Do we believe in a justice system only when it suits us?

Inflation options
An excellent article from Richard Denniss (“Money can’t buy everything but …” 20/5) whose think tank – The Australia Institute — has produced a previous insightful paper on the topic of inflation. That paper showed that the inflationary surge over the last few years was predominantly the result of excess business profits, not consumer demand pressures. If these excess profits (resulting from higher prices) had not occurred (due to principled corporate decisions or government actions), inflation would have remained within the Reserve Bank target band of 2-3 per cent. The financial harm to millions of households as a result of the Reserve Bank’s interest rate rises would then have been avoided. There are many more policy levers specifically targeting inflation to be used before resorting to the sledgehammer of higher rates in the future.
Peter Thomson, Brunswick

Nice in theory
Re “Albanese has a vision splendid. Can Dutton the wrecker spoil it?” (Comment, 17/5), who can remember when Australia manufactured cars? We all supported local car manufacturers right up until we drove our new car out of the dealership. It was invariably a foreign made Prado, Pajero or LandCruiser. The same thing will happen with Albanese’s solar panels.
Murray Horne, Cressy

No cash to splash
There is much discussion, including in your report by David Crowe (“Most voters to resist rebate splurge”, 21/5), on how people are going to spend the $300 federal electricity rebate. Many apparently don’t realise they will never actually receive the cash. The money is to be given to the retailers to reduce their bill. Many people may not even realise that the money has been taken off the bill, particularly if they have direct debit applied to their bill.
Alan Inchley, Frankston

Allocation problem
The gas industry of course wants us to solve any so called gas shortfalls by opening up new fields (“Gas giants call for offshore permits fix to avert shortfalls”, 21/5). Then they can continue to export our gas offshore for three times the price; while paying little tax. Australia has plenty of gas. We do not have a supply problem, we have an allocation problem. If we want to ensure the supply of gas on the east coast at a price that is affordable for people and business then let’s just reserve it. It has worked for WA and every other gas exporting nation.
Kieran Simpson, Blackburn North

Failing regulation
“Up to 60 per cent of new apartments in Australia are riddled with construction flaws including cracked foundations, leaks, balcony defects and flammable cladding” (The Age, 19/5).
Is it really that hard, in 2024, to make dwellings that don’t leak or catch fire? The industry, and its “regulators”, should be ashamed of themselves. Surely we can now all agree that “self regulation” is an abject failures, and get back to a system where designs are independently reviewed, and the construction process is monitored by independent inspectors. And directors of the shoddy companies responsible for problems need to be made accountable.
David Nelson, Clayton South

Value independence
Your correspondent (Letters, 21/5) points out an important factor in falling building quality. Independent building inspectors are here to stay but rather than having their pet inspectors who are unlikely to keep working for a particular developer if they keep finding significant faults wouldn’t it be more effective for developers to be randomly appointed a qualified inspector from a pool and have tougher compliance standards for all inspectors.
David Brown, Armadale

Embrace the vision
The groundswell of action to save the Housing Commission towers across Melbourne over the past month has been encouraging. As an architect, I believe that saving the towers is about much more than preventing billions from being wasted by the proposed demolition and reconstruction. It should be seen as a social and humanitarian project, embracing and enriching already established and flourishing inner suburban communities.
The towers are still useful and easily upgradable buildings, extraordinary examples of post-war architecture – cutting edge precast load-bearing concrete panel technology or the tallest multi-storey load bearing brick buildings in the world at the time. Brutalism might not be to everyone’s taste, but these are excellent examples worth preserving.
It is particularly pleasing that the architectural profession is getting involved, in particular the Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter. Various design solutions are already proposed. However, it is worrying that too many of these proposals resemble ego-driven re-imaginings, with fantastical exo-skeletons – completely hiding the original structure – that would be more at home in Dubai or Hong Kong than in Collingwood or Carlton. They completely miss the point of what saving the towers should be all about – affordable and social housing.
David Francis, Northcote

Extraordinary machine
A cow is a highly efficient factory, evolved over millions of years, that turns grass, inedible for humans, into highly nutritious human food. To grow beef cells in vats to the weight of just one cow (“Developed in a lab and grown in vat: It’s meat, but not as we know it”, 21/5) requires hundreds of litres of a nutrient soup in factories. And hundreds of litres of depleted nutrient soup waste. Now think of scaling that up to millions of cows. I can’t see the potential of an environmental net gain.
Ralph Böhmer, St Kilda West

