What exactly are the politicians scared of

October 6, 2021 â€" 12.03am

Illustration: Cathy WilcoxCredit:

To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number.PROBITY AND TRANSPARENCY

What, exactly, are the politicians scared of?
Scott Morrison promised to establish a federal anti-corruption body in December 2018. Three years on and all we have is a never-ending list of reasons why this hasn’t been established. He has also stated that the NSW model is “certainly not a model we would ever consider at a federal level”.

We also have Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce comparing the NSW anti-corruption watchdog to the Spanish Inquisition and complaining that it’s making politicians “terrified to do their job”. Terrified of doing their job, or terrified of being caught out at wrongdoing and having to answer publicly for their actions?

If Australia had an independent federal anti-corruption body, how many current government ministers would be in the same shoes as Gladys Berejiklian?

Australia needs a serious federal anti-corruption commission for politicians to regain the trust of the Australian people.
Daniela Goldie, Camperdown

Let’s get them on the record
The reluctance of government MPs to support the introduction of a federal ICAC with teeth (“Libs wary on federal graft body”, The Age, 5/10) suggests rightly or wrongly that they may have something to hide. Those who have done no wrong should have nothing to fear.

Could The Age undertake a survey of all federal MPs asking if they support the introduction of a federal ICAC with teeth, and publish the responses so that voters in all electorates can see what their members’ responses are before the next election?
Ray Cas, Ashwood

They seem to operate to a different set of rules
It goes without saying that the general public expect their federal and state politicians be honest, open and fair in all of their work on our behalf. The strong resistance we are seeing about the setting up of a federal ICAC suggests that too many politicians are concerned about being “caught out” in some way.

This reluctance to set up a commission makes me hope that if and when this ICAC is finally up and running, it will have very big teeth and strong resolve if it is to root out the corruption that all too often, and too late, is revealed in government.

We members of the public operate by a set of rules and understand that there are penalties if we don’t do the right thing. Politicians seem to think that they have their own set of rules that enables them to make decisions that they know are unacceptable and, in some cases, corrupt.

People who complain the loudest at times like these are quite often those who have something to hide.
Peter Dodds, Montmorency

The commission is not the problem
How alarming it is to hear Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Barnaby Joyce, and almost every member of the Liberal and National parties interviewed about Gladys Berejiklian’s decision to resign as premier and from politics, criticise the NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption, as though that body is the problem.

Their statements demonstrate no understanding of ICAC’s crucial role for a democratic society. Such ignorance seems to stem from a position of self-interest and/or entitlement â€" exactly why an ICAC as strong as that of NSW is needed for all state and federal governments.

If Ms Berejiklian is found guilty, the responses from these people will be illuminating.
Jennifer Gerrand, Carlton North

Move along, nothing to see here ...
The citizenry is often advised that if it has nothing to hide then it has nothing to fear.

Yet politicians are very concerned that an independent anti-corruption body may overstep the mark if given powers to investigate them. Move along, nothing to see here ...
Andrew Moloney, Frankston

THE FORUM

Governing for themselves
The two major parties, three if you include the Greens, have a few grassroots branch members in each electorate.

These members meet and pay their dues, but when the time comes for a change of the sitting member the parties almost invariably parachute in their preferred candidate. That’s someone who usually has served their time in student politics or union politics (or both), progressed through the party ranks and has arrived duly trained, indoctrinated and newly minted as a “local representative”.

The candidate preferences of local members are usually ignored, but voting preference deals are made, how to vote cards are printed and party representatives hand them out to the sheep as they file in to be shorn of their votes.

We call the process “democracy”. We have all learnt and hoped that democracy would deliver “government of the people, by the people, for the people”, but this version of democracy has delivered a steadily diminishing pool of talent, a steadily diminishing level of talent and pork-barrelling (corruption) on a nuclear scale in lieu of well-constructed vote-winning policies.

We now have “government of the people, by the parties, for the parties”.
Gary Sayer, Warrnambool

Disturbing news
It’s tough growing up in today’s world, and misinformation via social media is adding to the challenge and raising anxiety (“Misinformation fuels hesitancy”, The Age, 5/10) and the finding by Plan International that 67 per cent of Australian girls surveyed said they had never been taught how to identify misinformation at school is disturbing.

