Credit: Matt Golding
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Party room battle
The John Pesutto saga (″Liberal leader faces the axe despite popularity ranking″, 24/12) should be identified for what it really is – a battle between a moderate Liberal party group and a less electorally appealing conservative cohort seeking to dominate the party in Victoria.
The same philosophical conflict has bedevilled the Liberal Party for many years, at states and federal level. The emergence of a more conservative outlook in the newly elected Queensland LNP government is a sign of the type of change that is occurring. The exit of progressive Liberals from the federal parliamentary party is a further sign of the philosophic swing to the right.
The make-up of Liberal Party aspirants at the next federal poll will reflect the degree of change.
Brian Kidd, Mt Waverley
Stay with Pesutto
What an egotistical lot the state Liberal party members are that they can’t decide on who is to challenge for the leadership.
If they all banded together to support their popular current leader John Pesutto they would stand a good chance of taking government at the next election.
Pesutto has worked hard to put the party in a good position to win and should be supported to continue.
Phillip Ross, Somerville
Tear apart Liberals
Jacinta Allan must feel relaxed and comfortable, reflecting on the comment attributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, ″Never interfere with an enemy while he is in the process of destroying himself.″
Di Cousens, Upwey
The sorry state of the Libs
What a sorry state the Victorian opposition finds themselves in. Even with polls showing them drawing ahead of a 10-year-old government, they still have to focus on the internal brawl, rather than the main game.
Apart from a factionalism virus that compares well with the old ALP factions of the ’60s and ’70s, the current opposition seems to have a dearth of talent, and experience. John Pesutto became leader after only one four-year term in parliament.
Occasionally I think of the Nationals in Victoria, whom we hardly ever hear from. They must be really thrilled to be in partnership with the Liberals.
Normally, after three election wins and 12 years in government, you would expect Labor to lose the next election. But maybe not, if the factions of the Liberals have their way.
Ian McKenzie, Canterbury
Political realities
Nothing could more clearly demonstrate the chasm between public perceptions and political reality than the difference in John Pesutto’s position in the public polls and the parliamentary headcount. It aligns with the low esteem in which both major parties are held in this state and, others like the Greens stand to benefit.
Tony Haydon, Springvale
Gas insanity
Here is a good idea. Sell off our natural gas to overseas buyers. Create a natural gas shortage at home. Buy natural gas from overseas to alleviate the shortage. A new perspective on insanity?
Brian Marshall, Ashburton
Gaolers and convicts
I enjoyed Nick Bryant’s Comment (23/12) exploding the myth of the Australian larrikin and deploring what he calls our ″punishment culture″. It reminded me of the analysis offered by the late Clive James: ″The problem with Australians is not that they’re descended from convicts, but rather that they’re descended from gaolers.″
Lindsay Zoch, Mildura
The bigger picture
Nick Bryant says Australia’s punishment culture can be too officious and unbending. Many would agree, but the challenge is drawing the line between regulating behaviours harmful to society and the perceived pettiness of the fun police.
One person’s fun and freedom can be another’s serious inconvenience and loss of freedom. The person who gets a parking ticket is unlikely to give a thought for the people driving down the street looking for a park.
Living in a successful society means trading off some individual rights of comparatively little importance for the benefit of everyone.
Rod Wise, Surrey Hills
Save public service jobs
The federal opposition has made it clear it intends to ″save″ some money by getting rid of potentially thousands of public servant jobs. If a single mine worker’s job was threatened the Coalition would be outraged. The public service are not lifeless pawns on a political chessboard.
They are real people with real jobs supporting real families and the community and they have real mortgages to pay. Public servants are not readily available pawns to be sacrificed at the altar of political expedience.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha
Memorial, not a venue
The appalling decision to turn The Shrine of Remembrance into a public entertainment venue reminds me of a visit a few years ago to the World War I Canadian Memorial at Vimy, northern France. We witnessed a limousine pull up near the memorial and a bride got out and began to walk towards it, clearly intending to have photographs taken.
She was barely out of the car when a memorial official spoke quietly to her. She left. Our tour group praised the official.
All respected the official policy – this was a solemn reminder of sacrifice, not a wedding setting.
Pam Cupper, Dimboola
Bin there, doing that
I have discovered my role in life since I retired. I am a binfluencer: a person who puts the right bin out on the right day, letting everyone else on the street know what bin to take out. Particularly useful over Christmas and the New Year when no one knows what day it is – though I have been known to get it wrong.
Susan Munday, Bentleigh East
Who said that?
The Who’s Roger Daltrey sang ″Hope I die before I get old″ (″The Psychology of Ageing″, 23/12) in the song My Generation in 1965. He’s now 80 years old! I’ll take a punt that he’s glad his hope remains unfulfilled.
Mark Morrison, Kew
Lost in translation
Your correspondent’s letter (24/12) re the Mitsubishi Pajero is called a Montero in Spanish-speaking countries made me laugh and reminded me of a neon sign atop Perth’s tallest skyscraper in the 1970s.
It bore the initials of insurance company CAGA. I doubt the sign is still there, as surely somebody arrived in Perth who could speak Spanish.
Mick Phillips, Bruce, ACT
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
Donald Trump wants to take control of the Panama Canal and buy Greenland. What other acquisitions has he in mind?
John Walsh, Watsonia
Maybe Elon could buy it for him for Christmas?
George Stockman, Berwick
With Trump’s talk of the Panama Canal and Greenland, sounds like someone has invasion envy.
Pete Sands, Monbulk
Donald Trump saying that Musk isn’t taking the presidency, is like what my grandpa said when nana told him to take out the rubbish.
Henry Herzog, St Kilda East
The Liberal sharks are circling around the slow-swimming endangered Pesutto.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
A young man with a fast tennis serve will be great as a deputy opposition leader.
Ian Macdonald, Traralgon
With the Victorian Coalition racing to the top in popularity, it’s time to change the leader. Really?
Ross Barker, Lakes Entrance
Furthermore
Ageing is a state of mind. Beauty is only skin deep; it’s the inner joy that sees us hurdling to the end.
Margaret Skeen, Pt Lonsdale
Finally
Bertrand Russell’s philosophy teapot is now being poured by Leunig in the outer reaches of the universe.
Henri Licht, Upwey