THE federal Labor government, in the early days of its term, has quickly legislated to expand the domestic violence leave provisions to apply to all businesses ('Entitlement for survivors', Newcastle Herald 29/7). Whilst this has great social merit, it's not without significant costs and impact, especially on the "engine room" of the national economy: small businesses.
It's very easy to legislate where you have no skin in the game, and force someone else to pay. My view is that the costs should ultimately come from the general tax revenue base, not individual employers.
Any business expense, including these expenses under this scheme, reduces the business' net taxable income, which means the ATO bears a small share of the cost.
My view is these leave provision costs should be entered as a tax offset by reducing the net tax payable by this entire amount, so the Commonwealth and all taxpayers bear the entire cost. That's genuine commitment.
Allan Searant, Charlestown
Does death toll decide worst PM?
YOUR correspondent Don Fraser (Short Takes, 29/7), declares that Kevin Rudd was "our worst ever PM" and cites deaths during the pink batts rollout as his evidence. Yes, the three deaths in 2009 and the one death in 2010 as a result of the hastily-implemented home insulation program were tragic and unnecessary, as were the other 36 deaths in construction that same year.
Construction is a dangerous industry and if it wasn't for the vigilance of regulatory agencies such as Safe Work Australia, and the construction unions, there would be more unnecessary deaths. Nonetheless before it was stopped this program insulated tens of thousands of Australian homes, resulting in greater comfort for their occupants and lower power bills. And this, like other Rudd programs, was an emergency measure introduced during the Global Financial Crisis, on the advice of the treasury, to prevent Australia sliding into a deep recession which would have resulted in the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs, as occurred in almost all comparable countries.
A useful comparison is the Morrison government's response to COVID. Their mismanagement of aged care facilities, a federal responsibility, resulted in hundreds of unnecessary deaths and needless traumatisation of elderly residents. Their failure to secure vaccines in a timely manner no doubt resulted in hundreds of deaths and many thousands of COVID infections, with devastating effects on Australia and its economy. So by your correspondent's own measure, there is no doubt as to which was the worse government.
John Ure, Mount Hutton
Employers can't control opinions
AS an employer, my employees' religion, political affiliation or attitude to other people's sexuality has absolutely nothing to do with me. Those are extremely private and personal convictions that are not any of my business. By asking my employees to wear a pride symbol, I would be putting them in a position that they may well not wish to be in - we should not be forcing our employees to disclose their private and personal beliefs. Saying you don't want to wear a symbol of gay pride simply means you don't want to wear it. Why should anyone be forced to wear a symbol "celebrating" another person's sexuality? It's actually a very Orwellian notion, that an employer would compel an employee to do so. I can support gay employees without asking all employees to wear a pride symbol.
Jenna Price seems oblivious to the fact that people have different life experiences. There may well be other reasons that a person does not want to wear such a symbol, that have nothing to do with a dislike of homosexuality. Sometimes people who preach tolerance need to practice what they preach, and tolerate other people quietly trying to get on with their lives, without forcing them to wear rainbows.
Judith Hunter, The Junction
Footy players aren't role models
THE columnist Jenna Price suggests rugby players should accept diversity and inclusion as part of being in a team, when some players refused to wear a statement saying they recognise and approve the gay and lesbian community, ("Club offside with expectations", Opinion, 29/7).
I would suggest the NRL is a large inclusion of all nationalities, walks of life and religious beliefs. There is no diversity of any importance that's apparent.
Yes, there are various groups of people in all walks of life, in various sexual relationships, because everyone is entitled to their own sexual preference without prejudice or discrimination. But to make players sign an agreement to recognise something that is not comfortable with their beliefs by wearing a statement against their belief I believe is political correctness out of control.
By paying someone to play rugby league doesn't remove their entitlement of free speech, or the right to have a belief. They are purchasing only their playing ability.
Rugby players are modern day gladiators, they are not senators and modern-day role models, nor should they be expected to be.
Carl Stevenson, Dora Creek
Don't dictate terms on welfare
IN regard to the cashless welfare card, politicians and welfare recipients are paid out of taxpayer funds. The latter do not tell politicians how to spend their money. Why should the reverse be true?
Darryl Tuckwell, Lake Macquarie
SHORT TAKES
THE Mining Round for the Newcastle Knights will be round 23. No doubt the NRL, the club and Australian community will respect and support the rights of those players who refuse to wear the jersey on that day because of their strongly held science-informed knowledge that continued coal mining is a death sentence for humanity. At least their refusal to promote the cause will be based on reality.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
JULIE Robinson regards John Howard as dangerous. Perhaps Julie would like to reverse Mr Howard's gun ownership reforms and increase domestic violence shootings.
Steve Barnett, Fingal Bay
I ALWAYS enjoy the Letters and Short Takes page in the Herald and I thought Julie Robinson's piece hit the nail on the head, (Short Takes, 29/7). The "celebrity butcher"got a mention again, but Don Fraser's comment had me laughing. His response to Mac Maguire being one eyed is in my opinion like the pot calling the kettle black. Ha ha. I'm still laughing.
Neil Meyers, Warners Bay
DON Fraser, (Short Takes, 29/7) has a great memory; four deaths during the stimulus package following the Global Financial Crisis. That was certainly sad, but on Julia Gillard he mentions no incident that makes her tenure as prime minister so bad, unless he means her being forced into introducing a carbon tax, which in my mind was a good thing. I wonder if he remembers any of the many deaths caused by RoboDebt.
Fred McInerney, Karuah
ROS Johns, (Short Takes, 29/7), if we are talking about parliamentary speeches, what about Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's powerful maiden effort? She pulled no punches in calling out the divisive, woke, virtue signalling towards Indigenous people and called for real action for real problems in those communities. What an asset this brilliant woman's voice is going to be in our senate.
Greg Hunt, Newcastle West
IT is interesting to see that this week the council has reinstalled two of the raised removable pedestrian crossings in Watt Street in the area that is part of the Supercars track. These crossings were removed well over a year ago along with others in Newcastle East. If the council is proposing to reinstate the Supercars 500 races in March 2023, just over six months from now, why would they be installing these crossings for them to be once again removed in a few months' time?
John Fear, Newcastle East
DON Fraser, (Short Takes, 29/7), blames Kevin Rudd for the deaths during the pink batts installation. So Mr Fraser, how many deaths is John Howard responsible for after he sent Australian soldiers to Iraq to fight in a war that was based on lies by his fellow conservative George Bush? I'm sure the soldiers who survived and are still suffering from that war won't forget.
Barry Reed, Islington
IN support of LGBTQIA+ people and what they stand for, I went to buy a Manly pride jumper but they were sold out, I went and bought a rainbow coloured pair of pyjamas.
