



Violence the logical end of a testing advert

<i>Illustration: Ron Tandberg</i>

Illustration: Ron Tandberg

A betting company paints an over-size advertisement on parkland near the Melbourne airport, the better to be viewed by air travellers. "Rooting for the Wallabies" shows a cartoon kangaroo behind a lion, engaged in sexual congress with the lion ("A runway success, or the root of all evil?", 22/6).

Apparently, the highest form of winning involves humiliating the opposition by forced sexual congress. You really know you've won when you can f--- the opposition. The cartoon lion was in no way sexually attractive (even to a cartoon kangaroo, one suspects); nor, one supposes, had it engaged in sexually provocative behaviour or dressed in a sexually provocative way. This crass ad demonstrates in one simple "joke" that sexual intercourse is not always about physical attraction or sentimental love. Sometimes it's just a violent way to demean and hurt someone. Rape analogies, anyone? Add to this the all-too-many recent examples of misogynistic behaviour in the mainstream of sport, army and even Brisbane fine dining. Meantime, away from the mainstream, are we surprised when those on the edge of society take this attitude to its violent extremes?

Clare Rhoden, Oakleigh South

<i>Illustration: Ron Tandberg</i>

Illustration: Ron Tandberg


'Humorous' sexual assault?

Australia is watched on the world stage as our politicians argue misogyny, sports commentators condemn another alleged assault and the nation is horrified when a man is sentenced for committing a horrific rape and murder on Melbourne's streets. But someone thought it would be funny to paint a "humorous" image of sexual assault on a paddock.

Jane Cooke, Newport


Revoke Sportsbet's licence

Just as Sportsbet wished, the storm in a teacup was all about whether the image of the wallaby and lion was inappropriate. Far more significant surely, is what penalties should apply to this betting agency for defacing public land (owned by Parks Victoria according to Planning Minister Matthew Guy) without permission. The audacity and the flagrant disregard of the law should have severe consequences to make sure Sportsbet does not benefit from such publicity. Revoking its licence for the duration of the test series would be a good start; a "smoking ban" on all betting advertisements would be better.

David Blair, Healesville


No one will be judging Melburnians

The giant painted advertisement was labelled "not a good look for Melbourne" by some but the point is that rugby is not about Melbourne. While millions around the world will be glued to the television watching the British and Irish Lions tests, Melburnians can relax in the knowledge that no one will be judging their city and they can go back to watching that obscure suburban game they enjoy.

Rod Stapleton, London



Rallying cry to readers

While I was appalled by The Age's editorial advice to Julia Gillard (22/6), I am heartened that you have motivated several readers to take stock of their views and rally to a seemingly lost cause. The willingness of my countrymen to abandon a government that has been answerable at every turn in exchange for one that has yet to present an electable platform has been most disturbing. If you have prompted a rethink on voters' behalf, the kerfuffle might just have been worthwhile.

Richard McLoughlin, Dromana

Support still strong

I would love to see Kevin Rudd leading Australia once again. In all the abuse and vilification directed towards him it has been forgotten what a great PM and even foreign minister he was. Even more cogent a reason for his reinstatement is the enduring popularity he enjoys with the people. Despite all the spite directed his way, public opinion remains strongly on his side.

For three years now we have had to listen to an ineffectual leader who, despite her best efforts, does not inspire us. Rudd is not to blame for the Labor disaster; it is Gillard's inability to communicate that is the real reason.

Bernard McConnell, Mount Dandenong

Tense, volatile standoff

''As we enter day 529 of the desperate leadership fight for the Labor Party, Kevin Rudd is still not challenging, Julia Gillard is still not resigning, and the caucus and party are still strongly behind the leader and showing no signs of changing. We will keep providing you hourly updates of this tense and volatile situation.''

Can the media start reporting real news and asking important questions for a change?

Doug Steley, Heyfield


Wild ride ahead

If we are doomed to elect an Abbott government, we will deserve what we are going to get. If we cannot see that refusal to sign up for reforms to education funding is because it will alter the privileged status of private schools, and if we don't understand that climate change has already begun to influence our weather and we need to take even stronger action than the soon-to-be-axed carbon tax, we will deserve what is served up.

Perhaps we will prefer it when Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones are given even greater influence if the ABC is privatised. Perhaps a few years of backward-looking privatisation of everything from education to national parks is what we will have to resign ourselves to. The Coalition governments in Victoria and Queensland have shown us the direction of their thinking. Any memory of the GFC will be erased from history books - Coalition MPs have been denying the crisis ever since 2008. We will be opting for inferior internet speeds, a good bit of sucking up to the owners of mining companies and even worse treatment of asylum seekers. So hold on to your hat.

Ellen O'Gallagher, Castlemaine


Way to restore order

Doug McLeod (Letters, 21/6) says we should help potential refugees ''at home''. The number of refugees worldwide is so huge that even if we spent 10 times as much on foreign aid it would have no significant impact on those attracted by Australia. Unless we adopt policies that prevent people arriving via people smugglers, numbers will contribute to increase. I suggest we triple our intake of people from UN refugee camps and end our involvement with the UN treaty on refugees. And allow no asylum seekers to stay who have the money to turn up uninvited, whether by boat or plane. We would stop the deaths and restore order to the present chaos.

