Letters to the editor

Headline: ‘Police caution teenagers about taking care riding on footpaths’ or ‘Civil rights groups up in arms’ or ‘Do we live in a police state?’ or ‘How dare they talk like that to our kiddies?’

Police superintendent replies: “This is certainly not the way Victorian police operate, the officer has been stood down and an inquiry will be held!”

School offers counselling to traumatised children!

Parents exploring legal avenues to pursue litigation.

Physiology expert denounces police behaviour as detrimental to teenagers’ growth.

My, how times have changed.

Lance Carrington,

Echuca

Red Shield Appeal helping those in need

What would you say if I told you that Australian kids are going without meals because their mothers can’t afford the weekly grocery shop? Or missing school because there’s not enough money to put fuel in the car after paying rent?

Indeed, some mums are skipping meals almost daily, just so they can feed their kids and keep a safe roof over their heads.

In such a ‘lucky’ country like Australia, this is difficult to believe but sadly, it is the reality for more and more people.

“I cannot afford to buy food for my kids sometimes and most times I go without food and have lost 40kg in the last nine months because all my money goes on keeping a roof over my kids’ heads and trying to keep them in a safe place.” — 55-year-old female supported by the Salvation Army

This is just one of countless heartbreaking stories from around the country. Loving mothers who are going without basic essentials like food, fuel and electricity — let alone extras like “new shoes”, “school clothes”, “better toothpaste” or “birthday presents”. (I quote these items as they are taken directly from stories from our clients.)

“When there is nothing to eat, I sell something of my own to get by that week. I get paid fortnightly so I shop when I get paid and always run out no matter how much I buy. All our mental health has declined. I try my hardest to make sure I have everything they need.” — 28-year-old female supported by the Salvation Army

As I read through stories from people we have supported, one word catches my attention: a 34-year-old mum says she feels like a “failure”. Imagine skipping meals, giving everything you can to your children, yet thinking yourself a failure! She isn’t a failure at all. She’s a person doing the best they can with what they have, who needs a leg-up to get through these tough times. Someone who shouldn’t struggle alone.

So, considering this, I would say that we, the wider Australian community, need to take action. Let’s not fail that hard-working mother.

I would ask anyone who is able to please give to this year’s Red Shield Appeal. I know times are tough and money is tight, but sparing $10, or even $20 or $50, makes a pivotal difference. That gift could be the reason a child doesn’t miss a meal — or a mother doesn’t starve so her kids can eat.

It could be the reason that nobody struggles alone — because, I think you’ll agree, nobody should.

Major David Collinson,

The Salvation Army

Reflecting on Prime Minister’s promises

It is 12 months since the Labor Government was elected on May 21 to lead our nation under Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

It has been a challenging year in which the Albanese Government has worked its way through a range of policy areas. One of these, in which I have long had a strong interest, is water policy and management, and at present there are extreme concerns at the direction the government appears to be taking.

Right now, the future for farming in Australia’s food bowl across northern Victoria and southern NSW is at the crossroads. That is not an exaggeration; it is a fact. If the Albanese Government takes the ‘wrong road’ over the next 12 months this region’s farming will be decimated.

When I talk about the ‘wrong road’ I am referring to water buybacks, which appear top of the agenda for Water Minister Tanya Plibersek. Make no mistake, if Ms Plibersek decides to recover the remaining legislated water under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan using buybacks, there will be two key consequences: (i) massive social and economic damage to rural communities; (ii) increased prices for food staples at Australian supermarkets. There will also be an adverse impact on food and fibre exports, which will have a flow-on effect to the national economy.

While water buybacks may be the easiest way to recover water, they are also the worst way under any measure if we want to protect farmers and rural communities. Additionally, they are not needed to protect the environment, as world-renowned river scientists will attest.

On the night he was elected, Mr Albanese made numerous commitments to the Australian people. Twelve months on, it is appropriate to reflect on how they line up in our region.

He promised “no-one will be left behind”. If he proceeds with water buybacks, our rural communities will definitely be excluded from that commitment, and likewise his promise that “no-one (will) be held back, because we should always support aspiration and opportunity”.

Mr Albanese stated “I want to bring Australians together”. So was he talking about all Australians except those who live in rural communities, which rely on irrigated food production for social and economic prosperity?

