Young are taking action into their own hands

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Your correspondent seems to have got the wrong end of the stick (″⁣Let them enjoy their innocence″⁣, Letters, 16/11).
Young people are not being manipulated by adults, used as ″⁣propaganda fodder″⁣ or urged and incited to miss school for a day and march in the Schools Strike 4 Climate.
They are not stupid. They have initiated these marches themselves, knowing that the effects of climate change will have an enormous impact on their lives and the lives of their children. Good on them, I say. They are actively challenging all decision- and policymakers about the urgency to reduce the effects of climate change by phasing out our dependence on coal and gas and moving to renewables.
Sadly, they can’t rely on the adults to do this.
Joy Hayman, Surrey Hills

Swimming along on tides of good fortune
In 1958, I cashed in my meagre Commonwealth Public Service super, not to buy a house but to help pay for a sea voyage to Europe. It turned out to be a rite of passage and a good investment for me, and although we probably did not recognise it, what a different world of opportunity we enjoyed back then. When I returned a couple of years later I was actually paid an allowance to do teacher training and, later, the Whitlam revolution provided a free university place. In 1972 my late wife and I were able to buy a decent home for a price that was just three times my teacher’s basic salary. Now, because I am a mortgage-free home owner, no doubt I have joined the millionaire’s club. What bemuses me today is that my generation, those who were the beneficiaries of such good fortune, are required to make so little contribution to the common wealth, and what was once a one-off lifetime odyssey is now, for many retirees, just a frequent holiday jaunt.
Peter McCarthy, Mentone

Ageing isn’t what it used to be
There’s nothing ageist about calling 80 ″⁣the new 60″⁣ (″⁣Eighty not the new 60, we’re just better at it″⁣, Comment, 20/11). Anne Ring correctly says we’re getting better at the ageing process, but she seems unnecessarily afraid of her abilities in her 80s being ignored or not appreciated.
To me, 80 as the new 60 is simply a realistic acknowledgment of fact: thanks to technological and medical advances, we’re now routinely able to do things in our 80s that would have been unthinkable a generation ago. As she says, we’re not only living longer, our quality of life has improved sufficiently for us to enjoy it. And as there are more of us doing it, there’s hope that our gracefully ageing voices can be heard.
Jenifer Nicholls, Armadale

We must do what is right, not popular
There are many of us in the ″⁣old, rich generation″⁣ (Letters, 20/11) who are very concerned about the plight of younger generations and want change. We are comfortable with giving up our unnecessary and even unwanted advantages to make life better for younger people. The difficult part is in making this happen. Liberal governments have presided over many of the decisions that have resulted in our current inequality, and want to keep it that way. Labor could not get elected when Bill Shorten proposed significant reforms that would have helped, and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese does not want to do anything that may constitute a ″⁣broken promise″⁣, even if it is the right thing to do. The Greens vote against anything and everything because the reforms are ″⁣never enough″⁣. How can our country get a parliament that will focus on doing what is right, not just what is popular?
Louise Kloot, Doncaster

FORUM

Burning through cash
Tickets to the grand prix’s Albert Park Paddock Club $6000 a head; $847,000 for a feasibility study to revamp the grand prix buildings at Albert Park and $100 million annual cost to taxpayers (″⁣GP profits race away in F1’s contract win″⁣, 18/11). This is taxpayer money paid to support a four-day car race in a public park when the premier has cited housing as the No. 1 issue facing Victoria.
Geoff Gowers,
Merricks North

Airport rail link now
It cost me $118 for a grubby taxi with missing and defective seatbelts from Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) to Collingwood on Sunday afternoon. Can we please catch up with other developed countries and have a clean, regular, and reliable train between the airport and the city?
Adam Thomson, Collingwood

Train priorities
Having been a Geelong-Melbourne rail commuter at various times going back to the “red-rattler” days, I have to say that I am pleased the $4 billion fast rail project has been abandoned at this stage. The Geelong Flyer steam engine in the 1940s could complete the journey in the same time.
As a former commuter for a number of years the time of the journey was not of concern.
The major concerns are arrival and departure on time and the availability of a seat. At far less cost the provision of additional carriages and services would solve the problem of overcrowding and free up funding for far more important issues.
Rod Mackenzie, Marshall

