Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
To submit a letter to The Age, email [email protected]. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email.
Stuck in limbo
Finally, more than half the 31,000 refugees who sought asylum in Australia 10 years ago but were treated so cruelly will have a chance at rebuilding their lives here (“Visa shift brings relief to refugees”, The Age, 20/12). Labor promised this before the election.
Of the other 12,000, you report that Immigration Minister Andrew Giles is “working through options to review their status”. We need to know what this means, and urgently. Does it mean that those sent offshore would, for the first time, be considered for residency in Australia on humanitarian or fairness grounds?
People in this cohort – most resided in Australia for much of this time – have been pressured to make life-defining decisions to leave Australia, to go back to where they came from or seek settlement in a third country.
Yet they came on the very same boats as the 19,000 selected for temporary protection in Australia who will now be allowed to stay. On what basis were the refugees sent to PNG and Nauru between 2012 and 2014 singled out for offshore processing? Were they, including families with children, just the unlucky ones used to make up the numbers for fulfilment of the billion-dollar contracts propping up the scandalous offshore processing regime?
The Albanese government is showing decency in tackling a wicked problem, but it needs to get it right. If they came in the same boat, they all deserve the same much belated Australian fair go. Treat them all fairly, let them all stay, and enable them all to start rebuilding their lives now.
Jean Ker Walsh, co-chair, Grandmothers for Refugees, Woodend
Clear the stain
Welcome to being one of us, to the 19,000 asylum seekers the Australian government is reportedly close to granting permanent residency. Now it is time to quickly address the permanency status of the 12,000 remaining asylum seekers from the legacy cohort who also arrived by boat in the now distant past.
Australia owes so much to these people for our treatment of them. Let’s clear the final stain on our dark asylum seeker policy.
Jenni King, Camberwell
Restoring our humanity
“Refugees to qualify for residency” (20/12). Another small step in restoring our humanity.
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
A government showing compassion
Such good news on the front page of The Age: “Refugees to qualify for residency” (20/12) – the best Christmas present for 19,000 refugees, especially for so many who have been living in limbo for 10 years. At last we have a government showing compassion to fellow human beings; let’s hope this will extend to the other 12,000 asylum seekers who also need refugee protection.
Joy Hayman, Blackburn North
End of uncertainty
Tears sprang when reading “Refugees to qualify for residency”. After decades of uncertainty, the indignity of living as second-class citizens, and separated from families, there is now hope for the many who have been languishing on protection visas.
Labor is to be congratulated for addressing this long overdue and shameful situation, despite the fact that seeking asylum is a human right.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Christmas spirit
Anthony Albanese might not have a white beard but he has spread the Christmas spirit to 19,000 refugees who will have permanent residency after waiting 10 years.
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
By rights
Australia cannot lecture other nations about their human rights records while we have nearly 200 refugees trapped on Nauru and PNG 10 years later.
Ikram Naqvi, Tinderbox, Tas
THE FORUM
Fresh approach to China
The appointment of former Labor prime minister Kevin Rudd as our next ambassador to the US is as much about China as it is about the US (“Kevin Rudd appointed as US ambassador, Anthony Albanese announces”, 20/12). Fluent in Mandarin, Rudd will be a very handy asset as the US and Australia work to reset our joint relationship with China. Highly respected on the world stage, Foreign Minister Penny Wong’s part in that will be equally critical.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Sensible mission
It seems to me that Penny Wong’s diplomatic mission to China makes a lot more economic and security sense than the constant verbal attack on our major trading partner by the former Morrison government (“Bid to thaw tensions as Wong flies to Beijing”, 20/12).
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Beyond two parties
Excellent comments by Nick Bryant about the merits of constructive governance (“Step towards healthier politics”, The Age, 20/12). Partly via more independent representation, Australia has stepped closer towards Abraham Lincoln’s vision of a democratic government “of the people, by the people, for the people”. A more accountable, inclusive, representative, constructive democracy is indeed healthier. And the health of our nation’s people and our environment depend on a healthy government now, more than ever.
