National icon pays price of NSW policies of extinction

Let’s follow the Sussexes out of the monarcy

It’s time Australia. Meghan and Harry have shown the way out of the clutches of royalty. It’s time we elected our own head of state (“Prince harming: interview riles monarchists”, March 10). Henry Spirek, Orange

We need to move towards a republic but must learn the lessons from the previous exercise, derailed by John Howard. The first is to have a model close to our existing system but with a local head of state. Let’s use any term other than president. Why not retain a governor-general? To satisfy many people’s desire to elect the head of state, why not have a system where each state votes for a candidate and then both houses of parliament require a two-thirds majority to appoint the new head of state. The current turmoil in the royal family highlights the ridiculousness of a system that abrogates our ultimate government responsibility to an undemocratic head of state of another country. Neil Reckord, North Haven

So many brides have had their weddings cancelled or postponed this year, including my daughter, at great expense to herself (“‘Secret wedding’ no legal ceremony”, March 10). In contrast, Meghan appears ungrateful for her lavish wedding. Who paid for it? If she is so independent she would’ve had a much simpler ceremony. God save the Queen. Susan Chan, St Ives

I have to disagree with your correspondent (Letters, March 10). There are not so many similarities with Diana. Diana was engaged to Charles when she was 19 years old and married him at 20, when he was 32. Beforehand she was subjected to a virginity test. Afterwards she was dealing with the fact there were three people in the marriage. All the doe-eyed make-up in the world is not going to convince me that Meghan and Harry have it hard. Jenny Stephenson, Wollongong

Nearly 50 years ago, Princess Anne refused a title for her first husband and her children. These two children and their children have grown up fine and healthy without being encumbered by royal duties, yet still enjoying a close relationship with their grandparents and other titled relatives. Just what do Harry and Meghan want? Royal titles and privileges without royal duties? Brian Collins, Cronulla

I fear it may be a little late for the English monarchy to be taking an interest in the genetics of Prince Harry’s son after the past couple of centuries of marrying cousins and various other adulterous liaisons. Wendy Atkins, Cooks Hill

Porter claims led me to report my own rape

Thirty-nine years ago I was raped as a teenager by the father of a classmate. On Monday I walked into a police station to make a statement. Why so long? Statistics and shame. We know it’s 1 per cent of 1 per cent getting a conviction. Why subject yourself to more humiliation by having to talk repeatedly about the horrible event in a public forum and be burned to the core by defence counsel getting paid to see justice is served for the accused? Higgins, Tame, Porter and Morrison have all been influential in my decision to do something. Higgins and Tame for their bravery, so young. Porter for his absolute denial and Morrison for his duplicity – he has previously said victims have to be believed and then backs his man saying so without hearing all the information.
My view is that these crimes will not stop, waiting for (some) men to have respect for women. Maybe the threat of being caught and going to jail will. Most people don’t commit murder because they know they’re going to get caught and go to jail for a very long time. If that happened with sex assaults, perpetrators will think twice and these offences will stop. Perpetrators need to know that the police will knock on their door. We the victims must attempt to protect women and girls of the future because no one else will. It is us who must stop the assaults, and the insults coming from a lack of belief in us and what we have experienced. We are not liars.
I am now mentally prepared for the onslaught. I wasn’t all those years ago as a naive country girl taken advantage of by a predator. They’re everywhere. Name withheld

As a fellow lawyer I am extremely concerned that a colleague would call for an inquiry into criminal matters to be conducted by an extra-judicial body (“As a witness in the Heydon inquiry I’m speaking out on why Porter should face investigation”, March 9). It is not analogous to the Heydon inquiry at all. That inquiry was initiated by the employers in relation to non-criminal (though repugnant) conduct in the workplace. The Porter matter relates to serious criminal allegations said to have occurred decades ago unrelated to Porter’s current employment. It is analgous to the shareholders of a company calling on a board to conduct an inquiry into a rape allegation against the CEO from his teenage years in circumstances where the police have decided not to investigate, or the DPP has decided not to prosecute. What legal status or moral right would such an inquiry have? We should all be very careful of the precedents we set. Dianne Hamilton, Jannali

