AFL supporting females
ELENI Glouftsis will this weekend stake her claim in the history books when she becomes the first female field umpire to ever officiate an official AFL match during Sunday’s NAB Challenge clash between Carlton and Essendon.
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Her debut on Sunday is evidence of her hard work and dedication and also a reflection of the AFL’s commitment to support women in sport and in leadership positions.
Undoubtedly her debut will also inspire many young women who are interested in playing or umpiring in the AFL to strive for the top, which is important given that more than two thirds of Australian women and girls are classified as being sedentary or having low levels of exercise.
VicHealth is working hard to try to increase the number of women and girls who are physically active, while also raising the profile of women’s sport in the media and championing the important role women play in sports’ leadership and management.
Initiatives like AFL Active, which is funded by VicHealth, aim to provide fun and social ways for women to workout based on AFL principles and techniques, are an important part of getting more women physically active more often.
Having positive role models like Eleni and AFL player Daisy Pearce, who are paving the way for future players and umpires, is also invaluable in raising the profile of women’s sport and getting more women and girls to take part in physical activity.
JERRIL RECHTER,
VicHealth chief executive
Selling never removes risk
I TAKE issue with Stewart Ross' letter (The Border Mail, February 24, 2016) in relation to selling public assets.
Using his example of Telstra, if the government had forced a structural separation of Telstra prior to the T3 sale and retained the infrastructure component in public ownership, they would not have to pay the billions of dollars NBN Co is paying to Telstra for access to their pits and other infrastructure.
Similarly, if the government had sold only 49 per cent of the Commonwealth Bank, they would have retained a majority shareholding that enabled them to direct the bank the pass-on the full reduction in the cash rate thus forcing the other big three to follow suit.
Some public assets play a critical role in delivering essential infrastructure and should always remain in public control.
Public control however, does not necessarily mean total public ownership. Governance structures can take a variety of forms including majority shareholding or “golden share” arrangements.
Remember the selling of key public assets never removes the risk from government hands. What happened when Jeff Kennett sold the metropolitan rail service to a British company that ultimately went broke? Victoria was forced to take it back.
DOUG RANKIN,
Yarrawonga
Digging up the dam again
I WOULD like to know why the Wodonga Council has emptied the dam in Les Stone park near Brockley Street, then made it bigger, filled it back in and then dig it up again? The council must think we aren't in enough debt, let's add more thousands to it.
How about a pay freeze for the top end of council for the next two years? Then we the ratepayers can judge their work and maybe give them a rise.
BERNIE CLARKE,
Wodonga
Clarification
Article published in The Border Mail (Friday, February 26, 2016), "Senate voting, an easy way". Victorian Nationals Senator Bridget McKenzie didn't return calls for comment.
Letter of the week winner
This week's winner is Jutta Vyner of Wodonga. Please collect your prize at 1 McKoy Street, Wodonga.