Where are the ads to encourage us to act?
It seems fairly simple: the more people vaccinated, the fewer getting sick. And the fewer people getting sick, the fewer who are passing it on to others. The result: less likelihood of lockdowns. Mary Whitham, Doncaster East Ensure that all returning travellers are protected There is a lot of effort and expense in quarantining returned Australian travellers and the virus keeps escaping into the local population, causing even more stress, inconvenience and expense. Surely that would expedite the process and make it safer for everyone. Terry Ziegler, Heidelberg Heights Not all who want the vaccine can get it Carole Nicholls (Letters 24/6), it is fair enough to ask that fully vaccinated residents be able to travel interstate without the restrictions of quarantine. Lucky for you if you can get vaccinated. Those who are not in the right age group currently cannot. Teresa McIntosh, Keysborough  Roll up, roll up, get your Vacclotto ticket Up to $40 million will be spent on a major advertising campaign, to be launched in July, to encourage eligible Australians to get the jab. It would be much cheaper and a big incentive. Watch them flock to get it. David Isom, Williamstown As per usual, Australia is as the back of the queue Well said, Helen Edwards (Letters, 24/6), on the Prime Ministers double standards. It is very easy to insist on border closures when none of the heartaches apply to him. Even more upsetting is his defence of the abysmal vaccine rollout. Quoting rising COVID-19 cases in the UK, despite large numbers of vaccinations, as an excuse is irresponsible and dangerous. No country has yet reached herd immunity through vaccinations. But what is glaringly clear is that the UK, the US and Europe will get there long before us. Here we are again: as with climate action, at the back of the queue. Uschi Felix, South Melbourne THE FORUM  Tough luck, cricketers So the England cricket team is outraged at suggestions they may have to tour Australia without their families and could be without them for up to four months  Call for calm after Ashes cancel talk (Sport, 24/6). Do they have any idea that Australians have not been allowed to leave Australia to visit their overseas relatives, not even the frail and the sick, for what will, by this summer, be nearly two years. If the government prioritises foreign cricketing families over its own citizens, it will be an utter disgrace. Kairen Harris, Brunswick A very poor example There are very few industries where drinking at work is allowed  wine making for instance, and evidently being an MP (The Age, 24/6). In most workplaces, being inebriated results in suspension or dismissal, or the imposition of conditions involving breath testing before, during and after a work session. It might also have been a good idea to make sure that Senator McMahon was not having issues with her health. Caroline Williamson, Brunswick A person before an MP While being intoxicated at work is unacceptable, I feel that Senator Samantha McMahon has been exposed to exaggerated shaming. The front-page picture, the level of details of her incident and some of the comments reported are, in my opinion, a step too far, and the article does not try to explore the reasons of the status. She needs support for her condition and your public shaming will not help her health. Opponent or not, she is a person first. Diego Ghirardi, Altona Loss of our private details  The ABC is misleading in its claim that were not going to sell anyones personal data collected when accounts to watch iview are opened (Green Guide, 24/6). No, it will not have to sell it because it can simply disclose it. Its so-called privacy policy  which must be agreed to before you can register  specifically says that the ABC will collect information about your race or ethnicity, political opinions or affiliations, religious beliefs or affiliations, physical or mental health and sexuality, your payment details and research or survey responses. Then, a sub-profile is created for you. Third parties that will be allowed to collect and receive your personal information, including internet security services, may be in Australia or outside Australia, and specifically in Israel, India, Canada and the USA. The ABC may disclose this information to them. But the ABC does not have any control over the privacy practices of those third parties. So, all of this personal information will not be sold, it will just be disclosed. Being generous, adventurous or caring for the world sadly rated the lowest number of points. And this coming from educators of a so-called Christian school. Words fail me. Claire Hogan, Northcote A very fine first step Congratulations to Immigration Minister Alex Hawke for going half way with the Murugappan family  Tamil asylum seeker family given bridging visas (The Age, 24/6). Geof Carne, Moonee Ponds The best side of Barnaby Welcome back, Barnaby Joyce. I have read of your sympathies for the Murugappan family and for Julian Assange. You must be a good bloke, even if you think carbon belongs in Parliament House and our atmosphere. I am looking forward to hearing you lobby for granting full resident status (not just the three month bridging visas) for our Biloela family, Julians safe return to Australia, Witness Ks pardon and ending the harassment of Bernard Collaery. That would make you a great bloke and I will forgive the