What on earth was their rush (“Coalition blown apart”, May 21)? The Nationals and Liberals had, still have, at least three years to sit down calmly together and work through their policies and their differences. But no, just three weeks after the election the Nationals could not even wait while Susan Ley finished dealing with her mother’s passing, let alone until she and her party had even met properly to discuss new policy positions. It was a case of “agree to our demands today, and we aren’t even giving you the time to get together and talk about them”. The blind stupidity of the Nats is breathtaking. With three years up your sleeve to work through these things, why would you throw a hissy-fit now without giving the new coalition a chance to work, as adults would? There are clearly other motives afoot. Two spring to mind – certain very wealthy backers of the Nats want to drag them further away from the centre and/or the misogynists in the party refuse to remain in a female-led partnership. Not even for a short time. And in due course they will make it clear that no reunion will take place while she remains. Graeme Smith, Daceyville
Nationals leader David Littleproud has ended his party’s relationship with the Liberals.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
We are in the midst of a significant climate change flooding disaster on the Mid-North Coast, a heartland of the Liberal and National parties (“Dozens trapped as record-breaking floods leave residents stranded”, May 21). This week we could well see roads, farmlands and homes washed away, yet the National Party continues to tell us that nuclear energy and coal are the solution for people in rural areas. No wonder there is a disaster of nuclear proportions in the Coalition. However, I would hate to think that the real reason for the split was not about nuclear, or rural folk, but that the hard men of the Nationals could not stomach being told what to do by a woman. Neil Quinn, Vincentia
My opinion of David Littleproud is shattered. He visited Sussan Ley in her electorate last week and then yesterday, with Ley’s mother probably not yet buried, he does the usual “male bullying a female” trick. Have they forgotten they are in opposition, and therefore irrelevant, and so the discussion could have waited another week? Is Littleproud maybe just a more presentable version of Barnaby Joyce? If these are the Coalition values they keep talking about, they obviously include misogynist dominance, so count me out. Peter Kamenyitzky, Castle Hill
What is political leadership (“The nuclear debate that blew up political partnership”, May 21)? When you have access to the best climate and energy experts, you have an obligation to educate your electorate on the best way for Australia to respond to the climate crisis. Instead, we’ve seen Nationals leader David Littleproud’s cynical nuclear response and Barnaby Joyce joining the misinformation circus that wind farms kill whales. These are not serious people, they are followers posing as leaders. Sue Young, Bensville
I’m bemused how the Liberals roll John Howard out whenever something significant happens to the party, this time splitting from the Nationals. John Howard did one good thing for the nation as PM – he introduced strict gun laws and Australia has benefited ever since. Almost everything else Howard did was for his cronies, the big end of town or for America by sending our troops to a war in the Middle East, which wasn’t our business, and Australia has paid the price ever since. Howard doesn’t even rank as one of the Liberal’s best PMs. Please, the next time he is rolled back in, leave him there. Victor Marshall, Meander (Tas)
John Howard has expressed grave concern about the split in the Coalition. As prime minister, Howard was responsible for initiating a nationwide gun amnesty, for which he was widely praised. Yet gun violence is still common in Australia (“Motive a mystery in execution-style killing of a man”, May 21). I am not aware that Howard has publicly shown any serious concern about this, and that, why, after his much-lauded amnesty, there are still so many firearms circulating in society. John Boutagy, Mosman
Liberal leader Sussan Ley and former prime minister John Howard.Credit: AAP, Getty Images
The future for the Nationals may be bleaker than Tony Wright suggests (“Nationals were once feared. Now they just stamp their feet”, May 21). With only nine seats likely for the Nationals in the lower house (according to the Australian Electoral Commission), the Nationals’ future rests on how many of the 16 likely for the Liberal National Party of Queensland will decamp to the Liberals. Disentangling the LNP union in Queensland might prove an even greater distraction in politics than dissolving the coalition of separate National and Liberal parties elsewhere. Ian Bowie, Bowral
