Latest news with #Turramurra
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Mark Humphries: ‘When did the Australian dream go from owning your own home to owning somebody else's?'
Mark Humphries has moved house five times in the past seven years. First was the place in the Sydney suburb of Turramurra he had to vacate because it was, 'forgive me for saying this – leaking like a giant breast from the ceiling'. Next came a house so damp, mushrooms began growing under the carpet; a small flat that was OK except for being utterly freezing, and another one-bedroom apartment where the rent went from $500 to $660 a week, forcing his exit. It's of no comfort to the comedian and TV presenter that he's not alone in having found it extremely difficult to secure an affordable and liveable home. 'This is the common experience,' he sighs. 'It's been extraordinary seeing everyone I know go through rental increases [over the past few years] … I feel like every one of us needs to start a GoFundMe just for our daily existence.' Housing affordability is a topic Humphries is angry about. And, perhaps ironically, that emotion can be a very useful tool for a comedian. 'I have found with a lot of my work that it's easier if you're angry about something,' he says – like, say, those political texts we all received in the lead-up to the election, or all things Mark Latham. 'Even if you're just doing comedy sketches, if you are genuinely annoyed by what has happened, you can channel that into something amusing.' Recently, Humphries has channelled his rage 'not just for myself, but everyone' over the housing crisis into a new documentary called Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream? Out on Binge, it's a one-hour look at the problems with Australia's housing market, and how we've landed in a situation where, as he puts it in the documentary, even a 'D-grade celebrity like me can't afford a home'. We're discussing all this in the incongruous setting of a quaint cafe specialising in tea and scones – Humphries' choice of venue. This was meant to be a quick bite before a walking interview but the moment the scones hit the table, we've lost all motivation to stand up again. Humphries, he proudly tells me, eats a lot of baked goods. He even once auditioned to host The Great Australian Bake Off, a job that 'would have been heaven'. That particular gig wasn't to be, but Humphries has nonetheless carved out a very busy career on our screens, largely as the tall, blond and affable face of Australian news satire. You'd probably recognise him from appearances on programs such as SBS's The Feed and Channel Ten's The Project (the recent cancellation of which is a 'great loss' for Australian comedy, whatever you think of the show itself, he says). Unlike most comics, Humphries has never been one for standup – he has done it, he can tell me very specifically, only 12 times in his life and found each one 'immensely stressful'. In fact, he's more reserved and strait-laced than the typical comedian, deflecting attention by asking me as many questions as I ask him. Rather than seeking out the stage, Humphries spent his early years after school working at a Blockbuster video store and then a warehouse. The video store may have been every millennial's teenage dream job, but it wasn't all roses. 'I got held up at knife-point three times when I worked in a video store,' Humphries recalls. 'It was awful. I had to leave that job after the third one, because I was so affected by it.' He can still see the humour in that formative trauma – such as when he went to the police station to do an identakit after one of the robberies and described the knife-wielding assailant as 'surprisingly handsome'. Or the time his unfailing politeness kicked in as he was being held up and he asked his attacker if he'd like a bag for all that cash. Or that after he finally quit and booked a ticket to London to try and decompress, as he stepped off the tube from the airport, a fellow holidaying Australian recognised him and exclaimed 'Hey, Blockbuster Crows Nest!' But through every odd job, Humphries was quietly nursing dreams of breaking into comedy. His career eventually began 13 years ago when he called up the satirical current affairs program Hungry Beast and asked for an internship, unsure of how else to get started in the industry given 'there's no university degree in comedy'. His turn as a comic came to the surprise of those closest to him. 'I was talking about how I'd always wanted to be a comedy writer [in a recent interview] and my dad said to me, 'I spoke to your mother about how you said you'd always want to be a comedian. We were gobsmacked, because you never said anything funny to us.'' Humphries' dad, who actually does very much support his son's career, gamely appears in the new documentary – to decline him any financial assistance cobbling together a house deposit, because, as the elder Humphries puts it, 'I'm renting too.' 'We're so obsessed with property in this country, and it's become worse especially in the last 25 years, where the idea of accruing multiple properties has become something that people aspire to,' Humphries says. 'And it's a line that I use in the doco, but I think it's true – when did the Australian dream go from owning your own home to owning somebody else's?' What makes the situation harder to fix, Humphries thinks, is the fact the majority of Australians do actually own a home. 