Be careful what you wish for (“Dutton on track to be prime minister”, February 24). Americans voted for “a change” at last year’s election and now people around the world, and indeed many Americans themselves, are shocked at what they’ve got to live with. The reality in Australia is that Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is a largely unknown and untested quantity, with very few original policies other than expensive and unnecessary nuclear reactors. Moreover, if you vote for the Coalition, you’ll get a rookie treasurer in Angus Taylor to steer the country through the cost-of-living crisis that the Coalition claims to care so much about. Unfortunately, Taylor doesn’t come even close to the highly effective Labor treasurer, Jim Chalmers (who was part of the very small team of Australian leaders that outperformed most Western countries in their handling of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis), and who continues to be respected in the domestic and international arenas. Rob Firth, Red Hill, ACT
Before anyone gets too excited about the prospect of a Dutton prime ministership I reckon there’s still a long way to go, based on the Resolve poll. The key to the 2025 federal election lies with a large group of Australians who don’t identify with any political party, and there are millions of them. Resolve calls them quite simply “the uncommitted”. When asked “how firm are you with your vote?” 34 per cent answered with the U word. This means that all political parties have a huge opportunity between now and polling day to win them over. Nick Franklin, Katoomba
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is ahead in the polls, according to a Resolve Strategic poll.Credit: Louise Kennerley
David Crowe correctly identifies three important caveats to the survey results (“Don’t hurry to the polls, prime minister, it looks grim”, February 24). But there is another, even more important caveat. The survey sample consisted of only 1506 Australians of voting age – a tiny number of people. And this, in turn, raises some significant issues. How was the sample of voters selected? Were crucial demographics taken into account? Were men and women equally represented in the sample? And did the sample cover an appropriate range of age groups? Maybe the Resolve pollsters should themselves be “polled” on these issues, so we can properly assess the reliability of their surveys. Kim Swan, Cremorne
Dutton has managed successfully, as the Resolve poll shows, to characterise a restrained Albanese as “weak”. Being bombastic is unfortunately being seen as “strong”. What a sick joke it is, for example, that the Trump-like Dutton is seen as the best candidate to deal with a divisive US president. Moreover, Dutton knows he cannot mess with people’s health concerns, so he hypocritically reverses his past antipathy towards Medicare by vowing to match Labor’s beneficial policy. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
One Herald political pundit says March or early April for the election, based on a few words from Mark Butler. Another says the PM will go late because of the Resolve poll. Perhaps it’s time to standardise on one brand of office tea. The leaves seem to be sending very different messages at the moment. Tony Judge, Woolgoolga
Thanks, Murdochs, for your efforts to push a clueless man into Australia’s top job, with your constant braying that Albanese is weak. This is the second time you have betrayed Australia, the first being when you helped deprive us of a good prime minister (Bill Shorten) thanks to your constant accusations that he was “unpopular.” (Hitler was the most popular man in Europe for some years – so much for being popular). Dutton has nothing to offer but a loud voice. Jeannette Tsoulos, West Pymble
I’ve given up trying to understand Americans who voted against their own best interests in electing Donald Trump. I am now on the verge of giving up trying to understand Australians who intend to vote against their own interests by voting for Dutton. John Berry, Cammeray
Two years of seeing government keep its word on election promises seems to have lulled the electorate into believing the Dutton will do the same. We need a fridge magnet to remind us of robo-debt, carports and handouts to the likes of Gerry Harvey. Voters have very short and selective memories. Carole Hayes, Newtown
Labor should have learnt it lost the narrative by staying silent on the Voice. Now the government’s inability to demolish the case for nuclear power will lose it the election. The mystery is why Labor continues lazily, even timidly, expecting facts to speak for themselves. Its progressive announcements swirl around in a black hole while the Coalition’s daft climate war distraction literally becomes its power source. A further irony is that the election is becoming less about energy than confirming Labor’s irrelevance. It’s a pity that Energy and Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen, a convincing speaker, is lost in space. Peter Farmer, Northbridge
