Letters To The Editors - August 30, 2018

Clear energy plan needed

Dear Editor,

It’s about time the federal government stopped playing short-term political games with our energy bills and our nation’s emission target. Without strong leadership, our energy bills will continue to rise, as will the number of catastrophic incidents of drought, floods and coastal land slips occurring across our nation.

We need a clear plan for the future – one that targets climate change and delivers a workable transition from dirty coal to renewables.

Importantly, I believe this transition can work in our favour, and reduce our energy bills.

Instead of a proactive plan, all I see are government MPs focused on saving their own jobs.

I for one expect better!

Astrid Guihenneuc
Ocean Grove

Asher support

Dear Editor,

I strongly support Geelong councillor Stephanie Asher in her decision to nominate as a Liberal candidate for Western Victoria Region.

Cr Asher, as well as being a City of Greater Geelong councillor, is active in many other leadership roles across Victoria and has been hugely successful in working with Susan Alberti in writing her very interesting trail-blazing story titled The Footy Lady.

Why local media or anyone else would question the rights of Cr Asher to pursue a political career, either state or federal, either as an independent or as member of a preferred political party is beyond me.

The fact that she stood as an independent at the last local council election in October 2017 and sought preselection for a seat at state election, given my early retirement, does not compromise her role as a councillor nor change the morals or values that she held when seeking local government election support.

Many people who had leadership roles take different directions in their career pathways and they should be supported in those endeavours.

I strongly encourage Cr Asher to ignore the unfounded criticism to her right in pursing her political career when the opportunity arises and encourage her to continue to do the great work she has been doing in representing her community and advocating for the Geelong region.

I sincerely hope Cr Asher continues her very important work as a Bellarine Ward councillor for the City of Greater Geelong and I wish her success with any future plans she may choose in securing any leadership roles that become available to her.

I have no doubt that the community will benefit enormously from her representation and appointments.

Simon Ramsay
Member for Western Victoria

Sir Humphrey’s courageous decision

Dear Editor,

Does Queenscliffe Borough Council seriously imagine that announcing “an allocation of $40,000 to undertake a design (for) Hesse Street improvements” will win over the myriad critics of its grandiose Destination Queenscliff project?

More than 1,000 people (and counting) have signed a petition essentially asking for a rethink of the plans.

The signatories have a number of major concerns. These include 1) the overly large and intrusive 40-seat café that would require the razing of the Bullring (a World War I memorial site) and three impressive cypresses, and 2) the council’s proposed use of tax and ratepayer monies to develop facilities that would compete unfairly against the existing hospitality and accommodation businesses.

The council’s plans would surely have been described by Sir Humphrey in Yes, Minister as a very courageous decision.

Kate Jackson
Queenscliff

Time to hear from all on highs and lows of IVF

Dear Editor,

For many Australians, the joy of having a baby is one of life’s most precious moments.

A birth marks the beginning of a new life, and can bring with it great responsibility and many years of reward.

But for some in our community, these life experiences never eventuate – despite a time consuming, often costly journey through assisted reproductive technology such as in vitro fertilisation (IVF). So now, Victorian families with an experience of IVF are being urged to participate in a wide-ranging review of the Assisted Reproductive Treatment Act – the first conducted in 10 years.

This review is timely, with almost four per cent of all births in Victoria resulting from a variety of assisted reproductive treatments, including IVF.

The aim of the review is to ensure the current legislation continues to provide adequate safeguards for people using these services. A consultation paper and online survey allowing all Victorians to have their say has been released and can be found at engage.vic.gov.au. This survey also includes an option to anonymously and confidentially tell personal stories about experiences with assisted reproductive treatment.

And formal submissions addressing any or all of the questions posed in the consultation paper can be lodged via engage.vic.gov.au, or by email to ART. [email protected]. The survey closes and all formal submissions must be received by September 21 for an interim report to be prepared in October.

I want to hear from the community, those who have used assisted reproductive technology, and those with specialist knowledge, about their suggested changes and recommended improvements.

I am delighted to be conducting this review, and look forward to engaging with the Victorian community in relation to these important issues.

Michael Gorton, AM
Chair of Alfred Health, Chair of the Australian Health
Practitioner Regulation Agency

We share the blame

Dear Editor,

Had Turnbull called an election after rolling Abbott he would have had a majority to carry out a plan; hindsight.

John Howard is wrong – you don’t reward violent spoilt brats after they have a tantrum smashing all their toys; Abbott and the “sources say” toilet trawlers in the media who joined him feeling equally spited, scorned, jealous and furious, deserve nothing from Australians.

We, all of us, allowed some media maniacs to remove a PM and destabilise our country; we share the blame.

Morrison needs to get energy right under thumb, attend to health and education (including Catholic schools) even if it causes “good debt”, invest in our farmers, relocate many departments to the main cities of North Queensland, and probably has to tell the LNP in Queensland that the marriage failed and left North Queenslanders angry and neglected.

The LNP experiment in Queensland has been a disaster: it has allowed small conservative political parties to flourish in regional areas.

Morrison also needs to bust the factions and powerbrokers’ hold on the Liberal Party in states, particularly in New South Wales and Victoria, and the only way to do that is giving each branch member a vote in preselections to select candidates for Parliament, not leaving it to administrative committees under the thumb of one character determined to make a party and society in his image alone.

One powerbroker should not run a whole state or party. It’s no longer a party when that happens, it is master and servants. Courage, Mr Morrison, and don’t reward that twisted and sad creature.

A good innings, Mr Turnbull, standing up to three years of bodyliners.

One more matter: internationally, Australia should consider opening dialogue with the US and China with a view to establishing a permanent peace keeping presence in Rakhine state and overseeing the safe repatriation of all Rohingya refugees.

John Dobinson
Surf Coast

Secrecy goes hand in hand with shame

Dear Editor,

Last week, Peter Rees tried to justify Australia’s refugee policy with simplistic claims that created a “them and us” view of the world.

The “Christian values” I was taught have two key elements: we take care of others and we make sure we are proud of what we do.

It amuses me that the “Christian Right” is anything but Christian and is one of the reasons I am now an atheist.

By supporting Liberal Party policies and representing the right-wing view of the world, Peter lets us in on one truth, which is that despite claims that they represent the middle class, the “right” only represents the big end of town.

Peter’s right-wing views express a hatred of the “middle class” who he sees as “opportunists”.

I wonder if the refugees were criminal bankers stealing from their customers, would he then want them protected and welcome them with open arms and perhaps even give them special tax cuts.

The question I have is if the government was so proud of what they were doing with the refugees why the secrecy.

In my experience secrecy goes hand in hand with shame. It is not the protection of our borders that I find so appalling but the inhuman treatment of people caught up in the process.

I cannot understand why we should demonise these people for simply wanting to come to Australia. Despite the claims to the contrary, this is not against the law. There are laws to deal with refugees but we have chosen to disregard the umpire and hide our shame behind a cloak of secrecy.

I agree that we are not obliged to let them all flood into the country but forgive me for my belief that we should treat these innocent men, women and children with dignity and humanity.

Tim Robinson
Torquay