Forgiving bad decision a sure sign of maturity

Anna Meares is to be commended for her appropriately measured response to Tom Craig’s arrest in Paris (“Hockey star arrested allegedly trying to buy cocaine”, August 8). Like Australian cricket coach Justin Langer, her rejection of the harsh and unforgiving society we live in is utterly refreshing. The fact is that good people can and do make bad decisions and the sooner we start recognising that as a society, the better. Good on you, Anna. Rob Reitano, Lane Cove West

Your correspondents discussing sexist sports gear should thank their lucky stars that athletes no longer compete naked, as they did in the original Olympic Games (Letters, August 8). Weightlifting, in particular, would be very difficult to watch if contestants were in the buff. Nick Andrews, Bellevue Hill

It can be hard for big-breasted women to play any type of sport, well supported or not. The Amazons had the right idea by removing or binding their right breast to use a bow and arrow more efficiently. Large breasts can also be an impediment in everyday life, from getting whiplash (those elastic straps!) every time you step off a kerb, to having to endure men asking what their names are, or dropping ice cubes down your cleavage. Alicia Dawson, Balmain

As a ballet dancer in the ’80s, we were advised to remove the elastic from our leotards. Over the years swimwear and underwear has exposed more and more of female buttocks. This is viewed favourably to the male gaze as the leg appears longer, particularly pleasing the look of the G-string. I was sucked in, adhering to this fashion trend until the discomfort was as evident as seeing athletes frequently using their hand to correct movement of the garment. I soon returned to granny’s cotton. Judy Nicholas, Kambah (ACT)

It’s not only the difference in uniforms. How many times have the members of the women’s Olympic team been referred to as “girls” by the commentary team? Compare this with the number of times the members of the men’s Olympic team have been called “boys”. Women are competing in Paris.
Graeme Lindsay, Tasmania

Why this obsession with gold? Why are silver and bronze medals virtually dismissed as failure? To come first, second or third in the world is a huge achievement and must be celebrated. Sue Martin, Clareville

Without in any way detracting from the achievements of competitors at the Paris Olympic Games, it seems to be rarely mentioned that Russia, which has never finished lower than fifth in the medal tally, is absent. And rightly so. Russia normally wins between 70 and 90 medals in total, so that number is now up for grabs between all other competing nations. Let’s hope Ukraine wins its fair share. Rob Sinclair, North Sydney

Amid the widespread and warranted appreciation for the outstanding performances of the Australian Olympic team, a point may have been missed: the long-term retreat of the US. In 1956 (Melbourne) the US won 32 gold – 22 per cent of all on offer. To emulate that in Paris the US would have to hit 72 gold. At the time of writing they are 45 short. Can anyone make America gold again? Andrew Salgo, Barangaroo

Offshore education

A significant decline in international student enrolment at our tertiary institutions will undoubtedly affect our economy. Education is Australia’s fourth-largest export earner, after coal, iron ore and LNG, and is even ahead of gold – a fact that may surprise some. It might be time to consider expanding the number of university campuses offshore, some of which are already in place in countries such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, the UAE, Canada and South Africa. These offshore campuses generate export revenue without adding to domestic housing pressures. John Kempler, Rose Bay

It is difficult to take Professor Richard Holden’s comments seriously given his employer is UNSW, whose employees could be considered a major beneficiary of the international student trade (“Labor’s international student caps ignite recession fears”, August 8). I’d suggest all readers see Ross Gittins’ article on this subject for an alternate view (“The most deplorable thing unis copied from big business, aside from vice-chancellor pay”, August 7). The real issue from immigration attributed to international students is the stress on housing availability and affordability in major city urban areas created by international students, whose landlords have been known to “hot-bed” properties, thereby driving up rents. John Southwood, Greenwich

Gittins’ article and the letters that followed would seem to lay much of the blame for the current tertiary education crisis squarely on the shoulders of the vice-chancellors. Identifying one person as the root of all problems may be convenient, but is it fair? Juggling a university budget is a complex matter, especially when your income from government and local students is fixed. The general tenor seems to be that everybody wants high staffing levels and high-grade universities but nobody wants to pay for it. Ross MacPherson, Seaforth

