Without a coherent policy, schools are left in sector-driven fiasco

Gittins touches on the oft-heard response “what can Australia do, our emissions are miniscule” and suggests that if our “exported emissions” were counted our contribution on a per-person basis would render Australia a global pariah. Donald Horne called us The Lucky Country in 1964. Our luck is about to run out. Phil Schmidt, Newrybar

Time’s up for ClubsNSW in gaming debate

Josh Landis’ sacking shows that ClubsNSW has been an organisation drunk on its own power for too long (“Game over for lobbyist”, February 1). The powerful gambling and alcohol lobby has been able to dictate to NSW governments of different political persuasions the nature of legal harm controls on the industry’s operations. These have invariably favoured private wealth generation over public interest, health, safety and welfare outcomes. Time is up for ClubsNSW and the Australian Hotel Association if they persist in opposing overdue fundamental reforms to crime prevention and welfare reforms. Tony Brown, Newcastle

As a conservative Catholic, I think it ludicrous that Landis has been sacked after referring to the premier’s gambling reform zeal a result of his “conservative Catholic gut”. I can hardly believe Dominic Perrottet could be “offended” by such an innocuous phrase. Everyone needs to chill out and have a laugh occasionally. What a country of wimps and wusses we have become. Phil Johnson, Dee Why

The reality is that successive governments, both Liberal and Labor, have allowed the clubs industry to get away with too much for too long. Peter Mahoney, Oatley

As if to reinforce his ignorant attack on Perrottet, Landis also labels him a “conservative Catholic who did not understand the complexities of gambling” (“Sacking can allow return of civility”, February 1).

Funny. From this distance it appears to me that gambling requires one to put money in the slot, it disappears. Gone. Where’s the complexity in that? Bob Edgar, Westmead

So sad to hear that Landis has been sacked. A bloke who could make a statement like he did must have so much more entertainment to offer. Ron McQuarrie, Budgewoi

Robo-schemers

The robo-debt scam caused suicides and ongoing suffering for many of those dependent on welfare payments (“Alan Tudge’s former adviser reveals ‘dole bludger’ robo-debt media strategy”, February 1). How typical of the Coalition government to ask its propaganda arm – otherwise known as News Corp – for help to demonise whistle-blowers and critics of the program. One has to ask, is there anything that ragged bunch of schemers and ne’erdowells got right? Mark Henry, Urunga

Voice must confront past

Penny Wong’s call to rethink the colonial legacy of Great Britain has come at the right time, as we grapple with what the Voice may look like (“Confront colonial past, Wong tells UK”, February 1). The aggrandisement of colonialism has skewed our view of ourselves. Drip fed to generations of Australians, it is time to look at the consequences of cultural and political values on our own social determinism and whether they have created the cohesion and order they intended. The American historian Francis Fukuyama proposed that all history ends when all societies become liberal democracies, but we should ask, at what cost when colonialism is the foundation stone? Brian Thornton, Stanmore

Sydney ‘beauty’ needs rethinking

Retreating to the built aesthetics of 20th century Europe hardly suits a contemporary global city like Sydney (“From bleak to beauty: Grand designs to transform an unloved city block”, February 1). Minister Rob Stokes is right.

Cultivating our own architectural identity rather than relying on “vanilla” solutions such as those of Paris’s Beaux-Arts or Houston’s high rise.

However, what’s commendable is the “Sydney is Beautiful” initiative includes, indeed highlights, a welcomed discussion about the quality and “connectivity” (apologies for the architectural jargon) of the public space as part of a balanced development conversation.

Arguably private commercial interests have subjugated the quality and quantity of our public realm. Inviting prominent thinkers, designers to define best practice city design could be fascinating. Cleveland Rose, Dee Why

Libs plummetting stock

Public policy laziness, and much self-inflicted haplessness, bolstered by a continuing willingness to genuflect to hard-rightists and religionists, will only breed more Liberal lemmings at the party’s branch and parliamentary levels (“Dutton is driving Liberals off a cliff as colleagues watch”, February 1). Sue Dyer, Downer (ACT)

Council should bin outsourcing

Much as the City of Sydney is an extraordinarily effective council that does excellent work and should be applauded, one would have to conclude that the outsourcing of rubbish collection to a private company was when the service went downhill. Before that, it was always efficient and reliable (“‘This is urgent’: Sydney council faces growing stink as bins, dumped rubbish pile up”, February 1). As well, the careless handling of bins has resulted in many of them being smashed and broken. Such waste. Anthony van den Broek, Erskineville

If the City of Sydney outsources even “core” services, such as waste collection, what is it the council itself actually does? Ross Duncan, Potts Point

Last one standing

At 81, I’m old enough to have seen Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud, Dame Edith Evans and other legends in some of the great performances of the latter half of the last century (Letters, January 31). In 1980, I saw the very first production of Amadeus with Simon Callow and Paul Schofield. Audience members didn’t immediately leap to their feet.

The instant standing ovation for theatre performances is a relatively recent phenomenon. It’s really more about attention seeking than critical appreciation. Philip Thorniley, Broughton Vale

Climate of respect

I was saddened to hear of Professor Will Steffen’s death (“Climate science giant paved way for truth”, February 1). My initial encounter at a climate conference was something that I will not forget. As a newbie in the climate change movement, my hesitant approach was greeted with a respectful greeting. Never patronising, Professor Steffen made time to answer my questions simply and clearly. His quiet demeanour belied the silence of the waters that ran so deep. Zeny Edwards, Lindfield

Soft threat

If your position needs defending from a few ribbons, it might be time for a serious rethink (“Security start cutting protest ribbons at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral”, smh.com.au, February 1) Peter Fyfe, Enmore

False teachings

Thank you, Katrina Marson, for pointing out the weird logic of some teachers in our schools and churches (“Teaching kids to be ashamed can harm their sex lives”, February 1). From the age of five I was told I had grey splats of sins on my soul even as a baby (never quite worked out where that soul was). I was taught about naughty Eve “tempting” Adam and, of course, the virgin birth. Creating fear and denial from such a young age about sex, which should be joyful and life-enhancing, has caused serious damage to the psyche of generations. Rosalind Ward, Balmain

Human nature

Rather than using Banshees as a sly slur on the Irish (Letters, January 31), your correspondent could view it as the lengths a man will go to to remove himself from a situation he is unable to control. That is a human issue, not an Irish one. Maggie McElhill, Annandale

The digital view

Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday on smh.com.au
China’s COVID-plagued slowdown threatens Australia’s economic recovery
From Dave: “We must diversify our trading partners. China did us a big favour when they gave us a a wake-up call by banning so many imports. Let’s learn from that lesson.”

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