» George Brandis wants an impossible answer from the teals

No time to waste
Your correspondent who lives in a regional area says a trunk route and bus network is a better option that a train loop that will connect almost every line in metropolitan Melbourne. To ride in buses that have to give way to intersections, roundabouts and to negotiate traffic and then to find bus stops in dense shopping areas just has to be experienced. That is to say nothing of accidents causing detours or roadworks doing the same.
The problem with those advocating a delay to a project like this is it will never get any cheaper. Too many politicians, particularly the conservative kind, don’t have the courage or foresight to plan for the future. A typical comment regarding infrastructure, such as the airport rail line, is “oh, we should have done that 10 years ago”.
Michael McKenna, Warragul

Service failures
Your correspondent points to Infrastructure Australia’s unequal attitudes to public transport (“Hostility to rail projects”, Letters, 24/3). We frequently see this freeways first focus.
Since early February, train travellers beyond Heidelberg have had to suffer an inadequate, at best, bus substitution for a train service. Was this because of line upgrades for more trains? More frequent trains? Double tracks? No.
It’s because of works to construct a monstrous freeway interchange in Watsonia, part of the North East Link freeway. Can anyone tell me the last time a freeway was completely closed for two months to allow public transport improvements?
Phil Bourke, Macleod

Tax inadequate
Good to read coverage of the fact that foreign-owned gas companies are making a killing exporting our gas when we have possible shortfalls coming in 2028 (“Imported gas may be only option to plug east-coast supply shortages”, 22/3). The claim that gas exports “fetched Australia nearly $70 billion in export revenue”, however, is a distraction. Australia doesn’t prosper based on volume or price of exports if the (mostly foreign owned) companies doing the exporting don’t pay tax or royalties.
Gas gougers are making eye-watering profits while not paying their share of tax. In fact, our taxes are paying them billions a year through the diesel fuel rebate. At the same time, climate change is escalating and our roads, hospitals and schools need better funding.
Tax the gas gougers.
Karen Lamb, Geelong

Circumlocution Office
Michael Koziol’s account of his difficulties getting a visa, social security and Wi-Fi on moving to the US (“Having battled US bureaucracy, I reckon there’s plenty for Musk to do”, 23/3) tells me the Circumlocution Office is alive and well. A term circulated in Charles Dickens’ novel Little Dorrit in the 1850s, to describe an octopus-like UK government department whose job was to combat anybody who expected that government was about getting things done. It’s entire task was focused on “How not to do it”, by placing so many barriers that people eventually gave up trying, much as Koziol describes — requiring hard-to-obtain documents, keeping people on hold for a very long times but demanding they turn up exactly on time for appointments, sending people from one counter to another to another, and never revealing which one would actually deal with a problem.
As Koziol wrote, there is so much room for improvement in government bureaucracy that Musk’s random defunding and closures are not dealing with, as he is so focused on culture wars, not dealing with the real needs.
Robert Bender, Ivanhoe East

Israel must stop
For all my life I have supported Israel, not least as a refuge of last resort for Jews against the antisemitism which engulfs the world from time to time, and because I know that Jews have lived in Israel for over 5000 years and deserve to continue living there. I was sickened by Hamas starting this war with its brutal and inhuman attacks on innocent civilians on October 7, and the taking of hostages who were mocked by cheering crowds in Gaza. I can understand Israel’s initial response.
But now, the destruction of Gaza and its people, its ordinary civilians, its infrastructure, its hospitals, in an utterly senseless and horrific resumption of bombing and ground warfare is criminal. It will not achieve the release of the remaining hostages, nor the destruction of Hamas. Israel’s current actions have moved from justified reaction in 2023 to morally, ethically and criminally repugnant. Israel must stop military action now. Egged on by the madman in the White House, Netanyahu’s actions now certainly look a lot like genocide to me.
Louise Kloot, Doncaster

Rental inequity
In recent years rental fees across Australia have risen well in excess of the consumer price index, causing immense stress to many who have limited income to cope with these rises. The exception is the ACT where rental increases are tied to the CPI. In many European and Scandinavian countries there is a form of rental regulation setting out arrangements equitable to both parties.
In recent years the UK, Scotland and Ireland have reintroduced stricter regulation of rental arrangements including rental rises. Why, in a country that purports to give everybody a “fair go” should free range capitalism prevail, increasing the cost of living for those most vulnerable, with governments of all persuasions failing to address this important social issue?
Laurie Mason, Fairhaven

