State at the financial crossroads over debt and works

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The North East Link blowing out by a massive $10 billion simply shouldn’t be accepted by Victorians. With state debt now forecast to reach a nation-leading $177 billion in 2027, serious action needs to be taken to pull out of the debt dive. Premier Jacinta Allan saying there are “issues”, “challenges” and “extra investments”, simply seeks to hide monumental mismanagement for which we are all going to pay dearly. With many suburban and regional roads falling into disrepair, there is little point building new ones when we cannot maintain the ones we have. Let alone providing adequate funds for other areas of government expenditure. Victoria is at the financial crossroads; the Allan government should choose a different path.
Mathew Knight, Malvern East

Ways to solve housing crisis
I disagree that freeing up more land is a solution to the housing crisis (″⁣NAB boss warns on housing affordability″⁣, 16/12). As The Age has reported, approved housing projects are sat on by developers. We must all finally accept that Australian home prices are unsustainably out of line with wages, and social housing inadequate – then make some drastic changes. Eliminate tax incentives so residential investment is less attractive to reduce competition for genuine home buyers. Police vacant properties by sharing data with utilities companies, and invalidate home insurance if unoccupied more than three months. Escalate repairs of social housing to re-rent them. Enable older social housing tenants to occupy smaller properties in the same community, freeing larger homes for desperate low-income families and victims of family violence.
How can we boast of being one of the world’s most liveable cities, when so many are barely surviving by couch-surfing or sacrificing meals and medical care to support huge mortgages and rents?
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn

The car is not the vehicle to the future
With the North East Link estimated to cost $26 billion, would that money be better spent on Doncaster rail, and possibly electrification to Melton. Why in 2023 do we continue to adopt 1960s car-related transport policies? Phillip Jeeves, Aspendale Gardens

Ditch the wetlands proposal
In light of massive cost overruns for the North East Link project, some things need to be clipped. The first to go should be the planned “cultural wetlands” on the site of the old Bulleen drive-in cinema.
Until recently, this land had been vacant for decades and was a favourite free range for the local kangaroos. Rather than go to the expense of an artificial lake with all the trimmings, just restore that area back to native woodland, which many locals would prefer anyway, while also saving taxpayers’ money.
Graeme Daniels, Balwyn North

We need to get out of this Loop
I agree with the article, “Promises, promises, now time to get real” (16/12), With regards to the Suburban Rail Loop, the Victorian ombudsman, the Auditor-General’s Office, the Parliamentary Budget Office, the Grattan Institute and many other experts have raised concerns surrounding this project. Furthermore, it has not been rigorously assessed by Infrastructure Australia, and the federal government is yet to commit to fund one-third of the project as is hoped by the state government.
It’s unacceptable to say SRL has been taken to the electorate twice and with Labor winning both elections, the project should go ahead. It’s not fair to put the voting population in this position. It is the responsibility of government to spend the public purse wisely. In the present economic environment and with major infrastructure projects such as North East Link experiencing significant cost blowouts, transparency matters. As taxpayers, we have the right to know how the SRL will be funded.
It will cost a significant amount of money – a generation’s worth of spending – and as many have said, other important projects risk being cancelled because of this one mega project.
Yvonne Bowyer, Surrey Hills

FORUM

Ripples of war
The article ″⁣How the Israel-Gaza war is tearing Melbourne apart″⁣ (17/12) makes interesting reading.
It rightly points out the divide between the supporters on the opposite sides of the conflict and states, ″⁣The war in Gaza has not killed anyone here″⁣, but the thousands of deaths in Gaza from thirst, starvation, lack of shelter or medicine have deeply touched Melburnians whose hearts weep at the terrible trauma, particularly of the children. It is heartening to see thousands of pro-Palestinian Jews who speak up over the dehumanising and brutal treatment of the Palestinians by Israel. There needs to be an awakening of the sense of justice that seems to have died in those who still support Israeli Zionist policies.
Tasneem Yousuff, Glen Waverley

