Millennials will punish those too afraid to act decisively
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Credit: Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
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Politics
The report by James Massola and Paul Sakkal on a progressive generational shift away from the Coalition, to the extent that the Coalition is predicted to lose the next six elections (“Generations rejecting shift to Coalition”, 29/6) ought to be music to Labor ears. Labor faces a massive problem, however. The Albanese government has shown an unwillingness to act decisively in a number of key policy areas. The most obvious of these is the lack of radical action on climate change, but Labor timidity is also evident in energy policy, education policy, housing/renting policy and equitable tax policy. These are all policy areas recognised by the Millennials and Generation Z as fundamental to the development of a fair and just Australian society and indeed a decent world.
Labor can be assured that later generations (whatever they are called) will, for increasingly obvious reasons, perpetuate and reinforce this trend. Labor should be under no illusions; without radical improvements in these key policy areas, the beneficiaries of the clear-headedness of the Millennials, Zs and later generations will be the Greens and teals.
Maurie Trewhella, Hoppers Crossing
Voting for self-interest
A Centre for Independent Studies analysis showing declining rates of conservative voters among Millennials and Generation Zs also reveals that these generations are not becoming conservative as they age, unlike Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers, who flip their votes from ALP to the Coalition around mid-life. Most members of parliament are Boomers or Xers, despite Millennials being the largest voting block. Many current policies seem to broadly reflect the economic and social needs of Boomers and Xers and use the futures of Millennials and Zoomers to pay for it: e.g. indexation of HECS, poor climate change targets, low social housing investment.
I think vote flippers want to keep their lifestyles and will vote for a party that pledges to maintain it. This is nostalgia and self-interest, not conservatism.
Donna Wyatt, Wyndham Vale
Believe it or not?
If the Coalition continues to collapse as predicted (“Coalition could lose 35 seats as Millennials, Gen Z reshape politics”, 29/6), Peter Dutton will apparently attempt to convert people to his way of thinking with his No campaign for the Voice to parliament, a campaign Niki Savva describes as “ruthlessly misleading” (“Wicked dilemma for Albanese”, 29/06)? So, we won’t vote for him, but we’ll believe his misinformation on the Voice? Something doesn’t add up – or does this reveal something about our attitudes towards Australia’s First Nations peoples?
Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn
An uncertain future
Reading Niki Savva’s article “Wicked dilemma for Albanese” (Comment, 29/6) one cannot but think that politically we are in a parlous state, and lacking moral coherence and bipartisanship on so many important issues. The tragedy of the divisive commentary over the Voice reflects a nation having lost its rudder. That so many people are uncertain about their future, whether it be economic, by way of housing, job insecurity, living below the poverty line, the lack of an honest narrative on the issues of the day, gives no credit to the political class.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading
The real issue of the Voice
Like many other commentators and pundits, Niki Savva has covered the pitfalls and possible fallouts for politicians should the Voice referendum fail. Perhaps instead they should be commenting on what it will mean for Indigenous Australians should the referendum fail, which is of much more importance than the fate of a few politicians. If the referendum should fail, when he wakes up the next day Anthony Albanese will still be prime minister. The Labor Party will still be in government. Peter Dutton will still be in opposition. Indigenous Australians, however, will wake up to the hopelessness of once again being told by white Australia what is best for them.
Graeme Gardner, Reservoir
THE FORUM
In hindsight
In November 2021 the then prime minister Scott Morrison slammed the NSW Independent Commission against Corruption investigations into former NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian and called the investigations a “kangaroo court” that mounted “a most shameful attack” on Berejiklian. Morrison also said that the former premier was being done over by a bad process, an abuse and that the ICAC should be looking at criminal matters “not who your boyfriend is”.
Those comments, supported by his allies in the Liberal Party and sections of the media now look somewhat foolish after ICAC’s finding that Berejiklian and her then boyfriend Daryl Maguire had engaged in serious corrupt conduct (“Gladys Berejiklian acted corruptly, long-awaited ICAC report finds”, 29/6). What do Gladys Berejiklian’s cheer squad and supporters think about it all now?
Garry Meller, Bentleigh
A failure to prosecute
ICAC says it will not seek the criminal prosecution of Gladys Berejiklian, so once again there are no serious consequences for politicians who, in ICAC’s words, engage in serious corrupt conduct. All they have to do is ride out the self-inflicted mess and then carry on. An appalling inequity.
