We decide who comes to our towns and the circumstances

In some circles, nature-loving sharks are more welcome visitors than neoliberal people.

Not our kind, dear. Brigid Delaney bemoans gentrification of the bush, Guardian Australia, yesterday:

A few years ago I lived in a country town of some 3000 people that had four award-winning restaurants ... the town proudly boasted it didn’t have McDonald’s or pokie machines, but in the locals’ pub (a place that seemed deliberately ugly in order to repel the yuppie couples) ... they would complain that they had to drive 30km to get their KFC fix.

If only people could move into spare bedrooms instead of country towns. Sydney Morning Herald, Saturday:

As astronomical house prices shatter the home ownership dreams of many Sydneysiders, government research has found the equivalent of 20 years of housing supply is tied up in empty bedrooms.

This is a bit of a theme for the paper. SMH, August 8, 2007:

In the middle of a growing housing shortage comes ironic news: Australia is awash with spare bedrooms.

More from Delaney, yesterday:

The gentrifiers bring energy to the ­regions and — more importantly — money. But the money comes with strings attached … The dominant aesthetic of the gentrifying class might be described as neoliberalism through a dreamcatcher — yoga classes instead of football clubs, cool cafes instead of Domino’s pizza, homewares shops ­instead of The Reject Shop.

At least sharks aren’t “neoliberals”. Australian Seabird Rescue spokeswoman Rochelle Ferris, quoted in an ABC News report on a protest against shark nets on NSW’s far north coast, Sunday:

The question we’re facing here is whether wildlife is more important than human life, and I’m conflicted over the answer to that myself.

The Australian website, yesterday:

Veteran surfers in northern NSW are “really shaken up” after another shark attack in their region this morning. A surfer sitting with a group of about 15 others 200m from shore at Broken Head, south of Byron Bay, was bitten on the thigh ... He suffered puncture wounds and was able to get to shore ...

We hope Ms Ferris doesn’t suffer as dramatic a conversion. ABC News website, September 26:

A 17-year-old surfer, who once rejected the need for shark nets, is in hospital after being bitten on the upper thigh while surfing at Lighthouse Beach at Ballina, on the New South Wales far north coast.

Mayor Larry Vaughn of the shark-struck seaside town of Amity, Jaws, 1975:

As you see, it’s a beautiful day, the beaches are open and people are having a wonderful time. Amity, as you know, means “friendship”.

So much for any other candidate being stronger than Donald Trump. Joel Meares takes on the GOP’s VP pick, Fairfax websites, yesterday:

Donald Trump is not the most dangerous thing on the Republican ticket … Trump’s running mate, Mike Pence is an “aw shucks”-ing nightmare from an age of black-and-white TV and regular raids on gay bars. He is arguably America’s greatest threat to progress, and, in this cycle, has gotten away with it unchallenged.

Karol Markowicz, Daily Caller website, on the dangers of crying Republican wolf, August 5:

If every Republican is always unfit for the presidency then Trump is no different and it shouldn’t be surprising that rank-and-file Republican voters are lining up behind him. They know there aren’t actually any Republicans of which the media approves.