Withdrawing $100, and possibly $50, notes from circulation (The Age, 15/12) in an attempt to scotch the black economy (although we were told the GST would achieve that)? What nonsense. The lives of ordinary people will become more documented (by way of bank records because they will be forced to use credit and debit cards) and complicated. The popularity of larger denomination notes owes much to the fact that they are convenient. Given the effect of inflation, it is not surprising that the number in circulation has increased over the last 20years.
The likes of former Reserve Bank official Peter Mair, who has proposed the abolition of larger denomination notes, Financial Services Minister Kelly O'Dwyer, who will set up a task force, and former KPMG global chairman Michael Andrew, who will head it, probably do not encounter everyday situations that will be less convenient for the rest of us if large denomination notes are withdrawn.
They do not have to stand in long supermarket queues, which will become longer if most payments are made via the (often dysfunctional or overdrawn) credit/debit cards or small denomination notes that have to be counted and recounted. They will not have to make larger than usual withdrawals from banks, only to leave with pockets full of small denomination notes. They will not get the monthly shock that most of us will when an unmanageable credit card bill arrives. And they will not have to make a declaration of financial interests to my political mistress (aka my fond, much tried and, sometimes, less than understanding wife) by way of a credit card statement that sets out all my extravagances. Has Ms O'Dwyer factored in a larger Family Court budget?
Arthur Roberts, Elwood
Little impact on the black economy
I do not understand how the removal of the $100 note from circulation will affect the so-called black economy. People will just use $50 notes and then $20 notes. If the maximum valued currency were a $5 coin, that might discourage it.
Raymond Kenyon, Camberwell
We need a crackdown on big tax avoiders
Perhaps the $2billion or so potentially saved by targeting the $100 notes used by the cash economy will contribute towards the roughly $50billion worth of tax cuts to big business – of which businesses, according to recent reports, some 30per cent pay no tax anyway. The pitiful reality of proposals to help the budget's bottom line by hurting those on low incomes is brought into focus when compared with the anti-social tax behaviour of the biggest companies. I suspect most Australians would support a change in the laws to make big business' tax avoidance illegal and prosecutable, rather than scaping the barrel for a few dollars from the poorest people.
Owen Rye, Boolarra South
Why target the small fish with a big stick?
I bet big businesses are glad that the $100 note may be withdrawn from circulation. They must be sick of using boat loads of them to avoid the masses of tax that they are not paying. This is a typical government initiative: whack the little fish with the biggest stick you can find and give the big fish a stern talking to.
Ian Hudson, Yarrambat
I'd love to see what a real $100 note looks like
We teachers are not fussed if the $100 note is removed from circulation as we were never paid enough to see them in our pockets. I read in the newspaper that the the $100 note is green. It looks very nice.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill
THE FORUM
We all deserve fair pay
Australian artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers have a right to receive fair payment for their work. The sweeping changes to Australian copyright laws being pushed by Peter Martin (Comment, 14/12), the Productivity Commission and big tech companies will see these protections taken away.
Martin claims universities cannot get ahead because of Australia's copyright framework. And yet our world-leading copyright licences allow schools and universities to copy and share everything published in the world for less than the cost of a book for every student. This supports a higher education system that last month reported international students, knocking down the door to get into Aussie universities, generated a record $20.3billion in income just this year. To say copyright is holding them back is bizarre.
Adam Suckling,Copyright Agency, Sydney
Talk to real writers
Yet again we are pummelled with the economist's view of income, productivity and what's good for the money-makers. No attempt to talk to an author who is endeavouring, despite the publishing industry's trials and contractions, to make a living out of writing. Peter Martin could go to the Australian Society of Authors for clear information about how proposed changes will affect authors. Or he could interview me about the realities of life as a writer and get some real answers about income, expenditure and what copyright means.
Sherryl Clark, Altona North
Battle for legal justice
Coroners are fallible, yet an ordinary citizen who wants to challenge a Victorian coronial finding is in a no-win situation ("Phoebe's death prompts act review", 16/12). It is all but impossible for a person of ordinary or low means and connections to hire lawyers capable of convincing the Supreme Court that a perverse error of law has occurred. (The Castle's "vibe" argument is not going to fly.) And such an appeal is prohibitively expensive, especially as the appellant must pick up all costs if the challenge fails. I have two hopes: that the Coroners Act is amended in the interests of public justice, and that there is no tricky wording preventing challenges to pre-existing findings.
Robyn Walton, Toorak
Pot, kettle, black
Tony Abbott said most members of the crossbench "indulge their inner exhibitionist" and "just love to make a spectacle of themselves" (The Age, 15/12). Would this be the same Tony Abbott who regularly pranced around in red budgie-smugglers, and ineptly filleted fish when cameras were present?
Anne Smith, Dookie
Meaning of Christmas
For Peter Dutton, the minister with no understanding of the meaning of Christmas, to protest about changing the words of a carol (The Age, 16/12) shows a lack of self-awareness. Christmas is about charity, welcoming the stranger, caring for other people. Mary and Joseph were consigned to a stable. Mr Dutton abandons refugees to appalling conditions on Manus Island and Nauru. Is he a Christian?
Gael Barrett, Balwyn North
A matter of perspective
So now it is the "festive" season, lest someone is offended by a reference to Christmas. People are slaughtering each other in Syria and Iraq. There is famine in Eritrea, and the world's most powerful nation is about to be run by a megalomaniac real estate tycoon. If you cannot bring yourself to say the word "Christmas", then focus on "happy". Wish some happiness on a friend.
