Opposition Leader Peter Dutton sniffs the wind and insists he’s nothing like Trump (“Trump is ‘just wrong’ over Ukraine: Dutton”, February 21). It doesn’t last. On the same day he’s saying Trump is wrong on Ukraine, he’s deploying the familiar divisive tactics that effectively scuppered the Voice (“Dutton wrongly says Labor is fast tracking citizenship for Gazans to win votes”). It’s a lie, but one suspects he doesn’t care as long as the slur has hit the mark. Would it be too much to ask for bipartisanship on these critical, sensitive issues? Alison Stewart, Riverview
Donald Trump is obviously “just wrong” about Zelensky and Ukraine, so why does Peter Dutton get a front-page article for stating the obvious? It must be an attempt to distance himself from Trump, as other media are doing too. Dutton welcomed Trump’s election, praised him for his “big ideas” and his “gravitas” over Gaza, and said we should cut him some slack. Dutton continues to inhabit Trump territory, lying that Labor is fast-tracking citizenship for Gazans on top of earlier lies they weren’t subject to security assessments. He parrots US Vice-President JD Vance, claiming immigrants are a great threat. Dutton has taken aim at institutions here such as the electoral commission, the CSIRO, grid operator AEMO, ASIO and the judiciary. He’s much harder right than he makes himself out to be. Nick Wilson, Palm Beach
The latest comments underscore a breakdown in relations between Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump.Credit: Getty Images, AP
Correspondent Lesley Walker is right that the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship, its facilitator Jordan Peterson and our right-wing dupes are just Trump acolytes, despite their protestations to the contrary (Letters, February 21). The leader of the Heritage Foundation, Kevin Roberts, who is now seeing his right-wing Project 25 being carried out, spoke approvingly at the ARC conference of sacking public servants and reducing government. Apparently, those attending all applauded the gutting of the Federal Aviation Authority and disaster recovery organisations. It’s interesting, though, that Dutton at least had some scales lifted from his eyes over Trump’s Ukraine backflip, but all the other toadies remain committed. The Coalition is now led by Trump followers. Dutton says he is not like Trump, but it increasingly appears that his party is. Tony Sullivan, Palm Beach
Orwell was right
With the stream of propaganda we are being subjected to courtesy of the current US government, surely George Orwell’s 1984 must come to mind for many. As the Czech Republic’s Interior Minister posted on X after Trump’s claim that Ukraine started the war: “I’m afraid we have never been this close to Orwell’s ‘war is peace, freedom is slavery and ignorance is strength’.” We all need to consider the real meaning of those words in today’s world. Natalie Mabbitt, Randwick
Surely Bob Vinnicombe is not serious that Ukraine should be kept out of NATO to act as a buffer (Letters, February 21). Ukraine was a neutral buffer state – until it was invaded by Russia. Trevor McCarroll, Bomaderry
Bob Vinnicombe’s opposition to Ukraine joining NATO conveniently, and simplistically, ignores the will of the Ukrainian people, still staunchly defending their independence after three years of bloody war. NATO membership would underpin democracy in Ukraine and be a big step towards eventual political freedom in Russia – the long-term guarantee of peace in Europe. Michael Britt, Macmasters Beach
Trump is on social media right now trying to pin this whole thing on Zelensky when he himself was the first president to start openly pouring weapons into Ukraine while ramping up Cold War tensions and shredding treaties with Russia. Norman Broomhall, Port Macquarie
Stewart Copper claims Americans are silent about Trump’s bad behaviour (Letters, February 21). I can assure him that that my family and friends in the US are horrified and embarrassed by Trump and his actions, and that there have been multiple marches against Trump and Musk. It is world leaders who must confront his propaganda and find a way to minimise his assaults on democracy. Sally Spurr, Lane Cove
A letter referring to Trump’s schoolyard tactics reminded me of another one – his insistence that at banquets at Mar-a-Lago he gets two scoops of ice cream for dessert, while his guests get just one. Says it all. Vince Taranto, Roselands
Tragedy waiting to happen
The death of children such as Joe Massa is what we feared when the former Coalition government closed Manly and Mona Vale public hospitals (“Hospital failures led to boy’s death: review”, February 21). Now we have a private hospital paying lip service to supporting public patients. Northern Beaches Hospital has an inadequate ED department, understaffed with exhausted, overworked health workers. When is the Minns government going to act, accepting that this dysfunctional private public agreement with Healthscope is only going to result in more tragedies? In 2018, when they closed Mona Vale and Manly public hospitals, local politicians enthused about the “new state-of-the-art hospital”. According to then premier, Gladys Berejiklian, it was “a momentous occasion for the people of the northern beaches, who now have a world-class public hospital like no other right on their doorstep”. Brad Hazzard said the hospital’s opening was a proud moment for him as the local member and state health minister. “The NSW government is delivering on its promise to provide public health services for the northern beaches community for decades to come.” I don’t think so. Sue Martin, Clareville
