Immigration Minister Peter Dutton bemoans the cost of providing financial support to asylum seekers (The Age, 22/5). Having volunteered for years with an organisation providing support to them, I am confused by his statement. Many asylum seekers in the community receive no support from the government and many are denied the right to work. Many have been dependent on charities for years as they await departmental processing of their claims. Meanwhile, thousands languish in detention centres in Australia and on Nauru and Manus Island, at massive cost to their mental health and to taxpayers (more than a billion dollars per annum). Both major parties condone this shameful policy, which is severely damaging people and which is the real waste of public money.
Andrew Trembath, Blackburn
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Michael Leunig](http://web.archive.org./web/20170607203042im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/w/b/9/3/i/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gwaspo.png/1495548483704.jpg)
The odds are stacked against refugees
Some people come here by boat, running from war, torture and God knows what. They are looking for safety and a chance. First we lock them up. Then we release them but tell them they are not allowed to apply for asylum. Then we tell them they are in trouble because they did not apply for asylum and they had better do it quickly or they will be sent packing. First we tell them they are not allowed to work. Then we tell them they are a burden on taxpayers because they do not work. Then Peter Dutton says they are "fake refugees". Talk about Catch 22 and 1984. The government talks about immigration occurring in an orderly fashion. How about processing these people's claims for asylum in an orderly and fair way, with time for their cases to be properly heard and dealt with? How about giving these long-suffering, "real" human beings a fair go?
Lindy Grange, Newport
Everyone's right to a fair legal process
According to Peter Dutton, "the game is up". About 7500 asylum seekers who are yet to lodge their asylum claims cost Australians about $250million in income support last financial year and have no right to be here. Furthermore, "we are not going to allow, given the level of debt that our country is in, for more debt to be run up paying for welfare services, for people who are not genuine". This, and other asylum seeker policies, causes immense harm to vulnerable people and undermines the principles that have shown Australia to be a generous and cohesive country. The least we can do for asylum seekers is provide them with a fair legal process.
Robyn Daff, Cheltenham
The truth is that some refugees are 'fake'
Of the 30,000 "legacy caseload" asylum seekers whose applications have been processed, 70per cent have been found to be refugees owed protection, meaning 30per cent were not. This vital statistic tends to be forgotten by refugee advocates and lawyers who focus on the rights of 100per cent of asylum seekers to a fair hearing. Our commitment to the UNHCR requires us to provide all asylum seekers with the opportunity to present their claim to meet the current definition of a refugee. However, the claims of a significant minority are shown to be false, simulated or – as the dictionary offers as an unremarkable synonym – "fake".
Rod Wise, Glen Iris
Time our leaders faced the facts
John Maynard Keynes said, "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?". Surely it is time the government (and Opposition) changed their minds. The refugees have nowhere safe to go. The only option is to bring them to the mainland and manage the boats.
Jane Picton, Glen Waverley
THE FORUM
Spirit of Australia
Thank you, Michael Gordon ("The revolution that wasn't", 20/5). In 1967, I was 23 and I gladly voted yes to the referendum to approve two amendments to the constitution relating to Indigenous Australians.
Now, having read this article, I understand how I was misled and why the Commonwealth has done nothing over the past 50years. What is the difference between Palm Island for Queensland Aborigines and Manus Island for those families that are seeking refuge here? We, the people of Australia, must tell our government that the First Peoples are our brothers and sisters. The spirit of Australia is in helping each other.
John Morkham, Balwyn
Dream of equality
Andrew and Nicola Forrest's $400million philanthropic donation ("The feel good factor", The Age, 23/5) is to be applauded. However, wouldn't it be nice if we lived in a country where we had more equality, and there would be less need for such charity?
Rosemary Taylor, Castlemaine
A different 'donation'
I would respect Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest more if he offered to pay 99per cent tax on any income he earns over, say, $5million a year. That amount should be enough for anyone to scrape by on.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
It's your turn, Gina
Following Andrew and Nicola Forrest's $400 million philanthropic donation, perhaps Gina Rinehart will "up the ante" and donate $500million from her $6billion-plus wealth to her chosen charity. But do not hold your breath on that one.
