Letters
The Age
Thursday March 25, 2010
GIVEN Britain's lead ("UK to expel Israel envoy", The Age, 24/3), Australia too needs to expel an Israeli diplomat from Canberra if it's serious about its expressed concerns about the use of Australian passports in the assassination plot of a senior Hamas leader in Dubai.Foreign Secretary David Miliband accused Israel of a "profound disregard" for Britain and its sovereignty, saying "no country or government could stand by in such a situation" and "that this was done by a country which is a friend, with significant diplomatic, cultural, business and personal ties to the UK, only adds insult to injury".That sentiment is surely mirrored by the Australian government. If it isn't, it should be.With the secret trial of Stern Hu, the Chinese government is also treating Australia with contempt. Neither case is acceptable to the Australian electorate.Brian Haill, FrankstonA little one-sidedWHILE a rebuke to Israel may have been fair enough for its alleged, not proved, use of false passports in the assassination of a leading Hamas terrorist, what a hypocritical overreaction for the British government to now expel an Israeli diplomat.Israel and Britain share important counterterrorism strategies, and Israeli intelligence has been valued, not just within Britain, but in aiding the British military in fighting the Taliban. Foreign Secretary David Miliband's decision is seen by some analysts as a politically motivated move and a blow to intelligence-sharing, aimed to appease certain far-left and anti-Israel constituents prior to the forthcoming elections.What passports do the many Islamist terrorists use as they travel freely around Europe and elsewhere?It is worth remembering that Britain made no serious attempt to discover who sent two such terrorists to Israel on legal British passports in 2003, where they bombed Mike's Place pub in Tel Aviv killing three innocent people. Such is the price of one-sided hypocrisy.Mary Werther, CamberwellHelp me keep my identityBRITAIN investigated the "use" of a dozen of its passports in the assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai.Its investigation determined that Israeli security services were responsible for cloning those passports €” passports taken from their owners by Israeli immigration officers or other officials for additional checking lasting about 20 minutes.Along with public rebukes and reprimands, charging Israel, Britain has expelled an Israeli diplomat for the offence.Four Australian passports were "used" in the assassination; four Australians had their identities stolen. Australians await the results of our investigation and our response.I travel to Israel frequently. I have been subject to "additional checking" on numerous occasions. What is Australia doing to protect me and all Australians from identity theft?Judy Bamberger, O'Connor, ACTWe should make private really payTHANK you, Tony Abbott, for pointing out that you oversaw an increase in private health insurance membership under the Howard government. I was intrigued to see that you referred to one of the most costly farces in healthcare in this country as a success.Medicare pays 75 per cent of the fee-for-service cost for private patients €” insurers pay only 25 per cent.In the public system, Medicare, via the state health budget, pays the surgeon, the anaesthetist and any assistant an hourly wage and the hospital for the bed and the procedure. If the operation is done privately, Medicare, via the federal budget, pays the surgeon, the anaesthetist and any assistant a much higher rate and the private hospital a higher bed fee.Outpatient appointments are paid per hour in public, individually in private €” at a rate where a doctor could see four patients in public for the cost of one in private. They are not reimbursed by insurers. For all this, even insurance premiums are subsidised by the government.Put the money into public healthcare rather than subsidise insurers.If people want private insurance, make the insurers pay for all of the costs, and give the health dollar to the people who can't afford private care.Dr Neela Janakiramanan, FitzroyA position on PlutoWHAT on earth prompted federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to challenge Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to a debate on national health when Mr Abbott was not ready to reveal his health policy; and what was the point in Mr Rudd accepting such a challenge? How is it possible to debate something that does not exist? It's like clapping with one hand.May I suggest that the next debate will feature a theme about which both men do not have a policy; such as, for example, when will Australia send men on a mission to explore the planet Pluto?John Mason, South MelbourneEnlighten usI WOULD like to ask the ABC what it thinks the real purpose is in having leaders' debates. Does it really think that the public is any the wiser after the event, or is it just for the entertainment value? If a debate is about promises, one would have to be gullible to even turn on the TV to listen to it.By all means have debates on costed policies, that at least would sort out the men from the boys. But if they have not done their homework, don't waste the viewers time. Yes Minister would be more enlightening.Jim van Ommen, Taroona, TasMoney is talkingNEWS of a major cases express list for planning applications over $5 million (The Age, 24/3), is another bitter blow to local communities