Lately I've been reading Clive James' translation of Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy. Dante was a bit of a medieval Folau in that he has his narrator meet up with some of his Florentine contemporaries that the poem consigns to one or another circle of hell for their misdeeds.
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Sitting here breathing in the smoke from the hellish bushfires, I inevitably wonder in which circle members of the Morrison government would be found by a contemporary Dante.
It's clear to me you could look up Scott, Peter, Angus, Matthias, and the rest in the Eighth Circle: the one reserved for fraudsters.
If Virgil, the tour guide, urged them to speak in the candid way most of the occupants of Hell seemed eager to, they would refuse; claiming a breach of national security. Dante would love it.
What we have visited on ourselves is a hollow government with no vision beyond tax cuts and punishing asylum seekers. It seems even more deeply beholden to vested interest than most and has an instinct for authoritarianism, silencing criticism, blame-shifting, self-justification, and coverup.
Very sad, Australia. Is that what you wanted?
Michael Williams, Curtin
What does it take?
Last week my daughter was travelling along the Barton Highway towards Civic when a car went through the red light on the Giralang roundabout.
This car hit the one in front of her which appeared to be a write off. My daughter, thank goodness, was able to swerve violently onto the embankment and escape injury.
When she phoned the police she was told they did not attend "minor" accidents.
My questions are: was the driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol? Was she texting? Will she get off scot free from apparent dangerous driving because police couldn't be bothered to attend? If so why?
The conclusion I have reached is that so long as nobody is dead it doesn't seem to matter.
Valerie Quigley, Crace
Cloud seeding
The UAE has a global research initiative offering research grants on a yearly basis to advance the science, technology and implementation of rain enhancement, and to increase rainfall and water security globally.
Media reports suggest that efforts in the UAE are increasing their rainfall by 15 to 35 per cent.
In October it was announced that 6.7 million cubic metres of water (6.7 gigalitres) had been collected in UAE dams over two days as part of cloud seeding operations.
- Sue Brudenall, Crace
In October it was announced that 6.7 million cubic metres of water (6.7 gigalitres) had been collected in UAE dams over two days as part of cloud seeding operations.
It is also claimed that cloud seeding is significantly cheaper than desalination.
It is to be hoped that our scientists are being funded to participate in the UAE research initiative. For Australia, like the UAE, water is a most precious commodity.
Sue Brudenall, Crace
What's in a name?
John Burge bemoans the return of prolix departmental titles (Letters, December 9).
Perhaps he alone is grateful we won't have a Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
Ian Douglas, Jerrabomberra, NSW
Super-sized government
The Morrison government's recent reshaping of the public service into several "super ministries" is grudging recognition the Coalition has driven the ship of state up "Ship Creek".
My mind reels at the repellent image of the Liberal and National "super ministers" with capes and body hugging lycra costumes.
This change is also a recognition that for the government climate change is kryptonite?
Wishing you well in all things, until the next evening ashfall.
Garry P Dalrymple, Earlwood, NSW
The language wars
How things have changed with the pronunciation of "Ipima" as in Ipima Street, Braddon ('Les Champs Élysées of Braddon') since I was a boy.
As a lad working in the school holidays as a truckies offsider, delivering furniture, it was pronounced "ippy-mar". Years later when I lived there it had become "eye-pie-mar".
Now the Gungahlin tram announcers have had another crack at it, re-jigging it to "eye-pea-mar".
How many more pronunciations can there be for this simple five-letter street name? Bring back Ippy-Mar I say.
Ted Richards, Batemans Bay
A question of quality
I note that "One in four public servants is looking to quit their agency the year ahead" (December 9, p1).
As one who has been consulting and providing career coaching services to the APS for 30 years, I can say one of the key reasons for this desire of many senior public servants to look elsewhere for employment is their escalating disillusionment with the quality of the politicians that they are accountable to.
It is hard to believe in the value of what you are doing when you are ultimately answerable to politicians of the quality of Angus Taylor and Peter Dutton.
Most public servants are also fed up with the endless cycle of unnecessary machinery of government changes. Our Prime Minister's latest plan to create a number of mega-departments will provide no lasting benefit to anyone; except perhaps to massage Scomo's ego and enable him to "make his mark" on the APS.
Dr Nick Thomson, Giralang
How good is our air?
Well, how good is that! Civic and Monash air quality stations monitoring indexes above 400 and nearing 500 with highest pollutant particulates PM2.5 equating to hazardous conditions for everyone.
This has been going on for days. Perhaps brandishing another lump of coal in Parliament might alleviate matters. But that will have to wait till next year because Parliament is on its Xmas break. Nice one, Scomo
Peter Dahler, Calwell
I have no choice
P Stanford (Letters December 9) thinks I and Keith Hills should stop "nit-picking" over climate change.
