LETTERS
Illustration: John Shakespeare
Bob Carr isn't a silly man; he knows there is a very big difference between funding practical aid for refugees in Jordan, Lebanon and Sudan and diverting that money to waste on the insane policy of not allowing those resident in Australia to work for a period of up to five years ("Aid budget cut to feed refugees", December 18). Real aid is genuinely supportive; sadly, our refugee policies appear to be mainly punitive and now an unjustifiable drain on our limited foreign aid budget.
Bruce Hulbert Lilyfield
Brilliant idea to divert our foreign aid budget to finance our burgeoning boat people debacle with the justification that it fulfils an identical function.
Using the same logic, why not plunder the mental health budget to fund our elected representatives' salaries.
Mark Weeks Elizabeth Bay
The government ripping into foreign aid is nothing more than an attempt to gouge money to prop up an unwise deficit.
Janet Abraham Coal Point
It should be no surprise some of the foreign aid budget is now to be spent domestically. That's quite logical after Australia was excised from ''Australia'' for the purpose of asylum seeker claims.
David Burke Ashfield
For a government which keeps boasting about how well our economy is going to cry poor lacks credibility. Surely, the best way to reduce spending on looking after asylum seekers in Australia is to speed up their processing, something we have been waiting for since the election of the Rudd government.
Philip Cooney Wentworth Falls
The first white Australians came here from Britain on boats, exiled from their country. Throughout Australia's proud history, the families of many Australians arrived on boats or were refugees of some description. It's high time that the government recognises this fact.
Before spending millions of dollars on those in need elsewhere in the world, we must ensure that the needy in our own backyard, whose families will very likely be part of the great Australia of the future, are taken care of.
I applaud Bob Carr and the Labor government for this bold move.
Jerome Dadon Melbourne (Vic)
Labor tries to balance the budget by shifting money around; it's ''robbing Peter to pay Paul'', the Opposition Immigration spokesman, Scott Morrison, says. A Coalition government will not make that mistake because the complaints from those who are ''robbed'' are always louder than the cheers from the beneficiaries. It will instead increase the budget by leasing or selling government enterprises such as Medibank Private, or selling off the rest of our Reserve Bank gold store. Simple, really.
Rob Davies Denistone
This is Obama's moment of truth - has he the courage?
To paraphrase Bob Dylan: how many deaths will it take till the US knows that too many children have died? I suspect the tragic answer is: more. Mr Obama has demanded change (''Obama commits to tackling gun laws'', December 18). Whether this represents a brave challenge to the powerful National Rifle Association or mere gutless rhetoric remains to be seen.
So the moment is upon you, Mr Obama - and you alone.
Now is the time when the world will discover whether the President of the United States of America is a man of courage or a coward.
Matthew Adams St Ives
Perhaps it's about time those American citizens wishing to live in a less violent society agitated for the repeal, or at the very least the modification, of the Second Amendment.
It can be done. The prohibitionists were confident that the Eighteenth Amendment, introduced in 1920, prohibiting the manufacture, transportation and sale of alcoholic beverages would never be repealed because no amendment to the American constitution had been repealed before. But the flouting of the law, the criminalisation of ordinary citizens, the increase in organised crime and the corruption of law enforcement officials eventually gave rise to such revulsion that the amendment was repealed in 1933. Just how much revulsion will it take to remove this out-of-date entitlement from a modern 21st century society?
Rodney Crute Hunters Hill
Getting Americans to give up their guns would be like asking Australians to give up alcohol - both are excessively entrenched in the culture.
David Goldstein Balgowlah
Last weekend we went camping and bushwalking in the forests near Bathurst. On Sunday morning a carload of men in camouflage clothes woke us up to tell us that we would have to stay at our campsite for the day, as they were hunting in the area. For our own safety, of course. Or, if we wanted to take the risk of being accidentally shot, wear something bright. It rather wrecks any sense of serenity to feel like a moving target.
Who owns the forests? Now, it's the men with guns.
