Blame ‘unfriendly’ Trump tariffs on Albanese, Rudd
Albanese needs to consider his own lack of initiative before he blames Trump. In fact, it appears Australia fared better in the tariff war than other countries.
Letters
Tariff war is a defensive move
What’s wrong with tariffs? They just protect a nation. Look what free trade with China has done to our manufacturing base, as we can’t compete with cheap labour.
Campaigning on cost of living will lift Dutton back into the contest
Peta Credlin wins the therapy contest. She urges him to stick on the winning target; it should be cost of living every time Dutton speaks. The Coalition has nothing to lose following this advice.
Muted response to Chinese ships leaves sinking feeling
The PM’s false equivalence between Australia’s participation in international exercises in the South China Sea and China’s two recent exercises shows a complete failure to understand the reality of China’s actions.
Turnbull’s take on AUKUS, US alliance hits sour note
Not all defence ‘experts’ accepted their invitation for a bit part in Malcolm Turnbull’s press club performance. By all accounts it was hilarious.
PM’s digs, wages and Vic rail
Peter Dutton’s decision to base himself, should he win the election, on the shore of Sydney Harbour rather than in a nondescript house in Canberra is entirely understandable.
Other nations have shown us how to avoid high energy costs
We can choose to follow the path shown by the US, China, India, Russia and other big emitters in producing power by the cheapest, most reliable way possible, including coal, gas and nuclear.
Dutton must stand up and fight to save ‘fractured’ nation
There are so many government failures to combat and Dutton appears like a kangaroo in the headlights, even though this election fight is of crucial significance for our national future.
Greens leader takes a ghasty stance on Israel
It is cruel beyond belief that the Greens leader is suggesting it is Israel’s fault that Hamas is treating Palestinians brutally.
Labor’s spin on energy has not matched people’s experience
Obfuscation prevailed as recently as the budget, when the Treasurer claimed power prices had fallen by 25 per cent in 2024 but failed to mention the reductions were the result of subsidies.
Voters won’t ‘buy’ PM’s promise to punish supermarkets
How can the PM crack down on so-called price gouging by supermarkets when his own investigative body, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, has found no evidence of it?
Albanese, Dutton and the campaign-lite approach
Australians are looking forward to the deja vu moment when Chris Bowen comes out of hiding and suggests to voters that if they want nuclear power in the energy mix then don’t vote Labor.
Lies, damn lies and Mediscare
To channel Mark Twain and Benjamin Disraeli: ‘There are lies, damn lies and Mediscare’.
Politicians on both sides need to answer hard questions
As a society we have become addicted to this largesse and there does not appear to be any politician of conviction on either side of politics who is prepared to call this out.
Environmental vandalism at work in Kosciuszko National Park
The approval for this vandalism needs to be withdrawn now, the destruction required to be rectified immediately and the transmission lines forced underground at whatever the cost.
Both parties must address uncertainty about coal-fired power
Amid a prevailing belief that coal-fired power stations have to go, there is little incentive for their owners to spend the millions of dollars required to keep them maintained.
Last Post: Voters in a dilemma
We can’t allow the ALP to be in opposition. The last time they were there, they allowed Josh Frydenberg to run up a national debt of three-quarters of a trillion dollars.
Voters must read the small print behind poll candidates
There are no exceptions to the history of go woke, go broke. Bombarded voters could be assisted by understanding the drivers, the underlying belief systems of rival parties.
Scare campaigns, economic failure Labor trademarks
There are now two sacred cows on the Australian political scene, Medicare and the NDIS.
Brave Gazans rejecting Hamas terror deserve support to end war
The amazing courage and bravery displayed by those many Gazans who are joining anti-Hamas protests and calling for an end to the war with Israel, is the greatest news I’ve read for a long time.
Budget sugar hits
So, Peter Dutton does love temporary sugar hits after all. For the LNP, which always proclaims to be the party of lower taxes, now confined to the dustbin of history!
Blatant vote-buying exposes fiscal woes
For our long-term financial future, Australia needs a sustainable and responsible fiscal plan that reflects greater budgetary control whereby spending is needs-based.
Last Post: Budget is clever politics but poor economics
As unrestrained government debt approaches $1 trillion and energy policy runs out of gas, cost-of-living pressures will remain embedded, hurting many Australians.
All eyes on Dutton after short-term election budget
Peter Dutton needs to come out swinging against this budget and give the voters a choice between policies designed for Australia to climb out of its financial hole or continue to dig the hole deeper.
Last Post: ‘Decolonising’ is uni’s self-flagellating moment
The only intellectually honest action for a university embarrassed by its colonial origins is to demolish its entire structure and scatter those carefully hewn sandstone blocks in the desert.
Israel must be allowed to ensure ‘new’ Gaza free of terrorism threat
Given that the prospect of Palestinian Authority reform is low, perhaps a local clan-based leadership entity acting on its behalf could be involved in a new governance framework for Gaza.
Woke thinking in legal studies just the tip of the ideological iceberg
Our schools and kids have become ripe pickings for the whims of political puppetmasters. This so-called intellectual takeover of our society correlates nicely with the dumbing down of education.
Out-of-control spending a gift of the career politicians
Our spending is out of control, our productivity is going in the wrong direction and we are generating many more jobs in the public sector than in the private sector.
Last Post: Budget must show fiscal fortitude and restraint
Economists are correct in urging the incoming Australian government to tackle debt. Our households must control debt, so why not our government?
True conservatism will outlast the Trump era of global disruption
Donald Trump will come and Trump will go. And after he departs, traditional conservatism will continue to dominate. Plus head-knock dementia, university intolerance, Hamas resurgence and nuclear deterrents.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/letters/page/2