Jenny Macklin's proposed Federal Government takeover of the town camps in Alice Springs (''Alice Springs camp move attacked'', May 25, p3) is the ultimate political hypocrisy in the NT intervention debate.
Had Mal Brough pushed through the same proposal, the howls of racism from Labor's Right and Left would have been deafening.
The Howard government extended numerous lifelines to the Tangentyere Land Council, which has a long and troubled history of intransigent political activism within the Aboriginal community of Central Australia. Aboriginal affairs has been a political football ever since the 1967 referendum removed the White Australia policy.
It's about time that the umpire, in the form of a truly bipartisan Parliament, blew the whistle on this destructive game.
The entire Aboriginal community of Central Australia has been kicked around for far too long in a game not of their making.
John Bell, Lyneham
Rules you can bank on
The contrast could not have been more glaring, but it will surprise only the Government and the Reserve Bank, both of which take little if any action to protect consumers.
Westpac (''Accidental millionaires spark moral debate'', May 24, p21) accidentally puts $10million into a client's account, it is cleaned out, and the reported result is that a police officer is sent to Hong Kong to bring to justice to those who absconded with the bank's money.
Meanwhile, somewhat closer to home, a fraudster rips off monarchist Kerry Jones (Sun Herald, May 24) and uses her credit cards to pay off bills that identify who he is.
But no-one is arrested.
Now, I know from experience that if you accidentally put money into the wrong account, the bank will not get it back for you without the approval of the account into which it was deposited, which begs the question as to how Westpac ''recovered a percentage of the $10m accidentally deposited without the permission of the couple who absconded''. It seems that my experience contrasted with the Westpac example, demonstrates that there are different rules for different people or, rather, for organisations who show little interest in assisting clients.
A concurrent report regarding the tax office not enforcing statutory superannuation contributions by employers has a similar theme of ''big brother'' failing to ensure compliance by organisations while spending huge resources to ensure compliance by individuals.
As a ''job lot'', this is a sad indictment of the way our governments and banks now view the public, generally as milch cows to fatten government and bank coffers rather than as clients, to whom services should be provided.
Charles Ironside, Wanniassa
Carbon change
The Irish potato famine was blamed on potato blight. But the real cause was relying on a carbohydrate monoculture.
Fossil fuels are blamed for climate blight. But the real cause is relying on a hydrocarbon monoculture.
The second industrial revolution will rely on a variety of non-fossil energy sources. It will create jobs, save the climate, and save the economy.
While Rudd and Turnbull argue about emission schemes, America is implementing the second industrial revolution at top speed. So what are we waiting for a papal blessing?
Graham Macafee, Latham
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