Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Megan HerbertCredit: .
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. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.
For many years, white Australians had the only voice in Australia that was heard. They silenced every other voice. It’s now time for white Australians to learn that they can, and should, share that voice they have held for so long and allow others to speak and be listened to. We can learn to share and we can make Australia a better place if we do learn to share and be fair to all Australians.
Doug Steley, Heyfield
Acknowledging the past is right thing to do
I live in a quiet Gippsland town, some would say ″in the middle of nowhere″. Our past was not peaceful. The Gunai Kurnai people lived on this land on the hill where I live. In 1884, they were killed and their land was taken. It was named Massacre Hill. Ironically, it is now called Princess Street. I will vote Yes. It is the right thing to do.
Pauline Duncan, Maffra
Two sides to every story
The rage and condemnation at Jacinta Price’s National Press Club address is to be expected. Price has not merely dared to question or challenge that the sorry plight of certain Aboriginal people and communities is because of inter-generational trauma caused by colonisation, but has denied it, and her assertion that colonisation brought benefits to Aboriginal people has added fuel to the outrage. However, if a position on an issue is accurate, it should be able to withstand doubt, scrutiny and opposition. So perhaps rather than combusting in moral fury, acknowledgment of both sides of the colonisation ledger – for there are two sides – both harm and benefit, is necessary. Undeniably there are Indigenous individuals and communities who have been damaged and diminished. But there are also those who have been enabled and strengthened, and who prosper.
Deborah Morrison, Malvern East
Consult and listen to advice
The article on the Voice (“The Voice proposal has thrown up many questions”, 17/9) was helpful. People seem to have trouble understanding how it will make a difference. Here is an analogy. If you were designing a local playground, there are various ways you could go about it. You could just leave it up to the council. You could do a sham consultation with the community. You could meaningfully listen to what the community wanted, including all stakeholders. Which method would have the best result in terms of outcome for the community? A no-brainer.
The more you consult and listen to advice, the better the result. People in the community have good ideas about how to do things for an optimum result. It would be the same with the Voice.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Good, hard look at ourselves
I agree with your correspondent (Letters, 17/9). The dialogue around, and the probable negative outcome of, the Voice referendum has shown that we are not the generous, tolerant and inclusive nation that we like to portray ourselves as. Rather than create a division, this issue has perhaps exposed who we really are.
Graeme Gardner, Reservoir
Lack of transparency is the strategy
Unfortunately for the Yes case, this attempt at answering questions only poses others and illustrates the difficulty proponents have in getting their message across. How chosen: to be “determined”. How many: “no certainty”. Cost: “unclear”. Powers: “constitutional amendment says nothing”. Reparations: “Voice … could propose or help facilitate”. Closing the gap: “claimed”. The uncertainty thus created feeds the No case. Criticising No tactics is naive. It could all have been avoided by greater transparency, but one is forced to the conclusion lack of transparency was the essential strategy.
Tony Killen, Brighton
FORUM
Life’s fortunes
I regularly use Airbnb accommodation and am in favour of a levy and cap on the number of nights available per year even though that is likely to have a negative impact on me. During a recent visit to the Mornington Peninsula, my family and I stayed in a delightful, spacious house.
In a nearby carpark overlooking the beach, was a man slouched in an older car surrounded by his belongings. He drove through streets of vacant dwellings to find a place to park for the night close to a public toilet. I wondered how this homeless man felt about the surrounding houses that were empty.
The short-term accommodation housing stock needs to be freed up so that families are no longer forced to live in cars or tents. I would be happy to pay a bed tax to help this happen.
We do well to remember that we may be just a single stroke of bad luck away from homelessness.
Jenny Meagher, Malvern East
Civic responsibility
There’s one simple way to get the attention of the landlords of long-term vacant sites in Victoria Street (“Victoria Street’s dilemma″, 17/9). Impose an unused commercial amenity charge, the cost of keeping the shopfront clean and removing or painting over any unsightly graffiti from the shutters. That should at least make them aware that there’s a community responsibility that goes with the privilege of ownership.
