A Commonwealth royal commission is needed

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A royal commission is needed
A royal commission is mandatory (Editor, 1/1). The Prime Minister cannot be blindsided by rising antisemitism in Australia. As a former Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and an immigrant to whom Australia was chosen as a Holocaust survivor haven, we understand the danger of radicalism. Australians need to have full information about the failures at Bondi.
This is not just an antisemitic problem, but a much wider problem for all Australians.
Michael Rozenes, Southbank

improper process
I think KC’s Jack Rush has a selective memory of the Bushfire Royal Commission (″⁣Silk adds voice to call for royal commission″, 1/1). I was chief executive at one of the councils at the time where the community was devastated by bushfires, killing 43 people. The commission may have heard the impact of day-to-day victims, but it then returned to a hostile environment seeking to claim high-profile scalps, particularly (recently retired) police boss Christine Nixon and CFA boss Russell Rees gave you moments every day that made you feel.
It wasn’t an environment and environment that “brought people together” as Rush claimed, where everyone needed an army of lawyers for protection. The process of bringing people together, seeking common understanding in a non-contentious environment, had begun over a year ago under the leadership of Nixon and the Wildfire Recovery Authority, which toured the state listening to affected communities in public forums and continually providing advice and recommendations to governments.
Bill Forrest, former Nillumbik Shire Council chief executive, Princes Hill

This is the way to go
The sentiment behind Jack Rush KC’s experience of ″⁣bringing people together″⁣ by listening to victims’ stories during the Black Saturday Bushfire Commission is admirable. However, this investigation was location-based and included all those affected in certain areas. It did not focus on a single group of affected people.
Calls for a royal commission into antisemitism would only address a select group of people, leaving out other groups who are subjected to discrimination, hate speech, violent acts and aggression.
Robert Richter, KC, (″⁣Shake off against royal inquiry″⁣, 31/12) argues, on the other hand, that any royal commission should include all groups; This seems like a much better way to bring people together through sharing common experiences and hopefully identify solutions that will benefit all groups.
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn

Change cabinet release date
The release of cabinet papers came 20 years too late (“Howard ignored advice to keep troops at home,” 1/1). In a transparent democracy, we must know what our cabinet is thinking when making decisions. The excuse that a reshuffle would hinder free and open advice and debate in the cabinet is just that: an excuse. Cabinet members cannot be held accountable for their decisions after 20 years. Twenty years ago, the dangers of climate change, the low minimum wage standard, the financing and deployment of more troops to Afghanistan, the dangers of the pandemic and the unlawful detention of immigrants were discussed.
If cabinet papers cannot be published immediately, similar to RBA minutes, they must be published annually, or at worst six weeks before the election. The public needs to be informed about what is happening at the cabinet level.
Greg Tuck, Warragul

Little has changed
Twenty years ago, climate change was discussed mainly in terms of future projections. It is defined by the effects observed today. So it was interesting to read that the Liberal Party under John Howard was “warned of the risk of climate catastrophic impact” in 2005 but refused to ratify the Kyoto Protocol (“Liberals warned of growing risks of climate change”, 1/1). Upon the release of the National Climate Risk Assessment in September, many Liberals called it alarmist and subsequently abandoned net zero. The climate continued to change, but the Liberal Party did not.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn

An alarming threat
A US congressional committee’s attempt to threaten Australia’s eSafety commissioner with defamation charges (“US threatens eSafety boss”, 1/1) should concern every Australian who cares about the welfare of children.
Framing Julie Inman Grant’s work as a “global censorship regime” is to fundamentally misrepresent both her role and Australia’s intentions. Our online safety laws are not about suppressing political speech in the United States; is concerned with reducing demonstrable harm to young people; exposure to graphic violence, sexual abuse, and algorithm-driven content that research has consistently shown to be linked to anxiety, self-harm, and distorted identity development.
To suggest that Australia is trying to impose its laws globally ignores that the internet does not respect borders; especially as platforms design systems that amplify the most extreme content and make meaningful age verification difficult. Asking companies to explain how they will protect minors is not harassment; regulatory responsibility. Australia has the right to set standards to protect its young people. We should not hesitate to do this.
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, cchild, adolescent and family psychologist, Hawthorn East

in smoke
I can’t believe Melbourne spent $6 million on fireworks for New York during a “cost of living crisis”. Of course, with AI and advanced CGI we can create a nearly equivalent experience at a fraction of the cost.
David Parker, Geelong West

Make the letters flow
Thank goodness Australia Post is not following Denmark’s example of stopping letter delivery. Emails are not the same as hand-written letters. I have friends abroad that I can no longer visit, but Christmas cards have helped me stay in touch with them. The cards I receive are the centerpiece of my Christmas decorations and symbolize the special relationships we have with our friends. Luckily none of my friends live in Denmark.
Elizabeth Sprigg, Glen Iris