Damien Ryan, Frankston
Celebrating diversity
Changing the words of carols is political correctness not gone far enough. A proper PC response would be to embrace everybody and celebrate all traditions, such as Chanukah, Diwali, Chinese New Year and Ramadan. We would have more understanding of different traditions, fewer children would be excluded, and there would be more parties. Atheist parents could accept this because the celebrations would highlight diversity and demonstrate that no religion holds exclusive ownership of the truth.
Greg Walsh, Black Rock
When the car is best
Melbourne Zoo wants 1000 new car parks provided in Royal Park (The Age, 15/12). For me, a day at zoo is prefaced by a short walk to the bus, followed by a train trip to the city and finally a tram to Parkville. Reverse this journey to get home. I cannot imagine a family from the outer suburbs taking public transport to the zoo. Melbourne is a big place.
Leonie Cash, Oakleigh East
Stand up to the US
It is a measure of our subservience to the US military that an American admiral announced the planned deployment of the deadly F-22 raptor jets in Australia (The Age, 15/12). He also vowed US interests would not change with the inauguration of Donald Trump. What about Australia's interests? Are we so afraid of US abandonment that we forego independent foreign policy? Maybe the 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper can recognise that following the US into Vietnam, Iraq and Syria has not been in our interests. New Zealand acts in its own interest and is still an ally. We can too.
Dr Margaret Beavis, Medical Association for Prevention of War, Carlton
Welcome the US subs
It is good news the US will base the F-22 raptor jets here as it will save us buying and running such an expensive aircraft. We should do likewise with the submarines. We could save ourselves $30billion from the all-important "bottom line" by inviting the US Navy to base its subs here.
James Ogilvie, Kew
In defence of Dads
I thought I was in the 1950's when I read Kasey Edwards' article (Comment, 15/12). She says: "Before my daughter started school, I had no idea that school-aged children had 12 weeks of school holidays every year". Where did she go to school? Does she not discuss family issues with her partner?
In this day and age, most fathers are involved with their children and also shoulder the responsibilities. Edwards seems to be suggesting they are incompetent and bad fathers. That is a disgrace.
Leon Raftopoulos, Preston
Sub-standard tracks
There is a rumour that the mud holes on the substandard north-east railway line to Albury have been there so long that they have been classified by the National Trust. In the light of V/Line's decision to ban trains from running on several of the state's most important freight rail lines once the temperature reaches 33 degrees (The Age, 15/12), does the wavy line in the V/Line logo represent buckled track?
Yaroslav Dudinski, railway engineer, Sunshine
Third World approach
What is it with the NBN? Why are we not permitted to know when broadband internet will be available in our area? What possible use could it be to the "enemy"? (New Zealand?) My existing ADSL+ service is so unreliable that I long for the days before video streaming when the service could be relied upon to at least be consistent, if not fast.
Trying to stream video along the old wires is akin to pushing a coconut through a tea-strainer, yet our masters will not let us know when we will be relieved of this torture. If the NBN ever occurs in my street, I hope it is not the watered-down version that I keep hearing about which provides no better a service than ADSL. I suspect this would not have been an issue if we had run fibre to the house, as originally intended, instead of to the node. Australia is a laughing stock when compared to other First World countries in this regard.
Peter Dunne, Brighton East
Our pride and joy
Jo Grigg says that "Melbourne's elm avenues and boulevards are the last in the world" (Letters, 15/12). Beautiful Camperdown in south-western Victoria has a 5kilometre avenue of elms running through it. The legacy left by our forebears provides shade for stallholders at the monthly Rotary market, picnic visitors and children playing games.
Graeme Fischer, Bookaar
Save our trees, too
Many of Warrnambool's mature, lovely plane trees are going to be destroyed by the city council in an attempt to rejuvenate and beautify our Main Street. Most of the arguments for keeping the trees in St Kilda Road in Melbourne apply to this situation. The councillors either do not care or they brush off any concerns raised. More publicity and discussion are needed before this important and irrevocable decision is made.
Judith Punch, Warrnambool
AND ANOTHER THING
World
In a few years, I hope I can still rate George W.Bush as the worst American president in living memory.
Henry Haszler, Eltham
"Trump" should be word of the year – an American descent into self-indulgence and mean spiritedness.
Leo Gamble, Mentone
The Age: page 12, the horrors of Aleppo; page 14, whinges about 103 trees.
Louise Kloot, Doncaster
Politics
Scott Morrison doesn't want pensioners to have fun stacking $100 notes under their mattresses.
Kaye Jones, Nagambie
Tony, there is no such thing as a "bit" of depression.
Michael Higgins, Erica
Dutton wants to bring more Christianity into Christmas. Really? Where did he learn about that?
Barbara Morley, Donvale
Here's wishing Peter Dutton a good Yule and a happy Saturnalia.
Colin Jones, South Melbourne
One Nation seems to be gaining popularity in Victoria. We'll have to put up with a basket of deplorables.
Craig Calvert, Montmorency
We need a royal commission into all matter financial. Turnbull isn't the man to do this. He's in bed with the miscreants.
Doris LeRoy, Altona
Furthermore
Shuttle buses between Royal Parade and the Zoo would be be cheaper and better than building a car park.
Lesley Taskis, Kingsbury
Harold Mitchell, starting work at 6am and working 7 days a week for 40years is "having control over your life" (16/12)? Each to their own.
Graham Fetherstonhaugh, Carlton North
Vale Anne Deveson. Your courage in telling the story of your son's schizophrenia was a breath of fresh air to fellow travellers.
Patricia Bish, Gisborne