Sexism gets whipped

The waves are rippling outwards all around the world from what should have been less remarkable than it was: a female jockey winning an iconic horse race. The BBC World Service picked it up and ran with the story at length, interviewing a British lady who had ridden to victory at Royal Ascot some 30 years ago.

This was a story with everything: the plucky jockey, the joyous brother, the obscure stable, the underrated horse, and those astronomical odds.

But about those odds ... Being something of a student of "form", I had puzzled over the desperate unpopularity of Penzance, given that the statistics placed it somewhere in the second quartile of contenders!

There was just one detail in the form guide, I believe, that had driven Penzance out of all contention — a female jockey.

So why is the elephant in the room not being flagged as so many punters and pundits shake their heads disbelievingly at how a hundred-to-one shot could have swooped under the radar and "stolen" the Cup from under their noses?

The truth is that Michelle and her Prince only flew underneath one brand of radar: the sexist type.

Ross Kelly, Monash

Why are mobile speed cameras set up in positions where it's difficult for drivers to see them? It's certainly not to prevent speeding as, by definition, these devices measure excessive speed, not prevent it. Prior warning that a mobile speed camera is ahead would prevent speeding, as it would compel drivers to slow down – much as it does with fixed speed cameras. So if the furtive use of mobile speed cameras is not designed to improve the safety of road users, there is only one conclusion to make. It is a revenue making measure.

Lee Welling, Nicholls

The 17-year-old convicted for importing and then selling cannabis and heavier drugs to young people in Canberra over a period of several months ("Teenager bought hard drugs online to sell at high school", November 3, p3) was given a four-year suspended sentence and a good behaviour bond with a security of $100. I know a 17-year-old who drove just 10km/h over the 80km/h speed limit on the Barton highway and was instantly fined $236, captured by one the ACT government's speed cameras, set up not where safety is the chief concern but where they are most likely to deliver revenue.

Is the ACT government serious? Revenue raising is one thing ... but surely a deliberate, organised criminal act in selling drugs to young people , creating havoc in their lives and that of their families warrants a far heftier financial punishment than that meted out to a motorist guilty of a minor speeding infringement.

E. James, Evatt

Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell says Canberra is "rapidly heading towards a population of more than 600,000" ("Light rail, bus interchange: refusal to reveal cost of Dickson land", November 3, p1). By when will we reach that number, and on what evidence is that prediction made? Also, why is a fellow who no longer enjoys the support of his ironically named ALP "Left" faction still a Minister in a Labor government?

Bill O'Connell, Waramanga

Just a thought for others to consider and to not discriminate, offend or bully people whom they work with all year ("The buck stops with departments over festive pranks", November 4, p6).

A few years ago as a new staff member and acting director, the subject of Secret Santa came up with some concerns of "tasteless gifts" and money spent on things we do not really need. I made the suggestion that we contribute the Secret Santa funds to a local store's wishing tree, the vote was unanimous and two staff went and purchased gifts for teenagers less fortunate than ourselves. A worthwhile cause and we all still enjoyed our end of year festivities.

Margaret Tuckwell, Aranda

Most Australians are not comfortable talking about dying. We shy away from the topic and are not well informed about what it looks like, how to talk about what we want at end of life.

Conversations about dying in this country are often painted as a choice between suffering and euthanasia and there are a diverse range of views in our community about these issues. But we must also consider palliative care in the discussions.

This is an essential service as people face a life-limiting condition. It has an important role in this debate as it provides psychosocial support, works with families and actually helps people live as well as they can until they die. It manages pain and symptoms of illness. David Swanton ("A good life but death awful", Times2, November 2, p1) says many would benefit from palliative care and I agree.

There is a whole of government response required to making palliative care more accessible to all Australians, regardless of postcode. This response needs to consider workforce, build skills and community awareness of palliative care.

People die. In palliative care they have an opportunity to die well, in the place of their choosing and with a group of clinicians focused on giving them the best death possible. This is what we should be striving for in Australia.

Liz Callaghan, CEO, Palliative Care Australia, Deakin

I feel great compassion for family and friends who have experienced the trauma of seeing a loved one's life adversely impacted by the use of recreational substances, and read Colliss Parrett's letter (October 29) and the recent Canberra Times editorial with interest.

My very limited knowledge of cannabis suggests that the sedative chemical and not the one that gives a "high" can be harnessed to provide a measure of quality of life.

