On higher education funding cuts

Joe Boswell writes: Re. “Neoliberals can’t endlessly cut uni funding and expect a smart, well-educated Australia” (Wednesday) 

Bernard Keane wonders why governments, and particularly this one, are so determined to defund higher education, and then he describes universities’ role in imparting “… critical thinking and intellectual rigour.” Well, there’s your answer.

On metadata retention

James O’Neill writes: Re. “What I learnt from Gillian Triggs’ metadata” (Wednesday) 

Your reference to the US Bill of Rights and the protection the European courts afford their citizens is very important. The latter do so by virtue of the European Charter of Human Rights and there is a special court to deal with its cases.

Australia is unique among the so-called western democracies in not having any such protections for its citizens. Remedying that deficit must surely be a priority if we are not to fall further and further behind civilised standards. The current direction of Australia is truly frightening as Triggs and others have bravely pointed out. This weeks treatment of asylum seekers is only the latest in a long line of appalling decisions. Given our aspirations to be on the UN Human Rights Committee it can only be viewed as a sick travesty.