Barry Kearney, Park Orchards


An expert approach

The prohibition of possession and use of illicit drugs has failed over more than 50 years (''Nation's $7b drug splurge'', 22/6). There is continuing corruption and violence in Australia with trafficking of drugs, which places the community at risk. The situation is complicated by a flood of new synthetic drugs. There is no simple solution, but the ''war on drugs'', declared by Richard Nixon, has caused huge suffering in many countries.

We should listen to the Chief Justice of Queensland who described, at a 2010 international conference, the situation in Portugal. Eleven years ago it abandoned penalties for possession or use of any illicit drugs. Portugal provides treatment for users and education. A recent UN report shows annual deaths from illicit drugs per million population in Australia as 119, the US 182, Sweden 69, Germany 27, and Netherlands 11.6, compared with 1.1 in Portugal. Use of drugs in every category in Portugal is now far lower than in the US or Australia, with far lower expenditure on police, courts and prisons.

David Penington, Melbourne


Bold plan, indeed

Tony Abbott's plan to develop the north is a bold one - very bold indeed considering what we are learning about climate change (''Abbott signals tax incentives to move north'', 21/6). Essentially, climate variation is becoming more extreme, and weather patterns are heading southwards. Equatorial climate - hot, humid and subject to cyclones - is moving into the formerly sub-equatorial zone of northern Australia. Expect more frequent and intense cyclones and flooding, with effects on human habitability, agriculture and mining. Meanwhile, the former temperate zone is moving down past Tasmania into the Southern Ocean. Does Abbott have plans to develop Macquarie Island when it becomes a balmy paradise?

Mike Puleston, Brunswick


Someone's benefiting …

Against the subterranean plotting of the east-west tunnel (Kenneth Davidson, Comment, 24/6) sits the ridiculous state of Melbourne's public transport: trains routinely 20 minutes apart, sardine-esque trams and, on Sunday mornings, trams on the 112 route 30 minutes apart.

We take to our cars to the point where inner roads that 10 years ago ran relatively freely are now parking lots pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Some individuals and/or organisations are benefiting hugely at our expense while human-caused global warming gallops towards the disastrous 2 degree rise. A government that does not smell corrupt? A government that acts for the long-term good of the state? ''Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.'' Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland.

Stewart Jackel, Coburg


Demoralising workers

Peter Martin's article made delightful reading (''Productivity measurements confuse experts'', 22/6). I am a retired TAFE teacher. In triennial wage negotiations, employers made it clear they understood what teacher productivity was about: student-contact hours. That was all the state government valued.

If a class grows from 20 to 30 students, or the teacher takes an extra two-hour class each week, that's productivity growth. But if the teacher, to survive the added workload, downgrades tests to easily scored multiple-choice questions, and radically reduces feedback comments on student assignments, or re-uses old assignments so students can plagiarise previous submissions, this isn't noticed.

The better teachers at my TAFE worked 55 to 60 hours a week and were paid for 38. Had they not done the extra unpaid work their real productivity would have been far worse, but there was no recognition of any of it. Trivialising productivity measures leads to nonsense results and it also demoralises those whose work is trivialised. And it is a powerful disincentive to work on real productivity.

Robert Bender, Ivanhoe East


'Male' territory

I was touch judge for my son's under-12 rugby match on Saturday. An opposition supporter, a man, took exception to my call of foul play on one of their players. ''Go home and do your knitting,'' he said. How many men still think this way when women challenge them in what they consider their territory?

Ann Nicholson, Clarinda



Pathetic effort, North. Outplayed and outcoached … again. If anyone finds the shinboner spirit, would they please return it to Arden Street. ASAP.

Bob White, Melton


Stop the boats. Stop footy teams losing. Stop mosquitoes. Stop hangovers. Stop bad weather. Stop calories in chocolate cake. Vote 1 You-Know-Who.

Barbara Chapman, Hawthorn

Come on Abbott, man up and front up on Q&A. We deserve to know what you really stand for. If Julia is big enough to, why can't you be too?

Rod Callaghan, Nungurner

Kaye Darveniza says rule No. l is: ''We do what's difficult but necessary to keep Labor in the game.'' Hopefully doing your utmost for the electorate comes in at least at No. 2.

Barbara Abell, North Ringwood

And Gina isn't even on the Fairfax board yet.

Elaine Hill, Warrnambool

Kevin Rudd is either trying to totally destroy the Labor Party or claim a Guinness world record for the longest ''hissy fit'' in history.

Petrushka Owen, Hawthorn

Other matters

To protest for public transport investment, how about a ''drive to work day''.

Stephen Collins, Brunswick

If the ACB had any sense they would sack batsmen who can't make runs rather than the coach. Watson and Hughes' statistics aren't Test level.

Michael Butler, Balwyn North

Alex Ovenden (22/6), try News Express on level one. Things are not all bad for the print media.

Ashley Spencer, Cheltenham

In my 32 years of teaching maths, calculus was never taught to year 10 students unless one took on a year 11 subject (22/6).

Alan Inchley, Frankston

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