Morrison’s India ban is another cynical election ploy

Is “Greater Sydney” really a thing? If someone at Budgewoi tested positive, would the ramifications stretch all the way to Wollongong? Or is it a case of Bondi suffers, everyone suffers? David Calvey, Gosford

Given the new COVID-19 variant circulating undetected in Sydney, whom would you rather not be known as: the “infected couple”, the “missing link”, or the “unknown”? George Zivkovic, Northmead

The trouble with generalising is the focus is often only on one side of an argument (Letters, May 7). How healthy is working from home, spending all day and night in a lounge room with the same person? How healthy is it only communicating with colleagues and friends via a screen? Surely that’s a breeding ground for mental health issues. What a sad result if we close coffee shops and clothing stores; more young people without a job and further stopped from buying their first home in a “buoyant property market”. Yes, we gave up pens and pencils for technology but not for living, I hope. Peter Ryan, Hamilton

G7 harmony

Musicians would like the G7 summit to be followed by a C major one, which should resolve any remaining dissonance (Letters, May 7). David McKay, Blaxland

Out of fashion

How nice it is not having to worry about being “cool” (“‘Old hat’ in the eye of the beholder”, May 7). It’s a relief being long past the age that one is derided for being out of date in what they wear, say and do. Old ladies are mostly indulged, or at least tolerated, by their families and largely invisible when out in public. Joan Brown, Orange

Meritocracy rules

Correspondent Tricia Copp is on the right track (Letters, May 7). “Merit” is rather like “intelligence”. The definitions of these terms are decided by those who deem themselves to possess the relevant qualities and conveniently exclude all others. Don Squires, Lake Cathie

Out of interest

Probably a better comparison between home affordability over the years would be interest rates (Letters, May 7). When we bought our house in 1977 interest rates were 13.5 per cent - that’s seven times the rate today that I can get from my bank for two years at 1.89 per cent. So the comparison should be the ratio of the cost of repayments to income. Don’t ask me to make the comparison as we own our home and are retired. Rodney Crute, Hunters Hill

Gas v wind: something smells off around here

The government is funding several gas projects: pipelines, storage facilities, an LNG import terminal and is building its own gas-fired power station. Most of it against the advice of much of the industry (“Budget boost for billionaire’s gas project”, May 7). But on the contrary, an independent agency recommending support for a wind farm in northern Queensland is vetoed by the federal Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt (“Pitt stops federal loan for $380m wind farm”, May 7). No bias here. ​Peggy Fisher, Killara

Your stories sum up the state of play in Canberra regarding a federal carbon reduction strategy of any credibility (“EU steps up bid to convince Australia on carbon tariffs”, May 7): Australia with its feet of clay regarding carbon strategies, our poor sustainable image on the world stage, federal funding for a billionaire’s methane gas project and the government turning its back on a significant wind farm development. Steve Dillon, Thirroul

Funding disconnect

If the Australian War Memorial is our secular high church, then its priests need more donations to preserve the threads in the nation’s proud military tapestry (“Historians decry funding contrast”, May 7). Archives are forever. These artefacts at the AWM should be funded at equal level with the National Archives of Australia. I once worked as a volunteer in the photographic section. Old acetate film had a pre-disposition to destroy itself. The fragile glass plate images of WWI events must be protected. Please conserve our indelible past. Mike Fogarty, Weston (ACT)

The value of the Australian War Memorial should not be measured by the amount of money spent on it. My only memory of my last visit there is that of a small black and white photo of a digger and his horse in north Africa. Their deep mutual interdependence was about to be shattered. He had to shoot his horse because Australian quarantine forbade its return. The gaunt looks on both their faces haunts me still. Kevin Eadie, Drummoyne

Historians should not be puzzled by the federal government’s funding priorities. It is clear they prefer constructing their myth at the war memorial and deconstructing the unpleasant truth at the national archives. Peter Hull, Hat Head

Funnelly enough

Yet another own goal from Transport Minister Andrew Constance (“Routes vanish in redraw of city’s eastern bus map”, May 7). Remove long-standing , efficient and well-patronised bus routes to funnel us on to a snails-paced tram that doesn’t actually go where the buses did. Has he and his motley crew ever ventured out of Macquarie Street to see how the real world works? Matt Petersen, Randwick

High cost of cost-cutting

What is it with conservative governments and their obsession with costs associated with provision of services (“Morrison warns NDIS faces billion-dollar cost blowouts without changes”, May 7)? Public health and education, aged care, early childhood education and the NDIS are, and always have been, investments in the well-being and betterment of the lives of millions in our society. Perhaps if they spent more time and energy on better ways to fund these vital services, rather than worrying about the costs, which are borne by the people not just government, we would all be better off. Tony Heathwood, Kiama Downs

