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One has to acknowledge that the criminal connections around the Big Build have been an egregious blight on the Labor government. Jacinta Allan had to go. That said, seen from the perspective of one who has travelled regularly by train and car along the route of the Frankston railway line, the now reconfigured and modernised stations that have emerged from the level crossing removal program represent a testament to the aesthetic and quality of life changes wrought.
There was a time when Liberal Party state governments made an art form of inertia, especially in the era of Ted Baillieu’s leadership. By contrast, in 2026, due to Allan’s industriousness, suburbs like Carrum, Seaford, Aspendale, Mentone and Edithvale have been transformed with attractive shopping and landscaped precincts, ″fly over″ bay views, and, significantly, enhanced traffic flow. Once the ritual demonisation of what has been, for all its industrial relations missteps, an impressive innovative civic design policy achievement fades, history may deliver a kinder judgment.Jon McMillan, Mornington
Transport and education are positives
Now that we no longer need to distract ourselves, or let others distract us, by ALP state leadership issues, we can focus on some of the other issues – things that have been achieved. Top of the list for me would be the great work of Lily d’Ambrosio on the energy front. There has been a quiet revolution in the state’s energy system that recognises the immediacy of the current situation of old plant requiring replacement, and the challenge of rapidly bringing new renewable generation capacity online amid a political climate plagued by excessive venom and negativity.
We can also acknowledge and appreciate the public transport upgrades including the Metro Tunnel and numbers of level crossing removals. On the back of the fastest growing population of any state, we can see hospitals that have been built and others expanded, plus more than 100 new state schools being opened.Robert Brown, Camberwell
Royal commission is much needed
Nick McKenzie (Comment, 29/7) is right to call for a broad-based royal commission into the Big Build saga. If we are concerned about the waste of public money on poorly managed projects, then the commission must be allowed to look at the planning, or lack thereof, and selection of these projects in the first place.
The community is rightly concerned that the principles of good planning have been abandoned in favour of political expediency, thereby channelling vast amounts of money to a select few.
The West Gate Tunnel is a good example. Labor had an electoral mandate for a $1 billion project called the Western Distributor but instead delivered the more than $10 billion West Gate Tunnel project. This decision increased the cost of removing trucks from the streets of Footscray by more than $9 billion. And then there is the Suburban Rail Loop. The community deserves to know how our money is being spent.Eric Keys, Flemington
Next on Carroll’s agenda . . .
I firmly endorse the change in leadership, however Labor needs to show leadership in these areas – a crackdown on corruption, divert resources from the SRL to completing the rail link to the airport, electrification of the rail line to Melton, repairing country road potholes and clamping down on criminal activities like the fire bombing of businesses. The SRL project needs to be placed on hold until a viable business case can justify its cost. I hope Ben Carroll puts the above actions on his agenda and proceeds with the above tasks; only then will people trust Labor to run Victoria.David Orr, St Kilda
In Allan’s debt, and not in a good way
Jacinta Allan in her resignation speech understandably hardly mentioned Victoria’s mountain of debt, which will prove to be her government’s principal enduring legacy to the state because of its profligate spending.Dennis Walker, North Melbourne
THE FORUM
Rethink housing
We cannot build our way out of the housing crisis if population growth continually outpaces our capacity and resources for their supply (″Three-storey homes: the radical plan to cut prices″, 28/7). Insisting on high-density housing will not improve affordability because multi-level developments are far more expensive per square metre to build than single dwellings.
Furthermore, the resulting loss of tree canopies, gardens, and local character will erode the very qualities that draw people to these communities in the first place, as well as increasing urban temperatures.
Looking to our neighbours, a sharp decline in immigration in New Zealand has meant that new housing supply is finally outpacing population demand. As a result, house prices and rental costs have fallen significantly since 2021.Jennie Epstein, Little River
Who to trust?
Tony Wright’s fascinating historical recap on the ways of political demise (″Allan exit follows familiar script″, 29/7), can also be summed up with an excerpt from the 1950s sketch by Canadians Johnny Wayne and Frank Shuster. It’s a skit of an investigation by private detective Flavius Maximus into the death of Julius Caesar.
