Illustration: Andrew Dyson
The hepatitis A scare has highlighted a weakness in the food safety system. My company is in the food industry and we subscribe to the Australian Government Food Recall email system. We were notified by email on Monday February 16 at 6.23pm (after business closed). The notice was dated Saturday February14. Why did it take so long to email us? Luckily, we do not use these frozen berries in our products. However, if we did, we could have been using them for three business days before notification was received. Notification needs to be faster or people may be seriously affected by the delay.
Mark Costello, Seven Hills, NSW
Doubts on assurances of ‘quality’
I had food poisoning 18months ago. It lasted for two days and was related to Nanna’s mixed berries. Woolworth’s branch manager promptly removed the product from the shelves but it was later returned. It made me wonder how many other purchasers suffered and how stringent are supermarkets’ “quality assurance” of food, especially since a television program has since shown vast greenhouse complexes in China growing fruit and vegetables fertilised by “purified” sewage.
Rodney Whitworth, Belgrave
It’s time to get tough on imported food …
Why is food produced in Australia subjected to a more stringent testing regime than similar imported food? If anything, the testing regime on imported food should be at least to the same standard, if not higher, than for Australian produce.
Ross Hudson, Camberwell
… and get rid of deceptive, vague labelling
Labelling has become lax, with many products displaying their “country of origin” as “imported”. Buying Australian is best but if the product is imported, consumers should have a right to choose to buy from, say, China or New Zealand. To me, there is a difference. I choose not to buy food from China but feel I am often being mislead or am uninformed when making choices due to lax labelling.
Margaret Burnside, Hampton
Buy Australian, even if it costs more
Many years ago, a farmer told me why we should be prepared to pay a fair, and most likely a higher, price for locally produced food. She said that a number of things suffered if we do not, because farmers are forced to use chemicals and other harmful practices so as to increase production. Firstly animals: the use of growth hormones and caged/feedlots. Secondly the environment: erosion due to overstocking/cropping, use of chemical sprays such as DDT and algae blooms in our lakes and rivers. Thirdly the farmer: financial stress leading to health problems. Fourthly ourselves: for example, the current health issues with imported frozen berries.
Kevin Brown, Castlemaine
Consumers kept in the dark for too long
What a ridiculous public relations disaster the frozen berries saga has turned into. First, Patties Foods announced it had recalled all 1kilogram packs of Nanna’s Mixed Berries, then 300gram and 500gram packs of Creative Gourmet Mixed Berries, and now 1kilogram packs of Nanna’s Raspberries. Meanwhile the public, my family included, has been consuming these products but not knowing they could contract hepatitis A. An advertisement on the telly, explaining what was going on, would not have been a bad idea.
Gerry Coleman, Bassendean, WA
Shocking animal abuse
It was so good to read people’s views (Letters, 18/2) and share their disgust at the shockingly violent treatment of greyhounds. I wonder how many saw the connection between this and the suffering inflicted on animals for other human entertainment – our clothing, food, live animal export and experimentation. Animals are abused for two reasons: money or the temporary satisfaction of our taste buds. It is easy to become vegan as we are no longer part of the suffering of other living beings. We are healthier and kinder, and tread softer on our earth.
Diane Cornelius, Seacliff Park, SA
Heroes, not villains
I am appalled that Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce has suggested Animals Australia committed a criminal offence when they exposed the horrific treatment of rabbits and possums in the greyhound racing industry.
Rather than denouncing it and its ineffective regulatory body for allowing live baits and vowing to punish those involved, he suggests animal rights activists trespassed and should be prosecuted. In the face of widespread public outrage, his remarks show it is not only Tony Abbott who is out of touch. If it were not for groups like Animals Australia, cruelty and abuse like this would continue, unexposed.
Ian Slattery, Maldon
End greyhound racing
Now I know what the old timers were getting at when they pointed to a piece of human scum and remarked: “Hasn’t he gone to the dogs?” Perhaps it is time to wind up this vile “sport”.
Bob Kaighin, Corryong
Safe and efficient
Hong Kong, London and Tokyo have traffic lights using the “three stage” system. Melbourne has the less safe/less efficient, “two stage” system at almost every CBD intersection. If we had the “three stage” system in place at the Collins/Spencer streets intersection, it might have prevented the tragic pedestrian fatality (The Age, 18/2).
It operates at the Elizabeth/Flinders streets intersection. The first stage gives a green light to north/south traffic and the second stage gives green to east/west traffic. Pedestrians have “red men” for both stages. The third stage is all “green men” for pedestrians and all red lights for vehicles. Cars and pedestrians are not moving at the same time in the same area, significantly reducing the chance of pedestrian fatalities. It also increases efficiency, as cars are never waiting for pedestrians when turning at intersections. Please, VicRoads or the Victorian parliament, make our city safer and more efficient and prevent tragic fatalities.
Peter Wuchatsch, Port Melbourne
Green man: cross
Ben Rossiter, the chief executive of Victoria Walks, argues that we need “better traffic light timing that prioritises pedestrians rather than vehicles” as a step towards improving pedestrian safety. My suggestion is simpler: pedestrians need to obey traffic lights and not try to cross the road on a red light or while a red pedestrian signal is flashing.
In the city, too often obeying traffic lights is seen as optional, not mandatory.
Kurt Elder, Port Melbourne
End ‘flashing red’
Stop those last-minute dashes to beat the lights. We need to eliminate the “flashing red” light and instead extend the period of the permanent red light.
Maurice Morgan, Balwyn
Aged have rights, too
It is pleasing that Senate backbencher Linda Reynolds is championing the rights of young people with disabilities in aged care facilities (The Age, 17/2). My daughter, who requires a high degree of support, could be in such a position one day so it is a relief that it is not just me saying “over my dead body”. However, I do not want to be there either.