Maggie Ramsay Woolloomooloo
Helipad more proof of O'Farrell disdain for city
I see the controversial floating helipad is being promoted as a ''tourist opportunity'' (''Outrage as floating helipad gives harbour suburbs sinking feeling'', December 18). This is the same line of argument used to defend the spending of $5 million on the New Year's Eve fireworks. Likewise with the building of the second casino at Barangaroo. If the O'Farrell government wants to see what unfettered pursuit of the tourist dollar can do to a city I suggest it take a long hard look at the Gold Coast. Will its legacy be to leave behind a city of which people say: a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there?
Garth Clarke North Sydney
It is incredible the government has approved this large, floating helipad right in the middle of Sydney Harbour with no consultation whatsoever. For the harbour to be exploited like this is a rank decision, one to be rallied against.
Years ago, Bob Carr had the foresight and commonsense to ban noisy jet skis from the harbour. These other much noisier and far more dangerous machines will now be swarming all over the harbour from dawn to dusk. So much for a peaceful harbour for all.
This decision from the current government seems sadly predictable. What next, shooting in national parks? An extra casino by the water?
Peter Neufeld Mosman
It takes six months to get approval for a new swing in the playground, and two months to tick off a helicopter landing pontoon in the middle of Sydney Harbour with eight helicopter movements each hour? Someone must have good friends in high places.
Julica Jungehuelsing Bondi
With perfect timing Sydney dismantles one urban blight, the Monorail, only to replace it with another - a floating helipad.
Cornelius van der Weyden Balmain East
Abbott's a shoo-in
So Tony Abbott's disapproval numbers went up three points in the latest Herald/Nielsen poll (''Abbott's handling of AWU backfires'', December 17). Apparently the only leader to clock up worse disapproval numbers was Andrew Peacock in 1984.
Sounds bad, but wait, not so fast. It's worth considering that in 1984 Peacock, as leader of the opposition, snatched back 16 seats from a first-term and a personally popular Bob Hawke, despite his (Peacock's) disapproval numbers, taking the opposition seat count from 50 to 66, significantly carving a large slab from the Hawke government's majority.
Fortunately, Hawke had seats he could afford to lose and still remain in power; Julia Gillard has no such luxury. The preferred prime minister question is a dumb and meaningless question. Gillard has the job and all the cache and cred invested in it, Abbott has never had it, so there is no point of comparison. Bottom line, Abbott is cruising.
Jim Ball Narrabeen
TAFE just a second
Your article rightly highlights the value of second-chance education provided by TAFE NSW (''Second chances - life lesson more important than HSC'', December 18). Over the years many people who have left school early like Sally Dowling have benefited from TAFE's
HSC program.
However, second-chance education in TAFE NSW is under serious threat from Barry O'Farrell's shortsighted TAFE cuts. Some colleges have already closed their HSC courses and teachers have lost their jobs.
If the important work of TAFE in providing quality second-chance education is to continue, then Barry O'Farrell and his minister for education need to reverse the senseless cuts to the remaining HSC courses at TAFE. The doors to second-chance education should be wide open not slammed shut.
Frank Hutchinson Annandale
Silly young woman
I think that Silvio Berlusconi's new fiancee is old enough to know better (''Age is no barrier for Berlusconi'', December 18)
Lee Ann Groblicka Turramurra
Ignoring facts won't alter them
Either Gerard Henderson's faculties are failing him or he is re-writing history (''Minority rule makes fools of both side of the house'', December 18). His story regarding the unfortunate conservative politician Peter Slipper makes no mention of the real reason why the government appointed him to the position of Speaker. My memory tells me it was an attempt to cover for the potential departure of Craig Thomson (which the Tories seemed to think was a dead cert).
Giles Stratton Austinmer
How is it possible to reconcile Gerard Henderson's assertion that Justice Steven Rares did not make any findings against Mal Brough with these words from the judgment: ''Mr Brough was unlikely to have been offering to assist Ms Doane and Mr Ashby in seeing Mr Russell, QC, for advice or looking for new careers out of pure altruism. Realistically, his preparedness to act for them was created and fed by their willingness to act against Mr Slipper's interests and assisting Mr Brough's and the LNP's interests in destabilising Mr Slipper's position as Speaker and damaging him in the eyes of his electorate.'' Perhaps the word ''findings'' has a specific legal meaning that conveniently allows these two views to stand?
