Only one person gains from heartless assault

Keep fighting, Ros
Ros Collins’ article (“NDIS system is failing my son in his hour of need”, 19/3) could be a script for Yes Minister were it not so heart-rending. Her son, Dan, is fortunate in having a mother who, at 95, refuses to accept the constant knockbacks from government and who can argue with such power and lucidity – and love – for her boy. He is not so fortunate in being at the mercy of thoughtless, inflexible bureaucratic responses.
Keep fighting, Ros. Mothers who read your words are with you in your appeal for compassion and fairness for Dan.
Miriam Gould, Malvern

All attitudes apply
If Peter Dutton wants migrants applying for Australian passports to be quizzed about their attitudes towards Jewish people (“Dutton wants antisemitism on citizen test”, 19/3), I hope they are also quizzed about attitudes towards people of Islamic, Catholic and Buddhist faiths.
If not, in this embracing multifaith country of ours, wouldn’t it be blatant discrimination, creating exclusion that breeds resentment, not unity?
Vivienne Fry, Beaumaris

Policy undermines courts
Peter Dutton’s mooted policy to give federal ministers the power to cancel Australian citizenship of dual nationals with a criminal conviction is Trumpian and a very dangerous undermining of our High Court’s jurisdiction (“Dutton mulls referendum on deporting dual citizens”, 18/3).
High Court judges have years of training and a depth of understanding of legal issues impacting our Constitution. Their decision-making processes are transparent and made without fear or favour.
Imagine the kind of bias some of our ministers, who have a primary commitment to advancing their political party and their career, could enact under that policy.
Jennifer Gerrand, Carlton North

Make your vote count
With the coming federal election, our vote is critical in the way our country operates both internally and on the world stage.
The American people voted for change at any cost, and now have a psychopath for a leader whose only claims to fame are that he is a criminal, was in a television show and is a snake-oil salesman.
So let’s do research and make our vote count for the “good” of our country now and in the future.
David Hunt, Barongarook

Dutton a safer bet
Australia cannot afford another three years of the Albanese government. The Chinese navy recently circumnavigated the continent in a menacing fashion without so much as a whimper from our leaders. The Trump administration has slapped tariffs on our aluminium and appears to be eyeing off the agricultural sector. We have an ambassador, Kevin Rudd, who appears offside with the administration.
Peter Dutton would be a safer bet, both with our friends and foes.
Peter Curtis, Werribee South

Prices at a premium
I get it that house insurance companies are in the business of making profits, and that they can’t keep up with natural disasters caused by global warming. Global warming has taken our insurance companies off guard since it is happening so quickly (“Easier to blame insurers than act”, 19/3).
To ensure their profits, insurance companies spread the risk or reinsure with other insurance companies. They cancel policies where people have put in too many claims. Insurance companies also spread the risk by increasing everyone’s premium.
Australians are a captive market. Our houses are our No.1 asset. Many house owners grumble about increasing premiums, but few cancel their policies. If we shop around for a better deal, we are likely to find that we can do little better. Is this evidence of collusion or simply a reflection of the actuaries doing their job, and that the premium reflects the current risk?
Geoff Black Frankston

Insurers feeding beast
Ross Gittins has nailed it with insurance (“Easier to blame insurers than act”, 19/3). What I don’t understand is why insurance companies continue to insure the expansion of the fossil-fuel industry when it is turning their business model upside down.
Kevin Cato, Collingwood

Corruption costs us all
Premier Jacinta Allan’s response this week to further allegations of corruption and violence, including on Big Build projects, was to spruik a new police operation that was already operational, and is quite frankly insulting (“‘New’ hawk union probe already exists, say police”, 18/3).
Victoria’s financial position isn’t exactly healthy, and credit agencies have warned of credit downgrades if rising operational costs and blowouts aren’t addressed. We are already seeing cuts to services, increased taxes and delays of important projects.
Let’s be absolutely clear, corruption affects every single Victorian. Transparency International states it well: “Corruption erodes trust, weakens democracy, hampers economic development and further exacerbates inequality, poverty, social division and the environmental crisis.”
Our state government needs
to do more.
Yvonne Bowyer, Surrey Hills

Listen to one another
Young voters have ample reasons to distrust individual politicians and the current overall system (“⁣⁣Raze it to the ground’: Young losing trust with our politicians”, 19/3). Examples of long-running problems abound in The Age.
From the alleged CFMEU rorts to illegal tobacco, the law seems far too slow to catch up with offenders. NDIS has failed many of our most vulnerable citizens.
We have a cost-of-living crisis, yet the leader of the alternative government, Peter Dutton, talks about an unwinnable referendum but not his policy on how to increase people’s real incomes.
The big-ticket item is climate change. One letter (19/3) notes
40 years of warnings, describing politicians’ “callous disregard for the welfare of future generations”.
I disagree with the young voter who said that we should raze the whole system. We could make a better start by following another comment, which recommends “listening to one another”.
John Hughes, Mentone

