The JobMaker policy: It is time to develop workplace reform

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I was pleased to hear our Prime Minister's proposal for an overhaul of the workplace and our industrial relations future. But when Sabra Lane interviewed him (AM, ABC Radio, 27/5), her first question was: "Reform means a change to improve something. Can you guarantee that no worker will be worse off after this process?" This old chestnut, that no worker must ever be worse off, has haunted Australia's industrial relations as long as I can remember. It is one of those absolutes that allow commentators their "gotcha" moment.

There are few absolutes in the real world. Under various past workplace agreements, some workers were probably worse off. But was the country worse off? We have learnt so much since COVID-19 changed our lives. Let us capitalise on that and not allow platitudes to hold up necessary reforms. If we are not prepared to change our thinking, our workplaces will remain mired in the past. We may as well hand over all our industry to China and it can have its "gotcha" moment.

Pam Cupper, Dimboola

A post-mortem on COVID-19 and the way forward

The Prime Minister calls his plan JobMaker. Christian Porter called it a "working group process" on ABC Radio, and Labor and others say it is very similar to the Hawke government's Accord Mark VII. Whatever it is called, it does not matter. It is a good start to rebuilding the economy and our lives.

And while the party of Robert Menzies is at it, it might as well smash more conservative party moulds and convene a post-coronavirus summit of ideas. It could be a two-day gathering of ordinary Australians representing the views of students, the elderly and minority groups, as well as heads of the education, industry, religious and social services sectors. It could be a post-mortem on the coronavirus lockdown and the way forward.

Dora Houpis, Richmond

A fresh start, including how we think about debt

Scott Morrison is offering a fresh start after the coronavirus to less divisive industrial relations and less ideology. His comments on vocational education and training – the key to relevant skills and employment – are encouraging. But perhaps we could loosen up a bit on the ideology of a balanced budget. We have the lowest public debt of the OECD. Debt is affordable if it is well invested in activities that build the economy and employment such as skills, education, science, innovation and prudent research and development.

John Miller, Toorak

A boost to VET, and much-needed skills for workers

Scott Morrison has reasonably suggested establishing national efficient benchmark prices for VET qualifications. I am concerned that "efficient" in neo-liberal land can translate to "cheapest".

Our VET system is regulated by multiple authorities and suffers under an onerous compliance regime. This has created a drain on the funding dedicated to its existence. In TAFE institutes, entire departments of administrators and managers are employed to implement required compliance. Aside from the intrinsic motivation of teachers, there is no incentive for students to be inspired to learn or for the development of innovative training programs.

As long as the skills are "delivered" and the hundreds of pages of compliance documents are completed, the "quality" is acceptable. For the most part, funding does not cover the cost of training and so students pay the shortfall in fees – often more than the government's portion. Taking out a $9000 VET student loan for a one-year TAFE diploma is an unattractive alternative to a place at university with its potential for higher future earnings and lower annual fees.

The national cabinet could take the advice of experts, such as from the Mitchell Institute, and make much-needed improvements to the way TAFE is funded and managed. This is an opportunity for the VET sector to regain some reputational kudos, and for pandemic-affected workers to gain useful and relevant vocational skills. Don't stuff it up, Scott Morrison. Please.

Adam Hutterer, South Melbourne

THE FORUM

TAFEs, working together

Two tips for the Prime Minister's overhaul of vocational education and training. First, sack the for-profit companies that have colonised the federal planning of vocational education. Central planning did not work very well in Russia and it is even less effective when the planner's primary focus is on shareholder value.

Second, a flexible and progressive vocational education is needed. This comes from diverse approaches and high quality learning materials for life-long learning. These will come from co-operation and sharing between TAFEs, not the current "competition" model that wastes vast amounts of money on corporate structure duplication and marketing.

Neil Hauxwell, Moe

Pay inequity the real issue

Scott Morrison says, "Everybody's got to put their weapons down." Christian Porter says the government will lay down its arms. Who is their audience? Who are they appealing to when critical workers are not experiencing wage growth and top public servants and company management are gaining increases. We are not at war.

