Climate visa won’t turn tide on environmental damage

The new visa pathway for Tuvaluans indicates a significant and welcome shift in government policy in that it recognises for the first time that climate change can force people to leave their homes (“Four in five Tuvaluans apply to move to Australia. Frayzel is among them”, July 20). But while it offers a way out, it does not address the cause of their displacement. When Pacific nations ask Australia to cut emissions to help slow sea-level rise, the government is unwilling to act. Offering resettlement while enabling massive fossil fuel expansion ignores both our climate obligations and the human rights of those already bearing the consequences. Wouldn’t the right approach be to match humanitarian support with a meaningful effort to reduce emissions driving the rising sea levels and climate warming?
Anne Ammann, Dargan

Parenting priorities

I don’t often agree with Parnell Palme McGuinness, but I do on this one (“Women’s revolution will benefit all”, July 20). Fifth-wave feminism, which will make it possible for parents to prioritise looking after their child themselves, particularly in the early years, has been highlighted by the current childcare scandals. Economic changes to make that possible make long-term sense for society and the economy, even if there is a short-term hit to government coffers. It was crazy to think that someone called an educator was a reasonable substitute for parents, particularly in the first two years of a child’s life.
Gary Barnes, Mosman

Parnell is correct to spell out the obvious that babies need parents and parents need babies. This is an evolved genetic imperative we ignore to our peril with dire consequences for individuals and society. Business will also be a winner with happy, fulfilled and productive employees. Win-win all round. Mother and freelance writer Virginia Tapscott must be applauded for her enlightened manifesto, which we desperately need. The elephant we’ve been ignoring is the fundamental flaw of allowing the care of our young and their parents to be at the mercy of a profit-driven industry.
Richard Hambly, Potts Point

Investing in the future

Many years ago, in the late 1970s, the old Marrickville Council decided to invest in multiple child care centres (“More must be done to attract quality childcare staff”, July 20). It was the best decision those long-departed councillors ever made. My children (and later grandchildren) have all benefited from a system where the staff has professional development and support, while parents have a ready avenue to express concerns. There is no good reason why child care cannot be provided by local government in the same way as libraries and other community services.
Joanna Mendelssohn, Dulwich Hill

Dollars not sense

Richer by the day, thanks substantially to tax-free wealth gains on a property that houses a gymnasium, a guests’ retreat, half a dozen bathrooms and serves as a domestic dwelling for two (“Rich lister sells house for $40m, doubles his money in five years”, July 20). Meanwhile, poorly paid workers struggling to find the money to enable their families to survive from day to day have to pay tax on their paltry earnings, and people think it’s OK. Unbelievable. If those who make the rules were poor, lowly paid workers rather than overly well-to-do, things might be different, more reasonable, and society less unjust and not so sick.
Ross Drynan, Lindfield

Trump’s hubris

When Donald Trump’s delicate sensitivities are offended, his default response is to sue, baby, sue (“Angry Trump sues Murdoch for $15b”, July 20). This is designed to cause the offender to surrender and has proved effective at times. However, he has underestimated Murdoch. Murdoch is far more savvy than Trump and would not have allowed The Wall Street Journal to publish the Epstein birthday letter without doing all the checks and balances. I suspect Trump will be forced to eat humble pie this time to avoid a court case that could open a very nasty can of worms.
Graham Lum, North Rocks

Live and learn

Correspondent Trevor Somerville mentions that he is still a curious learner who owns a computer (Letters, July 20). May I suggest the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) may be of interest and help him fill his time. In a nutshell, universities from around the world make short courses available to the public on a wide range of subjects. These courses are open to all, with no prerequisites, and free options are available. Australian providers, including RMIT, Deakin and Melbourne Universities, offer courses on the UK’s FutureLearn platform. A bonus of the MOOC experience is the variety of perspectives brought by learners from across the globe.
Barbara Chapman, South Yarra (Vic)

Best of them mall

I grew up not far from Roselands shopping centre and it offered more than mere shops. (“Concerts, weddings: The history of western Sydney’s shopping centres” July 20). The 1960s were a different time. The Battle of the Bands held heats at the Raindrop Fountain, Johnny Farnham offered Sadie and Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head, and the beautiful pool offered summer joy in the ’burbs and allowed many of us to meet up. Special events like the film America the Beautiful in 360-surround merely added the icing. Shops were rarely even considered. Roselands was a destination in itself and simply the place to be in what appeared to be far simpler times.
Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

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