LETTERS
The Age
Saturday March 5, 2011
A living hellfor my familyDEAR Mr Premier,More than 13 years ago, my daughter, Mersina, was stabbed at the Fawkner Cemetery. Last year Peter Dupas was convicted for a second time over the crime. For the second time he has lodged an appeal and we are being told it could take years before it goes to court.For my family this has been a living hell. For years we did not know who committed this crime and then we had to sit through two legal trials in the same room as this killer.He has spent $3 million on legal aid and yet not once has he stepped into a witness box to defend himself. As one father to another, I ask you to help us. We are tired of waiting and we are tired of watching this man use the system to drag this case out. When will it finish? Will it be 14 years, 15 years or will it be longer? How can this be justice?When you won the election you promised to look after victims' rights. I know you can't stop this man using the system. I just ask you to push to have his appeal heard quickly so we can get on with our lives and he can continue to serve his life sentence.George Halvagis, MelbourneEditor's note: Premier Ted Baillieu has asked the Attorney-General to expedite the hearing. NEWS: PAGE 3Inquest to give hopeTHE Ombudsman's recent report on the lack of investigation and false reporting regarding the assault of a Department of Human Services client is all too familiar to those who have family members/clients living in departmental accommodation ("Cover-up of abuse stuns disability sector", The Age, 4/3). Particularly for those who are non-verbal, there is great risk living in community residential units where investigations often consist of departmental staff asking each other for evidence of abuse and then ignoring the testimony of residents themselves.The murder/suicide in 2009 of the Travaglias Eddie and his two disabled sons David and Leigh after allegations of discrimination, bullying and intimidation in their accommodation was reported to the department for internal investigation. Those who had the most evidence were not even interviewed.Let's hope a coroner's inquest may unveil and formalise the link between their deaths and their treatment. Meanwhile, for other non-verbal clients, families can only cross their fingers that they may be spared abuse and neglect.Julie Phillips, Disability Discrimination Legal Service, MelbourneTragically short-sightedSTATE Treasurer Kim Wells vows to keep our filthy brown coal going "come hell or high water" (The Age, 4/3). Given the predictions of conditions on our planet from unchecked global warming, this seems an extraordinary moment of honesty from a politician, for that is exactly what we will get. Is the irony not lost on anyone else in this tragically short-sighted vision?Mary-Jane Walker, NewtownTracking the moneyHOW can it be? I ask myself. The My School website informs me that my state secondary school receives $10,357 per student in government funding when the amount of government cash actually flowing to us is only $7000 per student. A careful reading of your article, however, resolved the apparent discrepancy ("Revealed: the schools cash divide", The Age, 4/3). "Money spent by state education bureaucracies has been allocated to individual government schools." In other words, one-third of the public monies budgeted to educate my students isn't actually being spent, to their benefit, in their school. I hope ministers will take this into account when determining any cuts to the education budget.Chris Bromley, MalmsburySacrifice or self-interest?WE HEAR much talk of those parents who are making "sacrifices" to send their children to private schools. What, pray tell, are they "sacrificing"? Would they be otherwise giving the money to the needy? No, I think they are probably sacrificing their mortgage repayments or their superannuation, or perhaps an annual holiday or a nice car, or even the time with the kids they might have otherwise had if they didn't have to work to pay their school fees.They choose to spend that money on private schooling. Nobody forces them to do it. We chose to send our kids to private schools. Nobody made us do it. There is no "sacrifice". Such a claim is nonsense. The decision to give one's children a private education is borne purely of self-interest. Nothing more, nothing less.Kate Chapman, Mount ElizaTemporary allianceTHE Gillard government's reliance on the Greens vote has been attacked by the opposition ("Gillard caught in factional brawl over Greens bill", The Age, 4/3). This is a blatant case of the pot calling the kettle black.The Liberal Party has been unable to form a federal government on its own for decades and has been forced to rely on Country or National Party votes in Parliament. The Victorian government has to cope with this fact of political life and its controversial decision to allow cattle grazing in National Parks is an obvious example of the power of minority parties."A temporary alliance of parties" is an accepted definition of a coalition and for a "Coalition leader" to criticise Labor's co-operation with the Greens is somersaulting hypocrisy.Robert Corcoran, EdithvaleReal agenda of fightMEDIA coverage of the Greens' bill, which proposes to remove the ability of a Commonwealth minister to veto laws passed by a territory government, is focusing on the issue of gay marriage. I bet most Australians either support gay marriage or don't give a hoot one way or the other.The real issue is that if this bill is passed, it will affect the ability of the federal government to impose a nuclear waste dump on the Northern Territory, by way of its draconian new legislation the National Radioactive Waste Management Bill. The Northern Territory is opposed to this dump and the Greens' bill would help them in its fight.Christina Macpherson, Caulfield SouthHollow protestTHE call for Colonel Gaddafi to be investigated by the International Criminal Court for war crimes is welcome but some of the countries calling for his prosecution are profoundly hypocritical ("China cool on Libya flight-exclusion zone", The Age, 4/3).I look forward to seeing the countries that supported him