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CIVIL SOCIETY
Hugh Riminton’s “My view from the news chair: the worst of the mob is coming for us” (17/10) provides a crystal clear overview of the changes in power and influence, and how the shift has gradually occurred in recent times.
The article should be used in schools for its documentation of the first part of this century.
Our access to social media to vent and absorb anger has been easy. However, as the article points out, the unscrupulous monetising of rage bait is the disease affecting today’s social cohesion, and instead of providing a remedy, it is poisoning society which is seemingly helpless to resist this gradual process.
Now we have to work consistently at bringing a huge dose of positivity and good feelings as an antidote.
Judith Hudson, Elwood
Common ground hard to find
As a member of the ‘We The People’ conglomerate made up of millions of ordinary Australians, and one who still enjoys the correspondence of the Letters pages in our legacy media, I heartily endorse Hugh Riminton’s sentiments. Sadly.
My concern is the death of expertise.
We have a group of generalists running the country, masquerading as knowledgeable in their portfolios, but plainly either incompetent, lazy or both. Experts are marginalised, and their good sense ignored as the country flounders and common ground is increasingly hard to find.
No wonder we are getting angrier as we see our social issues build into fragmentation where noise is what matters, not reason, and where clickbait importunes an ugly consensus.
Grievance is real and amplified by algorithms.
My answer to this is to stay away from X and to express myself in a letter which, at least, has the benefit of some thought, rather than the virulent rantings that appear to colonise digital platforms.
It might be old school, but there is still a level of civility to be found here in these pages which reflect some of the wider WTP conversation.
Ann Rennie, Surrey Hills
Opposition lurches towards extremes
The new Digital Duty of Care bill sounds very sensible to me, and your chief political correspondent, Peter Hartcher, outlines why it is world leading (″Liberals in full sponsorship cycle″ 17/10). He also lists several adjustments the government has made to appease the Coalition.
So why are they still opposing it, unless just trying to score petty points? They entirely misattribute ″sock puppet″ testing to political censorship – stoking libertarians who believe it their unalienable right to say anything even if untrue, downright obscene or socially divisive.
Meanwhile, the mental health of children and our social cohesion are at risk from the ravages of social media and its diabolical algorithms.
And why is shadow treasurer Tim Wilson decrying the free trade agreement we’ve finally and painstakingly negotiated with the European Union over many, many years (including under Coalition governments)?
There will always be the odd unhappy farmer or manufacturer, here or in Europe, but we need to nail it now for the overwhelming common good, especially in a global trade environment disrupted by Trump and his whimsical tariffs.
The Liberals and Nationals should pick their battles and not obstruct reform beneficial to the huge majority of Australians. How about they focus on some decent policies of their own to make themselves relevant and electable? They are taking the term ″opposition″ to extremes, which is not healthy for our democracy.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
Big tech Faustian pact
Peter Hartcher’s summary of our vulnerability to the harms the web has brought us (“A washing machine has more safeguards than the web”, 17/10) tells only part of the story of the Faustian pact we have made with American “big tech”. It is not only in social media that the US tech giants hold us in their greedy grip.
In its persecution of the International Criminal Court, the US government has, among many sanctions, banned American companies from providing technical and digital services to the court. In a world dominated
by AI giants, this is a terrifyingly big stick.
Australia long ago surrendered our entertainment to the United States, then our social media, which has Americanised our news and gifted such cultural “treasures” as the “manosphere”.
If we object, will they turn off Microsoft, Google etc? Such a move would cripple our private and public industries.
Our vulnerability and reliance on foreign technology is a sovereign risk as great as our defence vulnerabilities, requiring the same attention and finances to rapidly become independent.
Michael Langford, Flinders
THE FORUM
One Nation cartoon
One Nation has mocked Jacqui Lambie in their latest cartoon for being honest regarding her symptoms and raising awareness of a common women’s health condition that affects thousands of women every year.
Was similar ridicule directed at Barnaby Joyce when he had prostate surgery last year? No.
Another personal attack on women’s health by a political party who should know better.
It’s exhausting.
