Letters: Liberal MP Gladys Liu must answer China questions

Today readers have their say on the China questions dogging Liberal MP Gladys Liu, calls for a Broncos review and teaching changes in our schools.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison sits next to Gladys Liu in the House of Representatives. Picture Kym Smith

COLUMNIST Andrew Bolt’s outrage ( C-M , Sep 16) at Liberal MP Gladys Liu’s questionable performance on Sky TV last week is a brouhaha without much “brou (sic) or ha” in my opinion.

It seems some people, including the ALP, are attempting to paint Liu as some sort of spy from China. This is a fanciful notion at best.

The palaver over this matter clearly shows the ALP is desperate to paint this as some grand conspiracy that the novice MP Liu is part of.

Even Bolt admitted he didn’t think Liu was a spy.

Nevertheless there are legitimate questions that Liu must answer in relation to donations to the Liberal Party, and Labor no doubt will throw everything at this issue to try and damage Scott Morrison’s leadership in the process.

But the faux rage is over the top.

Paul Henderson, Wynnum

I SELDOM agree with Andrew Bolt, but it is hard to gloss over the seriousness of the Gladys Liu affair.

The author of the book Silent Invasion, Clive Hamilton, has stated that two Chinese associations of which Liu was a member were explicitly created by the Communist Party “to exert influence in countries like Australia”.

Liu was also reportedly affiliated with a rally defending China’s repudiation of an international tribunal’s ruling against that country’s claims in the South China Sea.

When Scott Morrison played the racist card to try to garner support from 1.2 million Australians of Chinese descent, he was reminded of his repeated reference to bumbling Sam Dastyari as “Shanghai Sam”.

He claimed to have never used the term, but visuals and transcripts caught him out being loose with the truth.

If Liu loses her seat, Morrison will not, as Bolt says, lose his majority. It will put him back to the status quo of the 2016 election, that is, with a majority of one seat.

The real reason for Morrison’s virulent defence of her is that Liu is regarded as a valuable fundraiser for the Victorian Liberal Party.

She has a formidable network in the Chinese community.

In her capacity as fundraiser, Lui boasted of raising more than $1 million, but she also failed to disclose a donation of nearly $40,000 to the Liberal Party in 2015-16.

Most of the revelations surrounding Liu emanate from leaks from the Victorian Liberal Party to the media.

This issue is not about her ethnicity. Questions must be asked about the sources of the money she has raised and her links to outsiders who may wish to influence electoral outcomes in this country.

Francis Carroll, Moorooka

ANDREW Bolt did well to censure the Prime Minister for playing the race card.

Since colonial days Australia has successfully avoided ethnic and religious conflict by adhering to a simple rule: differences are not denied but quarantined from public discourse.

The sooner we return to this

time-proven approach the better for all of us.

Peter Hasker, Robertson

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Brisbane Broncos CEO Paul White. Picture: AAP Image/Dan Peled

BRONCOS NEED AN EXTERNAL REVIEW

REPORTS that the Broncos will conduct a review of the club’s season (C-M, Sep 17), including the football department, is not reassuring.

There is no credibility in having an internal review of the club, including its management team of Paul White, Darren Lockyer etc.

The review should be carried out by external rugby league people with no connection to the Broncos.

Some of the complaints put forward by fans surround the questionable decisions made by Broncos management during the season.

There is the risk of a cover-up if the review is not transparent.

The Broncos have always lived in a bubble with the club protected from any other Brisbane competition.

Its players have been made to believe that they are the best there is.

Meanwhile, NSW clubs have to constantly fight for their existence.

Peter Pak, Rochedale South

LET us call the flogging the Broncos were given by the Eels for what it was – a shameful disgrace.

The signs of poor performance have been there for quite a while and both coach and players deserve the proverbial kick in the pants.

The board also need to take a good look at themselves for letting it run on for so long.

Blade Johnstone, Victoria Point

THE Broncos’ loss by a record margin might put a damper on the creation of a fourth Queensland team.

Drawing from the rugby league talent of a state none of whose teams could made the finals could be a little disheartening for the scouts, but let’s hope that a surprise is in store for the 2020 season.

Emmanuel Alexion, Oxley

WE NEED some perspective in regard to the Brisbane Broncos’ big loss to Parramatta on Sunday.

The Broncos still made the finals and, given that eight teams make the finals from a 16-team competition, are therefore in the top half of all teams for the year.

To the Broncos players and staff, I realise you may feel like you need to apologise for the loss on Sunday, but you can still hold your heads high.

We all have our bad days. Don’t judge a season by one game.

Michael Westacott, Bayview Heights

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TEACHING CHANGES

IN HER column “Classroom size just part of an untenable situation” ( C-M , Sep 17), Kylie Lang commented “Teaching 25 years ago was a vastly different beast.”

Her assessment of a changed teaching/learning environment is spot on.

Coincidentally, it was about this time, Education Queensland made an executive decision to cease the use of corporal punishment in state schools with little consultation with the major stakeholders, and without a clearly defined alternative strategy to address student behaviour management.

While I am not an advocate for corporal punishment, the department’s lack of support and inadequate resourcing of schools to deal with recalcitrant students has made the role of teachers more difficult.

There are also increasing numbers of students with social and learning problems.

With regard to social and behavioural problems among students, Lang is correct to sheet home most of the blame to parents.

Not only have a number of parents abdicated their responsibility for nurturing their child’s behaviour, they send their children to school with the expectation that the school will discipline their child.

This is akin to closing the gate after the horse has bolted.

John Quinn, Manly

CRITICS of modern education often claim that past educational practices provided superior results despite large classes and under-resourcing.

Yet that was education for a different time and a different economy.

Recent reports indicate that our education system is failing to keep pace with the rest of the world and benefit our economy despite record budgetary allocations and reduced class sizes.

Of course teachers are to blame, or so the commentary says, because the teaching profession has become the political whipping boy.

This is far from the truth.

The causes, of course, are much more complex but the introduction of computers into education, while vital to the advancement of education, society, the economy and the national interest, combined with a plethora of social and economic issues, has changed the nature of the educational process.

Teachers today, regardless of class size, are time poor with a myriad of demands placed on them leading to emotional and physical burnout.

Over time class sizes have been reduced to give more individualised instruction which in turn has created its own problems.

Perhaps it is time to consider a new model with two classes of teachers – those who prepare the lessons and those who deliver the lessons.

A collaborative approach and a redistribution of tasks and responsibilities would go a long

way to improving educational outcomes.

Geoff Roberts, Brendale

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