Former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry makes the point that we are “in need of leaders with vision and courage” (“Cowardly politics rob our kids blind”, March 29). Peter Hartcher quotes Kos Samaras describing the current campaign as a “battle of the Band-Aids” (“Sanity and superficiality to the fore as campaign kicks off”, March 29). I couldn’t agree more. The trouble is, whenever anything that’s even slightly transformational is proposed, it’s met with a massive dishonest scare campaign from the other side, and often also from vested interests. Softening of media concentration laws over the decades has resulted in echo chambers of disinformation. That’s why most of what we see from our politicians is pretty anodyne. Something’s got to give. Hopefully, a hung parliament with a large number of independents will serve us better. Graham Meale, Boambee East
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Ken Henry’s vision for Australia is one which we all should share. Tax reform is not only good policy; it is vital if we are to have a healthy and egalitarian society. As a first step, negative gearing and the CGT discount, which currently cost the budget around $20 billion per year (over twice what the states and territories spend on public housing), should be abolished or at least radically reviewed. How is it acceptable in this day that our richest 10 per cent get more than 50 per cent of the benefits of these concessions while the dream of home-ownership for many young Australians is just that? The Labor Party formerly had the guts to promote bold tax reforms and John Howard took the far-sighted decision to champion GST. Alas, these days, we seem to have a gaggle of politicians (teals excepted) more interested in their own job security than taking the tough but necessary decisions. On the one hand we have Jim Chalmers, who is well-informed but as slick as a circus conjurer, and on the other Angus Taylor, who comes across like the class plodder suddenly appointed its valedictorian. Visionaries? I think not. Rodney Commins, Naremburn
Hats off to Ken Henry for providing a much-needed reminder about our obligations to future generations of Australians. Many moons ago, economist JK Galbraith said: “There are two kinds of (economic) forecasters: those who don’t know and those who don’t know they don’t know.” Nowadays, there are two different kinds of economic forecasters: those that acknowledge reality and those who deny it. Ken Henry, quite clearly, is an acknowledger. Col Shephard, Yamba
In his analysis, David Crowe writes “Australia needs more ideas that will lift growth” (“This election is too important to play it safe”, March 29). In the same breath, he bemoans an agenda of deficits and debt. He needs a lesson in fiscal policy. Has he not understood that stimulatory government spending saved Australia from the worst of the GFC and the pandemic’s impact. Why do commentators continue to promote the false idea that surpluses are good and deficits are bad? Without decades of personal debt, would anyone own a home? Roger Plummer, Avoca Beach
Inflated inflation
Shane Wright fastens onto a figure from respected economist Saul Eslake to assess living standards during Anthony Albanese’s tenure (“Has three years of Albanese left you better off? One number says no”, 30 March). That is real net disposable income per capita. But Eslake did add that “a significant proportion of that happened under the former government”. The trend had well and truly begun. Notably, Eslake also reported that much of the fall in household disposable income was beyond the control of the government. Compounding this economic message are some of the mistaken facts put out by Peter Dutton in his budget reply. He claimed that grocery prices had risen 30 per cent. This is being sprouted by Coalition members as they hit the campaign trail. This figure was gleaned from a Daily Telegraph shopping study in March, while the ABS has said prices have risen by 14 per cent, less than half that figure and comparable with grocery price rises around the world. Dutton also cited housing prices as having risen by 14 per cent. That should make many Coalition supporters who own property very pleased. After all, Dutton’s mentor, John Howard, said he had never met anybody who complained about the rising value of their property. Again, this figure is deemed incorrect. CoreLogic, a respected assessor of property values, puts the figure at 6.5 per cent. Yet, Dutton goes around repeating John Howard’s mantra: “Who do you trust?” Frank Carroll, Moorooka