As a Labor supporter, the result of the federal election was akin to the best Christmas gift. However, come Boxing Day, the break-up of the Coalition was like watching that famed Test match on the same day, with Australia 0 for 120 at lunch. Craig Jory, Albury
I am old enough to remember the Labor Party split in the 1950s that produced the Democratic Labor Party and condemned Labor to a very long period of opposition. The Libs and Nats should read some Australian history. They might learn something. Alan Templeman, Wyoming
My thanks to the Nationals and the Liberals for finally giving us a Herald edition whose first six pages don’t have a mention of Donald Trump. I am pretty sure many readers are sick and tired of being informed of the latest idiocy that comes out of his mouth. No Trump news is like a holiday. Gerardo Prietto, Stockton
Public deserves truth about rail fail
I don’t think Sydney deserves to wear the opprobrium for its public transport failures (“Total farce: Fresh rail fail shames Sydney”, May 21). All infrastructure, public and private, needs regular and adequate maintenance, but increasingly, capital and maintenance spending gets “deferred” to improve a short-term bottom line. One Australian airline springs to mind. Effective government should be about the long-term management of public assets, and decisions usually take time to take effect. The NSW public deserves to know who made the deferred maintenance decisions that are to blame for the current chaos and seemingly endless heavy-rail track work. I hope that this is one of the outcomes of Chris Minn’s promised independent review. Nick Gartrell, Thirroul
We are being told that the pantograph issue in yesterday’s train chaos was not caused by lack of maintenance. How can that be ascertained so quickly? The underlying question is, of course, to what extent the Transport for NSW focus on the Bankstown line conversion has diverted attention from the regular duty of care on the heavy rail network? Matt Mushalik, Epping
If the Premier can’t provide a reliable public transport system that doesn’t turn a not unpleasant 30-minute commute into a tedious four-hour guessing game, perhaps he should do the fair thing and release public servants from his onerous and perverse “return to the office” policy. Peter Fyfe, Enmore
Chinese construction workers are losing their jobs because there are too many surplus homes.Credit: Bloomberg
Australia can’t build enough houses, roads, fast railways ... you name it. Yet China has such a surplus of homes that construction workers there are unemployed, according to a Chinese friend. Why not outsource the construction of a mini-city near the new airport to a Chinese developer, connected by high-speed rail. Are we too timid to give globalisation and the free trade in goods and services a go? The present system has failed us. John Synnott, Enmore
Reprise the Voice
Professor Tim Soutphommasane writes that one of the reasons the 2023 referendum failed was that most voters did not see the Voice as benefiting all Australians (“Albanese can now define patriotism beyond Anzacs”, May 21). We should not let this view sit as uncontested history: the successful 1967 referendum result that applied only to Indigenous Australians surely negates it. The Voice referendum failed because of a concerted campaign of lies and disinformation from the hard right of our body politic, led by Peter Dutton. How bittersweet it is that he has now been consigned to oblivion and the coalition of politicians he led is thankfully following him. Prime Minister Albanese, you now have the political space to reprosecute the Uluru Statement in full. Lest we forget. Russ Couch, Woonona
Justice and fairness
I agree with your correspondent Gina Hay that Australia’s belated moves to join countries demanding aid for Gaza could be because the Albanese government is mindful of its reputation (Letters, May 21) – but a worse problem may be looming. In the UK, five ministers and officials may soon be charged with complicity in genocide, all due to the work of a civilian group led by lawyers. They have launched an international network of lawyers prepared to take similar action in their own countries. Called Group 195, it includes Canada, Malaysia, Turkey, Britain and Norway, among others. The attempt to charge politicians with complicity in genocide and war crimes is already in train in the Netherlands. If Australia has lawyers who care about upholding international law, slow-moving justice may catch up one day with our own political leaders. Caroline Graham, Cromer
Correspondent Athol Morris (Letters, May 21) refers to an “ad hominem pile-on” in response to Jamie Hyams’ letter about Israel’s war in Gaza (Letters, May 20). Yet a review of the letters reveals no ad hominem attack (that is, attack on character, personality etc). Yes, there is criticism and questioning of Hyams’ views but, contrary to your correspondent’s assertion, the expressions were not uncivil. Morris then commits a straw man fallacy by implying that those who criticise Israel’s actions are willing to accept Hamas’s appalling actions. No so. However, Israel’s current actions of destroying seemingly everything and everyone in sight in Gaza, allegedly to stop Hamas, is beyond polite description. Peter Thompson, Grenfell