around Melbourne.With the Brumby government progressively moving to shut out local community input over the future of their suburbs, the democratic process is being diminished. With a value figure set at $5 million, money is the key motivator in this cram-and-stack policy.Coming on the back of recent liveability surveys showing Melbourne in decline, perhaps the community should have more voice than money does.Mathew Knight, Malvern EastDevelopment packs them in, and upI WONDER how the owners of the Balwyn Cinema feel about their potential new neighbours (that there will be new neighbours is probably a foregone conclusion if Justin Madden has anything to do with it).Will they be new residents to add to the cinema's patron base or chaos to drive away custom?There is a proposal to build three new buildings across the road from the cinema.They include a supermarket and 207 €” yes, 207 €” dwellings, naturally with a reduction in parking requirements. One of these buildings is to be 10 storeys, out of context with the neighbourhood by more than half that height.Cinema-goers, not to mention local residents, are already familiar with significant problems in the vicinity for motorists and pedestrians.On the other hand, if young people who are having trouble raising the funds to buy a house now can keep paying rent for 10-15 years, their ship will eventually come in. This is by no means a unique development.Throughout Melbourne these slums of the future will force down housing values in a decade or two. Perhaps we should hear it for even more outlandish "developments" to bring down prices even sooner.Margaret Callinan, BalwynHigher fees may exclude the neediestIT IS disappointing that enrolments in TAFE diploma and advanced diploma courses for 2010 are down by 32 per cent, according to the Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE ("Brumby plan to tackle skills shortage 'backfires' ", The Age, 24/3).As one who decided in 2005 to change career and go back to "school", I am concerned that this is being made more difficult by the more than doubling of fees for these courses.Not having studied formally for 20 years, I found the TAFE environment supportive and encouraging. The relatively affordable cost, $850 for full-time study for a year, for students not eligible for a concession, made the decision to choose TAFE over university an easy one.Had the cost been what it is now, I would possibly still be studying, but only part time. I might not have been able to study full time, pay the higher fees and work to support myself.As a part-time student I would not have been eligible for Austudy.I am happy with the decision I made. It would be a shame if others were unable to do the same in this changing world where the need to "multiskill" is all-important.Kate McCaig, Surrey HillsClever? Not at allAFTER raising two sons who are now teenagers, I have decided to go back to school and do a community services course.Being a low-paid worker without a concession card and with my sons still at home, I had second thoughts about retraining in this field, even though there is a skills shortage. With much sacrifice, I decided to go ahead.Whatever happened to the clever country? They are making education more and more expensive. Soon only people with a lot of money will be able to have an education €” just like in the pre-Whitlam era.Julie McDonald, ThornburyA fatalistic viewIT'S disturbing enough to consider the plight of Stern Hu ("Steel kingpin linked to Rio case", The Age, 24/3), who by all accounts has offered up a confession under duress.Rio Tinto has been proven powerless to assist, or even communicate with its executive, resorting to pleading with the Australian government to take a more active interest in his plight. For its part, the Rudd government was slow to make any public communications, and has proven ineffective in opening up the secretive and unfair process by which Mr Hu is being prosecuted.But consider the capacity of these same powers to shed light on another important concern: uranium now being exported to China from Rio Tinto's Ranger uranium mine in Kakadu National Park.The company and the government insist NT uranium won't go to China's nuclear weapons program, but international monitors are not allowed to inspect China's military nuclear facilities. Can we really expect Rio and Rudd to know any more about the fate of our uranium than they know about the fate of Stern Hu?Justin Tutty, Darwin, NTForget about HuWITH respect, Stern Hu's fate is of little concern to the vast majority of (voting) Australians. He is a casualty of his employer's aggressive and insensitive marketing policies.The PM would be well advised to concentrate his attention on important domestic public policy matters, particularly in an election year.Michael J. Gamble, BelmontPenny pinchingMY HUSBAND, aged 76, recently spent eight weeks in hospital. He has Parkinson's disease and recently had a stroke.He is soon to be discharged and I wish to care for him at home. He will receive a post-acute care program. This will give him showering for three days a week and some housework and three hours' respite for me to do shopping. If I cost this at $30 an hour, this amounts to $180 a week.This program runs for only four weeks. Considering the cost of a bed in a nursing home, thousands of dollars, why is this program so inadequate? Where is the equity in this?Margaret Elgood, Healesville
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