Mr Mitchell and other Melbourne arts aficionados need to get out of Melbourne and visit the unique galleries in regional Victoria – for instance, the Art Gallery of Ballarat – which houses the largest art collection in regional Australia. Of course, there is also the Bendigo Art Gallery, which is making waves with its international exhibitions that are encouraging visitation to its city. And there are others like Benalla, Ararat and Castlemaine to name a few.

It’s simple; let’s invest further in regional galleries to overcome the perceived need of a third gallery in Melbourne. Let me also ask: why isn’t art shared regularly by the National Gallery of Victoria with our regional galleries? The arts is alive and well in regional Victoria, and not just in the towns I have mentioned. It’s time we saw the whole of Victoria as our arts offering to the world. 

This can be achieved by investing further in fast efficient regional rail (as there is overseas), which will encourage national and international visitors to travel from Melbourne and see the wonders of our state. Why isn’t tourism spruiking the joys of regional art collections? Why isn’t Regional Development Victoria advocating for arts and culture in the regions? And why aren’t are regional politicians right behind the arts in their local communities?.It’s time to focus on the whole of our great state and for leadership to achieve this. 

Ron Egeberg, former arts and culture manager for the City of Ballarat.

The new plans released last week  to Heritage Victoria but omitted roads to service the proposed regional and now also urban bus depot.  The only roads shown on the plan provide access to the three storey car park and to the space for further car parks under the 47 flats.  The excuse for this omission is  “the $5 million for the urban bus hub was announced too late to be included in the plan” so Pellicano’s current road plan was out of date even before it was released.  It will have to be changed to accommodate 20 buses an hour. .  As a result, this plan cannot be approved as a whole and should have been withdrawn when the urban bus hub was announced. It is not too late for Heritage Victoria to reject Pellicano’s plan in order for this to be taken into consideration.
Penelope Greenslade, Soldiers’ Hill, Ballarat

Section 44 of the Constitution debars from election anyone who is a "subject or citizen of a foreign power", counterintuitively it is only a subsidiary law, the Electoral Act, that requires a candidate to be an Australian citizen. Surely the latter should be the major, if not the sole criterion?

Section 44 disenfranchises thousands of Australians who are dual nationals (however unwittingly), or who hold "offices of profit" under the Crown, such as school teachers. Bankrupts are debarred even if the bankruptcy was caused not by their own fault but by the malfeasance of the bank that held their accounts.  Persons under sentence of one year or more are barred, even if nomination day is their last day in jail. All these causes of candidate ineligibility are open to manipulation by others, including by the government itself.

In a democracy, the electors should be able to choose whomever they want.  Section 44 must be thoroughly reformed, if not repealed, to ensure all Australians can stand for office.

Brendan Whyte Phillip