Premier Chris Minns must have taken a few knocks to the head if he has arrived at the view that spending money on UFC creates as much social benefit as spending money on opera, classical music and a ballet company (“Minns gets in ring with UFC boss and Trump ally,” February 7). It may well inspire young men to drop their electronic devices, get off the sofa and get out of the house, but I predict that the alternative is likely to be related to aggression and violence. Rather stay on the sofa – it’s much safer. Bob Edgar, Moss Vale
Chris Minns and UFC Fighter Tai Tuivasa in 2023 after announcing UFC 293 would take place in Sydney.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer
It is a sad day for NSW when the premier wastes taxpayers’ money on bringing out these UFC thugs. We hear about traumatic brain injury in many sports, yet our illustrious premier is avid supporter of this brutality and lets more participants become a TBI statistic. You cannot call this a sport. With the cost-of-living rising, is UFC the premier’s idea of the Roman forum? NSW deserves better from Minns. Pity we have another two years of him. Robert Pallister, Punchbowl
Dangerous role model
Peter Dutton’s belief that Donald Trump is a big thinker deserves to be ridiculed (“Dutton praises big thinker who wants peace”, February 7). Trump’s latest “thought bubble” about Gaza is just a fantasy with little chance of becoming reality. It is already evident that the only person who thinks he can fix Gaza is Trump, while the rest of the world laughs. The sad part is that he actually believes he is the most powerful person in the world. I hope Peter Dutton, if he wins the next election, doesn’t believe he can be the same. Bruce Thompson, Long Jetty
Peter Dutton’s admiration for Donald Trump knows no bounds. Meanwhile, he advocates the taking over of the Panama Canal, Greenland and Gaza while creating world chaos with his tariffs. What on earth is Dutton thinking? Even more terrifying is the fact that Dutton may be elected prime minister of this country at the next election. It’s all beyond reasonable comprehension. Elizabeth Kroon, Randwick
So, inside the safe echo chamber of a Sky News interview with rusted-on Liberal Peta Credlin, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton tries to suddenly show his human side (“Peter Dutton opens up about divorce, broken engagement”, February 7). Dutton’s desperate obsession with winning the highest office in Australia amplifies his hypocrisy, as he simultaneously endorses what seems a dehumanisation revolution unfolding in America. No vision, no policies, no authentic economic modelling or transparent costing of any desperate Dutton thought bubbles, but a sweeping and contemptuous assumption that Australians are so easily manipulated by selective, fake humanism. “O’What may man within him hide, though angel on the outward side”, ( William Shakespeare). Robyn Dalziell, Kellyville
I call on Peter Dutton to disclose all his links to the Chinese Communist Party (“CCP-linked high roller at events with Dutton”, February 7). I want details: records of conversations, photos, phone records and donations. It is his responsibility to explain his links and how they benefit Australia. The Chinese threat to our democracy is that important. I want to know why he did not disclose these links in a timely manner. The Australian people deserve no less. In fact, a parliamentary inquiry is warranted to determine what he knew and when he knew it. Peter Hull, Katoomba
Yes, prime minister
Anthony Albanese is making a habit of reminding people he is prime minister. First, it was at a domestic violence rally in Canberra last year when he was heard telling organisers “Do you want me to speak or not? I am the prime minister.” Now he has lost his cool with an ABC radio broadcaster in Alice Springs saying “I’m the prime minister, not the Northern Territory chief minister” (“Not the job of the ABC: Albanese in terse exchange with ABC presenter”, February 7). The PM sounds a bit like his predecessor with his “I don’t hold a hose, mate” comment. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach
Anthony Albanese has found it difficult to hide his irritation with the media.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
At least twice in the past two days now Anthony Albanese has lost his cool with reporters or interviewers, clashing with them over what he perceives their job to be when interacting with him as prime minister. It’s not a good sign. Alynn Pratt, Grenfell
Israel’s war was not genocide
Samah Sabawi claims Israel’s Gaza war was all about genocide and ethnic cleansing (“Trump thinks Gaza is broken, but we will rebuild”, February 7). That was certainly Hamas’ intent in its October 7 atrocities, and that remains its aim. Israel’s intent was simply to prevent Hamas carrying out similar attacks, as it has repeatedly vowed it will. The way Israel conducted the war proves its intent wasn’t genocidal, with Israeli forces repeatedly warning and evacuating civilians before attacking, even though this also gave terrorists the opportunity to escape. Israel even delayed its attack on Hamas’ final bastion in Rafah for months while it established a safe zone for civilians. It also facilitated the entry of more than 1.3 million tons of aid, and even arranged two rounds of polio vaccines. An army intent on genocide wouldn’t do any of this. Israel bombed civilian buildings solely because Hamas illegally embedded its military throughout them. It certainly never used 2000-pound bombs on hospitals, as Sabawi claims. Jamie Hyams, Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council
