Reform laws and amend attitudes to staunch violence

2 weeks ago 6

For 20 years, I worked successful the transgression justness strategy successful metropolitan, determination and distant NSW. My enactment was with victims, offenders, courts, police, lawyers and wellness and the payment agencies providing assistance to victims (“Premier orders situation meeting”, April 26). The causal factors of unit against women and children are good known. Little is caller different than cyberstalking and surveillance arsenic tools of abuse. The long-standing occupation of agencies competing for inadequate resources does not assistance victims oregon assistance successful unit reduction. Executive authorities needs to undertake effectual instrumentality betterment and supply capable backing for first-class services. Perhaps it is clip to interaction your section MP and politely punctual them this volition importantly pass however you adjacent vote. Murray Patchett, Kentucky

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese attends a rally to a telephone for enactment to extremity unit against women, successful Canberra connected Sunday

This is simply a societal problem, which to a sizeable grade has its origins successful aboriginal household beingness erstwhile young minds are taught motivation values that see respect for different members of society. Parents cannot flight this work and anticipation to walk the work connected to the remainder of society. Controlling home unit is simply a transgression prevention task and should commencement successful the home; by the clip government, instrumentality enforcement and the judiciary are progressive it has already failed. Sadly, determination is nary speedy fix. Societal alteration takes generations, but these generations indispensable archetypal beryllium consenting to recognise their publication to the occupation and beryllium prepared to instrumentality their stock of work for fixing it.
David MacKintosh, Berkeley Vale

Yes, a royal committee into gendered unit and home unit is an implicit necessity. The airy indispensable radiance successful connected this historical acheronian stain connected the Australian landscape. Draw backmost the curtains; assistance the blinds and boldly research this quality catastrophe. No longer tin these horrific outcomes beryllium treated with sadness and regret and apologies. All these responses unwittingly incorporate an constituent of acceptance that thing tin beryllium done. Something indispensable beryllium done and a nationalist royal committee – to person the federation examining the issues successful public, speech astir the issues successful nationalist and make recommendations that the authorities makes mandatory – is the lone mode retired of this deepening quagmire of individual, household and assemblage demolition and suffering. Warren Marks, Hill Top

Talking astir respect and adjacent rights, past expressing daze astatine the magnitude of violence, are not nonstop and wide enough. Keep it simple: the connection needs to beryllium “don’t hit, don’t intimidate”. And it’s not conscionable astir unit against women. We are excessively accepting of each forms of violence. There are inactive those who privation to “bring backmost the biff” successful assorted footy codes. What they don’t spot is that if you promote unit successful 1 arena, young kids and teenagers tin conflict to gully boundaries astir wherever and erstwhile it’s ok. We marque heroes retired of convulsive sportsmen specified arsenic boxers and UFC fighters. The occupation they make is that if it’s OK for them to injure opponents, wherefore can’t an aggravated young antheral usage violence?

And we excuse “heat of the moment” adjacent though determination is plentifulness of grounds that it tin beryllium controlled. Watch AFL and NRL. Plenty of moments wherever players could punch another, it utilized to often hap successful the past. But the rules and penalties person stopped it. Receive an elbow to the look and successful the vigor of the moment, bash thing due to the fact that of the penalties that would apply. So, arsenic good arsenic messaging “don’t hit, don’t intimidate”, let’s use immoderate superior penalties to violence. Football has proved it works. Steven Lee, Faulconbridge

I americium definite that I americium not the lone pistillate who work this communicative with bittersweet designation (“I was raped and didn’t talk up. Thanks to Justice Lee, these days I might”, April 26). The increasing fig of women being killed and the others who are assaulted regular is simply a shocking occupation for our assemblage to decently address. In superior school, a antheral exposed himself to maine and tried to lure maine into a car. In precocious schoolhouse successful the ’70s determination was regular creep connected the occidental Sydney bid enactment who would surreptitiously exposure himself to young women. At precocious schoolhouse parties, young men would ply young women with intoxicant and instrumentality vantage of their susceptible state. At university, akin behaviour was celebrated arsenic per the writer’s communicative and women were shamed into not reporting. In workplaces, almighty men treated women similar slaves and enactment objects. Need I spell on?

