Credit:Illustration: Megan Herbert
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AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Long, late matches risk the health of players
The recent five-hour, 45-minute match between Andy Murray and Thanasi Kokkinakis, which ended at 4.05am, raises worrying issues that Tennis Australia needs to look at seriously. The health and safety of the players should be the most important priority rather than ridiculously long, late matches in the middle of a hot Melbourne summer. Some changes that could be examined: Move the tournament a few months backward or forward. Change the men’s matches to the best of three sets, like the women’s matches. (Or do men have to prove they are tougher?) Also, following the great idea of a tiebreak: when the score is 40-40, the next point wins the game.
David Ginsbourg, East Bentleigh
The whingers who earn millions and still complain
What whingeing babies some of these high-profile tennis players are. They make millions of dollars for hitting a little yellow ball over a net and complain about the late hours. Tell that to shift workers like nurses, who regularly work through the night for much more important reasons and make only a tiny fraction of a tennis player’s winnings. Suck it up, Andy Murray. No one is forcing you to play in the Australian Open.
Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg Heights
When ‘events’ mean only the well-off can attend
Re “The undemocratic tournament” (Letters, 16/1). Yes, it is a pity that ticket prices are beyond the reach of many people. But the Australian Open has now become an “event” like the AFL grand final or the Super Bowl in the United States. The top tennis players are paid millions of dollars and such an event costs a great deal of money. It is a far cry from watching Ken Rosewall and John “Newk” Newcombe on the grass of Kooyong. In the case of the AFL, many tickets are “onsold” to corporates, while a loyal supporter on the pension will watch the game on television. As Bob Dylan wrote: Money doesn’t talk, it swears.
Richard Ryan, Noble Park
The many joys and benefits of being a ball kid
I enjoyed Carla Jaeger’s article – “So you think you could be a ball kid” (The Age, 15/1). My daughter was one for two years and absolutely loved it. The article did not mention the support provided by ball kids’ leaders and support staff. They look after them so well and give them great guidance in developing a work ethic as many are too young to do paid jobs.
The ball kids work hard, get to be part of the action and make friends that they would not normally make in their everyday lives. Most importantly, they have fun which is a real testament to the team that manages them. They also learn many skills, such as communication (verbal and non-verbal), teamwork and how to do an incredible job under pressure. Should they be paid? My daughter got plenty out of it and did not even care there was not an hourly rate attached to it. It was a great program and an experience that she will never forget.
Serina Hawkins, Richmond
AO team should be better prepared for bad weather
As the multimillion-dollar, annual tennis circus has rolled into town, it seems incredible that rain disrupted play last week. Surely the Australian Open staff (and Bureau of Meteorology staff working at the tennis) knew it was coming and should have closed the roof of the John Cain Arena earlier rather than the absurd sight of the ball kids drying the court with towels. The ball kids get paid at the US Open. Maybe it is time that Australian Open boss Craig Tiley organised for ours to be paid for their hard work, especially in the heat.
Wayne Smith, Myrtleford
Why were these players allowed to enter Australia?
This is not a matter of debate. Russia is a violent, corrupt regime which is attempting to conquer a friendly democracy. Why are we allowing Russian (and its pet poodle Belarusian) players to come into the country? Show some spine, Tennis Australia and federal government. This would not have happened with South African sportspeople during the apartheid era.
Mick Webster, Chiltern
THE FORUM
Better result for all
What a joy it is to watch the Australian Open this year. The demise of line judges, and the new line technology, has prevented delays and angry disputes. There is no need for replays and the players seems to have embraced it.
Liz Phillips, Hoppers Crossing
Alone and without help
Aged 72, and fully vaccinated, I got COVID-19 two weeks ago and still have symptoms. I benefited from the antivirals that people aged 70-plus have access to. Twelve days later, my wife contracted it and, because she is 67 and cannot access antivirals, she is very sick.
Our doctor says COVID-19 is rife. How many people who do not meet the different criteria, including age, for the antivirals are doing it tough? How many people are getting bad cases of COVID-19 because their fourth immunisation shot was a year ago and the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation has not yet recommended a fifth shot? You’re on your own, people, so please mask up.
