We, the public, have every right to be interested, Tony
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Tony Abbott is apparently delusional if he thinks that discussion and comment on who might be our prime minister next week is something in which only people playing insider "Canberra " games have an interest.
Such matters are obviously vital to us all, particularly as he insists that we elected him as prime minister as well as the Coalition into government. No, the truth is we are all riveted by the events of the last week or so, beginning with the nonsense of the Duke's knighthood and its exquisite timing prior to the Queensland election.
We now have a positively Shakespearean drama playing out in our newspapers and our TV screens every day – the backstabbing, the false modesty, the confected statements of undying support, the collapse of the northern kingdom's government and a Lear-like leader in his terminal death throes. Why we even have a royal duke hovering in the wings who unwittingly started it all!
No, Tony, you protest too much. We are interested and have every right to be so, and we expect better answers to these questions than the dismissive platitudes we are hearing from you.
Colin Griffiths, Scullin
They got Monty Python
The Liberal Party: what a hoot! First the Sir Prince Philip joke, next the Queensland re-election farce, then the Darwin follies, with two Mr Punches whacking one another while the scenery collapses.
Some higher power with a sense of humour blessed Britain with the Monty Python team, and gave Australia the Liberals. So send on the next act, the Canberra leadership comedy. And while Jeremy Hanson is waiting in the wings, can someone please give him a funny hat?
Peter Fuller, Chifley
Loyalty walks
So much speculation about the unease among government backbenchers, fuelled by the Queensland rout. Two governments elected on a landslide, a vista of a land of milk and honey that was bound to last at least the qualifying period for parliamentary superannuation.
So many one-term members in Queensland now unemployed. So many in Canberra looking at the same fate: a bare return of super contributions plus a supplement. Money talks and loyalty walks.
Hugh Selby, Lyneham
A toxic return
I imagine that Tony Abbott now realises that if you constantly use the word "toxic" as a term of derision to describe others and their ideas, then the word eventually comes back to haunt you and describe you and your Government.
John Davenport, Farrer
Through a dark tunnel
Don't get too excited about Tony Abbott's sacking (by other Liberals) getting closer. Replacements consist of Tea-Party-like elitists who have the same agenda as Abbott: Crush Labor. Crush labour unions. Abolish the minimum wage. Abolish penalty rates. Maintain a pool of unemployed to ensure workers don't complain about living in poverty.
The Coalition was elected because Rudd and Gillard were fighting like Kilkenny cats. What's important is to put the common welfare of all Australians first, not an elite few. It's why the nation's founders called the land we live in the "Commonwealth of Australia". Labor learned humility in the electoral Sin Bin. It's ready to govern for all Australians. To get to the next election, we have to go through a dark tunnel called Coalition Rule. Let time be the treasure. As my mother said: "Everything comes to he who waits."
Graham Macafee, Latham
Chaotic government
It is surely be the height of hypocrisy for Abbott to ever again refer to the Labor Government as "chaotic"! How else can one describe the current situation for the Abbot/Credlin /Bishop/Turnbull/ Loughnane government?
E.R. Haddock, Weston
Best form of welfare
The great World War II general Erwin Rommel once said that "the best form of welfare for the troops is first class training, for this saves unnecessary casualties". Similarly, the best welfare for the people of Australia is a strong economy that provides sustainable funds for our needs.
One would think that the political party that is best placed to achieve this goal would be the natural choice of rational people. Sadly, in the topsy turvy world of Australian politics at present the reverse seems to be the case.
H. Ronald, Jerrabomberra, NSW
Debt aligned to taxation
"Those stymying debt reduction should heed great Singaporean" headlined Colliss Parrett's roasting of minor party senators (Letters, February 3).
"The Hatchet Man of Singapore", as he was dubbed by the grand old man of Singapore (J.B. Jeyaretnam), ruled over a society very different from what we have, or anything close to what most Australians might like to have.
