Abolish Them

Sir: Stuart Lindsay’s article on the Family Court (May 2018) presents a compelling case for the abolition of that and all such specialist courts and quasi courts. When the Family Court was established I predicted that it would, before long, be captured by activists with very large axes to grind. Lindsay’s piece demonstrates clearly just how far that has gone in the matter of so-called “gender-dysphoric” children. The Australian Human Rights Commission has been on a mission in recent times to demonstrate to all with eyes to see just how captured by activists it willingly has become.

All matters dealt with by these “courts” should be dealt with by regular courts. It is bad enough that far too many magistrates and judges in these courts also are interfering, agenda-driven political activists but we have been, at least to date, reasonably confident of some semblance of balance in their memberships and judgments.

Michael Smith
Mooroolbark, Vic

Fighting for What?

Sir: A simple truth has been overlooked in the ruckus over the imposition of political correctness on our defence forces, and an ongoing tightening of regulations on what Australian servicemen can say and do.

The ADF has fought two world wars, and participated in other conflicts overseas in order to protect basic political freedoms, especially freedom of speech and expression. Now those freedoms are being progressively withdrawn by senior command, with Australian servicemen finding that freedom of expression is denied them. Disciplinary action will be taken against servicemen who say or act to express opinions that run counter to an imposed political correctness.

This is hypocrisy, and it sullies the sacrifice of those soldiers who gave their lives to defend liberty. Remember Voltaire saying a free nation is where people can say things those in power disagree with, and no action is taken against them. That is what generations of diggers always fought for.

The new ADF boasts that it is inclusive. Well, inclusiveness is a charade if it doesn’t include tolerating “blokey” servicemen and their sometimes redneck opinions.

Christopher Heathcote
Keilor, Vic

More R&D Instead

Sir: Tim Blair is absolutely correct (April 2018) when he says that, if Australia became a carbon-free economy overnight, it would make no measurable difference to global atmospheric carbon dioxide levels because of the massively increasing amounts of carbon dioxide being produced by China and other developing countries.

However, if you accept that anthropogenic climate change is a genuine problem and should be acted upon in a rational and financially responsible manner (as I do), then there is an alternative that Tim has not explored. Recognising that the world still lacks the technologies needed to stop and then reverse global warming, the federal government should redirect the billions of dollars it’s currently spending to reduce our meagre carbon dioxide emissions and instead make it available to research institutions to discover and commercialise the technologies that the world still lacks.

Bernie Masters
via e-mail