The presumption of innocence is not the end of the matter, there should be a proper investigation, all parties interviewed, leads followed, to a prosecution and defence, then deemed innocent or guilty, for all Australians. Janelle Graham, Kincumber

Scott Morrison and his illiberal Liberals just doesn’t get it. Women are incandescent with rage. They have had enough of living with the threat of violence and sexual assault. The patriarchy is again an issue. Social change is odd – for years nothing seems to happen then suddenly there is a spark and the whole rotten edifice goes up in flames. To borrow from W B Yeats: “All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.” David Perkins, Reid ACT

Aged care anomaly

The damning report on aged care brings increased pressure to use some form of taxation to fund a better model (“Aged care slips off the agenda”, March 10). But no, the Coalition prides itself on being the party of lower taxes and this move would not sit well with their base. I won’t hold my breath waiting for justice, rather then entrenched interests, to be the winner. Joan Brown, Orange

Gittins’ gloomy report on the likelihood of the aged care commission’s report being implemented any time soon makes for sombre reading. Given the difficulty of implementing any reforms, I for one will be unlikely to benefit. It is, however, comforting to be able to reassure my grandchildren their old age is in good hands. I’m sure they will be thrilled. Vicky Marquis, Glebe

Rich get richer

Just as you reported, the OECD predicting the local economy would grow at a decade-high rate. It was also reported that low-income workers were being left behind (“OECD forecasts Australia’s best growth in a decade”, March 10). No surprise there. To quote Midnight Oil, “The rich get richer, the poor get the picture”. Tim Overland, Castle Hill

Pull the plug

Given all the hand-wringing over raising the Warragamba Dam wall, the Planning Minister still refuses to look at the real cause of the flooding – the “plug” at Sackville Gorge (“Billions of dollars of housing at risk of flooding”, March 10). Much less than $1.6 billion would be needed to double or triple the draining of the floodplain. A bath won’t fill if the drain hole is big enough and the plug is pulled. Peter Russell, Coogee

Trump’s disciples

First Downer, then Pell and now Abbott sing Trump’s praises. For such an extraordinarily divisive character with some thousands of lies to boot, who filled the White House with chaos and family, appallingly mismanaged the COVID issue, decried the Paris Accord and dumped the WHO, to name a few troubles, I find it breathtaking to hear this stuff from ageing political and religious leaders (“Abbott’s verdict on Trump and his place in history”, March 10). Bruce Hall, Avalon

Horrors of sex

I remember, with horror, when I was about 11 being taken by my mother to our local church hall to watch the documentary Mothers and Daughters (Letters, March 10). As the clinical, biological explanation of “baby making” unfolded before my amazed eyes, the only two thoughts that kept coming into my head were “yuk” and “the Queen must have done it”. Although my mother was sitting beside me, the fact that she had obviously “done it” was just too much for me to take in, all in one session. Sex education in the 1950s! Valerie Little, Tathra

It is good to read that sex education has moved on from the Modess pad booklets that were left lying around the house for us to surreptitiously grab and sneak off with to read in our bedrooms. Louise Dolan, Birchgrove

God on your side

In the dim and distant, I can remember job application forms in which I was regularly asked my religion (Letters, March 10). I would write “employer’s choice”. John Campbell, South Golden Beach

I have a male friend who applied for a job at the Australian Embassy in London 50 years ago. He was asked what school he went to in Sydney. He got the job when he responding honestly St Joseph’s. However, it was not the St Joseph’s. Judy Nicholas, Denistone East

When I arrived in Australia in 1969, at one of my first job interviews the conversation went like this: “What school did you go to?” “Felsted” I replied. “I’m sorry?” said the interviewer. “It’s an English public school” I said. “Then how come you have a toff’s pommy accent?” he asked. John Grinter, Katoomba

I attended a university college debate as a guest of my niece who was a champion third speaker. The windows of the college were lined with donor names of the who’s who of the law and medical profession and matched some of the names at my table. During the course of the meal, after my niece had annihilated the opposition, an aged gentleman at the table asked me which school she attended. Forster High School was my proud response. His response: “I’m told there can be the odd good teacher in state schools”. Being a high school teacher, I bit my tongue. Margaret Teague, Glebe