Putin’s test
What is Donald Trump waiting for? He said he would stop the war in 24 hours. Over the weekend, the Kremlin launched its largest aerial assault on Ukraine since the start of its barbaric war. More than 800 drones and missiles rained down, murdering innocent civilians – including a two-month-old baby – and setting the Cabinet of Ministers government building ablaze (“‘Close our sky’: Ukraine PM’s plea to allies after record attack”, 8/9). This is deliberate. Putin is escalating, testing America’s resolve. He believes the US and its allies won’t push back hard enough. If Trump doesn’t act, the next attack will be even worse.
George Jaworsky, Wollert

Bandits in suits
It appears that wage theft has become the national sport (“Woolies’, Coles’ $1b wage scandal could spark class action wave”, 9/9). In the financial year 2023-24, the amount of money recovered by the Fair Work Ombudsman was $473 million, while the ACTU estimates that workers lose between $850 million and $1.55 billion every year.
This is theft. If this money was stolen regularly from banks, there’d be a targeted response with the culprits, once apprehended, receiving jail terms. But these bandits are generally wealthy men in suits, not as newsworthy as a ram-raid on an ATM. Dominoes’ executive chairman, Jack Cowin, tries to deflect by stating, “Somebody makes a mistake along the line…” It’s far too consistent and far too widespread and systematic to be a mistake. Cowin’s excuse that our labour laws are “complex” doesn’t cut it. If they are so complex, why don’t we ever read the headline, “Thousands of workers overpaid”?
Craig Jory, Albury, NSW

Focus on positives
I am so deflated by politicians throwing negative comments about migrants. I divert my thinking to last week’s Landline episode on the ABC focusing on the benefits to communities such as Ararat who have welcomed Karen people from Myanmar, people from the Philippines and Indonesia. No longer are there shortages of nurses, welders and those willing to toil in the meat industry. Our own community has a plethora of dairy farm workers. Better yet, as well as being hard working, they are doing their bit in the local communities as well as eventually swelling school ranks with eager-to-learn, well-mannered children.
Julie Broomhall, Timboon

Copping the blame
Great to see both sides of politics heap praise on our Indian community following the anti-immigrant rally and Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price’s foot-in-mouth episode. Our diverse Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist and Jainism Indian community in Australia have done good. Whether it be the taxi driver getting us to our destination safely or surgeon saving lives, I am grateful. The generosity of the Indian Sikh community in providing a helping hand and a meal for those in need is truly humbling.
I can assure our Indian friends that much of what has recently occurred has not been directed at them but at our government. They have put the cart before the horse, with a lack of infrastructure to allow a smooth transition of migrants. It is important to dig your well before you get thirsty, the saying goes.
Steve Naumovski, Southbank

Mileage tax is fair
Re your correspondent questioning a tax on EVs, as an EV driver, I don’t have a problem accepting paying a road usage tax based on the distance I travel on the roads and the weight of the vehicle (“Tax registration, not fuel”, Letters, 9/9). I would regard increasing the car registration to be unfair since I have extremely low mileage in the EV, which I mainly use in off-peak periods at night. Currently the EV is dirt cheap for me to run – it gets just more than six kilometres per kWh, and because I charge it from my solar panels in the middle of the day, when I’m paid 2 cents a kWh by the local electricity retailer for excess electricity, means it costs me a third of a cent per kilometre to use it. The fuel excise is a de facto carbon tax which should be maintained to reduce emissions.
Wayne Robinson, Kingsley

Show us your money
Just over 2000 people have signed an open letter to University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor Emma Johnston in support of Meanjin. At the same time Mark Rubbo, chairman of Readings (“Sophisticated nations support literary culture”, 9/9) highlighted that the magazine’s winter edition sold 169 copies and possibly a few hundred more through subscriptions. So, why are people who say they support Meanjin not buying it? It’s always the same story. Beloved cafes and shops, including bookshops, close and there is an outpouring of sorrow. But it turns out that most of these people don’t frequent the cafes and shops and buy their books and e-books online through Amazon.
Erica Cervini, Prahran

Consistently inconsistent
David Astle (“A modifier strays into the danger zone”, 6/9) comments on the supposedly incorrect phenomenon of the dangling participle. This trope is the obsession of the pedant. Any reader of Xenophon or Thucydides, or any number of revered Ancient Greek authors, in the original, will be familiar with numerous instances where the subject in a sentence is abandoned halfway through. Grammatical inconsistency has been a constant throughout Western literary history, indeed probably more prevalent in its freshest, most ancient forms, than it has been at any time since.
Samuel McMahon, Parkville

Sense of the madness
Congratulations to Stephen Bartholomeusz who almost daily in the Business section reports, summarises and analyses the economic, political, climate and social disasters being wrought on US, Australia and the world by President Donald Trump and his crazed policies. Well-written if terrifying warnings of the rolling disasters we are all facing.
Megan Stoyles, Aireys Inlet

Maryborough chicken
Thank you for publishing photos from Warren Kirk’s latest, Beyond Suburbia (Sunday Age, 7/9). I immediately bought it and had to laugh looking at the Maryborough sign advertising “rabbits”, as growing up and visiting grandparents I would be fed this mystery meat and when I asked, my mother would say it was Maryborough chicken! No wonder I became a vegetarian.
Samantha Keir, East Brighton

AND ANOTHER THING

Credit: Matt Golding

Liberal Party
Perhaps Senator Price was referring to the future voting intentions of our Indian community.
Chris Rodier, Glen Waverley

In footballing terms, the drafting of Jacinta Price by the Liberal Party is currently looking like a bust.
Tim Douglas, Blairgowrie

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Priceless for the Labor Party.
Garry Adams, Corio

To say that Jacinta Price is a loose cannon in the Liberal camp would be a gross understatement.
Reg Murray, Glen Iris

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Furthermore
Why do so many people want our prime minister to meet with a used-submarine salesman in the US? Even with the expectation of late delivery, we have already paid a deposit on one submarine. So if that salesman wants to sell us any more, he should be visiting us.
Jeffrey Newman, East Ivanhoe

Perhaps one of the only good things to come out of the mushroom murders is Ian Wilkinson reminding us all to be kind to each other.
Myra Fisher, Brighton East

Is it a coincidence that as union membership has declined in this country, wage scandals perpetuated by large companies have increased?
Phil Alexander, Eltham

Re online comments, magpies should never be fed mince. Not enough calcium. Too much fat. Collects in the upper beak and goes off, leading to bacterial infection.
Barry Greer, Balnarring

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir advocates a heavy fine as a means of preventing AFL “floppers”. A far simpler solution may be for the player’s opponent to stop the physical harassment when the ball is nowhere in sight.
David Slatter, Mapleton, Queensland

Finally
I want people to stop “reaching out” to me. You are most welcome to contact me, ring me, email me or even write me a letter. No more reaching out, please.
Robyn Carey, North Fitzroy

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