'Owners outnumber renters two to one,' he says. 'So it's very hard to get huge change on something that the majority of people benefit from. House prices going up if you own a house is great, but for everyone else, it's a nightmare. And so the challenge is, how do you get people who are benefiting from the current system to ultimately make a sacrifice for the greater good, so that we don't end up with this two-tier system of the homeowners and the renters? Which is essentially what we have, and it's only getting worse.' At this point the anger Humphries had spoken of is starting to show, tea and scone neglected as fires up and rattles off the issues with Australia's housing market. Obviously, supply is part of the housing crisis, Humphries says – so it's great that the federal government has pledged to build 1.2m new homes by 2030. 'But the issue with the supply argument is that it doesn't take into account the other part of that, which is demand. So again, if you have this system where people are able to tap into these tax incentives and buy multiple properties, increasing supply doesn't really solve that. It ends up with a whole bunch of people owning even more properties.' Humphries points out he doesn't begrudge investors for taking advantage of the tax system – 'but that system shouldn't exist'. Couldn't the government, I proffer casually while Humphries finally gets the chance to take a bite, just put a cap on the number of properties people can own? 'Humphries nods furiously as he bites through his scone,' he narrates after a pause to chew and swallow. Ultimately, he says, to fix the housing crisis we need to rid ourselves of the idea that property prices should perpetually climb higher, and allow the value of homes to become static. 'And some of these changes can be introduced incrementally. It's not about crashing the housing market.' So, I ask, does Humphries ever see home ownership in his future? 'Bizarrely, at age 39 I just bought a home – I just moved in yesterday,' he admits with the mix of sheepishness and amusement now typical to any millennial who manages to get a foot on the property ladder. 'But I maintain the rage!' He is lucky, Humphries says, to have got enough work in the last year to secure a mortgage on a two-bedroom apartment near the airport, together with his partner. The irony of having used the salary from a documentary about not being able to afford a home to buy a home is not lost on him. And he insists being a very newly minted homeowner hasn't changed his perspective on the problem at hand. 'Like, I used to work in retail, and I'm still as annoyed today about rudeness towards service workers as I was when I was in the video store,' he shrugs as we dust off the scone crumbs and wrap up our conversation so that he can head home to start unpacking boxes for what is hopefully the last time. 'I'm thrilled, obviously, to get to that next stage of my life,' he adds. 'But it's something that, growing up, I thought I would have done 10 years ago, and it just felt like the possibility of it just kept moving further and further away. And I don't go into it with the idea of, now I can't wait for this to increase in value. I haven't bought a place because I want to make money. I bought a place because I want to live in a place.' Really, he's mostly just very grateful to not have to move again anytime soon. 'I'm excited to have a bit of stability,' he says, before pausing to consider the implications of this very momentous life change. 'And just to be able to stick a nail on the wall.' Sold! Who Broke the Australian Dream? is streaming now on Binge.
Sydney Morning Herald
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Time to scupper AUKUS and seek clearer waters
Australia is like a fish on a hook with these AUKUS submarines, except that a fish tries to detach itself and find clear water (' PM tested on US alliance ', July 14). Even decades before we are likely to see one of these subs, we have an American undersecretary for defence demanding that Australia commit to deploying the nuclear-powered boats supporting America should there be conflict in the Indo-Pacific. Time for plan B and clearer waters. Lyn Savage, Coogee Australia has a history of joining the US side in military conflicts. This is a strong display of where our allegiances lie. The US administration knows this yet chooses to demand an answer whether we would follow it into conflict with our most important trading partner as we are visiting that partner on a mission to improve trade and diplomatic ties. This deliberate act of sabotage demonstrates the deep lack of regard the US has for Australia's national interests. It is the sort of bullying that would warrant a response by calling the US ambassador to Australia in for a frank discussion. That is not an option because they haven't yet appointed an ambassador. Is that a display of disdain, or is it that they think so little of us that they haven't bothered? James Lawrence, Coogee The Trump administration, through Elbridge Colby, is saying openly what was previously unstated: the AUKUS subs will be paid for by Australia but will be an extension of the US Pacific Fleet. To accept this condition would mean surrendering our sovereignty. The response must be a resounding 'no'. John Richards, Turramurra Some members of the Australian