other (black) stuff. Michael Aylott, Reservoir Look at per capita figures Thomas Hogg (Letters, 24/6) accepts that the devastation of the Great Barrier Reef is caused by the effects of global warming, but argues that Australias part in these emissions is not the issue. He says it is the fault of the six big-emitting nations and that Australia accounts for only 1.3per cent of global emissions. Surely he should be quoting per capita emissions. Of course nations such as China and the US have higher greenhouse gas emissions  look at the size of their populations. We are a very small population indeed but have some of the highest per capita emissions in the world. Shame on our federal government for failing to set smart goals for achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Christine Burley, Balwyn North Shirking our responsibility  Thomas Hogg suggests a political motive for UNESCOs decision to recommend the Barrier Reef be placed on endangered status. They do not blame Australia for climate change at all. They blame us (and our governments) for not doing what lies within our control: setting national emission reduction targets; implementing legislation and regulations that encourage proven low emission technologies (rather than hypothetical approaches like carbon capture); and advocating globally for greater effort. (Our federal government boasts about our disproportionate influence in shaping a response to China but bleats about being impotent when it comes to climate change). Richard Jamonts, Williamstown Warnings, 100 years on Re Police flag legal gap in grab and drag offences (The Age, 24/6). In 1921 my mother  a bright, young country girl  came to Melbourne to take up a clerical position with a Flinders Lane importing firm. She was advised that, when walking along city streets at night, to step out and walk on the edge of the road when approaching any laneway, skirting it and thus avoiding being dragged into the laneway and assaulted. Sadly, 100 years later, not a lot seems to have changed. Lynda Kaye, Brighton What our taxes provide The expats (The Age, 21/6) who are whinging about living abroad and not receiving a pension, including one saying I paid taxes for 30 years (Letters, 24/6) need to get over themselves. The taxes you pay are not a savings account to be returned to you when you retire (unless you meet the criteria). For your 30 years of taxes you received access to medical care, education, roads and all other infrastructure and services that give we Australians a pretty good life. If you choose to leave our shores, that is your choice and you need to be aware of the consequences of that choice. Maree Harrison, Nerrina Act on triple-zero issues With the daily cornucopia of bad news in the paper, it takes something really special to stand out and get ones full attention. Your article, Outages in triple-zero system pose deadly risk (The Age, 24/6) did just that. The problem needs to be rectified now. Roger Green, Ferntree Gully Our shared attitudes Australias outgoing top diplomat Frances Adamson says China has a deeply defensive mindset  perceiving external threats even as it pushes its interests over those of others (The Age, 24/6). She continues, this siege mentality  this unwillingness to countenance scrutiny and genuine discussion of differences  serves nobodys interests. From a macro to a micro-level, she could have been speaking of Scott Morrison and the Coalition government. The similarities are breathtaking. Vaughan Greenberg, Chewton  Our damaged trade Frances Adamsons comments should be taken with a grain of salt. Badmouthing another country in public is not part of the secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trades role. As secretary, she carries a level of responsibility for the parlous state of our relationship with China. We have already lost it as our biggest trading partner thanks to failed diplomacy, and primary producers, mineral companies and their workers continue to be badly affected by this. Bill Mathew, Parkville Greens just cant win The Greens are damned if they do, damned if they dont. If they confine themselves to environmental issues, they are accused of being a single-issue party. If they address other social issues, they are seen as carrying too much baggage (Letters, 24/6). Mike Puleston, Brunswick AND ANOTHER THING  Credit:Illustration: Matt Golding Environment Its not difficult to see which way the Coalition is heading. Both Scott and Barnaby carry coal. Robin Parkinson, Geelong The PMs biggest challenge will be reaching net zero emissions from Barnabys mouth before the election. Lou Novak, Rosanna  The Nats want farmers to be compensated for helping to meet climate targets. Yes, but let it be part of a plan for all industries. John Hughes, Mentone The UN has called time on the governments procrastination and obfuscation. Its not politics, its survival. Jean Andrews, Cheltenham It seems Barnaby is a dual citizen again. His get farmers rich proposals are from La La land. Peter Williams, Alphington  Come on Alex Hawke, do the decent thing and let the Biloela family go home. Tim Durbridge, Brunswick Regarding recycled leaders. Trump in an Akubra. Anne Ramsay, Essendon Cmon, independents  its time to Abbotomise Barnaby. Derek Wilson, Cheltenham Having to deal with the men in the National Party would be enough to drive anyone to drink. Kerryn Taylor, Wangaratta COVID-19