I was severely worried after the result of the US election. Now I’m slipping into a depressed state with projections for our election. Watching reruns of The West Wing, I wonder where the intelligent, altruistic, policy-driven leaders have gone. Those who govern for the people in a compassionate and visionary manner. It seems to me that ignorance and nastiness are now applauded in our society, and having the ability to think is condemned. Andrew Moody, Forster
So Australians would prefer to see a loud, slogan-driven politician as our leader rather than a so-called weak government that simply gets on with the job. Heaven help our children and grandchildren if the Coalition gets in again. There goes our future climate change mitigation, protection of our disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens and fair and equitable access to education, health and other essential services. Bring on the independents. Margaret Grove, Concord
Anthony Albanese at Labor’s ‘Strengthening Medicare’ announcement in Launceston.Credit: Brodie Weeding
Medicare bandwagon
Dutton says, in defending his decision to hop on board Labor’s Medicare plan, “I know that as Liberals, we are good economic managers.” He says it is “what Liberals are about”. Could he please explain why the Liberals’ good economic management went so pear-shaped in their previous stint in government, and how essentially the same team of economic illiterates will be any better, should they form government in the coming election? Ross Hudson, Mount Martha (Vic)
I despair of this country when a naysayer such as Dutton could even be considered PM material. This man’s only policy is a crackpot nuclear energy fantasy. He is taking on board Labor’s Medicare policy despite being from a party that stripped Medicare bare. I believe it’s all the fault of that other masthead – with its overblown headlines and insidious snipes. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill
So the Liberals will back Labor’s Medicare changes. Makes a change doesn’t it – the Coalition wedged by Labor? Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba
Blame Democrats for Trump
In response to Steve Ngeow of Chatswood, who quoted JFK: “The ignorance of one voter in a democracy impairs the security of all” (Letters, February 24). We all happily bag the Americans for picking Trump again, but what were they supposed to do? What could they do? Joe Biden was no longer fit for purpose and after much public deception by his minders, his belated replacement Kamala Harris proved next to useless. This is not the fault of the electorate: it is the fault of the Democrats, front and centre. They were deceitful about the status of Biden, who himself was grossly selfish. And they lacked the collective moral leadership to find a new, more appropriate candidate in time for the next election. Don’t blame the American voters, blame the Democrats for unleashing Trump upon the world a second time. Bruce Sheekey, Randwick
Trump, Vladimir Putin and Peter Dutton have been described as “strong men” in Monday’s Herald. The qualities of the strong man appear to be an unwillingness to listen to other views, belligerence and aggression, poor understanding of economics, antipathy to difference, coddling by right-wing media and a love of sycophants. This may appeal to some, but I find the growing tendency to embrace strong men extremely worrying. Wayne Duncombe, Lilyfield
Staying with Trump’s twisted logic, I fear Taiwan is close to invading China. Andrew McPherson, Tathra
Anti-vax mentality costs lives
Our falling vaccination rates probably reflect some Australians’ reliance on “facts” from internet gossip, noting the inclusion of an anti-vaxxer as US Health Secretary in the Trump administration (“Falling vaccination rates in this country endanger us all”, February 24). The idea of forewarning a human body of potential disease by exposing it to small doses of potentially harmful germs is far from being a modern government conspiracy. As far back as the 15th century, possibly earlier, people were deliberately exposed to smallpox to build up resistance to the disease. Edward Jenner (1796), Louis Pasteur (1885) and Anna Wessels Williams (1894) were part of an expanding group who pioneered vaccination and antitoxins. This medical knowledge even predates that other government conspiracy, the steam locomotive. Donald Hawes, Peel
Vaccination rates are falling in Australia.Credit: Getty Images
I read with concern that the national vaccination rates are falling. I once taught an eight-year-old boy who was a cricket fanatic. He said he was going to be a great cricketer one day. Two years later, I heard he had died from measles. Every time I see that vaccination rates are falling, I think sadly of that little boy, who went everywhere with a cricket bat under his arm. Sue Napthali, Roseville