It made no difference whatever to electoral results or social direction whether or not the ordinary punter was "constantly interested and vigilant".
Rather than a Lee-led recovery from debt, we should look to just what our debt is: mostly private debt, well above public debt. And public debt – why cut spending on "soft" infrastructure such as education, skills, science, and social services, instead of increasing taxes of the Robin Hood variety?
On Monday there was an excellent article on the issue by Michael West ("Multinational miners grab EFIC's cash", BusinessDay, February 2, p7) regarding government payments, for providing credit to small to medium enterprises to assist them export, being made to large overseas corporations.
That (is it malfeasance?) is just one of a great many areas where Australia's increasing debt is aligned to reverse-Robin Hood taxation.
Colin Samundsett, Farrer
Other things matter
Ross Gittins ("Decades of broken promises", Times2, February 4, p4) makes some good points in his analysis of increasing voter volatility, but he overlooks governments' (of both persuasions) continual harping on economic issues, as though they are the only things that matter.
I think most citizens look for more than this in their politicians. They want acknowledgement that we are a society, not just an economy. That means having and promoting policies that address our physical and social environment, providing opportunities and education for all our young people, enabling all to have somewhere safe and healthy to live, ensuring that everyone has access to quality healthcare, diminishing the divide between the rich and the poor, building a cohesive community, valuing the contributions of all, and, ultimately, articulating a vision for the kind of society we want to become and how we will address the real challenges ahead.
Catherine Rossiter, Royalla, NSW
Terms too short
I have to broadly agree with Dave Jeffrey (Letters, February 4). Three-year terms do not allow any government enough time to implement any meaningful policy, and take hard, but often necessary decisions for the future prosperity of this country.
I think it is an alarming trend to see first-term governments being turfed so quickly and ruthlessly by voters. If this trend continues into other elections we will see governments totally poll driven and focused only on short-term, quick fix decision-making. They will be too frightened to take the hard decisions.
For the business sector constant changing of governments, with no certainty of direction, policy, or decision-making into the future will be a disaster and negative for business planning and development. Australians just don't seem to understand that as a nation we are living well beyond our means.
The community continues to demand an endless array of services but are unwilling to pay more taxes to pay for the services. Major infrastructure changes must be made, hard decisions taken, and yep there will be some hip pocket pain, but if we don't, I fear for the economy and the country that our children and grandchildren will inherit. Changing our governments every few years, as happens in places like Italy will do our nation no favours long term.
C. Thomas, Deakin
Sordid cover-up
It's great to see ACT Greens MLA Shane Rattenbury step up to protect women from sexual violence (Letters, January 27), but I'm much less surprised than he is to hear that "posters addressing an anti-sexual violence campaign had been removed from some ACT government directorates". In 2008 and 2009, I reported firstly to an ACT government agency, and later to then Education and Training Minister Andrew Barr's office, as any professional teacher and public servant would, that two entirely credible very young adult female students of this agency told me they were "groped" (victim's word) and firmly propositioned for sex by a middle-aged male teacher at a high profile work and tertiary study-related forensic science conference in 2008.
These victims, and numerous other students, teachers and police employees who spoke to me, were also appalled by another male teacher (illegally employed at school deputy principal equivalent level at the time, lacking mandatory teaching qualifications) who plainly created a heightened risk of sexual offending by putting on a stunning "dirty dancing" display with another young adult female student, in full view of many of Australia's forensics fraternity, shortly before the groping.
So this was a genuinely sordid ACT government work-related situation, responses to which have been dominated by covering up, dishonesty, obscene protection of wrongdoers, and hostility towards me after reporting objectively offensive and unsatisfactory conduct. I sought assistance from the ACT Greens, but was shocked by the Greens' failures to conscientiously address these matters.
Dr Mark Drummond, Kaleen
Inadequate service
Ross Kelly (Letters, February 3) is right: government "devolution" of the provision of public toilets to the private sector is "an abrogation of civic duty".
