colleagues, but what about communication with the Australian people?
Surely, after signing off on the first couple of appointments, Hurley would have realised that no such communication had occurred, or would occur, yet he kept signing off on the prime minister being head of other ministries. He just stood by and did nothing.
It seems conventions need to be codified and, additionally, that the governor-general’s office should be required to publish heads of ministries so there is no confusion.
Richard Trautmann, Blackburn South
Coming back to bite us
The Howard government’s shameful treatment of Timor-Leste is now back to thwart the current government’s efforts to reduce Chinese influence on our island neighbours.
Timor-Leste was cheated out of fair access to Timor Sea oil reserves after Australia bugged their negotiating team. Now China is offering to help Timor-Leste with a gas pipeline and President Jose Ramos-Horta is quite receptive to the idea. Why shouldn’t he be? Australia has hardly been a friend. Other island nations know our history well.
Graham Parton, Beechworth
A known unknown
I was pleased with the election outcome and glad to see the back of Josh Frydenberg as my local MP. Even so, I admire his dignified silence in the face of the latest revelations about Scott Morrison’s trashing of our democracy. Or perhaps, a week later, he’s still speechless with rage.
I can’t help wondering how different it might have been had Frydenberg found out about sharing his portfolio, dropped his loyalty to Morrison and challenged for the Liberal leadership, as many were urging him to do before the election. But we’ll never know.
Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn
Where’s the justice?
The Indonesians seem prepared to grant clemency to convicted terrorists like Bali bomb maker Umar Patek, but offered nothing for Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who were model prisoners and executed for drug trafficking in 2015.
Where’s the justice in the Indonesian justice system? How devastating for the Australian families of victims of the Bali bombing of October 2002.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Don’t forget these routes
Numerous letter writers have suggested that the proposed Suburban Rail Loop could be better delivered as a bus service, overlooking the fact that an orbital bus network already exists.
The 901, 902 and 903 orbital SmartBus routes already cover much of the rail alignment, are frequent, efficient, tracked in real time and have a long span of operating hours. Maybe some of the money destined for the Suburban Rail Loop could be better spent promoting the existing orbital bus network.
Jeff Moran, Bacchus Marsh
This is less costly
Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has said that if elected, he would shelve the Suburban Rail Loop and put the money into the state’s healthcare system. The idea of shelving it has been endorsed by the Grattan Institute’s Marion Terrill and Michael Buxton, professor of environment and planning at RMIT, (“Experts back shelving of rail loop”, The Age, 19/8).
However, Guy should not be permitted to get away with not addressing necessary public transport reforms in the corridor that would be served by the Suburban Rail Loop.
He just might find that if he were to concentrate on service enhancements rather than a massive and expensive infrastructure spend, as proposed by the Andrews government, he could achieve a superior result, at a fraction of the cost and far quicker.
Ian Hundley, Balwyn North
Farm animals still suffer
The European Union voted to ban battery cages in 1999 and ended their use in 2012 (“Hens to remain in battery cages for another 14 years”, The Age, 20/8).
Many other countries, and many states in the United States, are also banning cages.
When producers and politicians glibly proclaim that Australia has the best animal welfare standards in the world, don’t believe it. Farm animals continue to suffer.
As long ago as 2016, a Productivity Commission report found that “the current process for setting standards for farm animal welfare does not adequately value the benefits of animal welfare to the community”. The commission recommended a stand-alone statutory Australian Commission for Animal Welfare to set standards.
Why do successive governments fund an expensive Productivity Commission only to ignore its recommendations? Meanwhile, Australia goes backwards.
Jan Kendall, Mount Martha
A lesson in respect
Our body politic could learn much from the outcome of the negotiations between the North Melbourne Football Club and Alastair Clarkson (“How Roos beat Dons in chase for Clarkson”, The Age, 20/8).
So heartening to observe that listening, respect, values and integrity were paramount in the decision-making process. Surely, a case study for our politicians.
Brian Marshall, Ashburton
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