I don't know but it is certainly something which needs to be explored more deeply. I have read several testimonials of those who have found many benefits from using cannabis. For the record, I personally have no experience of cannabis use.

It seems a pity to me that people, often suffering in silence and living with despair, cannot have access to another therapy which may prove helpful to them.

Paula Calcino, Oxley

As Immigration Minister Peter Dutton walked around the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan like a messiah handing out visas to four families lucky enough to be resettled in Australia, did he spare a thought for those who have been in immigration detention in Australia's refugee camps on Manus and Nauru.

Has the minister actually visited these camps to see the conditions they live in – probably not. But isn't it a great PR exercise to be seen in Jordan – it makes him look almost human. Let us not forget that this is the man who joked about the effects of climate change and rising sea levels in the Pacific. I don't think empathy is his strong suit. Maybe that's why he's Minister for Immigration.

Barbara Godfrey, Lyneham

It must have been a great morale booster for Jordanians when Peter Dutton gave them "great credit" for sheltering 600,000 Syrian refugees. Not to mention Australia's generosity in taking 12,000 refugees off their hands, leaving them with a mere 588,000 to take care of. No wonder Mr Dutton felt "proud" that Australia could "give a helping hand".

Clare Conway, Ainslie

Peter Dutton himself has just handed visas to the first Syrian refugees which Australia is going to take in. There are still 12,000 to go.

At the same time, he said that none of the refugees we have parked in Nauru and Papua New Guinea will ever be allowed to come here because that would only encourage the people smugglers.

This hypocrisy is nauseating.

G.T.W. Agnew, Coopers Plains, Qld

As the Prime Minister seeks to calm the populace with reassurances that "all options are on the table" when it comes to proposed tax reform, the usual suspects are out and about touting the miraculous benefits that would flow from a 50 per cent increase in the rate of the GST and its universal application on everything, while the Treasurer calls "hold the phone" and the media reports on the absolute absence of a bipartisan approach for genuine reform ('Pleas for a political truce with the Labor states on GST ignored', canberratimes.com.au, November 2).

The latest proposal from the Nationals' David Gillespie claims that a "New Zealand-style GST" would raise $130billion in 2017-2018. Of course, the most remarkable aspect of Mr Gillespie's proposal in the context of our modern democracy is that it was allegedly made at the behest of a "constituent".

Meanwhile, my local member won't even discuss, let alone contemplate, the prospect of a financial transactions tax which, if applied to "over-the-counter and exchange traded market transactions" at a rate of 0.5per cent, would likely raise as much as $160 billion annually, but would doubtless upset our politicians' other "constituents".

Apart from New Zealand coming away with the Webb Ellis Cup, the only other "certainty" is that the average Australian will emerge from Canberra's tax scrum a whole lot worse off than they already are.

John Richardson, Wallagoot, NSW

Letters by Rod Campbell and Adrian Gibbs (November 2) on overpopulation warrant further discussion. It is evident that the current upheavals in the Mid-East have their roots in overpopulation, exacerbated in the case of Syria, with climate change. Global warming, of course, is rooted in overpopulation.

If we did not have as many people on the earth requiring resources to supply their needs, and a biosphere with a finite ability to absorb their wastes, we would not have climate change nor manifold other problems such as biodiversity loss. We have to pull back and take stock. We need to assess how many humans the world can support at a certain level of consumption at a certain level of technology without degrading natural ecosystems on which we are ultimately dependent.

May I suggest a quarter the number of humans of what we have now, that is, less than two billion? How do we get there without the Four Horsemen of the Acopalypse intervening? Let's get rid of all unplanned pregnancies for a start. That nearly equates to the global growth in population, over 80million people. Then we work on reducing the numbers without upsetting the age structure too much.

A fertility rate of 1.6 should suffice. That means that the one fifth of the population who choose not to have children for whatever reason go right ahead and not have them while everyone else has two. I know, I know. There are cultural reasons why many people want to have large families but the fate of the world is at stake.

Jenny Goldie, Michelago, NSW

Peter Wise (Letters, November 2) says the basic reason for unrest in Israel/Palestine is that Palestinians don't want Israel to exist. This statement is trotted out ad nauseum by supporters of Israel's outrageous treatment of Palestinians. Yet Israel not wanting Palestine to exist as a state is part of the current Israeli government's policy, as loudly stated by Netanyahu when he was appealing to voters before the recent election.