There is simply a cardinal contented present astir powerfulness and control. We person each known this for decades and, portion we are seeing affirmative alteration successful immoderate areas, determination is important regression successful others specified arsenic entree to convulsive and degrading pornography done the insidious scope of the internet, and societal media sites that negatively power attitudes and behaviours towards women. Like others I was silenced successful the past by fear, by patriarchal systems and structures that did not enactment women speaking up – it is hard to judge that we marched successful the ’70s to halt unit against women and we are inactive marching 50 years aboriginal for the aforesaid reasons. Women bash not consciousness harmless and this is simply a nationalist tragedy. Clare McNamara, Springwood

We truly shouldn’t beryllium that amazed astatine the unit perpetrated against women. It was conscionable astir a twelve years agone erstwhile we had a salient vigor daze jock authorities that Julia Gillard should beryllium thrown retired to oversea successful a chaff bag. We aboriginal had Tony Abbott and different blimpish politicians astatine a rally against Gillard with placards waved down them stating “Ditch the Witch” and “Bob Brown’s Bitch” and fewer radical seemed acrophobic astir it erstwhile reported successful the media, reasoning it was a spot of fun. Peter Dutton, erstwhile a minister, called a pistillate writer a “mad f---ing witch”. How tin specified connection against women not beryllium considered provocative and dangerous? Fighting words tin pb to harmful and deadly consequences. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury

Male carnal and intelligence maltreatment of women is anchored successful however we rise our young men. We are surely getting amended astatine this, but determination are inactive galore taste influences steering our young men towards an unreasonable imperative to dominate. The rule of “headship” successful galore of our religions has agelong had its day. Julia Baird has written precise astutely connected this. Abusive men person tried to usage their content successful headship arsenic a mitigating condition successful their abusive behaviour. Headship has agelong been defended arsenic requiring “benevolence” and “inclusiveness” successful its implementation, but astatine its halfway it tells our young men that they person a right, oregon adjacent a responsibility, to power women. Many spiritual leaders bash a fantastic occupation successful serving societal justice. Surely, however, it’s clip to not conscionable disregard oregon rationalise headship, but to actively denounce it. John McNeill, Brisbane (Qld)

Belief underwrote uncertainty Morrison felt portion PM

James Massola writes astir Scott Morrison’s caller book, quoting Morrison saying helium mostly kept his religion backstage during his years successful bureau (“The ‘real’ Scott Morrison: erstwhile PM says Australians didn’t cognize who helium was”, April 26). This contrasts with the relationship provided by his colleagues and recounted successful Niki Savva’s publication Bulldozed. They said that the PM regularly held supplication meetings successful his bureau and asked colleagues to commune with him earlier meetings. Morrison did admit to waves of anxiousness and a “debilitating and agonising” conflict with terrible intelligence wellness issues. As idiosyncratic funny successful probe astir the effectiveness of prayer, I wonderment if the 2 things are connected. The grounds is that supplication does not work. Combine that with overwhelming religion and it is casual to spot however this could pb to uncertainty and uncertainty. Alan Russell, Unley (SA)

The avid spiritual fervour of a PM should not beryllium treated lightly. In the existent societal clime successful which we are acrophobic with expressions of overt spiritual ideology, the utmost beliefs of Australia’s person should not beryllium dismissed. Perhaps we are fortunate that Morrison was removed from authorities earlier further harm could beryllium done. Let this beryllium a acquisition to the electorate against making a mistake specified arsenic this again. Patricia Farrar, Concord

So if God “helped and informed” Scott Morrison successful making important decisions, does that mean He should besides enarthrosis immoderate of the blasted for the shambles known arsenic the Morrison government?
Grant Heaton, Port Macquarie

The lone question I person for the “real Scott Morrison” is however helium reconciled robo-debt with his Christian faith. Is this discussed successful his book? Elizabeth Darton, Lane Cove West

Ah! So that’s wherever robo-debt came from - it was God’s idea! Scotty, I deliberation you should person a chat with God astir the proposal helium gave you; aft all, it resulted successful you starring the Liberal Party to their worst decision successful years. Michael McMullan, Avoca Beach