Clearly, there is a need for more emphasis on digital literacy, scientific literacy and critical thinking in the school curriculum. Relevant contexts are the pandemic, climate change and Australian history.

However, to put any curriculum reform into practice, we must fund professional learning and attract, retain and reward good teachers. If the treatment of our universities during the pandemic is anything to go by, the future looks bleak.

For voters looking for a way to differentiate between the political parties, take a look at their education policies.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn

The silence is deafening
It has often been said that a good opposition is essential for good government.
In the midst of the massive incompetence of the federal Coalition government, what do we hear from the Labor opposition? Nothing but a deafening silence.
April Baragwanath, Geelong

This is good to hear
What great news that Matthew Guy has threatened to expel Bernie Finn from the party room (“Matthew Guy threatens Bernie Finn and other Liberal MPs over social media comments”, The Age, online, 5/10).

In fact, voters in the Western Metropolitan Region should have done that at the last election; do they really want an out-of-touch dinosaur to represent them in Parliament?

If you look at his voting record, on behalf of his constituents, he is opposed to the views of the vast majority of Australians, of any political persuasion. He strongly opposed women’s rights to choose abortion of an unwanted pregnancy, even after rape, he opposed safe access zones, dignity of death legislation, the Safe Schools Program, banning gay conversion therapy and more.

How could any person consider he is suitable to represent them?
Pieter Mourik, Wooragee

It’s no big deal
I’ve done anaesthetic locums in many Australian rural hospitals. Part of credentialling has been demonstrating my vaccination status for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, influenza, tuberculosis, herpes zoster, and now COVID.

It never seemed a big deal or an unreasonable requirement, to protect me, patients and colleagues.

I’m not sure why some people are getting their knickers in a knot about being asked to be vaccinated against just one of these diseases; it’s no big deal, each of the two jabs takes about two seconds.
Johnny Hackett, Wonthaggi

The rules must be adapted
GPs are spot on to complain about COVID isolation rules closing their clinics (“GPs warn of risks in COVID closures”, The Age, 5/10).

The days of COVID-zero are over, contact tracers cannot keep up with case numbers and now it’s all about vaccination as the main protective tool as we start opening up again.
Rules need to be adapted quickly to a rapidly changing environment to avoid unnecessary harm and cost.
Paul Kertes, Park Orchards

Just get on with it
For 20 years the scientists have been saying that climate change is real, immediate and catastrophic if ignored, but that the worst effects can be averted if we act urgently. A succession of recent Australian governments has chosen to ignore these warnings and now Australia is held hostage by a handful of National Party politicians, who insist that changes can only be made if they don’t hurt their constituents.

Our rural and regional communities could be real winners if this urgent change was well managed, and conversely miners and farmers will be seriously disadvantaged if this inevitable transition is badly managed, as it is at present. Coalition politicians, please, just get on with it. Now.
Peter Moore, Clifton Hill

Clear examples of ...
Peter Hartcher gives a number of examples of how, historically, market dominated economies, and their conservative/neoliberal/laissez-faire government enablers have created economic and social disasters that have been “followed by state-led salvation” (“Springtime for the centre-left”, Comment, 5/10).

It is pointed out that this invariably and universally has involved the election of political parties prepared to take an active and interventionist role in providing economic and wellbeing security and hope for most citizens, in other words “left-wing” ones.

Now we have an environmental disaster to deal with as well. To paraphrase Robin Archer’s quote, you can’t have a market strategy to deal with global warming.

Hopefully in the lead-up to the election we will continue to see such clear-sighted analyses as Hartcher’s.
Bill King, Camberwell

... market-led failures
Thank you, Peter Hartcher, for reminding us neoliberal strategies prove thin when it comes to crises.
It is not surprising centre-left parties around the world are gaining traction around the world. COVID has exposed the deep cracks in the social landscape that neoliberal strategies have been unable to adequately address.

The heroism of, and total reliance on, essential workers has shown the importance of funding healthcare, raising minimum wages and providing a financial safety net for all who have lost income. These have always been the mainstays of left-leaning governments.

For populist governments to be seen squandering millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money to enhance the wealth of the wealthy at this time is self-defeating and criminal.