Amy Hiller, Kew
Arrested development
Hooligan behaviour, injuries and flares at Federation Square during the World Cup, and riots in Belgium after its team was knocked out. Now “fans” invading the pitch, throwing flares, and attacking and injuring a goalkeeper, causing the game to be abandoned during the Melbourne A-League derby.
It’s no wonder that soccer will never be the dominant football code in Australia, as is the AFL and AFLW at present.
George Djoneff, Mitcham
Behavioural problems
After the violence at the Melbourne Victory match, cries rang out such as “Football Australia condemns” and “no place in our game”. Let’s look at your game shall we?
I watched two of my kids play for years at an inner city Melbourne club. I routinely saw parents screaming obscenities at referees from the sidelines. I saw almost every decision questioned in some way by players. I saw cheating, faking, threats. One attendee to our club games would routinely need to be escorted away from the game. “Passion” is the excuse.
Lack of respect is accepted as part of the sport, at all levels. Kids learn this from their earliest games. I was relieved when mine moved to AFL and basketball.
If the soccer fraternity wants to understand why violence is prevalent at soccer stadiums, and almost absent in all other sports, they could start by looking at local matches.
Name withheld on request
Caps will be costly
Unable to manage its own financial affairs or contain the cost of living, Anthony Albanese now wants to meddle in successful Australian enterprises by a quasi nationalisation of our coal and gas providers. Capping coal and gas prices will be costly. More than a billion dollars in subsidies to energy providers. The compensation payable to the states for lost royalties, nor the federal tax forgone because of lower gas and coal revenues is known.
Government threatens the industry unless it toes the line. Price caps may be extended beyond the year, export licences may be withheld and it may seek to establish itself as a long-term price regulator of energy prices. Yet for all this it cannot guarantee consumer energy prices will not continue to rise.
The PM needs to have a serious rethink on this matter.
Martin Newington, Aspendale
Worshipping profit
When I first studied economics in the 1970s, we were taught about the profit motive as one of the reasons why people created businesses. Profit was the reward, while for the employee it was a wage or salary. But when was there a shift from businesses having a profit motive to a profit goal? Nowadays they see their primary focus as to maximise profits (and/or shareholder returns), such that the service provided or the goods produced are just a means to that end, regardless of the social impact.
We see this in the threats of gas producers to ignore the local needs to send locally produced gas overseas. Qantas and Jetstar have decimated key services, leading to cancelled flights and stranded passengers, while work has been outsourced to those who don’t share the same commitment to quality or the organisational culture (see, for example, the exposed handling of luggage by a contractor). Banks continue to grow their profits, quickly passing on mortgage rises while deferring on savings rates increases.
Any sense of moral obligation to customers and communities seems subjugated to increased profits and shareholder returns. What went wrong that we now find ourselves subjected to such a lack of community values? How many of our companies are truly good “corporate citizens”?
Gary Heard, Jan Juc
Fall is coming
The higher you climb, the harder you fall comes to mind as Trump faces the American legal system (“Donald Trump referred for criminal prosecution over US Capitol attack”, 20/12). With the weight of evidence against him, if Trump is not convicted the US Department of Justice will be the laughing stock of the world.
Nigel Beresford, Drouin
Speeding doesn’t pay
Your correspondent is correct that fines in Finland are calculated on the offender’s income, mainly for speeding as well as a range of other minor offences (Letters, 18/12). The highest speeding fine on record in Finland is $292,000 in 2004 but that pales in comparison to the Swedish tourist fined $1,031,000 in Switzerland in 2010 for driving at 290 km/h.
John Togno, Mandurang
Life skills
I am very disappointed by the thinking of many, like your correspondent (Letters, 19/12) that the problem with aged care is the lack of carer training. I have worked in aged care for decades and have found many wonderful carers who put their heart and soul into their job. Sometimes wonderful carers and nurses are unable to give what the person they are looking after needs.
I feel it is more about life skills and personality, not how much training or certificates one has. I know many now who just want to move up the ladder so they don’t have to work on the floor any more because it is too taxing, both emotionally and physically. Many of us are saying that we barely have time to be nice, let alone looking after day-to-day needs.
