Letters
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday July 23, 2009
Redundancy entitlements and the ministerIan Macdonald is being disingenuous ("Payout to wife of minister queried", July 22). Unless the rules have changed since my time as a public servant, voluntary redundancy is not an entitlement; it is something one may become eligible for when a position is abolished and no other position at a similar level is available.The offer is subject to vetting by the public sector union. It must be recommended by the director-general of the relevant department, and approved by the minister. It appears odd to be appointed to a senior position that is abolished a few months later. In this case, the minister cannot claim to be at arm's length from the process. He has a clear conflict of interest.Susan Lenne Callala BayDifferent viewsThe residents of the Beau Monde apartments are crying foul at the potential loss of the magnificent harbour views from their million-dollar pads ("They paid for a harbour view but face a wall of indifference", July 22). One wonders whose view their building destroyed, and how much they cared then.Peter Szacsvay ArmidaleSegregation in schoolsThe ABC's Foreign Correspondent report on sectarian tensions in Northern Ireland made me think about our policy of encouraging different religious groups to have their own schools. The example of an integrated school where all learnt together was in stark contrast to the scenes of parents shielding their children on the way to their denominational school because of the deep-seated hostility of other groups.Where does it all start? The home. But then it is nurtured by being educated separately, I fear.Phil Roberts Moss ValeThe Tuckey testDon't worry, Malcolm. When Wilson Tuckey spits the dummy you know you're doing something right ("Coalition plan to avoid an early election", July 22).Jason Purvis ManlyHome cooking, home truthsWith the stunning popularity of MasterChef and our interest in food and home cooking, I took note of the composition of the businesses in my town. A lone supermarket, two butchers, three florists, all four banks and a whopping 19 places to have coffee and a bite. But these are insignificant compared with the 32 venues for an evening meal or takeaway. Did I mention a fruit and veg outlet? No. The last survivor closed two months ago. We are inspired by these cooking shows, yet when it comes to actually preparing home dinners ... which chef reigns supreme?Shona Kirchen KiamaFizz and fizzersThe Hadges children are getting a better education than Helen Indorato implies (Letters, July 21). Baking powder contains sodium bicarbonate as well as a dry acidic ingredient. The bicarbonate is the source of the carbon dioxide that causes things cooked with it to rise. When vinegar is added to baking powder it fizzes off carbon dioxide vigorously.Robin Stokes ArmidaleSuccessful failuresIs Andrew Frost serious ("Being a success is overrated", July 22)? If all those past heroes, scientists, statesmen, poets and pioneers had been content with failure, we would be still living in the Dark Ages. Or perhaps Andrew is doing us a service by identifying that post-modernists will take us into a void where scaling the heights is crap and failure is king. If we let them.Reg Wilding WollongongIn a world awash with tiresome buzzwords such as "excellence", "success" and "passion", how delightful to read Andrew Frost's paean to failure. I have long lived by the maxim that if they set the bar too high, just walk under it.Lloyd Swanton Wentworth FallsIf you strive to fail and achieve your aim, surely you have not failed.Bob Harris Sawtell
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald
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