Paul Miller, Box Hill South
Give them independence
The possible impropriety of dealings between Stuart Robert and lobbyists (“Alleged plan to channel cash to MP”, 29/6) could not have happened if permanent heads ran government departments. Having a secure position would allow them to maintain integrity within their department, and in dealings with their minister, in a way that is unlikely with leaders under contract. All governments should bring back permanent heads, selected from the public service.
Ken Courtis, Golden Square
A bit much
The news that teal MP Monique Ryan has a preference for flying business class to Canberra is disappointing (“Ryan Air: Teal means business when she flies to Canberra”, 29/6). It is a one hour flight, many commuters have longer trips standing on trains in their daily commute. Trotting out the Independent Parliamentary Expenses Authority guidelines as an excuse does her no credit. She got into parliament on an understanding she might help fix the rot.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
The rail solution
That politicians are flying business class from Melbourne to Canberra is a reminder of their failure to build a very fast train from Melbourne to Canberra to Sydney. Everyone could relax and work on the train, they’d get there faster and we’d save lives by reducing road accidents.
Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
Who’s too close?
Premier Daniel Andrews has dismissed former High Court judge Geoffrey Nettle as being “altogether too close” to the Lawyer X investigation to be deciding whether criminal convictions should be sought (“Andrews fires back in the Lawyer X row”, 29/6). I would suggest that the premier, who is responsible for appointing chief commissioners and who is reliant on the police association for political support, is “altogether too conflicted” for his opinion on that to matter.
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Shadowing the market
At first glance the artist’s impression of the proposed three high-rise “skyline-shaping” towers to be built in the Queen Victoria Market Precinct (“Trio of towers for $1.7b Vic Market revamp”, 28/6) may present a very positive view of what the Lendlease project entails. But it is not all rosy.
The Vic Market is a National Heritage site and the high-rise developments will dominate and overwhelm the market. This is contrary to the spirit of planning protection for the market that originally sought to maintain appropriate low-rise surrounds. The felling of 20 mature native trees will destroy the habitat of resident birds and flying foxes that visit to feast on the seasonal flowering gum trees. And what will happen to Island Wave, a sculpture commissioned from Lisa Young that has been removed from the Queen Street entrance to the market?
Marisa Wilkins, Melbourne
Protect the heritage
Please call a halt to the continued high-rise development around the Queen Victoria Market. Everyone should take a walk around the market precinct and surrounding areas. With all its wealth, the City of Melbourne is already failing to cope with the huge population living in the area. At street level there are overflowing bins, street rubbish, homelessness and disadvantage. For residents there is the problem of access for trades, deliveries and quality of life in a noisy and congested part of the city.
I wonder why the focus on Docklands, which is only partially completed and the development of Fisherman’s Bend has taken a back seat and city planners are content in destroying the heritage and amenity of a city they have the privilege and responsibility to protect.
Lawrence Walsh, Docklands
Not the solution
Using the high tech “Felixer” to kill unwanted cats may be a new technology in Western Australia, but the old school 1080 poison it fires out causes a lingering, cruel death (“High-tech assault on feral cats”, 29/6). A bullet to the head would be kinder. Most other countries, except Australia and New Zealand, have banned 1080, because it’s bad for the environment and kills the birds of prey and other foragers who eat the dead cats.
Jan Kendall, Mt Martha
Taylor maids
I have never identified myself with the “outraged” and “incredulous” mob until now. But I have to speak out on the maniacal behaviour sweeping the seaboard of Australia. On all the airwaves and their electronic equivalents, displacing the grownup news, the talk is of the Quest for the Holy Ticket: or “my hope to gain redemption by buying my child a $600 seat” (and maybe a $200 each-way airfare and a $200 accommodation package.)
What is this phenomenon? A pop singer, Taylor Swift. Seemingly sensible presenters on what purport to be current affairs programs are hyperventilating about the appearance of an American entertainer.
Across Australia people are ignoring their jobs and waiting feverishly, it seems, to get onto the ticketing page to buy a ticket. And all to stand all night and see a postage stamp size person and hear it sing amplified and enhanced and possibly drowned out by the squeals of adolescents? Or $600 to get closer? This is what helicoptering brings you. You might even have to go yourself.
