Every day, we publish a selection of your emails in our newsletter. We’d love to hear from you, you can email us at yoursay@theconversation.edu.au.
Monday September 14
“Your article ‘Cutting the tobacco excise won’t stop the illegal trade. This is how other countries solved the problem’ was novel in that it introduced prosecuting ‘tax evasion’ for the first time that I can remember in this debate. But governments would do well to remember that it was tax and health experts who framed the stupid tobacco tax in the first place. Look where it has led us. Experts should also not forget the lessons of the Capital Duplicators case in the High Court in 1991, when the porn industry took the ACT government to task over its tax on X-rated videos.”
Robbie Swan
“With regards to housing shortages as mentioned in your article titled ‘Australia has a housing shortage. So why are Bathla and other home builders collapsing?’, it amazes me that individuals can expect to own or rent their own personal home; it has never been the case in history, and I’m not certain humans are designed to live alone. Think of all those empty bedrooms across the country, and the pensioners with homes who struggle to pay bills but are discouraged from renting spare rooms because it could reduce their pension. A good example of how it can work are two couples buying one home (four incomes) and renovating to divide the house; most people will tell you of family backgrounds where extended families shared and many took in boarders. I own my home and I want as many people as possible to own their own home too, but really we need to change the tax laws to incentivise people to share.”
Christine Crowe
Tuesday September 15
“Thank you for publishing this critical article for today’s world titled ‘Data centres in Australia: your questions answered’. I ask how the growth of data centres in Australia is impacting the challenges we are faced with the changing climate. Water definitely needs more focus here in Australia as is the question of recycling the many technical components that depreciate with wear and tear in data centres. Every resource has a use-by date; that simply can’t be the signal to dump it somewhere until further notice!”
Otto Lechner
“I read with interest ’Decorating the heavens’: a new Leonard French window sheds light on his masterpiece’. My interest is that I have some pieces of the glass used in that ceiling work. The background is that Les Hawkins was given the job of assembling all the glass panels for that ceiling. Les was, I believe, an employee of NGV. He hired an old mill and spent something like a year doing all the assembly work, including chipping the glass to fit them all together. His whole family helped. The glass was very hard, and each panel was very heavy. Other members of my family have better memories than me of some of the details. Les had 4 children and they may still be alive. The eldest two are, I think, Martin and Irene. My grandmother (nee Nance Watt) was Les’s mother’s sister (nee Irene Watt), and I got given the pieces by my mother. The family was fairly close-knit. Thank you for a nice reminder of some family history.”
Matt Wilson
Wednesday September 16
“Regarding your article ‘Five years into AUKUS, what do we have to show for it? We’ve measured progress on three key metrics’, the projected public cost of AUKUS could, in my view, be far better directed towards reducing poverty in Australia, yet our elected representatives have committed to acquiring nuclear-powered, conventionally armed submarines at enormous cost. During COVID, welfare payments were substantially increased so people could better afford essentials, but those increases did not last. It is evident to me that our political parties are not sufficiently serving the people, leaving me to question whether greater use of referendums could provide a truer democracy based more directly on the will of the majority rather than the influence of lobbyists.”
Steve Bentley, Camira QLD
“Yesterday’s article ‘1 in 3 uni students experience serious financial hardship. Could concession cards for all help?’ prompted two thoughts: first, there is no right to a university education. It’s a choice like many others in life and one to be made taking account of the realities of living it. Second, the article says the objective is to raise tertiary qualifications from 60% to 80%. I’m wondering how such a goal benefits our society. There are significant employment needs currently in childcare, aged care, agriculture (ie harvesting the food), logistics, transport and construction. I don’t know that any of those necessarily require tertiary qualifications, particularly university qualifications.”
Joanne Blackburn
Thursday September 17
“‘Australia’s data centre build‑out carries risks for the economy – and inflation’ was a timely and interesting article on the impact of the massive data-centre build happening or planned in Australia. Jak proposed some treatment options but ignored the most obvious: a moratorium on all new centres until the federal government puts legislation in place to control their pace, placement, power, water and infrastructure usage. Meanwhile, the economic benefits may flow largely to foreign corporations, while tradesmen and building materials are diverted from the government’s 1.2 million-house target, driving up costs and reducing housing supply. State governments are racing to offer carrots, while Crisafulli says he won’t be bound by federal power restrictions. The answer, Mr Albanese, is to mandate that data centres are of strategic national importance, bringing their location, construction and ownership under Commonwealth control.”
Stuart Kennedy
“Thank you for the article ‘Trailblazing lawyer Mary Gaudron, a woman of many firsts, leaves a huge and lasting legacy’. It was with a huge mix of sadness and inspiration to read Mary Gaudron’s many accomplishments throughout her life. Sadness she is gone, sadness that so many things she fought for are yet to be realised, like equal pay. I hope she is honoured with a state funeral or memorial but I doubt it will occur. Still a lovely article, thank you.”
Shirley Allen 
“Your article ‘1 in 3 uni students experience serious financial hardship. Could concession cards for all help?’ brought back many memories of my hand-to-mouth years as a uni student, after moving to Sydney from regional NSW to study. I had taken a ‘gap year’ between school and university to save up enough to make the move, but sadly the nest egg didn’t last past 2 years as I suffered a sporting injury that stopped me working for weeks (and meanwhile the rent still needed paying). My experience is that cost of living pressures disproportionately affect students from regional areas who are navigating the private rental market while working casual jobs around lectures. I’m not convinced that a concession card will help all that much, a rental assistance scheme or even food vouchers may be more useful. Ever-increasing university fees and skyrocketing rents will make many students think twice about enrolling in a degree. At what point will a university education only be attainable for those from a wealthy and/or urban background?”
Elizabeth Devlin
Friday September 18
“Thanks to The Conversation and Professor Brent Ritchie for a valuable analysis in ‘Want to help Nepal recover from its deadly floods? Here’s what tourists need to know’. The grounding in research underpinning the insights makes this a great piece. But I’m always keen to get to the structural justice issues of tourism in this era of climate change. How long can we keep promoting the conduct and even expansion of long-haul tourism when this disaster is in part caused by non-vital consumption of fossil fuels? Yes, Nepal is tourism dependent. Shouldn’t that direct our attention to reducing that vulnerable dependency? Considering when tourists should return is offering short-term solutions to long-term issues. Glaciers don’t stand a chance in our warming, destabilised world.”
Freya Higgins-Desbiolles
“In all the attacks by Pauline Hanson and overall lack of nuance in the discussion on immigration – highlighted in the piece ‘How would One Nation’s immigration plan affect the labour market and economy?’ – there is little mention of the gig economy and who is driving it. The people who are doing this work are often not driving labelled vans or wearing identifiable uniforms. How do we know if they are insured or not being trafficked? I would like to see laws that ensure all Australian workers get a fair deal and work under clear and transparent laws that protect them.”
Jane Davis