The subsequent spies
We want to search out these younger individuals flouting and avoiding the social media ban and recruit them into our nationwide safety providers.
Andrew Alexander, Launceston
Ways across the ban
Under the brand new social media bans, what’s there to cease dad and mom and others passing the verification course of and id exams, logging into the precise web site after which handing their laptop or telephone to an underneath 16? Am I lacking one thing?
Rosemary Lithgow, Maryborough
Community requirements
Stories of politicians and their bills should not new. However, it’s the double normal that rankles.
Having labored for a publicly funded company for a few years, travelling usually, the thought of getting my household accompany me and paid for by the company would have been laughed at. The spouse of a colleague as soon as informed me her husband had been away for greater than 160 days one yr, and so they had three younger youngsters. No acknowledgment right here that maybe he ought to have his household accompany him sometimes.
Politicians may match laborious, however so do many, many different individuals. Politicians additionally receives a commission handsomely and have entry to a superannuation scheme that will make most individuals blush.
So maybe it’s time to evaluation the principles for politicians and produce them consistent with neighborhood requirements.
Robert Campbell, Brighton East
Disingenuous declare
As a Bayside resident I used to be very dismayed to learn that youth volunteer Zaina Amro felt ″scared to go away the home″ after complaints had been made a few photograph of her carrying a pendant depicting historic Palestine appeared in a Bayside Council journal.
Although Zaina’s award-winning contribution was ″targeted on the native library program and her volunteering efforts″, Bayside erased her picture and story claiming it ″went in opposition to council media necessities to stay impartial″.
This declare of neutrality by Bayside is totally disingenuous on condition that, in September, the council adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism – a definition that may be weaponised to suppress criticism of Israel and silence Palestinian voices.
Kate Kennedy, Hampton East
Masterly inactive
Some letters to The Age lately counsel that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is neither favored nor loathed to any nice measure and is just too timid to make use of the ability invested in him by voters.
This displays his efficiency, which is neither regressive nor progressive with simply the correct amount of noble, however ineffective, gestures to get him seen.
Perhaps he has embraced the idea of what Sir Humphrey Appleby from Yes Prime Minister would describe as “masterly inactivity”.
Stephen Farrelly, Donvale
A VicHealth different?
The article ″Saving cash on VicHealth now shall be a killer in future″ (11/12) concerning the Victorian authorities’s plans to abolish VicHealth outlines the chance to our future medical care.
Health Minister Mary Anne Thomas responded with, “It has received a terrific legacy nevertheless it’s time to do issues in another way”.
Could she please clarify how this shall be achieved so we are able to have peace of thoughts ought to any future disaster arrive? Has she received sufficient consultants in her division to substitute for his or her experience?
Christine Baker, Rosanna
Prevention is required
The deliberate closure of VicHealth raises severe considerations concerning the course of public well being coverage in Victoria.
At a time when preventable continual illness, psychological ill-health, and well being inequity proceed to put strain on our well being system, dismantling one of many world’s most revered well being promotion companies is troubling.
VicHealth’s work has lengthy targeted on prevention by decreasing hurt earlier than it reaches hospitals and emergency departments. Closing it could supply short-term funds aid, however the long-term price to neighborhood well being, wellbeing, and healthcare expenditure is prone to be far larger.
I’ve seen well being promotion subsumed into hospitals and medical companies previously, the place it will get fully misplaced and devalued as a result of hospital-centred, illness-treatment fashions hardly ever perceive or worth preventive, health-promoting approaches.
The resolution dangers abandoning many years of evidence-based public well being management for causes that stay poorly defined. Prevention just isn’t an elective further; it’s a core duty of presidency.
Tony Peck, Bairnsdale
Keep independence
As a former director-general of sport and recreation in Victoria, I had to deal with some overlaps with the then new VicHealth.
Nevertheless I supported it then, and nonetheless do now, as a result of it took a proactive strategy to public well being by way of well being promotion and sickness prevention.
This contrasts with the funding and system administration focus of the Department of Health, and (as I discovered from 5 years on a hospital board) hospitals’ deal with dealing with the every day consumption of acute and chronically in poor health sufferers or these with accident accidents.
Having served on each kinds of organisations, I’m additionally conscious of the tensions that may develop between impartial statutory authorities and authorities departments, however I counsel such tensions, if well-managed, plus the independence from daily actions, can each be productive enablers of innovation.