Rogue leader
So all Trump’s legal troubles are a “pile-on” according to our former PM Scott Morrison (“Scott Morrison explains why evangelical Christians love Trump”, 21/5). How did Morrison manage to forget that after losing the more than 60 court actions Trump filed to claim the 2020 presidential election was rigged and stolen from him, the Republican attempted a coup to stay in power? What’s Morrison’s agenda in supporting such a rogue leader?
Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW

Trump mystery
Scott Morrison gives a pretty good explanation as to why lots of Americans love Donald Trump. Nowhere, however, can I find an explanation as to why Morrison loves him as well. It is quite baffling.
Graeme Rose, Wangaratta

Offsets exploited
Audits play a critical role in holding governments and corporations to account by exposing malfeasance and paving the way for remedial action. That’s exemplified by the first audit of Australia’s environmental offsets system (“Enviro offsets scheme riddled with breaches”, 20/5) that has exposed widespread abuse of the rules by developers. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek’s expressed outrage at their manipulation of the system must fuel her determination to tighten the rules and insist on their rigorous application. It’s shocking that it’s taken 12 years for the audit to be conducted. We cannot afford another such period of environmental degradation under the guise of benefit to nature.
Tom Knowles, Parkville

Secret is out
The beach at Aspendale is indeed one of the suburb’s endearing features (“Unassuming and all about lifestyle”, 21/05). It has panoramic views. To the left is the view down to Arthurs Seat, to the right the view up to the Beaumaris Cliffs. The frontal view is just as enchanting, down to Portarlington and over to the You Yangs. All this over blue seas. The view is peaceful in both summer and winter. It is to be hoped that high rise development, of the type that was approved recently at Frankston, never threatens this environment.
The suburb also blessed ample open space at the rear. There is the long beach bike trail meandering down to Frankston, adjacent wetlands, sporting grounds and a magnificent golf course. Aspendale’s anonymity is slowly disappearing as new residents recognise the suburb value and tastefully redevelop the area.
Martin Newington, Aspendale

Duty bound
We are in our 80s and we have lived for 50 years in a large house. The children have left home and we would like to downsize so a young family could live in our home. Our problem is, if we move to a unit costing $1 million the stamp duty is $35,000. So we stay put. That $35,000 will adequately pay for Jim’s Mowing and other maintenance. The Victorian government’s addiction to stamp duty is one of the reasons this state is not in the state it should be.
Alastair Wright, Dandenong North

Fashion police
Re “An Age Ago”, and your correspondent’s letter about the 1980s case of the female barrister wearing trousers (Letters, 21/5). As a defence lawyer, I was wearing culottes, not trousers, when I appeared in the Magistrates Court in 1992. I was severely reprimanded for wearing “trousers” without the magistrate’s permission. Anyone have a more recent example?
Bernadette Cheesman, Wendouree Village

AND ANOTHER THING

Art
Re “Dear Gina, I get it. I hate my Archibald portrait” (21/5) Rembrandt notably turned to self portraits, as there was no need to flatter the sitter. I’m disappointed that the Olympic swimmers, endowed by Gina Rinehart’s patronage, feel obliged to react on her behalf. Would she otherwise not sustain her support? It’s hard to think like the richest person in Australia.
Sue Parrington, Port Melbourne

Protests
Australia is a peace-loving, largely inclusive democracy. Palestine and Israel’s Australian supporters both want the same things – end to war and resolution of the causes of the conflict. Why then, do they not march together?
John Laurie, Riddells Creek

When the suffragettes were agitating for women’s voting rights they didn’t tap meekly on the door at 10 Downing Street and suggest a cup of tea and a bit of a chat to sort out differences. Protests are inherently somewhat impolite.
Jim Spithill, Glen Waverley

Furthermore
Hasn’t Julian Assange spent enough time in prison and embassy refuge? Surely it’s time for his release even if it requires a commitment from him to lead a simple life with his family.
Michael McKenna, Warragul

Re veganism and sausage sizzles, as always, it comes down to money. Coles thin sausages are $6.67 per kilo; Vegie Delights thin sausages (on special this week) $21.70 per kilo. Beyond the realm of donors, who are the usual providers.
Heather Glassford, Williamstown

We await the location of Peter Dutton’s nuclear power sites with bated breath. He is like the loaded dog playing fetch with an explosive.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading

Congratulations to Victorian nurses for rejecting the state government’s pay offer. Nurses carried the health system during COVID and deserve more.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds

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