Dan Andrews leaves behind a broken state and a complex legacy

Andrews leaves behind a broken state and a complex legacy

What a relief that Daniel Andrews is finally leaving us Victorians to start recovering from his divisive reign. The Andrews government oversaw the single most calamitous decision of an Australian government in my lifetime, leaving untrained security guards in charge of hotel quarantine during the Covid-19 pandemic.

This resulted in 800 deaths and months of lockdowns, with many Victorians still suffering from the after-effects of lost income, disrupted education and ongoing mental health issues.

More generally, Andrews’ legacy is one of declining education standards, lengthy hospital waiting lists, high taxes and a steaming big pile of government debt.

David Cowie, Middle Park, Vic

Beware bipartisanship

Judith Sloan’s excellent observations over a range of issues underline much that is wrong with the federal parliament (“Surging migration, housing crisis leave door open for Coalition”, 26/9). If unelected bureaucrats rule, what is the point of having elections? Sloan’s latest contribution highlights how Big Australia continues to be foisted on us. It is way past time Australia’s population policy was clearly articulated by all political parties.

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW

Judith Sloan highlights some uncomfortable realities that warrant further consideration. Migration has undeniably played a pivotal role in bolstering our gross domestic product growth – with skilled workers filling labour gaps – but it also carries consequences. The surge in annual migrant numbers, outpacing the growth in housing construction, has led to ongoing property price increases. While this benefits property owners, it further widens the wealth gap between the haves and the have-nots in our society.

Remarkably, student immigration ranks as Australia’s fifth most lucrative export sector, trailing only iron ore, coal, natural gas and gold. This economic value makes it understandable that various stakeholders would be hesitant to disrupt this income stream.

But the ease with which visiting students can transition into permanent residents contributes to population growth, contradicting the original intent of their education – namely, to support their home economies. For a multitude of reasons, it is imperative that we reconsider our immigration policies and reduce the influx of new residents.

John Kempler, Rose Bay, NSW

Following Greg Sheridan’s call for strong leadership (“Bipartisan cowardice no substitute for principle”, 26/9) it is clear we need a leader who, like John Howard, can run a tight ship without allowing grandstanders to use the media for personal promotion. A leader of a shadow ministry should also demand a united team after discussions behind closed doors. Peter Dutton, an excellent, hardworking courageous politician, has not managed to unite his team.

The Liberals and Nationals are not short of talent but, unfortun­ately, many of the best performers are in the Senate including Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, Alex Antic and James Paterson. Hopefully those with influence are finding seats in the lower house for the most promising future leaders.

Sarah Childs, Gooloogong, NSW

It is hardly surprising that much needed political courage underwrites the excellent articles by Judith Sloan and Greg Sheridan.

As Sheridan observes, the worst feature of modern politics is not excessive partisanship but pusillanimous bipartisan surrender that presents the electorate with a false choice, ensuring only the politician wins. How true is Sheridan’s conclusion that the worst sin in politics is cowardice, which often travels under the alias of bipartisanship.

In respect of the immigration turmoil, Sloan reminds us that courage may be needed to break the nexus between surging immigration, on the one hand, and the wants of vested interests on the other.

But that courage may be repaid by increasing support from the Australian electorate, which seeks to temper ambition with commonsense practicality.

Ian Dunlop, Hawks Nest, NSW

Foreign policy gaps

That our neighbour East Timor has established close links with China represents a failure in Australian foreign policy. Hitherto secret Indonesian cabinet minutes reveal that one of the reasons Gough Whitlam encouraged Suharto to incorporate East Timor into Indonesia was to avoid the establishment of a communist enclave in our region.

Following the 1974 revolution in Portugal, the new regime delivered Portugal’s African colonies to Marxists, which Suharto and Whitlam considered a precedent for Timor. Now East Timor is within Beijing’s orbit. The East Timorese paid a huge price as a result of the brutal Indonesian invasion to the benefit of Australian and Indonesian security. And concerning that sacrifice, we are now entitled to ask: for what?

Bruce Watson, Kirribilli, NSW