In turbulent times we have lost a whip smart patriot who reached out beyond party lines

Justifiably held in high regard by her rising-star Liberal Wolverine colleagues, Senator Kimberley Kitching (11/3) was one of few Labor politicians to publicly call out the signing of China’s Belt and Road Initiative by Victoria’s Dan Andrews as “bad policy and bad optics”. Her legacy includes the bringing of the Magnitsky laws to fruition, enabling the Morrison government to impose sanctions on Russian oligarchs.

Indeed, it’s not many parliamentarians who receive heartfelt tributes across the spectrum – from politicians, the media and punters alike. Telling it like it is, a focus on the national interest and doing so with style, class and intellect; a smile that lit up a room.

Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW

The most telling statement concerning Albanese’s boast that he will be “more like Hawke and Howard than Shorten” (9/3) is the one made by Howard, who said, “Mr Albanese knows that he doesn’t stand for anything substantial and he seeks security in identifying with others”.

That seems to be perceptive and true. As such, it indicates that Albanese has few if any qualifications to be prime minister of this great nation.

Nick Bailey, Ngunnawal, ACT

The media witch hunt on the PM is ugly to behold. Rational debate about evidence doesn’t get a chance. Be careful what we wish for, especially if it is just to feed illogical malice. Don’t skip along the worn-out path of US voting frolics with their hyper-emotion. The Democrats, supported by the huge force of partisan media and woke cancel culture conformity, installed the Biden-Harris team. If you thought Trump was bad and mad, cop that.

There is an eerie similarity in the Biden-Albanese political case studies. Both have had a lifetime in politics. Both have lately gone woke with climate alarmism. Both achieved amazingly little of substance in their pasts.

Betty Cockman, Dongara, WA

I often wonder who decides when it is time to push the hate button on current leadership (“Flood of compassion and complaints”, 10/3)? What a rotten time it has been over the past three years for the incumbent who has had the job of PM – or the ministers responsible for decisions affecting the lives of their countrymen.

First, bushfires, then a pandemic and having to accommodate state leadership whose decisions were not always in the national interest. And now the devastation of the east coast floods. Scott Morrison has been dealt a triple whammie to deal with in his tumultuous years as Prime Minister.

With the resources available, the huge debt from the pandemic and now the looming debt incurred from the flood damage, difficult decisions keep having to be made.

No doubt the haters will go on hating, and decisions will have to be made which will not suit everyone, but this is not the time to pile blame on blame upon the incumbent.

Stephanie Summers, Nth Turramurra, NSW

I find it intriguing that Chris Bowen’s reply (Letters, 9/3) to ­Judith Sloan’s analysis of Labor’s energy policy fails to tell the whole story. The existing safeguard mechanism has no financial penalty attached to it.

Under Labor, there will be a ­financial hit on 215 entities. High carbon emitters like coalmines, power stations and heavy industry such as the Tomago smelter and BlueScope steel will be slugged by a new carbon price. These companies will naturally weigh up the additional costs in their future decisions.

Labor’s modelling has failed its first test by not factoring in the possibility of early closures of coal- fired power stations like Eraring. The promised bonanza of 604,000 new jobs by 2030 is fanciful. It takes no account of job losses among carbon workers, especially in regions highly reliant on secure and affordable baseload power.

Jennie George, Mollymook, NSW

Luke Slattery makes some interesting points about culture and connection (“We must embrace Russian culture, not cancel it”, 10/3). In 1955, an American production of Porgy and Bess visited Leningrad. Truman Capote wrote an account of the visit in a book titled The Muses are Heard. The title was based on the reception address given to the US company by the USSR Ministry of Culture, whose official said: “We hope each and all have had a pleasant journey. Too bad you see us in winter. It is not good time of year. But we have the saying, ‘Better now than never’.

“Your visit is a step forward in the march toward peace. When the cannons are heard, the muses are silent; when the cannons are silent, the muses are heard.”

At present the cannons are heard and the muses are cancelled. What will it take for the muses to be heard again?

Caroline Brooks, Indooroopilly, Qld