I understand “giant”. I know what “scaffolding” is (Letters, Oct 14). Somehow “scaffolding” was introduced into teaching a while ago and I didn’t quite understand it.
Years of school and college education did not prepare me to use it for writing. As for the insanity shortcut, try teaching VET; The glossary required to explain the syllabus appears to be longer than the syllabus itself. Somehow, education lost the KISS principle and went to linguistic overload in order to confuse me. succeeded. Tony Sullivan, Adamstown Heights
Get real estate
Queensland may have its right – a one-off (Letters, 14 October) – where investors pay a full stamp duty for property purchases, while others who buy as primary residence pay 50 per cent. Cheaper than the land tax forever. John Loveridge, Taiwan (Qld)
I support private home sales. I’m surprised that more people don’t choose this option. The most important thing is to determine the value of the property, something that even the best real estate agents struggle with, and the rest is easy. Professional photos, a floor plan, online advertising all for under $2000, job searches, and Bob is your uncle. Richard Tench, Boots Point
While real estate agents may earn up to $48,000 in commission just for the sale of a $1.6 million property, don’t think of hapless real estate attorneys who charge, on average, $1,500 in legal fees to work on such a sale. No wonder my dealer owned the latest expensive top-of-the-line car while I was dealing with my humble 10 year old wheel set. Edward Long, Milsons Point
All the best hair
Des Hasslerattributed to him:GT
Say what you like about Des Hassler as a coach, but his poetry is undoubtedly second to none (“Trpbojevic calls crisis meeting as Hasler dismissed”, Oct. 14). Michael Death, Como West
Whistleblowers taxed ATO big for telling the truth
No hope of eradicating corruption and mismanagement without whistleblower protection (“On trial for bravely telling the truth,” October 14). ATO employee Richard Boyle was acquitted, but his life was ruined financially and emotionally. Who wants to follow in his footsteps? Here we hope the new federal government will understand the vital service that whistleblowers provide, and reward them rather than punish them. Ann Matheson, Gordon
From Kieran Bender’s article on Boyle, it becomes clear that something is wrong with our laws if someone is arrested and prosecuted for telling the truth about a government agency abusing their power. The wrong person or entity is on trial; It must be the Australian Tax Office. Peter Nash, Fairlight
Boyle’s trial illustrates the basic principle that “even if you are in the minority of one, the truth is the truth.” More power to him. Steve Nggio, Chatswood
The last train is almost gone
We retired to high up in the Blue Mountains sometime (“Sydney died at 6.01 to Central,” smh.com.au, Oct 14) and the issue is always front and center for us as we interact with family and friends staying indoors with the hustle and bustle. The pandemic and the weather have only exacerbated the situation, but you feel there is a third creeping factor at play. Society is emptied by economic ideology, with public services sacrificed on the altar of the “free market”. We are so adapted to user pays, dividends, outsourcing, customs clearance, privatization, profit payer, etc. that we want it all, but paying taxes is a breeze. The last train out of Sydney came to an end. Brian Jones, Laura
Passengers faced major disruption across the Sydney rail network.attributed to him:Louise Kinnerley
I too was caught up in the railroad disaster caused by rain last week. What pissed me off was the guards’ repeated announcements of an “operational issue”. Doesn’t anyone admit there are problems anymore? Why aren’t passengers paid for the courtesy of telling them what’s going on? Meredith Williams, NorthMed
Oh, Thomas Mitchell, I just read your article. All I can say is: boom-tish! Colin Starkey, Mt. Kula
confusing accusation
The Chinese ambassador to Australia is deliberately acting provocative and deceitful in his comments on the AUKUS alliance (“China targets AUKUS,” October 14). The alliance is not based on race, the ambassador claims. It is based on free democracies united in their challenge to the totalitarian system. China has proven to be hostile to Australia. Therefore, Australia needs to strengthen its military as well as its diplomatic position. Australia must show that it is ready and willing to defend its sovereignty. Dennis O’Brien, Orange
Chinese Ambassador to Australia Xiao Qianattributed to him:Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
He is a worthy envoy of our great and powerful trading partner. Xiao is an experienced and highly intelligent diplomat, and has set out to make being weird, even rude, a way to smooth out the strained relationships here. However, he did not fully adapt to the local zeitgeist. Accusing Australia of racism is frankly old hat – so there is no real breakthrough out there about AUKUS. Let’s not mention the trade sanctions that China has imposed against us while at the same time we have succeeded in exporting COVID to the whole world.
