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ALP CONFERENCE
The Labor Party continues to disappoint; this once social democratic party has drifted so far from its fundamental social justice policies to a party now more concerned with the retention of power than bringing about much-needed social reform.
The recent ALP national conference has seen a party in government with a large majority and ability to bring about history-making reform do nothing and refusing to debate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, or the AUKUS one-sided agreement; no protest at Trump’s bullying, no stand against gambling advertising, or the over-funding of private schools and the growing inequality in Australian society.
ALP conferences, once a time for robust debate and developing new policies, are now a talkfest of ″don’t rock the boat″.Rod Mackenzie, Marshall
My, how Albanese has changed
Rob Harris highlights the dilemma as “PM’s iron grip delivers party unity but harder battle lies ahead” (26/7). Team Albanese’s “carefully choreographed”, timid national conference was facilitated by and reinforced Anthony Albanese’s dominant authority within the party.
I support rebel backbencher Ed Husic’s attempts to raise “the bigger question of how a governing party can maintain discipline without losing the ability to listen, debate and persuade”.
I expect Albanese has learnt from Peter Dutton’s flawed attempt to present a public face of discipline and unity at the expense of killing off healthy debate of policy issues.
Cautious, controlling Albanese prevailed over the once-reforming, contrarian Albanese of earlier national conferences.Kevin Burke, Sandringham
ALP ignores elephant in the room
Reading Rob Harris’s article, it seems fair to say that the Albanese government had a love fest of basking in the glory of a troubled Liberal Party and smugly disregarding the threat of One Nation at its national conference.
It could be said that much of Australia’s sinking economy is thanks to the attitude of Wayne Swan who still praises Australia’s ″mighty trade unions″. In contrast to the clarity of thought displayed by Bill Kelty, who recognised that Australians have suffered the biggest fall in real wages since 2021.
Kelty also recognised the fall of Australia’s productivity, poor investment and per capital growth is ″non-existent″ .
Yet, the Labor Party continued to ignore the elephant in the room. This is why an extremist party like One Nation is gathering strength. As Rob Harris points out, governments cannot indefinitely redistribute prosperity that is not being created.Robyn Williams, Sale
May as well keep conference in house
Perhaps the ALP national conference should be collapsed to a private Zoom meeting, cutting travel expenses and making it easier to mute. Policy debate would not suffer because there is not much of that to be had nowadays. The executive would get on with the job of selling off our sovereignty, like it or lump it, regardless of public sentiment.Jim Allen, Panorama, SA
Wrong on guns, gambling and Gaza
It’s sad that PM Albanese is so set against doing the right and proper thing on the three Gs, ie. guns, gambling and Gaza (″All about Ed″, 25/7).
Much stricter controls are required on guns and gambling, and the ALP tragically is running away on the need to address the horrific situation in Gaza and the West Bank. Doesn’t history teach us anything?Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
THE FORUM
Multiculturalism on show
Much of the media attention following the ALP National Conference was on federal MP Ed Husic’s opposition to the party policy on Israel/Palestine. However, the real story is the show of unity between Jewish MP Josh Burns and Palestinian descendent MP Basem Abdo, acknowledging each other’s pain and by doing so, supporting two ethnic communities in Australia who have suffered vilification and loss. This is multiculturalism on display in Australia.Anton Grodeck, Malvern East
Cult of negativity
Columnist Jacqueline Maley succinctly describes Pauline Hanson’s One Nation as “a party that is built on blame” (25/7).
What worries me even more about Hanson’s populism is its dumbing-down of the political debate.
Her politics of protest feeds on negative stereotypes, where positive proposals are unknown and logical argument has no place. Her reference point is always the lowest common denominator. In claiming to provide a voice for frustrated fringe-dwellers, she demonises people (by race or gender) who are already struggling. This creates an environment where real progress, creative thinking and intelligent debate cannot flourish.
Many commentators have noted this relentless cult of negativity; it’s time to recognise the way it is poisoning our outlook and starving our culture of ideas.Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor
One Nation last resort
I am pro-immigration. What I oppose is hyper-fast population growth, which both Labor and Liberal governments have forced upon us for years.
