The Liberal Party’s woman problem

Credit: Alan Moir

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FEDERAL OPPOSITION

Federal Opposition Leader Sussan Ley fronted the Press Club this week and gave a voluble speech about her plans to investigate the failures of the Liberal Party.
She declared herself open to whatever means necessary to rescue it, including the possibility of introducing quotas to raise the representation of women in the party.
Yesterday morning, Angus Taylor was on the media circuit pushing his belief that quotas are anti-democratic and should not be used by his party. Angus Taylor is the shadow defence minister and is not in a position to dictate party policy.
A statement such as “we have a new leader and I will support her in her efforts to rebuild the party” would have been far more appropriate. It’s no wonder women watch this type of thing play out and have no interest in being involved.
Jan Downing, Hawthorn East

Angus Taylor is out of time
So, Angus Taylor rejects the notion of quotas for Liberal women and also thinks that we should follow the directive from Donald Trump and spend more on defence.
Didn’t Taylor take note of the results at the last election?
The Liberal Party and its putative values are just not chiming with the majority of Australians. The country has moved on from the Howard era, and Angus Taylor should too.
Alan Whittaker, East Kew

Dinosaurs doom party to irrelevance
Angus Taylor believes that pre-selection quotas to attract and endorse more women for the federal Liberal Party will “subvert the democratic process” that he assures us he holds dear.
It is undeniable that the Liberal Party numbers in federal parliament do not represent the gender make-up of our national population.
Equally, the Liberals seem relatively unconcerned with this situation and do not perceive any urgency to address the imbalance despite their regular “reviews” and “post-election analyses”.
The continued lack of a proven strategy (together with effective policies) to demonstrate that the party is in-touch with the electorate is a guarantee of ongoing irrelevance.
The Liberal Party woes are not assisted by “dinosaurs” like Angus Taylor and others.
Mark Bennett, Manifold Heights

Not now, not ever
In responding to Tony Abbott’s opposition to gender quotas, (26/6), Sussan Ley could well adapt Julia Gillard’s famous mysogyny speech: “I say to the former prime minister, I will not be lectured about gender quotas by this man. I will not. Not now, not ever”.
Harry Zable, Campbells Creek

THE FORUM

Political extremes
Re Gabriel Shipton’s article ″⁣What happened to my brother, Julian Assange, once felt extraordinary. Today it feels like the norm″⁣ (27/6). Assange helped make Donald Trump, a man who has not the slightest interest in accountability, president of the US because of Assange’s selective leaks during the 2016 election campaign.
Now, his brother is whinging about Trump assaulting the free press. This is a perfect example of the hypocrisy and interconnectedness of both political extremes.
Brett Byrne, Melbourne

Silence not an option
Gabriel Shipton’s piece is a warning that should be heeded by all. Being punished for telling the truth or exposing crimes – whether a Palestinian journalist or an Australian white collar worker – is not something that happens in a democratic and humane society. Our silence is not an option, or we will be silenced permanently.
Anastasios Moralis, Ormond

Fawning nation
Dr Emma Shortis (Comment, 26/6) nails the central flaw in this country’s dealings with the US. Both major parties vie for first place in subservience to the point of saying ″⁣how high″⁣ when told to jump. Canada might have repelled the Trump offer to become the 51st state of the US,but the appalling thought is that our major parties are more likely to vie for the chance to give a fawning acceptance of any similar invitation.
Tony Haydon, Springvale

Praise be
I can relate to Jenna Price’s feelings about news (Comment, 26/6). These days I rush to the computer to check that Trump hasn’t blown up the world. It was hard to eat breakfast after reading about the grovelling to him at The Hague – an upgrade to a palace, for heaven’s sake. And, the oily praise from NATO General Secretary, Mark Rutte. Trump doesn’t need praise from anyone: He does his own PR.
Margaret Ady, Avondale Heights

Control urban growth
Re ″⁣Critics should admit they have no such vision″⁣, (Letters, 27/6). The vision that confronts us in your correspondent’s ″⁣blueprint for how Melbourne will grow″⁣ is evident at emergency departments, the eight lanes of traffic crawling on Nepean Highway, Cheltenham, ″⁣growth″⁣ decimating Melbourne’s wildlife, tree canopy, homes and gardens. Debt and the schools in desperate need of funding and local potholes named after ″⁣Jacinta″⁣ and other ministers.
The wheels are already falling off, and soon enough nature will curb human overpopulation. Is it that difficult to accept population limits that promote survival?
Ronald Elliott, Sandringham

State’s tunnel vision
Your correspondent (Letters, 27/6) claims the SRL is “part of a competent vision for Melbourne’s housing”. Perhaps it is the government’s “tunnel vision” that is blind to our state’s ballooning debt, and its health and education cuts.
As for public transport now, it ignores the crowded trains from the expanding northern and western suburbs, and the needs of regular regional V/line passengers.
Close to the CBD, the 2014 proposed tramline to Fishermans’ Bend “still does not have a business case” (27/6); and the SRL? Its case relies on future support from the federal government, and the rather hazy value capture concept. Is this truly ″⁣competent″⁣ vision?
Elizabeth Meredith, Surrey Hills

