Letter to the Editor #3

https://www.afr.com/politics/albanese-must-say-no-to-bailing-out-andrews-20230403-p5cxqi

https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/chalmers-jets-off-with-no-real-growth-strategy-20230412-p5czv2

April 14, 2023

There was some concerning use of words and punctuation in the editorials “Albanese must say no to bailing out Andrews” (April 12) and “Chalmers jets off with no real growth strategy” (April 13).

Daniel Andrews has invested a significant amount in infrastructure for Melbourne and Victoria; the use of the word “profligate”, which means recklessly extravagant or wasteful, seems shortsighted. Was the Sydney Opera House profligate at the time?

This is infrastructure that will benefit future generations. As for the comment about Victoria’s credit rating, why are the rating agencies still in business after they failed so miserably in the lead-up to the GFC?

The use of punctuation on the words “care economy” was disrespectful to the work, “care” and sacrifices parents put in (not to mention all the other types of carers). This attitude is then reflected in flagging NDIS for “out of control” spending. As for who will pay for it – didn’t the Productivity Commission model this as paying for itself? If they were wrong about this, what else are they wrong about?

Is it ever possible to remove ideology from data? At the very least outdated ideology? The ideology that we are all ‘individuals’, the ideology or is it propaganda that shouts down the suggestion that we are not with the very simplistic opposite – ‘socialism’, the ideology that women must be forced, cornered even, into care duties by the deprivation of their own resources. And to then dismiss that work as ‘worthless’, to have it looked down upon, is just so disrespectful, I’d like to say it’s ‘un-Australian’ but unfortunately it seems it is very much not.