Energy in numbers
Dr Deb Campbell writes: What kind of girls does the Liberal Social gathering truly entice and recruit (“Liberals’ contempt for girls suggests a celebration bored with successful any extra”)? The phrases “crumb maiden” have gained some foreign money in some quarters and so they spotlight the kind of girls who’ve had what passes for fulfillment within the Libs lately, girls content material with secondary and partial affect reasonably than exercising and accepting duty for actual energy. That they’re content material with this function should imply they actually don’t imagine of their capacity. Many ladies who want to wield actual energy find yourself leaving e.g. Julia Banks federally, Catherine Cusack in NSW et al. (Will Bridget Archer be subsequent to turn out to be an unbiased?)
Possibly the intellectually outdated white males and compliant girls have to go — or a minimum of settle for that some girls do need — and are ready to tackle — energy and duty.
Michelle Mediati writes: The Liberal Social gathering ought to most positively have quotas, however they need to be legislated and with sanctions. Australia is just too gradual shifting to extend gender parity; we’re steadily slipping down the dimensions, in response to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Based on latest gender parity studies it’ll take one other 124 years to succeed in gender parity if we preserve going the way in which we’re.
Australia wants to take a look at what different international locations are doing to attain higher outcomes, notably our closest cultural neighbour, New Zealand, which sits at quantity six on this planet for gender parity. Even Rwanda units an instance by together with legislated quotas and committing to educating women and men on politics and be a part of it. There’s no simple reply but when we start by modelling the behaviour of these international locations doing effectively in addressing gender parity that might be a begin, reasonably than counting on particular person events.
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Ian James Financial institution writes: Numbers should be lifted however that will likely be achieved solely with a parliamentary tradition that doesn’t alienate girls.
On for younger and outdated
Roger Clifton writes: Ageing hippies beware: the oncoming technology isn’t on board with the custom of token reductions (“If a 16-year-old can be a part of the military, they need to be allowed to vote”). As a substitute it needs whole substitute of all fossil fuels. Younger folks could effectively prosecute denialists who make excuses for persevering with using gasoline. Renewables should discover various technique of storing energy between the vagaries of climate, or be compelled to resolve their fears of nuclear.
Allen Brown writes: In view of the mess my technology has made from the world, I say give the youngsters the vote. They definitely gained’t do worse, and so they’ll in all probability do a damned sight higher with their future on this near-ruined planet in thoughts.
Vote of ‘No thanks’
Glen Davis writes: Margot Saville realistically adopts the conference of talking of the Coalition as a single main celebration (“Coalition, Labor at a crossroads as main events ‘damaged past restore’”).
The 2 main events recorded their lowest-ever share of the vote in 2022: slightly below 70%.
The pattern has but to succeed in its zenith. Voters are rebelling in opposition to celebration corruption beginning with donations in trade for favours and ending in favours in breach of member and ministerial oaths to behave within the public curiosity. The sanction of Scott Morrison is simply the beginning of actions penalising previous breaches.
Second, Australia would have higher federal authorities with a “hung parliament” than with both of the 2 main events holding an absolute majority. Voters are revealing their rising understanding of this fact. “Two-party politics” was seen 50 years in the past as a supply of “robust authorities”. It has been corrupted and the unbiased candidates have adopted marketing campaign planks chosen for the most important of main celebration weaknesses: “local weather change, political integrity, gender fairness”.
Final however not least, the most important events will not be trusted to handle their very own reform. The mechanisms by which the most important events reached their insurance policies, their priorities and their marketing campaign planks are actually understood to be a part of the corruption. Donors are publicly understood to be sources of corruption. So reform can’t be reached by inner debates, inner votes, or any celebration administration system.
When the Hun now not shines
Jackson Harding writes: After all there’s nonetheless worth within the Hun (“RIP the Hun, born 1998, died November 26 2022, buried in a Danslide”). Nobody does soccer (the Victorian/Australian sort) just like the Herald Solar. As for the remainder of it — effectively, as they are saying within the classics, no self-respecting fish can be seen useless in it.
Gail Wilson writes: The Hun is gone its use-by date, like a discarded fish rotting within the solar. It has been on life assist for years, propped up by its sports activities reporters, particularly AFL protection in a footy-mad state. Individuals in cafés and supermarkets will decide it up and skim the again half-a-dozen pages earlier than discarding. The remaining three-quarters of the paper is filled with hate, misinformation, propaganda and Harvey Norman adverts.
Bryan Lewis writes: I recall the saying “When you can’t suppose, purchase the Herald however if you happen to can’t learn, purchase The Solar“. Rupert combining the 2 appeared poetic!