with arms supplies before the court on similar charges. They are equally responsible. In particular, the US stance against Gaddafi is amazingly hypocritical. It has supported him and other dictators with weapons and military support and now seek his prosecution as a war criminal.That the US is not even a signatory to the International Criminal Court tells us much about their willingness to give up lucrative arms deals, stop supporting despots around the world and their hypocritical stance on human rights. Until the US and others such as the UK stop supporting tyrants such as Gaddafi because there is economic gain, their words of protest sound very hollow.Geoff Selby, MoorooducUnacceptable death tollHOW many times do United Nations officials and world leaders have to state that they condemn the killing of civilians by Colonel Gaddafi's mercenaries and troops before they take action to stop the deaths? During 1994 in Rwanda nearly a million people were killed because no one from the outside world came to help. What number of dead people is acceptable before the outside world can interfere in a country's internal conflicts?Con Vaitsas, Lakemba, NSWBills keep adding upTHE "Pink Batt audit system" just keeps on burning money ("Police raids hit insulation firms, The Age, 4/3). Although we had our electrician check the roof insulation job that was completed last year under the government rebate system, we were required to allow CSR Bradford, a government contractor, to check it again.It would have been straightforward if they had brought an appropriate ladder to use in tight places or high ceilings. The exact specification of our house was not on the job form, although my wife had advised when booking the auditors that we had high ceilings. Of course, they turned up with just one ladder a low folding one. Guess the concept of "be prepared" would not cross their radar. Half an hour later the two very polite fellows had filled in their paper work, advised we would be contacted again to organise yet another visit and were on their way.If the government continues to employ people and companies who are neither capable nor briefed properly to do the job, it must ensure systems are put in place to get them to do the job. Every inspector must carry a range of appropriate ladders to enable access to all types of ceilings, have lighting in the form of torches with back-up energy (batteries) and know that they will not be paid a second call-out fee if they aren't carrying sufficient work tools and so on.Sandy Richards, Port MelbourneBase political tacticsBARNEY Zwartz noted that derision of Jewish populations occurring in the 1700s was "usually engineered by the government of the day to distract the Christian majority from their own troubles" ("Pope exonerates Jews over death of Christ", The Age, 4/3). I'm glad centuries down the track, people around the world have learned from history, and are no longer fooled by such base government tactics.Alister Self, AbbotsfordBeacon of good senseFOR more than three decades Kenneth Davidson's column has been a beacon of common sense and light in a world where greed and irresponsibility have so often prevailed in governments of various hues. But thank goodness we still have the chance to read his articles once a month.His analysis of government policies and his proposed solutions to many issues are evidence of a sensible, rigorous thinker who has at heart the good of the majority, the rights of the weak, the health of the planet and the appropriate use of public monies.Climate change, public transport, telecommunications, health, transport, water, power, taxation if only politicians had implemented Davidson's ideas we would not now be facing so many avoidable, shameful and expensive-to-fix problems.I, for one, will be looking forward to the last Monday of each month for the reassurance that not everyone lacks ethical clearsightedness when faced with big decisions that affect us all.Elizabeth Sprigg, Glen IrisCustomers, not parties, lifeblood of retailing"MODELS walk, so do guests," writes Suzanne Carbone (Melbourne Life, 3/3). And so do customers, Bernie Brookes. While shopping at Myer, I, like other potential customers, frequently struggle to find staff to help with queries. The few that are working are overwhelmed at registers and unable to provide personal service. When I have tried to complain about the situation, I'm told managers are either not in attendance or at meetings.Myer reduces its operational costs through absurd reductions in staff levels. Yet it is enthusiastically promoting a seven-figure, superstar-studded, black-tie soiree for a store relaunch. Clearly, customer service takes a lower priority in the eyes of Myer executives.Customers, Bernie Brookes remember them? are the lifeblood of retailing, not parties.Chris Lynch, KilsythEnd the farceCLEAN Up Australia Day, on again tomorrow, used to be a great opportunity for Australians to help clean up their country. Sadly, relatively few do. As a result it has just become a day where those who never litter clean up after those who do ("Cash-for-cans plan revived", The Age, 4/3).This annual farce will continue until governments give us litter policies that actually work. This would include a refund system on drink containers.With a 10 refund, fewer cans and bottles would become litter and those that were would quickly be picked up. A smart litter policy like this would make every day Clean Up Australia Day.Peter Cook, ClematisNo meeting or greetingWE NEED more than prayers to save St Joseph's Catholic Church (Letters, 4/3). The Collingwood community, parishioners, local council and the Collingwood Historical Society support the restoration of one of Collingwood's oldest churches; yet Archbishop Denis Hart continues to refuse to meet any of the Save St Joe's group.Mary Fenelon, CollingwoodPaying for treatmentBETH Michaels (Letters, 3/3), car registration includes compulsory third-party insurance to pay for the treatment of survivors of a crash in which you are at fault. Driving an unregistered vehicle means you are not insured, and the costs could far exceed your $600 fine.Stephen Machet, Brighton
© 2011 The Age