Ross Gittins makes some valuable insights about the current state of our universities with their need for international students to feed their profit and executive salary focus. The question remains whether Australia’s mega-universities (with average student numbers much larger than many overseas competitor universities), with large proportions of overseas students, increasingly internet-based learning, increasing cheating and extensive casualisation of the academic workforce, provide a sustainable model into the future? Jack Flanagan, West Pennant Hills

Letter writers are going after universities for making money and corporatising the sector. But it is not the university’s fault. Since HECS was introduced and government funding has decreased over the decades, university management has had no choice but to find innovative ways to compensate for reduced grants. They fortunately found an international students market. What is bad policy is the government caps on international students, who are blamed for the housing and cost-of-living crisis, but the data shows exactly the opposite: that they contribute to the economy and only 4 per cent use available rental accommodation. Time will prove that knee-jerk policies for political purposes are not the best way to deal with economic woes. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill

Mental health check

I work in the life insurance industry, working directly with every major insurer’s underwriters (“‘Too-hard basket’: The workplace stigma against one in five Australians”, August 8). I spend a lot of time trying to get my clients income protection and total permanent disability insurance without a mental health exclusion. What contributes to a mental health exclusion? Anything from getting counselling for workplace stress, to people with more complex mental health management. I use the word management. Almost every single person is a productive member of society and in many cases earning big dollars, and have never had a day off work due to mental health. Insurers have almost zero tolerance, but here’s the kicker: clients don’t get a discount on their insurance due to not being covered for mental health. It’s backward, it’s discriminatory, and because people are seeking to manage their mental health, they are punished for it. Time for the government to do something.
Lisa Del Vecchio, Coogee

The government’s lack of action on the National Stigma and Discrimination Reduction Strategy is deeply concerning and highlights a pattern we’ve seen all too often: reports and recommendations on mental health are produced, only to gather dust on shelves without leading to real, actionable change.
If we are to truly address our nation’s mental health crisis, this cycle must end. The report’s call for a federal human rights charter and specific anti-vilification laws is a critical step towards safeguarding the rights and dignity of all Australians living with mental health challenges. It’s a stark reminder of the stigma that persists and the urgent need for legislative action to combat it. We cannot afford to let this report become another in a long list of missed opportunities to make meaningful progress in mental health reform.
Tegan Carrison, Brisbane

Radical VP pick is perfect choice

Kamala Harris has clearly nominated a dangerous left wing radical as her running mate (“Harris presents ‘fighter’ running mate”, August 8). He probably believes Black Lives Matter, climate change is real and women should be in charge of their own bodies. His statement that Donald Trump and JD Vance are “creepy and weird as hell” is spot on. Stephanie Edwards, Leichhardt

I may have missed it over the past few days but I have not seen any references to the new pick for VP’s age, dress choices, number of children, you know, all those important questions and statements which follow women around for their entire careers/lives. Was Mr. Walz’s background outline, without almost daily reference to his age and racial background, all we are getting?
Irene Wheatley, Bethania

I predict that Kamala Harris and her running mate will lead their two left-footed opponents a merry dance and will Walz in the coming presidential election. Chris McKimm, Karangi

Fingers crossed Jimmy Carter gets a very welcome belated birthday present!
Jim Dewar, Davistown

