Circular Quay revamp is another failure of privatisation

Another government project stumbles along apparently with no progress for the people or consequences for those responsible (“How $190 million was blown on Circular Quay revamp”, June 1). It’s yet another example of the abject failure of privatisation and outsourcing of what was once the actual role of government institutions responsible for infrastructure projects. It seems that the diversification of stakeholders involved in these projects doesn’t ensure compliance with contracts, schedules, cost and other requirements, meaning that, ultimately, no one is held accountable. It’s almost like it’s a deliberate strategy to diversify overall responsibility. And yet the torrents of cash, the ongoing inconveniences along with the endless finger-pointing continues. I’m reminded of the famous words of Robert F. Kennedy: “Success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.” Bernard Stever, Richmond

Katrina Strickland’s article on declining fertility (“No one talks about those who wanted children and never had them. It’s time we did”, May 30) and Matt Wade’s piece on the barriers facing Australian women who want children (“For many it’s time to have fewer children, or none”, June 1) raise concerns about housing affordability, childcare costs, insecure employment and the rising cost of living. The discussion risks overlooking another perspective: the ethical question of bringing more children into an increasingly unstable and overpopulated world. Philosopher David Benatar has argued that those who are never born are spared the inevitable burdens of suffering, loss and mortality. The Book of Ecclesiastes reflects a similarly sombre view, declaring that “better than both is the one who has never been born”. Such perspectives remind us that procreation is not merely an economic decision, but an ethical one. This debate should not focus solely on frustrated fertility aspirations. It should also acknowledge that children born today inherit a future marked by ecological strain, geopolitical instability and the universal burden of mortality itself. These concerns deserve a place in any serious discussion about fertility and population. Joseph Ting, Brisbane (Qld)

Your editorial overlooks the realities of women in modern society (“Policy failures a big factor in fertility decline”, June 1). Today’s shrinking family unit has less to do with economic limitations than with the empowerment of women and reproductive freedom. Liberated from the outdated expectation that marriage demands a life of domestic servititude, women now have choices. In a more socially acceptable world