The Premier can’t keep wielding the big stic

We are not schoolkids and we deserve greater respect and appreciation when it remains the mindless and selfish minority who continue to flout the obligations of all who love this state. Surely it’s tough enough without threats of continued sanctions.
Tim Waley, Armadale

Mixing it up with the maskless
I couldn’t agree with you more, Lois Ziebell (‘‘When is a walk a jog?’’, Letters, 6/10). As I struggled with my sweaty mask and steamed-up glasses on my brisk five-kilometre walk this morning, I encountered numerous maskless people shuffling by with alacrity, presumably believing they were ‘‘jogging’’ and therefore exempt from the rule.

Like you I am more than happy to wear a mask in the supermarket or other crowded places, but I cannot see the logic in having to wear one out on the walking trail simply because I choose a brisk walk over a slow jog – it makes no sense.
June Collini, Diamond Creek

Enjoy what remains of the calm
We are in the home straight, we have mostly survived with our sanity intact. Bank balances are in the positive, credit card debt reduced, employers cannot dispute that work/life looks different, grey noise has quietened, everything just seems a little less manic and fleeting.

We must stay the course, we are very, very close to the finish line. Enjoy the still while we have it, this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic has stripped each of us back to basics.

A few more weeks and our crazy, busy, time-poor, cluttered existences will be back with a thud, fear not. Enjoy what remains of the calm, I will be.
Melanie Veuve, Greenvale

Strict lockdown has given me hope
I live in Perth and just wanted to say a big thank you to all Melburnians as they have done such an incredible job these past three months and shown that COVID-19 can be contained by following the strict lockdown rules. I am very grateful for all the sacrifices they have made and all the challenges they have faced.

As my 15-year-old son summed it up, you ‘‘have all taken one for the team’’. I now have more hope that I will be able to see my other son at Christmas and to me that is priceless.
Janet Kingston, Doubleview, WA

The fatal flaw in the movement restrictions
There is a fatal flaw in the argument for keeping this severe restriction that must be emphasised. The risk of the disease spreading if a person goes to, say, a coffee shop in a distant suburb is exactly the same as in their own suburb. That is, the number of people likely to be infected is the same. It would only be different if something approaching herd immunity existed in one of the suburbs. But even our worst-affected suburbs are not remotely close to herd immunity.

And one wonders if the people making the decisions have been to a local park on a sunny day – these places could hardly be more crowded.
Aidan Sudbury, Malvern East

Some sense, at last
At last a sensible, rational and uplifting article with sound logic applied by Catherine Bennett (‘‘Rules of five don’t quite add up’’, Comment, 6/10) requesting fewer rules and more confidence to get us through the next steps.

What a contrast to Brett Sutton’s fear-based, punitive and strict rule-adherence approach, which does nothing to lift the spirits or give us hope of getting out of this lockdown.
Mandy Morgan, Malvern

THE FORUM

It’s easy to explain
As Steven Hail notes, the neoliberal approach to public finance is being seriously questioned (‘‘Big spending government is not new’’, Comment, 6/10).

A possible reason both conservative and more progressive governments have adopted the neoliberal consensus is that it is relatively easy for politicians to understand and then explain to voters.

So, for 40 years we have been told that, like families, the nation ‘‘cannot live beyond its means’’. Most of the voters have meekly nodded their heads and accepted more taxes and reduced government services.

If Hail is correct and we are entering a second Keynesian revolution, what will our political leaders now tell us? I am looking forward to the first politician brave or foolhardy enough to refer to ‘‘modern monetary theory’’ and then attempt to explain it to voters.
Rod Wise, Surrey Hills

Beautiful and evocative
Nick Miller’s article (‘‘A dawn chorus awakening in operatic air’’, The Age, 6/10) about the new opera by Deborah Cheetham is both beautiful and evocative.

‘‘The magpie who lifted the great blanket of darkness and created the first dawn’’ allows us to truly reflect not only on the richness of our First Nations people’s storytelling, but to awaken us to the necessity of truth telling. As Cheetham states, ‘‘My Aboriginal grandparents lived with permits and curfews for decades, not weeks.’’

