As we were taught by Yes Minister, the problem with surveys is how the question is asked (“The Trump policies Australians hate – and the ones they want here”, February 25). If we are asked a question about “cutting waste from the public service”, who could be against cutting waste? Waste is bad. If, however, the question was framed as “do you want to cut public service jobs, leading to even slower response time for government services?” or “do you want to cut public service jobs and replace them with more expensive private consultants?” you might get a different answer. Dutton’s Trump-like promise to cut government waste is so light on detail as to be completely meaningless. And if you want to see such a “policy” enacted, just look at the current problems in the US. Neil Ormerod, Kingsgrove
Waste is unavoidable in any service, public or private. Of course, we should always aim to “cut waste from the public service”, and it is surprising that only 51 per cent of the people polled supported this. However, Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s policy is not to cut waste from the public service, it is to cut or dismantle public services, including health and environmental protection. Many of their actions are actually creating more waste, such as firing and rehiring air traffic controllers. Next time you conduct a poll of support for Trump’s policies, try asking people instead if they would support cutting or dismantling public services. Chris Standen, Erskineville
Readers worry that “cutting government waste” will lead to a decline in public services.Credit: John Woudstra
There will be no savings if Peter Dutton sacks public servants. Under Scott Morrison, we had a shadow public service the equivalent of 54,000 full-time workers made up of more expensive labour-hire positions and outrageously expensive consultants. Any savings made to the public service wages bill will be completely swallowed up by their more expensive replacements, as we saw last time the Coalition was in government. Graeme Finn, Earlwood
In light of Elon Musk’s public service cull, I’m wondering who will check all the responses of the million workers ordered to submit a written report on what they did at work last week. Phyllis Agam, Vincentia
It is difficult to interpret the results in one of the questions in the Resolve survey. In asking about cutting the public service, the question asked respondents’ views on cutting “waste” from the public service. What was the waste? Is it the nurses or police officers? Is it the staff who process veterans’ applications? Is it the people on the help lines at the tax office or Medicare? Is it the staff in our courthouses? It is an easy mantra to denigrate our public service, but when any of us need to engage with our public servants, we don’t consider them a waste at all. Judith Fleming, Sawtell
Gone are the days when governments provided services for residents. Ill-advised privatisation of transport and health services have provided chaos, not improvement. Bus services are less frequent, terminate earlier to avoid traffic snarls or do not appear at all. As a passenger, I sense that bus drivers are trying to make up time so as not to be late for their next assignment. The two-tier roster system which provides lower rates of pay for new drivers is not only unfair, but shows that company profit will take precedence over the provision of an essential service. Catherine Turner, Cremorne
It’s easy to give the nod to lofty theoretical notions such as “cutting waste in the public service”. There will always be competing views about levels of foreign aid, the mix of energy sources and other social and geopolitical policies. But that’s a far cry from sacking people en masse, pulling the plug on vital humanitarian services and engaging in lies, threats, bullying, insensitivity, selfishness, bombast, conceit, greed and vindictiveness to crush those you simply don’t like. Adrian Connelly, Springwood
It is difficult to see any logic in the poll responses. While 42 per cent support the Paris Agreement on climate change, only 27 per cent oppose increasing the production of oil and gas. Do people not understand that the biggest threat to curbing increasingly devastating weather patterns is our continued consumption of fossil fuels? Felicite Ross, Vaucluse
Error of judgment
Peter Hartcher has no shame. After a decade of aggressively urging Australia to put all its security bets on America, and as the bet is on the cusp of failing, he falls back to the mealy-mouthed claim that Australia is to be blamed in not preparing for its own defence (“Australia wedged by Chinese aggression and Trump’s degression”, February 25). This is the same person who has barracked for AUKUS, notwithstanding we have to wait twenty to thirty years for the submarines to protect us. For just on a decade Hartcher has argued that Australia would best protect itself being an integral part of US military primacy in Asia only now to discover to his chagrin that Trump’s America no longer believes in allies – European or otherwise. And that Australia has squandered a decade of opportunity in securing the right weapons for its geography, preferring instead to buy and inject itself into the United States’s Pacific military apparatus. This is an unforgivable error of judgment, yet Hartcher in his column displays not a hint of humility in having had any role in bringing this situation about. Paul Keating, Potts Point
Editor’s note: Peter Hartcher has on many occasions advocated for greater Australian independence and defence self-reliance from both China and the United States.