Name withheld, Blackburn
Follow NSW’s health lead
Your editorial (The Age, 21/1) about the problems with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, the “national’ regulator of 15 health professions except those in New South Wales and Queensland, was timely but incomplete. In 2014, a Victorian parliamentary inquiry recommended Victoria copy NSW and become a co-regulated jurisdiction, leaving AHPRA with the important task of maintaining the national register.
The problems with AHPRA relate to the size of its unworkable bureaucracy, its lack of direct ministerial oversight, its remoteness from the professions that it regulates and the faulty “national law” under which it has to function. Every jurisdiction needs to become co-regulated. The sooner Victoria chooses this option, the better it will be for the mental well-being of all its health professionals.
Dr Kerry Breen (retired), Kew
A school’s primary role
Several prominent private schools have sought recovery of fees from families through bankruptcy proceedings (The Age, 21/1). In the same edition, we read that the incidence of fatal heart attacks has risen during COVID-19.
During the past three years, the pandemic has created unprecedented stresses for many individuals and families. I am quite shocked that these Christian schools sought to pursue fees by means of bankruptcy. In my naivety, I believed the purpose of schools was to provide excellent education and prepare students for the rigors of adult life, not function in a punitive business model and discard their students in times of need.
Judy Campbell, Clifton Hill
Shameless price gouging
My gas retailer, Momentum Energy, has informed me that on February 1, its daily service charge will increase by 18.2per cent and its usage charges will increase by various amounts from 31.3per cent to 50per cent. All of these figures are way above inflation. The only reason given is in some sort of code: “Changes in the costs associated with retailing gas to homes and businesses, including wholesale, network and environmental costs”.
There is no mention of our friend Vladimir Putin or war profiteering. This is price gouging with steroids. I am now thinking of the money and emissions that I will save when I convert to 100per cent renewable electricity.
Kevin McAvaney, Highton
Unnecessary induction
Your correspondent chose to replace their venerable electric stove of 26-plus years with an induction model, which their power supply could not accommodate – “No choice but gas, sadly” (Letters, 21/1).
I installed a regular electric oven and ceramic glass stove top when I recently built a new home. I also live some distance from a major rural centre, and there is no gas pipeline to my area.
There is absolutely no reason to install expensive induction; regular electric works brilliantly. And the ceramic glass stove top looks like an induction model and all my regular pots and pans work, unlike induction. I do not understand the push to induction. It is completely unnecessary.
Barry Webster, East Warburton
Try the plug-in approach
To your correspondent who is having problems replacing her electric stove with an induction one. There are 10 amp, plug-in, induction cooktops on the market. The cooktop can be plugged into a standard 240 volt outlet. No special wiring is required. We installed one and replaced our bottled gas cooktop.
Don Smith, Inverloch
Problem with upgrades
It is not only those living in rural areas who have difficulty upgrading to induction stoves. I wanted to replace my gas cooktop with an induction model, only to be told that electrical rewiring would be required to support the change.
Marcia Roche, Mill Park
The loss of a dear sister
Re sibling rivalry (The Age, 21/1). Please accept family differences and forgive. I knew my sister for barely 11 years. Jan was born with cerebral palsy, requiring constant attention. I understood that Mum had a huge task looking after us both. (I had polio.) When Jan turned 11, our parents decided to broaden her horizons by sending her to a special school. A few days there, Jan was put over pillows to drain her nasal passages and then left alone. She suffocated. I never saw her again. That was 70years ago. I still miss her.
Fran Henke, Hastings
Knowing when to quit
There has been widespread commentary about Jacinda Ardern’s decision to resign as prime minister of New Zealand. It takes a mature and thoughtful person to know their own limitations. Ardern’s self knowledge that she “no longer has enough fuel in the tank” to continue in her role is in stark contrast to many national leaders whose arrogance and ambitions are so overwhelming, they prevent any understanding of their limitations and the often appalling consequences of their actions.
April Baragwanath, Geelong
A new, revitalised Ardern
New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern “no longer has enough fuel in the tank”. As we are eliminating fossil fuels, I hope she can charge up her battery, get her energy back and deservedly enjoy life.
Tom Maher, Aspendale
Importance of libraries
Perhaps a percentage of the spend on the car race at Albert Park could be redirected to keep the inter-library loans service that benefits readers across Victoria (The Age, 21/1). It seems silly that this has not been resolved yet. Who is the Minister for Libraries, a very important role?
