Former PM Scott Morrison’s wish to emulate Julia Gillard in retirement is an attempt to salvage his tattered reputation by drawing on the incredible success of her post-parliamentary career (“Morrison aims for Gillard-like exit”, February 27). It should never be forgotten that Morrison was a member of the Abbott government which continually and savagely attacked Gillard with highly personal and disgraceful comments and innuendos as well as tearing down the success of her government. His best course of action would be just to disappear forever from public life and hope that eventually he will fade into well-earned obscurity. Terry Charleston, Cootamundra
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison with his mother Marion, wife Jenny and daughters Lily and Abbey after his valedictory speech, at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Morrison says that in his post-parliamentary life he intends to be “gracious” like Julia Gillard and “not weigh in regularly on domestic politics”. Let’s hope that Morrison’s stated intention has more sincerity than Tony Abbott’s final speech as prime minister after losing to Malcolm Turnbull, when he said, “There will be no wrecking, no undermining and no sniping. I’ve never leaked or backgrounded against anyone, and I certainly won’t start now.” John Payne, Kelso
Morrison joins a long line of MPs leaving parliament via the “golden revolving door” to take up some lucrative consultancy and taking his generous parliamentary pension with him. All too often these consultancies, advisory roles, think tanks and board positions involve lobbying in portfolio areas they have just left. How good would it be if our pollies could only draw their pensions once they actually stopped working, or if it was means-tested in accord with how much they were still earning?
Craig Forbes, Lewisham
Though I’m not a Liberal supporter, I wish Scott Morrison well. However, I sincerely hope that this is the last time he compares himself to the accomplished and erudite Julia Gillard. Peter Mahoney, Oatley
Thanks Mr Morrison for making me laugh out loud in a week of otherwise awful news! Chris Hardie, Gymea Bay
Tell him he’s dreaming. She is all class. Merilyn McClung, Forestville
I doubt Morrison is serious about emulating Gillard. He has none of her qualities and lacks the insight to see it. He also lacks remorse and humility. He refuses to be held to account for his failures and the word “apology” is not in his vocabulary. The Member for Cook is leaving, but “Scotty from Marketing” is back. He has already begun marketing himself, but I doubt anyone is buying what he is selling. Graham Lum, North Rocks
I know that Scott Morrison’s final speech will be full of the usual smug self praise, references to a God made in his own image and a refusal to accept any real responsibility for terrible decisions such as robo-debt that led some people to take their own lives. It will be a reminder of the Charles Bukowski quote: “The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts, while the others are full of confidence”. Trump’s America is the perfect place for him. Graeme Finn, Earlwood
Scott Morrison is a bit late to the party. Australia would have been much better served if he had decided to be like Julia Gillard when he first took office, not on the eve of his retirement. Tony Judge, Woolgoolga
A decade already wasted on nuclear energy debate
Thank you, ‘Twiggy’ Forrest for calling out, in no uncertain terms, the nuclear power issue (“Forrest slams nuclear ‘bulldust’ of Coalition”, February 27). His criticism is supported by very recent facts about runaway costs and delays with the UK’s Hinkley Point C nuclear station, as reported in the New York Times. The LNP coalition wasted an entire decade denying the climate crisis, let’s hope they don’t waste another decade arguing that nuclear reactors are a better solution for Australia than renewables. Rob Firth, Red Hill, ACT
Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest during his National Press Club address yesterday.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
Andrew Forrest is right to reject nuclear power on the grounds of its poor economics. The delays and cost overruns relating to Britain’s Hinkley Point C nuclear power station are simply staggering. When first announced in 2009, the cost was to be £9 billion. It’s now £34 billion! The completion date was to be 2017. It’s now 2030. The company overseeing the project, Électricité de France, went bust last year and had to be bailed out. There is no need for us to saddle ourselves with such an expensive, setback-riddled industry, when cheap, clean alternatives are available. Ken Enderby, Concord
