Only fitting that ABC boss creates headlines

The ABC’s charter imposes an enforceable duty to maintain a news and current affairs service that takes account of what the commercial broadcasting networks do (“‘Where are the top stories?’: ABC chair criticises own news website”, August 5. In duplicating the trivial, crime-obsessed, “human interest”, celebrity-worshipping, formulaic, solecism-riddled, badly spoken and undignified quasi-journalism of the advertising medium that is commercial television, the ABC has proved the necessity of enforcement of that duty it owes to its community. Kim Williams has made a start. Stuart Littlemore, Potts Point

It would appear that Kim Williams has turned a critical eye to the ABC News division. Whether any worthwhile change occurs remains to be seen. There have been many laments for the loss of quality in ABC News on this page. This seems especially so with the 7pm TV program. Many will remember a time when there was quality coverage of national, international, and state news. Now we might find a sports event take minutes of headline time rather than major national and international events. Much “reporting” seems to be gathering pointless, uninformative and often completely incomprehensible comments from people nearby to some event. Such commentary is not news; it makes the ABC look like some third-rate amateur organisation. Here’s hoping Williams pounces on the news program the ABC claims as its flagship program and restores it to the standard it was once famous for. Peter Thompson, Grenfell

Kim Williams’ point that news notifications on phones are the way people access news stories has to ring true in our busy lives. I imagine there are some old punters who peruse a website, but it seems to me another example of the ABC squandering resources to have bothered updating theirs. Notifications have to compete for your attention, and yet in a world of really pressing issues which require trusted reporting, analysis and perspective, pinging on my phone today was another soft story from the ABC; “The face of the shared house is changing”. The ABC should polish its well-earned reputation for journalistic integrity, be the “go to” for hard news and analysis, and leave the “puff pieces” to profit-making subscription news and magazine services. Lyndall Nelson, Goulburn

I’m with Kim Williams. Other important news that is neglected includes the prevention of foreign journalists’ entry into West Papua. Perhaps there could be facts stated about the career of the incoming president of Indonesia and his role during the occupation of Timor-Leste and in West Papua. Prioritisation requires in-depth coverage of regional news. Susan Connelly, Lakemba

I agree with Kim Williams’ assessment. But perhaps their soft content is a sign of deterioration of public funding. Let’s see if Kim can persuade government to provide much more ongoing funding. If not, I will consider him a failure. John Rome, Mt Lawley (WA)

Kim Williams is right. ABC TV News is continuing its inexorable slide towards the coverage of parish pump news items, long the domain of the commercial channels. Michael Stockley, Denman

I couldn’t agree more with Kim Williams. Police reports of fires, murders and road crashes are not national news. Irene Thom, Vaucluse

Dutton’s tricks

I’m unsure how many big things Peter Dutton has in his election kit bag, but I’m certain one will be immigration (“Forgettable? Not always a curse”, August 5). Given his party’s record of lies and dog-whistling over immigration, let’s hope Dutton is taking note of what happens when these issues are infused with so many social media untruths that protests led by right-wing extremists turn into race riots, as we’re witnessing in England. Dutton has form in this area; as home affairs minister, he claimed citizens of Melbourne were too frightened to go to restaurants at night because of their fear of African gangs. Nick Franklin, Katoomba

Rule of three? Maybe the rule is breaking down. What we have, wherever we look, is a failure of leadership. Albo has failed to enthuse us, for example, about the transformational possibilities of a carbon-free future and allowed the opposition to dominate the front pages with unworkable alternatives. Fortunately, he has failed to sell the doomed AUKUS project; maybe that’s a good thing. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls

Sean Kelly asks if we can easily get to three memorable political events about the current government. In addition to the referendum, there are several that stand out, one being the Future Made in Australia package. Despite governments rarely being remembered for what they failed to do, two such failures will certainly be remembered at least until the next election – its refusal to stop new coal mines and gas fields from opening and the kowtowing to gambling companies by not banning gambling advertising. In the past, governments could often assume that they can win elections solely because they were not as bad as the opposition, but with more independents entering the fray, there is a greater need to listen to what the electorate wants. Peter Nash, Fairlight

An investment in society

Loyd Swanton correctly points out that as a nation, we can afford anything – it’s a matter of priorities (Letters, August 5). As a recipient of Gough Whitlam’s free tertiary education system of the 1970s and coming from a socially disadvantaged area, I, like many others was given the opportunity of a university education which may not have happened otherwise. We graduates of that era have given back to society, so the investment is worth it. Anne Elliott, Balmain

Your correspondent hits the nail on the head when he states,“it’s simply a matter of agreeing as a nation what our priorities are”. This also applies to welfare, where the priority seems to be to keep the socially disadvantaged unreasonably poor; to valuable community services such as Legal Aid and many more that continually have their funding cut. Instead, we’re told priorities are to subsidise industries that have unfettered access to and influence over government, and to prioritise obscene amounts of money to play political games both domestically and on the world stage to upset our biggest trading partner. Oh, for a healthy dose of basic government principles, to provide essential services to the nation. Mark Tietjen, Redfern

