Letters
Letters to
the editor
Political football
Gabriella Coslovich (“Expert advice bulldozed”, September 27–October 3) rightly exposes the arrogance of former AFL supremo Gillon McLachlan, who persuaded Tasmania’s premier Jeremy Rockliff to accept that constructing an unpopular, divisive, inappropriate and unaffordable monolith is essential to Tasmania being granted an AFL licence. As in Trump’s America, those who will bear the most harm from the lack of respect for expertise and evidence and the non-adherence to principles of financial prudence will be those most reliant on increasingly cash-strapped public services and affordable housing, and future taxpayers laden with crippling debt.
– Frank Nicklason, North Hobart, Tas
Advice principals
A very loud gong to Gabriella Coslovich on her revealing article. One could ask why did the Tasmanian government seek expert advice on the viability of the AFL stadium project if it knew that advice would be ignored or discredited if the findings were unfavourable? The electorate has stated its position on the expensive proposal, preferring to not have the stadium built. The government of Tasmania would be well served if it was to refocus and establish a “constancy of purpose” that provides a high quality of service to the residents and ratepayers of the state, rather than engaging in bullshit schemes of grandiosity.
– Will Martin, Bawley Point, NSW
Private lessons
From my perspective as a disillusioned primary-school teacher, I can say that Jane Caro continues to be one of the few beacons of hope for state school education (“The elephant in the classroom”, September 27–October 3). I see the inequalities of our education system firsthand; working as an emergency teacher in Melbourne’s north and west, I see teachers scrounging for resources such as lined paper, kids using patches of dirt to play a lunchtime game of soccer, and teacher shortages that result in many classes each day being “split” into other classes. On the other hand, young relatives of mine attend “prestigious” private schools with manicured ovals and auditoriums, partially funded by the taxpayer. Educational philosopher Henry A. Giroux argues that schools should be places where teachers and students work together to transform society. How can this happen when private schools will protect their entitlement at all costs and state schools don’t have enough staff to do so?
– Glenn Membrey, Tullamarine, Vic
Talent wasted
Jane Caro is a superb, committed advocate for equity in educational opportunities. The right to a first-class education, regardless of wealth or family circumstances should be an inalienable right in a wealthy, supposedly egalitarian country such as Australia. Apart from the moral imperative, failure to rapidly close the education gap is resulting in a tragic waste of talent and significant economic cost.
– Norman Huon, Port Melbourne, Vic
Taxing time
I couldn’t agree more with Dr Monique Ryan (“Controlling the centre”, September 27–October 3) on the necessity of a properly funded and independent Centre for Disease Control in Australia. What she fails to point out is that for this, and so much more that the Australian government needs to do, the government needs to bite the bullet and increase tax revenue. This can be achieved only by raising the taxes of the richest citizens and examining tax loopholes exploited by some major corporations. This would not only make more revenue to make Australians healthier but could also improve their education and the infrastructure on which we all depend. It’s time to endorse and campaign for a fairer taxation regime.
– Juliet Flesch, Kew, Vic
Questioning the answer
“Over time this reconstruction of human flourishing has taken on the status of holy writ. That’s a mistake. In fact, modern humans are a profane innovation. Without God, modernity is groundless,” writes Stan Grant (“Caught in the drag of decline”, September 27–October 3). This is thought-provoking, but is God really the answer? Isn’t God also some “profane innovation”? Especially in the hands of the God-fearing citizens of the American electorate who gave us the current abomination.
– Bede Lipman, East Lismore, NSW
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This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on October 4, 2025.
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