What Dunkeld needs
Whether or not the proposed development by Brad Sewell (″⁣Myers family drops long legal fight against ex-footballer’s Grampians build″⁣, 23/6) would ruin the view from Allan Myers’ Dunkeld property I don’t know.
But if Sewell does now proceed with the development, I would hope he would consider building wheelchair accessible tourist accommodation at his property in Dunkeld. The town lacks accessible accommodation. The Dunkeld Writers Festival held in August is hugely supported by Allan Myers and The Royal Mail Hotel. This development could be a win-win for both parties. And in the process enabling disabled people to enjoy cultural events.
Glennis Loe, Strathfieldsaye

Size matters
The comparison of space Shane Wright makes between his “ex-govie” house and the proposed apartments in Greensborough is nonsensical (“Is an extra 40cm the secret to happiness in the bedroom?“, 26/6). He is talking about a house with outdoor space for his family, dog and rabbit, and probably a shed for storage. There is no outdoor space in an apartment, so adequate indoor space becomes crucial.
Margaret Kelly, Port Melbourne

Higher taxes, better life
In the ongoing debate about taxation in Australia, most people seem to be totally unaware that we are one of the lowest taxing countries in the Western world.
The reality is we need to tax at a level that allows us to provide quality health, education, housing, infrastructure, etc.
But we don’t, and we are falling behind in all of these areas.
Unfortunately, the loudest critics of sensible tax increases on wealth are often those constantly whinging about the quality of our public services, the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland etc.) have shown us the winning formula for decades with great public services for all funded by much higher taxes particularly on wealth.
However, most people (including prominent economic commentators) refuse to even acknowledge these well-documented facts and models. Why?
Tim Mahar, Fitzroy North

Rich and poor
I have just come from a weekly food bank which a friend and I set up. People are hungry and in need.
That a couple with $8 million in a super fund is asking how to avoid the proposed super tax makes me feel utter despair (″⁣We have $8m in a SMSF. How can we avoid the new super tax?″⁣, 25/6). Both situations are stark highlights of our increasingly fractured society.
Jane Ross, San Remo

Choose your charity
I object to being asked to donate to a charity of the supermarket’s choosing when paying at the checkout. If the supermarket wish to donate to a charity out of its massive profits, that is their business. I will decide which charities I choose to donate to, only after doing my own due diligence.
Stephen Bell, Deanside

Stop sports betting
Can the Albanese government please do Australia a favour, and ban sports betting? The public would applaud this action, and it would be the perfect opportunity to debate the merits of other ways to reform our taxation system to raise the significant amount of funds we need to fund our society, and balance the budget.
Mike Francis, Fitzroy

That’s Wissenschaft
The new Coalition for Trust in Science (″⁣Brett Sutton made it through a pandemic. Now he’s fighting a new war″⁣, 25/6) should be planted on a firm foundation. It’s essential Brett Sutton and colleagues keep emphasising that what we call ″⁣science″⁣, is not just one of many subjects in a school curriculum, but the basis for almost everything we delight in calling progress.
Perhaps the German word ″⁣Wissenschaft″⁣ better explains the concept as ″⁣the systematic pursuit of knowledge, learning, and scholarship″⁣. As such, science has no limits and reaches behind all faculty doors no matter their labels.
Trevor Kerr, Blackburn

Gas greenwashing
The Australian Gas Networks is being sued by the ACCC for misleading advertising (″⁣Green gas ads misled consumers, claims ACCC″⁣, 27/6). Fossil fuel industries appear to follow the playbook of the US tobacco industry in the 1950s when emerging science of its harmful effects was stifled by the industry. Faced with the existential problem of its product being harmful to health, gas producers will fight tooth and nail to stave off the moment when their infrastructure assets become stranded. As the Grattan Institute’s Tony Wood explained in the article, the renewable gases – hydrogen or biomethane – would not be available in time to fill the gap.
Fiona Colin, Malvern East

AND ANOTHER THING

Credit: Illustration: Matt Golding

Middle East
Ayatollah Khamenei has claimed victory over Israel and the US in his first public comments since a ceasefire was announced between the warring countries. “Tis but a scratch,” he claims. Tell him he’s dreamin’.
Shawn Genug, Toorak

It must be time to switch
from discussing Iran’s nuclear situation and demand to know how many nuclear warheads Israel is sitting on.
Loch Wilson, Northcote

I liked your correspondent’s quote from Through the Looking Glass (Letters, 26/6), but it goes further. When Alice says the question is whether Humpty Dumpty can define words in whatever way he chooses, he replies: “The question is who is to be master”.
Donald Trump clearly believes it is he.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn

People are criticising Trump for dropping the F -bomb. However, he has no regrets about the lack of statespersonship.
Instead, based on a previous quote back in 2024, we should believe he has mastered the English language. “I know words. I have the best words.“
Greg Tuck, Warragul

Furthermore
Congratulations to Antoinette Lattouf for her win over the ABC. Money and power should never hinder justice.
Roger Christiansz, Wheelers Hill

Re: ″⁣This tax will break them. The private schools about to be slugged with huge bills″⁣, 27/6). Perhaps they could turn the pool heating down a little to save some dollars.
Margaret Ludowyk, Brunswick

Angus Taylor rejects quotas for female MPs as anti-democratic, yet accepts that the National Party gets a quota of cabinet positions. Conclusion - it’s all about the boys’ club.
Peter Bennett, Clifton Hill

I watched the Port Adelaide and Carlton game on Thursday evening. It has to be one of the worst games of football that I have ever watched. Skill level – very low. Thuggery – very high.
John Cummings, Anglesea

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