It is high time the Coalition came clean on three facts. First, small scale nuclear power generation has not been developed. Second, if and when it is developed the practical solution is at least 30 years away, if that. And third, the “pollution-free” nuclear power generators produce pollution. Lots of it. It is called spent fuel and that pollution has a half life of at least 10,000 years. Pollution free? No, a significant danger to our population, food sources and animals for around 40,000 years. Chris Rivers, Port Macquarie
There are many reasons for rejecting nuclear energy as a viable option for Australia. These include the time needed to draft and legislate the adoption of nuclear energy; the time needed for construction and commissioning (at least 10 years); the cost (about $12 billion for a typical reactor); and the time needed to train teams to operate the nuclear power stations. Meanwhile, there is free energy from the sun ready to be “harvested”. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin (ACT)
Believing that the Coalition could overturn the laws banning nuclear, establish a nuclear industry and have it up and running within the short time-frame required to replace coal power, pay for it without hurting the hip pocket of everyday Australians, and find sites where communities will accept nuclear waste disposal is absolutely akin to believing in the fairy godmother. Amy Hiller, Kew (Vic)
Peter Dutton invites us to believe in and take a punt on small-scale nuclear’s viability, but unless he has experience with obtaining financial backing for large energy projects in Australia how can that be compared with Twiggy’s withering assessment? It is not just Twiggy but independent experts who are saying the nuclear option is too slow and way too expensive compared with renewables (even including the cost of firming the grid). Jim Allen, Panorama, SA
Could literary history be secret herstory?
In a week where it was revealed the patriarchy is maintaining the gender pay gap it is interesting that the work of Eric Blair’s wife, Eileen O’Shaughnessy is still not extensively recognised (“The making of George Orwell; man, detective and sahib”, February 27). It is a pity that Paul Theroux, author of “Burma Sahib”, had not read Anna Funder’s Wifedom. Theroux speaks of Orwell’s prose as being a “model of economy and grace”. Prior to being married to Eileen his prose had been described as grey and turgid. It is interesting that Eileen had published a poem called End of the Century, 1984 and also conceived of the idea of Animal Farm before she met Blair. How much of Eric is Eileen? How much of our history is in fact “herstory”? Chris McKimm, Karangi
Eileen O’Shaughnessy, the underrated wife of English writer George Orwell.
Do it
Any meaningful changes to the tax system are impossible, unless a government takes a leaf out of John Howard’s book and just does it (“‘Act on tax, housing’: voters back change”, February 27). It is no good looking to the voters to put aside their self-interest and look to the public good. And, voters are often leery of any change even if it does not directly affect them. Witness the reaction to a mining tax and to Bill Shorten’s attempt to change dividend imputation. And try asking voters to come to grips with changes to capital gains tax and the family home. The voters will stand around shrugging their shoulders when the Queen’s man decided he should sack a popularly elected government, but go near a voter’s retirement windfall, and the grey headed old dears will go to the barricades. Australians can get change, but like that recalcitrant light bulb, have to want to change. Joe Weller, Mittagong
Essential relationship
The Herald published an opinion piece saying that you thought the NSW Police should not march in the Mardi Gras parade this year (The Herald’s View, September 26). I disagree strongly with this. It is an understatement to say that the LGBTQ community has a difficult history with the NSW police going way back to when homosexuality was illegal. Over the years, NSW police have made progress in improving the relationship. I remember the emotion of the 1998 Mardi Gras parade, led by about 200 original 78ers, when NSW police officers were granted approval to march in the parade, in uniform, for the first time. My wife Jackie and I have attended Wear It Purple community events hosted by senior NSW police. There are around 300 operational police LGBTQ Liaison Officers across the state.
The relationship between the LGBTQ community and NSW police is not perfect, but is essential to our safety and wellbeing. Police who are members of the LGBTQ community should be encouraged to march as a symbol of that need for mutual trust and respect. They are also valued members of our community who deserve to feel included and welcomed. We need to build on the progress that has been made over the years, not send it backwards.
