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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

The Conversation