Maximus receives an agitated visitor with important information so (naturally) asks, “Are we alone?“, and the visitor replies in the affirmative. But twice more is the question asked with a final reply, “I’m positive we’re alone”.
Maximus then asks, “But who’s that standing beside you?” “That’s you!” “Yes, but can I be trusted?“Jim Aylmer, Mt Waverley
Full exposure
Nick McKenzie (Comment, 29/7) is spot on. He rightly notes that the proposed royal commission must fully expose the actions of any CFMEU officials, any bureaucrats, and any politicians who have used the Big Build for corrupt purposes or for covering up political malfeasance.
The new Carroll government must ensure the commission’s terms of reference are comprehensive and transparent, while also ensuring that it investigates the extent to which corporate CEOs and senior managers in the construction industry have kowtowed to the alleged CFMEU thugs or who have knowingly co-operated with them.Allan Patience, Newport
Children’s needs
It is alarming to read that “one in three students are not engaged in their schooling during years 7-9” (“The multibillion-dollar cost of students who can’t – or won’t – engage with school”, 29/7). As the article mentions, it is the social costs which are most concerning and last the longest.
The transition to secondary school has always been difficult for many. These days, the picture is more complex: many students are on the ADHD spectrum and many struggle with their sexuality and gender identity.
Society is more complex as well, with both parents working and higher cost of living. It stands to reason then, that schools would optimally have more support staff to assist students, because teachers cannot do this on their own. I have worked in government and private schools and with youth in the community, and I know support staff can make a huge difference.
We need experienced and compassionate counsellors to work with students, and sometimes their parents, and expert educational support staff for one-on-one work with struggling students. These staff are most needed in government schools who have to enrol all students who apply from the school’s zone. Such schools are often underfunded and certainly cannot afford the useful year 9 camps that private schools run.
If we value our young people, this funding must be found.Jan Marshall, Brighton
Trump’s follies
Whether Donald Trump succumbs to the influence of Benjamin Netanyahu to escalate the war with Iran is uncertain (“Netanyahu lands with eyes on Iran”, 28/7). What we do know is the reckless and clueless way Trump miscalculated the war he started five months ago and was supposed to be finished in a few weeks. The US president went to war with no long-term strategy.
What is not surprising are the grandiose statements he makes that are fatally flawed. If he takes heed of Netanyahu, the unforeseen consequences will have an impact on the whole world.Judith Morrison, Nunawading
Workers, unite
As usual, Ross Gittins provides a succinct explanation of our cost-of-living and sluggish wages position (″Bosses will hate this economic fix″, 29/7).
Losing the effectiveness of collective bargaining has resulted in a substantial decline in wages and associated productivity. In an era when business profits have skyrocketed and union membership decreased to around 13 per cent, it’s indeed time that the workers again unite and we establish a renewed body like the Industrial Relations Commission to again set appropriate wages.
The decentralised wage-fixing model may have suited some industries, but not all workers have benefited, and in many cases, ″real wages″ have declined.
Time to fix this mess.Denise Stevens, St Kilda
Should be byelection
Moira Deeming was elected as a Liberal Party member (″Deeming’s awkward exit″, 29/7). As she is no longer a member, there should be a byelection to vote for her replacement.
The same should have applied to Lidia Thorpe, who was elected as a member of the Greens party.
Voters are not being represented properly when the person who has been voted in to parliament by them as a representative of a party continues to hold power, but who can use it according to their own wishes rather than by holding to the party line.Marguerite Marshall, Eltham
Yawning gap
While sitting in a doctor’s waiting room on Tuesday, Jacinta Allan came on the TV to give her resignation speech. It seemed a kind and gracious speech.
But looking around the room of the dozen people waiting, I was the only person watching. Everyone else was staring at their phones. Maybe they were watching her online – but I doubt it.
I should not be surprised. This lack of interest in the politics that influences so many aspects of our lives is widespread. Recently, I had to explain to colleagues that it was the state government who built and ran schools, and removed level crossings. It was like these things just happen magically. But just as oddly, they happily offered negative opinions on politicians, sometimes without understanding which party they were from.
