ON Monday, NSW will enjoy a public holiday for the official birthday of King Charles III, pictured. While not his actual birthday, it acknowledges the British monarch as our head of state. But most people will not actively celebrate the King's birth and will probably give it little or no thought. Instead, I'd argue we should look forward to when Australia is a republic and we have another day designated on our calendar marking our transition to a totally independent nation.
While the Real Republic Australia does not campaign for the replacement of Australia Day, we suggest that a new day on our calendar marking the change to a republic would have more meaning than the monarch's birthday it would replace.
Celebrating a Republic Day or Constitution Day, however we might term it, could help Australians focus on our future and the issues that unite us as a nation.
There is no contradiction in respecting King Charles as our head of state under the Australian constitution - just as we respected Queen Elizabeth - while using the lawful, peaceful, and democratic processes available to us under that same constitution to change it and become a republic.
There is plenty to think about on Monday, especially how we might become a republic. The Real Republic Australia wants to see Australians themselves choose our head of state through a genuine direct-election process. We do not want one picked for us by politicians, nor do we support the Australian Republic Movement's idea of having more than 800 federal and state politicians hand down to voters a shortlist of candidates.
The politicians' republic model famously failed at the 1999 referendum, and we think it will be rejected again if it is the only choice offered at a future referendum.
David Muir AM, Real Republic Australia chair
Voice not necessary to offer help
YOU would have noticed lately that when speeches to the nation are delivered by the Prime Minister or Treasurer there are three flags on display: the Australian national flag, the Aboriginal flag and the Torres Strait Islands flag.
I believe the first motion put before Parliament if the 'yes' vote gets up in the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum will be to unite the three flags, which honestly doesn't faze me, but the first cab off the rank should be how to quell the rates of domestic violence, youth crime, and unemployment in Aboriginal communities. These are problems that have been escalating for decades. These are real issues, and if the "yes" vote does succeed, hopefully the new representatives get the help they need from Parliament to resolve these concerns.
If the 'no' vote gets up, there would be no reason that commonsense should prevail and Parliament should address them. Realistically the nation shouldn't have to vote on 'yes' or 'no'; help should be forthcoming without dividing the nation.
If we want to be one Australia, then, in my opinion, we shouldn't need to vote to help each other towards this outcome. It should happen automatically and without question. That's a true-blue Aussie approach - just roll up your sleeves and offer your neighbour a helping hand where you can.
Graeme Kime, Cameron Park
It's a standard we cannot condone
MIKE Sargent uses a strange analogy to defend the actions of Ben Roberts-Smith ("Be careful with the condemnation", Letters, 8/6). The established facts in this finding are that an unarmed elderly man and a younger man with a prosthetic leg surrendered to Roberts-Smith. Roberts-Smith ordered a junior soldier to execute the old man. The younger man was thrown to the ground and machine gunned by Roberts-Smith. His prosthetic leg was souvenired by another soldier and used as a celebratory drinking vessel.
In another incident, non-combatant farmer Ali Jan, father of six children under 10, was kicked off a 10 metre cliff and severely injured. As he lay there he was executed by a subordinate soldier under orders of Roberts-Smith. If we accept Roberts-Smith behaviour, we lose all rights to object to it from the troops of other nations.
In 2013, the then chief of army, General David Morrison said: "The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. If that doesn't suit you then get out." And if David Stuart doesn't think John Howard bears any responsibility for sending Roberts-Smith to Afghanistan I hope he's not going to blame Putin for sending troops to Ukraine.
John Arnold, Anna Bay
Allegations speak for themselves
I AM not a fan of former prime minister Howard. His governments did some good things, but some of their actions were so unforgivable that I decided not to vote Liberal while any Liberal politician of that era is still active.
That said, I think that it is not reasonable to shift the blame for the acts that Ben Roberts-Smith has been accused of committing entirely, or largely, to Howard, as both Peter Marsh and Peter Ronne have done in their recent correspondence (Letters 6/6).
