Last Post: The Cardinal, the Premier and the need for fair play

I salute The Weekend Australian for the most enlightening reading on the life of Cardinal George Pell, a staunchly proud down-to-earth Australian bloke. Unfairly, this highly intelligent giant of a priest was persecuted, prosecuted and politicised, yet Pell stood true to his Catholic values and beliefs and “forgave those who trespassed against him”. Disappointingly, two Catholic premiers refuse to honour his selfless sacrifice by offering him a state funeral. They prefer to put “political correctness” over what I consider he deserves in death, the decency denied to him in life – due acknowledgment and recognition that he was unfairly imprisoned.

Tim Abrams, Beecroft, NSW

Much has been said about the NSW Premier wearing a Nazi uniform to his 21st birthday party. Opinion is divided as to whether it was right or wrong, but to place some perspective on his actions perhaps we should reflect on the new year’s speech made in 1934 by PM Joseph Lyons: “Most of us, I suppose, will have our regrets; regrets at unavoidable happenings; regrets at things, which we, had we known better, might have avoided. We have made our mistakes, every one of us, else we would not be human.”

Kevin Erwin, Keperra, Qld

What standards do we require of people who seek public office? Dominic Perrottet should have been mature enough to be aware of the deadly seriousness of wearing a Nazi uniform to his birthday party, at whatever age. Had he been fair dinkum, he would’ve volunteered this information when he sought office and taken the consequences.

George Baumann, (Holocaust survivor, as a baby in Hungary), Balmain, NSW

Why the frenzy over the NSW Premier’s Nazi uniform gaffe? We all do foolish things when we’re 21. Move on.

Sue O’Sullivan, Keperra, Qld

A “fancy dress costume” should be all about creativity, humour and originality. So why, in the past couple of weeks, have we heard that twice a Nazi fancy dress costume has been chosen? This is so puzzling when the foibles of humanity throughout the centuries offer such an infinite array of far better and far more brilliant choices.

Rosalind Winterton, Maroubra, NSW

The Liberal Party, incapable of mounting an effective opposition federally and in five of the seven states and territories, white-ants its NSW Premier for behaving like most 21-year-olds when he was 21. Lost the plot? You betcha.

David Gall, Panorama, SA