I was taken aback by the disgusting examples of harassment detailed in the Herald’s editorial (“Online abuse is turning women off political life”, August 6). Your conclusion that we still have a long way to go on engender equality is undeniable, although we have made some much-needed progress, borne out by the fact there are 12 women ministers in Anthony Albanese’s current cabinet of 23 MPs – more than half. Julia Gillard showed how much could be achieved when she was PM. If Albanese decides to step down before the next federal election, perhaps via positive advocacy he could help ensure that the talented women in Labor get every chance to become leader, notwithstanding the online abuse they might have to endure to achieve this highest of political goals. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
Shaun Carney’s piece on the life and times of the top dog is erudite, to be sure (“Albanese is about to overtake Keating in time as PM, but the clock is ticking”, August 6). In the business world, succession is a fundamental part of the job description of the CEO, however, it seems this is never the case in politics. Most long-serving PMs, John Howard first among them, seem to believe they are either indispensable and/or no one else is up to the task. One of the few sensible political take-outs from the US is that after eight years as top dog you must move on. If we had something similar here succession would be alive in our political arena and help reinvigorate the leadership team. Bruce Hall, Avalon
I can’t see why Anthony Albanese shouldn’t be around as PM in 2028 at the age of 65. If 65 is considered an age by which to retire, then the likes of India’s Narendra Modi (75) and China’s Xi Jinping (73) are well and truly past it. Not to mention Donald Trump (80) and Vladimir Putin (73). Yes, one day Albo will have to hand over to a successor, hopefully in a well-planned manner, but regardless of all his alleged “faults”, his age is not one of them. Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay
Elusive answers
A striking feature of the evidence given by Robert Assaf, Damien Tudehope and Jean-Claude Perrottet at the ICAC inquiry was not what they said, but the manner in which they said it (“Jean-Claude Perrottet continues evidence for second day”, August 6). Again and again, direct questions produced speculative answers such as “I assume”, “more than likely”, “sounds like it”, “I think so”, “I probably would have”, “on occasion” and “very likely”. Such epistemic qualifications act to minimise witnesses’ responsibility. Damien Tudehope, in particular, had to be reminded several times by the Commissioner to stop pontificating. Even so, Tudehope became entangled in his own account, ultimately conceding that he had leaked a draft parliamentary report to Jeremy Greenwood. Even then, Tudehope couldn’t bring himself to openly admit that he had breached confidentiality – “It appears that I did,” he said. It’s excruciating to listen to such rhetorical dodgeball. I commend the counsels assisting for their patience and tenacity. Future witnesses should take note: defaulting to speculative caveats only makes them sound less credible. Salvatore Sorbello, Campsie
Like my fellow Croydon resident Paul Fergus, my thoughts have turned to the Board of Catholic Schools NSW (Letters, August 6). What exactly have they been doing? And then we learn from Kate McClymont (“ICAC’s unholy six degrees of separation”, August 6) that John Perrottet, patriarch of this large and well-connected family, was indeed a member of said board. Seems that Catholic Schools NSW has a lot of soul-searching to do. Cathryn Callaghan, Croydon
Muted point
The Presbyterian church in Australia loves John Knox, its fanatical Scottish Calvinist founder (Letters, August 6). They’ve plastered his name on schools, streets, and buildings, obviously approving of his ethos. Unfortunately, the male members of said church now consider it timely to take advice from his 16th-century book that railed against women in power, including the political and intellectual titan Elizabeth I. Its title? The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women. Knox ended up leaving that particular fight bowed and bloodied. May I respectfully remind all intellectual male pygmies that we are living in the 21st century, and far from blasting on trumpets, they are making pathetic, ineffective mewlings on tiny tin whistles (“The religious meeting that left Sydney private school old girls fuming”, August 4). Elisabeth Goodsall, Wahroonga
Failing mental health
The need for supported accommodation for people at risk of psychosis is once again highlighted by the coronial inquest into the Bondi Junction Westfield stabbing attack (“Minns government accused of ‘all talk’ over Bondi Junction response”, August 6). It should not take such a horrendous event to identify a gap in services that mental health professionals, advocacy groups and families have argued – for decades –needed to be filled. Some services of the type being advocated were established but have since been defunded. One example is the former SHIPS program in Orange. Established as an outcome of the Richmond Report in the 1980s, it provided short and long-term supported accommodation for people with a serious and enduring mental illness. It operated successfully for 35 years, but the local health authority shut it down, no doubt as a cost saving. The sad fact is that these services are invisible while operating successfully, and only enter into the public consciousness when they go missing. Gordon Lambert, Kiama Downs
The Minns government’s unenthusiastic response to the NSW Coroner’s recommendations regarding short and long-term accommodation for people with serious mental illness is consistent with the inadequate provision of mental health services in the state. People with mental illness typically spend long periods in mental health wards, often against their will. They typically lose confidence, often lose social and life skills and become detached. To live any sort of life, they need support, including rehabilitation and supported accommodation. The shortage and inadequacy of these facilities is reprehensible. On the Central Coast, with a population approaching half a million, there are only two acute locked mental health wards and no rehabilitation services. Patients are transferred to Macquarie Hospital or Orange for rehabilitation, making it difficult for family and friends to maintain contact. Even worse, these facilities charge. As for supported accommodation, there is some about, all private and relying on the NDIS to cover the cost. The application process can take up to a year. We need to put in place properly funded, planned and appropriate support for mentally ill people. This would save the state a considerable amount, in monetary and tragedy terms. Lorna MacKellar, Bensville
