Normal text sizeLarger text sizeVery large text size
If we believe that ultimately the pen is mightier than the sword, and that AI is to serve humanity and not the reverse, then the development of creative, critical-thinking human minds must remain a fundamental aim of university education, as it always has been. So, the government needs to listen to education expert David Gonski and make the cost of arts degrees at least as affordable as any other degree (“As David Gonski leaves the education system, he has one wish for our universities”, December 11). In a conflict-ridden, AI-driven world, we need the humanising, consciousness-raising influence of philosophers and other creative thinkers more than ever. Paul Casey, Callala Bay
Retiring vice chancellor David Gonski at the University of NSW.Credit: Louise Kennerley
Hear hear, David Gonski. The Jobs-Ready Graduate Scheme devalues arts, humanities and some social science courses by making them more expensive for students, thus not recognising the importance of the skills they offer in today’s world. Critical thinking, problem-solving, knowledge of the past to inform the future, indeed, all studies that help us understand ourselves, others and the world, are important in the workplace. Unfortunately, they are not recognised as such in the scheme because they are not specific training for one field. Labor, please address this. Mary Anne Kennan, Burwood
One can only hope that the government will take heed of David Gonski’s plea to scrap the extremely unjust Job-ready Graduates (JRG) scheme, which doubled fees for the humanities and social sciences. In 2023, the Australian Universities Accord noted the inequity implications of the JRG scheme concluding, “it is clear the funding system, as changed through the JRG package, needs to be redesigned before it causes long-term and entrenched damage to Australian higher education”. The report noted that Indigenous and female students were more likely to bear the brunt of the policy. Another consequence is that the JRG is being used by university management to justify staff retrenchments. The argument is that the scheme has had a major impact on revenue. It is beyond time that this absurd policy is ended. Alan Morris, Eastlakes
Perhaps our universities don’t want the JRG scheme changed – it’s a cash cow. For example, one Australian university charges full whack for history units but provides no lectures, or lectures recorded several years ago; one Zoom tutorial a week; reading lists compiled many years ago with the most recent reference perhaps a decade old; links to material that do not work; and no specialist history librarian. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls
Better numbers
The article on women in maths brought back many memories (“When Emily walked into maths class at uni, there were only three women. Then something changed”, December 10). In my advanced maths class at the University of Sydney, there were three women and 600 men. All three of us had been to girls’ schools, but I came from a family of strong, independent women and the extreme gender imbalance didn’t worry me. Two of us stayed in science and one became a professor of statistics and I, a professor of IT. The third changed track somewhat and became a well-known philosopher. In a chance viewing years later of a TV interview with her, I heard her say she had felt thoroughly unsupported in her first year at uni. I hope Zsuzsanna Dancso’s mentoring program will help many more bright women like her. Emeritus Professor Jenny Edwards, Balmain
Slanderer-in-chief
At his recent rally in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump asked the question: “Why can’t we have some people from Norway, Sweden?” when accepting new arrivals migrating to the United States. He went on to bemoan that it’s always people from “shithole countries” that are “filthy, dirty, disgusting, ridden with crime” who are accepted. Well, Mr President, perhaps it’s because people from Norway and Sweden prefer living in a country that offers prosperity, equity, justice, freedom and cohesion for all, while immigrants to those countries are made to feel right at home. There, now I’ve blown any chance of being allowed into the United States as a visitor under the new “enhanced vetting” rules for visitors to America (“Australians to be forced to provide their social media to enter the US”, December 11). Mary Carde, Parrearra (Qld)
As a US citizen living harmoniously in multicultural New Zealand I was offended by Trump’s speech to his MAGA base, in which he attacked Somali and Afghan people purely on their origin, and by association their religion and even the clothes they wear. It’s high time the US Congress and Senate reined in this foul-mouthed bully and convicted felon. He must not be allowed to continue slandering a Democratic congresswoman who came from Somalia and whose intelligence and worldly knowledge are far greater than the increasingly fascist president’s. Will Trump soon require all immigrants to wear lapel signs designating their religion or origin? Rob Buchanan, Kerikeri (NZ)