COVID-19 has presented challenges to many in different circumstances. Let us also reflect on refugees who are incarcerated for simply seeking recognition of their humanity and for whom ‘‘lockdown’’ has become permanent.
Judith Morrison, Mount Waverley

There’s a precedent
I agree with Amanda Vanstone regarding a scapegoat, transparency and a number of politicians and bureaucrats suffering memory loss in the Victorian hotel quarantine inquiry. I agree that it is a nonsense (‘‘It’s laughable to blame only Mikakos’’, Comment, 5/10).

Her article would have had more clout if it mentioned the Victorian government just followed precedent.

The fallout from the Coalition sports rorts inquiry claimed the scalp of Bridget McKenzie and, as far as transparency goes, the Morrison government has done its level best to hide what went on there and to not co-operate with the Ruby Princess inquiry.

Maybe because it’s the party Amanda does vote for, it’s too difficult for her to mention their obvious failings even when there is a clear connection.
Jim Calmer, Glen Iris

Ignoring the experts
Monday night’s Four Corners heartbreaking documentary on the explosion in Lebanon that levelled a city was an eye opener on the consequence of governments ignoring expert advice. Three times Lebanon officials were warned of the dangers of storing ammonium nitrate in the port, but did nothing about it, with horrific consequences.

Could such incompetence and outright disregard for the people happen in Australia? Back in 2005 there was a report stating that, without action on climate change, Australia would experience more severe fires by 2020. In 2019, Australian fire chiefs tried many times to speak to the Prime Minister to ask for more resources to combat the extreme fire season that was developing, only to be ignored.

These warnings were ignored for what reasons? Money? Dogma? Ignorance? There were more than 30 deaths, thousands of homes destroyed and millions of animals killed. And still, with our government being warned about increasing use of fossil fuels, they want to use taxpayer money to develop more gas resources to generate electricity and provide feedstocks for more plastic packaging.

What does it take for our ‘‘leaders’’ to follow expert advice, even though it conflicts with their ideology, for the long-term benefit of our community?
Tim Davis, Heidelberg

It’s not ‘relief’’
Can we please stop using the term ‘‘tax relief’’? Progressive tax systems are correlated with happiness of the population. So rather than relief, such cuts for those who don’t really need them when we’re failing to provide adequate housing, education and healthcare to those with the least will lead to anguish, grief and heartache.
Christine Morris, Hoppers Crossing

Ripe for exploitation
My father paid me $1 for three hours work on his market garden as a kid in the 1960s. Whether it was child exploitation or a necessary family-based contribution, I learnt how to stick at manual work in hot summers. It also encouraged me to get a tertiary education.

The romance of farm labour depicted by advertisements paints over the hard yakka. Desperate backpackers and international visa holders can be exploited by agri-businesses trying to improve productivity, faced by big-buyer squeezes and a dodgy climate.

Why would a city kid travel to a regional farm, camp or live in crowded accommodation and do back-breaking work for a pittance?
Andrew Smith, Leongatha

The stimulus can wait
Since the Victorian economy was purposely locked down to fight the pandemic it is illogical to stimulate it to get it going again (‘‘Fast-track tax relief for workers ‘in weeks’’’, 6/10).
The assistance should be for the unemployed. The stimulus should wait for the end of the lockdown.
Malcolm Cameron, Camberwell

Boost these sectors
While current budgets may well focus on infrastructure as an economic boost, in the case of Victoria this concentration is less imperative with projects under way and a workforce sector well employed.

It is concerning that Daniel Andrews makes no mention of other sectors such as investing in agriculture, social housing and most importantly core manufacturing.

The latter is more imperative for skills diversity and warranted as, in my view, Victoria as a commercial destination for investment is considered union-centric and now has the reality of overzealous restrictive government closure hovering above.
Mal Alexander, Vermont

Reckless and ill-judged
I call on the Victorian Liberal Party to immediately condemn Tim Smith’s reckless and ill-judged publication of his version of a ‘‘most wanted’’ deck of cards portraying Mr Andrews and other politicians and public servants.

At a time when it is imperative to have social cohesion and co-operation of all its citizens in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic this kind of action could have adverse reactions that could endanger the security of its leaders, undermine the successful strategy that is working and reduce much needed co-operation in the community.
Rhonda McCaw, Kew

Snail mail
I agree with Mike Trickett (Letters, 28/9) and others regarding the falling standards of Australia Post. I understand that COVID-19 has caused some deterioration of service, but a magazine sent from Geelong on 10/9 took until 2/10 to reach me in Melbourne.

