A STUDY IN CONTRASTS: Real-life struggle puts World Cup in its place

Nick Toovey, Beaumaris

The power of compassion and co-operation

I totally agree with John Passant (And Another Thing, 9/7). The rescue of the boys in Thailand is an amazing example of what international co-operation, compassion and care can achieve.

It would be a similar act of compassion, care and co-operation if, when Malcolm Turnbull visits Nauru, he went to the detention centre and announced that in co-operation with New Zealand, all the refugees on Nauru and Manus would be resettled here and in New Zealand.

Jane Dubsky, Glen Iris

How about rescuing the kids stuck on Nauru?

Having shown such expertise, compassion and devoting resources to rescue children from a Thai cave, can Australia now look to rescuing children from Nauru.

Peter Roche, Carlton

The best of humanity on show

We wake to daily rants from an American President , we see Australian politicians not understanding the basic courtesies of respect towards one another, but then comes a story of a team of young soccer players in Thailand that becomes both heart-stopping and inspiring. I find myself hanging on to every news bulletin and every latest news flash. We hear of the quiet care of their coach trapped with them, the bravery of the rescuers and the courage of these youngsters after weeks trapped underground in total darkness, and I can believe once again in the inherent goodness and courage of people. We remember the rescue of Stuart Diver some years ago and now there is another story worthy of such retelling. We need these stories in this world of ours today. This is journalism at its best.

Annie Young, Junortoun

Global collaboration a template for safer climate

It is heartening to witness the global attention and collaborative effort going into saving 12 young people and their coach trapped in a cave in Thailand. This level of concern and co-operation shows how highly we value the lives of others: no amount of resources is too great if we can save a life. Well done, international community.

In 2018, as the impacts of global warming are taking lives all over the planet, it would be wonderful to see this same level of collaboration engaged to save millions of lives into the future. It's too late to undo the damage our carbon emissions have already done, but it is never too late to do the right thing.

Australia has the resources and means to create a new, carbon-neutral economy and to support our neighbours to make the same transition. It's what the people want and it's what the world needs. Let's put fossil fuels to rest and join the international collaboration for a safe climate future.

Zelda Grimshaw, Cairns, Qld

THE FORUM

Unsubtle teacher bashing

It is an irony of the highest order that the Coalition education minister announces the necessity for schools to lift the profile of science when they don't have a minister for science on their frontbench. Without raising the monetary remuneration and reducing onerous, mind-numbing bureaucracy for teachers in general, this becomes just another pointless, less-than-subtle example of teacher bashing.

In other words, saying the STEM bar should be raised is admirable, but simply saying we can "push" more qualified teachers into a broken recruiting system, to work in an employment environment where the rest of their colleagues are less appreciated, is just fanciful thinking.

Teachers, who over many years have broadened their skills into areas that were not dreamt of when they were training, should be applauded, not demonised. These teachers have stepped up where school needs have outstripped reduced funding, and in spite of onerous workplace conditions.

Teaching is a team effort in every school. To lift the bar for some teachers requires every teacher being better supported.

How will better-qualified STEM students eventuate if, for example, they can't read the manuals, or understand the broader social and environmental implications of STEM technology?

Rob Ward, Lake Tyers Beach

Doing my sums

I'm a retired senior maths and physics teacher. I'll come out of retirement if the Victorian government will pay me what I believe is my least worth to the community, the same salary as a state MP.

Brian Sanaghan, West Preston

Leave it to the pros

It is sad indeed to read Jordan Baker's article ("They don't trust us", theage.com.au, 8/7 ) on the extent to which managerialism is taking over in the teaching profession.

This insistence on "reporting" endlessly to supervisors (and lawyers) is the antithesis of what teaching is all about. And considering the damage this intrusive practice has done to other once-valued institutions ,such as banks, it is time for it to give way to letting our teachers be the professionals they are meant to be.

Tony Haydon, Springvale

Get the basics right

Noel Butterfield's judgment of former footballers' poor use of the English language (Letters, 9/7) when broadcasting games will be dismissed by many as pedantic and petty.

His main point is valid. Anyone broadcasting or writing in a professional capacity should aspire to getting the basics right.

I still miss Jack Dyer, though.

John Rawson, Mernda

Senators an unruly rabble

I listen to or watch question time in both houses nearly every day it is broadcast. The difference in discipline between the House of Representatives and the Senate is stark. In the Reps, the Speaker can eject unruly members for an hour under "section 94a".

There is no such option for the Senate President and it is not unusual for him to have to shout at an individual senator multiple times to get order. I wrote to him recently about this asking what can be done as it is embarrassing to listen to. I got a polite reply thanking me for bringing this lack of control to his attention.

Something has to be done, the Senate discipline is a disgrace as has been highlighted recently.

Peter Sparkes, Templestowe Lower

Representative swill

Contrary to Paul Keating's assertion, our Senate is truly representative of the society, including idiots, halfwits, abusers, liars and haters. It's a zoo!

The President of the Senate needs a Taser to control the behaviour of the inmates.

Kishor Dabke, Mount Waverley

Offence is not a choice

Senator David Leyonhjelm has been quoted as saying that people who are verbally abused about their faith or culture can choose to feel offended, or choose not to feel offended.

I wonder if a man much larger and younger than the senator punched him in the face, would he choose to feel the pain, or choose not to feel the pain?

Paul Sharp, Brompton, SA

Tunnel-vision on bullying

Regarding Senator David Leyonhjelm's conduct, several letter writers, like Judy Bell, have asserted "no company or organisation would allow such bullying and offensive language to be used" (Letters, 9/7).