Credit: Cathy Wilcox
Ministers’ spending spree
Much is being said about cabinet ministers’ travel expenditure. Anika Wells’ spending may be within the guidelines, but that doesn’t make it right. What politicians seem to need is a course in ethics. Put simply, they need to ask themselves how do I behave responsibly when spending other people’s money. Is it right to cart my family around at someone else’s expense? If I had to pay for it, would I keep a taxi waiting 10 hours while I watched the tennis etc? Meanwhile, all the excuses offered so far have been presented looking into the TV camera while keeping a straight face. Do they really think voters are that gullible? Les Sisley, Kelso
All this fuss about the family travel expenses of Minister Anika Wells is a storm in a teacup. She is way down the list of top political spenders. Sussan Ley must be delighted to have the headlines off her – and Barnaby Joyce must be devastated. Ruth Pojer, Double Bay
Alexandra Smith says politicians have demanding jobs (“Politicians work damn hard. Let’s be careful about shredding their ‘perks’”, December 11). Maybe. She points out the long hours they put in, which is true, but for that they are handsomely rewarded. Federal Minister Annika Wells’ base salary is about $400,000, at least four times the current average adult wage. So before all the perks kick in, she is adequately compensated, for as Smith says, all the “tiresome” events she must attend. Being wined and dined at sports events while a government chauffer waits for seven hours? Hardly tiresome. Is the same luxury offered to a nurse, teacher or policeman? Smith points out that our expectations of politicians are high. Based on outcomes across a whole range of policy areas, both state and federal, it’s not hard to argue they are not being met, which is why Wells’ spending spree grates with many voters. Mike Kenneally, Manly
New text message
When the under-16s and their adult supporters complain that the social media ban prevents them communicating with their friends, I can’t help asking whatever happened to texting? When I want to contact my friends, I simply send a text. In fact, I can communicate with any number of friends simultaneously by including them all in one group, and vice versa. Is this method of communication any less effective if it’s not via a peer pressured, trendy “name” group like Facebook, Instagram, X or TikTok? In any case, where do you think these social media platforms grew from if not good, old-fashioned texting? Brian Collins, Cronulla
Two-way toll
So the NSW state government intends to reintroduce north-bound tolls on the Sydney Harbour Bridge (“Two-way tolling on Harbour Bridge and Tunnel to start in 2028”, December 11). The original north-bound tolling ended in 1970 and the bridge was fully paid off by 1988. From 1932 when the bridge was opened to 1988, the travellers using the bridge were the ones who paid for it. Having lived on the northern side of the harbour for more than 60 years, I and many others all contributed to clearing the bridge debt. But now we are being forced to start recontributing to subsidise other roads and tunnels that we never use – because the Labor state government is unable to budget properly or control its debt and spending. Make no mistake, electing Labor governments guarantees higher charges and taxes. Michael Bosher, North Turramurra
A north-bound toll will be charged over the Sydney Harbour Bridge from 2028.Credit: Kate Geraghty
Dangerous obsession
Shane Wright omits one obvious cause of Australia’s rising road toll (“A human toll that lasts generations”, December 11). Larger cars in the form of SUVs and utes are the most popular vehicles sold in Australia now. They are more powerful, heavier, wider and higher than normal cars, they block vision and are implicated in an increasing number of road fatalities, particularly involving pedestrians, cyclists and occupants of smaller vehicles. They also cause more damage to roads and create more emissions. If we want a lower road toll, Australian motorists need to end their obsession with these monsters and choose smaller cars. Paul Keating got it right in 2016 when he said, if he could, he’d tax them off the road and feel good about it. If only. Jenny Baker, North Bondi
As someone who has driven the Canberra to Sydney highways regularly for 40 years, the increase in driver aggression and lack of overtaking skills is very noticeable. Being cut off at high speed has become a common occurrence. I suspect the reasons for this are more crowded roads, drivers lacking adequate safety training and people being more time-pressured. Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla
