I agree that inflation and the cost of living will be the biggest issues on everyone’s mind for the upcoming election (“Voters swing to Dutton on economy”, January 23). And, Dutton likes to sell the Coalition as the better economic manager – but I don’t think so. Inflation only responds to policies after a long lag, and truth be told, the Coalition should take the blame for the inflation rate over the past few years. It was Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg who gave excessive fiscal support to companies and individuals during the COVID pandemic, and nothing was done to claw back those excesses. As a result, inflation started climbing, but only after they were both dumped by the electorate. Many voters, I suspect, have forgotten this little fact. Now, instead of “fessing up”, Dutton says the government should have got inflation down faster by cutting government expenditure. But it’s this government that ran surplus budgets for its first two years, something the Coalition never managed to do. Let’s also not forget that Dutton’s nuclear plans will represent a massive addition to budget outlays, with no private company ever interested in investing in nuclear, as shown by the overseas experience. Despite the apparent swing to Dutton, I think I’ll stick with Labor this time around. Bob Konig, Shell Cove

Dutton admonishes the federal government for expanding public service and the consequent increase in government spending. He conveniently hasn’t mentioned a corresponding decrease in the use of the outside consultants favoured by “the better money managers”, i.e. the Coalition. The savings here outweighed the wages bill. How many times have we seen that private is not better than public service? Neil Craddock, Wollongong

It is not surprising that Anthony Albanese’s popularity has fallen. Whether it is fair and reasonable is beside the point. His persona is regarded as that of a 9 to 5 public servant. Lacking in charisma, seemingly without an articulate vision for the country, with no oratorial skills and little if any commitment to principle, his early departure as prime minister after a miserable single term is inevitable. Sadly, the alternative doesn’t seem much better. Terence Golding, Bolwarra

Shaun Carney’s article refers to Albanese’s 29 years in parliament (“Old dog needs to learn new tricks”, January 23). Of those, 20 years have been in opposition, so governing is not something that comes naturally to the PM. Most people would struggle to name what portfolios he held during the Rudd/Gillard governments and what, if any, were his significant achievements. The reality is that Albanese has always been a factional operative. Carney correctly points out that Albanese is not a good campaigner, mainly because he is more used to operating in the background, not front and centre. Mike Kenneally, Manly

Migrant misery

What are all Trump’s wealthy supporters going to do to maintain their lifestyles in the future (“Trump’s migrant deportations start as bishop pleads with him to show mercy to the ‘scared’”, January 23)? Where are they going to find the people to fill the jobs like cleaners, cooks, gardeners, pool maintenance workers, waitstaff and the multitude of other jobs currently held by hundreds of thousands of undocumented migrants? Will all those MAGA supporters who seek a better future under Trump leap into action to fill these less-than-desirable positions? Be careful what you wish for America, or you may well find yourselves cleaning your own toilet, both literally and figuratively. Peter Cooper-Southam, Frenchs Forest

What a sad start to the term of a new American president as we watch people who’ve fled torturous regimes being denied a better life. Many of these “unwanted” souls have already fitted into American society – picking fruit, labouring on government roads and infrastructure and even possibly making beds in Trump’s hotels. They pay their taxes, and their children finally begin to get an education as these families try to rebuild their lives. Tighten the borders by all means, but those who are already there should be left alone. In many cases, they work in industries that locals avoid. Meanwhile, the home-grown convicted criminals of January 6 are pardoned to rejoin their communities and greeted like heroes. So much for the influx of foreign criminals that Trump banged on about. America was built on immigration, and this move degrades everything the Statue of Liberty stands for. Greg Vale, Kiama

It may come as a surprise to some people to see Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde so openly challenging Donald Trump, as speaking truth to power is rare in Australia. I look forward to a day when church leaders in Australia show the same courage and faithfulness. So far, they’ve been missing in action with a few honourable exceptions like Bishop George Browning and Reverend Tim Costello. Keith Binns, Goulburn