Unfair words

Suggesting that train drivers “run red lights” implies a complete lack of professionalism on the part of train drivers and a willingness on their part to put lives at risk (The Herald’s View, August 8). Nothing could be further from the truth. Unlike road traffic lights, railway signals do not change to a more restrictive aspect in the face of an oncoming train - so “running” a red light is a totally inappropriate description. I have been a train driver for 17 years, and put simply, it is impossible to accelerate a 400-tonne train in order to avoid a red signal. Train driving is a difficult job with a steep learning curve, and a complicated route structure to learn. Sometimes inexperience leads to confusion. Sometimes railway signals are poorly located. Even experienced drivers are at risk of having a signal passed at danger (SPAD) due to the repetitious nature of the job. Sydney’s trains are fitted with multiple overlapping safety systems to support drivers - including mechanical train stops on every signal, two signals at stop between every train, automatic train protection, vigilance control, operator enable foot pedal as well as back-up procedures for all of these. All of these systems, combined with driver professionalism result in a very safe system in Sydney in comparison with networks elsewhere. Just as with the reducing the road toll, we have an undeniable responsibility to reduce SPADs. Perhaps your journalists could research the facts behind their real causes- the slow relocation of poorly-sighted signals. Andrew Hayne, Cherrybrook

While suburban trains can overrun a red signal, one source of comfort is the ground-level trip lever, which rises when a signal goes red. This strikes an aligned valve lever on the train’s bogie (wheelset), and the brakes are automatically turned on. How far the train skids is determined by, as for a car, how fast it was going beforehand. Donald Hawes, Peel

Market drama

As a resident of Glebe and a taxpayer I will be very annoyed if the new Sydney Fish Market remains untenanted by current tenants and ends up being an upmarket fish and chip shop (“Seafood market break-up danger”, August 9). With many others we pointed out the folly of the new construction over a public bay, its vehicular access causing more traffic problems and its impact on pedestrian foreshore walkways. This seems to be another ill-judged Infrastructure NSW project which has the potential to leave us all with only a $836 million high-end dining experience. With the construction noise and inconvenience over the last two years this needs to be resolved quickly.
Peter Crawshaw, Glebe

That Sydney Fish Market has had to appeal to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for an order to release information pertaining to the design and construction of the new Sydney Fish Market, to understand why their subtenants are claiming the building is not fit for purpose, should surprise no one. The NSW government and Infrastructure NSW’s lack of transparency, misinformation and lack of meaningful consultation with stakeholders regarding the whole Blackwattle Bay State Significant Project, which includes the old Fish Market site, is deplorable. It will result in the old Fish Market site being grossly overdeveloped with massive height and density, very little open space and not one blade of grass. INSW justifies this by including Bank Street Park on undevelopable land under the Western Distributor, at the end of the peninsula, as part of the site, with more than 30 per cent open space overall. This will result in a development worse than Barangaroo South where lack of public domain was justified by the headland park. The public deserve better than this blatant obfuscation. Adrienne Tunnicliffe, Pyrmont

Little sympathy

So, a small number of home mortgagors have gorged themselves when interest rates were unsustainably low (Letters, August 8). A very great majority of mortgagors are happy with their lot as house prices continue to rise. Sympathy should be reserved for those whose nest eggs were depleted when interest on their deposits was close to zero and inflation sped towards 8 per cent per annum. Wage earners and renters have also been badly knocked about. The RBA is now doing the right thing by maintaining interest rates at a level appropriate to the times. It is not pressing down on inflation because it barely influences total demand in the economy. That, and redressing its own exaggerated response to the pandemic, is the job of the government but its main concern since being elected in May 2022 has been getting elected again. Mike Bush, Port Macquarie

Warning signs

The Herald’s highlighting of the radioactive contamination and cover up at Hunters Hill should be a red light for those communities being courted and coerced to host Peter Dutton’s planned nuclear reactors (“‘Deliberate secrecy’: Sydney radioactive site cleaned up after a century of delay”, August 8). Secrecy and radiation is a dangerous cocktail and the Coalition move promises both – as well as high costs and forever waste. There are far superior and safer energy options. Dave Sweeney, Carlton

The article on the waste removal process from Hunters Hill does not mention the cost of the entire process, nor the number of years the waste will need to be stored in WA’s new storage facility. The opposition is spruiking nuclear energy and yet here we have hard evidence of the issues and concerns around radioactive waste. We cannot afford to force hundreds of future generations to manage the waste that will be created by nuclear power stations. Matt Neenan, Wallagoot

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