With the massive scale of destruction in Gaza now visible for the world to see, and Israel’s assurances that only Hamas militants were targeted still ringing in my ears, I can only conclude that fighters were hiding in every single building. Ian Shepherd, Elizabeth Bay
Samah Sabawi’s opinion piece was timely and heartfelt. It was wise, forgiving in its delivery and totally determined in its tone. Can anyone imagine having dead family members still lying in the rubble of their bombed homes? The article contrasts the principle of people belonging to their ancient land rather than foreign opportunists seizing upon development opportunities in a devastated war zone. Here’s hoping the Palestinian song “we will remain here until the pain is gone” is clearly heard by political leaders on all sides. Cleveland Rose, Dee Why
Surely, a tribute to the unquenchable power of the human spirit! A baker still makes and sells bread from his ruined bakery in Gaza. Trump would never understand the connection between the people of Gaza and their homeland. This is not about making a quick buck from a housing development, this is about the love of generations for a place, which still lives in their hearts, minds and expectations. Despite the devastation caused by Israeli bombs, the spirit of the people continues to be strong and vibrant. Derrick Mason, Boorowa
People enjoy a summer afternoon in Gaza in August 2022, before war devastated the territory.Credit: AP
Thank you for the brilliant article by Samar Sabawi about the strength and resilience of the Palestinian people. And the final sentence so beautifully apt: as if Trump in his four-year term can wipe out the Palestinian people’s four thousand-year history. PM Codd, Bellingen
Tough on terror
I refer to your editorial “Dutton picked it on mandatory sentencing and wagged the dog”, February 6). Presumably the only reason both political parties have endorsed mandatory sentencing for terrorism is that they believe the judicial system is riddled with judges who are pro-terrorist and will resist convicting them. We should immediately investigate how these fifth columnists have managed to infiltrate Sydney’s private schools and become judges 30 years later to unleash these monsters on our streets. Phil Morey, Kalaru
Does race exist?
A century ago, a court in Tennessee tried a schoolteacher, John Scopes, for the crime of teaching his students about Darwin’s theory of evolution. This week, a court in Sydney is discussing whether sacked ABC journalist Antoinette Lattouf is a member of a Lebanese, Arab or Middle Eastern “race” (“Staff furious over broadcaster’s legal position on race”, February 7). Some involved in the case claim this a question of “fact”. ABC management is tying itself in conceptual knots and displaying a level of ignorance that would not have been out of place in the 1925 court that convicted Scopes. Philip Bell, Bronte
If only we could get beyond the strange concept of different “races” of people. We are all members of the human race: a simple yet apparently very difficult concept for too many people. The words we use can deeply affect our thinking. It is as ridiculous to speak of the Lebanese race as it would be to speak of the New South Wales race. The differences between people, which I don’t for a minute deny or undervalue, are differences of affiliation: culture, national identity, religious belief and the like. Being human is immutable, all other differences can evolve or change over time. Any discrimination against someone is a discrimination not about race, but about culture, religion or ethnicity, and should be pursued as such. Susan Jones, Hamilton
Weep for Africa
Admittedly, the disaster that is Gaza probably deserves the headlines, but the ever-present humanitarian crisis and ongoing slaughter in the Democratic Republic of Congo seems to be constantly ignored by politicians worldwide and the majority of the media (“Goma prepares mass graves”, February 7). Watch out for China and/or Russia taking the opportunity to secure more minerals and resources for themselves, to the detriment of the locals. Our government will, as usual, sit on the fence and say and do nothing of any value in their cowardly foreign policy vacuum. Aidan Cuddington, Umina Beach
The children of Jean de Dieu Balezi, the celebrated boxer known as Kibomango, attend his funeral in Goma, this week.Credit: Guerchom Ndebo/The New York Times
I was horrified to read that nearly 3000 people were killed in Goma in just the past week. Wars in Ukraine and Gaza have been front-page news for a couple of years and our media dwells endlessly on petty political squabbling. Where is the perspective? Where is the outrage over this horrendous massacre in Africa? One might offer the excuse that the African war is of little interest to Australians, but are we really that insular and uncaring? Jennifer McKay, Ashbury
Judge’s warning
Michaela Whitbourn’s article outlines NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell’s attack on the financial practices of The College of Law (“Top judge blasts law college”, February 7). The article gives a detailed and forensic investigation of the matter. With respect, however, I believe a matter of much greater public importance included in the speech did not receive appropriate coverage. Justice Bell’s speech also included a searing attack on those who would oppose the rule of law, and on the use of misinformation in society. Bell believes “recent events, both domestically and abroad, have generated a sense of great disquiet and anxiety about the state of society and the rule of law.” He went on to argue that powerful individuals such as President Trump, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are threatening democracy by their actions: “It is one thing to disrupt democratic structures and institutions; it is another to begin to dismantle them”. The warnings of the chief justice and other community leaders should be given coverage. Peter Robertson, Stanmore