Labor entered government with a 6.1 per cent inflation rate. Soon there was war in the Ukraine adding fuel to a worldwide energy crisis, too. How on earth was anybody going to be better off after the inevitable rise in interest rates and the escalating expenses from that. If you are going to measure a government’s success by whether you “are better off” under those circumstances, then the answer is inevitable. Even Bob Hawke would have failed that one. The issue should be whether the country is better placed for success now, and it is. Inflation is under control, unemployment is still low, interest rates are coming down, debt is well below the $1.25 trillion peak prediction in the 2022 budget forward estimates, there is wages growth for the first time is 12 years, and all this was achieved while providing bundles of cost-of-living relief, including lowering taxes. Labor has the country better off and better placed for success. That is what matters. The personal benefits will follow, and they already are with real wages growth, unless of course Donald Trump does not derail the whole world again. If that happens, we don’t need his protege here. James Manché, Dulwich Hill
Peter Dutton in his campaign outfit on Sunday.Credit: Nine
There will be much discussion about living standards in the lead-up to the election. The Coalition and Labor are the Coles and Woolworths of politics. We need stronger competition to the supermarket giants to improve prices for consumers. We need stronger competition to the political giants to improve policies for voters. Maybe the teals and independents will be the Aldi of politics at the election. Barry Hartshorn, Wahroonga
The real question facing voters is not “are you better off after three years of Labor”, but rather “would you be better off now if the Coalition government was still in power?” Herman Beyersdorf, Bangalee
Low on juice
Liberal politicians have a habit of treating fuel excise as an election sweetener. John Howard stopped automatic indexation to shore up support before the Aston by-election in 2001. Scott Morrison cut the rate of the excise as one of his election bribes in 2022, and now the Coalition is offering up a cut. Given the surging demand for EVs and hybrids, any tinkering with the level of excise will not be as effective as previously, while also discriminating in favour of those who can afford such vehicles. David Maguire, Kellyville
I have just driven an EV from Sydney to Melbourne and back. The total cost of energy was just $138.12. There were no problems finding chargers along the route. So if Peter Dutton really wants to cut the cost of motoring, rather than making petrol cheaper, he should pull all the levers possible to get more Australians into EVs. Gavin Gilchrist, Annandale
What was the opposition leader aiming for by launching his campaign in the XXXX brewery in Brisbane (“Protester halts Dutton’s first campaign event”, March 29)? Helping women relate? Promoting alcohol? Trying to make us forget he’s offered so little detail on Coalition policy? Oh, and all those public service jobs he wants to cut? I guess it will be back to the multitudes of consultants that the Coalition wasted our taxes on in their previous turns at the wheel. Jennifer Bacia, Newstead
We’ll hear many complaints over this election campaign that the main parties aren’t offering any real vision. But should we blame the parties? Look what happened the last time a party offered a vision for real change, addressing housing, climate change, tax reform etc. We voted for Scott Morrison instead. Richard White, Leura
No government has ever been able to control the gas industry, so I am not sure how Dutton thinks he can coerce it into reserving uncontracted gas and sell it a lower prices to the hapless Australian consumer (“Gas experts doubtful of audacious Dutton plan”, March 29). The reason our electricity bills are so high is due to the high price of gas on the international market. That Australian governments are so beholden to gas companies who are described by the ATO as “serial non payers” of tax, care not a jot for the Australian consumers’ cost of living pressures, nor for the pollution they cause, continues to be a source of concern for many of us. The sooner gas and coal are out of the grid the better our health, finances and climate forecasts will be. Anne Ammann, Dargan
Ian Lowe missed two other big Coalition lies concerning nuclear power stations (Letters, March 29). Firstly, nuclear fission is not “clean energy”, the fission process is arguably the dirtiest process of all the energy sources. Some isotopes of spent nuclear fuel survive for hundreds of thousands of years and Dutton has no plans or costings on how or where to store this radioactive fuel. It is almost revolutionary that we can now generate a large proportion of our power at the point of consumption. This is called rooftop solar and will greatly reduce our dependence on poles and wires. That’s another Dutton lie bangs on about. Solar eventually will reduce the proliferation of poles and wires in our streets, something that nuclear cannot possibly do. Tony Lewis, Mount Victoria
The Liberal Party might like to know my spam cops have already tagged their feeble attempt at harvesting more of my personal details as unwanted dross and automatically dropped it into the junk folder (“Major parties harvesting personal data under guise of helping voters”, March 29). How’s that for helping voters? Well done, little elves. Adrian Connelly, Springwood
