The Labor Left won’t let Shorten keep his word on our borders

The electorate should be aware that Labor in government is likely to relax border controls.

If nothing else, the continuing warnings from those who know about people-smugglers — including your editorial writer — should alert the electorate to the dangers of voting Labor (“Turnbacks best deterrent: migration chief”, 1/2).

We learnt in 2008, that Labor’s word was worth nothing when it involved asylum-seekers (many having been denounced as country shoppers). Kevin Rudd’s change of mind condemned many hundreds of men, women and children to drowning. We must never let that happen again.

Tempted by considerable sums of money, in unsuitable boats, poor fishermen, who also lost their lives, were only too happy to indulge the smugglers in their evil trade.

Eventually, those on the Left of the Labor Party will never allow Bill Shorten to keep his word that he will respect Operation Sovereign Borders. Temporary protection visas are to be abolished by Labor. By inference that means Labor is expecting illegal migrants. For security reasons, it is imperative that we keep our borders secure.

Lesley Beckhouse, Queanbeyan, NSW

Rise of independents

With independents on the march, all citing climate change as a motive for running, it’s interesting to look at the Coalition government’s position on the matter. There can only be one of three positions — climate change isn’t happening (so we don’t need to do anything), or climate change is happening (but there’s nothing we can do about it) or, climate change is happening and we can take action to reduce its severity. Signing the Paris accord seems to place us firmly in the third option.

Now the issue becomes the rate of action: are we doing enough? Many voters and organisations seem to think not, leaving fertile ground for exploitation by independents. It would be more palatable if they weren’t being supported by certain business people and organisations such as GetUp.

John Capel, Black Rock, Vic

Flaky in Flinders

It seems the independent candidate for Flinders, Julia Banks, is on a personal vendetta. She’s hanging on to Malcolm Turnbull like a baby hanging on to a teddy bear. She seems to have forgotten that during the last election campaign the poor showing by Turnbull resulted in 14 of her Liberal colleagues losing their seats. What does that say about Turnbull’s campaigning skills?

She also bangs on about climate change and is challenging Greg Hunt in Flinders because she says he is not doing enough about it. Hunt has said and done a lot about climate change. However, she should be aware that our chief scientist, Alan Finkel, said that even if Australia closed down completely it would make no difference to the world’s climate. We emit a measly sum of 1.3 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions so what is this paranoia about Australia being the predominant cause of climate change?

Coke Tomyn, Camberwell, Vic

Print is the best

As I scanned The Australian at breakfast, I worried that so many people today are dependent on screens for their information. But no matter how engaging a screen is, it can never replace the pleasure of researched and well written opinion or information that can be savoured, digested and considered. A screen might provide instant gratification but it can’t replace rational consideration of what is being read.

And cartoons are much more fun in print than on a screen. Let those of us who are not afraid to be called dinosaurs maintain the faith and trust that our politicians and followers of GetUp see some sense in the world of paper and ink.

Glenda Ellis, Red Hill, Qld