I visit elderly in-laws and others who have moved into such facilities. They are unhappy, depressed and often angry. The “hit or miss” quality of care aside, it does not seem like a great experience. Senator Reynolds says “they are too young to be forgotten”. Yet there seems to be an acceptance of this if “you’re on the slippery slide to meet your make”, as Ray Jones says. Haven’t we earned an enjoyable ride?
Although we gained the wisdom that institutions were a wretched existence, we are creating them for us when we age. Large buildings, small personal spaces, mass produced food, dinner at 5pm, in nighties by 6pm, with others with white hair. An existence marked by order and the deprivation of independence.
Jenny Harrison, Newport
Surely it’s a fantasy
Really, Patricia Edgar (Comment, 18/2)? There really is no distinction for you between consensual sexual fantasy and domestic violence? Why do you pick Fifty Shades of Grey and not the hundreds of male-dominated movies every year which demean women and show horrific acts of violence? More troubling, why do you lay the moral accountability for not being “conned” on women, and not direct it to the men who manufacture, distribute and profit from this movie?
Janine Truter, The Basin
Well done, ABC
Criticism of ABC journalists Sarah Ferguson’s and Emma Alberici’s style of questioning (The Age, 17/2) equates to shooting the messenger. Subservience and the massaging of egos, masquerading as “civility and respect”, should not be prerequisites for an interviewer in the Australia of 2015. Both interviewers reflected the feeling of exasperation in the community and seemed to come from a standpoint that blatant nonsense needs to be challenged. Cutting through spin and waffle is to be commended. Who would do it if not the ABC?
Barbara Chivers, Box Hill North
Numerous lives ruined
I agree with Margot Clark that “the death penalty is quite simply wrong” (Letters, 17/2). However, has it occurred to anyone just how many people would have been affected by the more than eight kilograms of heroin that the Bali nine attempted to smuggle out of Bali?
By my calculations as a (retired) health professional, it would have been approximately 500,000 doses. That is an awful lot of lives ruined or ended by this horrendous act of greed.
I feel for the families of the drug mules. However, I have little sympathy for Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran as I assume they could read the warnings plastered all over Bali Airport. Also, parents of heroin addicts may have a slightly different viewpoint.
Patricia O’Brien, Woodend
A total embargo
If the Indonesian judiciary carries out the barbaric execution of the two drug smugglers, the Australian government should respond with appropriate action. Suspend diplomatic relations, deny all flights from Garuda Airlines landing rights in Australia, and close all trade agreements. Harsh? Execution is more harsh. When will the Coalition realise life and justice is more important than pathetic politics? Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey, Bronwyn Bishop and Scott Morrison should be ashamed.
Russell Davis, Bentleigh East
Human rights for all
Peter Coote (Letters, 18/2) says the campaign to save the Australians on death row is misguided because they knew the punishment if they were caught. I would rather humanity stopped accepting barbaric laws just because they exist in another “sovereign nation”. Human rights should be just that: rights for all humans, regardless of where they live. Maybe one day, something equivalent to a bill of rights that covers all sentient beings will be drawn up by those more enlightened than ourselves.
Daniel Verberne, Croydon
Unfair tax system
The tax system is unfair. Own a home valued at $1million, often because of market forces rather than personal endeavour, plus have a few small assets and you can get a pension.
On the other hand, have $1million of savings in a bank, but do not own a home and you receive a smaller pension. So much so that some people have invested their capital into more expensive homes in order to secure the pension.
However, “downsizing” to release capital in your home is challenging and often there is no incentive to do so. Many smaller homes in the city remain very expensive, plus there is a big slab for stamp duty, so the funds released may be insignificant.
To make downsizing more attractive, the government could introduce a reverse mortgage with low rates of interest and with relief from the full impact of stamp duty. Also, people whose homes are worth more than $1million should have to include some portion of this value (say, 25per cent) in the assets test for the pension. The issues are worth debating, anyway.
Mike Reece, Balwyn North
AND ANOTHER THING
Greyhound racing
Give me one good reason why this barbaric “sport” should not be shut down.
Judith Caine, Donvale
I doubt these are isolated incidents. How do you get greyhounds to chase a dummy rabbit if they haven’t been “blooded” first?
Ray Jones, Box Hill North
Animal cruelty is unacceptable. Send the perpetrators to prison, don’t just ban or fine them.
Lorraine Bates, Surrey Hills
Politics
For the good of the country, it is Tony Abbott, not Gillian Triggs, who should be told to resign.
Mark Bradbeer, Brunswick
The next budget cut: Australian Human Rights Commission.
Alan Williams, Port Melbourne
Burn the blue tie.
Simon Northeast, Aireys Inlet
I don’t support Colleen Ryan’s findings either. Sarah Ferguson’s interview with Joe Hockey was a classic.
Peter McNamara, Canterbury
Furthermore
What? We can’t grow our own berries? Not enough land?
Adam Nissen, Elsternwick
John O’Hara (18/2), I’ll take interviewees saying “Look …” if it spares us responses starting with “So …”
John Ogge, Highett
And many interviewees preface their answer with “Yes”, meaning: “I knew you’d ask that.”
Bill Pell, Emerald
Fifty Shades of Grey is a boringly predictable rehash. It should be renamed Fifty Shades of Beige.
Tris Raouf, Hadfield
The party is over. Vale Lesley Gore.
Ann Rennie, Surrey Hills
It’s so easy to say the Indonesian death penalty is right and proper until your son or daughter is convicted.
Bruce Dudon, Woodend