These alleged crimes were, in my opinion, cold-blooded murders of civilians and prisoners of war, unarmed and, in some cases, physically restrained, who posed no threat to Roberts-Smith or his comrades. They did not take place in the heat of battle in circumstances where it is difficult to tell the difference between a deadly enemy and a harmless civilian, nor can I accept the argument that if the enemy has committed atrocities we should as well.
The question that has now to be answered is not whether such actions were acceptable, but whether it can be proved, to the standard required for a criminal conviction, that Roberts-Smith is guilty of performing them.
Ian Roach, New Lambton
Industrial relations overhaul due
I WAS staggered to hear the argument forwarded by the Minerals Council and other bodies that the concept of "same job, same pay" is unfair ('Labor's 'same job, same pay' policy is unfair: business', Herald 5/6).
A television advertisement claims that your experience counts for something. Newsflash: it doesn't.
Experience meant nothing when Hunter Valley coal mine workers were retrenched during the Howard era. Employer unions, sorry associations, had a problem that the average age in the coal industry was, wait for it, 42 at the time of the upheaval. Similarly, experience counted for little in the waterfront dispute of the same era.
I disagree with the current government line that loopholes need to be closed. The entire landscape of industrial relations legislation in my opinion needs to be repealed and reframed.
The same job, same pay debate is symptomatic of a sick system. Try reading the Fair Work Commission website and the inadequacy of this system for the employee will be revealed. Use of the word "retrenchment" has been dropped and universally replaced by "redundant".
I reckon that's a faux attempt to legitimise unfair dismissal, and a system that can be used to displace "experience". Age discrimination continues.
Marvyn Smith, Heddon Greta
SHORT TAKES
ANOTHER rate rise and millions of Aussies are in grave danger of losing their homes ('Rate rise tightens screws', Newcastle Herald 7/6). The blame game has started politically, as it always does. In my opinion, the blame is being directed at the wrong villain, the greedy banks are the main culprit here, all big four are amassing huge profits, so there is no reason they should lift their lending rates. In my opinion, the main reason for all the problems in the world today boils down to one simple cause: greed.
Darryl Tuckwell, Eleebana
I THINK the argument that the government and the Reserve Bank's power to set interest rates should be separate needs to be seriously questioned. To me, it makes no sense at all. If a government doesn't perform, there is the opportunity to replace it at the next election. What democratic system exists to re-elect the heads of the Reserve Bank of Australia? This separation frustrates the government. The current situation needs to change.
Klaas Woldring, Pearl Beach
I'M not going to lose any sleep over what Ben Roberts-Smith did or didn't do. But as we, the majority, kick back with a roof over our head, gluttonous amounts of food and unlimited fresh drinking water, you have to wonder; back when the war raged, did Roberts-Smith, of his own free will, ring the airport and ask for a flight to Afghanistan?
Bryn Roberts, New Lambton
REGARDING defenders of Ben Roberts-Smith, I'm shaking my head in disbelief at the people trying to justify the actions of this "hero". The court found there was adequate evidence supporting the claim that this person's a war criminal and likely a murderer. Killing unarmed prisoners is murder, in war or not.
Daryl Frost, Eleebana
I think it's time that John Howard, Tony Blair and George W. Bush were held accountable for any war crimes for commencing the invasion of Iraq. We were all told of weapons of mass destruction, but none were ever found. Countless lives were lost and stolen from that nation and ours and our allies. No leader has been held accountable for the misleading intelligence from the US.
Greg Lowe, New Lambton
SMART drumlines, they call them. Not so smart when it comes to whale migration, though ('Humpback calf caught in drumline after cruising close to shore', Herald 8/6). Surely these things and shark nets can be removed for a few months during this time of the year.
Steven Busch, Rathmines
I AGREE 100 per cent with the editorial regarding conditions on bulk carriers visiting Newcastle ("Ships of shame can't be part of system", Opinion 7/6). Well done to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
