Voters can handle truth if politicians make reform case

The comprehensive article by Paul Kelly was as much about campaign strategy as it was truth telling (“Albanese, Dutton: Let’s tell the truth”, 12-13/4). The election campaign has been largely about spending, as Kelly points out, with Chris Richardson rightly saying in “this election the two sides seem to be agreeing on mediocrity”, and because it has been caught up in retail politics the transforming world around us has been neglected. The fact is that from day one Anthony Albanese has done little more than toss around billions of our dollars on domestic issues, which has been the government’s mantra for three years. Unfortunately, the first debate continued in the same vein, as the audience set the agenda with questions that were essentially: “What’s in it for me?”

But times have changed. As highlighted in last week’s debates, the government has left us in the poorest shape imaginable to face the changing geopolitical conundrum we are now facing.

Ian Murray, Cremorne Pt, NSW

Our political leaders are wrong to assume that Australians aren’t up for economic reform. Tragically for us, without serious tax reform and prudential measures including a tax cap, spending growth limits and debt targets, living standards will fall as bracket creep reduces take-home pay and as interest payments squeeze budgetary allocations for defence, health, aged care and civil infrastructure (“Dumb and dumber policy imperils nation’s prosperity”, 12-13/4).

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

There was only one hypothetical message of hope buried in Paul Kelly’s appeal to the two leaders. Donald Trump is a minor offstage player in our immediate election context. The damage he may do to us is a flea bite compared with the rolling self-inflicted government damage in our own backyard. A unity ticket between Labor and Liberals is the only hope Australia has to evade a minority Labor government. The latter would empower the extremist Greens. Masterminding election preference deals is the only possible path towards a unity ticket for a more unified, responsible government.

That would also depend on Anthony Albanese and his Labor team, as well as the hidden army of Labor-conforming bureaucrats, valuing their country more than themselves.

Betty Cockman, Dongara, WA

We’re in the middle of a federal election campaign and the dominant message we hear most often from both leaders is their promise to offset the high cost of living, spending taxes imposed on us or else borrowing from us to dole out cash to offset rising prices. Disappointingly, what we do not hear is why costs are rising so quickly and what they propose to do about that. One of the dominant causes of this inflation is the rapid increase in energy prices. The current policy of building high-cost renewable energy infrastructure is the main driver of rising energy prices. This results from two phenomena. First, our increasing reliance on intermittently producing, high capital cost wind and solar generator systems. Second, the blockage of new gas production capacity to replace declining existing gas fields.

The resulting high energy cost penalises not only householders but also the industries that make the things we buy, driving up prices of everything they produce. It is overdue that we address the underlying cost pressures instead of offering Band-Aids to offset the pain they cause.

David Agostini, Murdoch, WA

Chris Kenny has outlined in stark detail all the reasons there must be a change in Australia’s government (“Clarion call for Dutton to rally a nation in peril”, 12-13/4). Unless the Opposition Leader and his party can muscle up and heavily promulgate these reasons, there’s no rationale to change an ignorant or disinterested vote.

The key to start with is energy. Rather than a $275 annual reduction in electricity – a product that filters into everything – the average increase has been $1300. Small business is on its knees; households are struggling. This urgent problem must be resolved now. Gas drilling and extending coal production must be the No.1 priority. The delays, environmental damage, unrelenting subsidies and costs of Labor’s renewables is an enormous drag on our economy and lifestyle. Nuclear is preferred, but it’s long term. Peter Dutton needs to offer us something dramatic now.

Kevin Begaud, Dee Why, NSW