Shelley Durance, Beaumaris
Treaty must stay
Re ″Targeting treaty″ (18/10): One hopes Jess Wilson reads this article and reflects deeply on the importance that the Treaty must not be repealed should the Liberals win the Victorian election.
The Treaty has been a long overdue process acknowledging a pathway for the rights of our First Nations People in Victoria in determining ″not only the gift of recognition, legitimacy, and absolving the moral stain″ of history, but the way forward for reconciliation and dignity.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Excise state governments
Your correspondent (Letters, 18/10) has the right idea in eliminating state and territory governments and thus raising the status of local governments.
Currently, we aren’t a united country, we have different rules
on a number of key matters affecting everyday life in the name of state rights.
Think of the savings by eliminating state governments, however, no politician is likely to vote to eliminate their job.
Howard Brownscombe, Brighton East
Over-representation
Your correspondent’s argument has merit (Letters, 18/10). Why do we need separate states and territories? A centralised federal government alongside competent local councils should be more than adequate. We are a small population over-represented politically, and streamlining the government makes perfect fiscal sense.
Maree Harrison, Nerrina
States are ‘laboratories’
I cannot agree with your correspondent’s call to abolish the states (Letters, 18/10). The fact that rules and regulations differ between states is actually a strength of our current
federal system.
As former US Supreme Court judge, Louis Brandeis, once argued, federalism means that states can serve as ″laboratories″ in which new social and economic policies can be tested. If a policy is successful at the state level, then it can be applied federally. If it fails, then its failure will not affect the rest of the country.
More broadly, federalism also provides an important check
on the power of Canberra to impose its will on different regions that have different needs from
each other.
Instead of abolishing the states, which would centralise governing power in the federal government, our political system should operate on the principle of subsidiarity.
The Commonwealth government should perform only those functions which cannot be more effectively performed by state or local governments.
Nikhil Dhanabal, Clyde North
Make Melbourne bigger
The Melbourne Assembly sponsored by The Age and the University of Melbourne will no doubt contribute to Melbourne’s standing as the ″world’s most talkative city″, but will it be silent on the need for metropolitan governance?
There have been multiple attempts at governing Melbourne dating from the Melbourne Metropolitan Board of Works to the Melbourne Planning Authority and Metropolitan Partnerships. But all have been undone by successive state governments.
Why do we not have a ″Greater Melbourne Council″ like other governed metropolitan regions such as New York, London, Paris, Vienna, Vancouver and Toronto?
The metropolitan issues that we grapple with and often seem insurmountable include transport infrastructure, affordable and social housing, employment, open space and nature-based solutions, responses to climate change impacts and renewable energy.
We can no longer rely on a patchwork of 32 metropolitan cities to meet the challenges
we face.
We need a Greater Melbourne Council that will future-proof metropolitan Melbourne and give meaning to Melbourne as the “world’s most liveable (metropolitan) city”!
Martin Brennan, Carlton
Real estate reserve prices
The Real Estate Institute of Victoria says it welcomes and supports improved transparency in real estate auction sales, yet it opposed the introduction of the new auction rules designed to stamp out the trickery of underquoting.
The REIV is now obfuscating the implementation of the new rules by saying that notwithstanding the requirement to have a published reserve price seven days before an auction, that vendors do not have to sell if bidding reaches or exceeds that reserve price.
Technically, this is correct – misleading and deceptive conduct legalisation does not apply to private individuals, and in Victoria, a sale isn’t binding until contracts have been signed by both the vendors and purchasers.
However, consumer legalisation and misleading and deceptive conduct rules do apply to estate agents who engage “in trade or commerce” by managing the
sale process on behalf of their vendor clients.
If an estate agency or their auctioneer works in alliance with their vendor to abuse a published reserve price, they will not only be corrupting the auction system and their trustworthiness, but will also be subject to the misleading and deceptive conduct provisions of consumer law and liable to severe penalties.