By all means evaluation and replace the constitution of VicHealth for rising well being points, however please retain it as an impartial company.
Thomas Hogg, East Melbourne
Undesirable centres
If the proposed growth of information centres goes to make use of 11 per cent of the entire nation’s energy and subsequently improve our already excessive power costs by as much as 26 per cent or perhaps simply 6-7 per cent if circumstances are excellent (″AI power demand to develop by tenfold″, 11/12), and can be going to make use of huge quantities of water, which is in more and more quick provide in almost all of Australia, is it actually so fascinating?
Jan Ratcliff, Forrest
What we must always worth
The trope of ″Australian values″ has been trotted out once more. This time by Sussan Ley. Have we had a severe dialogue about what these values are past the jingoism of ″mateship; and ″the truthful go″? Maybe not.
May I counsel we agree that reasonably priced housing is just the start of an extended listing of working sores in our story.
Perhaps inspecting who we’re by way of an ethical lens first,
fairly than the compulsory industrial crucial, is properly overdue.
Andy Tester, Seaford
This is the robust work
Tough work is being a police officer seeing a viciously bashed lady, a tow truck driver attending high-speed automotive accidents, a paramedic arriving at an accident the place an individual is so badly harm a spinal board is required, a firefighter realizing a charred physique shall be discovered when the fireplace is extinguished.
And there are quite a few different areas of labor that eclipse the wafer skinny idea that being a politician is hard work.
Many jobs every day carry nice duty with bodily and emotional calls for.
Yet politicians tend to inflate their societal value over others to rationalise what they’re entitled to.
Des Files, Brunswick
Reining within the perks
The furore over Anika Wells’ and now different politicians’ journey preparations sadly surprises few of us.
While journey for presidency or political duties is comprehensible most of us are sickened by the ″household reunion″ journey entitlement (″Albanese digs in on MPs entitlements saga″, 11/12).
Who else in the neighborhood will get this good little earner? Many staff (eg FIFO, long-haul truck drivers) spend substantial time away from their households however don’t get this perk.
One can not assist discover that the opposition and crossbench have been pretty reserved of their criticism as a result of they know they’ve loads of skeletons to cover.
If the household journey perk is to stay and provides some shred of confidence to taxpayers then it ought to be restricted to just some journeys a yr and be solely financial system class.
If the politician needs enterprise class for the household they will pay the additional price not the taxpayer.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Their successful methods
During the 1978-79 Ashes collection in Australia, England performed many regional matches and golf.
I recall as a child following the English stars across the golf course in Leongatha and so they had been having a wow of a time.
Oh, and so they gained the collection 5-1.
Ian Macdonald, Traralgon
Credit: Matt Golding
AND ANOTHER THING
Trump
With my social media historical past, together with letters to The Age, seems to be like I’ll by no means be going to the US once more. So upset.
Graham Fetherstonhaugh, Carlton North
If requested, I’d be delighted to offer American authorities with my social media posts, together with letters to The Age, which might be crucial of the worst president in that nation’s historical past. As with many others, I’ve no intention of visiting the US whereas the erratic ″wannabe king″ is in cost.
James Young, Mt Eliza
Will Donald Trump’s social media historical past be a baseline for what is suitable to enter the US?
Joan Segrave, Healesville
It’s attention-grabbing that Donald Trump believes European leaders are weak, when his actions within the face of Vladimir Putin are insipid.
Peter Baddeley, Portland
Will FIFA invoke the offside rule and revoke the peace prize it awarded to Donald Trump? There at the moment are at the very least two wars which have resumed on his watch (Cambodia-Thailand and Rwanda-Congo).
Brendan O’Farrell, Brunswick
There has been a 50 per cent improve of bankruptcies of American farmers. They have misplaced $US44 billion on account of Trump’s tariffs, and can obtain a $12 billion assist bundle. Somehow Trump doesn’t perceive the arithmetic. George Djoneff, Mitcham
Furthermore
Seatbelts within the early 70s, media bans for juniors now. Neither excellent, however invaluable. Australia leads the world — once more.
John Crossley, Oakleigh
Unlike AI (″AI power demand to develop tenfold″, 11/12), human intelligence doesn’t require huge quantities of power. Just meals, shelter, firm, and attention-grabbing work.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
Despite all of the hype concerning the new Victorian Liberal chief being younger and contemporary, the refusal to again the apology reveals its simply previous wine in a brand new bottle.
Chris de Silva, Ashburton