That flies in the face of a welter of data showing Australia has extremely high bullying rates. In 2014, an international commission rated Australia as the sixth worst country for workplace bullying compared with 31 European countries. The federal government's inquiry of 2012 reported that this problem cost the economy up to $36 billion annually. Bullying has cost lives and destroyed many people's health and livelihoods. Yet it is so casually expressed, it even occurs openly in Parliament, as also happened with then PM Julia Gillard. The fact that Senator Sarah Hanson-Young has to resort to legal action, which few workers could afford, demonstrates the true weakness of Australia's anti-bullying initiatives.

Barbara Chapman, Hawthorn

Advice worth heeding

Gretel Lamont (Letters, 9/7) says that if women cannot go out alone at night, men also should not go out at night.

When I go out at night, I know that there are two things that the bad guys want from me – my wallet and my smartphone. I can always leave them at home and thus avoid losing them. But the thing the bad guys want from women cannot be left at home.

I have the right to cross at a zebra crossing but I am careful in exercising this right because I do not assume that a motorist will stop for me. If I exercise my society-given right of using a zebra crossing, whatever be the circumstances, I may be crippled or even dead.

There have always been bad people out there and there always will be, no matter what we want to believe about how things should be. Women want to exercise the right given by society to dress however they wish, go out whenever they want, etc, but if they encounter the bad guy on the way, who ends up as the loser?

When the police advise me not to leave my laptop in my car while shopping, instead of accusing them of victim blaming, I heed their advice, because I do not want to lose my laptop.

Dr Amir Ahamed, Noble Park

Of geese and ganders

Gretel Lamont says she assumes David Brown's risk-minimisation strategy (Letters, 7/7) was targeted at women. And there I was thinking it was good advice for anyone out at night.

Peter McGill, Lancefield

Gittins slays myths

Ross Gittins has done it again (The Age, Business, 9/7), "People have convinced themselves that if it's legal it must be moral", referring to tax-avoidance schemes, and the other myth that the unequal sharing of "the pie" is good for productivity, and in the need for the pie to grow bigger, business people need to get the biggest share. He suggests that "it ain't necessarily so". Hear! Hear!

Rosemary Taylor, Castlemaine

Real-world economics

Thanks to Ross Gittins for his enlightening articles, we look forward to them every week.

Here I register my respect for Gittins as one of very few economists who is willing to provide some reality testing in these times of fiscal and financial confusion.

In our house, we often comment on the difference between "legal" and "lawful".

What's the difference?

Well, if something isn't actually illegal, it's probably lawful. Whether it is or it isn't, if it's not actually illegal, it's probably safe to assume that you can get away with it.

This appears to be the underlying theme to so many of the shonky transactions we read about every day.

Thanks again, Ross, for so beautifully illustrating these points in banking, finance and, of course, the gig economy.

Dr Julie Shaw, Glen Iris

Sign of things to hide

Maybe Daniel Andrews and his government are at risk of losing the next election to a rather inadequate alternative led by Matthew Guy because we don't trust him to look after our interests. Just look at the decision to weaken the powers of IBAC. As a voter, the only reason I can think of for doing this is that the government has something to hide, and so does any party or individual member that supports this.

Pauline Ashton, Maribyrnong

Clash of evil clones

The looming Victorian election this year, as with the federal election next year, is pretty much about choosing between the lesser of two evils. Our problem is the gap is only visible through an electron microscope.

Bill Trestrail, St Kilda

Delicious aroma of pork

Ah byelections; like Christmas in July, with the delicious aroma of pork (barrelling) and a deluge of goodies for electorates that have been ignored until now.

While Santa sends the Funding Fairy to sprinkle promises across the land, hoping the voters have forgotten who dealt their current hand, the opposition tries to be heard, pledging funding for their vision and policies for their plan.

Now it's the voters who get to decide who's been naughty and who's been nice, and who has the best bribes, and what will be their price.

Vote wisely Australia, you just may get the member you deserve.

Peter Neilson, Heathcote

Noted, your majesty

I'm becoming increasingly irked by your letter writers who use the words "Father" or "Reverend" as part of their authorship. This is nothing more than a so-called appeal to authority, and has no place in any logical debate. Why should a minister of religion – who believes in the existence of a supernatural entity – know anything more about crime, health or education than I do; a correspondent who is afforded no similar honorific?

Geoff Perston, Yarram

AND ANOTHER THING

The state of the state

When exposing a crime is treated as committing a crime, we are being ruled by criminals.

Susan Munday, Bentleigh East

With the state election only months away, the party that strengthens IBAC's powers will get my vote.

Kevan Porter, Alphington

Politics

The Age's two-party preferred poll comparing Labour and the Coalition in Victoria should have allowed a third response – neither of the above.

Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills

Wouldn't it be good if we had a Prime Minister who talked about his own policies rather than ranting incessantly about Labor and in particular Bill Shorten. But then again, maybe he simply doesn't have much to talk about.

Bill McMahon, Blackburn

Lovely news about the Thai soccer boys. Now if only we could get some of our "fossil" politicians out of the cave.

Myra Fisher, Brighton East

Thailand cave rescue

The selfless heroism in Thailand has many shameful contrasts.

Malcolm McDonald, Burwood

Wonderful news that boys are being rescued in Thailand. Every media organisation appears to have their own experts offering varying advice. The only person that they haven't asked is Nick Cave.

Alan Inchley, Frankston

The cave rescue in Thailand highlights all that is good in the world.

Annie Wilson, Inverloch

Furthermore

While we're talking about improving grammar, would The Age (and others) kindly note that "women" is a plural noun and "female" is the adjective ("New Zealand may force private companies to pick women directors", The Age, Business, 9/7).

Angus McLeod, Cremorne

Finally

What's the point of banning plastic bags at the checkout while selling fruit, vegetables, bread and almost everything else behind the checkout wrapped in plastic?

Wendy Brennan, Bendigo

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