Jim Chalmers might be right: things can’t get much worse than this

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has to be one of the most plausible spin doctors Australia has produced in many decades (“Jim’s pitch: worst behind us”, 30/12). He has the audacity to tell us next year “will be better” while we continue to bump along the bottom of our worst economic cycle for years.

The Australian’s excellent scribe, David Pearl, laid bare in your Weekend edition (“The big inflation gamble th­at has failed middle Australia”, 28-29/12) how Chalmers had been tinkering with the Reserve Bank to keep interest rates artificially low to maximise employment rather than fighting inflation. Meanwhile, he spent billions creating non-productive jobs in the public sector.

This has had the effect on our nation of virtually no economic growth for two years, high inflation, erosion of wages, business failures, mortgage failures, savings wiped out, cost-of-living pressures and the Australian dollar at record lows.

On reflection, there’s a chance Jim Chalmers might be right for once as it can’t get much worse.

Paul Haege, Darling Point, NSW

Labor governments are masters at dampening initiative, dulling investment and corporate risk-taking, while relying on borrowed policies, ably inculcated with poor leadership and free-range ministers, of dubious quality, who amble within their portfolios. Success is it seems measured on how much over budget they manage to spend. And when the government’s puppetmasters are union-bred, an organisation that only knows how to consume wealth, then is it any wonder that the Lucky Country’s run of luck is fast fading. Coupled with this is the erratic and ill-conceived succession of foreign policy decisions and there is only a dull glow at the end of the tunnel.

When the Treasurer says that with the passing of 2024 the worst is behind us, then that is merely wishful pre-election waffle unsupported by facts and possibly underlined by the raiding of our sacred Future Fund (“Eurocentric world view is not in the national interest”, 30/12). Australia is in need of a strong PM, who is not social media-focused and will lead from the front in pursuit of policies that put nation-building first.

Tom Moylan, Dudley Park, WA

Principles of old

Alexander Downer writes that “Australia’s soft-power reputation is vanishing” (30/12). The sea of red tape strangling our resources sector seemingly has no bounds. Regulation and activism have become industries unto themselves with a self-perpetuating interest in delay and obfuscation. Lang Hancock, Arvi Parbo and Geoff Donaldson would all struggle today to achieve what they did but they undeniably, against the odds, made their luck. Their core characteristics, determination and self-belief, are still embedded in Australia’s culture. All we need is a reversion to the settings and incentives that prevailed last century.

Nick Palethorpe, Turramurra, NSW

Alexander Downer claims “we no longer lead the world in policies, we follow Europe”, citing energy policy, a focus on emissions reduction and “ever larger government debt”. But Australia’s government debt as a percentage of GDP has grown steadily under several governments over the past decade. Furthermore, at 44 per cent Australia’s debt as a percentage of GDP is low. For example, comparable countries the UK (98 per cent), Canada (108 per cent), and the US (122 per cent) are significantly higher. And Downer should be using his considerable influence to talk up Australia’s renewable energy projects to attract overseas investment. As such, he could help Australia’s energy system move into the 21st century – a fitting new year’s resolution.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic

Shopaholic nation

We are almost at the end of the inevitable annual reporting cycle for festive spending. Somehow it has been possible to establish a dollar amount that Australians spent on Christmas preparations and the Boxing Day sales. No doubt there will also be measurement of spending on New Year celebrations. While I have no interest in checking to see if the actual spending exceeded the predictions, I do wonder if we are now at the stage where shopping might become a future Olympic sport? If that were so, I think Australia’s gold medal tally would receive quite a boost.

Clyde Graham, Bedfordale, WA

A moral president

Farewell then, Jimmy Carter, peanut farmer, president and Nobel laureate. You were ever a champion for justice and peace. You were always honest, humble, dignified and polite. You worked tirelessly for Americans and the whole world. You were unsullied by the common political failings of vanity, vindictiveness and greed. Sadly, Iran and an impatient electorate denied you a second term. If America is to be great again, it needs leaders with your principles and moral backbone. Rest in peace.

Rowan Scotcake, South Fremantle, WA