John Keating, auctioneer, Woodend
War stories
Your correspondent (Letters, 17/10) urges Pauline Hanson’s ″Crusaders″ to brush up on history. Apart from military skills, Muslim leader Saladin is judged by many historians as the better man than Christian icon, Richard the Lionheart, who is praised for his generosity, mercy and willingness to negotiate.
For example, the Crusaders conducted a large-scale massacre in Jerusalem after capturing the city in 1099 – an atrocity that Saladin declined to repeat on retaking Jerusalem.
Further, on their journeys east from Europe, Crusaders indiscriminately slaughtered many Christians, capturing and sacking Constantinople, a major Christian city in 1204.
Norman Huon, Port Melbourne
Racing tragedy
Punters can move onto the next race with another bet, television executives will erase the vision, owners will say their horses are well treated, stewards will say the horse was humanely euthanised. But no one can erase the memory of Ohope Wins’ life ending in agony behind a plastic screen in front of a boozed-up crowd.
Simon Williamson, West Footscray
John Cain Arena fix
Re “Fix it up or knock it down? How a hidden velodrome is holding back John Cain Arena” (18/10): Having run a place in a wheel-race circa 1992/3 at the then Northcote velodrome (now DISC), John Cain as premier was asked to give out prizes. When Cain came to me, I bravely asked him when Victoria was likely to get an indoor board track facility, similar to what I’d raced on in Ghent Belgium in 1984.
He looked rather perturbed by my unexpected brazenness, shaking his head while taking a step backwards. Ironically, the velodrome in Melbourne Park now has his name emblazoned on it.
The original outdoor board track at Olympic Park was knocked down for a greyhound track in 1962; John Cain Arena could also be facing demolition.
I and many others may unfortunately never get to ride it.
Anthony Barnes, Kinglake
City vibe is high
I was dining in the city and saw the great New Orleans brass band from Melbourne’s Jazz Festival marching through the city and the vibe was amazing.
We have a lot to celebrate here in Melbourne. Let’s not take our safety and security for granted
in this amazing city.
Mel Smith, Brighton
AI or HI?
Julia Baird’s article, “What my dad Bruce taught me” (18/10), raises interesting insights regarding the possible effects of the continuing rise of AI.
HI (human intelligence) engages the human mind to question and pay attention to human detail. It connects with the human spirit. Will AI be the answer to this?
Will our young people become our future philosophers, poets or people who can think outside the box if all answers are influenced
by AI?
Christine Baker, Rosanna
AND ANOTHER THING
Victoria
Re: “Labor pledges $30 weekly toll cap to undercut Coalition pitch” (18/10): Yet another bribe from a government mired in debt with no plan to get out of it. This is no way to win my vote, Mr Carroll.
Ivan Glynn, Vermont
Why do we not insist and mandate that data centres be constructed close to sewage treatment plants and force them to treat and recycle the water they need to operate
the centres?
Malcolm Fraser, Oakleigh South
United States
Your correspondent (Letters, 18/10) asks when gun laws in the United States will change. I came to the conclusion that the answer is never, when even after the tragedy at the school in Sandy Hook in 2012 where 20 children and six adults died, then-president Barack Obama could not bring about a change in gun culture.
Norma Togneri, Ivanhoe
So I guess one Zacharia equals half a Scaramucci.
Mary Gilevitis, Kew
Sport
Racing: The sport where participants are killed and the audience keeps boozing.
Susan Scalise, Ascot Vale
If it’s good enough for the Matildas soccer team to accept government (taxpayer) funding, surely they can bring themselves to sing the national anthem before the game? Not good enough girls!
Helen Leach, Bendigo
Grape season
Re your correspondent’s letter ″Sour Grapes″ (18/10): the simple message is to know when fresh fruit and vegetables are in season. Buy Australian grapes from late summer through to autumn, when they are cheap, plentiful and at peak quality.
Sandra Fordyce-Voorham, Black Rock
Fascinating letter about grapes. It’s sometimes hard the way supermarkets play around with prices, but with grapes it’s easy. If they cost twice as much as you expect, then they are from the United States. We leave them on the shelf, awaiting the Australian grapes to come on sale when they are in season.
Laurie Comerford, Chelsea
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