The fact that life is made so unbearable for Palestinians, with the aim being that they'll leave the country, is an obvious strategy of the Israeli government. Israel already controls over 90 per cent of historic Palestine.

No wonder Palestinians are expressing their frustration.

While not condoning the stabbing of Israelis it is entirely understandable that Palestinians feel the need to do something to get the world to notice their dire circumstances.

Gwenyth Bray, Belconnen

Peter Waterhouse (Letters, November 5 ) asks what was offensive about knights and dames awards, resorting to the TV series Downton Abbey to shore up his case. A country where the privileged are born to rule and the working class born to serve? No thanks.

John Malouf, Hawker

How can adoption of the divisive, ugly, confected and confronting Aboriginal flag be any different from our long-standing partial adoption of the flag of the world's first modern democracy and guiding light for all successful capitalist parliamentary monarchies/democracies worldwide, Graeme Barrow (Letters, November 3)? The natural Australian colour is blue, not red or black or yellow, colours already taken and used to ill-effect by both Imperial and Nazi Germany.

Perhaps a compromise with the beautiful and symbolic Union Jack in place of the pointless round yellow blob in the centre? Anything that defends Australia from any association with all those murderous and failed republics as recommended by Graeme Barrow would be a small mercy. Even the original designer of the "Aboriginal flag", Harold Thomas, has asked that it not be used divisively, as Graeme Barrow urges, as a potential new Australian flag. Why are his legitimate protests being ignored? I'm sure many people of Aboriginal descent would agree, if they were ever asked. Barrow is the type that needs to grow up.

Christopher Smith, Braddon

Graeme Barrow is pushing for a new flag – good luck mate, millions of Australians love the current flag which shows the Southern Cross, plus also refers to our relationship with Great Britain, which has given us a legal and social environment that people are prepared to drown at sea to get here. I love our flag, and don't feel disadvantaged or psychologically affected at all. Despite the Aborigines' 50,000-plus years' history here, "their flag" is a recent invention, certainly not universally accepted as an appropriate Australian flag. I have no problems with both flags being shown.

John Burns, Hall

RIGHT OF WAY

As of November 1, the ACT Government once again allows people to cycle on pedestrian crossings. Can Attorney-General Simon Corbell clarify, when there is a risk of a collision, whether it is the cyclist or the driver who must give way?

Leon Arundell, Downer

A PRIOR CLAIM

Philip Telford's iffy claim (Letters, November 3) that "pedanticism" pre-dates "pedantry" and is therefore legitimate cannot be endorsed. Thesaurus [Penguin, 1966], Concise Oxford [1982 & 1995], and Macquarie [1990] don't support his claim. But, trawling through less creditable authorities sees Mr Telford's offending word under BS.

Patrick Jones, Griffith

Philip Telford is "less sanguine"? Now there's a modern usage that'll get the pedants' blood boiling!

C. McKenzie, Lyneham

WHOSE HEAVEN

Tsk tsk, Cynthia Moloney (Letters, October 27): It is not "God's in His Heaven". With our Malcolm now PM, it is "Malcolm's in His Heaven". Most likely other Gods have moved aside. Acknowledging the phrase "God's in His Heaven" occurs in Robert Browning's poem "Pippa Passes".

Warwick Davis, Isaacs

IN THE BEGINNING

Les Broderick (Letters, November 4) says that "God created a perfect world but man mucked it up". Hullo! Leaving aside the dubious contention that the world at creation was "perfect", Les's logic means God also gave humans the power to "muck up" the world knowing, in his omnipotence, that's exactly what they would do.

Why did God do this rather sinister thing, and then promise that he would "fix it all up", as Les asserts?

Eric Hunter, Cook

WHAT POLITICS NEEDS

No, Judith Ireland ("What politics needs now is some faith", Forum, October 31, p2 ) the last thing we need is more religion in politics. Hasn't Tony Abbott demonstrated that?

Kathryn Kelly, Chifley

MIND YOUR LANGUAGE

Our word-rich English language gives us a great choice in how to express our feelings.

The editor of Relax allowed Michelle Bridges ("Workout makeover", November 1, p20) again to use "goddammit". She must know that many faithful readers object to this expression.

Doesn't a healthier body stimulate the mind, Michelle? After a good work-out you should be able to find some other words to express your disgust.

P. Meares, Watson

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