Illustration:John Shakespeare
The Matildas have been a great ride for the nation. Attending the games is up there with being in the crowd when the Socceroos won the Asia Cup or when my teams have won AFL and league grand finals. And unlike many soccer nations,at the stadium I overheard conversations graciously conceding the better team was victorious. Looking forward to travelling to the next World Cup to cheer on the Tillies.Tony Nicod,Collaroy
The fairytale ending didn’t happen,but the women didn’t disgrace themselves. The holiday isn’t going to eventuate,but their effort needs to be celebrated. Community football fields need to be created in the new suburbs around the country,perhaps named for players from the Matilda’s team from that state. We need to be very proud of these women.Jon Sloan,Narooma
Wonderful game. Sad loss. Thanks,Matildas. A valuable lesson for the new,young enthusiasts:you can’t win them all,but to lose with grace is the real victory.Mike Kirby,Castle Hill
“Warmest congratulations” to England women’s soccer team from the king of Great Britain. Hold on,isn’t he king of Australia? What a farce is our head of state imbroglio. Get rid of this nonsense.Anne Finnane,Marlee
Your article shows the true champion in Sam Kerr (“smh.com.au,August 17). Kerr’s statements show she still puts the game and the other players in front of herself. Such a great role model for all Australian girls.
Neville Smith,Camden
Kerr’s goal will live longer in the memory than the result of the match (“”,smh.com.au,August 17).Bernie Bourke,Ourimbah
Any English players overlooked for inclusion in the Lionesses would fit right in playing women’s rugby league in Australia (“”,smh.com.au,August 17).Rodney Crute,Hunters Hill
Hey Team Matilda,there’s still plenty to celebrate if you finish third or fourth in the World Cup. You’re champions in the eyes of all Aussies!Elizabeth Starr,Abbotsford
C’mon Australia,it’s harder to lose than to win. Let’s cheer our own Matildas.Catherine Turner,Cremorne
With regard to the Matildas,Steve Kerrigan’s tribute to his dad inThe Castle will do me:“I don’t know what the opposite of letting someone down is,but you have done the opposite.”David Grant,Ballina
No harmony on Voice
Niki Savva thinks that Dutton’s overarching negativity and his waiting for the Voice and the economy to fail will provide a path to government (“”,August 17). One hopes that the Australian electorate has memories that recall the legacy of our previous Coalition administrations – financial malfeasance,chronic wastage,cronyism on steroids,all underpinned by a total lack of direction and genuine political purpose. The Albanese government has opened the doors and windows and let light and air into government – we don’t need to return to the Dark Ages,even if we face some clouds on the horizon.Barry Ffrench,Cronulla
Savva sets out a very superficial game-plan by Dutton and the Liberals. Apparently the only goal is to “make parliament unworkable … so that … voters turn to the Liberals”. In other words,to do whatever it takes simply to get their bums back on the government benches. And then what,exactly? Is that the extent of their vision:merely to be back at the controls,purr smugly and carry on as before? Doesn’t seem like a worthwhile outcome to me. More like opening a newly wrapped gift only to find it full of used wrapping paper.Adrian Connelly,Springwood
Setting sons.Matt Golding
Rather than a utopian call for “clear,convincing messages”,Anthony Albanese needs clear,convincing policies. He currently leads a conservative Labor government that is intolerant of dissent;pursuing tax cuts for the rich,new fossil fuel subsidies,weak environmental protections,market-based housing subsidies rather than building public housing,and an AUKUS commitment with an extremely volatile Uncle Sam. Albanese has shown commendable support for the Voice,but in many other ways the “Tory-fighter” has turned full Tory. Meanwhile,the Liberal and National parties have zero constructive solutions for the future;including nuclear power,raiding super for housing deposits,and sports rorts 2.0. While both major parties pursue policies that are incompatible with a healthy and sustainable future,Australian voters should continue to take their votes elsewhere.Peter Moore,Newport
Savva is right to look to what appears to be the resulting political abyss should the opposition succeed with their poisonous position against the Voice. Albanese and his team will retain the moral high once the regretful reality of lost opportunity sinks in,after which Dutton may well be shown the Brexit.Janet Argall,Dulwich Hill
Another correspondent berating the No camp,this time suggesting such a vote is just political in nature (Letters,August 18). All the No voters I have spoken to are as keen to redress Indigenous disadvantage and improve their lot as the next person. They just haven’t been convinced – for many reasons – that the Voice is the way to accomplish that.Ross MacPherson,Seaforth
Toll a tax on suburban workers
Last weekend I had to drive my daughter around for school sports and other events on Saturday and Sunday (“,August 17). The cost of tolls for the weekend for just a few trips was $33. I know of a police officer who works at Waverly Police Station and lives out west. We talked about toll roads. He said he wakes up earlier than necessary to avoid the toll roads to work as it would cost him over $150 a week. That’s $600 a month and roughly over $6000 a year. That’s a sizable chunk of money to pay what should have been free or at least affordable. It’s a tax on going to work and a blight on those who have to travel distances to go to work because there is no adequate public transport. And now Transurban wants to raise the cost of tolls because of “additional inflaton-linked escalations”. Honk if you disagree.Renos Ross,Paddington
Transurban’s CEO says that $17 billion of government spending on motorways,including the $2.6 billion Sydney Airport Gateway that will feed traffic into WestConnex,will generate a significant increase in traffic and toll revenue in coming years (). This is in addition to the $400 million that the Minns government will spend to incentivise driving over the next two years (in the form of toll rebates). Is encouraging more traffic and bolstering corporate profits truly the best use of government funding? Or would it be better invested in health,education,improved public transport coverage and reliability,and affordable housing close to jobs?Chris Standen,Erskineville