Demonstrators hold Greenland flags as they protest in front of the US embassy in Copenhagen at the weekend. Credit: AP
Bully boy tactics
JD Vance expresses his fear of Greenland falling under Russian or Chinese control and how much better off Greenlanders would be under US rule (“Vance’s Greenland blast for Denmark”, March 29). To me, this just looks like more bully boy tactics from the Trump administration looking to exploit Greenland’s mineral wealth. The visit was not received well by the locals, who are happy with their current arrangement with Denmark. Vance, like many Americans, lives in this bubble where their self-importance, entitlement and righteousness is off the scale. For your information, JD, Greenland is a cold place. Maybe you could even check where it is on a map and pack your winter woollies. Peter Miniutti, Ashbury
Surely it is time that those nations of the world that believe in the rule of law make it clear that they will not tolerate nations annexing others without mandate. The current incumbent of the White House obviously believes that bully tactics towards Greenland will ensure submission from the small population. Any lack of a strong response from the rest of the world will ensure this will continue to happen. There must be an end to diplomatic niceties in these circumstances. David Brown, Robertson
Bad advertising
As gambling increases its hold of Australians, particularly online gambling by young men, our politicians are too afraid of the backlash from gambling companies and clubs to take any action. It is sad to think that we can’t watch sport on television with our children or listen to the radio without being bombarded with gambling advertising. There are countless stories of lives destroyed by gambling addiction. Now as we enter the election campaign, with little to inspire us so far, I appeal to both parties to put forward a policy that will finally help protect vulnerable Australians from this toxic industry. Jane Glasscock, Haberfield
Resources grab
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard’s reveal of Trump’s deal for Ukraine was sickening (“Trump’s bid to make Ukraine a ‘province’ of US industry”, March 29). It is nothing but blatant opportunism, ripping the guts out of a country on its knees. In the run-up to the federal election, we won’t hear a word about this from our politicians, who are too busy defending their own backyards. When will they wake up and admit we can’t trust this man in Washington, or Mar-a-Lago, or wherever he reigns? Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove
Duffer’s day
Every day appears, one way or another, to be “duffer” day for Angus Taylor (Letters, March 29). Bring on a debate between Chalmers and Taylor and let the voters decide. Should Dutton lose his seat, which is being contested by a capable female teal candidate, Angus could become Dutton’s successor. Jill Phillips, Newstead (Qld)
Gosh, things must really be bad if even Rosemary O’Brien thinks that Angus Taylor is a dud. Jane Jilek, Castlecrag
Angus Taylor keeps talking about a “cruel hoax” being played on the Australian people by the Albanese government. The only hoax is the Coalition touting Taylor as a competent alternative treasurer. Where is he? Put him in front of the media and see if he can give some coherent answers. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill
Keep it objective
I don’t believe it’s the Herald’s role to “eventually take a position on which party or candidates it backs”, as stated in your editorial (“Cost-of-living election campaign looms as long-term issues press in”, March 29). Its role is (as you also say) to cover the election campaign and focus on issues that matter to all Australians. The opinion of the publication and its owners are not relevant to readers – they read it for unbiased coverage before deciding for themselves who to vote for. Donna Wilkins, Chiswick
Salmon suggestions
Your correspondent Dorothy Gliksman bemoans the lack of anything other than Tasmanian salmon in our supermarkets (Letters, March 27). I have also stopped buying it, but have discovered that a couple of the bigger supermarkets carry Norwegian frozen salmon fillets and smoked salmon. Have a look through the online catalogues. Maureen Partridge, Baulkham Hills
A salmon farm in Tasmania.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Dorothy Gliksman writes of her salmon quandary. May I suggest using Google and you will find at least one provider who delivers “wild-caught salmon” at the top of your search. I won’t mention their name, but you’ll taste the difference. Gail Grogan, Toongabbie
Bin there, done that
Richard Glover correctly identifies one of the man of the household’s raisons d’etre: making sure the bins go out (“Trash talk is utter garbage”, March 29). Last year, my family gave me a birthday card emblazoned with the words: “Remember when you went out more than the bins?” Nick Andrews, Bellevue Hill
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