Turnbull revelations show we owe a debt of gratitude to Dutton

Sensible Australians will recognise the debt of gratitude we owe Peter Dutton for acting as the catalyst for the replacement of the left-leaning Malcolm Turnbull with the middle-of-the-road Scott Morrison (“Final act: ‘Call the G-G’ ”, 27/6)

We now have a settled Coalition government in Canberra led by a PM who has admirable personal values and a pragmatic view of policies that will benefit most Australians — and with not a class war in sight.

Brian Barker, East Brisbane, Qld

Let’s hope this marks the end of a low era in our democracy — an era during which four elected PMs were removed without reference to the people. There’s one consolation — neither Malcolm Turnbull nor Bill Shorten — who were primarily responsible for starting this low era — is now prime minister.

The vulnerability of each had its origins in their earlier behaviour. It helped cost Turnbull the support of his colleagues, and Shorten’s unpopularity made winning the election so much harder for Labor. I hope MPs see a lesson in their fates.

George Finlay, Balaclava, Vic

Myth about China

Greg Sheridan (“Morrison navigates sensible course in stormy waters”, 27/6) rightly exposes the myths of the inevitability and even desirability of Chinese hegemony that are promulgated and perpetrated by the cabal of pro-China bureaucrats, politicians, academics and business people. Quiet Australians have not been convinced by this propaganda and rightly see China as a threat to their sovereignty and way of life.

Similarly, Scott Morrison is right to base Australia’s approach of sticking to key principles and not being bystanders in the security and economic realignment (“Call for calm amid tensions”, 27/6). These key principles, the freedoms enshrined in liberal democracy and the international rules-based order, are the antithesis of those of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party.

The good news is that China’s anachronistic, economic and political structures are brittle and programmed toward dynastic self-destruction. If the West and its allies have unity, leadership and persistence in the face of China’s paranoid aggression, Morrison’s key principles will win the day.

Jim Wilson, Beaumont, SA

Nuclear neglect

Graham Lloyd (“Super industry gets behind nuclear power”, 26/6) details the neglected importance of nuclear power in electricity generation. This country — which has about half the world’s supplies of uranium — is the only G20 country without a nuclear program. Blinkered ideology has produced our impasse with unreliable and costly electricity.

Nuclear power has an enviable safety record and new small modular reactors would allow use in more remote areas, as well as reducing emissions. At last, super funds are seeing some sense in this approach.

Graham Pinn, Maroochydore, Qld

Belief in a strong media

Along with most Australians I believe we need to have a media that is strong, factual and consistent. Media executives are demanding laws to protect this freedom of speech and the public’s right to know.

So why do sections of the media condemn the same opportunity to others? A classic example is the case of Israel Folau. Whether his comments offend anyone is irrelevant. He has the same rights to comment as any journalist. But it seems OK for the media to defend a person who leaked secret information. This person was a member of the Australian Defence Force and he knew it was an offence.

Perhaps the media should demand a royal commission into itself; now that would be novel.

Peter Haggarty, Cranebrook, NSW