This has left us with roads choked with traffic, trains packed, schools overcrowded, endless urban sprawl and ever-extending waiting times to get any health services.
Do I really have to vote for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation to get a significant reduction in immigration because Labor and the Liberals aren’t listening?Phil Bodel, Ocean Grove
Home truths
What a joke for Trump to put an extra punitive tariff on Australia because we are allegedly not doing enough about forced labour (″Trump raises tariffs″, 25/7). On the same page, Shane Wright correctly dismisses the reasons for this unjustified economic vandalism as a smoke screen and hypocritical, based on Trump’s ongoing tariff treatment of developing countries.
In terms of exploitation of the poor, while not forced labour, the minimum wage in the United States is $US7.20 per hour. Hospitality workers, such as those at Mar-a-Lago, rely on tips to reach a living wage. Look in your own backyard for exploitation of workers Trump, not ours.Tony Devereux, Nunawading
Right thing to do
Waleed Aly explains that the government’s justification for its proposed controls on AI (“AI biddable?” 24/7) is because “quality of life, and not merely wealth creation, (are now) at the centre of things”. The same thinking was behind the recent investment tax changes and social media age restrictions. There are plenty of other “social and even moral issues” that need to be similarly addressed – banning gambling ads; taxing energy and resource company super profits; reserving some gas supply for domestic use etc, without forgetting Bill Shorten’s audacious attempt to do something similar. For a fairer society, these also need addressing because in the PM’s own words “it is the right thing to do” and that is exactly what we should expect from our political leaders.Peter Thomson, Brunswick
Don Bosco solution
The Salesian Society has a unique opportunity to atone for some of the damage done to students in its schools by the Salesian Brothers. The Don Bosco Hostel and Youth Centre in Brunswick (″Brunswick fights to save iconic youth centre from sale″, 25/7) has been offered for sale. This centre, clearly needed, loved and frequently used by the local and wider community could instead be transferred to the local council for use in perpetuity by the community for the nominal sum of $1.
This gesture would go some way towards helping the Salesian Society to achieve a measure of justice for those harmed from the ″... outsized role in the Catholic Church’s historical abuse of children″ in their care whilst attending Salesian colleges.
The Catholic Church has enormous resources in Australia alone, so I am certain the transfer could be made without any major financial impact to their position. They also have an enormous responsibility towards victims of their historical abuse. This is an opportunity to restore some of their severely damaged reputation.Máire Mills, Narre Warren North
House of pleasure
I can add my memory of the Salesian’s Don Bosco hostel in Brunswick from around 1983, when I resided there for about a year.
This was in the days before mobile phones were widespread and the hostel had a single public phone box where the parents of the (mostly country) kids boarding there would call to speak to their kids.
A fellow 18-year-old boarder called Johnno would answer the phone with: ″Mother Mary’s house of pleasure, Father John speaking″. Still cracks me up.Greg Smith, Caulfield South
SRL outlier
The real question about the SRL is not whether it is about public transport or urban renewal/housing (″Out of the loop″, 25/7) but whether it will achieve either. Monash University Professor Graham Currie compared the SRL with international rail loops and found it to be an outlier: much longer, hence more costly; but with fewer stations, hence fewer passengers.
If it is a city-shaping project to solve the housing crisis, why did the government undermine it by approving another 60 activity centres without the indexed SRL infrastructure contributions plan and car parking levies?
Especially when the government’s development facilitation program is approving just about any large project developers apply for.
And, when the number of housing completions in Victoria has been declining since the government announced its big housing build and the planning minister took over large planning decisions from councils, that had previously overseen a steady increase in dwellings built (from 2014 to 2017).
The SRL is showing what happens when a government hands a back-of-the envelope plan to a private consultant to develop plans and hands the worksites to the CFMEU.Rosemary West, Edithvale
Parents’ school strike
I absolutely agree with your correspondent (Letters, 26/7) who suggested that parents should go on strike for better funding for our schools. As a teacher for over 40 years I have spent my own money on painting classrooms, covering pinboards with fabric, buying lunches for students, purchasing food and equipment for cooking and crafting activities, buying books for the students to read and hundreds of other bits and pieces over the years. If I added the costs together, it would come to a mind-blowing amount.