Trump’s tricks
The American president is fixated on fentanyl smuggled from Canada, despite the figures being relatively low, and significantly lower than Mexican smuggling figures (“Trump’s war on the world is not going to plan”, February 6.) Yet, somehow the number of Americans who are private gun owners seems not to be a problem for the president, despite alarming increases in the number of shooting deaths each year. One survey accounted for 383 million (or 46 per cent) of worldwide total civilian-held firearms, or 120 weapons per 100 American civilians. Rosie Elsass, Brighton
In Michael Koziol’s article on Trump’s plans for Gaza we learnt that Netanyahu gave him a golden pager (“Trump doubles down on Gaza takeover”, February 7) – a weapon of war that killed about 30 people in Lebanon and injured thousands is now gilded and given as a present. How sick is that? Jan Syme, Newington
Perhaps Trump will apply for the job of testing the competitors as to their gender (“Order bars trans athletes from women’s sport”, February 7). I understand that he has some hands-on experience in the field. Denis Hannigan, Toowoon Bay
How ironic. Donald Trump, a felon convicted by the US criminal courts, has sanctioned the International Criminal Courts as illegitimate (“Trump bars ICC members from US over Israel case”, February 7) Where is the justice in the world ? Bala Superamaniam, Queenscliff
Benjamin Netanyahu gave Donald Trump a golden pager in a symbolic reference to the covert operation that turned Hezbollah devices into lethal explosives in an attack last year. Credit: Wires
Parents aren’t perfect
Thank you, Olga Stosic, for your frank letter on the enormous responsibility of parenting (Letters, February 7 ). Forty years ago, when travelling around Europe with three young children in a campervan, we stopped briefly at a lay-by. We got back in the van and set off before realising we had left our youngest boy behind. Thank goodness, today, we still have our beautiful forty four-year-old son. Jan Boyd, Sylvania
It is hard to imagine the terrible grief of the parents of the baby who died after her father left her in a car, believing he had dropped her off at daycare (“Hero neighbour tried to save child after daycare tragedy”, February 5). Would it not be possible to mandate that daycare centres send an SMS to a nominated parent or carer if their child fails to arrive? In these days of automated SMS reminders for so many other things, surely it would not be difficult, and it may save young lives. Lynette Hinchen, Duffys Forest
A useful piece of advice: When you strap your child into the back seat of your car, put your handbag or wallet next to them. David Rose, Nollamara (WA)
Integrity issues
I simply can’t let pass the irony that PWC and Cbus abandon the carbon credit scheme owing to the scheme’s “lack of integrity” (“Business abandons carbon credits”, February 7). Tony Bennett, Broke
Postscript
Most of us accept that taxes and rates are necessary evils, but how they should be spent is a matter of debate – and interpretation. Just ask former NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen and councillors from Ku-ring-gai, who copped some heavy flak this week over their use of public resources.
Although the rules allow politicians to use ministerial cars and drivers for private purposes, Haylen ended up losing her job anyway for a few trips she made with her children and friends. Did she deserve it? Jennifer Fergus definitely thought so. “Her conduct is not merely an error of judgment, it is calculated self-entitlement,” she wrote. Ron Sinclair agreed: “Her attempts to argue that her private trips were within accepted guidelines suggests a self-centred arrogance.”
But, perhaps surprisingly, most Herald correspondents weren’t so tough on the former minister, many blaming fuzzy guidelines. “It was absurd that Jo Haylen could legitimately use a government car and driver for private purposes yet had to resign. The issue is a weakness in the regulation,” said Peter Hughes. His sentiment was echoed by Sheryn Symons: “I don’t believe the fact that she used a driver made up for the countless hours she missed with her children while working. Yet, we say we want more women in politics.” Bruce Hall concurred: “A young mother, who by all accounts put in the hard yards, should be allowed the perks.”
Premier Chris Minns has undertaken to review the guidelines on ministerial drivers, but unfortunately for Jo Haylen, it’s come too late.
Sentiments weren’t as mixed over a two-day, $20,000 ratepayer-funded retreat to the Hydro Majestic for members of the Ku-ring-gai Council – to discuss possible rate increases of all things. An offended Lindsay Somerville suggested the Gordon library as an alternative venue, and free to boot. Dennis Suttling and Vince Hunt, similarly miffed, recommended using the council chambers. Ho-hum, where’s the fun in that?
Undoubtedly, the most bizarre story this week was Donald Trump’s whacky plan to “take over” what remains of Gaza, remove the Palestinian population to another country, and turn it into a “beautiful” upmarket tourist resort. Saba Mustafa, like most people, was horrified by the idea. “This would amount to ethnic cleansing,” he wrote. Millions of Palestinians will feel the same way.
Ivan Hemens, letters desk
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