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The housing crisis appears to have two elements. First, the lack of availability and supply; and second, the younger generation not having the financial capability to buy. By way of preamble, my experience is that most self-managed superannuants view their superannuation benefits, apart from their short-term needs as a ′′testamentary asset′′ that is, something that should grow and be left to the next generation.
This is fallacious as the fundamental purpose of a superannuation fund is that of being to provide benefits to its members and the assets used accordingly. Simply, the funds are there to be spent. To assist in the housing crisis (′′ Super-for-housing plan will save $1b: Coalition ′′, 17/9) and to pre-empt the testamentary element the rules governing self-managed superannuation funds could be relaxed to allow distributions/loans to children of members to assist in the purchase of principal places of residence on reasonable commercial terms.
Richard Sykes, Bell Park There are alternative solutions The article ′′ PM blasts Senate in election clash on housing, environment ′′ (17/9) doesn’t include other viable housing options. I am travelling in Canada, and in Toronto there are more than 160 housing co-operatives that deliver housing to more than 45,000 people via member-managed co-operatives that vary in size from 40 apartments to more than 100 apartments in each area. They are co-located among businesses, close to parks, schools and a very efficient public transport system.
Certainly worth considering – members buy shares in the co-operative that provides them with long-term stability in an apartment that is priced at less than market value. There are options to buy and rent at an agreed subsidised rate and they can’t be ′′flipped′′ for profit. There are better innovative solutions than accessing one’s superannuation or government handouts.
Denise Stevens, Healesville Coalition policy will worsen things The Coalition policy on using superannuation to help fund housing for first-home buyers is deception politics at its worst. Modelling has shown give first-home buyers a grant or access to some extra funds from whatever source, and the median prices of houses goes up, thus defeating the purpose of making housing more affordable. The real beneficiaries of this policy are the lucky and generally wealthier people who already own a home.
It is, in effect, a transfer of young people’s retirement savings to those who already have spare assets to sell. How to boost inequality 101. Ian McKenzie, Canterbury The art of spending where it’s needed A total of $22 million of public and private money for something that resembles a giant inflatable beach toy with strings of Vegas-style lighting along Southbank? Or the money could be used for something we really need like public housing, health services and education.
Just a thought. April Baragwanath, Geelong Obstructions in the upper house The article ′′PM blasts Senate in election clash′′ highlights the difficulty governments have had passing legislation when lacking a Senate majority. Fifty years ago, a hostile Senate led to the downfall of the Whitlam government.
While I admire the resolve of the Greens to stick to their principles and demand amendments to the housing bill and EPA legislation I wonder about the strategy of blocking a bill that will go some way to alleviate the housing crisis for the most vulnerable. Uncoupling their demands from the major thrust of the bill would at least see some movement on addressing the housing shortage. Once passed the Greens could work on strategies to improve the policy and go to the next election promising to do just that.
Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West THE FORUM Nurturing the kids The heartbreaking suicide of a 12-year-old girl called Charlotte is reason to reimagine what kind of places our schools can be. Schools are not just places for learning, they are the social environments in which children and young people spend most time outside of their family. I was lucky to survive a suicide attempt at age 13.
Reading about Charlotte brought vivid recollections of the pain and loneliness I felt. I was ticking all the boxes for academic achievement but struggling with the simple act of liking who I was. Despite many reforms, Australian schools are still designed around curriculum and achievement rather than developing the whole person and creating spaces where children and young people can feel safe and supported to be who they are.
This places pressure on teachers and means building nurturing relationships (including between peers) often falls in the ′′too-hard basket′′. It doesn’t have to be this way. Australia’s early childhood curriculum framework, Belonging, Being and Becoming, is all about developing the whole child and creating connected, nurturing communities and relationships – which foster better learning.
