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 August 25
Political complexity
“Four ways to pressure Israel makes sense but fails to address the difficulties referred to in Martin Kear’s article and also fails to address what Israel should do about the fact that Hamas, Iran, Yemen and Hezbollah want to wipe it out. I’d love to see a story about what the Western powers can do about that little problem.”
Ron Spackman
Valuing regulation
“The article taking issue with the licensing of occupations seemed so strange that I looked carefully at the sources: one is a working paper based on some European Union countries and a limited range of occupations. The other is an American study of an online platform used for home improvements, similar to Airtasker. Such weak evidence should not be used to bolster arguments to dismantle the protections which licensing and qualifications offer. Workers, employers and training providers have cooperated over many years to produce a system where quality, safety and worker protection are key concerns. Two days ago my car broke down while I was away from home; I was very glad to have the RACV send a qualified motor vehicle mechanic.”
Erica Smith, Emeritus Professor of Vocational Education and Training, Federation University
Tuesday August 26
From a hidden worker
“Your article on hidden workers resonated strongly with me. I previously worked as a criminal, family violence and child protection lawyer and more recently completed a Graduate Certificate in Family Violence to upskill and move into the family violence sector. Over the past year I have submitted more than 25 applications for practitioner roles but have not been successful due to a lack of direct sector experience. This creates a Catch-22: without experience it is very difficult to gain a position, yet without a position it is impossible to gain the experience. I share this not just as my personal story, but as an example of the broader barriers faced by many skilled and motivated workers who are ready to contribute yet remain locked out.”
Sohila Zanjani
Wrong problem?
“I had high hopes that academia would attempt to understand what became known as the Liberal party’s ‘women problem’, but must admit some disappointment. This was largely promulgated by a small group of journalists at the public broadcaster after the 2019 election. As the article makes clear, the media had very loud and provocative headlines about the Liberals’ alleged ‘women problem’. I think we would do well to explore the media’s role in this political episode. To my mind your article is looking in the wrong place to understand the issue.”
Hugh Daniel, Meanjin (Brisbane) QLD
Big issues
“It is great to read that intergenerational equity has been discussed at the roundtable meeting. But environmental sustainability is a critical aspect of future-proofing our economy, so it is concerning that environmental approvals could be fast tracked. The proposed EPBC legislation must ensure that our descendants and all other species have a safe and healthy environment where they can thrive.”
Jennie Epstein, Little River VIC
This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.