Elouise and Danny Massa holding a pair of their son Joe’s shoes in his favourite part of the family’s garden in Balgowlah.Credit: Kate Geraghty and supplied
How heartbreaking for the Massa family to have experienced the loss of little Joe through hospital negligence. From my recent experience of an emergency department, I believe many medical students on hospital placement are caring for very sick patients without adequate supervision. The “doctor” I first encountered at Albury Hospital many hours after my arrival had not a clue how to treat my extreme vomiting and diarrhoea. I had to step her through the treatment sequence of cannula, blood tests and IV fluids, which she finally agreed was a good approach. My experiences thankfully improved markedly once I was admitted to a ward the following day. Of course medical students need to do hospital placements but there must be a system of appropriate oversight provided by experienced doctors to ensure patients are safe and treated in a timely manner. Rhonda Seymour, Castle Hill
The NSW government represents the public in the “public-private” partnership which owns and operates the Northern Beaches Hospital. All published factors considered, there appears a clear mishandling of young Joe Massa’s illness (‘Joe’s death must be catalyst for hospital change’, February 21). The government must hold a formal inquiry into how this occurred and identify preventative measures. Many of society’s norms are being disrupted, but surely you can’t own a hospital and achieve such tragic and avoidable outcomes without serious examination. Brian Jones, Leura
Keep it balanced
I agree with Waleed Aly about the absolute integrity of service in health and law (We are right to be outraged about Sydney nurses, but let’s be careful about why, February 21). I have worked in both professions. I can remember when plainclothes police entrapped gay men in public toilets. I see this case as similar. But for the entrapment, the nurses would have finished their shifts – and their careers. There was no opportunity for them to exercise their threats. I do not condone their actions but in our outrage, we need a balanced gaze at the entrapment by a foreign national. Anne Eagar, Epping
Based on my own experiences, I suggest to Waleed Aly that health care is predicated not only on the inherent dignity of the patient, but also the inherent dignity of fellow practitioners. In my four years as a psychiatric nurse, I never once began a shift asking which patients I had been assigned to care for. I always began by asking who were my fellow nurses on that shift. I needed to know if there was mutual trust. That was a long time ago. I suspect that now more than ever, every nurse needs to know they can rely on the skills, support and courage of fellow nurses. Mark Porter, New Lambton
Back to school
It was a bit of a surprise to see Dick Smith’s advert in the Herald supporting nuclear energy in Australia by referring to Finland’s decision to take the nuclear route. Australia averages twice the annual sunlight of Finland, giving it far better access to that great nuclear reactor in the sky. Great idea, Dick. John Harrison, Sydney
Business kingpin Dick Smith ran an advert in the Herald promoting nuclear energy as an option for Australia.Credit: James Brickwood
Dick Smith is obviously a clever businessman and good at making money, but he must have skipped geography lessons when he was at school. He seems to think that, because Finland’s Greens Party supports nuclear power, the Australia Greens should do the same. Let’s remember one-quarter of Finland is above the Arctic Circle, and its warmest parts are below zero for 100 days a year with widespread snow cover. It’s nothing like Australia. Maybe it’s time for him to get the books back out or at least look at Wikipedia. John Croker, Woonona
Stop dodgy advertising
As many of our famous athletes are highlighting, climate change is everyone’s business (“Athletes turn up the heat on politicians over climate change”, February 21). The hotter climate is messing with sports, pushing up our insurance prices, increasing the costs of coffee, wine and chocolate, and damaging the places we love, from the Great Barrier Reef to western Tasmania. Burning fossil fuels is 75 per cent of the problem. That’s why we can’t afford for Santos to extract fossil gas from Narrabri (“Santos urges next PM to back project in Narrabri”, February 20) or for Woodside to expand fossil gas production off the west coast of Australia. Nor should we allow dodgy advertising like the Santos Tour Down Under or the Woodside Fremantle Dockers. The ability for polluting fossil fuel companies to sportswash, greenwash and influence political decisions needs to end. Now. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic)
School success story
Freshwater Senior Campus on the Northern Beaches is a resounding success, not because it is co-ed, but because students have a sense of achievement when they are selected to attend and are treated like young adults while there (“Parents plan legal challenge over Sydney high school’s controversial changes”, February 21). Having worked with many students over 40 years in a northern beaches pharmacy, I saw the impressive result of this type of education. Please don’t dismantle a school that is working well, which would reduce options for both parents and students. We need more senior colleges like this, not fewer. Jenny Forster, Manly
Save the Hunter