Older children also deserve to belong, become – or just be – at school and in the community. Nurturing relationships are the key. Name and address supplied Lifeline: 13 11 14 Emissions impossible Re “ Woodside, Shell spend millions getting into the offset game ” (18/9), Polly Hemming, Director of the Australia Institute’s Climate and Energy program describes the “game” thus: “This ‘offset’ mentality – reminiscent of the Catholic Church’s sale of ‘indulgences’ to sinners wanting to buy their way into heaven, seems to be the approach across the board when it comes to Australia’s climate policy, our environment policy and our integrity and accountability mechanisms.
“ Offsets do not reduce emissions. They are used by fossil-fuel companies worldwide to protect their social licence while they continue business as usual. Equally disturbing is that governments also use this arrangement to legitimise those emissions-generating operations.
Sinful indeed. Fiona Colin, Malvern East Wilderness on Dodds The moat of the Arts Centre had wonderful large, colourful sculptures in it for many years. However, when they were removed, the elegant, simple facade of the building regained its place in St Kilda Road.
Maybe Dodds Street could make its mark with locals and tourists by the creation of a beautiful, peaceful Australian wilderness garden rather than by shouty, intrusive sculptures. Heather Barker, Albert Park Stand with the ICJ Australia says it supports a rules-based system for international relations and the critical role the International Court of Justice has in upholding international law (′′ Australia seeks changes as UN motion on Gaza withdrawal looms ′′, 18/9). The ICJ was clear Israel must immediately halt its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
It ruled Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must come to an end as rapidly as possible and that Israel must pay reparations to those affected by its illegal actions. Israel has refused to abide by these decisions. The ICJ ruling also said that no state should do anything to assist either in the occupation or actions that may amount to genocide taking place in Gaza.
The only way to do this is to apply sanctions – just as we have done with Russia and with Myanmar. The argument that nothing should be done and the situation be left to negotiations was explicitly refuted by the ICJ. The Australian government should not be working in the background to water down this resolution but must stand up and demand Israel abide by international law and back a resolution that fully supports the ICJ and the Palestinians right to freedom and equality.
Bruce Francis, Brunswick Act of terrorism Devices made to explode on a centrally controlled signal, sold randomly or made available to unsuspecting people, and which explode killing many and injuring thousands, is the very definition of terrorism. What could be more terrifying for any society. If, as all the evidence points to, this has been done by Israel, then Israel strands condemned as a terrorist state.
Australia and the UN must act accordingly. No weasel words from apologists will be acceptable. Paul Kennelly, Caulfield North Staying behind the wheel Your correspondent (Letters, 18/9) suggests that older drivers should consider giving up their independence on the grounds that it would be cheaper to use taxis, Ubers and public transport than their own vehicle.
This conversation is worth having, and I’ve had it with my mother, who is now in her 90s. But there are several obstacles, quite apart from the natural reluctance to hand over the keys and the car and be stuck at home. Convenience, peace of mind and flexibility are three such problems.
Taxis and Ubers need to be ordered for a given time and ahead of time, and the cost blows out massively if plans change midstream. There is also little public transport in country towns – buses only in Mildura – and my mother does not live on or near an existing route. She also travels out of town to attend events, to visit relatives and friends, or (shock horror) just for fun.
It would be cheaper for her to give up driving if she only needed to leave home to do the shopping or attend an appointment once a week, but unfortunately – or rather, fortunately – this is far from the case at the present time. Lindsay Zoch, Mildura Is there a plan B? With a $2 million kangaroo sculpture commissioned by the City of Melbourne morphing into a massively extensive, and expensive, public artwork sculpture installation costing a staggering $22 million – and a mad scramble to pay for it – Melbourne City Council has a desperate four-stage contingency plan to extract money from the city’s wealthiest philanthropists. However, what if it doesn’t work? Is there a plan B? Coincidentally, City of Melbourne elections loom, and Lord Mayor Nick Reece has announced plans to sell the council’s share of Regent Theatre to fund arts projects, which is estimated at between $20 million and $25 million.
