Choose to Challenge abuses of power, privilege

First the Morrison government tries to get Mathias Cormann up as Director General of the OECD, now they send Finkel out on the world stage to try and convince the world of our green credentials. Countries that are serious about the climate challenge commit to targets. Countries that are not serious and seek to undermine the global effort, do the sorts of things just described. Experienced international diplomats, negotiators and politicians understand this very clearly. They also look set to respond in a way that will cost us very dearly. Tim Thornton, Northcote

Coming home from swimming, my granddaughter and I often play the “would you rather” game. Recently we played this game with a different twist. “Papa,” my granddaughter said, “would you rather spend a lot of money on climate change and have to admit later you had made a mistake and look silly; or would you rather not spend money on climate change and so everyone dies?” There is nothing else that needs to be said. No more spin, no more denial, just concrete meaningful action. Ian Caddy, Cheltenham

Dr Finkel reduces his credibility as a scientist by taking on a role as the government’s paid lobbyist. Angela Michaelis, Balmain

Noble profession

Harry Nicolson’s obituary should be prescribed reading for all final year high school students who are thinking about the next stage in their lives, to show them what a truly noble, inspiring and important career teaching can be (“Exceptional teacher who wove a subtle magic”, March 5). Anne Ring, Coogee

Healthy brekky

Increasing the milk content of the cereal will reduce their risk of choking. But how do they keep the milky spoon away from the Herald (Letters, March 5)? Mustafa Erem, Terrigal

Cornflakes. It’s only cornflakes that put you at risk, on balance of anecdotal evidence. Janice Windsor, Greenwich

Sour berries

Over the years of civilisation mankind has achieved some amazing things, such as travelling to the moon, creating electronic devices that bring the world into our homes, creating the wheel, mastering flight, creating music and developing vaccines, to name just a few. Yet we are still unable to purchase a punnet of strawberries without half of them being inedible. Victor Marshall, Meander (TAS)

Blooming happy

The first flowers are opening on Sydney’s millions of sasanqua camellias. It’s official, Autumn has arrived. In these times of such uncertainty it’s comforting to know that some things don’t change. Nedra Orme, Neutral Bay

Latham censorship will lower standards

As I recall, contrary to Mark Latham’s views about gender construction in early childhood, young boys feared any association with the colour pink, whether it was clothes, cards, toys food, sport (“Shakespeare banned in classrooms under gender bill”, March 5). There were strongly embedded gender associations with every aspect of culture. Hopefully, things are changing.

As to his bill to deregister teachers for mentioning controversial topics including racism, gender and gender fluidity, such censorship is going to have a huge impact on teachers fearing to teach the mandated curriculum. What better way to bring down education standards than this? Vanessa Tennent, Oatley

We need to get humourless fanatics out of the classroom and let all students benefit from finding themselves represented in the texts they read and view. There are a great diversity of texts from Shakespeare to contemporary young adult books that have a place in showing our shared humanity. The NSW government needs to stop privileging Latham’s narrow and destructive One Nation campaign to diminish us all. Deb McPherson, Gerringong

It’s time we all “woke” up to these puritanical censors and called them out for the McCarthyists that they are.

The literature of previous generations must not be subjected to the judgment, small-mindedness and moralising of the current “oh so politically correct” mob. First Dr Seuss, next Shakespeare (“The cancel culture that stole Dr Seuss”, smh.com.au, March 5). John Robertson, Springwood

Watchdog, not lapdog

Why must the most obvious requirements be even demanded of some of our high-flying politicians (“ICAC funding must be free of political influence”, March 5)? Could the trend of politicians avoiding critical analysis combined with a diminishing attention span by the public provide an answer? Nevertheless, allowing politicians to call the shots regarding how a watchdog might operate provides perfect fodder for a follow-up episode of Yes, Minister.
The terms of reference of how such bodies operate matter. As does the provision of adequate resources for its functioning. Keeping our elected leaders accountable surely forms part of what defines a democracy.
Appropriately funding a state-based watchdog as well as setting up a federal equivalent is well overdue. Cleveland Rose, Dee Why

ICAC’s independence with sufficient funding is the only way to restore public confidence in investigations involving politicians and senior public servants. As detailed in your editorial, current investigations are hampered due to political influence and funding shortfalls and the public have little confidence in the numerous scandals in NSW being properly investigated. Limp excuses by the Premier can no longer be tolerated. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach

Schools’ moral compass

School principals writing to parents and reminding them of their parental duty not to host underage parties is a bit rich (“Parents hosting drunk parties at fault: schools”, March 5). Schools also have a fundamental duty of care for their pupils and with it comes the rule of law, concerning any alleged sexual assault incidents within the school boundaries. Furthermore, the schools have a responsibility to assist with the development of each and every one under their care, concerning the values of society. Michael Blissenden, Dural

