What an election: rate rises and empty promises
While everyone is bemoaning the fact that the RBA’s interest hike will increase cost-of-living pressures, there is one thing that Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg are not sharing with the voting public (“Up and up: more rises on way”, May 4). Inflation brings windfall increases in GST collections. You know the GST, that great big tax on almost everything introduced by John Howard after he said it would never occur. Forget fuel excise relief – if the low tax Coalition were ever serious about cost-of-living pressures, then it should reduce the rate of GST on goods and services, thereby restoring the myth that they are good economic managers. Ian Caddy, Cheltenham
The hundreds of thousands of people who took up variable interest rate home loans should be justifiably infuriated by the RBA’s decision to lift the official cash rate. Not only because this and further rate rises will hurt those already struggling by sprawling cost of living, but because they accepted the RBA governor’s 2020 guidance, “interest rates would not rise until at least 2024” and accepted the government’s otherwise rosy talk-up of the economy. Jack Dikian, Mosman
I find the hype around the first small rate rise in 10 years hard to comprehend. The official interest rate is still less than half of one percent. Many of us grappled with much higher rates and have lived to tell the tale. Presumably other factors will come into play to moderate the effects. With the cost of living rising and house prices beyond the reach of most young people, something has to give. We’ve persevered with record low interest rates for years, to little or no avail. Nothing changes if nothing changes. Meredith Williams, Northmead
Truth is the first casualty of election politics (“Whoever governs, taxes will rise”, May 4). What is truly happening to the setting of national tax policy needs such exposure.
Politically promised lower tax guarantees are deliberate untruths. The unspoken reality is that an inflation tax, a massive tax increase by any other name, has been put in place. When inflation exceeds interest rates, the overhang of public and private debt will be redeemed and repaid with devalued dollars. Investors and depositors, collectively owed trillions, are about to lose real value in the year ahead, and annually even more as inflation surges.
Far from being unmentionable, the appointed regulators, not least the RBA, should be speaking up and demanding more equitable outcomes. Making this reality clear over the next couple of weeks would swamp a 25 basis-point increase in the cash rate this week as well as others in the pipeline. Peter Mair, Dee Why
Broken education system at 40-year low
This government, driven by a fundamental philosophical plank, has abrogated its core responsibility for the provision of a vital public education system (“Parents are ready for teachers’ strike”, May 4). The system is broken, the administration is incompetent and the schools simply cannot be staffed. The system has been handed over to anyone who has the funds to do so. The facade of negotiations that attend to these public service issues borders on the farcical. Gus Plater, Saratoga
The NSW education system is haemorrhaging teachers with new graduates jumping ship after a couple of years and older colleagues retiring as soon as is economically possible, while the state government does nothing to staunch the flow (Letters, May 4). In fact, the invective poured on teachers’ ears by the minister exacerbates the problem.
After teaching for 40 years, I have never seen morale so low nor workloads so heavy. In truth, teaching has become a health hazard. Now as a casual teacher approaching retirement, I am spoilt for choice because vacancies abound but, in every staffroom, permanent teachers are reassessing their options. The solution: a fair wage and a sustainable workload. Is that too much to ask? Diane Dennis, Epping
Key to Pacific
China’s colonisation must be stopped (“China’s colonisation of the Pacific must be stopped” May 4)? No mention of the other colonial powers: France (New Caledonia, French Polynesia); US (Guam, American Samoa) or Indonesia’s colonisation of West Papua. If we really want to have influence in the region, we should do something about the Pacific people’s number one concern. It’s climate change, not China. Joe Collins, Mosman
Can-do Cannon-Brookes
It looks as if tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has AGL right in the firing line to go renewable (“Cannon-Brookes puts his money where his mouth is”, May 4). Last year, the Business Council of Australia urged the federal government to commit to halving greenhouse emissions by 2030. With 11 per cent of the company’s shares, Cannon-Brookes is in a good position to pressure for the closure of AGL’s coal-burning power stations and replace them with renewable energy and battery storage, within the next decade. An example of “can-do capitalism” at work? Anne O’Hara, Wanniassa (ACT)
Say no to stadiums
