Credit: Megan Herbert
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TEALS
As a volunteer for Zoe Daniel’s team and a co-founder of Voices of Goldstein, I’ve faced and still face the fragile men who scream abuse at us while campaigning. Jacqueline Maley’s column (″Why do some men find the teals so triggering?″, 30/3) captures it perfectly: the teals unsettle them because we dare to disrupt their two-party grip. They can’t fathom that women (and men) like us – professional, co-operative, bold – would take matters into our own hands. Tired of inaction, we embraced people-powered politics, building a movement grounded in listening, not grandstanding.
Their rage reveals their fear: we’re not just challengers; we’re proof democracy thrives beyond their control. They label us “ineffectual” yet dread our influence in the next parliament. Their shouts don’t silence us – they fuel us. The community independents aren’t a fleeting protest; we’re a reckoning, driven by communities demanding better.
Sue Barrett, Caulfield South
Kooyong voters want good governance
The voters of Kooyong last time chose Dr Monique Ryan who was standing for action on climate change and good governance. So why on earth does the opposition leader think that by promising federal money for local projects (″Dutton revives controversial safety grants as he campaigns on crime″, 5/3), that the voters of Kooyong will not want a proper use of taxpayer funds this time around?
Peta Colebatch, Hawthorn
Teals are not beholden to a party executive
Jacqueline Maley’s “Why do some men find the teals so triggering?” (30/3) and George Brandis’ “Teals must come clean before the election” (23/3), while each well-argued, do not address the importance of a representative democracy. The major party representatives, mostly, are in fearful thrall to their respective executive. They do not act to represent their constituencies.
As I understand the position of independents, they will respect the government that forms, as they have done to date. They have introduced legislation, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. They have considered legislation proposed by parties and voted for, or modified, or voted against according to the representations made to them by their constituents. They do not act as a bloc. One only needs to look at their individual actual voting records (not the histrionic disinformation cast about by the major parties) to see the evidence of this.
Despite partisan efforts to clump them together as “the teals” we would not wish them so because that would compromise the franchise they have with their constituents. In sufficient numbers independent parliamentarians are the force that can restore an effective democracy.
Josephine Shanks, Kew
Major parties selective about duopoly power
The two major parties acknowledge the power of duopolies in aviation, supermarkets, energy suppliers etc and the dangers they pose to Australian society. They have expressed their strong desire to curtail the power these businesses have but when it comes to their own duopolistic situation they suddenly have a change of heart and run down and criticise candidates chosen by their local communities as leading to the downfall of democracy. They can’t have it both ways, either all duopolies should be open to be challenged or we are happy with the status quo.
Rod Moran, Brighton
Brandis aims at the wrong target
George Brandis in his column, “Teals must come clean before the election” (23/3), wrote: “But there’s something peculiarly nauseating about the hypocrisy of political aspirants who affect a pretentious virtue by posing as anti-politicians, only to reveal themselves, once they get themselves elected, as the most calculating politicians of the lot”. Surely, he was talking about the Greens, not the teals?
Sean Geary, Southbank
THE FORUM
We’re in trouble
Your newspaper cites a calculation that includes the price of bananas to examine which of us are better off since Anthony Albanese was elected in 2022. But the Resolve Political Monitor in December found only 13 per cent of Australians feel they are better off than in 2022.
This ″Banana Index″ is unhelpful for another reason; it places undue emphasis on the financial situation of individual voters. The electorate thinks beyond the end of its own nose. Witness the teal wave of 2022 that made Scott Morrison history. It was motivated by voter belief that Morrison would never deliver what mattered.
The ALP today also exhibits a lack of commitment to what matters. Prior to the last election it promised to leave nobody behind, but Foodbank says that in 2024 34 per cent of low income households experienced severe food insecurity, up from 30 per cent in 2022.
Then there is housing; where Anglicare’s latest Rental Affordability Snapshot summarised the situation in 2024 as ″the worst it has ever been″. A lucky few Australians may be doing well; but Australia is in trouble.
Alun Breward, Malvern East
Better-off blather
Last week’s media was filled with stories asking Australians if the budget delivered for them personally. I wish we’d also focus on a budget delivering better results for the wider community. ″Are they better off?″ and ″are we better off?″ should follow the constant self-absorbed narrative of much budget analysis.
