MAGA-style party has no future in Australia

Seen and heard
Today I am proud to be a Victorian. It has been 191 years since white settlement and we finally have a treaty with First Nations people. They have been here for at least 60,000 years. The least we can do with this agreement is to say “we see you and we hear you.”
Pauline Brown, Wood

no consultation
It is of great concern that a state government would override the views of most Victorians by forcing a treaty with Indigenous peoples.
Peter Cameron, Surrey Hills

No veto power
Centuries ago, many seafaring nations colonized foreign lands. Eventually most of these colonies became independent from the colonizers. Britain seized Australia and its resources, including its territory, and nearly wiped out the Indigenous people.
These people are now more settled but do not seek independence from Australia. They only seek input on issues relevant to them because they see that most input from non-Indigenous people does not yield satisfactory results on health, housing, education, and incarceration rates. Some have difficulty accepting even these small requests.
Many of us are delighted that the Victorian treaty is now de facto law (“As the treaty reaches Victoria, the votes are counted and the silence is broken”, 30/10).
As journalist Chip Le Grand reminds us, the Assembly of First Nations body will “sit side by side” with government structures and regulations, advising the government on matters that do not concern Indigenous people. There is no veto power. This is the least we can do to support the Victoria Treaty. We hope other states follow suit.
Jan Marshall Brighton

Shake hands, not fists
My wife and I moved from the Ferntree Gully area two years ago in response to changes in planning rules. We have lived in this area since 1981. Our previously empty tree-lined streets became congested roads with cars parked on both sides of the road, and traffic flow increased significantly.
A quiet street turned into a street. The number of cars passing our house from a few hundred a day increased to several thousand. There is now more traffic on narrower roads. Modern planning/development does not allow off-street parking for a family with up to four vehicles. Each block may have decent amenities but at the expense of space. Everything spilled over into the environment.
I’m so glad we moved to a regional area. Peace and quiet is similar to what we had before. Community morale is also higher because neighbors aren’t declaring war on each other over parking, noise and personal space. Ironically, we have more personal space in a block half the size. It is much better to shake hands rather than fist bumps.
Peter Rebbechi, Kilmore

Silencing local voices
Chip Le Grand’s support for Jacinta Allan’s planning reforms is deeply flawed (Opinion, 30/10). These changes are not intended to prevent neighborhood disputes; Rather, they eliminate basic community oversight and erode local democracy. By eliminating local people’s right to object, these reforms endanger livability and reduce trust in public institutions; because planning rules alone cannot explain every special situation.
Residents are often the first to spot problems, such as collection areas that are not truly walkable from train stations, or 16-storey towers overshadowing treasured parks and heritage streets; These deficiencies are already clearly visible in the draft activity center maps of the Ministry of Transport and Planning.
Silencing local voices increases the risk of inappropriate developments that fail to take into account the different needs of each community. Dismissing all objections out of NIMBYism unfairly undermines real efforts to preserve what makes our neighborhoods vibrant, livable, and compatible with net-zero goals.
If Le Grand loses sunlight or peace because of his neighbor’s new zoning plan, he may realize the true value of these rights and how powerless he would be without them. They may even have to join “central Melbourne’s worst NIMBYs” who will never stop fighting for their neighborhoods against these ill-advised planning changes.
Marianne Johnston, Hawthorn

Not enough pussy
Our social fabric seems to be unraveling. When police cars are crashed or fleeing criminals drive dangerously, shouldn’t the police use firearms to neutralize the vehicle or the criminals? The same goes for those involved in home invasions and public assaults using machetes. Don’t these types of crimes require more serious reactions from law enforcement? Society has enough gossip going around.
Lawrence Pope, Carlton North

Super members pay
Cbus management did something wrong and harmed its members (″⁣Supergiant admits breaking company law″⁣, 10/31) and the penalty is that Cbus pays a large fine. However, Cbus will use its members’ funds to pay the fine, so members will be harmed again for something they have no control over. Shouldn’t the punishment be paid by the wrongdoers, not the victims?
Keith Wilson, Rye

Complaints about taxis
The taxi industry has not changed. No matter where you try to go by taxi in the city, you are cross-examined about your destination. They refuse to take you unless it’s a significant distance. You can be half in the car and they tell you to get out. Ubers are safe and reliable and explain the fares before arriving.
Barbara Rozenes, Southbank

cricket rules
It is time to consciously bowl at head level (bouncer) in cricket. Cricket should remove a page from the baseball rule book stating that “bean ball” is illegal and can lead to a warning, ejection or suspension. The death of batsmen is unacceptable, not to mention the impact on bowlers who may have been instructed to scare a batsman.
Mark Jenkins, Kilmore

AND SOMETHING ELSE

Credit: Matt Golding

old prince
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, formerly the Prince.
Zena Marzi, Kew

Hopefully the King will set an example to show Americans what to do with Epstein’s friends.
Ruth Davis, Carrum

Former Prince Andrew will reportedly be moving into a building on the Sandringham estate. Alas, Frogmore Cottage would have been a better place for a reverse fairy tale.
Greg Smith, South Caulfield

All is not lost for Andrew; taking on a double-barreled surname.
Greg Pyers, Daylesford

Trump and Xi
Asked to rate his meeting with Xi out of 10, Trump answered 12, showing that he was as clueless about basic arithmetic as he was about the proper use of tariffs.
Barrie Bales, Woorinen North

By any standard, the meeting between Trump and Xi failed. To be considered successful, it had to be at least 15 out of 10.
Graham Fetherstonhaugh, Carlton North

Besides
Well. That’s the end of my favorite band product from The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Barry Greer, Balnarring

Your reporter writes: “We have a group here in Bendigo called the Harold Holt Search Party. Is this offensive?” In Malvern, the local pool has been renamed the Harold Holt Memorial Swim Centre.
Susan Caughey, Glen Iris

Birdcage luxury (31/10) is an ostentatious display of wealth and privilege. Just goes to prove that money doesn’t buy quality.
Rosslyn Jennings, North Melbourne

The game once known as Australian Rules football may now be called Australian Change Every Season Rules football.
Steve FaheyFootscray

Victorian First Peoples have a say in issues that affect them. Well done Labor Victoria.
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine

opinion bulletin iA weekly opinion pack that will challenge, defend and inform your own views. Sign up here.