Last Post: Inflation, Vance and Adam Bandt as deputy PM?

America cut its cash rate by 100 basic points in 2024, to 4.5 per cent, only to see inflation go up by 0.5 per cent in January to 3 per cent. America’s cash rate is still above ours and a reduction in our cash rate will send the $A tumbling to below $US60c, which will fuel inflation even more, especially when the rebates stop. The RBA is between Uluru and a hard place.

Paul Haege, Darling Point, NSW

Has it crossed voters’ minds that the five most feared words are: Adam Bandt, deputy prime minister?

Randall Whyte, Sherwood, Qld

Surely we could include climate change in our ideological national school curriculum as well (“Indigenous culture in maths? Count on it”, 17/2). Our children could count the days to the ever-changing global warming “tipping point” we are constantly warned about.

Ross McDonald, Gordon, NSW

If I still had school-aged children I would refuse to send them to any school that adopted this ridiculous travesty of a curriculum. Far better to home-school where genuine arithmetic and lighter-level maths can be properly taught.

Robert Radford, Greenfields, WA

Greg Sheridan speaks so much painful truth about our military alliance with the US (“Australia, not Europe, the big freeloader on US power”, 17/2). He could also have mentioned that, with our national reserves of petroleum-based fuels at about three weeks’ worth, all China needs to do is block tanker shipments from Singapore and Australia would be paralysed.

Paul Prociv, Mount Mellum, Qld

JD Vance’s admonishment to European leaders dodged the answer to a question long attributed to former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger: Who does he phone if he wants to call Europe?

Shaun Miller, Prahran, Vic

The expressions “wind farms” and “solar farms” are oxymorons, cleverly coined to mask their ill-effects. Wind turbines and solar panels are of course both destroyers of the farms that produce food and fibres essential for our continued wellbeing.

Gerry Power, Bowral, NSW

If Coles, Woolies and Aldi are shut out of the market by the ACCC, it’s only the consumer who will suffer (“Supermarkets left on the shelf ”, 17/2). The ACCC should do a bit of shopping for itself. How many of its bigwigs have ever pushed a shopping trolley? I will drive 10km or more to go to Coles or Woolies every weekend in preference to being ripped off by at least 30 per cent on similar items at the local grocer.

Paul Everingham, Peregian, Qld