There is not much greater obscenity than the announcement of a $10 billion profit by an Australian bank, followed by the news that its executives have seen their pay packets soar (“CBA quick to defend ‘obscene’ bank profit”, August 10). Mostly off the back of interest rate rises. While driving the country to the brink of recession, the RBA has, in fact, merely succeeded in redirecting profits away from the productive and useful industries, many of which are now on their knees, to an unproductive and greedy sector of the economy which is exploiting the misery of borrowers. Their own customers are forced to participate in the fight against inflation while all those with no debt, plus those aforementioned overpaid bank executives, swan freely into overseas holidays and new cars, without so much as a passing thought for a national fight that they are not part of. An interest rate policy that inflicts loss and misery on some while the banks make super profits is without justification, obscene and morally bankrupt.
Graeme Smith, Daceyville
The Commonwealth Bank surely cannot be proud of its profits, made at the expense of those struggling to pay mortgages after multiple interest rate raises. Those profits should not go to shareholders but to their struggling clients. Spain, Hungary and Italy have imposed 40 per cent taxes on bank profits due to interest rate rises. So should we. Rosalind Ward, Balmain
Good news.Credit: Cathy Wilcox
The Commonwealth Bank could have given shareholders like me a bit less and used the money to offer an extension to people on fixed mortgage rates. What would we have lost? Ten cents a share? I would not have objected. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove
It would be appreciated by CBA’s customers if part of the $10.2 billion profit distributed to shareholders could be used to put more customer service people on phones to answer questions, such as “why is my Visa card now paid automatically, rather than by myself as has been done for years?” I rang the bank but just didn’t have the time to sit at the end of the line and wait my turn, so went online, but my question wasn’t recognised by the chat line. So, I’m walking up to our bank today. Good exercise, and I’m happy to help the bank hold onto its money for more deserving causes, including the $10.4 million payment for the CEO. Wendy Crew, Lane Cove North
Bank CEOs must all go to the same comedy training school. When I recently asked Westpac to explain why, in the face of healthy profits, they were increasing a credit card fee by 75 per cent they replied that it was necessary to ensure they could “continue to offer the features and benefits associated with these cards”. So, despite their profits, they need to use my money to provide me a service! So funny, eh? Judith Fleming, Sawtell
The classic recipe for “business as usual” by the big banks: first make huge profits; wait for the public outrage and for politicians to decry the massive amounts as obscene; brazenly defend the profits as supporting the wider economy; let all this stand until the fuss dies down; repeat as necessary the next financial year. Rob Phillips, North Epping
And the gulf between the dollar carers and the real carers - aged, child, disability, animal - widens further. Michael Britt, MacMasters Beach
Questioning ICAC based on Loosley made arguments
The basic tenor of Stephen Loosley’s article, that ICAC has usurped parliament, is somewhat true (“ICAC’s Liberal scalps give me no joy”, August 10). Except that parliament, having become captive to the head offices of the major political parties, has abrogated its role as “grand inquisitor” to ICAC due to public “clamour”. But the sooner society can unshackle the purse string hold over candidates and elected members of the major parties, through endorsement and campaign funding, the sooner parliament will be truly representative of “the people”. Alas, Winston Churchill was right – parliamentary democracy is terrible, but it is much better than the alternatives. Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga
In calling the existence of the ICAC “a bad idea” it appears that Stephen Loosely is suggesting that we should never question those in positions of power except via the criminal justice system. And not one word about Eddie Obeid or Ian McDonald, neither of whom would have gotten anywhere near a court unless the ICAC had done its job. Elisabeth Goodsall, Wahroonga
Loosley’s opinion piece on ICAC starts on the wrong foot with a false analogy. Senator McCarthy’s committee into un-American activities shamefully sought to persecute individuals on the basis of their ideology. ICAC rightly restricts itself to examining an individual’s behaviour in exercising power. Their respective roles are chalk and cheese.