press seem obsessed with questioning whether Anthony Albanese would sanction our involvement with the US in the possible defence of Taiwan against likely Chinese aggression. We ought to be thankful that our prime minister is cautious in making any such commitment. Everyone ought to be aware of the disastrous result of John Howard's full-on support of the military assault on Iraq, sans weapons of mass destruction. And at present, any commitment to the US should be tempered with the knowledge that it is led by an erratic individual whose focus is more on himself than on efforts to create and maintain world peace and stability. Albanese is plotting a measured, careful course, and is obviously keen to build friendship and forge permanent trading ties with our biggest partner in that area. Derrick Mason, Boorowa Kerry Packer once said you only ever get one Alan Bond, and I'm sure the Americans are saying you only ever get one Scott Morrison with the sucker punch of AUKUS. Everyone knows it will cost Australia over $1 trillion and the subs will be outdated if we ever get them. Philip Dowle, Wickham We're flying solo If Australia was depending on the AUKUS agreement to ensure our security, we have been sadly mistaken. We have already seen the condition-ridden approach of the US to AUKUS as being hardly beneficial to our defence capability, and now George Brandis (' Asia-Pacific no longer a focus for UK ', July 14) contends that the UK has shifted its emphasis, understandably, to being Europe-centric. This makes it clear that we are fundamentally on our own, however frightening that may be, with our former allies more intent on their interests on the other side of the world. Thus, it is more imperative that our relations with China remain positive, and this makes Albanese's present excursion to China more important than ever. Paul Keating's contention that our relations in the Asian sector were of prime importance was correct. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne Why our late and unlamented Coalition government ever thought the UK would put serious resources into defence in our part of the world has long been a mystery. So it's no surprise that the Asia-Pacific region is of marginal interest to the Starmer government. Much better to have joined with the French, who actually have a Pacific presence. AFUS, anyone? Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls Missed opportunity The letter from your correspondent (Letters, July 14) cries out for a response. His suggestion that an Indigenous Voice 'would introduce racism into the parliament' is complete and utter nonsense. Given the entrenched disadvantage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, seen in and through government systems and practices since colonisation, I think we can safely say that his point is moot, to say the least. The No vote was, sadly, a missed opportunity for parliament to listen to an advisory body whose stated purpose was to help bring about a more equitable and just future for our Indigenous peoples – something that successive governments themselves, via their Closing the Gap strategies, have said and shown is necessary. I am tired of seeing and hearing such narrow, ignorant and disingenuous views of both our nation's history and of the Voice proposal: 'trickery' it was not. As Thomas Mayo reminds us, speaking about Indigenous history, 'We were once remarkably peaceful and happy, and we want that for our children today'. Is that too much to ask? Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown The frustration concerning racist sentiment against Indigenous people shown by your correspondent is palpable, but I feel his comments that trivialise those who, for example, attend NAIDOC events are off the mark. Change does not generally come about in the style of the French Revolution. It comes about by thousands of individuals showing their support for a cause in any way they can, no matter how small, day after day after day. No one's denying we have a long way to go, but we should also not deny that overall support for Aboriginal people and their aspirations is light years ahead of where it was 50 years ago. Ross MacPherson, Seaforth The failure of the 2023 constitutional recognition referendum was disappointing enough without yet another attempt to rewrite its history. There were five years of consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Australia, leading to the 2017 Uluru Convention, which delivered the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The statement calls for 'Constitutional reforms to empower our people'. More specifically, 'We call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution'. The government decided to hold a referendum in 2023 to implement this request. There were not 'two separate issues'. Indeed, during this consultation process, the powerless symbolic recognition option favoured by your correspondent was one of several options rejected by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and by conservative constitutional lawyers. Symbolic recognition had been comprehensively rejected by the voters in the 1999 constitutional preamble referendum. In the 1967 referendum, voters overwhelmingly approved constitutional changes to give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the same rights as those enjoyed by all other Australians. In 2023, voters refused