True cost of bulk-billing promise
It seems to bulk-bill or not bulk-bill says more about doctors than government subsidies (“Doctors wary of ‘free GPs’ vision”, February 25). I live in an area where most patients could afford to pay a gap fee, but my GP and his colleagues have never charged a fee and have never hustled patients through at the rate of six minutes per patient. Patients have always been given adequate time (sometimes up to 20-30 minutes) for the necessary care. I have questioned the lack of a fee on several occasions and been told by my GP that he does not need extra money and would prefer to ensure people did not neglect seeing him because of a fee. He is not alone – there are many bulk-billing practices. How can other doctors then claim that bulk-billing is not practicable and try to justify a gap fee of up to $40? Heather Johnson, West Pennant Hills
Peter Dutton says he’ll pay for Medicare changes to bulk-billing by dismissing 36,000 public servants.Credit: Nine
Peter Dutton says he’ll pay for Medicare changes to bulk-billing by dismissing 36,000 public servants, leaving already hard-pressed services such as Centrelink targeted for 4000 job losses (“Job cuts to fund Medicare: Dutton”, February 25). Obviously, this man is completely out of touch. Try ringing the Centrelink, the tax office or veteran services helplines used by hundreds of thousands of citizens needing help every day, and you’ll have to wait 45 minutes or more because of a lack of staff to answer calls. Dutton will just make things a lot worse for many vulnerable people. His government will probably just get consultants to do it for him at taxpayers’ expense. Now I just worry about what he plans to do about super. William Tuck, Mosman
So, Steve Szekely, owner of 11 – note 11 – medical centres across Victoria, NSW and the ACT, fears Labor (and of course the tag-along Coalition) pledging $8.5 billion to boost Medicare bulk-billing will “lead to profound disappointment” by misunderstanding patients and will also victimise doctors. Could he perhaps lower his profit margins, and by so doing, not oblige his doctors to limit bulk-billed consultations to six minutes – for the good of patients and medical staff, and the outdated notion of “social justice”? Ah, silly, naive me. Jennifer Fergus, Croydon
If a large corporation announces it has to lay off 100 or so people, the announcement makes headlines and unions will be loudly complaining. But when Dutton says he will make tens of thousands of public servants unemployed, there is no whisper of complaint from anyone. Apart from the fact that they are doing essential jobs that provide health, security, transport, education and infrastructure for the public, they are also human beings with families to support. Judy Christian, The Ponds
Drawing comparison
Sean Kelly, as always, makes excellent points about the need for complexity in art (“As the world fills with lies, Australia silences those who make us question”, February 24). As an artist, I take great joy from reading books and listening to music written by writers and composers whose views many would call bigoted, but whose overall vision and power of conviction makes the world a better place. Unfortunately, however, it would appear that other factors may be at play in the case of Khaled Sabsabi, who was chosen to represent Australia at the next Venice Biennale but then had his nomination withdrawn. I would point out that many of the people who are suddenly arguing for unalloyed freedom of artistic expression had no problem whatsoever pushing for a boycott in 2022 of Israeli artist Ruth Patir, whose work had nothing to do with the Middle East at all, but was concerned with motherhood and fertility. Rules for thee and not for me? Simon Tedeschi, Newtown
Top-class schools
The public v private school debate will never be resolved until the underlying cause is addressed. The aims of the two stakeholders, the nation and the parents, are not aligned. The nation’s aim is to have a single educational system that does not advantage a child due their parents’ wealth, and this is the strength of the public school system. The parents’ aim is to obtain the best possible education for their children, and this is often provided by the private schools. The two aims are not the same and result in muddled policies. Until the aims of the nation and the parents are aligned, the public v private schools debate will never be resolved. The solution is that the public school system must offer the best education available, otherwise parents will always choose the private school system. Bill Kierath, Bathurst