Geoffrey Conaghan, St Kilda
May Day cometh
Long live the glorious socialist revolution within the Liberal Party! First, we had the people’s nuclear power plan. Now, we have the gas plan for the proletariat.
Just the types of policies we would have expected from the socialist left of the ALP in the 1950s. No free market principles, massive government spending, price controls and central committee style “we know best” with a touch of Joh Bjelke-Petersen “don’t you worry about that” and the transformation of the party of free markets is complete.
Ian Pittman, Glen Iris
Back to Liberal basics
It should occur to the Liberal Party that it could achieve an even better result for the planet and Australia if it redirected funding earmarked for nuclear power to intermediate and long-term forms of energy storage such as salt, phosphate and iron batteries and possibly adopting other forms of energy storage such as compressed air and gravity.
Not only would this save enormous amounts in royalties and consultancy costs paid to offshore nuclear firms, it would support local R and D and regional jobs.
The Liberal Party would then not look as completely goofy as it does now and be seen as it once was: Forward-thinking, scientifically literate, not obscurantist and thoroughly attuned to the realities of both science and finance.
Richard Campbell, Brighton
Coalition waste
The shadow treasurer has claimed the Coalition is better at the economy and to check its record. It were elected in 2013 and promised not to cut health, education and the ABC. Despite breaking those promises during the Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments it had more than doubled Australia’s national debt from $257 billion in 2013 to $531billion by 2018 when Morrison was treasurer. This was before the pandemic years and national fire and flood disasters.
Abbott’s government also cut $11 billion from overseas aid (unannounced before the election) and proudly slashed the public service, which provides independent advice, then spent more replacing it with outsourced consultants, losing thousands of jobs. We can add the fraud of Robodebt, for which no one has been prosecuted, sports rorts, pork barrelling and billions of JobKeeper handouts to companies, that profited during COVID lockdowns, without requiring refunds later. Is this a proud record? Where did it waste all that money?
Don Gilbert, Langwarrin
Not rocking the boat
Ken Henry’s lament (″Cowardly politics robs our kids blind″, 29/3) about the timidity of our politicians to tackle any real reforms to benefit all citizens, lies in the fact that we have a three-year electoral cycle. Our elected members of parliament are politicians, not statesmen/women, and so see their time in office only as a preparation for the next election; they will not risk rocking the boat which may see them out of a job.
Marie Rogers, Kew
Cowardly? Not always
An interesting article by Ken Henry, but I think he’s a bit harsh suggesting our pollies are cowards. John Howard had an 18-seat majority going into the 1998 election promising a GST and almost lost the election. Kevin Rudd tried to introduce a much justified 10 per cent mining tax, which cost him his job. Bill Shorten went into the 2019 unloseable election promising a major set of tax reforms. We know how that ended up.
I suggest it’s the self-interest of the myopic electorate that causes our politicians to be risk averse. Even now, all we read about is the cost-of-living crisis, when the most important issue is climate change.
Barry Buskens, Sandringham
Water solutions
Peter Garrett (Opinion, 30/3) offers: ″Australia has ... lots of pumped hydro resources.″
Seriously? Labor had nine years in opposition and the wisdom of Malcolm Turnbull’s Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro for guidance in delivering mass energy storage solutions.
Rather than nuclear reactors or ″megawatts for minutes″ battery storage (of limited life), Labor should be delivering progress reports on the construction of a dozen elevated coastal pumped hydro reservoirs – with oceans acting as the lower reservoir.
A network of mass energy storage sites – safe, relatively clean, operational life measured in centuries and a manageable technology with which we are familiar. Intermittent renewable energy issues would be solved, leaving only the problem of jet skis disturbing the reservoirs’ peace and quiet.
Ronald Elliott, Sandringham
Fair education for all
Parents want what’s best for their children and many often make sacrifices so their children can attend private schools. The intended outcome is for their children to flourish and leave school well-equipped for a happy, successful life ahead. But is this possible if their peers in the state system are struggling to get an education that meets their needs and aspirations?