Still a danger
Last year, a car overtook me at speed as I was turning on a roundabout in Wollongong. It was a near miss. The driver of the van, which had been stolen in Queensland, then flew past at least two more cars in a busy street. He was driving as if being chased by police, but I learned later that the pursuit had been terminated about 10 minutes beforehand (“Coroners and police clash over danger of car chases”, December 11). This didn’t prevent the driver crashing into a parked boat and another vehicle. Apparently he didn’t know he was not still being pursued, so the public were still not safe even though the police had ended their involvement. This may help explain why so many pursuits still end in accidents despite having already been called off for “safety reasons”. Bronwyn Bryceson, Mangerton
The AFP and coroners disagree over the safety of police car chases.Credit: Queensland Police Service – Twitter
Fatal cost of ‘freedom’
Perhaps Col Burns (Letters, December 11) and Christine Tiley (“We play it safe: The lesson I learnt from living in France”, December 10), who seem to think that ignoring safety laws is just a way of exercising personal freedom and living a little, should try living a little with the death of someone they loved who might have sustained a few broken bones in an accident but chose not to wear a helmet, and instead died. Or worse still, try living a little after causing that death. Anais Nin indeed wrote that “life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage”, but she could just as well have written “in proportion to one’s stupidity”. Prue Nelson, Cremorne
I hope that if Col Burns and Christine Tiley are badly injured because they refused to wear a crash helmet or seat belt, or walked against a red light, they won’t need help from those ridiculous rules that would send an ambulance or admit them to hospital. It’s great to “live a little”, but don’t expect to be bailed out when it all goes wrong. Geoff Wannan, Dawes Point
I don’t just want to live a little – I want to live a lot (longer). That’s why I automatically click up, follow the road rules and always wait for the little green man. Viv Mackenzie, Port Hacking
Joyce division
I take issue with RK Crosby’s assertion that New Englanders are not small-minded bigots easily seduced by simplistic populist rhetoric (“I take it all back. Barnaby Joyce is a fool after all”, December 11). Simplistic populist rhetoric has always been Barnaby Joyce’s raison d’etre. Sticking it to city latte-sippers has been his way to keep his popularity high in New England. And in my book, “good, solid country people with a deep sense of fairness, community and decency” don’t buy into the politics of division. Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba
Rates chase is complex
Much public anger over rising mortgage costs is directed at the Reserve Bank, yet a crucial part of the story is being missed (“The only way is up: The RBA’s interest rate reprieve is over”, December 11). Several lenders recently increased fixed mortgage rates even as the RBA kept the cash rate unchanged, with some loans rising by close to one percentage point. It is convenient to blame the central bank for every increase in household pain, but the reality is more complex. Monetary policy may be on hold, yet effective mortgage rates are still rising because banks are acting independently to protect margins and funding costs. In a cost of living crisis, with arrears climbing and household budgets stretched, this deserves far more scrutiny. If borrowing costs can rise even when the RBA does nothing, we must ask a simple question: Who is really setting the price of money in Australia – the central bank or the banks themselves? David Wolpert, Randwick
Fun with surveys
The best thing about irritating feedback surveys and questionnaires is they’re not completed under oath (“Feedback? It’s not my job to do free work for businesses”, December 10). Think of them as creative opportunities to be whomever you want, any age, any gender, any demographic, if only for a minute. And if you’re lucky, they include “other” fields, which are just begging for the best fiction you can muster. Join the revolution and be the noise in their data. Peter Fyfe, Enmore
Don’t let the daily barrage of survey requests get you down – just join the revolution.
Anger-panthus
Aggies are fine at home in their own gardens, but these effusive biddies do tend to take over when unrestrained. It’s not just the seeds that need containing (Letters, December 11). Excess bulbs and plants should not be abandoned in bush, parklands and creeks, where they soon run riot in opposition to less assertive natives. Meredith Williams, Baulkham Hills
To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.