Public’s right to know
I wholeheartedly agree with the Editorial ″⁣Silence the response on taxpayers’ money″⁣ (16/7). Statements such as ″⁣Victorians have a fundamental right to know. To withhold information involving such vast amounts of money is to treat them with contempt″⁣, are spot on.
A directions hearing for the Suburban Rail Loop precincts will be held this week and further public hearings expected to take place in September and October, however the state government is yet to outline how the project will be funded. Only one third of funding is committed and that is from the state government. Details around federal funding and value capture have yet to be publicly released.This year Infrastructure Australia found the state government’s business case for the project was not detailed enough and relied on future stages to justify its benefits.
Transparency and accountability are crucial to earning and maintaining public trust.

Yvonne Bowyer, Surrey Hills

Old not always best
I ran a wine bar/restaurant in Sydney in the mid-1970s when the banks brought out Bankcard. The public took the card concept up enthusiastically. It quickly became a vital necessity for trade.
The banks charged 5 per cent off the top of every transaction.The contract we were forced to enter into explicitly prohibited any surcharge under threat of immediate ejection from the scheme.
I recently had a conversation with a proprietor of a Chinese import variety store about the one point something, I think he said, his bank now takes. I pointed out, with most transactions being done by card, he did not have many issues of the ″⁣old″⁣ cash economy.
He did not have to keep a big till float, with attendant security issues.
He did not have to sort cash, fill out a deposit book, walk to the bank, wait in a queue, stand while the teller counted and checked the cash, and walk back to the store.
He did not have to cope with a bank run during open hours, thus not having to employ an attendant, or briefly close the shop for the bank run. After a bit of thought, he agreed.
The small percentage is cheaper than the labour and time of the ″⁣old″⁣ system.

Kent Hansen, St Kilda

Backseat driving
As a regular car passenger I have no preference for either foot as long as the vehicle slows (Letters, 18/7). In fact, I’ve even used both feet simultaneously, but I’m a poor backseat driver.

Terry Bohan, Belmont

Mining common wealth
The Age Editorial (19/7) lists iron ore exports to China as $121 billion. Imagine what we could do with the profits as a nation instead of it going to big mining companies?

Michael Cormick, Carnegie

Don’t lower voting age
The suggestion of giving 16-year olds-the vote (″⁣Senator vows to follow UK’s poll move″⁣, 19/7) is concerning. Being able to vote is not a gift, it is a right that should be used wisely. Too many people have died defending that right and in many countries it either doesn’t exist or is not effective. As a retired, and possibly cynical, teacher I have taught students who are not yet ready for that opportunity. It’s probably best to leave it until they are 18.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill

Smarten up, PM
I think the PM dressed himself (Letters, 19/7) – an AFL shirt and a Rabbitohs’ cap on his visit to China. It looked a bit shabby and triggered memories of other prime ministers’ attire – Australian tracksuits, Speedos and Cronulla Sharks clobber.

Belinda Burke, Hawthorn