Move to US shows paucity of policy in Australia

Govern for all
The government’s penchant for acquiescing to sectional interests ran aground last week with the defeat of two pieces of legislation in Parliament (11/2).
Governments need to govern for all Australians and while it is challenging to get that balance right, any legislation should be guided by that principle. Importantly they should aspire for a fair and inclusive society, not one that will cause pain and hardship and further marginalise people through its actions.
Anne Lyon, Camberwell

Check-in waste of time
If we are to continue to use QR code check-ins at supermarkets and shops we should understand what possible use there is to it. While it served a purpose before COVID numbers got so high, it surely is a waste of time now.
Julian Guy, Mount Eliza

No tracing, no use
If QR codes are no longer being used for contact tracing, can someone from the government tell us what they are being used for? It appears a useless exercise, much like the much vaunted COVIDSAFE app. Apart from showing your vaccination status which is required in certain circumstances and can be done in other ways, there appears to be no point.
Alan Inchley, Frankston

The evil next door
The report “Nazis next door” (The Age, 12/2), and in particular, ASIO’s director-general Mike Burgess asking what drives young people to Nazism is disturbing. The evil, murderous terror and destruction the Nazis inflicted on European Jewry and other non-Aryan groups, should be common knowledge by now, yet it’s not enough to put young people off Nazism: And it’s this banality of hatred and evil that’s most disturbing; and, it lives next door.
Henry Herzog, St Kilda East

Cashed-out logic
Another election looming and Attorney-General Michaelia Cash launches another of her totally unfounded claims. In 2019 it was “Labor is taking our utes away” as a scare campaign against electric vehicles. And last week it was that single-sex schools could not accommodate transgender pupils because there were no toilets for them. Seriously, are we expected to believe that these schools only have single-sex teachers and that there is no provision of toilets for parents of both sexes who might visit the school. It is sad that someone who is supposedly intelligent and holds the high office of Attorney-General can be seen spouting such nonsense.
Brian Glass, Montrose

To the gunships
Given the parlous state of the Coalition government and the approaching federal election, can we expect Prime Minister Scott Morrison to deploy the ADF to Ukraine any time soon? Declare war on China? The tactic worked a treat for John Howard in 2003.
Elaine Hill, Warrnambool

The shorter the better
The Coalition’s plan to have Federal Parliament sit for only 10 days in the first six months of this year may yet prove to be a smart calculation.
After all, it won’t want too many more weeks like the one it has just endured in Canberra where what occurred only demonstrated the lack of leadership, lack of policy agenda, and internal leaking – presumably brought on by desperation at the possibility of an election defeat.
Kate McCaig, Surrey Hills

Some require patience
Labor leader Anthony Albanese tells the anti-vaccine protesters to go home while Scott Morrison tells them to blame the state premiers. An urgent change of national leadership is required and the next election is probably still three months away. Much patience required.
Tony Delaney, Warrnambool

Reforms urgently needed
Jon Faine (Comment, 13/2) asks why we do not seem to be able to move on with judicial reform.
Part of the answer lies in the way many politicians argue that any change sees us going soft on criminals, and that attracts public support.
When we can lock up people found to be genuine refugees for years there seems little hope of hope of changing conditions for those convicted of crimes.
Having worked with prison chaplains, I know their frustrations at the pointlessness of the way the system (does not) works.
If we want to call ourselves a civil society, radical reform is needed.
Graham Reynolds, Soldiers Hill

Remember history
″⁣Russia could invade Ukraine ‘within days’ ″⁣ (13/2). Again we suffer from historical amnesia. Let us remember in 1962 the concern US president John F. Kennedy had with Cuba accepting Russian missiles and joining the Warsaw Pact. He did not want Russian missiles on America’s doorstep. Compromise was negotiated, Cuba did not receive Russian missiles and America withdrew its missiles from Turkey. Let us also remember that it was said NATO would not expand to Eastern Europe, ″⁣not one inch eastward″⁣ was stated by James Baker, then American secretary of state. It would seem Russia does not want NATO on its doorstep.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading

