The federal government has shown its true colours in regard to its attitude to the Australian people. On the one hand it used a computer algorithm to develop "robodebt" which was directly aimed at the most vulnerable and marginalised people in our society, to force them to pay back money which the government said they owed, due to overpayment of their benefits.
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The onus was on the welfare recipients to prove that they didn't owe this money. This program caused enormous trauma to so many people.
On the other hand, we have JobKeeper, which was paid out to support businesses who might have experienced loss of income during the coronavirus. It's now been shown that many of these businesses actually turned a profit. The government is giving them the choice of either refunding the taxpayer money or not.
Some businesses who made millions of dollars in profit, such as Harvey Norman and Premier Investments, have stated that they have chosen not to repay the money. The government is allowing them to get away with this.
Where is the fairness in this? Why is there one rule for vulnerable and marginalised people and one rule for the very wealthy? Why aren't the media jumping up and down and calling the government out about this travesty? I despair for our country.
Merrie Carling, Gungahlin
No to quotas
Your editorial "PM needs to move on from distractions" (March 25, p18) urged the Prime Minister to commit his party to quotas guaranteeing the preselection of more female candidates.
I accept that having more female MPs doesn't necessarily mean any reduction in the quality of our political representation. Indeed, even the non-cynical might reasonably argue that quality hasn't usually been the most obvious characteristic of our recent male-dominated parliaments.
Nevertheless, I have always thought that we shouldn't design a system that puts hurdles in the way of merit-based representation.
Therefore, I oppose any rule that predetermines eligibility for candidacy to parliament on a non-merit basis. Those inclined to scoff need to explain how they believe that nominating a less meritorious female candidate over a more meritorious male would ever produce a better parliament.
Greg Pinder, Charnwood
Valuable contribution
Thank you Senators Gallagher, Keneally, Wong and Hanson-Young for your work in Senate estimates on March 22, 2021.
All of you are visibly under immense pressure. I salute you for your strength and determination in pursuit of truth and transparency in the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins.
Thank you also to Senator Birmingham who has undertaken to ensure that anyone guilty of gross indecency and sexual misconduct within Parliament House will be sacked.
Shine lights, turn rocks over and clean this mess up. There is no point in calling on our PM to take a leading role in the clean up; he's missing in action again.
Judy Hutchinson, Hawker
Booze ban backed
Breath tests and blood tests at Parliament House could detect the amount of alcohol and illegal drugs being used, thus reducing lewd behavior (Letters, March 23).
Any politician or other worker who tests above the legal driving limit should be driven home and lose a day's pay.
Any employee should be able to anonymously nominate any other employee for a test. Everyone should have at least one random test every three months.
Any visitor or employee seeking to enter the building should be breathalyzed or blood tested if security staff believed such a test to be warranted.
Such arrangements could improve behavior at Parliament House a great deal.
Rosemary Walters, Palmerston
The toad war
The report "Cane toad likely hitched ride to ACT" (March 19, p2) is worrying for two important reasons. First, it is unlikely that only one cane toad has found its way to the ACT: where there is one, there are usually others. Second, as the report points out, cane toads are highly toxic and can kill most of the native animals, as well as pets, that are tempted to eat them.
During many years working as a field geologist in far north Queensland, where cane toads run rampant, I learnt that even drinking water in which cane toads have been swimming can kill some animals, such as pet dogs, and make humans very ill.
Fortunately, cane toads also have two weaknesses, revealed at night. The mating call of the male toad is loud and unmistakable, and all cane toads are attracted to the feast of insects to be found under bright outdoor lights. Both traits make then easy to find, capture, and consign to the freezer for a merciful demise.
Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Well done David
I hope David Pope ignores the nasty comments of some letter writers.
I find his work unfailingly brilliant, with the way he can weave together various strands and make a wonderful, funny cartoon.
The one on March 25 was particularly clever, with the floods, the "gutful indicator" and the "bullduster" on the front of the ever hapless Scotty's submerged vehicle.
Richard Johnston, Kingston
Salient question
Nicholas Stuart puts forward this most poignant of all questions to our post-Hiroshima world: "What are the prospects for disarmament, let alone civilisation, when even the tiny UK is stoking up its capacity to fight a nuclear war?" ("Should this man really hold the power to end life on Earth?", canberratimes.com.au, March 22).
Although this question refers to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement that Britain will increase its number of nuclear warheads from 180 to 260, it could equally be asked of all the world's nuclear powers.
Surely, no conceivable logic could possibly justify this increase in destructive capacity simply to inch Britain closer in number to Russia's 1500 warheads, and to the 300 warheads that comprise China's nuclear arsenal.
Never before have we been faced with such a dilemma where so many nations are foolishly playing God by entering into a numbers game that is ultimately directed at providing the most efficient means of destroying all life on Earth.
Have we all lost our collective sense of humanity? Or are we all so blinded by hate that we would rather choose death over the blessed miracle and precious gift of life?
Reverend Dr Vincent Zankin, Rivett
End of an era
The Australian War Memorial is hypocritically hosting a "Farewell to Anzac Hall" to which ex-staff have been invited, though not me. Presumably, the memorial's management understandably doesn't want to be reminded that the hall's destruction actually euthanises a perfectly functional building less than 20 years old. It is so discourteous as well as wrong-headed. Does someone have a guilty conscience?
Peter Stanley, Dickson
Health response
Anne Cahill Lambert is right ("The ACT needs a medical school that respects its community", March 24, p26). Medical training and research at ANU does this every day.
Through bushfires and the pandemic ANU staff and students have stepped up to support our governments, health services, and communities to keep us all safe.
Through these crises people understand better than ever before that their wellbeing depends on body, mind, their community and their environment. They want their doctors to know about mental health, human behaviour and public health. They need the ANU to show leadership in preparing doctors for the community's needs both today and tomorrow.
As we have done for the past 14 years, ANU will continue to train 100 doctors for the region through our hands-on Rural Clinical School and placements.
The pandemic has made it very challenging for all Australian universities. Yet the ANU College of Health and Medicine has put forward a proposal that ensures continuing excellence in medical education and research, and leadership in adapting to the evolving needs of the ACT community.
This is why we want to bring medicine, psychology and public health closer together. ANU Medicine will continue to provide excellent training.
Students and their future patients will benefit from bold steps to ensure they are ready for future practice. Practicing clinicians will still lead our program, and we are committed to our strong ties with ACT Health and Canberra Health Services.
We are consulting with a wide range of stakeholders on our proposal. We invite anyone in the community to have their say. www.anu.edu.au/recovery
Professor Russell Gruen, Dean, ANU College of Health and Medicine
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