With the recent boarding-up of the toilets at the Kambah Woolshed, the suburb, population 15,500, now has, to the best of my knowledge, just two public toilets. How can any government claim that this is an adequate level of delivery of an essential service?
Ed Highley, Kambah
FTA access
A good place for Steven Hurren (Letters, February 4) to start investigating why Canberra viewers miss out on access to Foxtel via the commercial television broadcasters would be to click here. There is a link at the end of the discussion pointing to a table of what FTA is available via Foxtel.
In a nutshell, it appears that there needs to be a commercial agreement between Foxtel and the free-to-air broadcasters in the region.
So if Steven really, really needs to watch his FTA programs via Foxtel, the first people he should contact would be the heads of both WIN and Prime.
Wayne Jones, Chisholm
I agree with Steven Hurren. We need to be able to access free-to-air channels via Fox like most of Australia (for ease of recoding and changing channels). Why not?
Mark Dawes, Kaleen
Migrants' impact
The short answer to Greg Cornwell's second question (Letters, February 4) is probably "not very much". Of the 474,000 immigrants expected in the year 2014, almost a quarter are students, more than a quarter New Zealanders or Australian citizens returning, and about one-fifth 457 or working holiday visa-holders. Skilled migrants, family migrants and refugees make up about one in seven. Few of these people would be eligible for, or needing to rely on, Centrelink payments as primary income.
Based on my own experience, temporary immigrants such as 457 visa-holders or students may never leave, converting from one visa class to another and eventually permanent residency and citizenship.
The impact of increasing population on public and private infrastructure is another matter altogether, and probably far more significant than reliance on social welfare.
Peter Marshall, Captains Flat, NSW
To the point
FINANCIAL MANAGERS?
How can the ACT Liberals possibly argue they are better financial managers than ACT Labour when according to the report "CFMEU, Labor clubs send hefty donations" (February 3, p3) by Tom McIlroy the Liberals have a party debt of $492,269 compared to that of the Labour Party at $83,165. They've lost that argument. I wonder if it is the same federally?
Jeanette Hahn, Rivett
POSITIVELY PAINFUL
I watched the PM's address to the National Press Club the other day and concluded that not only does he have an acute case of epizeuxis but he also suffers from glossolalia. It was positively painful.
J.F. Bishop, Flynn
ALTERNATIVE PM
Rod Olsen (Letters, February 3) hopes Bill Shorten will start acting like an alternate prime minister. The last alternating prime minister we had was Kevin Rudd. An alternative one would be better.
P. Edwards, Holder
ANGST MISDIRECTED
Greg Cornwell (Letters, February 4) only needs to skim the surface of our history to see the enormous contributions made by migrants and refugees to this nation. They ought not be the target of our angst during "difficult" times, nor should they be the whipping boys for politicians unable or unwilling to implement policies which collect appropriate taxes, create work, protect environments, and provide adequate shelter.
Jon Stirzaker, Latham
INHUMAN PEOPLE
What goes on in the mind of an Islamic State terrorist/murderer. These people are inhuman, I hope they will be made to pay for their despicable acts one day.
Wendy Cook, Monash
NO CONSULTATION
Canberra now appears to be "enjoying" a new GP 12 minute consultation fee of $85 with a Medicare rebate of only $37.05. Did anyone hear of any consultation with or approval by the government? So much for union power as Australia's No.1 money-making union , the AMA, does what it likes with not even a squeak from our federal government.
Rhys Stanley, via Hall, NSW
SEND A SUBMARINE
Mike Reddy (Letters, January 22) says that Harold Holt was abducted by a Russian submarine, while Christopher Smith (Letters, January 26) says that it was Chinese. Abducted? I thought the story was that he went willingly because he was a Chinese spy? What chance of the Chinese sending a sub for the incumbent?
John Ruik, Kingston
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