Racing on our roads
I sympathise with your correspondent (Letters, 20/11) about traffic.
Over many years I have seen motorbike racing on the Boulevard, Kew, and associated burn-outs along Heidelberg Road, Chandler Highway and the Eastern Freeway which serves as a main straight.
The noise can be deafening and alarming when the drivers employ trumpet exhausts to give us multiple backfires that resemble a war zone. In an era where we ideally need a reduction in unnecessary fossil fuel use the nightly racing seems odd.
Graeme Butler, Alphington

Flood of cars
Traffic near where I live is slowed by cars parked on both sides of the street so that, on side streets, drivers have to wait for oncoming traffic to go through and on arterial roads, one lane is a car park, again slowing traffic.
This is probably because the new units that are popping up like mushrooms only have a single garage so extra cars have to be parked on the street.
The article ″⁣Hidden price to pay as nation doubles down on second cars″⁣ (20/11) points out that cars are expensive and polluting. My area is well-serviced by bus routes but as services are only half-hourly, it’s not surprising they are underused.
Helen Pereira, Heidelberg Heights

Music as teacher
Sue Lowry deserves high acclaim for her winning the Music Teacher Award at the ARIAs. Lowry teaches all 220 students at Gold Coast Special School; many of whom have a significant or profound disabilities. Some students are non-verbal but have uttered their “first intelligible words” in her classes. Lowry’s students have shown increased self-esteem and confidence, improved performance in literacy and numeracy as well as in attendance. Success seems to be breeding success.
Lowry’s award has clear implications for education in Victoria. Many state primary schools do not have a full music program; some have none.
While change will have to be slow and incremental, the Victorian government in its 2024-25 budget must allocate funding for training on new music teachers as well as improving the resources of those schools currently teaching music.
The focus in Victorian education needs now to be literacy, numeracy and musicacy (my new addition to the English language).
Rod Watson,
East Brighton

Lost in space
The Australian Space Agency has released a shortlist of four names from which we are invited to choose one for the name of the Space Rover. From apparently about 8000 entries only a government bureaucracy could draw up a shortlist of such uninspiring names. And only four? Coolamon might once have been a cheap knock-off brand of ice cooler to rival Esky; Mateship is a bit dated, twee and dare I say – male. I take it the agency does want to encourage women into space and technology right?
And Roo-ver, really? What’s that unfortunate hyphenated moniker about – an ill-fated Australian vacuum cleaner version of the Leyland P76 or a character from the Tank Girl comic strip?
Irrelevant of its meaning, Kakirra, sometimes a girl’s name, has appeal and doesn’t sound, well, daft.
Monica Lockheed, Doncaster East

Accepting realities
Critics of Antony Loewenstein (Comment, 18/11) dismiss a two-state solution as untenable, and one state as fanciful. With no other alternative the future is grim – chronic violence and conflict and increased risk of catastrophic escalation.
The global community cannot just accept that, and must acknowledge the following realities: For all the shortcomings of its creation, the State of Israel is here to stay and must be supported; Palestinians are not going to leave; there is no possibility of peace between Palestinians who deny the right of Israel to exist, and Israelis who rely on biblical texts to claim ″⁣all the land″⁣; both sides will have to accept unpalatable, compromising outcomes.
A two-state solution seems the most realistic solution. That would require withdrawal of settlers from the West Bank and/or major, balanced redrawing of boundaries, and a new, supported authority to manage a new Palestinian state. Without a unified, empowered United Nations that challenge is extraordinary.
Norman Huon, Port Melbourne

A common bond
Antony Loewenstein is correct, the two-state solution is no longer viable. It was destroyed with the tacit support of the world who failed to speak out while Palestinians were deprived of land, liberty and life over decades. To talk about two states while Palestinians are dying in their thousands in Gaza, while they are locked into an open air prison with no human rights is despicable. He is also correct when he calls for a one-state solution. Palestinians and Jews don’t hate each other, they both hate injustice, intolerance, hatred, they share a common bond. It could work if both were treated equally.
Marion Harper, Reservoir

