The years following World War II saw Australia assimilate millions of migrants from all over Europe who have been instrumental in making Australia the country it is today. This was achieved without the assistance of the Human Rights Commission, anti-discrimination boards and equal opportunities bodies.
Malcolm Turnbull could save the country millions by abolishing these organisations that exist seemingly to air the views of those disgruntled people who have an axe to grind if things don’t always go their way.
Peter Jacobsen, Kangaroo Point, Qld
Niall Ferguson’s article in The Weekend Australian (“Tale of two communities shows how Trump may win”, 6/8) contained a sentence that the political commentariat should heed: “Commentators have made the mistake of thinking that things they find outrageous are also outrageous to a majority of voters.”
Although it was talking about US politics, it is fully applicable in Australia. The political classes are becoming more disconnected from the majority of voters every day — this was proved in the recent election. It is time our political leaders, especially those in the Turnbull government, started to disregard the outrage of the commentariat on the 24-hour news cycle and listened to the issues that concern most voters.
Maybe they will learn that what outrages the politicians and the commentators does not amount to a pile of beans to the average citizen and family in struggle street.
David Waye, Pyalong, Vic
Cut & Paste’s revelation that a journalist for The Age was unaware of the Melbourne Olympics in 1956 is superficially amusing, but is indicative of a more concerning problem. Our education system has little regard for history as a discipline with the result a generation has grown up without knowledge of history, nor respect for it.
Paul Yates, Beachmere, Qld
It’s refreshing to know that there are at least two people in this country — cartoonist Bill Leak and swimmer Mack Horton — who are still prepared to unashamedly speak the truth, when it would have been easier and politically correct to remain silent.
Col Douglas, Narangba, Qld
The years following World War II saw Australia assimilate millions of migrants from all over Europe who have been instrumental in making Australia the country it is today. This was achieved without the assistance of the Human Rights Commission, anti-discrimination boards and equal opportunities bodies.
Malcolm Turnbull could save the country millions by abolishing these organisations that exist seemingly to air the views of those disgruntled people who have an axe to grind if things don’t always go their way.
Peter Jacobsen, Kangaroo Point, Qld
During the election campaign, a letter of mine was published on this page bemoaning the fact that true Liberal conservatives were disenfranchised in the choices available. The significant number of votes that shifted to minor parties shows I am far from alone.
Since then, Malcolm Turnbull has continued disaffecting core supporters, ignoring important matters and focusing on fringe issues. In a matter of weeks he will set a milestone of one year as PM with nothing to show for it. The Liberal partyroom should urgently reassess what it stands for, because it is increasingly obvious that if this PM leads it to the next election, financial donations and supporters will be thin on the ground, and the flight of conservative votes will not only be in the Senate.
John McLeod, Sunshine Coast, Qld