The China question will continue to dog Australia

Greg Sheridan’s analysis of Xi Jinping’s speech is a clear wake-up call to our defence organisations (“New tone of truculence and confrontation”, 2/7). Long delays, extended delivery times, cost overruns and underperforming systems for our defence materials are all unacceptable. The bureaucratic system is broken. It’s time for Defence Minister Peter Dutton to do an urgent overhaul. An accountable body – Defence Performance – that reports to the minister and holds defence agencies and acquisitions to account is essential and needed now.

Lee Smith, Kenmore, Qld

Rather than credit the CCP with raising millions of Chinese from poverty I believe the West should take the credit. In their haste to increase their profits and wealth many, if not all, multinationals moved their operations to China to utilise the cheap labour. They built factories, tooled them up to produce all the products that the West used to make, taught the Chinese how to make everything and allowed them to become increasingly wealthy, powerful and more belligerent. In more benign times it may have been a good idea but now we are threatened by a superpower that probably has designs on us. It appears to me that we have given them a free kick five metres from the try line.

Brian Dellow, Oberon, NSW

The federal government was wrong when it made Australia the first nation, or one of the first, to call for an inquiry into the origins of Covid-19, with the virus generally assumed to have emanated in China. The whole question has left China vulnerable to what it will perceive as humiliation, which given its actual humiliation by the West over a period of more than 200 years is something that must leave it, now again a great power, bitter, particularly in its feelings towards Australia. Until Covid-19 arose as a health emergency China had traded with Australia without recourse to a trade war and with knowledge of our markedly different beliefs – though I do not doubt that as time went by we would have had major disputes with China. It is just unfortunate the animosity has arisen now and has been handled so thoughtlessly by the government. New Zealand is correct to tread carefully. It is a pity we did not.

John Oliver, Albert Park, Vic

National woes

So those who “lead” the Victorian Nationals, Peter Walsh and Steph Ryan, wanted to disaffiliate their state branch from the federal Nationals in protest against Barnaby Joyce’s return to the federal leadership (“Vic Nats sought a split over Barnaby”, 2/7). I live in the Latrobe Valley and nobody here has heard of Walsh and Ryan. However, we are very concerned about green attacks on our major employer, the coal industry, and the prospect of higher power prices. Thus we welcome Joyce’s pledge to fight for our local jobs.

As for Walsh’s complaint that the pro-coal statements of NSW and Queensland Nationals inflict brand damage in Victoria, he might like to reflect on the fact he led the party to a pathetic 10 per cent primary vote in the 2018 state election in Morwell, a seat that the Nationals won with 56 per cent of the primary vote not long ago when the Nats supported coal jobs. Revelations of the Victorian Nationals’ surrender to green ideology explain why they’ve spent most of the past 20 years losing state elections, while Barnaby has won multiple elections federally.

Instead of undermining the Deputy PM, the Victorian Nats should try following his politically effective example.

Matt Tudor, Morwell, Vic

After having been described by Barnaby Joyce as “burning flesh” and told that he doesn’t care about what’s happening in Melbourne, I support the disaffiliation move by the Victorian Nationals. Joyce tells us he’s a “better person”, yet even as Deputy Prime Minister he’s unable to stop putting his boot in his mouth. Together with his love of coal and his objection to net-zero emissions, the seven Victorian marginal seats held by the LNP have just become even more marginal. Scott Morrison must show leadership and rein Joyce in.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic

Finding a path

I have tired of politicians of all persuasions grandstanding with announcements about this country returning to manufacturing. Anthony Albanese’s latest, (“Albanese to evoke Hawke in jobs push”, 2/7) is another shallow statement. I spent most of my working life in energy-hungry, 24-hour operations, often over weekends and public holidays. If this country has the slightest hope of returning to a modicum of manufacturing, the key issues are the construction of highly efficient coal-fired power stations and nuclear power. The minimum wage should be set at $30 an hour worked any time in the 24/7 cycle. Employers and employees would have the right to negotiate improvements based on employer needs and employee skills.

Philip Colebatch, Kensington Gardens, SA