Scott finds it outrageous that radical impeach him of peddling his faith. Might I suggest that the much pertinent accusation should beryllium that specified a antheral of religion tin beryllium truthful astatine likelihood with basal Christian values. His deficiency of empathy for the needy (robo-debt), duplicity (secret portfolios) and his two-faced enactment of Malcolm Turnbull travel to mind. Steve Fortey, Avoca Beach

I task to suggest that had Malcolm Turnbull known “the existent Scott Morrison”, helium would not person reacted truthful gratefully erstwhile Morrison enactment his limb astir his enarthrosis and proclaimed “this is my leader”. Joan Brown, Orange

“The erstwhile premier curate says Australians didn’t cognize who helium was”. That would beryllium Scotty from Marketing? Wendy Kelly, Sanctuary Point

I didn’t bargain Morrison’s leadership, truthful wherefore would I bargain his book? Christo Curtis, Beaconsfield

The dual dilemmas successful housing

Whilst galore Australians, including politicians and commentators, are wringing their hands astatine the monolithic increases successful security premiums, the aforesaid radical are well-pleased astatine their new-found wealthiness obtained by the worth of their location oregon houses expanding by double-digit figures annually (Letters, April 27). One broadside effect is the summation successful security premiums by astatine slightest this fig conscionable to screen the outgo of repairing oregon replacing houses. If the yearly summation successful the worth of houses dropped to CPI oregon less, past the outgo of security would drop. The outgo of lodging and some residential and commercialized rentals has a monolithic interaction connected CPI and inflation, governments request to beryllium bold and tackle the hard governmental issues successful providing much lodging and the taxation policies that assistance thrust up the outgo of housing. Geoff Lindsay, Thurgoona

Private schools and peculiar needs

Your analogous has a presumption of autarkic schools that belongs successful the 1960s if she believes children from “disadvantaged backgrounds, with disabilities, trauma affected and with behavioural issues … are not catered for wrong the backstage system”, (Letters, April 27).

For the record, 22 per cent of students successful autarkic schools person a disablement (compared with 25 per cent successful authorities schools). Most of these children are successful mainstream autarkic schools. However, astir one-fifth of NSW’s 563 autarkic schools beryllium solely for children with peculiar needs, including those with a disablement and those with behavioural issues who were antecedently successful authorities and different non-government schools. Margery Evans, Association of Independent Schools of NSW

Don’t suffer the nett benefit

Once again, the periodic contented of imperishable removal of shark nets is being raised (Editorial, April 27). Understandably, galore of america are acrophobic astir the indiscriminate by-catch. The complicating origin is that, for reasons which are not clear, shark nets person worked. Everywhere they person been deployed successful Australia and South Africa, determination has been an contiguous marked and
enduring simplification successful attacks and fatalities. It is hard to cognize however important the interaction of shark nets is connected idiosyncratic taxon erstwhile compared to the threats from different activities, specified arsenic commercialized and recreational fishing, but cipher tin beryllium comfy with the fig of non-target and susceptible taxon perishing each twelvemonth successful the nets. Once again, it each boils down to however overmuch further hazard we are prepared to judge if we permanently region the nets. Of course, the reply to that question depends connected however often we are exposed to that risk. It’s easier to judge the
greater hazard if you are seldom exposed to it - truthful let’s anticipation dedicated surfers person immoderate accidental successful the last decision. Col Nicholson, Hawks Nest

Protest threatens assemblage freedom

As a Sydney University alumnus, I was horrified to work that the pro-Palestine supporters person occupied the beforehand tract (“‘Our assemblage is scared’: Sydney Uni students articulation question of US assemblage encampments”, April 25). From there, they chant their anti-Israel slogans successful a large and assertive manner. They garbage to let anyone related to Israel successful immoderate mode the close to talk astatine the university. Where is the state of code and close to statement the assemblage erstwhile stood for? Anyone who is opposed to immoderate of their views is shouted down and, successful fact, intimidated by their shouting. Jewish students are frightened to look connected campus. Why would anyone see attending assemblage if this is allowed to continue? Who volition beryllium targeted next? Kea Icklow, St Ives

University of Sydney’s pro-Palestinian encampment.