Bite on chocolate
Good on your correspondent for shopping thoughtfully (Letters, 18/03), with an eye to how everyday food choices can translate into small acts of resistance to human exploitation and environmental evils.
Easter is a good time to think about chocolate. More than 2 million children are engaged in illegal child labour on West African cocoa farms. Up to 90 per cent of Ghanaian cocoa farmers live in poverty, and many survive on just $2 a day. Meanwhile, giant chocolate corporations are raking in multibillion-dollar profits.
One or two little-known, slightly dearer chocolate brands committed to ethical trading and environmental responsibility are usually on display in supermarkets. It just takes a little more time to find them.
Jill Sanguinetti, East Brunswick

Tone down MCG banners
Seeing live footy is an awesome experience, but my enjoyment of watching a game at the MCG last weekend was severely dampened by the electronic banners that circle the ground.
The banners occupy the entire circumference of the ground and on four levels, including the ground-level fence. On a ground as big as the MCG, it’s always been a challenge to see the play on the far side, but the ground-level banner makes it impossible to distinguish the players and follow the play.
Having highly animated, constantly changing, multi-colour images moving across every part of the ground on four levels is excessive – especially at night.
I left at half-time. These screens need to be far less intrusive.
Gail Greatorex, South Melbourne

Parking pain foreseeable
The article about North East Link workers parking in Macleod (“Workers’ parking ‘a middle finger’ to Macleod residents”, 19/3) excluded one main detail. There used to be a large project on-site car park that has now been dug up. That’s when the problem started. The issue was obviously foreseeable and other on-site parking areas should have been planned and rotated as required.
There is also a large army base adjacent. A secure parking area on that land should be negotiated. Better still are incentives and shuttle services to get workers to use nearby train and bus services.
Mark Freeman, Macleod

Space for opportunity
The glaring irony as the world was transfixed on the return of the stranded astronauts from the space station was palpable (“Splashdown: Astronauts finally back on Earth”, 19/3).
At best, these are the times when the world truly sees itself as one tribe but at worst, this was simultaneously a massive gloating and self-promotion opportunity for Elon Musk and his government-contracted SpaceX.
As Donald Trump was on the phone to Vladimir Putin, a Russian cosmonaut was also brought home in that capsule.
This is a timely reminder that we are as a team bigger and better than anything the duo in Washington can impose upon us.
April von Moger, Ashburton

Bucking beauty trend
Well said, Kerri Sackville (“Casting actor with glorious bunny teeth was incisive”, 19/3). It appals me that in 2025, women of all ages are still expected to conform to some unrealistic idea of perfect “beauty”.
In theory, we all celebrate diversity, yet when it comes to a woman’s looks, a certain rigid formula is always applied – whether subconsciously or not.
Imagine if Australian women donated the dollars they spend in one year on “beauty” to a group of people in need. Surely, that would be a beautiful thing.
Julie Christensen, Blackburn North

AND ANOTHER THING ...

Of course, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has no intention of holding a referendum on deporting dual citizens (The Age, 18/3). It is just another of his thought bubbles to distract from the fact he has no real plans should he somehow win government.
Marie Nash, Balwyn

Peter Dutton may well be able to walk and chew gum, but can he walk through a revolving door and continue on, or does he just do a 180-degree turn?
Alan Inchley, Frankston

Is it just me, or is George Brandis making more sense recently (Opinion, 19/3)?
Peter Baddeley, Portland

Wombats
To your correspondent (Letters, 19/3) on the wombat woman: I think most Australians would realise the prime minister was not seriously suggesting that the woman endanger herself; he was indulging in hyperbole.
Brian Kilday, Jeeralang Junction

Let’s hope the media’s fact-checking of party election claims will be as forensic as its wombat coverage.
Bernd Rieve, Brighton

CFMEU
It might be time for the state government to pull their Big Build advertisements.
Neale Woods, Wattle Glen

Everyone has got it all backwards or wrong. The CFMEU is obviously a bikie gang with the odd legitimate builder infiltrating the collective.
Karl, Hughesdale

Furthermore
We leave the King out of our national anthem, so why the outrage about leaving King Charles III off our $5 note?
Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff

I would like to see Amelia Earhart, a famous aviator, on the new $5 note – or maybe a $5 coin given the way inflation is going.
Doug Springall, Yarragon

Finally
The Age reported that the SpaceX crew landed in the Gulf of Mexico (“Astronauts finally back on Earth”, 19/3). Does this mean that Donald Trump will cancel his Age subscription?
Max Langshaw, Sunbury

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