Turnbull a major letdown in US

I feel this visit should have laid out our priorities in a much firmer fashion if Australian interests were at the forefront for the junket

BAD TRIP: Wayne Offer says Turnbull-Trump visit should have laid out our priorities in a much firmer fashion if Australian interests were at the forefront and the reason for the junket. Picture: Evan Vucci

PROBABLY the only success of the Malcolm Turnbull visit to see Donald Trump was that Mr Trump remembered his name.

It was the most grovelling exhibition of photo shoots, back-slapping, scripted mateship and embarrassing monologues to shame any fair dinkum Australian.

Some may say that is how any visit by any politician to the US goes.

I feel this visit should have laid out our priorities in a much firmer fashion if Australian interests were at the forefront and the reason for the junket.

The US is riding on a very heated economy with debt more than $22trillion and rising, while Mr Turnbull's and Tony Abbott's debt truck has turned into an Acland coal train and the lenders are going to want repayment.

With lending rates minimal, wages stagnant, any upward movement will decimate those who have overcommitted or over-borrowed, so this fantasy of how corporate tax cuts in both countries are our saviour is a flawed political ideology.

Imagine interest rates returning to five per cent accompanied by inflation; what damage that would do to all those who are in new homes struggling now?

The hypocrisy of the entire Trump trip was typified when Mr Trump demanded we contribute to patrolling China's sand island expansion while he ignores Israel's expansion into Palestine and we choose to stay silent.

We in the Asian Pacific cannot rely on Trump's America to see us through.

We have to tighten alliances with New Zealand and forge new trading partners as, when that balloon busts in America, and it will, we will need a government that has the skills to guide us through with policies that are people- based.

Wayne Offer, Thagoona

Let's get tough on the bankrupts

THE media has been quick to criticise Clive Palmer.

In our "democracy", many business people use the system and, when caught, start up a new business after bankruptcy.

Why is Mr Palmer so special and has to suffer the continual media attacks on him?

The system has been broken for many decades and it has allowed the owners of bankrupt businesses to walk free.

The debts owing to hard-working people, mostly tradies, are often written off.

It's time for the governments to legislate swiftly to give long-suffering victims justice.

What price democracy?

JAY NAUSS Glen Aplin