Onwards and upwards
While I partly agree with your correspondent’s comments (Letters, 20/11) re the legacy we’re leaving our kids I think the claim that you could pay off your mortgage in 10 to 20 years on a single salary is an exaggeration. Every generation leaves their children a mixed legacy. The Second World War generation left us with freedom and a strengthened democratic system, as well as nuclear weapons proliferation and the Cold War to navigate.
Let’s stop bemoaning the state of the world and instead focus on supporting efforts to mitigate climate change and evolve stagnant economic and political systems stuck in redundant capitalist and adversarial political paradigms.
Pier Paolo De Carlo, Ascot Vale

Kids need a voice
Your correspondent’s letter ″⁣Inspirational Youth″⁣ (20/11) hits the nail on the head.
Criticism of school climate strikers sounds vaguely familiar to the criticism of children joining the moratorium marches against the Vietnam War in the early 1970s. I took time off school to attend moratorium marches and feel proud that I did so.
The common criticism was that students were being indoctrinated by evil left-wing teachers and that they didn’t understand the issue. On the contrary, students well understood the futility of the Vietnam War and their stance was vindicated when Australia and America pulled out of Vietnam. Students today are tech savvy and have a world of information at their fingertips. They understand the need to tackle climate change and are appalled by the lack of serious action by governments.
Students do not have a vote so let’s at least give them the chance to put their point of view through peaceful protest. After all, they will inherit the mess if we don’t address their concerns about climate change.
Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West

Picture imperfect
On Sunday, after buying appropriate seats, we accompanied a visually impaired friend with her guide dog to our local cinema. On approaching the door to the cinema with the dog leading, fully harnessed and badged, our friend was told by a staff member that the dog could not enter without official proof he was indeed a guide dog, saying “Brighton ladies try to bring their dogs in”. The demand caused stress and consternation for her and disbelief from all of us. Did the staff member really believe someone would pretend to be blind and pass their dog off as a guide dog just to take him to the pictures?
Leonie Salmons, Sandringham

Joy of sport
Fabulous cricket by Australia. Brilliant fielding, batting, bowling and teamwork accompanied by a lack of egotism, hubris and triumphalism. Masterful leadership by Pat Cummins. My pleasure watching their performance was as much a joy as watching the Matildas.
Jennifer Gerrand, Carlton North

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics
So, everyone is a winner in the Mulgrave byelection. Even the actual winner is a winner.
Alan Inchley, Frankston

If the federal government breaks its promise of keeping stage 3 tax cuts, I doubt too many people would complain, apart from the Liberals who would be screaming about broken promises.
Marie Nash, Balwyn

Furthermore
Optus has appointed a new spin doctor. The horse has bolted.
Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South

Andrew and Nicola Forrest have bought Akubra. I reckon the Sentimental Bloke would be dippin’ his lid.
Tony Ward, Elsternwick

Elon Musk’s recent attempt at space travel was called a ″⁣disasembly″⁣. It was an explosion.
Bill Clark, Melbourne

When the SpaceX rocket self-destructed, the spokeswoman said it suffered a ″⁣rapid unscheduled disassembly″⁣. It just blew up.
Tony Bell, Hawthorn East

Those who commit bad crimes do their time and re-enter society with no ankle brackets or restrictions on their hours. Why should we treat ex-detainees any differently?
Lou Ferrari, Richmond

Three states have banned duck shooting, the Victorian government should have the guts to do likewise, right now (Letters, 20/11).
Barbara Fraser, Burwood

There is no need for a Geelong fast train. The current train is much faster than driving your car. Social housing should be the state government’s top priority.
Katriona Fahey, Alphington

To get money for unused apartment block car parking spaces (″⁣Hidden price to pay as nation doubles down on second cars″⁣, 20/11), and perhaps ease street parking, it should be made easier to rent out spare car spaces. John Hughes, Mentone

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