Kerryn Phelps, Bundeena
Grave fears
I share Ross Gittins’ dismay, exasperation and, yes, fury at the way our education funding is going (Letters, September 27). However, after more than four decades of economic rationalism, what does he expect? If this were any kind of Labor government, the grid and mining industry would be nationalised, negative gearing would be abolished, a national Housing Commission would be re-established, all funds to private schools would stop and the rich would be taxed properly but that would frighten the horses. As a teacher in a public school, I have no faith in Jason Clare and I hold grave fears for public schools. Ryszard Linkiewicz, Caringbah South
Association of Independent Schools of NSW - it might be more appropriate to take the “in” out of your association’s name. Bill Shepard, Nelson Bay
Unnecessary decision
Someone should point out to Premier Minns that not only were the four Taylor Swift concerts at the Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park all sold out, with thousands missing out on tickets, but they also seem to have been a great success in relation to the overall operation of the arrangements for access, public transport, crowd and noise control and the like (Letters, February 27). It is a pity that they were held after the state government made the now-obviously unnecessary decision to raise the cap on the number of concerts at the Allianz Stadium in inner-city Moore Park, which, as Minns strenuously asserted, was absolutely necessary in order to attract world-class acts, presumably those such as Taylor Swift, to Sydney. As many had pointed out before that decision was made, Sydney Olympic Park was the far more suitable location for such events and the success of the Taylor Swift concerts has unequivocally proved this to be the case. Harvey Sanders, Paddington
Taylor Swift Sydney concert number 4, fan picturesCredit: SMH
No value
Have the far left lost their minds (“Push to deny visa for Palestinian hijacker who praised Hamas terrorists”, February 27)? I expect that their members who are supporting the idea that Leila Khaled be granted a visa and shipped to speak at a public event were born well after the 1970s.
I travelled frequently to Europe on business from the late 60s to the early 80s and have vivid memories of the plane hijackings, kidnappings and hostage takings perpetrated by these psychotic terrorists. Who can forget the 1972 hostage event at the Munich Olympics played out live on our televisions? Exactly what value to our society does someone like Khaled bring? She is a poster child of existing Islamic terrorist organisations and is an open supporter of Hamas. Our existing laws demand that she is denied a visa on account of her proven terrorist activities. John Whiteing, Willoughby
Increased congestion
Government has aided the current supermarket duopoly with planning laws that favour both Coles and Woolworths and deter any competitors (“Retail hubs in plans for denser housing”, September 27). These big supermarkets are located in large shopping centres surrounded by car parks that offer little or no access to pedestrians. How will increasing density around these government supported car-centric centres not result in increased congestion? These new planning laws will only increase the influence of the supermarket duopoly increasing cost of living and doing nothing to support liveability in our city. Instead the government should be supporting the “missing middle” with medium density low rise units and townhouses and a mixture of commercial and residential developments so that smaller grocers, butchers etc can thrive and increase competition and variety, lower living costs and create community. Todd Hillsley, Homebush
Zero-sum
Then there was None Nation (“One Nation risks losing MP”, February 27). Les Shearman, Darlington
Quick wit
When opposition leader Gough Whitlam was excoriating Billy McMahon, who was trying to rally support for his failing prime ministership by ringing round colleagues from a supporter’s house on the Isle of Capri at Surfers, Whitlam declared, “There he sat, on the Isle of Capri; Tiberius with a telephone” (Letters, September 27). Oh, for more wit and less obscurantism from today’s lot. Eric Hunter, Cook (ACT)
Who could forget perhaps the greatest parliamentary riposte of all time when, after Sir Winton Turnbull rose to his feet and bombastically intoned “I am a country member”, Gough loudly responded “I remember”! Laurie Fraser, Blaxland Ridge
Swift exit
Has she gone yet? Richard Brennan, Killara
head here
Thank you John Wylie for your excellent column (“Time to reform a boring product that’s trapped by pedantic rules”, February 27). Solutions that offer us a way forward; tries to be worth nine points, maximum three penalty attempts at goal per team, bonus points for three or more tries. Running rugby might be back - something to work on. Simon Staines, Mudgee
- To submit a letter to the Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
- The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.