to include a powerful specific Voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution. David Hind, North Sydney Racism is a failure to love our neighbour as ourselves. Racism is a failure of compassion. Such failure separates us from each other and violates our shared humanity. Racism makes slaves of us all. Mark Porter, New Lambton Rights, wrongs and the RBA Consternation about leaving interest rates on hold has been grist for the media mill (' If RBA is misguided on rates, we'll suffer from its fumbling ', July 14). A broader perspective would lament the lingering political and cultural quagmire driven by concern for housing borrowers. Housing borrowers were disadvantaged by the reluctance to increase taxes to manage demand. That left interest rate increases as the default option to control inflation. Conversely, while existing housing borrowers are savouring capital gains, new borrowers, paying higher prices, will be joining the queue looking for empathy. Savers funding housing borrowers get short shrift in quagmire-politics. When the inflation target is 2.5 per cent, and marginal tax rates are as high as 50 per cent, a cash rate of 5 per cent converts to 'zero' – and a net loss as things stand. On this reckoning, at least holding interest rates steady is more appropriate than rate reductions likely to exacerbate the crisis in housing affordability. Peter Mair, Dee Why I have already woken up to the fact that there is 'a better way to manage the strength of demand'. The RBA has reverted to direct control of interest rates, a practice that that was discredited and dumped last century. Don't play the poor mortgagors card. Paying back has always been difficult, but the rewards are great – just ask renters and the homeless. No, the fact is the RBA is impotent. A move in the cash rate is a two-edged sword because a reduction, say, is simply a transfer of spending power from lenders to borrowers. For all we know, that could lead to a reduction in aggregate spending at present. Your mortgagors will gleefully pay down their loans and, as surveys have suggested, increase spending hardly at all. From Gittins' previous writings, I get the impression that he too sees that stabilisation policy needs to be left to fiscal policy, which has a much more direct and measurable effect on the relevant targets – employment and inflation. Mike Bush, Port Macquarie I'd feel more comfortable about the RBA getting monetary policy settings correct if Ross Gittins were on the board. Mike Kenneally, Manly To be frank In relation to the upcoming productivity roundtable, the Commonwealth Bank does not want corporate tax rates to be reduced ('If life's a box of chocolates, tax reform takes the cake', July 14). But wait; a lower tax rate means a lower franking credit for its shareholders and more tax they might have to pay. Maybe the bank is also keeping one eye on its stratospheric share price. Michael Blissenden, Dural Debacle, baby, debacle Nick O'Malley (' Big toxic bill will cost US, and us all, ' July 14) is right to point to the potentially ruinous economic consequences of Trump's laughably misnamed big, beautiful bill. It should more realistically be seen as the belligerent belting of brother democracies. This is especially so in terms of its impact on climate change policy; the less we do and the more we procrastinate about this existential threat to human existence, the more we will pay. Though we cannot escape all the adverse effects of Trump's poisonous policies, we must redouble our own efforts to rid ourselves of fossil fuel dependence. Paying to do so now is essential. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne With Donald Trump urging American companies to 'drill, baby, drill', the United States and China are now headed in opposite directions regarding energy. China is electrifying its economy and installing renewables at unprecedented speed. The US, by contrast, is betting the house on energy sources that have been around for over a century and cannot benefit from technical innovation. Unfortunately, the economics do not favour the US model, meaning that American policy is setting China up to be the dominant power in coming decades. While this might be good for the planet, as China's emissions are now heading down, it is definitely not good for nations that depend on the United States for leadership and defence. The US urgently needs to change direction. It may never catch up. Ken Enderby, Concord Fridge on wheels I hope that commuters from the Blue Mountains enjoy the new trains after waiting so long (' Mountains commuters in line for new trains ', July 14). They are much better, but they are cold. The air conditioning seems to have only one switch, and on a cold winter's morning it can be unpleasant. Transport for NSW says you need to tell them which carriage number, as it may be a solenoid or something isolated, but a recent Saturday morning radio discussion about the trains had a number of people making the same complaint. The wider doors are very useful compared to the narrow ones but on a cold blustery day one dreads doors opening as the whole carriage can suffer. And why bother with those stupid little seats at the top of the stairs which simply cannot accommodate anyone bigger than four years old? Just put in shelves for the power outlets. You still get passengers loudly noting that he seats are facing 