Shame on Labor for weak gambling reform

The government and opposition rarely agree on anything, yet they fell over backwards to water down the obnoxious commercials of the big gambling companies by placing the onus on humble Darby and Joan to opt in or out (“Good luck with gambling self-policing”, August 19). It is even more galling when you consider the fulsome praise both sides poured on the late Labor MP Peta Murphy for her campaigning efforts against these unwelcome advertisements and their likely deleterious effect on children. Ray Alexander, Moss Vale

Anthony Albanese is content and his conscience clear now that kids can only see gambling ads before 5am and after 8.30pm. The truth is that many will not be tucked up in bed as he seems to imagine, but will still be watching, often with their families. Can he picture the fuss if they’re forced to leave before the game ends? And will parents be happy with their viewing being interrupted? I think not. Is it okay with the PM that teens will still see gambling and sport as natural partners. Ah, but you can opt out, he says. Only if you’re bothered – why not make it opt in? I’d like to hear your convincing reasons, prime minister. You have scored a savvy political win, but it’s obvious you didn’t put the people first. Many of us will not celebrate such a “win”. Jennifer Fergus, Croydon

It is rare for me to consider joining a protest against the government, but I am enraged that the many gambling reforms recommended in the Murphy report have been ignored. The decoupling of gambling from sport must be absolute. Yes, this will inflict fiscal pain for a short time in some areas, but the benefit to society outweighs this. It’s time to rally against the proposed legislation and show our government how badly they are misreading community sentiment. Australian society will be irreversibly harmed if the proposed legislation goes through. Shame on the Labor Party, my party.
Bronwyn Cooper, Drummoyne

Ah, kids – they grow up so fast these days (“Sydney casinos fined millions after 16-year-old’s gambling, drinking spree”, August 19). I suppose Crown and Star casinos could argue they were doing the boy and the wider community a service by keeping him off the streets, while helping him with his maths homework (algebra and statistical probability come to mind). And also helping to keep families together – his mum was there, apparently. Bless them. What a boon to society these fun parlours are, welcoming young people in and building them into the gambling addicts of tomorrow. Well done, Star and Crown, and your directors and shareholders – take a bow. Prime minister – any comment from you as you skirt around tougher gambling laws? Patrick McGrath, Potts Point

Library censorship

As a former state librarian of NSW, I have to object in the strongest possible terms to the removal of Adam Johnson’s book How to Sell a Genocide from the shelves of Waverley Library at Bondi Junction (“Sydney council pulls book critical of Israel from library shelves”, August 19). Our public libraries are at the core of our free and democratic society. They present the research, opinions and creativity of Australian and international writers, filmmakers, musicians and artists to entertain, inspire and console us. Often they challenge us and help us to understand other perspectives. Censorship, as regrettably practiced in this instance by Waverley Council, undermines those benefits and our society. Alex Byrne, Forest Lodge

As a retired librarian, the news item that Waverley Council has removed a book critical of Israel caused me two concerns. First, are we returning to the days when local government councillors became censors? I recall when the Little Red Schoolbook (radical for its time) was the subject of a vigorous debate at a local council. The alderman who demanded that it be removed shouted, “I wouldn’t read that filthy book!” What does the Library Council of NSW have to say about this censorship? Secondly, I was disturbed to read that in its defence, Waverley said it outsourced book selection for the library with apparently no input from its own professional librarians. Certainly, most local libraries are governed by what booksellers have in stock, but in my time we were also guided by reviews from numerous professional journals covering a wide range of subjects, and by suggestions from users. Does Waverley library have a resources collection policy approved by council, as does my local service? If not, why not? John Flint, Naremburn

Less from Leeser

I am sure Commissioner Virginia Bell is quite capable of deciding whether the deadline for the Bondi royal commission needs to be extended beyond the one-year anniversary of the shootings (“Coalition says PM, Wong and others must front royal commission”, August 19). I am sure she’s also capable of deciding who needs to appear. She does not need the advice of Liberal MP Julian Leeser. If he keeps interfering, he runs the risk of compromising the perceived independence of the commission. Mark Porter, New Lambton

Gun count

Guns are nothing like a spanner set (“Farmers take aim at state’s gun ownership restrictions”, August 19). A big gun can kill a small animal and a smaller bore gun if targeted properly can kill a larger animal. There are different types of ammunition for the same gun for different purposes. You don’t need to perfectly match a gun to an animal like a spanner to a nut. Graeme Finn, Campsie

Dubbo farmer Tracy is upset that the gun laws may limit the number of guns she can own. I am at a loss to understand why she needs many guns of different calibres. Yes, farmers must occasionally kill animals for various reasons, but the same large-calibre gun will kill a big cow or a small snake. Why the need for more? Owning two guns of the same size is probably sufficient and sensible, in case the one of them malfunctions, but no more than that. Susan Haylock, Mosman

I am not sure what Tracy Blackburn is complaining about. Primary producers are allowed up to 10 guns under the new gun laws. By Blackburn’s own admission, she really only needs two – one for small animals and one for pigs. Even allowing for a couple more, that is still only say four in total. Perhaps 10 is still too many for farmers. Warwick Spencer, West Pymble

I lived in mid-western NSW for 15 years and I have a fair idea about the types of feral animals (and their impacts) faced by farmers there. Most of the ones I knew owned three to six firearms to use for feral animal control and sport. Given that farmers and sporting shooters will be able to own up to 10 guns under the new legislation (and other shooters up to four), how exactly does Tracy Blackburn feel she is being ignored or disadvantaged? Paul Parramore, Sawtell