Nigel Beresford, Drouin
Follow Europe's lead
The issue of heavy trucks on the Monash Freeway (The Age, 23/5) appears to be a perennial problem. Attempts to address it have failed in any meaningful way. The fact is that drivers of heavy vehicles abhor a vacuum and will move into any spot that will give them an advantage or a couple of seconds here and there.
Generally speaking, they are experienced enough to make it work in their favour but the arrogance of some drivers, and their disregard for others, does the industry a disservice, not to mention endangering lives.
It seems to me that we ought to trial the system used in much of Europe where heavyweight vehicles are restricted to the inside lane of major roads. In my reasonably extensive experience of driving in Europe, I have not seen the system abused. Drivers, apparently, are happy to have a lane to themselves and content to travel at a constant speed. At least we should give this a go.
Peter Wilms, Prahran
Putting safety first
The location where tram route 58, on a reserved track, crosses Elliott Avenue in Parkville (The Age, 23/5) should not be regarded as an intersection in the normal traffic sense. It should be treated as a level crossing, provided with signals so that a tram can call upon the right to proceed, and be fitted with boom gates. Route 109 has had two sets of boom gates for many years and it has a good safety record. Similarly, on reserved track such as Dandenong Road, an upgrade is required so that at least standard traffic signals allow full right of way to trams. White LED signs displaying "Give way to trams" are useless since they are frequently ignored.
Rod Watson, East Brighton
Concentrate, drivers
Peter O'Keefe (Letters, 22/5), and I am sure others, lament the introduction of yet another speed zone (The Age, 19/5). Steering a car from A to B is relatively easy. So easy, in fact, that many drivers can find the time to text, apply make-up and even window shop while they are at it. But driving to the conditions, focusing on one's surroundings, including other drivers' random actions, road conditions and the ever-changing speed limits, in order to safely complete a journey: that is hard. Too hard for some, it would seem.
Peter McGill, Lancefield
Myth of 'liveability'
I was delighted to read an article on Melbourne, "the world's most liveable city" (Spectrum, 20/5). After nearly a lifetime, I do not find it so any longer and I wondered why. Now I understand. This title is given by Economist magazine and measures "low crime rates, reasonable tax breaks and good private schools". These criteria are for multinationals that want to relocate staff. It has nothing to do with us, the citizens, who have trouble buying a house, travelling on public transport, paying for utilities and paying the highest prices in the world for our food. This "most liveable city" is becoming overcrowded, over-built and unaffordable for the average person. Thank you, Ray Edgar.
Jennifer Raper, Brighton East
This matters, why?
There have been headlines that accused drug mule Cassie Sainsbury might have been a sex worker. I suppose that in some way this should impact on her guilt or innocence for the drug charges that she faces in Colombia. Relevance, your worship?
Stephen McNamara, Newtown
We'll be the losers
Why has the federal government axed eight environmental conditions aimed at protecting vulnerable turtles that lay their eggs on the beach near Adani's proposed mine in Queensland (The Age, 22/5)? Why are we giving so much to an Indian company that will mine our coal and leave us nothing? All we will have is a destroyed landscape, a decimated Great Barrier Reef and many dead native animals and fish.
Mary McCleary, Research
Climate change is real
Has it occurred to your "climate change vomit" correspondent (Letters, 23/5) that the increasing number of extreme climate events affect mainly poor people? Record-breaking cyclone Pam hit Vanuatu in 2015, record-breaking floods crippled Peru this year, and the devastating African drought is even worse than usual. Good Weekend provided a case study ("Dying of thirst", 20/5) where farm labourers in Central America are suffering a new kidney disease epidemic, thought to be related to dehydration in areas with "the highest solar radiation and heat waves". For welfare issues affecting the Third World, I would trust experts such as Oxfam and World Vision, rather than Adani.