Loosley also misrepresents the cases of two former premiers. Barry O’Farrell was not forced to resign over a bottle of very expensive wine. He chose that path for himself and Gladys Berejiklian was not pursued over a “dodgy boyfriend”, but a real concern over serious conflicts of interest. Tony Judge, Woolgoolga
Loosley’s faith in our democracy is admirable but one I can’t share. Many voters do not scrutinise their local MP’s actions beyond seeing how prominent they are in the government power structure. Democracy is not the cleanser, but rather sunlight. ICAC gives the average voter a glimpse into what happens in those hallowed corridors of power, that would otherwise be in shadow and allows us to judge accordingly. Gladys Berejiklian’s experience is a reminder to all to be aware that soft corruption is as detrimental to our democratic processes as corruption on a criminal level. Elizabeth Darton, Lane Cove West
In his examination of the ICAC, Loosley doesn’t mention that other corruption investigation involving Hunter Valley property. That might be wise, as he was National President of the Labor Party the year Eddie Obeid entered the NSW parliament. I’m not suggesting Loosley has done anything wrong, but the parade of wrongdoing from both sides is proof that the political class cannot regulate themselves. Colin Stokes, Camperdown
Courts need to walk fine line on sex abuse cases
Like many of my now-retired contemporaries, I spent much of my working life as a lawyer involved in the prosecution of crimes of sexual assault, from intimate touching through to violent rapes and even death (“Changes needed in sexual assault trials to end victim trauma”, August 10). I did this within the office that morphed over time from the Office of the Clerk of the Peace through to the DPP. I progressed from a junior solicitor in 1971, through to the solicitor in charge of the Central Criminal Court Division, to the Solicitor for Public Prosecutions (leading up to the establishment of the DPP in 1987) and finally to a Crown prosecutor over my final 17 years before retirement in 2004. Over those 32 years I’d estimate around half of all the cases in which I was involved were based upon allegations of sexual assault and probably amounting to around 500 cases. The overwhelming number of sexual assault allegations boil down to a question of who is believed; the complainant or the accused? Only rarely is there independent evidence (such as physical trauma) to support the oral version of events given by a complainant. But more particularly, only rarely does a jury get to hear the accused’s version under oath and no adverse comment can be made by either the prosecutor or the trial judge about the failure of an accused to give evidence. More often than not, there is a denial of the allegation from the accused within the police interview which is before the trial jury, and suggestions to the complainant during cross-examination that the allegation is false.
It remains fundamental in our system of criminal justice, however, that the prosecution bears the onus to prove the guilt of an accused beyond reasonable doubt. Consequently, the central issue in such trials is the credibility of the complainant. That is inescapable, no matter what safeguards are put in place to protect the complainant, and it cannot be denied that the accused is entitled to “put the prosecution to the test” which in such cases, involves an attempt to undermine the credibility of the complainant.
It remains a matter for the trial judge, and often after objection from the prosecutor to ensure that limits remain on the extent to which a complaint can be humiliated or insulted in the quest to
lead a jury to have doubts about the veracity of the complainant.
