‘Bullying’ is a furphy in the preselection of Warren Mundine

Tossing around accusations of bullying is just a catch-all tactic.

Much as I admire Warren Mundine and welcome his preselection in my seat of Gilmore, what possessed Scott Morrison to justify his captain’s pick on the basis of punishing “bullying” of a woman by the already endorsed candidate? Bullying, like racism, is one of the new catch-all social crimes for which no proof is necessary.

All conservatives, even Liberal ones, should avoid such terms. That is just playing into the hands of the Left. And why is challenging a sitting member for preselection bullying?

Peter O’Brien, Kiama, NSW

The selection of Warren Mundine to contest the next election is good news. I sat with Mundine on meetings to develop a large project in South Australia that would have benefited indigenous interests as well as the wider community. I came away from that experience understanding that Mundine is at least the dynamic indigenous advocate described by Chris Kenny; he is more than that. Mundine has natural authority and a calm common-sense approach that is desperately needed. If elected, the residents of Gilmore will have a powerful voice that will be listened to. What a great opportunity — don’t blow it, Gilmore.

Alan Birchmore, Newnham, Tas

Warren Mundine is not a local. He is a blow-in using the Liberals as a flag of convenience to get into parliament after failing to get the nod from Labor.

Scott Morrison’s justification for overturning the local rank and file preselected candidate on the grounds of “bullying” goes beyond laughable.

He won’t get my vote. He may get a preference ahead of the Greens.

Ron Owers, Mollymook, NSW

Risk to shipping services

The Maritime Union’s aspiration for an increase in Australian-crewed ships is understandable, but it is counter to good economic and business practice (“ALP ‘locks in’ shipping fleet”, 24/1). Union-dominated shipping would decrease competitiveness, and also increase the risk of disruption to sea-transport services.

The strategic argument has some merit, but it would come at huge costs and there are other ways to address that eventuality. Bill Shorten’s apparent agreement with the MUA does not bode well for other areas and the future competitiveness of Australian businesses.

Michael Schilling, Millswood, SA

Turbine turmoil

Sam Buckingham-Jones’s article (“Turbine invasion raises anger levels in the high country”, 24/1) provides good reasons for this anger, but ignores even more relevant objections.

Creating a wind farm includes mining, transportation and processing the minerals required to manufacture the structure, instal it (requiring huge volumes of concrete), a grid connection and back-up fossil-fuel power. Each step uses fossil fuels and produces carbon dioxide in amounts never recovered in the life of the wind farm. Claims that a wind farm will power so many houses (in this case 50,000) are not true when the wind is calm or non-existent.

Doug Hurst, Chapman, ACT

Dudding retirees

Labor’s Treasury spokesman Chris Bowen may be correct in his view that the system of franking credit refunds encourages investors to be overweight in Australian shares but surely this is hardly an excuse for reducing the income of self-funded retirees by $5000 to $15,000 a year.

By asserting his so-called reform will mainly affect the wealthy, he ignores the effect on those who are not much above the age pension cut off.

The present arrangement is neither a tax loophole nor a rort but a logical extension of the imputation credit system accepted by Labor for almost 20 years. He should take up Robert Gottliebsen’s solution to reduce all franking credit entitlements.

Rodney Dyson, Hawthorndene, SA