'the wrong way', of course. Tony Sullivan, Adamstown Heights Rescue the Roxy How the Roxy (' Historic theatre sits unloved for more than a decade ', July 14), only the second cinema in NSW to be added to the National Trust Register, could have been sold off privately and not supported and maintained by successive state governments is beyond comprehension. So little now remains of the history of Parramatta that it is soul-less as Sydney's 'second city'. George Zivkovic, Northmead Another building suffering dire neglect is the small 1920s Moorish-style service station on the corner of Princes Highway and Canal Rd, St Peters. After the government spending squillions of dollars on the M8, nothing has been done to resurrect this small gem or turn it into something useful. John Swanton, Coogee Fuel folly It is pure folly to think that EV trucks will ever be used in Australia's remote places (' Road ahead for electric big trucks a long-haul ', July 14). There isn't any grid electricity where they go. David Sayers, Gwandalan
News.com.au
10-07-2025
- News.com.au
Fire at childcare centre in Turramurra, Sydney to be investigated
A blaze has broken out at a childcare centre in Sydney's north, with police now investigating the incdent. Crews were called to the centre near the Pacific Highway at Turramurra at about 4.25am on Friday, following reports of a fire. Sprinkler systems on the premises extinguished the flames, Fire and Rescue NSW has confirmed. No injuries have been reported and minor damage was caused to the building. Police have established a crime scene and are now investigating the circumstances of the fire. Anyone with information in relation to the incident are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Sydney Morning Herald
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Time to get serious about proper sanctions on Israel
You hear there's food. A truck might be coming. Maybe. So you walk – miles sometimes. You bring your ID, your kids, anything you can carry. You wait in the sun, in the dust, surrounded by hundreds just like you, hoping this isn't one of the days the Israeli army decides to shoot. On Tuesday, they did, leaving 59 people dead and more than 200 wounded ('At least 59 Palestinians killed waiting for aid', June 19). They came for flour and left in body bags. This isn't the first time. Three hundred and ninety-seven people have been killed trying to reach aid trucks in the past month. And it won't be the last — unless world leaders, Anthony Albanese included, decide otherwise. That means cutting diplomatic ties. Imposing real sanctions. Halting arms sales. Anything less is complicity. Fernanda Trecenti, Fitzroy (Vic) Thomas Friedman made a lot of good points in his article, but your correspondent Alexander Hilson (Letters, June 19) somewhat misrepresented what Friedman was saying about Palestinian self-determination. He didn't say that they would need the approval of the United States, only that any future government of theirs would need to fulfil the requirements of statehood. He went on to describe what this might entail. The real point is that thus far, all attempts at resolving the conflict have failed because the Palestinian leadership does not come close to meeting these requirements and is not fit to govern any future Palestinian state. Ridding them of Hamas has to be the first step before any recognition of Palestine. Steve Davidson, Turramurra Israel attacks Iran and suddenly Israel striking starving Palestinians queueing for food doesn't make it onto the front page. Israel's genocide in Gaza should not be buried at the back of the newspaper. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Democracy no ruler Correspondent Michael Berger says that, for the first time in 20 years, Iran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations (Letters, June 18). Evidently, this is enough reason for Israel to assassinate whoever it wants and bomb Iran. Of course, Israel itself is not in breach of non-proliferation obligations – it does not have any because it refuses to be part of the process. It does what it wants on the nuclear field with no supervision. When we compare the two states, Iran and Israel, Israel is much less compliant on nuclear non-proliferation. But Israel is democratic, isn't it? One of the good guys. Ask the Arabs of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Golan Heights when they had a vote for the government of Israel. Israel is democratic in the same way as South Africa was democratic during apartheid – only some citizens get to vote. We are sometimes told that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. It is probably true that it is the closest to a democracy, as the free and fair election of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt was almost immediately overturned by the USA, supported by the local military. The Muslim Brotherhood is now declared a terrorist organisation. As far as many Arabs are concerned, the idea of democracy is meaningless as they will never be permitted to win by the USA and its local agents. Democracy cannot be used as a measure of legitimacy in the Middle East. Reg Lawler, Dagun (Qld) Alan Russell presents, I fear, an overly optimistic view of the restraints on Donald Trump over the Israel-Iran conflict (Letters, June 19). It is true that only Congress has the power to declare war, as it did in