An equitable society is surely better than one where disadvantage means we miss out on the potential of a section of its members. The only way forward in this complex world is by educating our children, not some of our children but all of our children. If we can have wealthy private schools and recognise the importance of providing all the opportunities we can, then we must recognise the need for all children to have a pathway to reach their goals. Can we continue to have schools with every advantage while others can’t even open their windows for fresh air?
Wendy Rubbo, Carlton North
Zelensky’s US folly
Zelensky must be finally waking up to the utter folly of volunteering his country as a stage for American imperialism. He ignored history and common sense to chase the end of the capitalist rainbow.
John Laurie, Riddells Creek
America’s self-interest
The “US’s security umbrella” that JD Vance is urging Greenland’s citizens to join, used to span “the Western world”, including Australia. The security cover remaining now is as illusory as Trump’s new clothes. They’re the garments he’s had tailored as wannabe emperor of an American autocracy dedicated to self-interest (“Vance’s Greenland blast for Denmark”, 30/3).
Lawrie Bradly, Surrey Hills
Giant debt trap
When the US military aid flowed into Ukraine, little did the Ukrainians know they were walking into a giant debt trap. Trump’s America may (grudgingly) defend you, but it will cost you. After the pound of flesh has been extracted, you’re on your own. Greenland beware.
Jerry Koliha, South Melbourne
Interventionist fails
Donald Trump is threatening to use force to take power in Greenland. If he does, it will most likely add to the long list of failed US interventions such as Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and Cuba.
Sandra Torpey, Hawthorn
Boycotts can work
Though it’s said that a proposal to boycott Israeli businesses is “contentious” (“Climate 200 staffer calls for boycott of Israeli businesses″, 30/3), many of us remember a similar campaign to boycott South African businesses and goods as part of the protest movement against apartheid. Perhaps because there was no well-organised group of South Africans active in Australia, that campaign met with little opposition. Such boycotts are, after all, a non-violent means for individuals to express opposition to regimes violating human rights.
Rather than being criticised, support for people suffering oppression elsewhere deserves praise, though targeting should be accurate.
Caroline Graham, Cromer, NSW
Loneliness index
There is much talk about the many people who are very lonely in our society. Social media appears to have overtaken the need for individual contact with family and friends. It doesn’t seem to be fashionable anymore to correspond via discrete messaging, and if someone takes the time to make a call or text a message, it’s often not acknowledged, or if it is, it’s days later. Seems to me society is setting itself up for even more loneliness and the consequences loneliness brings.
Diane Maddison, Parkdale
AND ANOTHER THING
Federal election
The policy statement I’d love to hear: “We will not be providing any tax cuts over the next four years, but rather we will be spending the $17 billion on recruiting additional nurses/healthcare workers, teachers and police and paying them accordingly”.
David Bond, Portarlington
Albo and Pete: Stopping supermarkets price gouging is fine but what of fuel cycle gouging? WA has a weekly cycle, other states four to six weeks. The honeymoon 12-month excise discount is a furphy.
Ian Anderson, Surrey Hills
Cartoonist Matt Golding nailed it (29/3) with a cartoon of one dinosaur asking another what its No.1 election issue is. In spite of an earth-destroying meteor overhead, cost of living is the reply. With climate change as an existential threat, only catering for the next election cycle is like rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic.
Helen Pereira, Heidelberg Heights
I need a Time Machine to transport me to the 4th of May!
Richard Cooke, Warrnambool
Significant budget reform will never occur whilst the majority of Australians put self-interest before concerns for future generations. Bill Shorten tried and failed, so little wonder politicians are not brave.
Peter Farrell, Point Lonsdale
Shades of Trump. Let’s not go down the wrecking track again. Tony Abbott tried it and failed as will Donald Dutton.
John Bye, Elwood
Peter Dutton asks are you better off now than three years ago. The real question is how much worse would it have been had the Coalition retained government in 2022.
Keith Beamish, Canterbury
Brilliant article Peter Garrett (″Here’s what Dutton isn’t telling you about his reactors″, 30/3). As Dutton said of the Voice referendum: ″If you don’t know, vote no’.
Carole Ruta, Benalla
Finally
I never thought I would say this, but ... I miss Mike Pence.
Don Phillips, Fitzroy
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