Gillian Unicomb, Sandford, Tas
Proud of her courage
Please pass on my absolute support to Samantha Crompvoets and my admiration for her courage in standing up and being resolute for telling the truth and not being cowed by personal abuse (“Shedding light on awkward truths – that is true courage”, 29/6). I believe that the horrible social media comments to which she referred are not necessarily representative of Australian society.
John Lacey, Richmond
Full focus
A sociologist has shown moral fortitude in telling Defence HQ the bad news it did not want to hear. Former defence minister, Peter Dutton, is an honourable man but he could have been more receptive to early claims about war crimes committed by SAS soldiers. It was reported that he once said he did not want the military to be “distracted” by things that have happened in the past”. To consider the full implications of such would have demanded the same resolve that Dr Samantha Crompvoets has revealed.
I majored in sociology and grasped one concept. The discipline is charged with the theoretical social construction of reality, which is objective. Social interaction with people is more culturally subjective. Indeed. Australia is not Imperial Rome, but I now accept the defensive (sic) policy position his portfolio then adopted. “Do they reply that the Roman empire could never have been so widely extended, nor so glorious, save by constant and unintermitting wars? A fit argument, truly! Why must a kingdom be distracted in order to be great?” (Augustine, City of God, III, 10).
Mike Fogarty, Weston, ACT
Material values
I loved wearing my mother’s 1950s wedding dress in the 1980s. Plus I thankfully avoided a shoulder-padded, dropped waist style of the era. And it’s true, experiences are more important than possessions (“Why hoard joy?”, 29/6).
Yet forced to traverse a major shopping centre yesterday, I was again struck by why people persist in buying more and more, yet declutter to live in their minimalist houses, offloading barely used bags of stuff to op shops. Treasures can spark joy if they inspire a memory or can be enjoyed. Unique, interesting, memorable? Worth keeping.
But hours shopping to buy more new stuff to soon be discarded? There’s the waste.
Mary-Jane Boughen, Murrumbeena
Vale talking heads
There seems to be a strange obsession at the ABC with putting loud music in, I was going to say “the background”, but in most cases it is very much in the foreground, of TV broadcasts, even news reporting, and even when people are speaking. This came to a head with Anthony LaPaglia’s Black Hand on Tuesday, which I was unable to watch because of the intrusive music track that sometimes drowned out the words and always made it difficult to focus on them.
It’s as though the ABC producers have no faith in the words they are broadcasting, or in the ability of the viewer to absorb them. The ABC needs to understand that there is nothing wrong with a talking head. Indeed monitoring a human’s face as they speak is an important aspect of their communication.
Ian Robinson, Cowes
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding
Swift-flation
What cost of living crisis? Seems money is no issue to Taylor Swift fans.
Randall Bradshaw, Fitzroy
Teenage girls and their mum’s money are swiftly parted – if they can manage to get an online booking.
Greg Curtin, Blackburn South
Given the price of the concert tickets, clearly a visit by Taylor Swift would be inflationary. Her visa should be postponed until the inflation is down to 2-3 per cent. Can the RBA do this?
Kishor Dabke, Mount Waverley
Gladys Berejiklian
Love has no boundaries? The NSW ICAC appears to think otherwise.
Harry Kowalski, Ivanhoe
Perhaps it would be prudent if all politicians were required to do “conflict of interest” training. Empathy training just doesn’t cut it.
Joan Segrave, Healesville
Bet advertising
Gambling ads may be banned in three years? There’s no time like the present.
Matthew Hamilton, Kew
Simple solution, make the boring warning at the end of gambling ads last as long as the ad itself. All just a matter of regulation.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
Furthermore
Word of the year?… Alleged.
Myra Fisher, Brighton East
As we celebrate three of our universities rating in the top 20 in The Times international rankings, we should be alarmed that Victoria University, a true working-class institution faces financial crisis and mass staff redundancies.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
If, after years spent developing the Uluru Statement, Indigenous people are asking us to vote Yes in the referendum, who am I, in my comfortable white privilege, to say No?
Jane Ross, San Remo
If I was Yevgeny Prigozhin I’d be staying away from umbrellas, open windows, and definitely not accepting any cups of tea.
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick
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