One final point should be made in relation to the editorial. It claimed that “only one in three cases” resulted in a guilty verdict (in my experience the figure would be slightly higher) but that does not take into account the quite significant number of cases in which the accused pleads guilty. Brian Roach, Westleigh
Nuclear no option
The scientific ignorance of the Coalition continues to astound (“‘Yes in my backyard: Nationals happy to go nuclear”, August 10). Australia has neither the technology nor the skilled workforce to build a nuclear power industry from scratch, which would take at least 25 years. This would be a bit late to replace the many coal-fired power stations that will be closing over the next decade. In addition, there is no part of Australia which has ever agreed to be the site for nuclear waste materials, including those produced by medical nuclear technology. Finally, none of the Nationals concerned live in an area that has access to the huge amount of water needed to cool nuclear fuel rods. This is why most nuclear power stations are built next to the sea. The Nationals are proposing scientifically impossible solutions to big-note themselves when the answer to replacing coal-fired power is renewable energy and storage batteries, which is already happening all around us. Pauline Croxon, Undercliffe
Courses for courses
No doubt former Premier Bob Carr’s calls for half of the Moore Park Golf Course to be converted to general public parkland is well-intentioned (“Former NSW premier tees off on Sydney golf course”, August 10). However, he and others who make similar suggestions would do well to bear in mind that previous governments of both Liberal and Labor persuasion over the last 15 years, have permitted – if not encouraged – developers to build large numbers of high-rise apartments in the area with virtually no allowance for open space within the grounds of these monstrosities. It is a bit rich to now say that golf club members should forgo their playing enjoyment, so the residents of these towers can have somewhere to relax or for their children to play. In any event, it is counter-productive for parents to have to transport their children from possibly several kilometres away to enjoy some fresh air and exercise, rather than having the ability to play or relax in the immediate vicinity of where they live. Martyn Yeomans, Sapphire Beach
Watching the world burn
Last week it was the beautiful Greek Islands that were burning, today it’s Hawaii. In a month or so it may be parts of Australia (“Extreme global weather prompts fears about the hot summer to come’, smh.com.au, August 10). Such lovely places scarred and changed forever by global warming. We know what is causing it but we continue to allow our gas and our coal to be mined, exported and burned, adding to global emissions which feed climate change. Penny Rosier, North Epping
The burning deck.Credit: Cathy Wilcox
Unless the world community can immediately and drastically slash the heat-trapping greenhouse gases produced by the burning of coal, oil and gas, then the answer to the question, “Will climate make us uninsurable?” is a resounding yes (Letters, August 10.) Economic constructs are built on nature, not the other way around. Catherine McNamara, Hornsby
Constance state of flux
I’m pleased to hear that Andrew Constance is now “all for” a metro stop at Zetland(“Zetland likely site for extra Metro station”, August 10).
Constance and the former Liberal state government had years to deliver a metro stop at Zetland, but they refused. I spent years pushing him and his Liberal colleagues to see sense. It’s a shame they didn’t. If the station had been built on the original line between Waterloo and Sydenham, as I asked for, it would be opening soon – not delayed for years until another line is built.
The neighbourhood in and around Zetland is the most densely populated in Australia. It desperately needs a metro station. I have raised this with the new Labor state government who I know are taking the proposal seriously. This is a very welcome change. Tanya Plibersek, Federal Sydney MP
Cull-de-sac thinking
If culling horses is the answer to the environmental damage they cause then we should also then consider culling humans for the same reason (Letters, August 10). Vicki Zvargulis, Corrimal
Cup of life
So much to cheer about, talk about, think about the changes happening. Thank you, Matildas (“Boy, they’ve kicked the patriarchy”, August 10). We are embracing the joy of our Matildas as families and friends watch, cheer and hope for victory. Best of all it encourages females to have a go at sport or follow personal interests without gender interference. Bea Hodgson, Gerringong
Helping hand in life
Life may indeed be “as insoluble as a DA crossword”, as your correspondent points out, but advice can still be helpful (Letters, August 10). For example, my wife and I accumulate one “lookup” credit for each successfully completed crossword puzzle during the week in preparation for tackling David Astle’s curly clues on Fridays. The cost-of-living crisis is bad enough, so getting a leg-up in life like this seems only fair. Paul McShane, Burradoo
Bowled over
Wouldn’t nude cricket make ball tampering more likely (Letters, August 10)? Peter Thompson, Grenfell
I fear nude cricket would lead to a big increase in No Balls. Nick Franklin, Katoomba
AI keeps romance alive
Years ago I predicted that mobile phones wouldn’t last so I’m hardly one to opine on the future of new technologies. Nevertheless, when I used Chat GPT to write a love poem for wife of 47 years she was impressed (Letters, August 10). So my advice for all you romantics out there is to embrace AI. It may offer an opportunity to rekindle a stale romance or just provide an additional tool in your romantic armoury. Besides, anything with a name like Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer has got to have merit. Peter Singer, Hamilton South
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