Dutton and the Libs need to stop listening to the focus groups

Maggie Thatcher said: “First you win the argument, then you win the vote.” Sadly, Peter Dutton and the Liberals seem afraid or incapable of even making the argument, even when all the facts are on their side. We have had record business closures and big job losses across the small business sector, yet Labor keeps expanding the federal bureaucracy – about 80 per cent of new jobs over the past three years are directly or indirectly funded by taxpayers.

So the case for cutting back on public servants is clearly very strong, as is the case for making sure their work from home provisions are not being abused. Yet now the Opposition Leader has backed away from tackling those issues (“Dutton in retreat on WFH, jobs”, 7/4).

Anthony Albanese and Labor have made an utter mess of everything they have touched, from energy and industrial relations to defence and immigration, yet they are likely to win another term through the sheer spinelessness of the Liberal Party machine. Dutton has to ignore his advisers and their obsession with focus groups and get back to doing what he knows is right and necessary, as he did with the voice referendum. Remember, the focus groups originally urged him to support that as well.

Burt Bosma, Surrey Hills, Vic

Trump’s logic

Geoff Holdich (Letters, 7/4) makes a very interesting point that globalisation and free trade have resulted in many countries not being able to look after themselves. But clearly both have made other countries very rich indeed, and one could argue that climate change for some is but the icing on the cake.

Australia is but one example whereby manufacturing is all but gone, largely to China. Add to that every wind turbine, bar a few, and every solar panel we install also benefit the economy in China and it will be never-ending.

It is no surprise that Donald Trump has said enough is enough. Nobody likes the tariff impost, nobody; but the penny has at last dropped that things have to change and that feeding the juggernaut has to stop.

Where this will end only time will tell. But perhaps some short-term pain is better than allowing the balance of power to continue to lean heavily against the Western democratic system that we not only enjoy but that has brought so much to world in which we live.

Ian C. Murray, Cremorne Point, NSW

Defenceless nation

Surely Alexander Downer’s assessment of our exposure to Chinese aggression in our region should be front and centre in this federal election (“Windmills and solar panels won’t help defend Australia”, 7/4).

Downer foresees the unthinkable – a direct attack on our military and civil infrastructure in the event of the inevitable and perhaps imminent invasion of Taiwan. This issue is surely the elephant in the room in this election yet it should be pre-eminent in the agenda of both parties.

We have been given notice by China. Like many others, I would like to know how our political leaders propose to defend our country.

Vicki Sanderson, Cremorne, NSW

Where are our values?

A slew of recent articles declaring that we are living beyond our means, are addicted to government support and that tough times are coming raises the inevitable question. Do Australians have the mettle to weather a storm? Well, do we? For to prosper in our new world, we would need our old values: thrift, consideration for others, duty, responsibility, selflessness and tenacity. These values may have been forged by our Judeo-Christian culture, but they were fortified by tough times. Strengthened by deprivation. Reinforced by lessons about the courage and integrity of our historical heroes. Yet today it seems these values are not just dated but risible.

But while we may well mourn their loss, these values didn’t fall. They were pushed. For when we reduced our family size, our children didn’t have to make do, didn’t need to learn thrift or learn the lessons of being one of many.

When we built bigger homes with separate bedrooms and multiple bathrooms, they didn’t learn the need for compromise, co-operation and consideration. When we swapped the grand backyard for a media room, they didn’t learn about teams, turns and negotiating, and could go for days without being inconvenienced, challenged, wrong or disliked. When we shielded them from hurt and sadness, showered them in empty praise and fought their battles, they didn’t learn strength and tenacity. When we took on their responsibilities, they didn’t learn independence. When we stopped looking after our own elderly, they didn’t learn duty or selflessness.

And when the government stepped in with its ever-increasing list of benefits including, incredibly, paying us to care for our own, they learned dependence.

Tough times require strength. Values, our muscle.

Jane Bieger, Mount Lawley, WA