It is up to the provider to stop treating staff as though they are machines.
Angela Smith, Parkville
Nurturing talent
Opera Australia should be congratulated for the appointment of Jo Davies as the new artistic director. However questions should be asked as to why there was no suitable Australian with the relevant skills and experience and what OA is doing to ensure that it develops its staff to meet future needs.
Michael D’Aloia, Coburg
Tackling disadvantage
Congratulations to your correspondent for such a crystal clear description of the limited and short-sighted view that six or eight or even 10 sessions with a psychologist will fix all mental health issues. I write from a depth of experience working in the health and welfare sector. People’s situations so very often are layered with such complex health and welfare issues that are born of societal failings. Resilience in our society is lacking due to social and economic disadvantage. Counselling is but one aspect of the approach required.
Lou Tehan, Queenscliff
Defend victims of crime
The Greens’ push to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 is fraught with danger and a slap in the face for both law enforcement officers and victims of crime. A 10-year-old is well able to make a moral decision to commit a crime such as a home invasion, for example, that may leave the victim with lasting trauma. The victims of crime deserve our support while perpetrators need to understand the consequences of their misdeeds.
Peter Curtis, Werribee South
Tricked-up wickets
Australia’s tactic of deliberately preparing pitches in favour of the home side was again on show at the Gabba. The ludicrously green pitch was a fast bowler’s paradise, and while both teams have strong pace attacks Australia expected, correctly, that its batting was stronger than the inexperienced South Africans on a dodgy wicket.
For years Australian teams touring England and the sub-continent have complained about home sides “doctoring” wickets while at the same time strenuously denying we do the same. Seriously? Touring teams here would beg to differ given the ridiculously “tricked-up” pitches served up to them at the old WACA Ground in Perth and in Brisbane.
Greg Hardy, Upper Ferntree Gully
Pitch not the problem
The pitch for the Gabba Test was not the problem. Travis Head showed that it could be a good batting wicket. The problem was poor batting and technique not able to handle good bowling.
Could it be that a virus has mutated from the Twenty20 game to infect the batters in the Test world? How do we react when a virus looks like spreading out of control? Firstly lockdown – keep the batsmen away from Twenty20 contamination. Next vaccination – up the training and expose them to more long-form cricket. And anti-virals – to protect against re-infection have tight contractual arrangements. The instant gratification form of the game leaves a batsman vulnerable to infection. Unless steps are taken to halt the spread of this virus, Test cricket as we know it will die.
Bob Malseed, Hawthorn
And another thing
Saving wildlife
How did Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek explain the Victorian sport of shooting duck species to the International Biodiversity Conference in Toronto?
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding
Politics
Nick Bryant notes Tony Abbott’s talent for pithy three-word slogans such as “Axe the tax” and “Stop the boats”. Let’s not forget the sign he proudly stood under that read “Ditch the witch”.
Monty Arnhold, Port Melbourne
It’s not so much that we underestimated Albanese, it’s that we expected so much more from so many others.
Rob Saunders, Pennydale
The staff at the Australian embassy in Washington must be jumping with joy.
Les Anderson, Woodend
Potato shortage
Your correspondent (Letters, 19/12) asks “Do we really need or want plates of food with chips overflowing onto the table or floor?” The answer is Yes, with a little salt please.
Andrew Powell, Caulfield
Your correspondent (Letters, 20/12) wants us to stop ordering chips with our meals. That’s it folks, the end of civilisation as we know it.
PJ Bear, Mitcham
Cricket
Less grass covering the Boxing Day pitch than last year. I know how it feels.
Paul Custance, Highett
Will Scott Boland be dropped because he is Victorian and there is a 99 per cent quota of players from NSW?
Marie Nash, Balwyn
Furthermore
I no longer rely on the calendar to tell me when it’s school holidays. I find the very predictable and sudden jump in fuel prices a much more reliable indicator.
Mick Hussey, Beaconsfield
Buying a department store seems akin to investing in a factory that makes audio cassettes (“David Jones sold to private equity firm”, 20/12).
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Michael Bachelard sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article
