Violence against women: The long-term, widespread effect of this 'disease'

Will men be the next 'law and order' issue?

Note to Matthew Guy, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Dutton et al who claim that Victorians are too scared to go out because of "African gangs". As repeated statistics and the news again tragically remind us, women who are at home are at far greater risk of harm. So will the Coalition, bristling with the same faux outrage, turn "men" into a pre-election law and order issue?

Ernest Raetz Northcote

Shaping public perception about violence

The Age's lead stories yesterday were about "four women killed". How these events do not trigger the same outrage as the so-called "African gang" crisis can be attributed to our leadership and media. It is a clear demonstration of the power that they have to shape public perception and opinion.

Are we treating domestic violence murders like Americans treat mass shootings? Become outraged, speak out, act and change the laws when the crime is committed by people from a different shade of white? Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton, we are waiting to hear from you.

James Nguyen, Flemington

Call it what it is: murder, not a 'domestic'

It is heartening that the State Coroner has called on Victoria Police to review all family violence-related homicides where there was a known history of domestic violence (The Age, 3/8).

At least 39 women have died violently in Australia so far this year, according to Destroy the Joint's Counting Dead Women project. If 39 men had died while playing sport, in one-punch disputes or similar, we would have seen an immediate response. Cultural change is required so that we call it what it is – murder – not a "domestic". Women need to be believed when they say they are in danger and the perpetrators need to be monitored more closely. It is disgraceful that in 2018, men are behaving this way and women continue to be killed.

Denise Stevens, Healesville

We need more officers to deal with these cases

Your editorial (The Age, 3/8) sets out the parameters of men's violence against women but does not look at the gaps in action by the police and courts in preventing injuries or deaths. The children of Joy Rowley – who was strangled and her ex-partner, James Martin Mulhall, was later jailed over her murder – say it is "like Russian roulette" when people call the police.

While most officers show professional competency in dealing with violence against women and children, they may face setbacks when the matter comes to court. For example, Greg Batty was on bail, which had been opposed by the police, when he killed his son Luke. Also, the police cannot deal with domestic violence in between investigating burglaries and locking up drunks. We need more officers assigned specifically to investigate family violence. Maybe then fewer women would die.

Des Files, Brunswick

The long wait for politicians to listen and act

"I don't hear politicians rallying the troops on violence against women," I said. "Don't hold your breath," said hubby.

Deb Bain-King, Footscray

THE FORUM

Cut hours, cut quality

Dirty schools (The Age, 2/8) are unacceptable. The core of the problem is that when quotes are called to supply goods or perform a service, the job always goes to the lowest one offered. This is on the presumption that all goods or services offered are exactly the same – but they rarely are. Commercial enterprises want the work and some have to "cut margins and or corners", where possible; if they do not, the task is commercially unsustainable.

However, underpayment of wages (in this case, to school cleaners) is unacceptable. Clients seeking quotes should understand the facts of commercial life. Cutting hours reduces the cost but lowers the quality of work.

John Simmonds, Collingwood

Cut hours, cut the pay

At our school, staff members have been concerned for our cleaner. Not only has his cleaning been "assessed" by the company which employs him as needing to take only two-thirds of the time specified under their contract, but his pay has been reduced by more than 30per cent. I do not know how Victorian Education Minister James Merlino can say "the changes (to school cleaning contracts) have ensured cleaners were paid properly for their vital work".

Jill Stanszus, Mornington

Pride in their work

The sad state of school cleaning in Victoria is a legacy of yet another failed attempt to privatise a public service. When schools had their own full-time cleaners, the latter took a pride in "their" schools and often put in extra effort to ensure that they presented well and were clean and tidy.

Stuart James, Leneva

The ABC of shopping

Why such a fuss over plastic bags? Just put all your shopping into the trolley, take it to the car, load your shopping into bags which should live permanently in the boot, return the trolley to the shop, and off you go. No problem with more plastic.

Janice Cohen, East Brighton

Stuff the environment

My daughter, who lives in Queensland, makes fabric "boomerang bags" to give to people for their shopping trolleys. Several months ago she approached a large supermarket and asked if they would display the bags at the front of their store so that customers could use them, instead of plastic bags, and then return them to be re-used. They agreed.

A few weeks later she returned to the supermarket but could not find any of her bags out the front. Staff told her there was no demand for them and they had put them out the back. Of course supermarkets will not support a scheme such as this. They want their customers to pay for plastic bags. Never mind about the environment. The dollar rules.

Margaret Collings, Anglesea

The picture says it all

Coles' public relations department has missed a golden opportunity to demonstrate the company's credentials as a good corporate citizen. It should have advertised pictures of sea life being strangled in plastic bags. This would have showed the environmental harm that these are causing and, therefore, the reason for the ban on single-use plastic bags. Few customers would have argued against this.

Jeremy MacCreadie, Lorne

A gross over-reaction

Dawn raids and strip searches of former ALP staffers involved in the "red shirts affair" (The Age, 3/8)? With such drastic responses to what seems to be the most minor of white collar crimes, are some in Victoria Police part of a potential Matthew Guy-led junta?