December 1941 against Japan. However, America carried on a decade-long war in Vietnam with no declaration of war. President Johnson was able to conduct the conflict there on the basis of a congressional resolution, 'The Tonkin Resolution'. Don't forget Trump's action against Syria in April 2017, when he ordered Tomahawk missile strikes on the Assad regime. No congressional declaration of war there either. Ken Webb, Epping With a foreboding sense of deja vu, I am reminded of President George W. Bush rushing into Iraq looking for 'weapons of mass destruction' (' Trump camp split over Iran ', June 19). Between the start of the war in 2003 and its end in 2011, the US had 4500 dead and 32,000 injured. They never did find the weapons. Gavin Williamson, Narrabeen Albo dodged a bullet I fail to see why our prime minister is so desperate to gain a brief audience with the world's most unreliable and egotistical leader – a laughing stock among other world leaders – even to trying to catch up with him on the sidelines of the Nato summit (' Albanese races to lock in new date with Trump ', June 19). Five minutes after the encounter, Donald Trump would have forgotten Albanese's name, let alone the contents of the conversation (Remember Joe Biden's reference to 'that fellow from Down Under'?) That brief but intense meeting with Volodymyr Zelensky in St Peter's Basilica in Rome failed to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. Indeed, Putin plays Trump like a trout. The tragic reality is that the US is no longer our great and powerful friend and is an entirely different nation from the one I once loved and lived in. Paul Keating is right to say that America's AUKUS review could save Australia from itself, so let's get on with it. Bernard Moylan, Bronte Shaun Carney, Australians don't understand why Australian leaders continue to chase after their American counterparts like lost puppies (' PM can keep playing that dead bat ', June 19). Scott Morrison's sycophantic behaviour to Trump was sickening and as an aside can be blamed, in no small part, on the Coalition's downfall. If Australia stops its wanton fealty to the US, at some point the US will eventually come running for favours. At that time, Australia should have developed alternate alliances and therefore either have bigger bargaining chips, or ultimately ask the US to speak to the hand. Ted Bush, North Epping Shaun Carney's column strikes a chord, as does Nick Bonyhady's concurrent article (' Paul Keating accuses Marles of 'careless betrayal ' over China', June 19). Gambling as a national trait is normally confined to enjoyable recreational activities, like the next race, footy match, etc. Gambling on igniting a potential world war is the 'ultimate crapshoot', one we'll happily leave to our American mates. Being pragmatic as well as maintaining our sovereignty are both part of our national DNA. Equally, kowtowing to or being bullied by any other nation doesn't sit well. Being dragged into wars, most recently by our previous US 'cousins', has concentrated our collective memory. Sitting this one out and ensuring we don't burn the bridges, economically and diplomatically, that Labor has worked hard to rebuild, is a wise move. Cleveland Rose, Dee Why Any politician or commentator perturbed by the snubbing of Anthony Albanese by Donald Trump should instead be thankful he was. Trump is highly unpredictable and with all the noise around the Israel, Gaza and the Iran conflicts, it was hardly surprising. Although we have always imagined ourselves as a special friend of the US, that has all changed with the America First mentality of the Trump administration. What Albanese doesn't need is the public humiliation of a Trump sit-down, highly likely when seeking tariff relief. Thus, I contend that the non-meeting was a good result at this juncture, with the PM able to maintain his dignity and self-respect. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne Trump claims to be the greatest dealmaker and has many times declared himself 'very smart'. Yet the world watches as a real master manipulator outwits and outplays him like a pro and wedges the US into a dreadful corner. They're damned if they help Benjamin Netanyahu with a war he can't finish on his own, and damned if they don't. Trump, concerned only with the optics as he struts self-importantly out of a G7 meeting that would not have been focused enough on him, is clueless about the disaster that he has been sucked into by people infinitely smarter than him. He is everyone's fool. Graeme Smith, Daceyville In less than six months the Trump regime is beginning to turn on itself. The defence secretary is out of his depth. The trade war has been lost. America's allies want a new partnership without the US. Putin and Xi are smiling. Even our own prime minister is distancing himself from the Orange One. Now the commentators who enabled Trump's rise are enraged. When the burgers and sleepless nights finally kill him, what are the chances JD Vance will be any better? It's been just six months – there are still 42 to go. David Neilson, Araluen (NT) Conroy is too late Defence Minister Pat Conroy claims Mick Ryan doesn't understand Australia's 'defence initiatives' (Letters, June 19). Mick is not on his Pat Malone there. With Albo chasing Trump across the globe, begging for a meeting to grovel at his feet, what on earth are these