Positive side effects
As a fellow traveller with prostate cancer that has spread to the bones, I hope Joe Biden gets to share my experience of effective hormone therapy (“Biden diagnosed with cancer”, May 20). Such incredible therapy, made possible by our Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, has given me more precious time to focus on what matters most to me. Unwelcome side effects have been minimal. I also hope our government remains stalwart in defending our PBS against any attack from Donald Trump and the large drug companies wanting to enhance their profits. Mark Porter, New Lambton
Path of perils
One can only begin to imagine the grave danger posed to pedestrians by a few umbrellas and pot plants dotted along the footpath outside the colourful Lady Chu restaurant in Potts Point (“Fury over pot plants at restaurant”, May 21). They have attracted the ire of our City of Sydney rangers, who seem to have overlooked the countless dumped share e-bikes and shopping trolleys that litter the footpaths of the same area. This is not to mention the food delivery riders who hurtle down crowded footpaths at breakneck speed, unchallenged and with impunity. Clover and the team – it’s time for a reality check. David Mackinnon, Kings Cross
Lady Chu owner Nahji Chu and the offending pot plants. Credit: Edwina Pickles
When first reading about Lady Chu being asked to remove pot plants I thought what harm do a couple of pot plants cause? However, a picture is worth a thousand words. Good luck trying to push a pram past that jungle without a machete. None of us can just decide to take over a public space. Paul Doyle, Glenbrook
Fate of ferals
It is ridiculous that National Parks and Wildlife Service is required by Barilaro’s brumby law to maintain a population of 3000 feral horses in Kosciuszko National Park (“Kosciuszko slowly stirring back to life after cull”, May 21) The maintenance of that population will be a time and money impost on the service forever. Removal of all the horses, as unpalatable as it may appear, would allow the organisation to apply those resources to other threats to the sensitive environment. This is feasible, given that horses are such a large and obvious occupant of the high country. Feral horses would be far better managed on private property. Neil Reckord, Gordon (ACT)
The NFPs of EVs
John Elder should certainly be concerned at the lack of privacy around car data, and not just for Chinese cars (Letters, May 21). I have a car purchase contract that allows the vendor to send my data anywhere in the world. That might include real-time location, phone contacts, driving behaviour, facial images and conversations inside the car – almost anything. Think of the risks for women trying to escape domestic violence, or a judge sitting on a gang murder case. I wrote to former attorney general Mark Dreyfus about this 18 months back, and the reply referred to privacy legislation. Even if that were robust, which it is not, the data will end up in places it shouldn’t. Be very afraid. Ronald Watts, Newcastle
Super pendulum
What a sad state of affairs when a proposed small shift in superannuation taxation triggers the question (“Can I withdraw from my super to avoid the proposed $3m tax?” May 21). How are we ever going to restore some balance to our society when the wealthiest have such a knee-jerk, selfish mentality towards their responsibilities to the greater good. Maybe seeing multinational companies completely avoiding tax inspires avoidance among those individuals with smart accountants. But I’d beg anyone asking the above question to take a good, hard look at their own situation and think whether they might, perhaps, be in a position to swing the pendulum, very slightly, in favour of those less fortunate. Tim Parker, Balmain
Who’s the predator?
In the Judaeo-Christian tradition, God gave humans dominion over all other life forms. Well, that worked out nicely, didn’t it (“Industrial fishing threat to blue shark population”, May 21)? Alynn Pratt, Grenfell
Blue sharks make up 91 per cent of the bycatch in the Lord Howe Rise and South Tasman Sea.Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Focus on Fotis
Your opinion piece by Fotis Kapetopoulos was a joy to read (“My resurrection (thank you) cost $7”, May 21). Please put him on the payroll for an article every week. Nick Walker, Suffolk Park
What mitre been
I admired Albo’s choice of headwear (Letters, May 21) but I wondered why there were no dangling corks bobbing on the Akubra brim. Maybe there are no flies in Rome. Barry Wooldridge, Harden
Our prime minister’s outsize Akubra worn at Pope Leo’s inauguration reminded me of the common Texas jibe: “Big hat, no cattle.” Anne McCarthy, Marrickville
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