Just as with the Richmond report in 1982, the NSW government is cherry-picking the Bondi stabbing inquest, and just as in 1982, they are avoiding implementing adequate community short and long-term accommodation for the mentally unwell, which was a principal recommendation of both. About 70 per cent of rough sleepers have a mental health condition, and nearly 20 per cent of ED presentations involve mental health. Joel Cauchi, a schizophrenic who was homeless at the time of his rampage, was just such a person. The NSW government is derelict in not immediately implementing a program to bolster mental health accommodation. The cop-out of “accepting in principle” just kicks the can down the road. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle
Data centres
I don’t understand the widespread public objection to the construction of new data centres (“These Sydney schools teach 1500 students. A $9b data centre is moving next door”, August 6). There is one such centre not far from me on the Pacific Highway. It’s not belching out smoke or other visible exhausts, it does not create any noise pollution or generate extra traffic. Some residents in David Barwell’s report have “health concerns”. What would they be? And as for excessive water and electricity consumption, that is surely something the regulators and suppliers need to agree on before the first sod is turned. These facilities are essentially large, benign, secured modern buildings that are powering transformative industries. It’s time to get on board. Dale Bailey, St Leonards
Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen describes data centres as energy consumption “whales” that will use 10 per cent of the national grid’s electricity by 2050 (“Bowen lays down law to states on data centres”, August 6). It’s timely for Bowen to use federal powers to ensure these “whales” pull their weight: that they offset their electricity use with investments in wind and solar energy and storage. This is good policy that works towards “Australian households and Australian energy reliability being put first”. Surely the next step for fairness for Australian households is to ensure the “whales” of pollution, our oil and gas companies, pay for the climate consequences of their pollution. It’s only fair that they should pay for the fire, flood and wild weather damage oil and gas pollution create. Karen Campbell, Geelong (Vic)
Full credit to Chris Bowen for requiring hyperscale AI data centres to fully offset their electricity use with investments in clean renewable energy and storage. Bowen is right to label artificial intelligence and climate change as the “defining issues of our age”. At the very least, big tech needs to foot the bill for their own clean energy to ensure that Australians don’t pay the price. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic)
Wildlife tragedy
The South Australian coastline, my home, has already been devastated by mass deaths caused by the ongoing algal bloom. To now see seagulls and crested terns succumbing to H5N1 bird flu is heartbreaking (“Mass wildlife deaths inevitable as bird flu spreads in Australia”, August 4). Our communities are suffering as we witness an intolerable cascade of animal losses. One in five Australian bird and mammal species – from little penguins to quolls to Tasmanian devils – are now at risk from this virus. Yet the Albanese government has allocated just 6¢ out of every $100 in the budget to protect nature and wildlife. With habitat still being cleared, climate impacts accelerating and a deadly virus now sweeping through our fauna, what chance does Australia’s wildlife have? Anna Markey, Goolwa Beach (SA)
Stay positive on climate
Zoya Patel must be relieved now that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has revised its extreme “worst-case” emissions scenario thanks to global decarbonisation efforts (“Choosing parenthood in an age of climate anxiety”, August 6). As for the other disasters that cause her anxiety, which generation has not had these? Mine had the prospect of nuclear war. But look on the bright side, Ms Patel: your child might well be one of those who finds answers to these problems and becomes one of those remarkable Australians who bats above their weight in science, technology, the humanities or even politics. Stay positive. Peter Thornton, Killara
Zoya Patel is anxious about having children in these worrying times, but if it’s any consolation she’s not the first mother to feel that way. Children born in the early 1900s had to face both World Wars, the Cold War and the terrifying prospect of nuclear destruction – as well as the prospect of their grandchildren being sent to fight in Vietnam. Lawrie Yeomans, Oatley
Thank you, Zoya Patel, for the heartwarming story of your inner conflict between climate anxiety and the desire to become a parent. I was really pleased to read that you are enjoying being a mother while maintaining your concern for the environment. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer
Seats can change
John Cotterill shouldn’t give up on his wish for “a progressive teal” in his rusted-on Labor seat (Letters, August 6). The voters of Warringah were able to evict Tony Abbott from the Liberals’ previously safest seat, showing that anything is possible. The community independents have shown fortitude and integrity while providing true local engagement and representation, without needing to resort to fearmongering or divisiveness. If you don’t have a community independent to vote for, the newly formed Community Strong party offers hope for voters in any electorate with their plan to have some suitable centrist Senate candidates at the next federal election. The outstanding work of Senator David Pocock has shown the value of a hard-working, independent senator who is not beholden to vested interests groups, lobbyists or multibillionaires. Imagine what could be achieved with a few more like him in the Senate. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl
Coalition double speak
The hypocrisy of the Coalition on gambling reform is galling to say the least (“Coalition will force Albanese to cede ground on gambling reforms”, August 6). They sat on their hands for nine years in power and delivered negligible reform on this issue. During the Gillard years, when independent Andrew Wilkie argued strongly for gambling reform, a huge lobbying campaign and intense pushback from the gaming and club industries, as well as total opposition from the Coalition, forced the Labor government to back down on the issue. The minor reforms they did introduce were dismantled by Tony Abbott. While it is reasonable to ask for more to be done by Labor, it would have more credibility coming from those who have been consistent in trying to improve what has long been a curse on families and society in general. Frank Carroll, Moorooka (Qld)
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