It seems incredulous that the biggest issue in the United States seems to be “woke” transgenderism when the country had more than 40,000 gun deaths last year, the highest incarceration rate in the world, an appalling public health system and more than 770,000 homeless people, with 37 million living below the poverty line. Meanwhile, 55 of America’s largest corporations paid no federal taxes in the last financial year. If anything, the election of Trump is proof of the media’s ability to distract the masses with persistent messaging of the “menace” of migrants and the “dangers” of those who don’t conform to a certain moral code. This works best when it’s cloaked in some type of misguided “nationalism” but sold as patriotism. It is also essential to dismiss any serious questions or criticisms of policies as fake news. It would be a mistake to assume that Australia is immune to this degenerative form of politicking. Craig Jory, Albury

Trump may not believe in global warming, but the climate does not wake up one morning and say “I feel like a change”. The climate will go wherever it is forced, and the Earth is indifferent (Letters, January 23). The atmospheric warming potential of carbon dioxide has been known since the mid-1800s and we are now the ones doing the forcing, with our addiction to fossil fuels. Global heating will happen whether we “believe” or not as it’s not a belief system but a matter of physics and chemistry. No amount of denial and presidential orders will change this looming unnatural disaster. Urgent action is needed. John Burman, Port Macquarie

It’s interesting to note, in the past week, the remarkable number of letters in the Herald critical of Trump. This begs the question: What are you doing about it in Australia, or do you not see some similar patterns arising in your own backyard? Tony Moo, Lane Cove

Tackling hate is no simple task

So Jenna Price believes that life for Jews the world over will improve once Netanyahu goes (“Leaders must step up to fight hate”, January 23). Has she heard the expression “the oldest hatred”? History is replete with examples of Jew hatred, centuries before Netanyahu was born. To blame him for the current wave of antisemitism is to apply an overly simplistic analysis to a complex issue. Libraries could be filled with scholarly tomes examining this topic, and it would be surprising to see Netanyahu’s name mentioned in any of them. Irene Nemes, Rose Bay

Jenna Price is on the money when she states that part of the way to tackle hate is for our political leaders to start behaving because they have been causing division in our community with their comments. The main culprit has been Peter Dutton, who mentions the huge increase in antisemitism but overlooks Islamophobia. Australia urgently needs leaders who don’t appear to be one-sided in their attitudes towards certain religious and ethnic groups over others. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury

The stories are pages apart but they need to be read side by side. Moves to introduce hate-speech legislation (“Hate laws could pass as early as February”, January 23) must be considered in full cognisance of what is happening in Palestine (“Palestinians killed after Israel launches attack in West Bank”, January 23). Given that the primary target of the hate laws is antisemitism, the legislation must not be framed in such a way as to label criticism of Israel’s assaults on Palestinian people as antisemitic. In no way should the proposed hate-speech laws limit the freedom of critics to hold Israel to account for its actions. Tom Knowles, Parkville

Reports of antisemitic attacks should also mention anti-Palestinian attacks (“Man charged after antisemitic attack”, January 23). The Jewish Council of Australia, in its circular of January 22, lists some alarming events such as a homemade bomb found on the lawn of a home where a Palestinian flag was flying, the burning of a truck flying a Palestinian flag, and racist anti-Arab graffiti. It would be helpful if Premier Chris Minns could condemn these incidents, and it’s a credit to this Jewish organisation for drawing attention them. Caroline Graham, Cromer

Miss school, miss out

Years ago, the mantra “my children can learn more on our holiday than in the classroom” invaded the parental psyche and soon became common practice in NSW schools (“9.7m days lost in one year: The truth about our schools”, January 23). Further absences for birthdays, appointments, long weekends, sporting events, etc also became common. Gaps appeared in classroom learning, often with long-term ramifications. While on a teacher exchange in America some years ago, countermeasures were used to solve similar problems. Students were not allowed in-term holidays or time off for appointments, etc. Even for (legitimate) illness, additional hours after school were necessary to upgrade missed learning. One day off meant an hour or more after school each day for a week. Parents were contacted if students were not in attendance by 10am. Official documentation for any absences was essential. The unofficial school motto “You miss school, you miss out” was repeated daily by teachers and on loudspeakers within the school, and scribed on school walls. It worked, and attendance improved. It takes a massive effort to change both parents’ and students’ attitudes to the importance of school learning, but it can be done. It’s true: If you miss school, you really do miss out. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