No understanding

The opposition seem to hate superannuation and want to provide reasons for people to access it for other reasons than retirement (“The unusual political pairing squaring up against Labor on housing”, June 21). It tells me that they don’t understand economic management. Any economist will tell you that providing more money for purchasers to buy a dwelling will only push prices up further without having solved the problem. You need to increase supply, not demand. That’s another part of the opposition’s misunderstanding about housing. They think only in terms of homeownership, when even renting is becoming unaffordable for many. Of course, I, like most people, would prefer to own a dwelling. But that is not attainable, so having something to rent securely and affordably will do. All governments must build social housing soon. The problem with that is building material have increased greatly in cost and builders have gone out of business. It’s a remaining knock-on from the pandemic. I grew up in public housing in western Sydney which was built to handle the influx of migrants in the 1950s and ’60s. We need a similar effort to get us over the hump of the Boomer generation, after which houses and the like will become available. Simply pretending that we make Australia like it was during the 1950s is going to make the problem worse, especially if many of the current generation retire with little in retirement funds. David Ashton, Katoomba

PM broke Indigenous promise

When interviewed at the Garma Festival for ABC’s Insiders, our prime minister made an extraordinarily simplistic, even Orwellian, attempt at defining Makarrata and ruled out establishing a Makarrata Commission (“No Makarrata Commission: PM backs new engagement”, August 5). This morning on ABC’s Breakfast, his new Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Malarndirri McCarthy, avoided ruling out or making any commitment to a Makarrata Commission. Was the minister attempting to lessen the criticism the PM could rightly expect from Indigenous leaders who are mourning his failure to guide the referendum to a “Yes” vote and who are disappointed at his current attempt to distance himself from his pre-referendum promise to institute the Uluru Statement in full?
Brian O’Donnell, Burradoo

The words inviting our national action in the Uluru Statement in 2017 are absolutely clear: “We seek a Makarrata Commission.” On the 2022 federal election night, the PM’s words were also 100 per cent clear: “We will implement the Uluru Statement in full.” Now, in 2024, the PM dissembles and evades. Mr Albanese, through your reported comments at the recent Garma Festival, you have diminished yourself and your government and those of us who placed our hope in you that you would do what you had promised. Shame. Russ Couch, Woonona

It is clear that as much as the Labor government want to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, it has learnt from the failed referendum that any further change needs to be carefully framed and even more cautiously discussed. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls

Clover’s not over

The new mayoral hopefuls seem ill-informed about the Sustainable Sydney 2030 Strategic Plan for City of Sydney, in which all members of the community and government agencies have been involved (“Opposing mayoral hopefuls say ‘it’s over, Clover’”, August 5). The nimbyism in the Local Government Area arises from individuals, not from council. Announcing one issue of concern is totally out of balance with record of successful initiatives and plans that the City of Sydney has achieved since 2004. Jan Wilson, Glebe

Clover Moore managed to deliver surplus budgets, even in the pandemic. She has provided long-term planning and infrastructure. She has worked well with a variety of state and federal governments. Moore’s team is young and she nurtures talent. Her detractors, who have not even had municipal experience, would be on a steep learning curve. Others abstain more than they vote. Moore knows what she is doing. Everything else is ageist whining. Jane Salmon, Killara

Crimson and clover, over and over. Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

Rates pain

It is evident that high interest rates have resulted in tremendous suffering for a substantial segment of the population (“There’s a good case for cutting interest rates immediately”, August 5). What the article by Ross Gittins shows is the need for the Reserve Bank board to have members who are in touch with vulnerable sections of the population and would be able to forcibly discuss the negative impacts of bank policy. Alan Morris, Eastlakes

Co-ed utopia

To many of us (not all) involved in teaching, co-educational education at a comprehensive school is a dream (Letters, August 5). It has its challenges and perceived disadvantages, but it can represent a microcosm of the community the school serves. In my utopia, each school would have its mix of abilities (and disabilities), the balance of girls and boys functioning in the same environment and multicultural and socioeconomic characteristics reflecting the local community. Call me an idealist facing the unwinnable battles over parental choice, wealth, power and religion. But may I offer this insight. Everybody has an opinion on what happens in education, but very few would challenge the expertise of their plumber. Go you old boys, you know what’s best! Scott Warnes, Suffolk Park

Why on earth do old boys of private schools care if their old school becomes co-ed? Have they not moved on? Matthew Flattery, Middle Cove

Your correspondent claims that “none of the other GPS schools is contemplating becoming co-educational”. The Armidale School not only contemplated it, but successfully implemented it.
Annabel Doherty, Armidale

I was reminded of Christopher Harris’ report last week that told us which schools politicians attended. We need more statistics on this. It may be disturbing, but necessary. Bob Hall, Wyoming

Gold teeth

Don Leayr obviously doesn’t know that the International Dentists’ Union sponsors the photos of winners biting their gold medals (Letters, August 5). David Gordon, Cranebrook

Divisive rhetoric

I have just read that the violence and mayhem displayed in the UK may have been triggered by misinformation generated in Russia (“‘Far-right thuggery’: British rioters set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers”, smh.com.au, August 5). We now live in times when social media can play a major role in society’s behaviour. It only takes the ability to recognise the division in a community for malefactors to trigger unrest. May I suggest that the Australian intelligence services clearly inform and arrange training for all our politicians to alert them to the terrible consequences of their rhetoric if it foments division in our society. We all need to inspire rather than divide. David Cole, Haberfield

Shark safety

The advantage of the shark net is that it keeps humans and potentially dangerous sea creatures apart (Letters, August 2). The disadvantage of the drone is that, once it gives its warning, it may then come down to who swims the fastest. Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills

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