Crime rates won’t fall if politicians play to the polls

Science eliminates stupidity
How can we, as a nation, spend billions of dollars on submarines we will never see and underground railway lines that will never be used?
But when it comes to scientific research that has proven its value and enabled us to compete equally with first world countries, we can make the cut from two critical and well-established scientific institutions.
This government’s priorities are skewed. This is a classic example of misguided savings that will waste years of research and lead to the loss of highly talented individuals to welcoming institutions in the United States or Europe.
For a government that allegedly works to revitalize manufacturing in Australia, this decision is deplorable and has the opposite consequences.
Andrew Preston, Malvern East

Foster carer deductions
When a foster carer says, “I have worked as a foster carer for 18.5 years, I have never felt so neglected, disrespected and unappreciated” (The Age, 23/10), is it time we ask why more and more foster carers are leaving the system every year?
Reducing payments to foster families with “high needs” children without any consultation is symptomatic of a pervasive culture of managerialism.
A long time ago, a government official asked a preventive care service provided by an NGO “what is the bed occupancy rate and how does it compare to the benchmark?” When I heard you ask the question, I knew the rot was starting.
I told him that the foster family does not just provide a bed, they give the child a place in their home and in their heart. The preventive maintenance system is not an assembly line and cannot be measured by “efficient production”.
Let’s stop using sensational words like “performance indicators” and “deliverables”.
Let’s start talking about very vulnerable children and respecting those who care for them.
Emeritus Professor Dorothy Scott, Macclesfield

Salary is too high
CEO pay remains a controversial issue for the Australian community and, as Matt Wade highlights, is unacceptable inequality and potentially undermines the community’s trust in various institutions (Opinion ″⁣Most people think CEOs are grossly overpaid. What can we do about it?″⁣ 22/10).
The decision by Tabcorp’s board, backed by shareholders, to provide the CEO with a “bizarre” incentive package to revive the business is worrying on many levels (″⁣Tabcorp investors backed ‘odd’ payout for ex-AFL boss″⁣, 21/10).
The size of the package is one thing, but the potential harm and cost to the wider community is extremely worrying. The gambling industry appears to be operating in a moral vacuum due to its behavior.
Shareholders can be big winners in the search for profits. But it doesn’t cost that much to bettors. The government has long been expected to take action on gambling reform.
No more lingering; It’s time to take action.
Anne Lyon, Camberwell

laws of nature
It is disheartening that Labor appears to be using overdue environmental law reform to pit the Coalition and Greens against each other (“Labour will use natural law to thwart Greens and Coalition”, 23/10). Are our leaders more interested in partisan games than the urgent need to protect Australia’s natural environment? According to the Biodiversity Council, 75 per cent of Australians support stronger natural laws. When will we see environmental legislation that puts nature above politics, profit and vanity?
Karen Lamb, Geelong

Australia is burning
Nero (the Albanian, Watt and the government) plays the violin while Rome (Australia) burns. Climate change is definitely upon us and the environment has been neglected for years.
The government should act now and create climate triggers for all new industrial projects, thus beginning the difficult task of restoring some kind of climate balance, but in the long term it would be preferable to go much further.
So stop playing and take action.
Greg Bailey, St Andrews

Where is BOOM going?
Good Lord, who was released on the new BOM web page? We are here for you immediately at the village stocks, madam or sir.
This is Melbourne; There are only two things we need to know when leaving the house; hat, umbrella, or both? The new rain radar cycle is absolutely shocking and the UV values ​​have also disappeared over time.
High visibility is key for any vital public informational web page; The new BOM page rates are the exact opposite.
Lynne OliverBrunswick

mission impossible
On Black Saturday and many other expeditions, BOM radar sites showed the source and direction of smoke clouds (such a source moves slowly, unlike clouds and rain).
For years, simple links took you directly to the radar map or backup, but now the trend for modern websites is to fill the page with large areas of white space; Requires successive screens to access information, making it impossible to provide concise and timely radar information.
James WhiteBeveridge

arson season
Despite all the dire warnings about how bad the bushfire season will be across Australia, the national community needs to be aware of anything suspicious and report it.
There have already been fires in Tasmania and the mainland for which there is no evidence of how they started.
Arsonists will be in action next fire season; Their only desire is to satisfy their morbid satisfaction with fire, which causes destruction and in the worst cases results in death to humans, animals and wildlife.
I implore the community, I see something suspicious and report it. Quick thinking and community spirit can prevent a disaster.
As for the arsonists who are caught, they need to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.
Alan Leitch, Austins Ferry Tas

Best police pub quiz
The call for a short trip to Hobart may have been a turn-off for Mike Bush, but his apology was the best public misdemeanor of this century (“It wasn’t my finest hour: Victoria’s police chief apologizes for helicopter call”, 23/10).
It was delivered without hesitation, qualification or shifting of blame. He’ll make me our best cop. Perhaps, like Phar Lap, Pavlova, and John Clarke, we too should file adoption papers and claim her as ours.
John Mosig, Kew

Chopper Pass
Welcome to Victoria, Mr Bush. As an observer of policing in Victoria for 30 years, I can advise you that they do not like outsiders and have a great capacity to leak information to the media and their former power colleagues in Victorian and federal politics.
My mind goes to the legend of Christine Nixon’s haircut. Not a big deal in itself, but just another chance to undermine a senior official. Be careful and learn a lesson.
Robert McDonald, Sailors’ Falls

AND SOMETHING ELSE

Credit: Matt Golding

Trump world
I am disappointed that US President Donald Trump has failed to resolve the Australia/New Zealand pavlova war.
Michael Nicholls, Travancore

Will 34-crime convicted felon Donald Trump be required to disclose his legal history if he visits Australia?
Jan King, Strathfieldsaye

Trump sued Murdoch for damaging his reputation. Murdoch responds by undermining journalistic integrity. It seems both Trump and Murdoch have the same sense of humor.
Marie NashBalwyn

The failure to appoint a US ambassador to Australia means that no real estate agent has been appointed to this post. Both countries would be better off if the United States was represented by professional diplomats.
Stephen Davies, Carlton North

Trump’s teeth appear to be growing, brightening and whitening. Having the sharpest bite in the world must be part of his ″⁣plan″⁣.
Kerry Bergin, Abbotsford

Besides
The Bureau of Meteorology’s new website is a disgrace. Please do all users a favor and restore the old website.
Bill Holmes, Kew

On behalf of Celts all over the world, may I point out that there is nothing uniquely Celtic about plastic spider webs or excessive eating of ″⁣sugar″⁣? The ghosts that explode at 9pm while it’s still light aren’t particularly scary either.
Paula O’Brien, St Kilda

Besides
Do not look east for help. (″⁣The West cannot fix housing alone″⁣, 23/10). Here, perfect family homes are being bought for millions, torn down and turned into McMansions!
Alison Barr, Rowville

How ironic – ″⁣Solving a Small Problem″⁣, 10/23) – this is probably the only area where women have an advantage over men.
Christine HarrisHampton

Thank you to Alan White and Paul Guest for being brave enough to share their experiences and shed light on the importance of BINS4Blokes.
Peter Venn, East Bentleigh

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