John Mosig, Kew
GP, don’t crowd us out
The Australian Grand Prix Corporation is refusing to disclose how it counts crowd numbers. According to a spokesman, the “crowd counting process was sensitive”. Surely the people who subsidise the GP (Victorian taxpayers) have a right to know.
Geoff Wenham, Malvern East
It’s not all puppy love
To your correspondent (Letters, 16/9), the daylight saving period is also the beach birds breeding period. Allowing dogs unrestrained freedom on the beaches means birds are chased, incubating birds are scared off their nests and seagulls get an easy lunch. Of course, if dog owners controlled their dogs … but when is that going to happen? And don’t risk suggesting to an owner that Rover should be under their control when they’re on the beach. The character assessment they provide you is usually withering.
Greg Hunt, Oak Park
Risks of the game
Your correspondent (Letters, 16/9) suggests the compulsory wearing of helmets could address the potential head injuries from high marking and, in doing so, draws a comparison to the mandatory wearing of helmets for batters in cricket to tackle the threat of short-pitched bowling. However, even when wearing a helmet, batters can still be concussed. Helmets initially were introduced to provide batters with protection for external physical injuries after incidents involving Rick McCosker in the Century Test and David Hookes in World Series Cricket. Both received broken jaws.
In contesting for a mark, even wearing a helmet will not mean that the player will be any more protected than if not wearing one, as the Brayden Maynard/Angus Brayshaw collision demonstrated. Brayshaw was wearing a helmet, but that didn’t prevent him from being concussed.
In playing any game, there is an implied risk in being a participant, just as there is when driving your car, so it may be that the high marking contest will remain one of these risks for those who play Australian rules.
Michael Cowan, Wheelers Hill
Take this chance
I was born in Australia just before the 1967 referendum. At that time the experiences of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were starkly different when measured against crucial factors like life expectancy, unemployment, child mortality and education.
For half a century I have listened to politicians and bureaucrats lament this appalling situation, make decisions and policies to address it, and allocate substantial funding to implement them. They have come from successive governments and different parties. What they all had in common was their singular failure to close the gap in a material and lasting way. I have felt the futility of this, and the frustration of being unable to be part of a solution.
In October a referendum is giving all of us the power to personally take action, through a Yes vote, that moves beyond the symbolic and would be a first step towards positive and permanent change. It is an exciting prospect, if enough of us seize this opportunity. If we don’t, it will sadden me that over the next 50years my children will also experience the same sense of futility and frustration, and wonder how fear and indifference could have triumphed over hope and reason.
Rick Dixon, Mount Eliza
PM, go to Plan B
Michael Yabsley is right (Comment, 15/9). This referendum was a miscalculation. The debate has turned nasty and divisive. It is useless attributing blame to one side or the other. The PM would show true leadership by pulling it, even at this late stage. A loss of face? Yes, but he will confront a far worse situation in the certain event of a failure.
Here’s a Plan B: Address the nation, announcing a deferral. Commit to building broad support and a detailed design for a legislated Voice within this term. Propose a constitutional convention to design a broadly acceptable model for a republic, taking full account of the failure of the last attempt. And announce a competition for a revised preamble worthy of our national aspirations, including (of course) our recognition of the foundational role of First Nations people.
Justin McDermott, Brunswick
Housing shortage
The article ″Buy now reside later″ (16/9) informs us of an apparent trend where a certain age group buys a property in anticipation of downsizing in the future. However, because they are not yet ready to take the psychological step of actually moving into it, they either rent it out or leave it vacant. If this group also has one or more investment properties, then it’s no wonder there is a shortage of housing.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
A fan’s lament
As a longtime proud and passionate Melbourne supporter, it saddened me to see the team recently lose to Carlton.
For the umpteenth time this season, the main reason that they lost was because of their Achilles heel, that is, that they can’t kick straight and kick enough goals.