Currently I am paying to drive my own car to travel to schools to provide support for students with disabilities as the government was spending too much money on travel.
I know so many teachers who are no longer teaching due to the working conditions and lack of support. It is time for the parents to step up and make a lot of noise. Demand that schools in Victoria be fully funded now – can’t wait until the 2031 timeline set by this government.Jackie Mitchell, Glen Waverley
Enough is enough
Crime, construction corruption, contempt for teachers, nurses, ambos, police, firies ... if this government gets back in, I’m moving to NSWDianne Martin, Brunswick West
Glasgow’s win
Congratulations to the city of Glasgow for putting on such a wonderful opening ceremony for the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
It was colourful, brash, moving, reverent, vibrant, and a wonderful reminder of why this quadrennial sporting event has traditionally been called the “Friendly Games”, due to the traditional ties to empire.
After hearing the stirring speeches by both the president of Commonwealth sport and chair of the organising committee, I’ve changed my mind on why Victoria was unable to host the Games.
Yes, it was in no small way due to a bumbling bureaucracy and financially incompetent state government, but more than that, we simply didn’t want it enough and thus didn’t deserve it. There wasn’t enough pride or passion within the Labor ranks to make this work within the means at hand.
Victoria wasn’t willing, so Glasgow simply got on with challenge at hand.
Perhaps we can be too starry-eyed or optimistic about such a sporting contest, but I do trust that the presence of 3000 international athletes from 74 nations, competing for the sheer joy of pride and performance, will give us, albeit briefly, a much-needed sensory taste of peace and solidarity among humanity.Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn
Leave it to the ump
There is an extremely simple way to stop the vile booing, but it would take a directive from the AFL, not just Adelaide.
Every time it starts, the umpire stops the match. Radical but I reckon the perpetrators would surely realise the impact on their enjoyment of the sport pretty quickly.Madeleine Swain, Armadale
An excellent letter
Like many readers of The Age I take a real interest in the contributors and their written offerings. Myra Fisher is one such contributor, usually under “And Another Thing”.
Her most recent letter (26/7) shows a similar economy with words, words that tell a wonderful story of a life well-lived and loved.
She so well encapsulates her experiences in a neat timeline of her substantial years. Excellent; your best ever letter Myra.Peter Forehan, Murrumbeena
AND ANOTHER THING
Trump
Re Trump’s recent diatribe at the White House foreign correspondents’ dinner. A clearly diminished man has his finger on the trigger. Little wonder that the world is enveloped in such doldrums.Barry Davies, Eltham
AFL
Maybe the AFL could declare the next Adelaide Crows home game to be a lockout with no spectators admitted. Jim Spithill, Glen Waverley
The deplorable booing of Isaac Quaynor by victim blamers in the crowd in Adelaide was nauseating.John Rawson, Mernda
Furthermore
Your Letters’ correspondent (26/7) writes that in her leafy eastern suburb residents are aware of the need for more housing, ″just not the extent of overshadowing and loss of privacy″. So, heaps more housing, but nothing over a single storey?Jayson Argall, Northcote
Tony Wright’s article (24/7) concerning modern automotive design transported me back to my own joyful adventures with a Mini-Moke. The world of motoring has moved on. However, memories, gives a cause to smile. Peter Roche, Carlton
A quick flash of headlights from an oncoming vehicle on a country road used to indicate police radar ahead. This weekend on the Calder Highway we were very appreciative of the headlight flash to warn of potholes.Felicity Browne, Toorak
Myra Fisher fans
Myra Fisher (Letters, ″A woman’s lot″, 26/7), you’re an absolute treasure. Nothing like some frank common sense to to put life into perspective. As another song says, “that’s life”.Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
Ninety-five-year-old Myra’s ″A woman’s lot″ rocked me in my socks. Beautifully written.Peter O’Brien, Newport
By golly, that was well said Myra Fisher; life certainly is tricky, but so much better than the alternative.Alan Whittaker, East Kew
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