Bigger problems
National cabinet’s housing plan focused solely on the supply side. Where was the discussion on the demand side (“”,August 17)? Why wasn’t there any focus on immigration levels,generous tax breaks and government incentives? Over the past decades all of these have fuelled demand to levels that have and will continue to outstrip supply,ensuring there will not be a long-term solution to the problem.Mike Kenneally,Manly
The prime minister has said that the problem for stressed renters is not so much the rent,but the lack of rental property supply. So if supply increased 100 per cent tomorrow,landlords would get together and rents would fall substantially with long-term leases offered? Give me a break,PM. There was a time when Labor,and even Liberal,governments had a social conscience – long gone,apparently. The Greens may be being unrealistically obstructionist in demanding a rent freeze,but they have a point.Alynn Pratt,Grenfell
Wheels in motion
The cycleway ramp at the north end of the Harbour Bridge is long overdue (“”,August 17). We should ignore the few complainers in the community and just get on with building this desperately needed improvement. It is about 350 metres from the north end of the bridge proper,does not encroach on Bradfield Park and is below the ramparts of the road/rail ramp leading up to the bridge. The real eyesore in that area is Milsons Point Station,so the NIMBYs who are concerned about the visual “amenity” should agitate for the station to be removed. They will then have to walk to North Sydney Station to catch a train,and that would be inconvenient.John Whiteing,Willoughby
Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the Indigenous artwork representing the eels that swim in the harbour would be a “striking symbol of reconciliation from the ground and air”.Transport for NSW
Sub plan subpar
The report does not mention what I see as the project’s major problem:its breathtaking cost (“Sub debate at heart of Labor wrangling”,August 17). The current estimate of the cost of the six nuclear-powered submarines is $368 billion. By the time the first vessel is delivered in the late 2030s (or early 2040s) the total cost is bound to have blown out to somewhere between $400 and $500 billion. Furthermore,conventional crewed submarines will probably be redundant,replaced with uncrewed submersible drones. At an estimated cost of $15 million apiece,around 26,000 effectively disposable drones could be purchased off the shelf. These could be deployed anywhere within Australia’s region of military concern.Douglas Mackenzie,Deakin (ACT)
Long Tan remembered
Your correspondent refers to a memorial for the Battle of Long Tan (,August 17). Last Sunday the Blue Mountains Vietnam Veterans held their yearly commemoration of Long Tan at a local hotel. There were about 180 Australian and Vietnamese veterans in attendance,talking,laughing,some tears,music,lots of food consumed,and quite a few beers. For me,a ’60s anti-war protester,it was a heart-warming exercise in talking to the people who were both conscripts and regular army,and hearing their views about war. I helped cater for the occasion and was richly rewarded by the conversations and the enjoyment of the men and women who attended.Helen Lyons-Riley,Springwood
While conscripted young Australians were sent off to fight an illegal,unwinnable war in Vietnam,John Howard failed to volunteer for service. He declared his support for the Vietnam War,learnt nothing,and took a new generation of young Australians into another illegal,factually flawed war years later where more died. He was merely “embarrassed” when he discovered that the intelligence he used to justify his decision was totally flawed,something most ordinary Australians could see. The treatment of our Vietnam,Iraq and Afghanistan vets by both Coalition and Labor governments has been a total disgrace. Nothing new under the sun,just like politicians lying and deceiving citizens pervades our society unchecked and relentless.Kevin Farrell,Beelbangera
Trump’s time up
Let’s step back a bit and assume for a moment that all of Trump’s indictments and legal problems are a “witch hunt” targeting him (“”,August 16). Do they really need all those indictments on top of two impeachments to get him? Surely a couple would suffice. And they aren’t all federally instigated,so it can’t be just the DoJ that is out to put him away? No,with all these accusations – none of which were well hidden – there has to be something there that’s not quite kosher.David Rush, Lawson
Never too late
Perhaps with a love interest with a molecular biologist,Rupert Murdoch may start to realise science is good,and that global warming is real (“”,August 17).Tim Schroder,Gordon
Best of both worlds
Finding the right balance between enjoying the delights of grandchildren and experiencing new-found freedom can bring you the best of both worlds,August 17). This was exemplified when our 4-year-old granddaughter asked,“Nanny,why are you and Poppy always going on holidays?” “Because we’re retired,darling.” Her response? “Well,I’m really tired too but I don’t go away as much!”Cath Hunting,MacMasters Beach
When our first grandchild was born I was still playing comp tennis and our captain said “Oh-oh. There goes my net player for babysitting”. Not at all. I called on my recently retired husband to do the child minding,and he reluctantly complied. In the end he rather enjoyed it. After four children of our own,it was the first time he ever changed a nappy.Coral Button,North Epping
My wife and I had the privilege of playing a significant role in the early years of all four of our grandkids. Our remuneration:the sublime sense of fulfilment that comes with a granddaughter a retailing success story,a young detective,a business law graduate and a final year health/science student. Money couldn’t buy the joy that came from assisting their launch into life and career.Trevor Somerville,Illawong