When John Howard introduced gun buybacks, he was lauded as a strong leader with vision and commitment. Now buybacks are portrayed as irrelevant because criminals and mentally ill individuals will get them anyway, and a waste of public money (Letters, August 19). The world hasn’t changed, so which view is correct? Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla

Ethics classes

As usual, David Gonski is right on the money with his recommendation for establishment of ethics classes in public schools at all levels (“Gonski backs ethics lessons to tackle hate,” August 19). In this way, a large proportion of the next generation can be grounded in ethical values rather than in stories about a powerful, invisible friend who may or may not exist. Of course, in an ideal world, children should learn basic ethics in the home with parents as role models. Sadly, it seems this might mean having them saddled with the parents’ own prejudice. It is a shameful fact that hate is often nurtured around the kitchen table. The availability of ethics instruction by an authoritative person can be an integral part of the education that prepares a child for a useful place in society. Learning the “right thing to do” will provide understanding of how to relate to other people, and in the Australian context this could mean people of a very different colour, religion or race. An ethical future has more to commend it than a future shaded by ignorant religious and racial bigotry. Derrick Mason, Boorowa

Although I am an advocate for public education, I am loath to criticise private schools en masse in light of the allegations against the three Scots College boys (“Text messages emerge in Scots College rape case amid calls for principal’s resignation”, August 19). Incidents like these can happen in any school, anywhere. Why are schools held solely accountable when an isolated few of their student cohort behave badly? Education about morals and ethics and socially acceptable behaviour begins at home. While schools have a role in reinforcing these qualities, let’s not absolve parents and guardians of their responsibilities as well. Robert Hickey, Green Point

It’s hard to believe that school lessons on ethics will be enough to push back the rising tide of self-centredness that engulfs society today. The question of “what is the right thing to do?” needs to be thoroughly embedded in the way we organise our economy and our society, not an add-on at school. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls

Wrong paths

Ian Roberts makes an interesting point when he states that “as private education has proliferated, Australia’s world ranking in student performance has continued to decline” (Letters, August 19). A closer examination of the data may shed more light. Since 2000, when Australian students first entered the international PISA academic rankings, the number of students attending private education has risen from 30 per cent to 37 per cent. Across the same period, Australian PISA results have fallen about 6 per cent (reading down 5.6 per cent, maths down 7 per cent and science down 3.8 per cent). Is this a coincidence or is there a correlation? As famous television science presenter Professor Julius Sumner Miller would say, why is it so? Warren Marks, Long Beach

I echo Ian Roberts to ask Labor backbenchers “how can you be getting it so wrong?” The Herald has back-to-back stories about alleged sexual assault and a toxic culture at the Scots College and other elite private boys schools; the Sydney Swans allegations and the Alan Jones’ trial, juxtaposed with Cathy Wilcox’s cartoon on aged care and AUKUS (Letters, August 19). Together with robo-debt, the harm of gambling advertising, the impending disaster of climate change and deep inequality in society, we, the people, are pointing out what needs to be done, yet Labor backbenchers are following Anthony Albanese lemming-like over a political cliff. Howard Charles, Annandale

Swans fans betrayed

As a Swans supporter and a lover of the game, I am devastated by news of the “Melbourne incident”. Not by the choice these players made to stay in Melbourne and make night of it, but the decision they took to invite two women to their hotel rooms (“A handful of Swans players wanted to keep partying. The fallout has rocked the AFL”, August 19). In these circumstances, there is always a risk that things might turn sour. Regardless of the outcome, the behaviour is totally unacceptable for people in the public eye because they are so widely admired. If the Swans enter the finals without them, that is just another layer of betrayal of the people who placed them on a pedestal. Garry Feeney, Ashfield

Off the rails

A high-speed rail link from Sydney to Newcastle that costs $90 billion (“Why latest plans raise odds of high-speed line from Sydney to Newcastle”, August 18)? The tax-paying public has every right to be sceptical about this proposal. When will the federal government walk away from this one, like it did on the shelved inland rail project between Brisbane and Melbourne? How much will Sydney-to-Newcastle really cost? Thumbs up to Premier Chris Minns for ruling out NSW funding this pipe dream. Glenn Johnson, Leura

Older and wiser

Correspondent Rob Asser writes that he’s never heard of an “old girls” school network (Letters, August 19). They exist. Until my private girl’s school became co-ed following an amalgamation with the boys school, it had an Old Girls Association. I still have the letter to say I had received the Old Girls scholarship in 1960. After the school became co-ed, we now have an Ex-Students Association. The only worrying thing is we are now all becoming old girls! Robyn Lewis, Raglan

Rod Asser notes that there is no “old girls” network. Indeed, there are certainly no women of my acquaintance who would take kindly to being referred to as an old girl. Malcolm McCallum, Dulwich Hill

Early spring

I just saw four channel-billed cuckoos, followed by the call of their fan-tailed cousin. It sounds like spring is here. Hang on, it’s still August. Judy Hooworth, Morisset

Perfectly imperfect

Ian Catt’s litany of divine design defects (Letters, August 19) reminded me of the song We Sing Hallelujah by English folk musicians Richard and Linda Thompson: “A man is like a rusty wheel, on a rusty cart; he sings his song as he rattles along, and then he falls apart.” Steve Cornelius, Brookvale

Congratulations, Ian Catt, on your wonderful, if unintentional neologism “God-proof logic”. It conveys a lovely image of a tightly woven atheistic argument that no deist can unpick. Lance Rainey, Grafton

Your correspondent asking himself when God will perfect him reminded me of Nietzsche’s quote: “Is man one of God’s blunders, or is God one of man’s blunders?” Jeremy Brender, West Richmond (SA)

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