Prime Minister should face the moment and opt for truth-telling

There’s nothing like telling the truth to leave your accusers with mouths agape.

So, Prime Minister, fess up that it was poor judgment to have a chat with Alan Joyce to obtain first-class air tickets and forgetting to tell the public and the media, that it was a lapse in judgment and wisdom, and that you are terribly sorry and it won’t happen again. Might work?

Stephanie Summers, North Turramurra, NSW

It is truly remarkable to think that Barry O’Farrell was effectively compelled to resign his premiership in NSW as a result of accepting an un-recollected gift of a bottle of wine yet the Prime Minister still retains his high office despite his refusal to answer yes or no to the simple question of whether he called Alan Joyce to ask for or to demand an upgrade.

Nothing in life is free and all pollies of whatever hue should ask themselves about the motive behind benefits conferred on them. The distance between a bribe for things promised and a reward for services rendered is quite short.

Neil McPhee, Camberwell, Vic

As a law-abiding, taxpaying health department employee in Western Australia, I am expected to comply and declare any gift accorded to me that is valued at $50 or more. And this can include a medical meeting that I attend where the dinner provided costs that much or more.

How on earth can a prime minister defend his personal overseas trips for which he allegedly goaded the then Qantas chief to upgrade him and his family to business class? How can it be considered kosher simply because he declared it? That too when he was transport minister and had complete remit over which airline could compete for the skies in Australia?

Albanese has a lot to answer for and is bringing the prime minister’s office into disrepute.

Kannan Venugopal, Dalkeith, WA

UNRWA’s Hamas link

This week Israel passed legislation that curbs the operations of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East following clear evidence that UNRWA employees were involved in the October 7 massacre and that Hamas maintains military assets around UNRWA facilities in Gaza.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement after the laws passed, declaring that humanitarian assistance must continue to reach Gaza “now and in the future”.

Israel said it would continue to co-operate with humanitarian groups, but not with those that co-operate with Hamas. That’s entirely reasonable. UNRWA has been thoroughly infiltrated and used by Hamas.

By providing Gaza with education, health and welfare, UNRWA has freed Hamas’s tax funds to develop its tunnels, weapons and terrorist infrastructure. Penny Wong says it’s wrong to restrict UNRWA because “UNRWA does lifesaving work” (“Israel ban on aid agency condemned”, 30/10).

But Australia has no oversight or control mechanisms for UNRWA expenditures of our tax-paid dollars. We should support a replacement of UNRWA, and to ensure that the festering corruption we see in UNRWA doesn’t happen again Australia should become part of a new joint donor oversight mechanism in place in Gaza, separate to and independent of UN agencies.

Anthony Bergin, Reid, ACT

Election lessons

Bravo, Paul Kelly, for the political messages for Australians from the Queensland election (“Queensland’s dismal leaders lack resolve, inspiration”, 30/10).

This commentary contains a raft of scathing observations, including the grimmest: “Is there no limit to the debasement of our political leaders?”

We are sick of the government actually having no strategy for our long-term future.

The plan Labor promised pre-election is emerging only as back-to-the-future industrial relations non-reforms aimed at placating unions, packaged in the fad of the woke ideology of anti-capitalist identity politics, while doing private business and disadvantaged Aboriginal people no good service.

We are having our noses rubbed in so many failures of government, exemplified in the never-to-be-revealed waste of public money on the failing renewables revolution.

Betty Cockman, Dongara, WA

Rewards of teaching

With the new starting salary for NSW teachers being in real terms well over double my starting salary as a teacher more than 65 years ago, I’m glad teaching is being adequately rewarded (“The school bell tolls for productivity”, 29/10). Some years ago I saw a former high school student handing out Labor Party material at a polling booth. We were taught at teachers college not to be politically biased in the classroom. I hope current teachers are following that advice.

David Morrison, Springwood, NSW