Joan Reilly, Surrey Hills
Beachfront 'lifestyle'
It is not all bad news about the latest "climate-change flood risk" doubling in low-lying suburbs in Melbourne (The Age, 23/5). South Melbourne, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, Altona, Williamstown and Elwood and others are looking like becoming another Atlantis. I could be living on the beachfront by the year 2100. The only problem is that I will be 129 years of age.
John Bastiras, Elsternwick
Our losing battle
I finally got a dial tone from calling Centrelink (more often than not, it is engaged), only to wait an hour before my call was answered. This was after ringing four days in a row. My son applied for his youth allowance in January and is yet to receive it, despite going to our local office each month and politely inquiring how his application is progressing.
Last week he went in again, only to be directed to a phone in the office to ring the Centrelink number. He did as he was told – and waited an hour before the call was answered. Many people who use this service are broken by their circumstances, as am I. Life has thrown them a curved ball that they never saw coming. The service needs to be overhauled. People deserve better. For those who are too "battle weary" to deal with Centrelink any more, I understand. It has been a humbling journey.
Name withheld, Doncaster
Time banks grew up
So the banks have told their shareholders they cannot "absorb" the levy imposed on them by the government (BusinessDay, 23/5). Well, maybe the government should no longer be the "lender of last resort" which, by all accounts, is worth $34billion per year to the banks. For years they have been taking their customers and the taxpayers for mugs through insider scams and government support through the 2008 global financial crisis. Perhaps it is time for the banks to understand what "user pays" actually means.
Pete Muskens, Northcote
The forgotten victims
Craig Richards ("TAC loophole puts a spoke in the wheel", 22/5) writes about bike riders. He is nearly there. I, too, have to "try and cope with the far inferior public health cover and welfare benefits". I have lost both legs to arterial disease. It was a poor choice on my part as it turned out as I receive the minimum- cost prosthesis.
Disturbingly, I find myself envious of people who lost a leg due to a car accident. I see them with their $100,000 legs and $30,000 feet, and then look at my two bits of pipe joined in the middle and I wonder. Last year the TAC made a healthy profit of $542million on its insurance. Couldn't it spare some of this for us poor sods who lost a limb to medical problems? And the NDIS will make no difference.
Sean Mellerick, Croydon
AND ANOTHER THING
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Politics
Poor Abbott. He worked so hard for an Australia built on greed and inequality, and people just won't listen.
Laurie McCormack, Clifton Hill
Peter Dutton, a fake Christian.
Phil Libbis, Essendon
If there really is public support for the detention policy, then there has never been a more embarrassing time to be an Australian.
Fred Wachtel, Portarlington
Come on, Albo. It's time to put Bill out his misery.
John Vidovich, East Melbourne
Now I understand what Sinodinos meant when he said One Nation had become more sophisticated.
Graeme Henchel, Yarra Glen
Telemarketers may be allowed to self-regulate our Do Not Call Register (23/5). Yep, that will work well.
John Boyce, Richmond
The US
Obama was intelligent, articulate and considerate. Trump is ...
Louis Ferrari, Richmond
Wouldn't it be nice if the US got the hell out of the Middle East?
William Puls, Mentone
Jobs, jobs, jobs? Guns, guns, guns. Sad.
Jim Picot, Altona
Philanthropy
The Forrests are "warm handed" Australians and a credit to us all.
Rex Condon, Ashwood
An old saying: Robin Hoods rob publicly and give privately, whilst philanthropists give publicly and ...
Bob Mancor, Newstead
Congratulations, Twiggy. Magnificent. Don't forget that donations of $2 or more are tax deductible.
David Price, Camberwell
Is Phil Anthropy the new Jobson Growth?
Robert Forbes, Camberwell
Did I hear correctly? Gina has set up a $400 charitable fund.
Rod Cripps, Parkdale