Nationalise tolls
The secrecy around tolling strategy and negotiations is a major advantage for Transurban (“Toll review flags up bridge demand”, February 24). The best outcome for Australia would be the federal government buying Transurban, selling its foreign toll roads, buying out the contracts of the other toll investors, and setting its own tolls that reflect its policy goals. Peter Egan, Mosman
Poison parklands
How totally unreasonable of Transport for NSW to insist the Inner West Council accept liability if more contamination is discovered at the playing fields in Rozelle Parklands in the future (“Millions have been spent on these Sydney football fields. No one is allowed to play on them”, February 24). The long delay in making this much-needed facility available to the public is totally unjustified. It is clear that this questionable and unacceptable demand would not be being made if there was a state election in the offing, instead of a federal one. Harvey Sanders, Annandale
PM right on Chinese warships
There has been much commentary about Chinese ships being in Australian waters and Anthony Albanese showing weakness in his response (“Chinese warships’ live fire warning forces planes to divert”, February 23). Correction. Chinese ships are in international waters, which breaches no law of the sea. Albanese is going through all the diplomatic channels and his request to China that more notice should have been given if live-fire drills were to be undertaken was done following correct protocols. When it comes to concerns over China, let us not forget that it was the Coalition, not Labor, who handed over Port Darwin on a 99-year lease to the Landbridge Group, which has close associations with the People’s Liberation Army of China. It has raised significant security concerns ever since. Chinese warships anchored off Sydney Harbour during Scott Morrison’s tenure. When questions were asked, it was put out that they had Morrison’s consent. Pity the rest of us were not informed. Some have drawn the silly parallel between Margaret Thatcher’s tough response to Argentina at the time of the Falklands war in 1981. Argentina invaded and captured the Falkland Islands, which was British territory, but it was a far weaker nation than Britain. China has not taken any Australian territory by force (it was gifted a lease by the Coalition) and although Labor has increased expenditure on defence in real terms, we are a pinprick when it comes to naval comparisons. Frank Carroll, Moorooka
Time’s up, Clover
Concerning the Clover Moore profile in Saturday’s Good Weekend, I was horrified to read that she has no intention of leaving the mayoral office, except “in a box”. Surely, a younger person with some new ideas that are relevant to a younger demographic would revitalise this city. I am a firm believer that those in executive offices should stand aside to allow a smooth transition to senior management roles. A person half Moore’s age with youthful energy would serve Sydney well. Does the world not already have enough 80-year-old egomaniacs in very senior roles? Will Murray, Coogee
Clover Moore, Lord Mayor of Sydney.Credit: James Brickwood
Housing shake-up
Congratulations to the Victorian government on its initiative to shake up the housing approvals protocols. However, it seems to me that the problem is more nuanced in NSW. In this state, a development application for housing that has been approved at the local government level generally remains in force for five years. In other words, a “developer” can, and often does, sit on the “development” and do nothing for many years. It is clear that the process in NSW is simply being used as a form of property speculation, or gambling if you prefer to be really honest, by many “developers”. If the NSW government was really serious about reducing the chronic housing shortage, it would require developers to commence their projects within, say, six months of the approval being granted or else the application would lapse. Terence Golding, Bolwarra
Mad about Meghan
Wendy Squires describes the media pile-on against Meghan Markle as “virtual witch burning” and assumes it’s a gender issue (“Hatred of Meghan has reached grotesque levels. It wouldn’t happen to a man”, February 24). She might have a blind spot regarding fellow female correspondent Kate Halfpenny, who can turn one’s morning milk sour with her “ugly glee” at discovering Meghan’s shortcomings in her Herald column. Louise Whelan, Chatswood
Rich man, poor man
Surely poverty is preferable to dollar-digging dollies (“The billionaire, his lawyer wife – and the secrets of their explosive relationship?” February 24). Can this naive billionaire not recognise these worrisome women are not just after his 70-year-old body? Jo Arblaster, Lower Portland
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