We tend not to be lectured by a representative of a nation that closely ignores the evidence of racism within its borders. International diplomacy is a difficult path, Ambassador, and missteps are common. Margaret Johnston, Paddington
China appears to be showing a near-Botanese level of delusion in its claim of racism based on AUKUS. However, I suppose it would be less reasonable with respect to the quad assembly. Of course, China is free from accusations of racism in its dealings with others. Wayne Duncombe, Lilyfield
pockets of political choice
Revelations of spending by polls (“Hanson pays taxpayers for defamation case trip″ , Oct. 14) is far from entertaining. It is, frankly, annoying that our pockets can be snapped so easily. Politicians are fond of saying that their salary increases are decided by an independent commission. But does this committee take into account the extent to which MPs do not need to put their hands in their own pockets for the items that the rest of us have to pay for ourselves?
Don Firth, Woolley
thirsty for attention
If the famine in the Horn of Africa (“Hungest Place on Earth,” October 14) had received 1 percent of the media coverage that war-torn Ukraine was getting, they would be in the public consciousness and perhaps get more help. But in the West, unfortunately, we attach more importance to those who look like us in Ukraine than to the millions who starve in Third World countries. Kon Weitsas, Ashbury
jump on the wagon
At least Tourism Australia didn’t take Matilda, the giant winking kangaroo out of the 1982 Brisbane Commonwealth Games (Letters, Oct. 14). However, I pray that he does not appear again at the Brisbane Olympics in 2032. John Swanton, Koji
Tourism Australia is right to focus its latest campaign on kangaroos. Kangaroos decorate our military aircraft, ships and military vehicles. In remote parts of Africa, I found kangaroos to be the only thing people know about Australia. Kangaroos should be on our knowledge, probably in the middle of Aboriginal science. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer
natural gas burner
Citizens leader David Littleproud can relax (“Methane pledge won’t burn Australian barbecues,” Oct. 14) — outdoor barbecues are conducted with propane (bottled) or butane, not methane. The article notes the potency of methane as a greenhouse gas, much worse than carbon dioxide. If we don’t stop producing this “natural gas,” we will all roast. Hugh Barrett, Sanctuary Point
Are they coming to your barbecue? The biggest threat to barbecues is climate change. Graeme Finn, Summer Hill
Are barbecues an endangered species?attributed to him:good food
The contradictions in society are growing day by day. Farmers are now blamed for methane as a contribution to climate change. How many of us, with the patronage of Planet Earth, have canceled our proposed trip to some vacation destination? Aviation is a much larger contributor to climate change. Joanna Van Cole, Crows’ Nest
Global warming results from the release of previously trapped greenhouse gases, including the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation. The methane gas belched by cows gradually decomposes into carbon dioxide which, along with what cows, humans, and other animals excrete, is photosynthesized by plants to produce food for those same animals. Jeff Walker, Gleb
Postscript
Money, in its various forms, was the big topic on the messaging page this week. Debate flowed over land tax for stamp duty, speeding fines as revenue increases, paying enough GPs to keep them in practice, and whether Australia needed or wanted more immigrants creating the need for more housing, schools and roads.
The land tax was the biggest concern. The writers couldn’t see the need for a land tax swap, they resented the idea of paying it forever, and saw less benefit to the common home buying from developers and investors who flip properties quickly. They were also very skeptical about the prime minister’s attempt to push the plans through Parliament. Many writers have wondered, in different ways, why, if this is a good idea, it cannot be passed on to voters in the rapidly approaching state elections?
The speed debate started with the news that the NSW government wanted to bring back the warning signs in front of the speed cameras. Most writers were upset by this, on the grounds that if you were a speeder, you deserved to be fined for endangering everyone else in society. Some people wrote tales of being fined on the edge of speed and feeling wronged. No one was in favor of speeding, but some writers felt that there were better ways to prevent accidents than just making money from road users.
The idea of bridges on the Anzac Bridge has attracted a lot of correspondence. No one supported the Prime Minister’s well-received veto, and it also sparked ideas about other parts of Sydney that the Prime Minister should attend next rather than waste time on the land tax.
Harriet Fitch, Acting Message Editor
Originally published at Melbourne News Vine
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