Credit: Matt Golding
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FOREIGN RELATIONS
The new $5 note issued by the RBA warrants reflection on its selection of imagery. Displacing the monarch’s image with eucalypt leaves symbolising Indigenous connection to country is part of a trajectory in Australia, consistent with republican aspirations.
Since the inauguration of Donald Trump as US president in January, it is becoming clear that Australia’s long held assumptions of strategic defence and trade collaboration with the US may be eroded as the US takes an increasingly protectionist stance. The AUKUS nuclear submarine purchase, a key pillar of Australia’s security and defence, has come under question as unreliable.
Under these altered geopolitical conditions it would seem a no-brainer to reinforce Australia’s links with Britain rather than to increasingly distance itself and expose its isolation. Symbolism has meaning and embeds itself in the psyche of the population. Marginalising Australia’s links to Britain might be popular with some but it lacks strategic assessment of where we are heading with political isolation.
Liz Burton, Camberwell
Hold on to our British history
What an insult to our British heritage. Leaving King Charles off our $5 note may appease the politically correct, but ignores that our way of life was built upon the English foundations of law, politics, finance, language, literature, arts and monarchical stability. If the British hadn’t colonised Australia, someone else would have: The Dutch, French, Germans, Japanese or Americans perhaps? There is no way this continent would have remained uncolonised and it is doubtful that the Indigenous inhabitants would have fared any better. There are two sides to the $5 note, at least one side could have accommodated the king.
Robert Scheffer, Bayswater North
Trump no ally
Elon Musk’s decision to share a post on X that reads “Stalin, Mao and Hitler didn’t murder millions of people. Their public sector did” is beyond horrifying. Then we have Trump attempting to revoke Biden’s pardons so that he can go after those who he wants revenge against. When is enough, enough? The rhetoric of Musk and Trump is becoming scaringly reminiscent of that era of disinformation. Australia should move away from ties to the US — especially with regard to the AUKUS alliance. Trump is no longer an ally to be trusted.
Yvonne Trevaskis, Hobart, Tas
Putin is working relationship advantage
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s elaborate response to the Ukraine ceasefire proposal (“Trump to speak with Putin about ending Ukraine war”, 17/3) is a carefully crafted one that says no to Donald Trump without actually saying so. Putin wants to get whatever benefit he can from the four years of a Trump presidency with an emphasis on getting sanctions lifted and trading of goods restored. He reads Trump’s personality well and wants to remain on good terms for that reason alone, having no inclination to end the war without gaining full sovereignty over Ukraine. His idea of “root causes of the conflict” does not include that a free, democratic nation co-exist on his border and he remains obsessed with restoring Soviet era borders. A lasting peace must start with a respect for human life and freedoms but also transcend historical grievances and paranoia, embracing instead a vision of mutual cooperation and respect among nations.
Robert Brown, Camberwell
Familiar refrain
So Putin will consider peace with Ukraine if he keeps territory. If he gets back frozen Russian assets, so that he doesn’t have to pay for invading another country. If Ukraine is never allowed to join NATO. If Ukraine has no protection from further Russian attacks. If, in other words, Ukraine becomes the first place to be dragged back into the empire of the tsars. All this is familiar. It is nothing but the Cold War communist attitude that “What’s mine is mine and what’s yours is negotiable”. If Trump agrees to any of it, he will be signing the death warrant of Alaska.
Grant Agnew, Coopers Plains, SA
THE FORUM
Media shutdowns
When we hear of Donald Trump’s decision to close down the agency running Voice of America (“Dead air: Trump pulls plug on broadcaster with 420 million listeners”, 17/3) we would do well to remember that former Liberal governments did similar, with prime minister John Howard proposing to shut down Radio Australia in 1996, and later on, a major funding cut to the ABC forcing the shutdown of many Radio Australia foreign-language broadcasts, while the ABC faces ongoing funding reductions. Such shutdowns harmed Australia’s interests in the Pacific and Asia. What will this do now to American interests overseas, and who will step into the breach?
Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
The Asian century
Is Donald Trump delusional in believing he can revitalise American manufacturing by imposing harsh tariffs on more competitive goods coming from other countries? Will any delay in re-establishing American manufacturing prowess place a burden on American taxpayers due to protectionist tariffs? Will isolating your manufacturing industry from global competition stifle your own innovation? The answer to all these questions is yes.
