Recession could precede a hung parliament

Newspoll puts not only the Prime Minister between a rock and a hard place but the nation too as the threat of a hung parliament, with the balance held by the Greens and/or teals, likely (“Minority rule feared as Coalition rises and Labor falls”, 12/8).

Chris Uhlmann’s first-class article in The Weekend Australian (“Why Labor is losing touch with reality”, 10-11/8) highlights the reality of our perilous situation on economic, defence and various key dimensions versus the rhetoric the government would like us to believe. It’s not a pretty picture and it could well get worse with recession quite likely, not to mention the likelihood of a hung parliament to follow.

Our nation deserves better, and better rests in the hands of Peter Dutton and the Coalition team, a team that possesses the talent to clearly enunciate constructive well-thought through, rhetoric-free policy that addresses the shortcomings of the Albanese government on cost of living (fiscal), energy, defence, foreign affairs and industrial relations. There will be no second chances.

Ian C. Murray, Cremorne Point, NSW

The Australian’s exclusive News­poll threw up some interesting numbers towards the next federal election, but one disturbing number shone out. According to the poll, one in eight Australians (12 per cent) gives the Greens their primary vote. How can this many voters still be conned by the greatest fabrication in electoral history that this is a party that will save the environment? At what cost?

The environment is merely a minor concern to the (brilliantly named) Greens party. This group is more concerned with many other elements, including destroying the economy that feeds its voters and revisiting the worst event of the previous century: wiping out Jews in their millions. Yet one in eight Australians wants to vote for them? Disturbing.

Francis Wright, Cottesloe, WA

Raygun, take a bow

Much has been made (and mocked) about Rachael Gunn (aka Raygun) and her breaking performance at Paris, so some context is important.

First, Raygun wasn’t just plucked off the streets to represent the nation; she had to qualify and so deserved to be there. She is also 36 years old and so could never compete with the funky teenagers in terms of dexterity, so she did well to get on the performance platform in the first place.

Second, it looks as if breaking is going to be a oncer in terms of a Games event. It will now join the list of other glorious abandoned Olympic sports such as croquet, live pigeon shooting, hot air ballooning and composition for one instrument.

And third, if this international quadrennial competition is ultimately about participation and perpetuating the spirit of the Olympic Truce, then Gunn has actually done us all a favour. For better or worse, she has got people talking and laughing about a less-marquee event in a way that probably wouldn’t happen with archery, shooting or equestrian. She wore the green and gold with abandoned pride and that is worth celebrating.

Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn, Vic

A town like Alice

At times certain media can be so intent on breaking a story, or exposing injustice or corruption, that they ride hell for leather into the story, trampling on the rights of those involved, scattering any hope of exposing the wrong and the wrongdoer, or bringing help to those wronged.

Not so The Australian’s reporting on the turbulence in Alice Springs that now includes the arrest of Alice Springs school principal Gavin Morris days after his forthright words on inaction over the dreadful situation involving various Indigenous youth in that town (“Alice Springs principal warned of cops’ inaction, days before his shock arrest”, 10-11/8).

Nevertheless, what cannot be stated, but lies between the lines, points starkly to something vile and rotten in Alice Springs that must be brought into the glare of antiseptic light, revealed for what it is and acted against.

At this point one voice attempting to do this seems to have found itself placed on the wrong side of the law.

Deborah Morrison, Malvern East, Vic

Real choice for parents

I am all for choice for families to decide on childcare, but our society offers parents of babies and toddlers little economic choice about not working (“Childcare pay rises won’t help nation’s families one jot”, 12/8). I have yet to see a comparison of childcare subsidy with the cost of improved paid parental leave for the first three years of a child’s life. I doubt that the Productivity Commission will look properly at the economics of childcare subsidy in its forthcoming review as it strives to increase the workforce and caters to proprietors and workers. However, many parents believe their children’s development and mental health are much better off with them, and improved paid parental leave is a better policy.

Dr Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla, ACT