Illustration: Cathy WilcoxCredit:
Scott Morrison’s claims that the Coalition will always be better economic managers than Labor is at odds with the waste of $252 million of taxpayer money that ‘has been spent or can be spent’ by the government on advertising (‘‘Taxpayers could foot ad bill of about $5 million in final days before poll called’’, April 8). The Abbott/Hockey ‘budget deficit crisis’ now seems to have become irrelevant. - Alan Marel, North Curl Curl
I already feel saturated with the TV ads encouraging us to appreciate our rulers’ tax generosity or selling a list of generalised, questionable achievements. Another week of those intrusions and even rusted-on government supporters are likely to feel jaded or worse.
The Coalition’s self-proclaimed superior economic management doesn’t extend to understanding the concept of diminishing marginal utility – that the more ads they inflict, the more annoyance they create. - Jonathan Tanner, Darlinghurst
Looks like advertising man ScoMo reckons the more ads the better. Hope they are better than Clive Palmer’s attempts with the UAP. - Bernie Carberry, Connells Point
A message from the backblocks. Even out here we know what you are up to and we are far from impressed. And like all voters we are waiting our turn to express what we think of the last six years. Trouble is you appear unwilling to find out what we think. - Anne Finnane, Marlee
Illustration: John ShakespeareCredit:
When asked about the tactic of delaying an election announcement to secure taxpayer funds for advertising, the Coalition answer that Labor did it. Since when has Labor behaviour been the standard for Coalition ethics? - Norma Johnson, Glenhaven
If your defence to some shady behaviour is ‘they did it first’, then you don’t have a defence. Delaying calling an election for a week of taxpayer-funded advertising may be legal but it is shady. You may call it ‘transparent’, I call it ‘brazen’. - Claire Bruce, Katoomba
Traffic alerts have been issued for motorists to beware of thousands of pork barrels that have been sighted on roads and highways. Those seeking a free supply of bacon and chops are warned experience has shown that most pork barrels are usually found to be empty. - Phil Rodwell, Redfern
It’s strange the government is spruiking the PBS in the media. This scheme is not one of this government’s, it was devised and enacted by the Chifley Labor government in 1947 and started on July 1, 1948. This government has added medicines to the list, but then so has every other government over the years. - Ron Wessel, Mount St Thomas
Perhaps the reason Morrison has not yet announced the date is his failure to find a candidate to replace Craig Laundy in the seat of Reid. - Sally James, Russell Lea
Scott Morrison bowls to a young cricketer following a funding announcement in Brisbane on Monday.Credit: AAP
The best hope for Liberal MPs would be for Morrison to remove himself from the media and allow them to move about their electorates focusing on local issues. - Elizabeth Starr, Chiswick
Will Morrison still keep wearing those stupid hats long after he has been thrown out? - Don Hartley, Leichhardt
Self-appointed anti-vaccine experts must be accountable
Parents concerned about the vaccine load on a small baby might feel happier if the measles vaccine was not combined with mumps and rubella (‘‘Parents share blame for measles’ return’’, April 8). The latter two illnesses are mild in childhood and could safely be postponed, even into year 7. This might help to persuade otherwise recalcitrant parents. - Heather Phillips, Wahroonga
The virulence of the measles virus has not increased; nor has the effectiveness of the measles vaccine decreased. The resurgence of this scourge is due to falling vaccine rates. So what about the unqualified self-appointed experts giving anti-vaccination advice on social media who cannot be held accountable, even though their advice may have fatal consequences? Does this situation differ significantly from postings on social media such as Islamophobic hate speech which may also lead to fatal consequences? - Des Mulcahy, Orange
Freedom of choice and belief systems which may limit vaccination for some families is an important tenet we must tolerate. - Janice Creenaune, Austinmer
In the 1940s the Hungarian government had a very simple method of ensuring children were vaccinated. Schooling was compulsory, parents jailed if a child did not attend. Unvaccinated children were excluded from school. Problem solved. - Agnes Sinclair, Northbridge
International visitors should show be asked to show an immunisation record for major transmissible diseases, or, held in quarantine and returned to port of departure on the next flight. Australian citizens should not be able to board international flights from within Australia unless they can show the same. It should be treated as a health licence akin to a driver’s licence. No licence no travel. - Ivan Head, Burradoo
How dismaying to read that just one week in, the government is reviewing its ban on rebates for non-evidence-based therapies (‘‘Backlash prompts government to review therapy rebate ban’’, April 8). It is little wonder there is a backlash from the likes of homeopathists (who work under the dubious principles that whatever caused your affliction can also cure your affliction, and that agents become more potent as they are diluted) and iridologists (who claim to diagnose all conditions by examining the iris) who have got a free ride taking money from people for so long.