If only I could mate. If only I, Keith and thousands of seriously worried experts and a multitude of concerned citizens could "lighten up".
If only climate change, devastating drought and fearful bushfires were mere "nit-picking" topics. If only we were not also facing increasingly authoritarian restrictions on our "liberal democracy" and erosion of our valued institutions like the ABC.
If only we had leadership with integrity and an intellectual rigour capable of addressing these issues strategically rather than just for political expediency .
If only I could recover my sense of humour I might even be able to have a laugh at P Stanford's complacency. If only...
Eric Hunter, Cook
The winner is
I believe a Nobel prize and untold riches should be bestowed on the person who can invent a device that, with the flick of a switch, could turn off our ears.
We are blessed with the ability to instantaneously close our eyes to anything visually appalling and repellant. The current US President, commercial television, conceptual "art", Sky News, tattoos, Americans eating, brown shoes with ill-fitting dark suits, Gungahlin and many other atrocities spring to mind.
Imagine the bliss of being able to similarly switch off to noises that are unbearably excruciating like squealing children, the current US President (eerily similar), Rap "music", Harley Davidsons, the Macquarie Radio Network, Michaelia Cash, trail bikes, our National Anthem and so on.
Come on scientists, get cracking.
G Mack, Queanbeyan, NSW
The quiet PM
As a quiet Australian I prefer a quiet prime minister, like the last one we had.
The one who lived in a harbourside mansion and traveled on public transport, well outside of any "Canberra bubble".
He only shouted when one of his ministers crossed the line and was sanctioned for sexual indiscretion. Our present PM does a lot of shouting in Parliament but has never once shouted at the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction who seems to have crossed quite a few lines of ministerial probity.
Just saying; I liked the last one better.
K L Calvert, Downer
Speak up Malcolm
On the contrary B Stirling (Letters, December 6), I would not seek to shut down or de platform the self-proclaimed superior, narcissistic intellect of Malcolm Turnbull or, for that matter, K Rudd. It would however be more polite if they, like Howard and Abbott, waited for an invitation to smother us with their superiority.
Mark Sproat, Lyons
TO THE POINT
JOB DONE JOHN
You gave John Warhurst half a page under the heading "The long battle for an Australian head of state" (December 5, P19). We already have one. In 1907 the High Court of Australia held the Governor-General was the constitutional head of state of the Commonwealth.
David Smith, Mawson
RIGHTS ARE EARNED
When I was studying philosophy almost 50 years ago we discussed things like what it meant to "earn a right" and how such an earned right might fit with others' rights. Such discussions are just nit picking according to P. Stanford (Letters, December 9). I guess such an esoteric discipline is no longer worthy.
Keith Hill, Isaacs
LEARN FROM THIS
It was not very sensible to take tourists to the crater of a volcano, especially as moderate volcanic unrest had been registered for weeks and there was no easy egress ("Australians caught up in volcano tragedy", December 10, p11). Let us learn from the tragedy.
Herman van de Brug, Kaleen
POOR BORIS
Abbott is offering a personal endorsement to Boris Johnson ahead of the UK election. What terrible thing did Boris ever do to Tony to warrant that sort of "support"?
Linus Cole, Palmerston
THE FIDDLER
In Ancient Rome it is said that Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
This has come to mean someone who is neglecting his duties while doing something frivolous. The countryside is ravaged by drought and Eastern Australia is on fire. Anyone see any comparison between Emperor Nero and PM Morrison?
John Davenport, Farrer
PITY THE PLEBS
Poor Scomo and poor us. He is not even up to playing the violin like Nero, when Rome was burning (arts downgraded in portfolio re-shuffle). All he can do is move the deck chairs (departmental re-organisation) like on the Titanic.
David Denham, Griffith
PAGING NERO
Hey Nero, the thoughts and prayers are not working we need something better. Please.
Colin Handley, Lyneham
SHAKE THE TIN
Given corporate sponsors, including Qantas, were instrumental in Rugby Australia's decision to dismiss Israel Folau which, it has now emerged, appeared to be a major error in law, are they going to accept some of the responsibility? Will they chip in to help Rugby Australia pay Folau's damages and costs?
M Moore, Bonython
SOME MINING OK
No one, Frank Bolton (Letters, November 28 and December 6), is suggesting all Australian mining cease, only the extraction of fossil fuels, categorically known to cause dangerous global warming. If you studied the reputable scientific literature you could make wise statements befitting your age.
Patricia Saunders, Chapman
BLOODY STUPID IDEA
Insisting on new coal powered stations in Australia is like having kerosene heaters in the space shuttle. Both would be dangerous, costly and idiotic and only advocated by people lacking a grasp of reality.
Jon Jovanovic, Lenah Valley, Tas
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