Breaking the class ceiling

All power to Jennifer Robinson’s Acacia Scholarship group (“Networks not only for private schools”, March 5). I am still haunted by a comment made decades ago by a work colleague. His son had finished his law degree and had gathered with a cohort of other graduates to be allocated to legal firms in a trainee capacity. He reported his son’s comment.“Dad, why am I the only one from a public school in this group?“. The Acacia network can only contribute to further improvement. Gus Plater, Saratoga

Growth, at a cost

The photo showing the greenfield idyll to be destroyed by 5500 houses highlights the problems we now face with environmental degradation, the devastation of native flora and fauna, carbon emissions, and the provision of safe, healthy, low-carbon-kilometres food for Sydney (“Landcom paid $100m over odds for town site”, March 5). A fast buck via land development, underpinned by the so-called easy economic growth model of fast population growth through immigration, is no longer environmentally and economically sustainable. Arable land and clean water supply are our most valuable resources, supported by a healthy and diversified ecosystem, and must be ring-fenced to provide hope for the future. Alan Carruthers, Artarmon

Macgregor’s legacy

More than two decades on and my awe of Liz Ann Macgregor remains (“Museum of Contemporary Art director Liz Ann Macgregor to step down”, March 4). Until her appointment as director of the MCA, I cared little about this institution. I remember seeing her picture in this paper and reading her story and I instantly wanted to go and see more art. What a wonderful legacy she leaves. Elizabeth Forrest, Balgowlah Heights

Migrants’ prison island

I am frustrated and upset with the extension of the overseas travel ban until June 2021 (Letters, March 5). The restrictions limiting travel are draconian and place mental stress on the people in this country. I am a permanent resident of Australia and this is my home. However, I have a father in America who is getting older and I would like to visit him in person. I am not the only person in this situation. I have a South African mate who would like to visit his mum due to health reasons. There are many more like us. This is a nation of migrants, whether people like to accept it or not. Hardworking, taxpaying migrants. Migrants build your homes, drive your buses, clean your bathrooms and pick your fruit. And we are being treated like second-class citizens, stuck on an island. A prison island. Adam Brown, Marrickville

Health heist

The Italian Jab (“Europe blocks 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccine doses bound for Australia”, smh.com.au, March 5)?Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

In a word

I’m with your correspondents on “so” and “there” but not on “boo-ee” (buoy) (Letters, March 3 and 4). It’s just an old pronunciation. My grandfather (born in 1870), a sea captain and harbour engineer, always pronounced it “boo-ee”. He also objected to my pronunciation of “launch” – “It’s a lahnch, boy” – and when I insisted it was “lawnch” I was told to go tell my “awnt”. Language changes with the generations and changes in the UK (and Australia) are not necessarily followed in other parts of the English-speaking world. David Harvey, Drummoyne

All okay

I am constantly being told it’s “all good”. The whole planet is in dire straits from the effects of climate change and human mismanagement, global leaders appear to be only interested in re-election and what will benefit themselves and their sponsors, a significant percentage of the world’s population is living in abject poverty and the world is rife with racism and misogyny. There is plenty of good in the world, but it certainly ain’t all good. Mark Morgan, Wahroonga

Postscript

Two stories dominated the letters pages this week: the aged care royal commission and historical rape allegations made against a cabinet minister. We received hundreds of letters speculating about the identity of the minister, and eventually commenting on his identity when it was revealed. The majority were unprintable because of our defamation laws, but thanks to the many who wrote, we were able to publish a thought-provoking and insightful collection of contributions.

There’s a long tradition of letters to the editor at the Herald; they first appeared in the second edition of the paper on April 25, 1831. In a section headed “Original Correspondence”, the Herald’s first letter was from a reader identifying themselves as “A Farmer” (writers tended to use pseudonymous in the early days). The writer was commenting about a petition sent to the government “praying” that duty be imposed on foreign wheat, a measure he felt was “ill-timed and injudicious” and “could raise the cost of wheat to all consumers”. A second letter was from “Bacchus” of Parramatta, who wrote about viticulture in response to an editorial in issue one. Both were passionate about their subjects, as correspondents continue to be today.

The Herald celebrates its 190th birthday next month, and we’re inviting readers to write to us about their favourite memory of the Herald or what the masthead means to them for a special edition in April. Please keep your submissions to 100 words, include the words “Herald birthday” in the subject line and let us know how long you have been a subscriber or have been reading the Herald.

As always, thank you for your contribution, and keep writing. Pat Stringa, letters editor