Teals, independents don’t offer solutions to nation’s big problems

Chris Kenny is on the money with his timely analysis of the teals and the damage they are doing to our democratic process (“Hard-left teals mask their true position”, 19-20/4). As he writes, the teals “cannot achieve anything except keeping the Coalition out of power”, and yet they have become the political darlings of the well-heeled chattering classes. How much more useful these votes would be to either of the mainstream parties, thereby helping deliver us a government with a majority and a mandate, instead of the Green-driven minority government to which we seem to be inexorably lurching.

Peter Austin, Mt Victoria, NSW

Chris Kenny delivers a strong and challenging article on the real intentions of the Climate 200-backed teals as they play the key role in facilitating a probable Labor-Greens minority government. Quite apart from maintaining the useless ban on nuclear power for a further three years and an unknown tax and social agenda, we may well see the demise of our 76-year-old ANZUS Treaty as well as the still embryonic AUKUS alliance. The last time we had such a socialist government was under Gough Whitlam. But the US is now on track to be far more isolationist than in the 1970s.

David Burt, Quindalup, SA

Unhealthy gimmicks

Natasha Robinson needs to be congratulated on continuing to write on the crushing inadequacies of Australia’s current health services. The private side is imploding under government-imposed funding constraints, an apparently befuddled hospital management, and professional staff who think money grows on trees, while the public side is just not fit for purpose.

As I know from being a medical consultant for 40 years, every day’s acute intake is dominated by escalating numbers of the frail elderly and victims of the obesity epidemic, while only about a third of patients have the conventional illnesses we used to see. The constant pressure to discharge patients because of bed-block through ever more patients and fewer beds is stressful and demoralising.

But where is the response from our political parties, even at election time? Where is there any hint of a thought-through strategy to rebuild our core health services and strengthen preventive care, commensurate with the dire challenges we face? Nowhere. Just cheap gimmicks and more cash giveaways at the margins.

Eugene Walters, Richmond, Vic

Faith that sustains

The cultural and democratic significance of highlighting the Jewish Passover and the Christian Easter on one page in The Weekend Australian should be celebrated. The religious essence of both festivals is tolerance, neighbourliness, mutual respect and joyful communication.

Both Henry Ergas and Greg Sheridan write from positions of scholarly understanding, familiarity and love of their subject matter (“Why the enduring lessons of Passover are shared”; “The most extraordinary thing about this Easter? The surge towards Christianity”, 19-20/4). Ergas writes: “Passover will teach … the joy of inquiry … the virtue of wisdom, humanity’s inextinguishable quest for freedom.”

Sheridan writes: “Both the Jewish and Christian scriptures … Show us that human beings have agency, they make choices including moral choices … they are responsible for their choices.” These revelations give optimistic assurance for a world in turmoil.

Aviva Rothschild, Caulfield, Vic

What’s the plan?

I would be curious to know whether the Coalition’s analyses on negative gearing is simply considering changes to these tax settings in isolation or whether it also considers other factors such as a greater capacity to spend more on public housing (“Gearing overhaul to ‘cost renters $5000’ ”, 19-20/4).

I would also hope that it takes into account the fact that when one sells their investment property it may possibly mean one less rental but it doesn’t mean one less house.

A drop in the proportion of investment properties in the housing market could be offset by a drop in the number of renters competing for rental properties. Negative gearing is a nuanced topic and I’m genuinely open to leaving it untouched, provided there’s a good plan to both weight the playing field in favour of first-home buyers over property investors and to lower house prices.

Michael Westacott, Woree, Qld

Renewables rort

Peta Credlin was spot-on to call out Labor’s outright lies on the cost of nuclear energy last week. Only a government built on lies could use a renewables activist group to cost nuclear power and then run ads claiming it as truth. The people who know the actual cost of nuclear are the 32 countries operating the world’s 440 existing nuclear power plants.

Ian Brake, Mackay, Qld