Australia Post has complained of declining letter volumes for years and now can’t seem to cope with increased parcel volumes. Given the increased casualisation of their workforce, can’t more contractors be added or staff be reallocated?

Something doesn’t seem right. I am concerned that these eroded delivery standards will become accepted after the pandemic if we don’t voice our disapproval now.
David Kilderry, Narre Warren North

Invisible me
Thank you Maxine Hardinge (Letters, 5/10), for pointing out just how obviously inconsequential all childless single people, particularly women, are to politicians of all persuasions.

I’ve worked and paid taxes for more than 50 years yet received no benefits of any kind.

With no children, denied first home grants because my partners owned previous properties, and no superannuation as a self-employed ‘‘contractor’’, I was invisible then and as a pensioner, I’m even more invisible now.
Joy Carroll, Harcourt

A system that works
I would like to confirm John Miller’s comments in his letter (‘‘Monitoring the quality of aged care homes’’, 3/10). I have been a community visitor for some time now visiting group homes where people with a disability live together sharing the home, food, activities and carers.

We are able to spend time talking to staff, checking notes and observing the quality of care. We are also able to listen to the residents and help them meet their needs and help solve any problems if they occur.

When the problems in aged care were first discovered I wondered why the same program was not used across the whole caring system. The Community Visitors Program is an excellent way to ensure that the best possible care is given to those in need and that they know they have a voice and are listened to.

Even now we are able to make successful phone and video contacts with each of our houses. I recommend that a system like this is introduced as soon as possible.
Kay Gregory, Glen Huntly

In for a penny ...
Amanda Vanstone’s statement ‘‘ ... you get what you inspect, not what you expect’’ jumped off the page.

Surely that sentiment applies equally to other settings as well. If so, she has damned the actions of the aged care regulatory body, the minister and the federal government. Well done, Amanda, now just say it.
Les Garrad, Chelsea

Stiglitz by a knockout
World renowned economist and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz said in 2010 that the Rudd government put in place ‘‘one of the best-designed Keynesian stimulus packages in any country in the world’’ ... and it worked, with Australia’s dowturn the ‘‘shortest and shallowest’’ of the advanced industrial countries.

Fast forward to October 2020, and Senator Mathias Cormann’s still denouncing the Rudd government’s ‘‘waste of money’’ during the GFC, a view criticised by economists as misunderstanding how close Australia had come to a major recession. Stiglitz or Cormann? Stiglitz by a knockout.
Neil Hudson, East Melbourne

AND ANOTHER THING

The member for Kew
Tim Smith’s use of the US military style of Iraqi terrorist ‘‘wanted’’ cards – an irrelevant politician striving to be noticed by displaying the very worst of the populist political playbook.
Dave Bennett, Malvern East

Anyone with half a brain would refrain from comparing our politicians to terrorists. Unfortunately the member for Kew isn’t anyone.
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills

Someone needs to explain to Michael O’Brien, what the proverb ‘‘a chain is only as strong as its weakest link’’ means.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill

How would Tim Smith react if he found himself on a card like the ones he has produced?
Brian Morley, Donvale

Politics
I wonder if we will ever see Amanda Vanstone write an article on the failure of the federal government to properly fund and control the operation of our aged-care facilities?
Peter Thomas, Barwon Heads

Yes, Daniel Andrews is ‘‘most wanted’’, as Premier of Victoria. Tim Smith and his colleagues are the ones not wanted.
Mick O’Mara, Winchelsea

Furthermore
The easing of lockdown restrictions has revealed the ongoing crisis in the education system, particularly in mathematics: I am amazed how many people, from all generations, cannot count five.
Ivan Johnston, Flemington

The problem with the Premier warning us that the five-kilometre restriction may not be lifted unless those people flouting the rules stop doing so, is that those people who need to take that advice are not listening and the rest of us have had a gutful and resent the threat of collective punishment.
Peter Rushen, Carnegie

Finally
Wet markets dealing in wildlife in China, outbreaks in Australian abattoirs, the Butcher Club in Chadstone. Vegetarianism anyone?
Kieran Martin, Mallacoota