Hartcher highlights the pattern that history has taught us â€" market-made disasters are followed by state-led salvation. Globally and nationally, it’s time for a social revolution led by the centre-left to put the essential needs of people first.
Marisa Spiller, Harrietville

Angry rebukes won’t help
Unvaccinated people and those who breach public safety orders are becoming more angrily targeted as selfish and not considering society as a whole (the unvaccinated) and preferring the quick fix of immediate, self-justifying gratification (breachers of public safety orders).

Wherever unhelpful minority human behaviour threatens the wellbeing of the majority, workable solutions are rarely arrived at simply via angry rebuke and punishment, and quite often, causes for behaviours that are unhelpful to others are more complex than they appear.

How to help people who are still not intending to be vaccinated, each for their own individual reasons, to get past their individual obstacles to vaccination, both for their own sake, and for everyone else’s, is another unavoidable pandemic challenge that will need work, discernment and new strategies.
Ruth Farr, Blackburn South

Give the man a fair go
Stephanie Dowrick, these days we don’t criticise people for their religious beliefs (“Power and preaching don’t mix”, Comment, 4/10). In a democracy, parties, not individuals, determine policies to be put to the electorate. Give Dominic Perrottet a fair go. He was selected with party support.

We didn’t hear about the religious beliefs of Gladys Berejiklian when she was premier, so let the new Premier get on with the job.
Teresa Grace, Leopold

Primary schools need this
Premier Daniel Andrews has just announced that every government secondary school will have a qualified metal health practitioner. It’s about time and will make a huge difference to many young people.

As a primary school teacher, I see many young children suffering with depleted wellbeing and various mental health issues. Teachers can only do so much to help when they have a whole class of children that they need to teach and look out for.

Tragically the children who are most at need are often the ones who have difficult and scary home lives and parents who are unwilling or unable to organise help for them.

We need mental practitioners in our primary schools, too, now more than ever. Children need psychological support early and teaching them coping strategies can prevent escalation of issues as they get older. It should not be underestimated.

Premier, please extend your funding to primary schools. These children are our future.
Megan Woolfe, Warragul

It doesn’t go away
I must have missed something (“Santos seeks credits for underground carbon storage facility”, Business, 4/10). Burying CO2 does not mean it’s gone â€" it sits in the ground and one day it will either leak or be exposed â€" so what changed?

Surely the answer is a) reduce the amount either at the source or forever, and/or b) produce innovation that uses or converts CO2. That is why a price on carbon will provide the economic stimulus to reduce CO2 and innovate better and sustainable solutions.
Andrew Stewart, Ringwood

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics
A tribunal whose proceedings are secret is disturbing, as your correspondent says (“Echoes of a Star Chamber”, Letters, 5/10). Politicians not being held to account is even more disturbing.
Bill Pimm, Mentone

Credit:

Would the Prime Minister be as critical of NSW’s Independent Commission Against Corruption if it were a Labor politician being investigated?
Elizabeth Douglas, Melbourne

Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says the Independent Commission Against Corruption is “out of control”. It would be a concern if the opposite was the case â€" an ICAC that was under the control of politicians such as himself.
Garry Meller, Bentleigh

The pandemic
Your story asks “Can a pandemic kill off the right to protest” (The Age, 4/10). Answer: not if you comply with COVID restrictions?
Hans Paas, Castlemaine

It’s not all bad, Melbourne. At least we’ll be in the Guinness World Records.
Ed Veber, Malvern East

Fully vaxxed yet fully vexxed.
Ralph Bohmer, St Kilda West

Perhaps our number plates should read: Come to Victoria, it’s infectious.
Jon O’Neill, Waurn Ponds

Furthermore
Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp were down for six hours; for six hours, people got their lives back.
Alan Williams, Port Melbourne

Yesterday on Facebook, someone changed their mind after listening to a reasoned argument, causing the meltdown.
Steve Melzer, Hughesdale

Finally
It’s only coal, Scott Morrison, don’t be afraid of it.
Brian Fuller, West Launceston

Scott Morrison doesn’t want to be told by The UN Climate Change Conference what we have been telling him for years.
Brian Williams, Vermont

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