The University of Sydney seems to beryllium responding to the pupil protests against Israel’s overreaction to Hamas coercion with restraint. Half a period ago, an on-campus protestation against Australian engagement successful America’s warfare with North Vietnam provoked an equipped University Regiment to march (literally) implicit the protesters sitting connected the roadworthy successful beforehand of Fisher Library. Earlier, connected May 4, 1970, astatine Kent State University, the National Guard changeable thirteen students, sidesplitting four, for protesting the USA’s unjustified warfare against North Vietnam. It’s to beryllium hoped that Australian universities enactment their students’ close to peaceful protestation connected field arsenic the Middle East struggle continues and that they debar the convulsive reactions of their American counterparts. Philip Bell, Bronte

Historic work of care

I privation to admit the magnificent committedness of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to the work and representation of 4 airmen who were reported missing, believed killed connected September 5, 1943 (Letters, April 27). In 2022, craft wreckage and remains of 2 unit members were located successful the depths of Gasmata Harbour, Bougainville. Their Beaufort bomber was 1 of 3 Australian craft changeable down by Japanese defenders connected that day, with nary survivors. Last Friday, adjacent of kin for the 4 young airmen attended a peculiar memorial work astatine RAAF Amberley successful Queensland. Among them were 2 children of 1 of the airmen, present successful their 80s. The RAAF’s enactment successful identifying the craft and unit and its hunt for and informing of adjacent of kin has been exemplary. The exacting and delicate execution of a profoundly affectional memorial work and committal 81 years connected is emblematic of the Commonwealth’s dedication to those who person died successful the work of their federation and to their families. Mark Carter, Roseville

Jail Musk calls ‘ludicrous’

I heartily congratulate Elon Musk for lasting up to bully lad (and girl) Australian politicians and defending commonsense and communal instrumentality (“Musk fails eSafety loop moment”, April 27). No 1 state should beryllium allowed to dictate to the remainder of the satellite what it wants you to cognize oregon see. Musk has voluntarily geo-blocked Australian X users from viewing the offending videos, and that is each you tin reasonably expect.

Politicians’ demands that Musk enactment worldwide are legally ludicrous. The Federal Court has nary jurisdiction overseas and cannot enforce its orders, hence Musk has nary ineligible request to abide by them. The utterly ludicrous calls for Musk to beryllium incarcerated are truthful loopy that it defies content they are adjacent enactment to air. However, for each the supporters of this Australian civilization of bullying, I look guardant to you supporting different countries with extremist governments demanding a worldwide prohibition connected the “offensive videos” of women driving cars oregon going to school. Ralph Hahnheuser, Noosa Heads (QLD)

Codes should screen caput trauma costs

After speechmaking The Fitz Files I americium wondering wherefore the national authorities is expected to stump up $18m for attraction and probe into CTE (“Three bonzer events awesome the extremity of ‘she’ll beryllium right’ era”, April 27). Surely the 3 main affected codes should beryllium expected to find these funds conscionable arsenic they person benefited financially from the inadvertent sacrifice made by truthful galore of their players.
Neil Reckord, Gordon ACT

Height of fashion

I wonderment if the Fairburns could possibly person caught a abbreviated glimpse of the conductor and soloists astatine their Messiah show if the lofty Gough and Margaret had decided imperiously not to travel the royal contented of lasting up for the Hallelujah chorus (Letters, April 27)? Evan Bailey, Glebe

Margaret and Gough Whitlam successful 1972.

Trump successful deed

Regarding Bill Wyman’s amusing nonfiction mentioning Donald Trump’s courtroom flatulence, mightiness I helpfully suggest that the Oaf of Office refrain from simultaneously gaslighting, arsenic this whitethorn lone inflame the concern (Letters, April 27). Dick Westera, West Wollongong

Puppy payout

Oh, the suffering (“Celebrity cavoodle lawsuit ends with $150,000 payout”, April 27). $150,000 payout? That should beryllium recuperative. Transfer that script to the cash-strapped with a akin problem: “A cupful of tea, a Bex and a bully lie-down, folks”. Kathleen Hollins, Northmead

Truth beryllium Tull-ed

Well, I waited until 1977 to spot Jethro Tull – astatine the celebrated Hordern Pavilion (Letters, April 27). It remains 1 of my favourite concerts. I was with, among others, my 14-year-old sister. We had some seen ABBA earlier that twelvemonth – I don’t deliberation excessively galore would’ve been astatine some gigs!
Mark Morgan, Palmwoods (Qld)

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