defence initiatives? Just the one. Continuing to go all in with America. With the now reckless US no longer honouring agreements or sharing our values and goals, we are at best undefended and at worst strapped to a suicide bomb. Without a hint of irony, Conroy's response is weeks late. Those subs will be terminally late. AUKUS is nothing more than a $368 billion donation to the US military industrial complex. Those Israeli missiles don't pay for themselves. Paul Davies, Crows Nest Is $100m enough? Now that Optus will submit to a $100 million fine for unconscionable conduct, I have been reflecting on how our consumer protections have evolved (' Optus to pay $100 million fine over sales to vulnerable customers ', June 19). The laws are nowhere near perfect but are so much better now then in the 1970s, when freedom of contract reigned supreme and corporations ran riot over their consumer victims. Yes, it is hard to believe, but in those dark times, corporations were able to hide behind the notion that the parties had agreed to a contract, regardless of whether the consumer understood the terms. The only question now: is a $100 million fine enough? Michael Blissenden, Dural Pay to see results At a family get-together last weekend, I casually asked my granddaughter how she fared in recent uni exams (' Wake-up call as Australian universities slip in world rankings ', June 19). She said she didn't know. I assumed the results hadn't been released, but I was gobsmacked when I asked when she would know. Students have to pay a fee to receive their results. Once again, silly me assumed the fee was for some type of formal certificate, but no, they won't release your raw results until you pay the fee. This is a recognised top-level university. I get user-pays, lack of funding etc, but this is an absolute disgrace. Jason Clare, Federal Minister for Education, are you reading this? Albo, this is your country, slipping in the rankings. Brian Jones, Leura Wasted years It is not an apocryphal 'obsession with renewables' which will prove 'the greatest economic folly in the history of our nation' (Letters, June 19), but the decades Australia has wasted pandering to the wilful ignorance of right-wing ideologues, fossil fuel-funded fabulists and Murdoch minions ignoring the immutable laws of physics that rising CO2 emissions drive increasingly extreme weather events – then pretending that the observable reality isn't happening. New data from NASA has confirmed that these events will get more intense and costly until humanity accepts that the transition to renewables isn't optional (we either do it voluntarily or have it forced upon us by nature), so your correspondent Ian Morison's address is apt, as you can't see the trees from the Forrest unless you're prepared to ACT on observable reality outside it. Chris Roylance, Paddington (Qld) Profit from misery It is no surprise that the politicisation of refugees and the willingness of successive governments to outsource our responsibilities to countries willing to take our money has resulted in this level of corruption (' AFP probes firm's insured luxury ', June 19). While the alleged corrupt activities of Canstruct individuals is appalling, it is just one of many allegations of misappropriation of taxpayer dollars by various companies since the Rudd government announcement that no refugees coming to Australia by boat would ever settle in Australia. The only answer to this ongoing issue is to reinstitute onshore processing. It is more humane, more economical, and would go some way to restoring our international reputation on human rights. Judith Reynolds, Leura An entire article on the 'corruption-prone, dysfunctional and wasteful management of offshore processing' and not one mention of the name of the responsible government minister at the time of the contracts, and a suggestion that it was a political problem for the Albanese government, despite them being in opposition during that period. Very strange. Graeme Finn, Campsie In the interests of clarity, it was Peter Dutton, not the current government, who presided over the billions of dollars in government contracts to companies like LNP donor Canstruct and Paladin, ignoring warnings about them for years. Dutton was home affairs minister from 2017 to 2021. It was his department under former secretary Mike Pezzullo (whom Albanese sacked) that initiated the contentious Nauru offshore processing contracts. Alison Stewart, Riverview How perverse that the CEO of the company responsible for running the detention centre in Nauru, full of the most desperate individuals, was able to buy himself a $600,000 car. That our tax monies were used and are still being used to run this cruel and questionable policy that allowed the company concerned to make super profits is abhorrent. Alan Morris, Eastlakes Goldie-clocks The specialists driving expensive cars mentioned by your correspondent obviously didn't get the memo (Letters, June 19). A specialist with whom I once worked on the days he had a clinic would remove his Rolex watch before the first patient arrived and substitute it for a $20 Kmart variety. Elizabeth Maher, Gordon Dead last I have lost access to the crosswords without a premium subscription. Because I can't keep my mind active, I'm likely to be in the obituaries, if they are ever published again (Letters, June 19). Jenny Greenwood, Hunters Hill