Glimmer of hope
The article (17/12) promised a much-needed perspective on Australia’s handling of the situation in Gaza. Paradoxically, it clearly demonstrates why this has been impossible. Much of the article is devoted to the difficulties Jewish people in Australia are facing, describing the scale of antisemitism. This “antisemitism” is exemplified by various forms of protest, including the journalists’ letter, referred to as demanding “a prescribed pro-Palestinian context”, the wearing of keffiyehs and the use of the word ″⁣genocide″⁣ to describe what is happening. A glimmer of hope is in a few paragraphs at the end raising a more thoughtful Jewish perspective: I hope we hear more from Sarah Schwartz, and less from Deborah Conway. The grief and hurt of Australian Jews is as important as the despair and horror experienced by anyone who cares about Palestine. I strongly protest the continuing death and destruction in Palestine and I emphatically deny that this makes me antisemitic.
Jo Thomson, Northcote

Apartheid judgments
In response to Deborah Conway saying in the article that the progressive left “see Israel … as an apartheid state”. It is actually Human Rights Watch, Amnesty and even the Israeli B’Tselem (the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories) that have labelled the Israeli actions towards Palestinians as ″⁣apartheid″⁣, not the ″⁣left″⁣.
Dechlan Brennan, Fitzroy North

Chained malady
While your correspondent (Letters, 17/12) may well believe in the fundamental value of equal rights of men and women as quoted in the preamble to the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, one cannot help but think that Rousseau’s observation from the 18th century is more accurate: “Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains.″⁣
Moya Dickson, Hawthorn

Not so captive audience
Columnist Jacqueline Maley (Comment, 17/12), in writing in the context of a Chekhov play – a writer who’s abiding art reminds us humans are a perplexing lot who dream, fumble, stumble through life in a mix of comedic antics and tragic choices, often self inflicted – may have missed Chekhov’s subtleties. Chekhov is not a “realist” but a “naturalist”.
Maley does make some very good points especially regarding the flexibility of the phrase “freedom of speech”, which may be used by some conveniently. However, as a citizen, atheist and former high school history teacher, who has a Chekhovian view of his former students and their parents, I object to any protest by any actor in the confines of a theatre where I am captive and paid much money for Chekhovian and other wisdom.
Freedom of speech is not the issue. And at the performance I attended, I left at interval, and cancelled my subscription.
Ian Muldoon, St Kilda

Blot on the landscape
Why won’t VicRoads deal with graffiti on the freeways? Despite numerous requests the sound walls along Eastern Freeway are covered in brightly painted hieroglyphics, both on the road side and the back, which abuts beautiful bushland. It’s a safety issue and an eyesore. Remove it early and often.
Natasha Sinclair, Nunawading

Fountains of joy
What a joy to read Robert Gott’s article (Good Weekend, 16/12). I was transported back in time, to my school days in the 1950s and
’60s, when fountain pens were de rigeur writing implements.
It was a world of Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman and Mont Blanc fountain pens – and Quink ink!
One could always guarantee that along with book tokens as gifts, there’d be fountain pens in lovely little boxes for special birthdays and milestone life events.
My late husband loved to write with a treasured Mont Blanc fountain pen that I’d given him early in our marriage. My father used a Parker pen all his life, using turquoise Quink ink, and closed letters with his gloriously flowing, unintelligible signature.
Gott is correct when he writes that one cannot form a bond with a Biro. Long live the fountain pen and all the paraphernalia that goes with it.
Caroline Heard, Glen Huntly

A precious right
Freedom of speech is a precious and hard-won right in a democratic society. Those who abuse, vilify, throw eggs or try to silence anyone who disagrees with their personal world view degrade themselves and endanger the very freedoms they allegedly espouse.
April Baragwanath, Geelong

Roman in the gloaming
Let’s not get hung up about whether or not the word Christmas is included in festive decorations and greetings. Whether it’s merry Christmas, happy holidays, happy Hanukkah or seasons greetings, can we just let everyone enjoy this time of year in their own way?
In the meantime, I wish everyone a happy Saturnalia, the Roman harvest festival, which was replaced by Christmas by the Roman Emperor Constantine.
James Proctor, Maiden Gully