And as for “I want to promote unity and not fear … optimism, not fear and division”, well, it seems that also only applies if you live outside our region.

Mr Albanese also made a promise to Australians that he would “respect every one of you every day”. Words are cheap, aren’t they?

Our communities are not being shown respect, they are full of fear, not optimism, and they feel left behind. And they are getting angry.

A national industry leader recently said “it’s time to rally the troops”, and he’s right. Unfortunately, it may be the only way we can get the message across to Mr Albanese and Ms Plibersek that irrigation farmers and regional communities are among the Australians that deserve respect. We don’t deserve to be left behind, which is what will happen unless water buybacks are scrapped.

Shelley Scoullar,

Speak Up Campaign chair

Thanks for helping us save the Medicare Heart Health Check

I am pleased to say that with the help of more than 41,000 Australians — including your readers — we did it. We saved the Medicare Heart Health Check.

The Australian Government has heard and understood the importance of this vital check to the heart health of Australians and is funding a two-year extension of the check in the 2023/24 budget, ensuring they remain available beyond 30 June this year.

We estimate that this means a further 250,000 Australians will be able to see their GP to learn their risk of heart disease before it’s too late.

More than 41,000 Australians signed the petition to save the checks in just five weeks. Many sent letters to their local MPs, who in turn took up the issue with the government.

Heart disease is mostly preventable, but it is a silent killer. As federal Health and Aged Care Minister Mark Butler acknowledged in his announcement, the Medicare Heart Health Check is our most potent tool in compelling people to pay attention to their heart health before it’s too late.

The check is available for people aged 45 and over (30 and over for First Nations people) and looks at your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, family history, amount of exercise and what you eat, and provides you with an understanding of how likely it is you will have a heart attack or stroke in the coming years.

We extend our gratitude to the Heart Foundation’s extended family: our sector partners, donors, volunteers and supporters, many of whom worked tirelessly to advocate for this life-saving initiative.

Thank you. Your efforts have helped improve the heart health of many Australians, and we are grateful for your unwavering commitment to this cause.

And finally — now that you have fought so hard for this check, we urge you to please take it up if eligible. For more information speak with your local GP or visit www.heartfoundation.org.au

David Lloyd,

National Heart Foundation of Australia chief executive officer

Where to start on EVs

Help, please. I am doing my sums on buying an electric car.

At this stage I am confused by the claims and counter-claims regarding the financial and environmental benefits of vehicles powered by electricity vs fossil fuels.

I would welcome information from fellow readers on these matters.

To start the ball rolling, my nephew, a self-confessed “petrolhead”, referred me to an online source that compared a fossil fuel-powered Volvo to an electric Volvo (otherwise the same).

In Europe, where up to 80 per cent or more of electricity is generated by renewable sources, it takes about 50,000km for an EV to break even with the fossil fuel-powered vehicle (when manufacturing inputs are included).

In Australia, where about 20 per cent of our electricity is generated by renewable sources, the break-even point is 150,000km.

Feedback please, with credible references.

Bill Sykes,

Benalla

Regional roads must be a priority

In this month’s state budget, the Andrews Labor Government must reverse its savage cuts to road maintenance and road safety projects.

Safe roads save lives, a fact regional Victorians know all too well.

Yet it’s a lesson the government refuses to learn, even with Victoria having its deadliest start to a year in more than a decade with 113 tragic deaths on our roads so far.

Labor is making it worse with its plans to raid further funding from the Transport Accident Commission, slashing its road safety projects to prop up a broken budget.

After constant cuts to the road maintenance budget, rural and regional Victorians can see the state of our roads is abysmal.

Bad roads are dangerous roads and the list of dangerous roads is virtually endless under Daniel Andrews.

And let’s not forget that only $165 million was allocated to repairing roads affected in the October floods, despite the Victorian Transport Association estimating $1 billion was needed.

Or that the crisis in our roads has been building since Labor’s first cut to the road maintenance budget way back in 2015 when it first came to government.

We know that the best road safety package is adequate road maintenance funding.

That’s what the Andrews Labor Government must finally deliver in its upcoming state budget.

Peter Walsh,

Leader of the Nationals

Member for Murray Plains

OPINION POLICY

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