Where will growth come from?

Geoff Edwards writes: Re. “Reserve Bank needs to solve increasingly complex economic growth puzzle” (Thursday). Where will the economic growth come from? Yes indeed, Glenn Dyer and Bernard Keane. It may be a puzzle to the Reserve Bank, but to this non-economist policy tragic, it is plain. If you run down capacity-building programs such as TAFE that create human capital; outsource entry-level jobs to call centres overseas; cut funding for programs such as Landcare that maintain natural resources in productive condition; shovel money at dead-end consumption such as urban tollways; then encourage foreign ownership of productive assets staffed with 457 serfs siphoning dividends and tax overseas, it is not a puzzle at all. Nowhere.

On Assange’s jacket

Dean Ellis writes: Re. “Rundle: why Australia must advocate for Assange to be set free”. Comrade Rundle described Julian Assange as appearing on the balcony of the Ecuadorian embassy “wearing a sort of fake leather jacket”. Comrade, that’s not a fake leather jacket, that’s none other than a Belstaff jacket; probably their Belstaff Classic Tourist Trophy model. These waxed cotton garments have been popular among the motorcycling and outdoorsy set for many years. In particular, they were very popular in the ’80s with the BMW motorcycle set until that subclass fell prey to the vanity of BMW badged jackets and the like. This is probably where you got the idea that his choice of garb gave Assange the look of a fascist.