I applaud the actions of the prime minister and SA premier in providing $2.4 billion to ensure continued operations at the loss-making Whyalla steelworks and prevent a regional economic crisis (“Government sweeps in with a $2.4b plan to save Whyalla steelworks”, February 20). In contrast, the Hunter Valley has profitable coal mines and power stations, which generate billions of dollars each year in federal taxes and state royalties. In the foreseeable future, Hunter coal mines and power stations will close, with far more job losses than those threatened in Whyalla. Will the prospective leaders of the next parliament address the need to create new industries in the Hunter before we enter crisis mode? Granville Taylor, Muswellbrook
Hastie goes overboard
What is Andrew Hastie stirring the pot for (“‘Provocative’: Australians warned to get used to Chinese ships off the coast”, February 21)? There is nothing illegal about the Chinese naval ships; they are not hiding, their intelligence gathering is probably less than the sailors on merchant ships that come frequently, and their sailors are probably like naval sailors everywhere – mostly well-behaved and friendly. Ask them in for a barbie; show them how friendly and welcoming Australians can be. The Chinese residents of Sydney might also welcome them. Hastie is not calling a spade a spade, he is calling a teaspoon a bulldozer. The real spies fly in and out on commercial flights. Adrian Tabor, Point Lonsdale (Vic)
Shadow defence minister Andrew Hastie. Credit: Trevor Collens
God only knows
At long last, correspondents are beginning to query the role of religion in centuries of conflicts (Letters, February 21). The unanswered question, again centuries old, remains “why does the god who loves us all, who created us, who is all powerful, who is all knowing, allow the continuation of such death and destruction, especially when so much misery is carried out in his/her/its name?” And the answer can’t be the standard cop-out of “God gave us free choice” because an omnipotent god must have planned each and every direction we would take. There may be a god (if we can ever decide which is the one true one), but it’s looking more improbable. Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT)
On the topic of the intersection of God, religion and philosophers, Clive James nailed it when he said “religion is the advertising agency for a product that does not exist”. Ian Morris, Strathfield
Blow the trumpet
Clive Palmer’s announcement faux pas “trumpet of parrots” had a more patriotic tilt than that lion in his emblem. Trouble is, it is difficult to blow your own trumpet with a beak. Anthony Connolly, Beacon Hill
Ra ra Ras ... Putin
Put a “Ras” in front of the name of the current Russian dictator and what do you get? Duncan McRobert , Hawks Nest
Postscript
Would the world be a better place without religion? It’s a big question, but for Phil Bradshaw the answer is yes, particularly since The Daily Telegraph‘s disastrous stunt confected to stir up antisemitism, and the firing of two Muslim nurses for voicing their hatred of Israelis.
“I’d say God help us, except I think it’s God that has got us into this situation,” Bradshaw wrote. “Has there ever been a better time to push for a fully secular society?”
To Roger Cedergreen, this meant communism. “Human nature needs to be tamed, and I would suggest a gentler means is Christianity, the bulwark of Western civilisation.”
“I’d like to hear from the victims of clerical sexual abuse about the ‘gentle’ nature of this contentious topic,” Grant Heaton replied.
As Australia becomes increasingly polarised over antisemitism and the war in Gaza, religion is a contentious topic indeed.
In contrast, there was no contention among readers over US President Donald Trump’s latest eye-opening display of capriciousness this week. After an intimate meeting with Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, Trump accused Volodymyr Zelensky of starting the war, stealing from the US and being a dictator, and demanded he hold elections that could potentially open the door to Russia’s supreme commander.
His about-face was “a deliberate act of treachery”, wrote Donna Weimann. “Trump has always pitted the strong against the weak, winner against loser. It is no surprise that he is backing Russia against Ukraine, but basing it on blatant lies is more than reprehensible. It’s time for NATO to take a stand.”
Stewart Copper called for Western leaders to denounce Trump’s “wild and scary” behaviour. “Surely there are enough level heads, especially in Europe, to counter the Trump/Putin duopoly,” he wrote.
Mark Sapsford recommended “a co-ordinated, prolonged campaign to remind the world what global leadership and respect looks like.”
If Opposition Leader Peter Dutton really is modelling himself on the US President, as claimed by letters page regular Graham Lum, this latest episode of The Trump Show might make him think twice.
News that the National Anti-Corruption Commission had changed its mind on robo-debt and would investigate six public officials was too little, too late for George Williams. “Six unnamed public servants are to be thrashed with a wet lettuce leaf,” he wrote. Government ministers were the real culprits, he said, and they got off scot-free, adding: “The NACC is as useful as a chocolate teapot.”
Judy Nicholas hasn’t forgotten robo-debt. “In light of the fiasco, why would anyone return the Coalition at the next election?” she asked.
Ivan Hemens, letters desk
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