Letters
Letters to
the editor
Big deal
Once was a time when pacts between countries used words with diplomatic gravitas – agreements, understandings, treaties, compacts, accords (Karen Barlow, “‘Pissed uncle at Christmas’: Inside Trump’s trade push”, July 5-11). Now we have deals. Deals are for used car sales and snake oil cures. Easily made, easily broken. So it’s important Anthony Albanese sidelines the neo-conservatives and instead pays attention to a Trump-averse electorate and to Paul Bongiorno (“Squaring the Oval Office”, July 5-11). Avoid Donald Trump, withdraw from AUKUS, treasure our rare-earth minerals, advance our trade with China, pursue Asia–Pacific and European partnerships and assert our sovereignty. You don’t do deals with dodgy salespeople, oligarchs, or pissed uncles at Christmas.
– Alison Stewart, Riverview, NSW
We can do this
On reading Daniel James’s “A moment that demands courage” (July 5 -11), I too am filled with hope that action will be taken to redress the wrongs and to establish the rights for the future. I am hopeful that other states and territories will display the same strengths and courage to support similar dialogues for justice. The history of murderous acts is known to us all. It is diminishing not to share these truths, to speak them out loud. As painful as they are, they are our truths. Many of our families, my family, were connected historically to the dispossession and the cruelty. It’s time to act. Let’s do this. One by one by one by one. We can do this.
– Christine Kerr, Marrickville, NSW
Major task
Gabriella Coslovich revealed that, more than three months after losing its RSPCA certification, Huon Aquaculture salmon was still advertising the endorsement (“Huon salmon still on a roll”, July 5-11). If that was not bad enough, the Australian public later received confessions from the then salmon industry chief and Tasmania’s chief veterinary officer that fish from diseased pens with mass mortalities can be legally processed for human consumption. It is more than likely that those binned, diseased and moribund fish ended up on the plates of unsuspecting people who believed they had made a healthy dietary choice. Coslovich points out that Huon Aquaculture owners, JBS, have convictions for bribery and corruption. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt has a massive task on his hands to clean up this industry.
– Frank Nicklason, North Hobart, Tas
Reason to despair
It seems that I am not alone in despairing at the lack of Labor MPs’ intentions to champion the environment and climate change in the current term. I once again scanned your survey results for any signs of hope, only to come up empty (Karen Barlow, “Class of 2025: Part II”, July 5-11). We have a global climate crisis and I believed Labor was up to the challenge. Yet all I see are MPs mirroring what we are seeing elsewhere. Climate action is slipping down the list of people’s most pressing concerns and in so doing giving those who have the tools to make real positive changes a reason to do less.
– Andy Parsons, Ringwood East, Vic
Original sin
There’s so much good sense in Kim Williams’ case for the ABC to save Australia from its ignorance (“The case for investment in the ABC”, July 5-11). But does he listen to its news bulletins? There are “16,000 original news items published monthly”, but what proportion of them are cheap and nasty police stories encouraging us to cry out for law’n’order? And how many are regional or Indigenous news stories that would allow city-dwellers to understand the whole country a little better? Bay of Fires is a perfect example of bantamweight entertainment – a muddle having little purpose other than to bring employment to Tasmania.
– Jeremy Eccles, Clifton Gardens, NSW
Truth-listening
Thank you Deborah Cheetham Fraillon for continuing to write beautiful music and for not giving up on non-Indigenous Australians after the devastating referendum vote (“A transcendent Voice”, July 5-11). Listening to your music calls us to hear this country’s Indigenous voices. That’s what the referendum was asking us to do. Listen. This year I’ve joined a small community book club that sprang up in my neighbourhood. We read, discuss and learn from Indigenous writers. Our way of listening to the truth, firsthand, from Australia’s original storytellers.
– Robyn Edwards, Bronte, NSW
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This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on July 12, 2025.
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