The premier won’t be rushed into a decision on new stadiums for the NRL and the other codes (“Premier hits back at NRL threat ‘circus’“, May 4). Which pretty much means he’ll huff and puff for a few months and then do what he’s told. Most of the rest of us wouldn’t have similar difficulties; we’d probably say an emphatic “No” and divert the seemingly endless funds available to these types of fripperies to real issues – teachers, nurses, hospitals, schools come to mind. Tony Mitchell, Hillsdale
Stop outsourcing responsibility
Finally, a knowledgable person has put on public record what most of us knew (“‘Outrage and mania’: Former NAB chair Ken Henry slams business leaders, politicians”, May 4). Ken Henry’s observations about “stakeholder capitalism” and its singular focus, profit, confirm the danger of leaving society-affecting decisions to the free market. The Liberal’s policy of smaller government through outsourcing continues to show “for-profit” companies cannot provide essential services to the level required by the community. Aged care is the current case in point. Then there is the nonsensical idea that climate change targets will be achieved by “can-do capitalism”. Why would for-profit companies invest in carbon-reducing activities if it does not improve their profits? I agree with Henry. It’s time governments stopped making critical decisions based on the desires of their supporters and started governing for all Australians. Graham Hansen, Denistone
Under Trump’s eye
I’m sorry, Uncle Sam, should the Supreme Court repeal Roe v Wade it will further cast the USA as a disconnected world power (“Repeal would be mark of Trump’s legacy”, May 4). It may not occur under Joe Biden’s watch, but it would occur under Donald Trump’s eye. Janet Argall, Dulwich Hill
Private v public
It is sad that Ukrainian students in a private school have to rely on Google Translate (“Appy-go-lucky new school life after fleeing Ukraine”, May 4). In the NSW public school system, they would be entitled to specialist language teaching in an intensive English centre. There they would have the opportunity to learn in small classes, with bilingual support staff and a curriculum designed to develop English language proficiency delivered by teachers with double qualifications in both subject area and English as an Additional Language. Jennifer Killen, St Peters
Environmental toll
With rising road tolls being a damaging part of the cost-of-living increases, perhaps it is time for the toll road operators to use some of their profits to improve the environment (“First steps as inflation genie has large head start”, May 4).
Sadly, the largest visible part of the Rozelle Interchange underground tollway is the three unfiltered exhaust “ventilation” stacks. Do tollway operators have no social responsibility, care for the environment or concern for the air we breathe? Evan Bailey, Glebe
Name games
Your correspondent is spot on (Letters, May 4). We need new un-gendered pronouns if we are to engender the inclusion of non-binary people. I suggest the roots of these new words could be from “people”. So, for she/he, “pe”. For him/her : “pim”. David Sargent, Seaton (SA)
For he/she how about “heesh”, and for his/hers “hiers”? Andrew Taubman, Queens Park
Wordsmithery
Your correspondent says there is no I in team (Letters, May 4). Be that as it may, there are five of them in “individual brilliance”. Jim McAlpine, Moss Vale
I am not unwilling to point out that “reticent” does not mean “reluctant”. Peter Heron, Forestville
Handy moniker
I agree with my “mate” Redmayne (Letters, May 4) – the word comes in handy for those senior moments. Brian Collins, Cronulla
Call me “mate”, call me “sport”, call me “cobber”: just don’t call me “buddy”. Ryszard Linkiewicz, Woolooware
Many years ago a tough old bushie was negotiating the sale of his sawmill to a prissy city type who addressed him condescendingly as “mate” once too often. The seller snapped and roared at him, “Don’t call me mate, mate.” The deal didn’t go ahead. Nedra Orme, Neutral Bay
Fight for justice
Can I nominate Steve Johnson for Australian of the Year (“Why brother fears justice will fail”, May 4). Mary Kean, Hurlstone Park
Not you again!
The campaign has passed the halfway mark and Jobson Grothe is nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, Costa Livin has stepped into the breach. Stephen Driscoll, Castle Hill
The digital view
Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday on smh.com.au
$100 extra a month: Home buyers face mortgage hike with interest rates set to climb further
From pina: ″House prices were allowed to double or more in the past 10 years, and rates left low. Petrol and food spike and rates have to go up to combat inflation. I don’t get it. Is it at all possible if the RBA had cooled the property market, we wouldn’t be in this situation. And why isn’t the cost of housing included in the inflation rate?″
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PM’s ‘public autocracy’ cry shows he’s got blinkers on
Source: Philippines Alive
