The takeaway from the ABC’s changes

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ABC’s takeaway menu
Barrie Cassidy likened the sacking of Andrew Probyn as a restaurant that doesn’t need a head chef. ABC news director Justin Stevens says that the analogy doesn’t apply since the restaurant is now servicing people in all sorts of ways – not just one.
I assume he means the ABC has moved to takeaway whereby they take away some of their best and most talented reporters.

Alan Inchley, Frankston

Watering down
The ABC will alienate everyone by watering down editorial control of its two greatest strengths – politics and the arts.

Jenifer Nicholls, Armadale

Beyond belief
Unbelievable. Just when we desperately need accurate and insightful political reporting and analysis, the ABC management decide to make their political editor redundant.

Les Terrill, Williamstown

A divided system
The juxtaposition of the articles ″⁣Charities tackling hunger can’t keep up″⁣ and ″⁣Stop stereotyping private schools″⁣ (15/6) grabbed my attention. It is safe to say that families whose children attend government schools are far more likely to be the clients of charities like Foodbank than those linked to private schools.
Nonetheless, the students attending Catholic parish schools and regional colleges for whom National Catholic Education Commission executive director Jacinta Collins speaks have much more in common with children in state schools than with those at the quoted example of Xavier College where fees of $30,000 a year place it in the educational stratosphere of the elite independents that can afford payroll tax. Our sharply divided education system, unusual in the Western world, brings into focus social-class issues and poverty in Australia.

Peter McCarthy, Mentone

Yes is the answer
I am saddened to read letters outlining a decision to vote No in the referendum that is based on misunderstandings of the purpose and origins of the Voice.
The Voice would not provide First Nations Australians with more of a voice than others because they do not have an equal voice to begin with. For too long, First Nations people have experienced poorer outcomes in every aspect of life, perpetuated by government decisions made without adequate consultation or understanding. While the Voice to parliament would help to address this wrong by giving First Nations Australians a say in legislation that directly affects them, the extent of disadvantage is such that it would only be a step towards equality, so could not possibly make them ″⁣more equal″⁣, as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton claims.
The Voice was not introduced by Anthony Albanese or anyone else in the Canberra elite. It comes from the Uluru Statement from the Heart, a document created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The statement invites all to walk towards a better future. I hope that even those who feel that the Voice would be unfair or is simply a political opportunity can put doubts aside, accept the invitation, and vote Yes.

Darcy Conquest, Footscray

Raising hope
Your correspondent (Letters, 16/6) is voting against the Voice because he sees it as undemocratic in giving one group a special voice that everyone else does not have. But no other group in Australia has such inequitable readings on indicators of health, education and housing. That’s why we need to listen to their voices, so that Australia can lift these indicators to those of the general population.

David Fry, Moonee Ponds

Stop the grubbiness
Having spent the past week listening to the opposition leader and his associates squabbling over who knew what, when and how – please put it in perspective.
There are 300,000 homeless people spending each day wondering where they can shelter for the night, one in four Australians skipping meals through hardship, untold millions on the edge of mortgage armageddon and First Nations people watching the Voice being swamped by a wave of negativity and a couldn’t-care-less attitude by certain politicians.
If a portion of the enthusiasm shown in the past week’s grubby point-scoring was devoted to attacking the above issues in a sense of bipartisanship, maybe the above forgotten Australians, might feel there is some hope.
Surely, the opposition’s position in the polls should be evidence that voters couldn’t care less about cheap point-scoring. Do something constructive to help improve life for your fellow Australians.

Bob Andrews, Cockatoo

Troubling aspect
One of the most troubling judicial aspects of the Brittany Higgins saga is how the contents of her mobile phone, which she reluctantly handed to police, is now used against her. Jacqueline Maley is absolutely right (Comment, The Sunday Age, 11/6): “Any reasonable person watching this vicious exposure (of her text messages on the front page of newspapers) might conclude Higgins was right to be fearful.”
Her lack of faith and that of countless women reporting sexual assault was rational. The justice system and certain media outlets have much to answer for.

Nick Toovey, Beaumaris

Full marks
Thank you Matthew Knott for writing on the under-appreciated semi-colon (Comment, 17/6). I fell in love with words at a very early age. But my admiration for punctuation marks came later.
As a VCE English teacher, I encouraged my students to use the semi-colon along with dashes and colons to impress the examiners. But my first piece of advice to them – and to anyone reading this – is simply to take time and just appreciate how much the skilful use of punctuation marks can add to a piece of writing. You’ll be rewarded if you do.

Ivan Glynn, Vermont

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