Electorate was spooked
In reply to David Macilwains article "No Climate Policy Mandate" (The Border Mail, June 3), did I miss something on May 18?
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Mr Macilwain claims that "the vast majority of those people wanting effective action didn't vote for the Coalition". If that was the case then why haven't we got a new federal Labor government?
People become extremely anxious when confronted by a raft of issues that affect them in their daily lives. The leftist mantra that the Australian Labor Party rolled out as policy, frankly, spooked the electorate.
Good governance and reform should always be tempered by what can be delivered, without wrecking the economy and the jobs that rely on a stable government. People voted for the Coalition because they were aware that under a Scott Morrison government, stability was assured.
Now is the time for him to get on with the job, given to him by the people of Australia.
Mark Smith, Tallandoon
IN OTHER NEWS:
Respect and equality
A young man is waiting in line for coffee when he notices a group message on his phone. A friend has sent a private selfie of his girlfriend to a bunch of mates.
Uncomfortable, the young man wonders what to do.
When his coffee arrives, he replies: "Hey mate she sent that image to YOU not US".
To his surprise, his mates have his back, agreeing that it's not cool.
To some, this scene might seem like an unrealistic situation.
But the latest National Community Attitudes Survey into violence against women data shows that many young people, including men, are bothered by behaviour like this.
However, not enough are taking action and most underestimate the support they would receive from their mates if they did.
Indeed, results from the NCAS youth report show that in general, young people's attitudes to violence against women and gender equality are improving, but several key problem areas remain.
Many young Australians still don't recognise controlling behaviours in relationships (like tracking their partner via their mobile phone) as a form of domestic violence or abuse.
In the scenario described above, over a quarter of young Australians would blame the victim if her partner shared nude images without her consent.
The findings from the latest NCAS youth report tell us that we need to be doing more to support young people to build respectful relationships.
We must understand the importance of giving young men the skills and the confidence to speak up if they see sexism and abuse and to stand up to social pressures and stereotypes.
We hope that the next NCAS survey will show that we have all played our part in promoting respect and equality.
Our time starts now.
Lyn Roberts, VicHealth acting chief executive
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