The same thing happened the weekend before against Collingwood and in other matches during the year.
Sure, it’s easy to make excuses and to say that Ben Brown, Harrison Petty and Jake Melksham were out injured and that they could have made a difference if they’d played, but the Demons had ample opportunities to win the match in the final quarter. They couldn’t nail it and left the door ajar for Carlton to snatch victory.
After winning the premiership in 2021, the club had a golden opportunity to build a dynasty – that chance is fading away fast.
Garry Jacobs,
Gold Coast, Qld
Fitting farewell
How fitting was it that Ron Barassi should have his beloved Demons playing the Blues on Friday night? His heart was always with Melbourne. Unfortunately, they didn’t prevail.
Mary Mandanici, Preston
Witness to greatness
Around 60 years ago Ron Barassi had an afternoon footy show for kids on the TV. Our family were avid Geelong supporters, but I never missed his show and hung on his every word.
I remember him saying that it was important to make sure your footy gear was up to scratch. “If you can’t be a good footballer, at least look like one,” were his words that resonated. A few weeks later Melbourne came down to Kardinia Park.
True to his words, Ron looked like a good footballer; even his muscle definition looked superior. Playing as a ruck-rover, he kicked four goals that day in a best-on-ground performance to demonstrate that good could transcend into greatness.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
God in the goal square
A very old joke updated: A man dies and goes to Heaven. Up there he sees a football player with No.31 on his back taking specky marks and kicking goals. He turns to another guest and says, ″I heard that Ron Barassi had died.″ The man replied, ″That’s not Ron Barassi, that’s God. He just thinks that he is Ron Barassi.″
Graeme Doyle,
Balwyn
Hobart’s stadium folly
It was refreshing to read the article ″The price to play″ (Good Weekend, 16/9) on the controversial AFL stadium proposed for prime waterfront land in Hobart. Because it is being heavily promoted by the Tasmanian premier and the local press, people living on the mainland may be under the impression that it is a popular proposal.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
It has created a big divide among Tasmanians and put the government into a minority after two concerned Liberal members quit to the crossbench.
Yes, a Tasmanian AFL team would be nice for AFL enthusiasts, but to squeeze a massive stadium into the area that the AFL demanded as a condition for a team and which would overpower the beautiful heritage docks would be nothing short of sheer stupidity.
It is hard to understand why the premier bent to the AFL demands when there are so many other options – if in fact they could afford the enormous cost of an unnecessary third stadium.
Yvonne Trevaskis,
Battery Point, Tasmania
AND ANOTHER THING
Footy
The AFL is the juggernaut it is today largely because of Ron Barassi’s progressive blueprint decades ago.
John Rawson, Mernda
Despite the best efforts of AFL coaches, perhaps it’s psychologists who are needed to solve the goal-kicking problem.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood
Carlton are having a capital time of it so far these finals. First Sydney, then Melbourne. Brisbane next. And Adelaide not in it.
Niall Milton, Ferntree Gully
The planets align for Carlton – the only remaining team to have beaten Collingwood at the MCG this year.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill
I’m surprised that the GWS Giants are happy to play on Friday night and not have a seven-day rest period.
Stephen Saks, Bellevue Hill, NSW
The Voice
The result of the referendum will define Australia for many years to come. We should be looking for a resounding Yes vote.
Reg Murray, Glen Iris
A No vote looms, and with it long-term consequences in the form of a loss of international respect and confirmation that this country is moored in the 1800s. We will deserve a reputation as international pariahs.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
To vote No will just embed the status quo. Most of us agree, it’s not working. Vote Yes and help make some progress. Equality is a moral right.
Marguerite Mullan, Flemington
It seems to be worse to call out and label racism from the No campaign than to be racist.
Donna Jansz, Trentham
Finally
We read, watch and hear so much of murder, crime, war, theft, stabbings, bashings and other human atrocities; but Leunig (16/9) offers respite.
Lance Ross, Kooyong
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article