Matt Kean, chair of the Climate Change Authority.Credit: Flavio Brancaleone
Explosive truth
When Matt Kean was appointed to the Climate Change Authority and voiced his opinion on nuclear power, he was accused of treachery (by Barnaby Joyce). Coalition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien now says Mr Kean’s criticism of nuclear proves the agency has been “captured by the government”. Coalition public service spokeswoman Jane Hume says a Dutton government would consider scrapping the CCA, citing politicisation issues. Recall also the “political” criticism levelled at the CSIRO when it failed to tell the Coalition’s preferred nuclear story. As NSW treasurer and energy minister, Matt Kean was open to nuclear, but the advice he received was that it would take far too long and would be far too expensive. The compelling advice came from Professor Hugh Durante-Whyte, who had been responsible for the British nuclear defence system. Kean “didn’t want to bankrupt the state. And I didn’t want to put those huge costs onto families.” The inconvenient truth for the Coalition is that the work of these science-based organisations does not back up their nuclear plan. This latest attack represents dangerous ground for the nation, both in terms of the nuclear folly and science in general. Fiona Colin, Malvern East
Polls and pundits
Progressives who read the Herald must be in shock, disbelief, despair and denial at the latest Resolve Monitor poll result showing Labor primary support at 25 per cent (Letters, February 25). The result is probably an outlier. But there is no doubt Peter Dutton is making inroads in the wider electorate. As political pundits say, “the trend is your friend”. The poll reminds me of the story of the New Yorker who said “I can’t understand how Donald Trump got elected; all of my friends voted for Kamala Harris.” Riley Brown, Bondi Beach
With letter writers running against Dutton, I expect Rosie O’Brien to come to his defence with a counter view. Readers have their biases, but they should be aware the astute bookies with no political allegiances have Dutton as a clear favourite to be the next PM. Tony Nicod, Collaroy
Somebody told me the Dutton crew is likely to win the looming federal election. Then I read the Herald letters page and realised I’d been had. Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield
Good old days
It is interesting to read in Column 8 recent tales of how families of low means created meals from basic ingredients. This was a time of low incomes, long hours, one radio, one fridge per small house, a public phone on the street corner, a TV at the rich neighbours’ house and perhaps an old car per family with little or no complaints of a cost-of-living crisis. Compare today, huge multistorey house, no yard, all occupants with an expensive phone, multiple cars, boats and expensive toys, one TV per room and takeaway meals and a cost-of-living crisis. How did we get there? Don’t blame us, just blame the government. Bob Cameron, Coffs Harbour
Clover not over
Can I ask your correspondent why age should disqualify Clover Moore (Letters, February 25)? With age comes experience, contacts and maturity to govern, even though her bicycle paths are not the right fit for our city. Pasquale Vartuli, Wahroonga
World’s a stage
Zelensky may well have been a former comedian and entertainer, but let’s not forget the quote: “The most difficult character in comedy is that of the fool, and he must be no simpleton that plays that part.” Edward Loong, Milsons Point
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.Credit: AP
To continue your TV analogy, Andrew Moody, I’m afraid that the Trump administration is more House of Cards than The West Wing, minus the cunning intelligence of the fictional President Underwood (Letters, February 25). Randi Svensen, Wyong
Democrats’ folly
The Democrats blew it in 2016 when they nominated Hillary Clinton as their candidate against Donald Trump instead of Joe Biden (Letters, February 25). She was unpopular and Biden was a successful vice president who probably would have won the election, and maybe the next one, and Trump would have been consigned to history’s political dustbin. Michael Deeth, Como West
- To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
- The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.