Bruce Connery Northbridge
Electricity scandal
So, nearly 23,000 NSW households have had their electricity service cut off in the past year, due to the non-payment of their accounts (''More homes have electricity disconnected'', December 18).
While the Prime Minister wrings her hands and talks up the virtues of ''smart meters'' as the future saviour of household electricity users, the NSW state government continues to pocket hundreds of millions in profits gouged from helpless consumers on the back of this ''essential service'', while displaying breathtaking hypocrisy in boasting about its record in creating ''consumer protection''.
Perhaps if just 100,000 households engaged in acollective act of social disobedience and simply refused to pay their bills, our politicians might just get the message and take genuine steps to end this legalised extortion racket?
John Richardson Wallagoot
Good education best hope for all
Your editorial on Tuesday hit the nail firmly and squarely on the head: ''There is no choice: improving school education is the key.''
Key to what? The key to each person's potential. There is no higher calling than to educate. Education is the process of unlocking the person within. Once this begins, it feeds on itself and every moment of a student's life is spent in self-enhancement. This takes imaginative and dedicated teaching.
As an ex-teacher (can one ever be an ex-teacher?), it is my conviction that we have never had a better team of teachers and principals than we have now.
The government has wisely commissioned the Gonski report. We have its findings. They are imaginative and far reaching.
They need resourcing, financial and human. We need a bipartisan commitment to allocate all the funds required. We are a rich nation and we can afford what it may take. And by the way, pay our teachers more, it helps.
The aim is not to sit back and see our students climb the various league ladders, but to challenge our students to always do their best.
And when they pass through the school gates on the last day of schooling, they may be able to say: ''That place and its teachers awakened in me a sense of my potential. I am ready for life. Thank you.''
Michael Kennedy West Pymble
Scrooge at work
Did someone forget to tell Sydney CBD it is the Christmas season? I made a special trip to the city to see the Christmas lights and decorations. It was a poor show. George Street had some pathetic banners. The Mall had a couple of strange-coloured tree arrangements and Martin Place had the big tree and some banners and stars. That's it. Pitt Street, Town Hall … nothing, and one small tree in Hyde Park. Hats off to the QVB for its decorations inside and well done St Mary's Cathedral for the light display. But as for the rest, I expected more.
Marie Davies Penrith
Downer on Manly
So everyone's second team is now whoever is playing Kaspersky (''Watch out: Russians are coming to Manly'', December 18).
John Tuckfield Abbotsford
Spilling the beans
A fearless prediction for 2013 - local baristas will continue to overtake taxi drivers in providing commentary and insights on the many perils of modern living.
Rod Leonarder Roseville
Careful, tram may run off track
The proponents of Sydney's Great Tram Restoration project should pause and reflect on Edinburgh's efforts to bring back its trams (Letters, December 18). A tramway system has been under construction in Scotland's capital since 2008. Squabbles, delays and cost over-runs have turned the dream into a nightmare. Originally $575 million, the project cost has blown out to over $1.5 billion, and is nowhere near completion. A public inquiry is in the offing, and the debacle is proving an ongoing embarrassment. Take note, Barry O'Farrell.
Jim Dewar North Gosford
Pushing my vintage (and heavy) bicycle up the 50 steps to reach the northern end of the Harbour Bridge cycle path on my city commute on Monday, I wondered why no new cycling infrastructure made the latest announcements of transport projects. Clover Moore has done all the hard work at the city end of the bridge with the Observatory Hill connection and the near completion of the Kent Street cycleway. So, Barry O'Farrell, how about a Christmas present for cyclists (especially those of us more vintage than our bikes): announce the commencement of the link at the northern end of the Harbour Bridge to bypass those 50 steps.
Jim Stone Lane Cove
Dressing down
Oh, Harriet Elvin (''Shrinking feeling as the gown fades away'', December 18), there is one garment more useless than a waffle weave dressing gown, and that is the less-than-glamorous hospital gown, whose universal shape means that one size fits none.
Marietta Hopkins Woolooware
Stripes! Hope not
After watching Red Dog many children wanted to own a kelpie. After watching Life of Pi, will many children want to own a tiger (''The Pi Piper: Lee has world entranced by strange tale'', December 18)?
Carolyn Wills Cremorne
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