Nick Xenophon: the 2016 Clive Palmer.
Bryan Welsh, Tea Gardens, NSW
Making David Morrison Australian of the Year is beginning to make Abbott’s knighting of Prince Philip look like a stroke of genius.
Maggie Morrison, Mordialloc, Vic
From memory, I think David Morrison is married; otherwise I might have suspected he was dating Roz Ward.
Peter Curlewis, Yass, NSW
If Hillary Clinton becomes the next president of the USA, Uncle Sam will become Aunt Samantha. How will you guys handle that?
Ron Elphick, Buff Point, NSW
Turnbull must lift game
At the outset of this tiresome election campaign you advised the Coalition to urgently find its line and length. Now, past the halfway stage, even the spin of a Shane Warne can hardly fail to disclose a lacklustre campaign lacking both. Hardly any fight on the unsavoury unionism that at least partly triggered the double dissolution, hardly any focus on the need to live within the nation’s means and scarcely a mention of a cause dear to conservative voters, the insidious spread of a virulent political
correctness.
To extend a cricketing analogy, when is the Coalition, instead of serving up inviting half-volleys, going to hit Labor-Green stumps with a devastating yorker?
John Kidd, Auchenflower, Qld
Disagree, Paul Kelly (“Turnbull fights on two fronts: for power and stability”, 4/6). The two election contests now under way are not the contest between Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten to become prime minister, nor the contest over whether Australia is shifting to the Americanisation of its political system.
The two fronts for Mr Turnbull are all about tinkering and confidence. His tinkering with the leadership of the Liberal Party and his tinkering with superannuation have undermined confidence in the party and the product respectively. Two disastrous own goals, which may cost the Coalition its incumbency.
Mandy Macmillan, Singleton, NSW
It’s good to see Malcolm Turnbull standing by his superannuation tax changes. It’s a welcome contrast after his many backflips on reform during the course of this year. However, he needs to tackle further entitlements such as capital gains tax concessions and negative gearing. As David Crowe so forcefully asserts, “the nation has a $37 billion deficit where everyone expects someone else to pick up the bill” (“No winners in this silly super contest”, 3/6).
Frank Carroll, Moorooka, Qld