Chinese language whispers
Malcolm Harris writes: Only a word of warning about what some mainstream media within the West are calling “unprecedented” protests in China. Based on some studies there are on any given day an estimated 300 protests occurring. Largely these are native and handled at an area stage. The 2 main protests talked about by the author (“White paper and ‘Good, good, good’: how China’s protesters are evading Beijing’s censorship on social media”), the fireplace in Xinjiang and the bus incident in Guizhou, had been brought on by native occasions that appear to have no reference to the so-called A4 protests.
These latter protests — a few of which passed off nearby of US embassies, and which we’re advised occurred organically on the identical time, spreading to abroad places inside hours, in response to international media — look extraordinarily suspicious. Based mostly on the video footage, many appear to have very small numbers, about 50 to 100 protesters. This in cities with populations within the hundreds of thousands. Hardly unprecedented.
Your author, Stevie Zhang, notes: “Counter-narratives have flowed on to social media platforms shortly. The most typical line is that these protests are being pushed by exterior agitators and international forces, together with claims that those that have proven as much as maintain white paper sheets have been paid to take action.” Zhang pours some scorn on this concept, however to me it appears very a lot the work of Western (i.e. American) companies profiting from the reputable protests in Xinjiang and Guizhou.
The A4 gimmick showing at varied places on the identical time doesn’t assist the notion that this was all of the spontaneous outpourings by the Chinese language inhabitants. Through its Nationwide Endowment for Democracy (NED) organisation, the US has a number of of those sorts of protests happening in varied locations across the globe, though the mainstream media by no means point out them.
One other factor, whereas the Western media are salivating over “unprecedented” protests in China, it’s pointedly ignoring the election ends in Taiwan, that are a serious blow to US geopolitical targets in that nation, however excellent news for the remainder of us, particularly Australians. Why are they being ignored?
Fact be advised
Robert Vaughan writes: I discover Zali Steggall’s electoral disinformation invoice very disturbing (“ ‘Cease the lies’: contained in the plan to outlaw political disinformation in Australia”). It’ll want an “authority” of some type to rule on what’s true and/or acceptable data in an election marketing campaign. Sounds good and healthful, eh? However please, could I be trusted to train my very own logic?
Invoice Wallace writes: I assist any step prone to scale back misinformation and falsehoods in politics. This invoice is a helpful step, however to actually clear up the next must be undertaken.
- No exterior political promoting/remark one month earlier than voting
- The electoral fee ought to vet, publish and promote a truth sheet for every candidate (alongside the traces of): their background; rules they stand for; what their priorities are if elected; associations with any teams.
With these, exterior political promoting will likely be a factor of the previous and there’ll be no want for taxpayer refunds.
Gross Nationals product
Barry Welch writes: In deciding to oppose the Voice with out even seeing what it is going to be, the Nationwide Social gathering is piddling earlier than its water comes (“On an Indigenous Voice, the Nationals cloak doing nothing in paternalism”).
Prime mover
Rosemary Jacob writes: This man David Pocock is a extremely worthwhile politician (“An actual piece of labor”).
The fitting factor to do
Bernard McKenna writes: I assist support cash being directed to abroad tasks on compassionate, justice, and pragmatic grounds (“Coalition’s China blunder — or get caught out on fair-weather xenophobia”). It must be a elementary human intuition to wish to assist these in misery. The present situation of least developed international locations (LDCs) is largely the results of exploitation. Moreover, Western industrialisation has been the most important contributor to local weather change both instantly within the age of commercial capitalism or not directly within the age of globalised capitalism (once we shifted “soiled” industries to different international locations. China is now doing this too).
If Peter Dutton’s appalling bunch of self-serving spivs do not need the humanity or mental perception to just accept the compassionate and justice grounds, they need to a minimum of settle for the widespread sense of guaranteeing that our affect on LDCs will likely be enhanced if we’re seen as beneficiant. If we don’t, China will clearly fill the vacuum. Exhibit A: Solomon Islands.
Peter Halcomb writes: I emphatically imagine we must be a number one worldwide donor to the least developed international locations. Being within the lead does a number of essential issues. It’s per how we prefer to see ourselves (albeit not underneath the earlier authorities). Let’s do it when there isn’t an area partisan agenda. We’re a wealthy nation, and our fossil gasoline exports are a big a part of the issue. Giving support helps safe our safety, not leaving it to the final minute after others have entered the world. It’s morally acceptable to assist and it provides us leverage with different international locations and the UN.
Good cops/dangerous cops
Michael Walker writes: Most of Queensland’s cops in all probability do job, however till the power adopts the identical office system as each different Australian organisation, and dismisses workers responsible of repeated critical misconduct, nothing will change (“Good cop, dangerous cop: let’s not scapegoat one feminine police commissioner”). What number of police have been given “managerial steering”, and what number of dismissed previously 20 years? All police forces have to recognise that individuals who prefer to boss others round will likely be attracted to affix, however are fairly unsuitable. Unhealthy apples should be eliminated.
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