Greens deal ominous signal of the dangers of a minority government

The deal with the Greens to pass 27 bills before the end-of-year parliamentary break signalled that Labor would accept radical and backward concessions to achieve its short-term goals (“Labor and the Greens in deal to clear logjam”, 29/11).

This expedient alliance signalled that a possible Labor-Greens minority government in 2025 would be a retrograde step and soon have the nation in decline in real terms.

If interest rates, cost of living, inflation and energy prices are high now, just wait until next year. And, of course, the ratio of energy supply days to blackouts will alter and home power generators will be the norm. Yes, we were the lucky country.

Tom Moylan, Dudley Park, WA

Greens leader Adam Bandt is on record as saying “pressure works” with regards to the Greens’ support of Labor in rushing 27 bills through the parliament.

If the ALP happens to win the next federal election and needs to form an alliance with the Greens, then one can imagine that the Greens tail will really be wagging the ALP dog. This week’s example of the Greens holding the ALP to ransom will become an everyday event.

George Greenberg, Malvern, Vic

This country is strangled by red tape. The compliance issues for businesses in this country are a major impediment to businesses in tough times.

The government is proud that in one day it enacted more than 30 pieces of legislation.

It is time there was a clear-out of legislation and compliance issues. I await the time when the announcement of the day is that the government has removed 30 pieces of legislation, making compliance by businesses easier, not harder.

Tony Hennessy, Casino, NSW

Utterly non-functional

With the UN, the letters initially stood for the United Nations. Recently it became the Useless Nations, as it did nothing for the hostages kidnapped by Hamas.

Now it stands for United Narrative, as the UN sacked Alice Wairimu Nderitu, its special adviser on the prevention of genocide, the role she had held for four years (“Anti-Semitism at heart of the UN”, 29/11). Her crime? Nderitu did not toe the UN line and stepped outside its enforced, biased, anti-Semitic narrative.

She reported that Israel was not committing genocide in Gaza.

Corinne Haber, Caulfield, Vic

ICC’s hypocrisy

Henry Ergas, in his customary erudite style, exposes the deeply embedded flaws and biases of the International Criminal Court and its political motivations (“Flawed ICC now master of vigilante justice”, 29/11).

He notes that the institutions in a free society give the legal system its legitimacy and that the ICC’s claim that it creates global governance without a global government is nonsense.

The hypocrisy of ICC’s and the UN’s political machinations were on display when secretary-general Antonio Guterres shook hands and shared a platform with Vladimir Putin, despite the ICC warrant for the Russian leader’s arrest.

It is illustrative of the deep UN preoccupation with and anti-Semitic bias against Israel, to the exclusion of activity or even condemnation regarding many conflicts and atrocities elsewhere on the globe.

Alan Franklin, St Ives, NSW

Wily ways of Big Tech

Social media is free, attractive and, in a sense, addictive.

The platforms’ persuasive design is what has kept children glued to screens and why parents have been having such a tough time trying to protect them from invasions of privacy, loss of essential sleep and physical activity, and risks of harm to their mental and physical health.

We know of the struggles of really responsible parents to push back against the lure of social media; to cope with children’s FOMO (fear of missing out); and to limit time with devices.

The cry of “it’s the parents’ responsibility” doesn’t wash when contending with Big Tech’s techniques.

The government’s action in passing the social media amendment bill is warranted as a first step. The next step must be the imposition of a duty of care on all such platforms. The digital space could then be healthier for all.

Barbara Biggins, Glenelg South, SA

Birmingham’s legacy

It’s a shame that Liberal senator Simon Birmingham is retiring (“Birmingham bows out with stern warning on tribalism”, 29/11). With so many Liberal moderates wiped out by the teal attack at the 2022 federal election, Birmingham has stood out as the last surviving key federal Liberal moderate. He was always so articulate and balanced, with a calm, measured tone.

The hard-edge leadership team of Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley could certainly benefit from such a moderating influence.

Kevin Burke, Sandringham, Vic