Lou Ferrari, Richmond

Struggling to survive

A third of Australians who have accessed their superannuation to get through the coronavirus pandemic are under the age of 30 (The Age, 25/5). The data reveals a disturbing trend: they have experienced financial difficulty within three or four weeks after losing their jobs.

It appears we have created a class of workers similar to wage earners in India. An income that barely covers their daily consumption. This disturbing revelation not only exposes the fault lines in our society. It also shows we need to collectively oppose this untenable and inequitable situation.

Nalliah Suriyakumaran, Preston

Risk of untreated illnesses

I work for a hospital which, apart from its day units, appears to be bereft of patients. This is mainly due to elective surgery and other procedures still not running at full capacity due to the COVID-19 crisis. While it is great to hear about our workers in the fight against coronavirus, what concerns me is the potential fallout from this, in terms of illnesses being left or untreated.

Lorraine Mowbray, Safety Beach

Coalition's focus on voters

Judith Paphazy (Letters, 27/5) asks: "Why does the Morrison government see the arts and universities as unworthy of basic fairness?" It knows that these sectors comprise a majority of voters who traditionally do not vote for it and would be unlikely to do so even if they were granted the JobKeeper payments. Those who hold temporary work visas and foreign students do not vote at all, so their plight was unlikely to have even been discussed when the JobKeeper and JobSeeker rules were formulated.

Kevin Bailey, Croydon

Hands off our donations

Many Melbourne Symphony Orchestra subscribers donated the cost of tickets for cancelled concerts as a small recompense to valued musicians and support staff who had lost their income almost overnight. I guess we are all hoping none of that donated money found its way to any of the MSO's board or senior management.

Alice Glover, Thornbury

Support for our artists

The current plight of live theatre could provide the perfect opportunity to re-establish the magic of the spoken word on radio. We are well-served with music. And over-served with sport. Where are the plays? Short stories? Serialised novels? Poetry offerings? Or serial dramas?

In Britain, the public mind is enriched by offerings from BBC Radio: daily plays, afternoon readings, "A Book at Bedtime", "Drama of the Week", "Poetry Please". And much more. A similar policy adopted by the ABC or SBS Radio could also help subsidise the erratic earnings for actors in this difficult time for artists everywhere.

Lyndel Rowe, Armadale

Our hell each winter

An estimated 445 people were killed by exposure to bushfire smoke over the Black Summer fires (The Age, 27/5). We know the damage that wood fire smoke can cause, yet those of us who live near someone with a wood fire heater suffer from late March to early October each year in our own private hell.

Bushfire smoke is the same as a smoking chimney stoked with wood – and most likely logged from the same forests. But while everyone deplores the damage bushfire smoke can do, those of us who are forced to breathe in the same smoke from our neighbours, watch our children get sick and have our wellbeing destroyed and are simply called "over-sensitive". Councils and governments all know how damaging wood fire smoke from residential properties is to our health, winter air quality and the environment, yet they do nothing to help.

Jennifer Vergis, Brunswick East

Why the great gas rort?

Like petrol, the price of gas has been very low this year. However, my gas provider has not announced any price drop. Where are the low gas prices? Someone is making a mint this winter.

Andrew Gunner, Brunswick West

Urgent need for transport

Marion Terrill from the Grattan Institute says "faster regional trains were never likely to take much pressure off Melbourne, nor revitalise regional cities and towns" (Comment, 25/5). Yes, regional areas need "better internet and mobile connectivity" but we also need to get from A to B. These areas are growing at a fast rate and there needs to be long-term planning for the future.

The trains are overcrowded with commuters trying to get to the city and they often endure travel times of up to two hours. They try to avoid being late for work by leaving as early as 5am, resulting in less sleep and time away from the families.

Regional travel, both buses and trains, is in dire need of improvement. Many people do not own a car and rely on public transport. The Grattan Institute seems to believe the needs of regional public transport users are less important than those in the city. I hope governments do not listen to its advice.

Anne Laver, Kilmore

Each premier is guilty

When Jeff Kennett sought to abrogate the Freedom of Information Act, he relied on that useful phrase, "commercial in confidence" which was appropriated later by Steve Bracks and, most enthusiastically, by John Brumby. It now appears the Andrews government is so arrogant and dismissive of scrutiny that it does not bother with verbal shibboleths but simply ignores the law – "Premier under fire over state secrecy" (The Age, 27/5).