Manufacturing enterprises do not materialise from wishful thinking or populist slogans. They require vision and optimism plus long-term commitments – things Americans have been happy to relinquish for the past two decades to more opportunistic countries. So, is there any optimism for a renaissance in American industry and manufacturing? This time the answer is – no. In 2008 China and America, both vast countries, realised the importance of developing a high-speed rail network and began planning. Since that time China has completed 45,000 kilometres of high-speed rail networks throughout the country – America only 80 kilometres.
Tesla cars manufactured in Fremont, California, are 65 per cent more costly to produce than those in Shanghai, China. This is mainly due to lower labour and energy costs.
Of course, any threat to the rebirth of American manufacturing does not come solely from China as much of South-East Asia, South America and Africa will also be challenging Trump’s chimera. Australia should stop thinking of itself as part of the global north and start living the Asian century.
Pack Raphael, Vermont
The wrong animal
While I support Industry Minister Ed Husic’s strong protests against the nefarious, tariff outrages of Donald Trump, I am disappointed that the minister has characterised these destructively treacherous actions as “a dog act”.
I have been fortunate to have the companionship of dogs all my life as well as frequent opportunity to observe their service to humans in a wide variety of situations. Dogs are loyal, loving companions who selflessly make their life’s work the service of the humans they are attached to. Some indeed lay down their lives for their human “pack”.
I hope that the next time Husic wishes to characterise Trump’s actions he picks a more suitable mammal, reptile or invertebrate, although I am at a loss to think of one that might deserve the opprobrium.
Mike Lake, Buninyong
Warning was clear
That Cyclone Alfred should have travelled as far south as it did, should occasion no surprise. In 1988, the same year that James Hansen warned a US Senate hearing that global warming had begun, CSIRO published a 752-page book Greenhouse: Planning for Climate Change. This included a paper by Professor Kevin Stark that predicted that an increase in sea surface temperature of 2 degrees would extend the area for cyclones from latitude 25 degrees south to approximately 31 degrees south – a southward extension of about 600 kilometres on the coasts of Australia.
Surely enough, in February 2020 Cyclone Uesi moved far enough south to cause extensive flooding in south-east Queensland and significant damage along the northern NSW coast to as far south as Sydney. Eventually it passed over Lord Howe Island (latitude 31 degrees south) damaging buildings and ripping down trees. Stark’s prescient warning from 37 years ago fell on deaf ears. Despite some 40 years of climate warnings, Australian politicians have generally shown a callous disregard for the welfare of future generations.
Ian Bayly, Upwey
Predictions coming true
I keep a clipping of an article published 20 years ago in The Age about predictions for worsening weather condition in Victoria, i.e: increasing frequency of heat waves, flash flooding, droughts, fewer frosts and drier springs etc. All were predicted to happen by 2030. But there’s no need to wait, it’s happening now, and worse. And now the Coalition is talking about scaling down renewable rollouts and getting “back on track”. Dutton, this kind of “track” leads to an uninhabitable Australia.
Claire Johnson, East Brighton
Crocodile comments
My jaw dropped when I read Nick O’Malley’s fact check of the US influencer “who grabbed a wombat” and made “bold claims about Australia”. O’Malley reported: “Albanese criticised Strable, but did not wish her harm.” O’Malley continued that the prime minister said: “I suggest to this so-called influencer, maybe she should try some other Australian animals, maybe she should try a crocodile.” As if this itself doesn’t suggest harm, O’Malley failed to report our PM’s additional comments: “Take a baby crocodile from its mother and see how you go there. Take another animal that can actually fight back ...”
When our PM invokes the jaws of a predator instead of firearms or blunt instruments, it doesn’t make his messaging any less violent. Australians were rightly outraged about the influencer’s wombat abuse, but should be equally outraged towards a prime minister suggesting this woman should put herself at risk of danger.