It sickens me to think that our tax dollars may once again be used to subsidise the wealthy half of this country’s ability to partake in such nonsense. - Rachel Visontay, Castlecrag
Contempt for politicians their fault
You know our democracy is dire when each side of politics calls the other a liar – how can citizens feel anything but contempt? So thanks Sharman Stone for listing positive changes Australia should make (‘‘Dream of the nation you want, then take it to the polling booth’’, April 8). But our dreadful two-party system blocks sensible change at every turn. You cite other, fairer countries, so it follows, that instead of more endless hand-wringing and hopelessness, our journalists put before us other models of fairness and inclusion where citizens express pride in their democracy and we work from there for change. If we have nothing but contempt for politicians, then our citizens will drift into populism, apathy and eventually anarchy. - Sue Young, Bensville
What’s the difference between Labor and Liberal parties these days? Formerly, Labor stood for workers and Liberal for the employers. Nowadays both parties appeal to the workers by reducing their income and other taxes to get votes. - Kersi Meher-Homji, St Ives
Unsung Opera House hero
Joe Bertony was a remarkable character in the history of the Opera House (‘‘Genius behind the Opera House’s iconic sails dies at 97’’, April 8). He developed the mobile erection arch through his 30,000 hand-written error-free equations. Last year we recorded his oral history, just in time. Joe’s death reminds us how important it is never to take anything or anyone for granted. He was the hero of my speech at the launch of Opera House’s Heritage Week yesterday. I imagined him sitting in the front row of the Utzon Room smiling as someone whispered in his ear exactly what was being said. What a glorious man he was. - Louise Herron, chief executive officer, Sydney Opera House
Bertony donated the hand-written calculations which made the sails possible to the Powerhouse Museum. How many others have donated material to the Powerhouse in good faith, thinking they would be available in a central city location, not on a flood-prone site or in distant storage? Given the government’s stubborn insistence on moving the Powerhouse to Parramatta against all expert opinion, are these people going to be able to claim their donations back? - Marina Garlick, Balmain
Return of children risky
Many people believe in the dictum ‘‘give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man’’. In considering whether or how to bring children raised by Islamic State back to Australia we must also accept the likely ramifications (Letters, April 8). - Irene Buckler, Glenwood
A cult is somewhat different to a caliphate and relapse to its embrace, once rehabilitated, much less likely. While the survivors of each might overcome some of the mind-altering substance of their past membership, those subjected to the mantra of hate are much more likely to return when expectations are not met. Cult survivors emerge into a new world; caliphate survivors will, if Mona Finley’s hopes (Letters, April 8) are realised, return to the same environment which disenfranchised them and avoiding that outcome is as problematic as the outcome itself. - Annette Johnson, Brighton-le-sands
If IS raises its ugly head again and a band of misguided fanatics answer their call to arms, should Australia and other countries be expected to apply Christian principles (as expounded in the New Testament) and once again turn the other cheek? - Jean Byrne, Eastwood
Nurses on the front line
Congratulations to Lynette Silver on her book, Angels of Mercy (‘‘Nurse ordered to keep war crimes secret’’, April 8). Further knowledge of the wonderful role Australian nurses played during conflicts on the world stage is part of our heritage. White Coolies, by Betty Jeffrey, tells her own story as a nurse and prisoner of the Japanese in WWII. - Marjie Williamson, Blaxland
The story of the rape and murder of nurses on Radji Beach in Sumatra by Japanese soldiers in 1942 is also the tenet of the play The Shoe-Horn Sonata by John Misto. Published in 1996, the play was performed by Sandra Bates and Lorraine Bayley in their swansong performance at the Ensemble Theatre in 2015. If not for Vivian Bullwinkel’s survival then no one would have known about the shocking atrocity. - Peter Neufeld, Mosman
Charity overload
My mother-in-law, a kind compassionate 95-year-old, resides in an aged care facility. She lives frugally and our family were amazed how well she managed on her pathetic pension. Recently this changed and we watched her savings rapidly deplete. Investigations of her banking records revealed numerous donations to many charities. Seemed she had tried to respond to all the heart-tugging appeals, in some cases several times to the same charity, which sent a multiplicity of appeals.
In a 12-week period, she received 125 letters seeking donations from more than 40 organisations with similar aims, presumably each charity with its own administration costs and judging by syntax/content similarities, using common fund-raising organisations, with a similar modus operandi. Certainly these organisations share address lists of soft targets for various causes and she is on them. Sadly, as one who myself supports numerous charities, it does make me cynical. Fund-raising has become an industry and I wonder how much money actually gets to the coalface to meet human need. - Ian Sanderson, Westleigh
End this modern slavery
Anthony Forsyth has nailed it (‘‘‘Culture of underpayment’ must be eradicated’’, April 6-7). Working for labour hire companies, you are hired to be distanced from full-time employees. You’re just a blow-in, a throwaway worker, so conditions do not apply to you. The exploitation for profit is certainly not for your wellbeing. Labour hire companies have all your personnel details, passport, tax file numbers, bank account, licenses, so identity fraud would be so easy to sell on.
Get some licensing and regulated compliance, also union membership into this slave labour business. - Terence Baberowski, Ryde
Appeal to voters
Curtin, before Shorten and Whitlam, used the phrase ‘‘Men and women of Australia’’ when opening his wartime radio talks (Letters, April 8). Menzies sometimes used the phrase in his talks. But in 1903, Deakin began his campaign with ‘‘Men of Australia and women of Australia’’ to acknowledge women would be voting in a federal election for the first time. - Tony Everett, Wareemba
Focusing on profit
Alison Supple is correct: workers’ rights and protection are pathetic in most Asian countries compared with Australia (Letters, April 8). I was alluding to the unfortunate reality that companies’ decision to move to another country is generally focused more on profit margins (barring prevailing political and economical uncertainties). -Tony Moo, North Sydney
Wizard’s broken spell
The Herald provides some insightful observations on modern life with both the cartoon Zits (which is consistently good, and Non sequitur which ranges from good to brilliant. But Wizard of Id is pointless, unable to maintain its chosen setting and so is a waste of space. Can you replace it with another clever and modern satirical look at current life? - Chris Edwards, Bowral