Kevin Summers, Bentleigh

Our own Chinese colony

China's announcement of its intended imposition of a draconian and Orwellian "national security law" on Hong Kong has prompted a surge in emigration inquiries by Hong Kongers. Will Australia's consular and immigration officials be kind enough to let them know that if they choose Australia, they had better avoid Daniel Andrews' Victoria lest they end up in another Chinese vassal state?

Nicholas Tam, Traralgon East

Our own Chinese port

The Belt and Road agreement may be bad but it pales into insignificance when compared to the lease of the Port of Darwin to Chinese interests for 100 years. This port is the most strategic danger to our country as far as Asia is concerned. How could such a monumental blunder have been permitted to occur?

Peter Cash, Wendouree

Please, just let me work

Jenna Guillaume (Comment, 26/5), I read your article and have not laughed so hard since well before this pandemic. Thank you for showing my husband that I am not the only one with these completely reasonable and sensible sentiments. He thinks I am mad. Sometimes he is right, but that is only because he is there all the time, retired and relaxed. I am not mad when I am at my workplace. At least, I do not think I am.

Just the other day, when I was focused on correcting my students' work, the beloved, very well read man, burst into my room to tell me about a really interesting point in the book he was reading. And I said, "Can't you see I'm correcting 24 pieces of subtraction work? Please go away". He dutifully left. Jenna, I would love to meet for a coffee and talk some more, but I am sure that he who should be ignored would quietly follow me. And that would really do my head in.

Kay Roberts, Moonee Ponds

Just fix my problem

Is there any limit to the number of reference numbers that Telstra generates relating to a single, specific issue with a customer? Since February I have been given at least five different reference numbers and the problem is still not resolved.

Nicola Kissane, Surrey Hills

Time to show leadership

Our fearful university leaders are enlisting their staff to vote for pay cuts across the board to save jobs.

Let us put aside the obvious ethical issues inherent in asking workers to determine corporate policy that will negatively impact their peers, and the likely subsequent blame game.

Instead, I beseech vice-chancellors to consider the self-evident opportunity to pivot and show leadership, to consider those parts of their corporations that must change wholly, or disappear, in response to the expected long-term and drastic downturn in the international student market.

David Barnes, Templestowe Lower

It's all too much work

If a bistro meal means going out in the cold, catching a tram, having my temperature taken at the restaurant and providing my name and contact details. then I think I will dine at home. (No that I want to be a wet blanket.)

Paul Murchison, Kingsbury

AND ANOTHER THING

Politics

JobSeeker, JobKeeper, now JobMaker. How soon until JobFaker?

James and Carolyn Reynolds, Lake Boga

Let's hope JobMaker isn't followed by JobEnder.

Lindsay Donahoo, Wattle Glen

Does JobMaker sound like something from a children's television show?

Graeme Rankin, Holder, ACT

What's the government's first solar project? Buying Josh a new calculator.

Paul Wells, Bendigo

Scott wants to talk to unions and have a spirit of co-operation in Parliament. I hope I don't wake up.

Richard Wilson, Croydon

All we need now is for China to exempt Victoria's barley farmers from the 80per cent tariff.

Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South

If Andrews and his cronies sell us out to China without national agreement, belt him at the election and send him on the road

John Lippmann, Canterbury

With tariffs removed on our sugar by China and a tonne of barley still here, will the price of yummy barley sugar lollies go down?

Tris Raouf, Hadfield

Trump

Trump refers to "the invisible enemy". What's he talking about? I can see him clearly.

Freddie Goldis, Brighton East

My anxiety level keeps rising as Scott Morrison sounds more and more like Donald Trump.

Marie Hodgens, Burwood

After insisting places of worship should reopen, Trump practised his religion, golf, on Saturday and Sunday.

Margaret Ady, Avondale Heights

Furthermore

If crowds feature at the grand final, offer the first tickets to frontline health workers, first responders and teachers.

Steve Melzer, Hughesdale

As an MSO subscriber, I agree the board must go. The musicians deserve better and must come first.

Rosemary Kiss, Rippleside

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