Go to the source
In relation to concerns over a third runway at Melbourne airport, it would be better to treat the problem at its source for the benefit of everyone everywhere. The world needs the next generation of quieter aircraft.
About 50 years ago the US government mandated substantial noise and smoke reductions on new commercial aircraft. At that time most large aircraft were US made. This meant the new much quieter aircraft were imposed on the whole world by default.
The US is now less open to regulatory improvements than the EU and China. However Airbus is based in the EU and China plans to build large commercial aircraft.
The industry reduced aircraft noise before and can do it again but only if the world demands it.
Mark Freeman, Macleod

Aged care training
Australian aged care standards cannot improve just by allocating more money and more staff to the existing system.
Like paediatric care, geriatric care requires specialist knowledge which will only be acquired through extensive and specific education and training.
Dental care, nail care, eye care, skin care, physiotherapy and cognitive care, to name but a few areas of allied health, all require different and more extensive knowledge and expertise beyond the level which is sufficient for adults who are not yet afflicted by the ageing ravages of the last stage of the human lifespan.
Australia will fall short of a high-quality aged care system until the training required to become a professional aged care worker is far more comprehensive, specialised and informed by new medical research.
Ruth Farr, Blackburn South

Authenticity lost
Authentic leaders have no need for miracles; they have a vision, purpose and a plan. Authentic leaders confront and approach crises; they do not avoid them and blame others. Authentic leaders do not pull political stunts like washing a young woman’s hair in a salon, being a passenger in a Bathurst supercar or playing the ukulele around the kitchen table for a curated TV interview. Authentic leaders have no need for empathy consultants and to curry favour with anti-vaxxers. Authentic leaders truly believe and show that they “carry the hose” for all.
Susan Constable, Elwood

Love thy neighbour
Growing up I was taught to be a Christian meant endeavouring to be Christlike in our living. If you believe the story then you know that He did not discriminate about who He walked and dined with or fed and blessed. “Love thy neighbour″⁣ was His maxim.
Marion Pritchard, Ringwood North

No ukes!
Scott Morrison may have kicked an own goal allowing himself to be filmed playing the ukulele. I doubt I was the only one reminded of his holiday in Hawaii.
Gaye Boswell, Wantirna South

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics
Hawaiian shirts, holidays in Hawaii, and now the ukulele. Where will it end? Aloha can mean hello or goodbye.
Richard Opat, Elsternwick

Now I understand why the PM went to Hawaii. Silly me. He learnt to play the ukulele. Can’t wait to see his hula hula.
Myra Fisher, Brighton East

The Prime Minister’s family 60 Minutes spectacular will have the same impact as watching Bill Shorten’s daily jogging routine prior to the last election.
Ian Hetherington, Moama

Will the barrel be big enough for all the pork – and the ukulele?
Rosemary Lithgow, Maryborough

How about having a go on a real guitar, Prime Minister – along with some real policies?
Bernd Rieve, Brighton

Scott Morrison’s ukulele stunt was right up there in the cringeworthy stakes with his hair-washing stunt. This man is supposed to be the Prime Minister of Australia.
Reg Murray, Glen Iris

Sorry Geoff Lipton (Letters, 12/2), respect has to be earned, and from where I sit, Scott Morrison has done absolutely nothing during his prime ministership to have earned any.
Glenn Murphy, Hampton Park

Stephen Jones MP for Australian Father of the Year
Linda Driscoll, Armadale

If Anthony Albanese is China’s candidate of choice then surely Peter Dutton is the member for the CIA.
Matthew Kelly, Upwey

Ever since the ’50s, the religious right has had too much political clout. So much for differentiating religion and politics.
Michael McKenna, Warragul

Finally
″⁣Workers use own means, not unions, to get a rise″⁣ (9/2). With real wages in decline, it’s exactly what conservative governments want.
Peter Baddeley, Portland

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