It feels that there is a very real disconnect between our political systems, the policies affecting our lives, and people’s interest . This gap may prove tough to close and lead to reactionary choices with long-term implications.Clancy Briggs, Berwick
Melbourne, wake up
I was a resident of Melbourne for many years during which time I was CEO of Tourism Victoria from 2001-06. Now living in my native Canada, I returned to Melbourne for a visit earlier this year.
Sadly, I was struck by the decline in Melbourne’s amenity and appearance.
Graceful Collins Street was no more. I had to navigate around homeless people to enter shops and use an ATM.
In addition, the homeless were many in number on the corner of Flinders Lane and Elizabeth Street. The junction of Elizabeth and Flinders streets was depressing, ugly and made me feel unsafe. Even allowing for the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, I sensed that the city had lost its famed friendliness and style. Melbourne always had style. I was really disappointed that downtown Melbourne looked the way it did.
Melbourne is too great a city to allow the loss of its well-earned appeal. The time for recognition of its decline and restoration of its faded glory has come. I hope the people of Melbourne rally to insist that local government takes action to clean the city up.Lois Appleby, Calgary, Canada
Interest owing
“It didn’t cost the taxpayer one cent for my trip overseas. Not one cent,” Pauline Hanson said (″Rinehart paid for Hanson’s overseas flights″, 29/7).
It seems that she doesn’t understand (or care?) that having her bills paid unavoidably compromises her independence as a politician, and that she will always be suspected of serving the interest of that benefactor,
quid pro quo, rather than the Australian people.Anthony Hitchman, Eltham
Subsidiary holding
Given the latest news on the Pauline Hanson/Gina Rinehart travel arrangements, can we now say that One Nation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting?Vincent O’Donnell, Ascot Vale
View into future
The wildfires in Spain and France are unprecedented, and their intensity is fuelled by climate change.
With hundreds of thousands of people evacuated, hundreds of houses destroyed, and deaths, French President Emmanuel Macron describes it as the worst fire crisis since World War II (“Arson warnings as Europe battles wildfires”, 29/7).
The cost to lives and livelihoods is all devastatingly expensive. It’s a glimpse of our man-made future.
Meanwhile, at home, I recently received a survey asking how much I was prepared to pay for
net zero emissions with options up to $250. Sadly, we are all already paying so much more.Jenny Kashyap, Bentleigh
Good as Golding
“… And wait … One Nation … One Nation without a rider or even a horse!!“
Absolute classic, Matt Golding!Jim Picot, Altona
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
A change of leader probably won’t save this government, but the alternatives leave a lot to be desired.Michael Brinkman, Ventnor
That’s how to get a royal commission.Hans Paas, Castlemaine
Onya bike Jacinta, only watch out for the potholes.Ian Lynch, Cape Paterson
Now, if Ben Carroll will only, please, stop duck shooting in Victoria.Elizabeth Chipman, Seaford
Re the Labor government’s leadership change. Two words come to mind, Titanic and deckchairs.Susan Nisbet, Caulfield North
Ben Carroll’s cabinet choices alone will determine how real are his ″fresh start″ assertions.Noel Mavric, Moonlight Flat
Coalition senator Andrew Bragg’s reference to the Albanese government as communists is a pathetic parroting of Trumpian ignorance.Jenny Herbert, Metung
If, as Pauline Hanson says, Gina Rinehart has ″done it tough″ and ″didn’t have a silver spoon in her mouth″ (29/7), I’d love to find someone who did.Heather Barker, Albert Park
How nice it must be to have a friend like Gina Rinehart?Reg Murray, Glen Iris
Sally McManus is a legend. Sad to see her go. Her boots will be hard to fill.Dan Drummond, Leongatha
The PM should listen to Ross Gittins (Comment, 29/7). Get bosses to raise employees’ wages and put an end to the blame game on the cost of living.Kay Moulton, Surrey Hills
My friend Susan and I took off from the Hartwell Kindergarten in 1957 and were heading home up Toorak Road when Mum picked us up and said, ‘Don’t do it again’. Different days and no TV at home either (″Kids take off from kinder″, 29/7).Belinda Burke, Hawthorn