Caroline Armstrong, Brunswick
In support of Ukraine
The free world holds its breath while the carnage continues. Ukraine is fighting for its life while countries squabble over tanks. Democracy will be set back if Russia is able to get what it wants with all its barbarism. Why should Ukraine have to do all the hard work and its country be destroyed? All democracies need to see this stupidity perpetrated in the first years of the 21stcentury to end immediately. Ukraine to win.
Neil Williamson, Carrum
Dangerous waste
Why has it taken three years for the Barro Group to lose its landfill licence – “Kealba landfill’s rotten smells and toxic history”? (The Age, 20/1). More than 10,000 health and odour complaints by locals appear to have been either dismissed, not believed, or both. The detrimental health impacts from burning landfill, not to mention the pollution to our environment, should have triggered stronger action.
Victoria’s Environmental Protection Agency needs to be bolstered to perform its task of protecting the environment, including the health and well-being of people and wildlife.
And businesses that fail to comply must be held accountable. This story is a harsh reminder of the pitfalls of waste management. In response, the rubbish we send to landfill must be reduced.
Isabelle Henry, Ascot Vale
Please, I’ve just said ’no’
My summer mornings have been much brightened by reading the many hilarious letters on correct pronunciation. My difficulty is with voice recognition on the phone. It recognises when I answer “yes” but not when I answer “no” with my Scottish accent. “I’m sorry”, it chirps, “I didn’t quite catch that”.
Sometimes I resort to pronouncing “no” in an Australian accent but voice recognition is on to me and does not quite catch that either. It then puts me through to a real person, often someone in The Philippines, who understands me perfectly, first go. Is pronunciation important? Defin-ate-ley.
Chris Pollock, Donvale
Awesome in every way
Many times in my life I have rightly been described as awesome, so I was little surprised when a sales assistant, who did not know me, asked about my planned method of payment and responded with “awesome” when I said I would use electronic funds transfer.
Frank Smith, Oaklands, NSW
Fearful to take risks
I am an activist visual artist and creative writer. Peter Hartcher’s article – “We’re not immune from fascism” (Comment, 17/1) – was enlightening and timely. A key problem is that the gatekeepers of art, culture and education are asleep. For the past 18 months, I have submitted a series of anti-fascist, anti-war art works to several institutions.
I received verbal agreements to show the works with comments like, “They are worthy and should be discussed”. This was followed several weeks/months later by having these agreements rescinded. The reason given: “They may offend someone”. How are we to guard against political/cultural destruction and poor education if those in charge are too naïve or scared to show the truth?
Grazia Marin, Essendon
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
With the Senate vacancy yet to be filled, could this indeed be the year of the r(Abbott”)?
Julian Robertson, Mount Eliza
Bring back Abbott? Tell him he’s dreamin’.
Ralph Frank, Malvern East
The Germans are right to stall on sending tanks to Ukraine (21/1). They don’t want World War III.
Kevin Rugg, Sandringham
Language
Heaven forbid, not the dreaded “Hibernian haitch” (20/1). It’s almost as bad as calling a common stockfeed “hay” instead of “aay”.
Tony Liston, Middle Park
NAPLAN markers know that young people write what they hear. Wanna see lots of rodden speling? Well, yur gunna.
Barbara Black, Newport
I cringe when people say “liberry” or “libarian” which reminds me of barbarians.
Joy Whiteside, teacher-librarian, Portarlington
After a week of letters insisting on our adherence to the Queen’s English, the incessant coverage of the royal family makes perfect sense.
Niko Melaluka, Footscray
How dare people add apostrophe’s to word’s that are not possessive’s? Its a worse plague than cane toad’s.
Barry Kearney, Ringwood North
I am not your “love”, “sweetie” or “darling”. And don’t get me started on “young lady”.
Mary Lyon, Camperdown
Furthermore
Re Novak Djokovic. Can someone explain who I can and can’t cheer for at the tennis in order not to be thrown out of the stadium?
Don Burns, Ashburton
Take note, Nick Kyrgios. Australian tennis is in good hands without you and your “entertainment” style of game.
Julie Perry, Highton
Private schools are businesses selling education. Shock, horror, of course they will pursue unpaid fees through debt collectors or the courts (21/1).
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
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