The price of PFAS

Economists refer to the unpriced consequences of economic activity as “externalities.” Companies making products, including PFAS, the so-called forever chemicals, do not face the ultimate costs of cleaning up their pollution; someone else, somewhere else, pays. In the case of companies making products with PFAS content, it seems that consumers of water will ultimately pay more to receive clean water free from these pollutants (“Call for total ban on toxic waters”, January 23). Unfortunately, calls for banning particular chemicals are a fraught exercise, particularly when new chemicals are being created way faster than their consequences can be determined. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls

Joys of summer

In her quest for good news and happier reading, your correspondent Lynne Revai (Letters, January 23) might want to set her MyNews feed to prioritise Page 2. I have been delighted with the Herald series The summer that changed everything. The photography has beautifully illustrated the carefree summer lifestyle of Sydney, and the writers have gladdened, moved and impressed me in their ability to conjure scenes from their youth, both happy and sad. Page 2 has taken me well away from the horrors of Gaza, Ukraine etc, and the inauguration of a new American president whose government will be unpredictable. Maureen Casey, Breakfast Point

Free parking

Well done, Hon. John Graham, MLC, minister for night economy, who I think lives around Newtown, where the only froth is on a cappuccino or a middy, never on a breaking wave (“Dumping beach parking fee a ‘fairness’ issue”, January 23). Northern Beaches ratepayers fund the enormous costs of raking/grading the beach, emptying the rubbish bins every day, emptying the rock pools once a week, cleaning them at 2am, providing lifeguards five days a week and giving financial assistance to Surf Life Savers. In fact, the council has just issued a survey to ratepayers about increasing rates. I go to North Narrabeen or Collaroy pools many mornings and by 7.30 the car parks are full with residential stickered cars. On Sunday mornings, hundreds of Nippers descend on the beaches to be taught surf skills. Many, although ratepayers, have no chance of getting in the car parks, and walk long distances from surrounding streets with kids and gear in tow. Is this fair? Renters can always buy permits for $250, or simply feed the parking meters at the beach. By the way, $250 per annum divided by 52 equals $4.80 a week for parking – not only at beaches but other council car parks. That’s cheaper than a coffee in Newtown. Gavin Williamson, Narrabeen

Fare play

I read with interest your article referring to the cost of domestic airfares (“Domestic flights soar … in price”, January 23). As I sit in Sydney Airport between flights, I have to agree. I recently had to fly from Busselton in Western Australia to Mildura, Victoria, for a family emergency. The return flight cost $2450, with Jetstar the only option out of Busselton, and our national carrier connecting to Mildura. This makes the significant cost of flights between Sydney and Melbourne seem cheap. Flights to Europe are far more reasonable than flying domestically in Australia. How can this be?
Tricia Nolan, Busselton (WA)

Qantas announces changes to its frequent flyer program and its “share price jumped almost 3.4 per cent after the announcement” (“Qantas passengers will earn more and need more points”, January 23). That tells us all we need to know about who will benefit from the changes: clearly Qantas shareholders and not its customers. As for those elusive 110,400-point Classic Flight Rewards Sydney-London return trips, the first available flight to London for those wanting to travel on a Qantas plane (on a Tuesday, a low-load day) is on October 7, and the first available return is on October 28.
Maurice Critchley, Mangrove Mountain

Naked truth

Jacqueline Maley’s story of adventures in Greece took to me back to my own, with my now-wife of 45 years (“I joined the next idiot tourist procession at the hospital”, January 23). A few days after we met, we found ourselves on – shock, horror – a nudist beach. Out of the water arose, Aphrodite-like, or like Bo Derek in her famous scene, a statuesque blonde girl conforming to the dress code of the beach. Says my now-wife: “Quick, go and speak to that girl.” I was a shy young man and horrified by the suggestion. “What, like this? Why?” I ask. The reply: “I want to swim and want you to borrow her bathing cap so my hair doesn’t get wet.” I think I passed the test. Peter Thornton, Killara

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