Fish farms
I regularly purchased Tasmanian salmon and ocean trout from the early days of commercial production in the mid-1980s. It was only when I started to hear the media stories about how the fish live and are fed, and what the fish farms are doing to the marine environment that I began to question whether I should continue to support this industry.
Richard Flanagan’s book Toxic (2021) cemented my view not to buy or eat any Tasmanian salmon products ever again. And, as Peter Singer says (The Sunday Age, 23/3), “only when consumers realise it is their dollars keeping these vile industries going” and make a conscious decision to stop buying these products, will any change occur.
Kate McCaig, Surrey Hills

Support not punishment
In Victoria the overall rate of youth offending last year fell 3 per cent but offences committed by repeat offenders increased 4.9 per cent. The popular response to this problem is punitive, with increased rates of detention, which promotes recidivism. Many of these young offenders have been damaged by dysfunctional family experience, they have failed in education and have not developed essential life skills. Most young offenders operate in groups. For many the group may be the most significant social support they have.
In Victoria, the average daily cost of keeping a young person in detention is over $5000, according to the Productivity Commission, and the annual cost to house one youth offender is around $1.03 million. Evidence shows that detention makes kids worse so what is the alternative? There are a number of programs such as the Jesuit Group Conferencing program and mentoring programs run by various groups but there is no systematic, government-supported evidence-based program. With understanding of the need and community education it should be possible to set up programs to support and rehabilitate these young people for a fraction of the cost of the present approach, with a better outcome for the individual young people and the community. A win for all.
Pat Horan, Sebastian

Leadership skills
Thank you for the uplifting article in Good Weekend (22/3) about Matt Kean, the chair of the Climate Change Authority. How refreshing to read about a man who is passionate, articulate, smart, a great communicator and who is putting climate change before party politics. It was so good to read with the press full of depressing news and negativity.
Libby Gillingham, Outtrim

Disparaging comments
I inadvertently found myself on an online forum that I wish I hadn’t landed upon. It was linked to an AFL discussion group that I am part of; one which allows me to understand what other supporters feel about everything AFL. Somebody had posted a disparaging view about the Welcome to Country ceremony before games and I could not believe the majority of the 500-plus responding comments. Tony Armstrong (“Tony Armstrong launches ‘spell-check app for racists’,” 21/3) among many others, must be an extraordinarily resilient person to deal with the type of racist vile that is spewed forth by numerous “bloggers”.
Mark Hulls, Sandringham

AND ANOTHER THING

The Commonwealth
So Trump would like the US to join the Commonwealth (The Age, 23/3). Well, he is wealthy – and decidedly common.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading

Federal politics
Peter Dutton asks if Labor’s 36,000 additional public servants have improved our wellbeing. A legion of visa applicants, veterans and social security applicants caught in the Liberals’ bureaucratic logjam would give a resounding “yes!”
Peter Bennett, Clifton Hill

Re “Australians to get $150 energy bill relief” – our federal government is like the mate who wants to give you some cash and you know they can’t possibly spare it.
Ian Macdonald, Traralgon

I’ll vote for the first politician that says “Aus-tra-lians” and not “Strains”.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill

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Rail loop
London opened its first underground line in 1863, when it had a little over 3 million people. That’s around 60 per cent of Melbourne’s fast-growing population. London would be unliveable today without the Tube. Melbourne soon will be if we don’t build the SRL.
Mark Miller, Richmond

Infrastructure Australia is based in Sydney. Say no more.
George Reed, Wheelers Hill

This anti-SRL rhetoric is wild. It needs to be built. As a plumber living in Pakenham and working on sites in Box Hill, my options are either driving or a train into town and back out to Box Hill. With the SRL I would hop off at Clayton and be at Box Hill in minutes. It’s a no-brainer.
Mick Ricardo, Pakenham Upper

Furthermore
Re productivity (“Why where you work is the new political battleground”, 24/3): it’s also lost when workers are told “our consultants are busy on other calls”.
Malcolm McDonald, Burwood

The Tasmanian salmon industry has its supporters as well as its detractors. A case of one man’s meat is another man’s poisson.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick

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