Katherine Wilson, Healesville
Error of his ways
Like Clare Stephens (“Seven just gave a TV job to a high-profile convicted stalker. Women deserve better”, 17/3), I’d feel a lot better about Ben Cousins joining the Seven Network’s commentary team if it was also announced that he had learnt the error of his ways in his behaviour towards women that earned him several jail sentences. It must be galling for women who are victim-survivors of domestic violence to see or hear perpetrators like Cousins on their television screens or radios as if they were redeemed beacons of virtue.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Cancelling Cousins
Clare Stephens writes that she doesn’t want a particular retired AFL player, who was convicted of stalking on her TV. She is free to start a political party with the prime objective of cancelling forever all men convicted of a crime where a woman was the victim. Perhaps this party might sweep to power in 2028. But Stephens does not speak for all women. Margaret Atwood, for example, has noted that cancel culture exists alongside judicial punishment and that to set aside judicial processes is fraught with difficulty. The footballer did the crime, did the time, and has stayed out of the limelight for years. He has a right to earn a living. If nobody watches him, his TV career will be short.
Alun Breward, Malvern East
Odd suggestion
The front page of The Age on Tuesday featured an article stating that federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is mulling a referendum on deporting criminal dual-national citizens. I very much doubt this is ever going to actually happen. It’s hard enough and expensive enough to get any referendum on the drawing board in Australia, let alone an obscure and irrelevant topic such as this. You would have to wonder just what is the motivation of the opposition leader to even suggest this.
Michael Slocum, Ascot Vale
Many forms of grief
Grief is complex and as your correspondent states, “we need to become knowledgeable about real grief and how best to console and support people...” (Letters, “The language of grief”, 18/3). Grief is usually associated with death. However many losses in life are associated with grief, such as the loss of relationships through estrangement, divorce and physical and cognitive changes. While many losses occur at all ages, we are an ageing population and the aged do not rate highly in popularity stakes. The griefs of growing old are many and while dementia is not a normal part of ageing, most older people with dementia require care. This can cause a protracted grief that is often not understood or recognised. Knowledge of losses of all ages and cultures is critical to support people in our community.
Pam Yarra, Heathmont
Trusting politicians
How often do we read, or hear, that the community does not believe, or trust, communications from politicians? Now we have Brad Battin, a new opposition leader of less than three months, saying he is going to Queensland while not mentioning that he is also going on a cruise holiday. Apparently, many of his fellow parliamentarians were also unaware of his recreation leave. The confusing part is that most people have no problem with a person taking recreation leave. It is the lack of openness or transparency that turns it into something that appears dubious or deceitful.
Catherine Healy, Brighton
Double investigation
By all means hold a royal commission into the claims of rorting involved in the Big Build, but run a concurrent one into governments hiring consultants instead of hiring public servants. The $20 billion in one year they gleaned from taxpayers in 2020-21 makes any alleged Big Build look like small beer.
Damon Ross, St Kilda East
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Referendum
Could Peter Dutton and the Coalition come up with some useful policies such as how do we create a more equal society or, heaven help us, serious mitigation of climate change, instead or following the Trump playbook (“Dutton mulls referendum on deporting dual citizens”, 18/3)?
Jane Ross, San Remo
Dutton’s referendum thought bubble is an effort at distracting from the gaping hole left by a lack of policy.
Joan Segrave, Healesville
Dutton is whistling in the wind with his proposal for a referendum to change the Constitution to allow for the deportation of dual citizens. Such referendums are notorious for failing because they are put up by politicians and the Australian people just do not trust politicians.
Reg Murray, Glen Iris
Palmer’s party
Clive Palmer exhorts us to “throw the politicians out” (The Age, 18/3). In order to achieve what exactly? Overthrow democracy? By voting him in? Tell him he’s dreaming.
Rosslyn Jennings, North Melbourne
If Palmer’s ridiculous trumpet doesn’t work maybe he will use a magaphone.
Paul Cockayne, Greensborough
World politics
One of Canadian PM Mark Carney’s first policy moves was to order a review of Canada’s plan to buy a substantial number of US-made F-35 fighter jets. It may be time for Australia to also reconsider our dependence on US weapons.
Joe Wilder, Caulfield North
Presidents of two countries, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, both lacking any moral compass, are meeting to decide the future direction of a third country. An unlikely scenario for mapping a road to a lasting peace.
Brian Rock, Beechworth
Finally
When I draft a letter to The Age, AI often suggests I should be more positive and respectful. Other times it regrets it cannot assist me. I’m never sure whether this means the email is irredeemably bad or human intelligence sometimes outsmarts the artificial sort.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
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To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.