Let the people decide

Your correspondent suggests we could reduce the likelihood of becoming involved in yet another war by seeking political bipartisanship for engagement (Letters, May 7). A step further would be to arrange to vote in a non-compulsory, non-binding plebiscite. Elide Rudzats, Austinmer

Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Failures all, lured into conflicts on khaki notions of national superiority. “When the generals talk” (thanks, Midnight Oil) in a Gallipoli moment, remember, our history is mired in blood and failure. Take on China: why? Are militarists among us having a Turkish shore moment? Warren Tindall, Bellingen

Peter Dutton, did you watch that great comic series Fawlty Towers? Please don’t mention the war! Jean Williamson, Wollstonecraft

A classical education

I heartily agree with Annie Flynn (“Siri is no guide to inner life of a child”, May 6). Hardly a day goes by when I don’t find myself quoting from Alice in Wonderland or Winnie the Pooh. Yesterday, it was “jam yesterday and jam tomorrow, but never jam today”. The day before I had a long talk with a woman at the bus stop who had waist-length hair. We discussed the psychoanalytic significance of long hair in Rapunzel. Always, we find ways to cheat the young. Is it because we know we’ve compromised the dreams of our own childhood? Where the Wild Things Are, The Velveteen Rabbit, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Bunyip of Berkeley’s Creek and The Magic Pudding are classics, too: a richer realm than execrable trash like Harry Potter. We must stop cheating our children. Michael Boylan, Glebe

Divine intervention

Julie Szego’s uneasiness about the Prime Minister’s apparent view of himself as a medium for the divine echoes my own (“An uneasy peak at the PM’s altar ego”, May 6). Our politics should remain secular but the conservative side seems to be bending under the weight of an influx of right-wing Christians, many of whom display considerable bigotry and whose spoutings belie their claims. Their religion should remain strictly in their private lives. It does not matter whether our leaders follow a religion; they just need to be decent, honest, genuine people with a real interest in doing something for our country and its many different communities. Meg Vella, Berry

Your correspondent oversimplifies an area that has been the subject of considerable thought (Letters, May 7). His referencing of the Szego article omits the quandary in her assertion; how do you respect freedom of religion while being free to denigrate the content of a core element of a person’s identity? Chris Main, Campbelltown

Signs of age

All these letters regarding obituaries can be neatly summed up in this little rhyme: I wake up each morning and gather my wits, I reach for the paper to read the obits, If my name is not there, I know I’m not dead, So I fold up the paper and go back to bed (Letters, May 7). Brian Millett, Yass

As a child I always thought the term “passed away” left a small glimmer of hope that the newly departed had just gone away for a while. The word “dead” left no doubt. Cheryl Wilson, Crows Nest

Well said: I’m going to “kick the bucket” or “cark it”. Were a more formal description required, I’d be OK about “dying”. But I’ll never “pass” or, even worse, “pass over”. Frankly, I wouldn’t be seen dead doing either. Ian Mathieson, Corinda (Qld)

Further proof of becoming old is when your GP, dentist, accountant and audiologist all retire during a six-month period, also during which your youngest child turns 50. Ken Bock, Carlingford

You know you are growing old when you find less hair in the places you should have it and more in the places you shouldn’t. Viv Munter, Pennant Hills

Postscript

“If an announcement sounds racist, appeals to racists, offends common decency and has no intrinsic value, then surely it’s racist,” writes Graham Lum of North Rocks in regards to the Prime Minister’s ban on Australians returning from India. It was this story, as well as the “drums of war” beating in relation to the disintegrating relationship between Australia and China that garnered letters writers’ attention this week.

Correspondents responded, as usual, in a compassionate way, with many disparaging the rhetoric espoused by the government in both cases and focusing on the human side of the problems. The horrific evolving tragedy in India and the Prime Minister’s decision to not allow Australians to return – except if they were cricketers – was best described by Fran Kirby of Castle Hill as “heartless, inexplicable and shameful”.

Many were alarmed at what the terrifying reality of a war with China would bring for present and future generations but saw it as chest-beating Orwellian talk by the PM and the newly appointed Defence Minister, aimed at preparing the population not for war, but an almost-as-menacing election. Robert Galland of Parkesbourne wrote that “for Australia’s sake Peter Dutton’s war mongering needs to be called out for what it is ... it is obvious he is building a basic theme for the next election campaign”.

It was a discussion on departing this mortal coil which surprisingly brought some light relief to the pages, with many thanking George Manojlovic of Mangerton for this contribution: “People die in alphabetical order because many are suffering inconsonants and are trying to control their vowels.” A perfect segue into reminding readers to send in their nominations for letter writer of the year. Pat Stringa, Letters editor

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