Shaun Brown, Docklands

A place to call home

Often when there is a drop in house prices, it is presented as being bad for investors and the economy – "Fears for economy as housing slumps" (The Age, 3/8). For the last 20 years, house prices have far outstripped wages. An entire generation feels like they will never own their own home. Also, there are more than 100,000 homeless people in Australia. Soaring house prices have driven rents up to ridiculous levels.

There is only one solution to this problem: house prices must fall. If investors are not happy about it, they should note that Homelessness Week runs from August 6 to 12. It will provide an opportunity to focus on the damage that unaffordable housing has inflicted on our society.

Vince Morand, Greensborough

Our future is with India

As a young Australian, I first visited India in 1977. I looked at a map and thought: "That should take two weeks." Six months later, I was still uncovering India's amazing delights.

The Turnbull government has launched a report on India's business potential. The aim is to grow Australian investment in it from today's $10.3billion to more than $100billion. Australia's future is tied to the "E7", the emerging nations of the world, including India.

Harold Mitchell suggests we need to "go straight to the stage door" (Business, 3/8) to find out what is going on. To all leaders, in all fields: Visit India. Our future is tied up with that great nation.

John Kilner, Fitzroy North

The AFL's credibility

Despite the huge success of the AFL Women's league in 2018, the AFL is proposing that the 2019 fixture will share six home and away games among 10 teams, with two weeks for finals. The commercial interest of the AFL is not an irrelevant factor.

However, if footy is to continue to claim the moral high ground of being "not just a sport", it needs to get serious about investing in all aspects of it. That include grass-roots local footy, community development programs in disadvantaged communities, and expanded footy competitions for women and girls. Commercial interest are important, but the AFL risks its own credibility if it does not show leadership on this issue.

Sam Lynch, Abbotsford

AFLW, the real footy

An eight-week fixture for AFLW? When will the AFL recognise that AFLW is a professional sport, not a sideshow. For me, real footy starts in the off-season.

Madelene Rich, Seaford

A war on obesity?

Jessica Irvine, in her insightful piece on our "obesogenic" environment (Comment, 1/8), points out that personal responsibility will not reduce obesity unless it is supported by systemic changes.

There are parallels with the ABC's War on Waste. It has shown how a media campaign can get players in that system to start changing their production, consumption and distribution habits so that they use less, or re-use more, of the packaging that makes up most waste.

The Obesity Collective sounds like an equivalent attempt to create systemic change. Let us hope it includes the media because so far, TV programs have concentrated on those who are morbidly obese, or on one instrument: a sugar tax. It looks like an opportunity for the ABC to do a War on Obesity program.

Peter Greig, Colac

The danger of denial

Record heat and drought in Queensland and NSW, and extreme weather events across Australia, make life difficult, particularly for farmers. Why then do they continue to support coal-loving, climate-change denialists in the Coalition?

Bill Burns, Bendigo

The people's place

We support the National Trust's nomination of Federation Square for listing on the State Heritage Register. Melbourne has long dreamt of a civic square thatoffers a meeting place for all. The square embodies a remarkably coherent example of late 20thcentury architecture and has, as the trust puts it, "come to be highly valued by the community on both a cultural and architectural level".

Both designs for the Apple store will destroy that coherence. We urge Heritage Victoria to support this listing. This will ensure that any proposals for significant changes will be subject to a proper public permit process, unlike the proposals for the Apple store.

Professor Charles Sowerwine, Royal Historical Society of Victoria

AND ANOTHER THING

Plastic bags

For a nation supposedly full of "early adaptors", we're recalcitrant when it comes to eliminating single-use plastic bags. Stop whingeing and get on with it.

Andrew Blyth, Eaglemont

The non-plastic bags that I keep in my car came from Coles, but I'm sure Woolworths won't mind.

Anthea Hyslop, Eltham

Coles deserves the bagging it's copping.

Graham Cadd, Dromana

So will Coles change its corporate livery from red to yellow?

Lee Kennedy, Box Hill

Supermarkets should be required to give away only recyclable bags.

Lois Roberts, Eltham

What hope for Australia to advance if people can't remember, or can't be bothered, to take bags to the supermarket? It's led to more plastic being dumped in the ocean.

Ian Gray, Benalla

Politics

So Abbott, Dutton, Turnbull and Shorten call themselves Christians. Judging by their actions towards refugees, I think it's time for some rational atheists to be in charge.

Margot Morrison, Thornton.

Selling the NEG might be easier for Turnbull and co if the renewable focus were clearer. I suggest rebranding it "reNEG".

Josquin Tibbits, Eltham

Christopher Mayer (2/8), maybe the "ordinary people" who voted for Dutton will think twice next time.

Ann Maginness, Altona North

Furthermore

Why can't we value and preserve our built heritage like they do in Europe? Instead, we knock it down and build modern monstrosities.

Katriona Fahey, Alphington

Wrong way around, Gary Sayer (2/8). Australia appears to be modelled on the Kingdom of Id.

Brian Collins, Cardigan

Re QAnon (World, 3/8). If it weren't so frightening it would be funny. It looks like the US is heading for a handmaid's tale.

Karen Evans, Sunbury

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