Need to act against slavery is urgent and compelling

It is tragic and just shocking to read that the failure of Australian laws and the opacity of supply chains, particularly where clothing, digital devices and appliances are concerned, means that “it is nearly impossible to shop slavery-free” (“$100b worth of imports open to forced labour risks”, March 1). As the federal government undertakes its review of our Modern Slavery Act, the comments of Grace Forrest, director of human rights group Walk Free, which is focused on the eradication of modern slavery, are of utmost importance and urgency: we need to “introduce a due diligence obligation, requiring Australian companies, to move beyond disclosure and take reasonable, proportionate action to … identify high-risk supply chains and provide a remedy to people who have been exploited”, as many companies are already doing across the world. Obligations like these are “already embedded in other areas of Australian law”, so the disingenuous lobbying of business groups who claim the financial costs of mandatory reporting of forced labour means that they are left with less for “staff training and risk assessments” is extremely difficult to stomach. Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown

Matildas need cash equality

Is the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) that male dominated that it would reject a call by the Australian national women’s football team, the Matildas, for equal prizemoney for the Women’s Asian Cup? (“AFC dismisses Matildas’ call for equal share of prizemoney”, March 1) When will the AFC come to grips with the fact that for several years, the Matildas have been more popular and accomplished on the world stage than their male counterparts, the Socceroos, and totally deserve to be equally financially remunerated? Eric Palm, Gympie (Qld)

Display both Gina works

Alix Korte’s portrait of Gina Rinehart is a flattering one, and I’m not surprised that Rinehart prefers it to the earlier one of her by Vincent Namatjira (“Regifted: Gallery sends back free portrait of Gina”, March 1). But setting strict conditions for the display of the supposedly “gifted” portrait – especially after haughtily demanding the other’s complete removal – seems more like vainglorious interference than a gesture of genuine benefaction. It’s a pity the National Portrait Gallery can’t freely display both portraits so that ordinary folks can assess for themselves the relative merits of each. After all, isn’t that what public art galleries are supposed to be for? Adrian Connelly, Springwood

Focus on patient care

A few new hospitals have recently been built in Bulli, Shellharbour and Moruya. All commendable. But the hospitals in the three areas mentioned – Wollongong, Tamworth and RPA – are shades of developing world proportions (“Patients catch bird lice as pigeons infest NSW hospital”, March 1). Our faith in our medical system is minimised as a result. Overcrowding, lack of facilities in regional centres, recent deaths from lethal moulds and now lice from pigeon infestations – the problems seem much wider with the lack of doctors, particularly in regional centres, front and centre. It seems obvious, but patients need to be made the central focus in all matters, and funding provided to maintain older facilities. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

Heights might be the pits

I have read Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights but much preferred her sister’s Jane Eyre, and now, having read Jacqueline Maley’s article, I think I will give the film a miss (“Weird yet compelling, Wuthering Heights is movie for the moment”, March 1). Also, having struggled up the hill to visit the Bronte home some years ago, I am not surprised at any oddities in the family. It seems that the graves around the parsonage were responsible for all sorts of illness as local drinking water drained through them so that typhoid, and goodness knows what else, resulted. Not to be recommended and hardly romantic. Nola Tucker, Kiama

Fancy idea, filthy reality

So Clover Moore has this vision of a world-class piazza (“Clover’s vision: Town Hall Square will be George Street on steroids”, March 1). I don’t know which exit she uses to get home, but she should have a good look at the current state of the Town Hall environs and light rail stop. It’s basically a ghetto. Everywhere you look, there is filth, garbage, discarded food and cigarette butts. It’s a magnet for people all right, but not always in a good way. If the council can’t even keep this confined space clean and tidy, what hope when it is quadrupled in size? Ross MacPherson, Seaforth

Will Sydney’s proposed new Town Hall Square be named “Sunstroke & Skin Cancer Square”? Where’s the cooling foliage and shade? Christo Curtis, Beaconsfield

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