But what of funding for other arts projects Reece has mentioned or for providing some relief for the homeless of Melbourne? Perhaps there’s something else that could be sold off? Deborah Morrison, Malvern East Gesture applauded I am filled with dismay, that while more and more people are struggling to afford basics, such as food and housing, Melbourne City Council is attempting to raise millions for a public artwork. While art is important, it should not be a priority, in the midst of the increasingly desperate need of so many. Therefore the Smorgons’ decision to not contribute to this venture, but to make a ′′significant donation′′, to the City of Melbourne’s homeless project, deserves to be applauded.
I sincerely hope that other potential wealthy donors follow this example. Rita Thorpe, Coburg The ABC of excellence On Tuesday night I watched three brilliant programs on the ABC. The concepts, scripts, photography, acting, information, and good values modelled, were all excellent.
The programs were Backroads , a walk on the Heysen Trail, The Assembly , autistic journalists questioning Adam Goodes and The Art of Sport , a former Matilda talking about her life after soccer as a photographer. The ABC deserves more than criticism. John Langrehr, Leabrook, SA Support immigrants Thank you for the article ′′ Ohio festival axed amid threats over pet rumour ′′ (18/9) debunking the scurrilous myth about Haiti immigrants eating pets, quoting the Governor of Ohio, a Republican, denouncing the rumours.
Refugees and immigrants need support, not condemnation and rumour-mongering, and being used as scapegoats. Laima Novackis, Carlton I read the news today ..
. Not reading the news has become a choice for this Baby Boomer. From hardened criminals on the front page, to wars that I can do nothing about, to self-interested politicians (an oxymoron?), my day could start off badly.
So, with my first cup of coffee, I do not read about anything negative, or that I cannot act on positively. Which leaves The Age gardening page and Letters to the Editor. Margo Teschendorf, Toorak Cycle of irony Oh the irony! This week, cycling the excellent bike lane along La Trobe Street, I almost ran over a pedestrian while trying to make sense of the fresh signage that read “Peds To Way Give”.
The City of Yarra gets it the right way around on their bike lanes. David Tuck, Clydesdale PM, don’t be timid They say in political circles that disunity is death. But what about timidity in government? If those poor families stuck in camps in Syria (′′ Australian families in a living hell ′′, 17/9) remain there because a timid Australian government is worried about the next election, then the Labor Party should hang its head in shame.
Surely entrusted power should be used for good and not exercised in order to retain that very power. Chris Brennan, Gladysdale Measuring the cost Let’s not equate the cost of living with the cost of our chosen place and style of living. Ralph Bohmer, St Kilda West Credit: Matt Golding AND ANOTHER THING Public art Does Melbourne need a big kangaroo to compete with the big sheep, banana, fish, et al? Why not a big lasagne, or latte? Please think this one through again.
Joel Matthews, Bright Reality check: How many potholes could be repaired for the cost of that giant kangaroo ′′statement′′? Bernd Rieve, Brighton World affairs It seems that in Afghanistan men have forgotten one important element to them being alive. It’s that their mother, a woman, gave birth to them. What a sad country.
Nola Cormick, Albert Park In the age of electronic communication, the pager bomb is the logical descendant of the letter bomb. Susan Caughey, Glen Iris When Donald Trump speaks he spews unbelievable rubbish. This is a man who could lead the United States – shouldn’t we be worried? Margaret Skeen, Pt Lonsdale Furthermore Poor quality carbon emission offsets by carbon companies dominated by fossil-fuel interests – quelle surprise (′′Woodside, Shell spend millions getting into offset game′′, 18/9)! Jenny Smithers, Ashburton Federal Labor will release its proposed gambling ′′reforms′′ when it’s most politically expedient to do so – after the spring racing carnival.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill The booming Indian sport kabaddi coming to Australia sounds a little like AFL, a mixture of rugby, wrestling and tag. Robin Jensen, Castlemaine Once again the Wilcox cartoons skewer the political hypocrisy around gambling and US gun laws (17,18/9). Merryn Boan, Brighton I am often tempted to sign my letters, ′′Justified Indignation, Mt Martha′′.
Sarah Russell, Mt Martha After reading the Age Letters to see if I’m there, I then read the obituaries, to see if I’m there. Myra Fisher, Brighton East.