All things in moderation
The Resolve survey (17/12) shows two-thirds of Australians plan to spend less this Christmas. This was portrayed as a negative outcome of a cost-of-living squeeze. Couldn’t we also see this as a positive trend away from the year-on-year expansion in consumer purchasing, from food to clothing to alcohol? Moderating our buying can be a good thing.
Peter Allan, Brunswick West

Legislate the truth in ads
A new paper from the John Curtin Research Centre has drawn attention to the risk of disillusioned young ″⁣working-class″⁣ voters deserting the Labor Party (″⁣Youth support for far right a threat to PM″⁣, 17/12 ). Currently, in liberal democracies worldwide, increasing numbers of Gen X, Y and Z ers are voting for far-right populist parties.
The drivers for this trend have been years in the making, neo-liberal policies prioritising profit over maintaining and improving public services. Add to this ″⁣post-truth″⁣ social media, and a wicked problem threatens social cohesion within our liberal democracies.
One step federal Labor could take to preserve its vote would be to legislate similar laws as exist in South Australia and the ACT that require truth in political advertising. Without such laws, populist parties and scare campaigns can flourish. If far-right populist MPs are elected, the result could be increased inequality in society, leaving younger voters even more disillusioned and angry.
Jenny Smithers, Ashburton

And now some good news
When we read so many tragic stories in the news, it’s refreshing to read a good news story (″⁣A prodigal son returns to the fold″⁣, 17/12). Reading about grace in action in the Jensen home was encouraging enough. But Dave Jensen’s testimony isn’t worthy of publication because of his father or connection with Sydney Anglicans, but because it’s a real-life prodigal son story.
Jesus hasn’t disappeared from Australia, but in thousands of Daves around the country, people are being convinced, “But I’m also safe in the knowledge that God both forgives me and also used the very things I did that I regret to bring me to myself.“
Murray Campbell, senior pastor
Mentone Baptist Church, Cheltenham

Respect for asylum
The article ″⁣It’s been painful: Hopes death of detainees can bring lasting changes″⁣ (17/12) is yet another indictment of the brutality of the treatment of so many people who sought asylum here. We need to be reminded that whatever made individuals/families flee, many had endured enormous suffering, thus they sought refuge. What is reprehensible is that companies are paid millions of dollars to provide services, yet there seems to be little accountability. One hopes the government is making changes that will ensure that what happened to Moses Kellie does not happen again and that the main premise is to ensure that a humane approach and respect for human rights is paramount.
Judith Morrison, Nunawading

Subtract the multiples
Incredible is not the only overworked word. Multiple is now used whenever “more than one” is intended. Some, several, many, a few, an actual number (say, four) are rarely used. Let’s have more variety while we are reaching out to others (multiple people).
John Edwards, Mt Waverley

AND ANOTHER THING

Christmas
Let’s do away with Christmas trees all together and replace them with olive trees.
Ruth Davis, Melbourne

I usually find Leunig a bit preachy, a bit wishy-washy, but yesterday he could not have been more spot on with his ode to the ″⁣little baby Palestinian Jew″⁣.
Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk

A friend rightly suggested Leunig’s Away in a Manger cartoon should be published on the front page of every national newspaper.
Brian Fuller, West Launceston

Words
No, in relation to your correspondent (Letters, 16/12), surely the most overused word to the point it has lost it’s worth is “awesome”.
Andrew Dunne, Chewton

It’s a locals’ thing. Nothink (sic) tricky about Cans. It’s how Queenslanders pronounce the unofficial capital of FNQ just as Malbun is Victoria’s capital.
Sue McKenzie, Belmont

Cans is about 1800 kilometres north of Surface Paradise!
Vicki Jordan, Lower Plenty

Furthermore
Are these expected rapid and sharp rises in gas bills different to the rapid and sharp rises we have recently experienced?
Craig Tucker, Newport

A request to follow the US into the Middle East with a warship? Please don’t do it.
John Harris, Williamstown

So, Victorians are up for an extra $10 billion and then will have to pay tolls. Seems like constructors have discovered gold by devising the ″⁣pay pay″⁣ model.
Don Hyatt, Dingley Village

The ABC used declining ratings to justify axing The Drum – a show noted for its detailed wide ranging discussion of national issues. Makes one wonder about the ratings of Today in Parliament.
Mike Sanderson, Drouin

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