Bill Shorten certainly gets upset when Peter Dutton tells the truth. He would be even more upset if some of his frontbench started telling the truth.
Greg Kater, Sanctuary Cove, Qld
Everything that Peter Dutton said about refugees is correct. The EU did a survey on refugees that showed 60 per cent took up to five years to gain employment; the other 40 per cent didn’t work and lived on benefits.
Brian Doherty, Beenleigh, Qld
It’s terrible that Coalition politicians have to speak in factual terms. Peter Dutton is rightly being condemned by Labor for doing so. How dare he speak the truth when it interferes with good feelings?
Phil Tucker, Tweed Heads, NSW
Illiterate refugees taking Australian jobs — that would be my family. But never mind that years later, they created many other Australian jobs.
Henry Herzog, St Kilda East, Vic
In the interests of accuracy, the Labor Party should change its election campaign slogan to “Do as we say, not as we do”.
Justin Baulch, Graceville, Qld
Why would we be surprised that David Feeney and his wife between them own four residential properties and that he’s copping a nice earn, paid by us, by residing at various times in one of them in Canberra? He’s a politician and she’s a lawyer. They’re just running true to form.
Will Hagon, Bellbird, NSW
Perhaps Bill Shorten could tell us whether in due course David Feeney will be negatively gearing his 10th investment property.
David Meredith, Singleton, NSW
To paraphrase Oscar Wilde “to forget one house is a misfortune, but to forget several is carelessness”. The less than honourable member should resign lest his malady spreads to others in the house.
Mike Yalden, Kiama, NSW
Shorten’s attack on Immigration Minister Peter Dutton seems to have backfired (“Turnbull leaves Shorten all at sea over boats”, 19/5). Dutton was dead right in his comments on refugees’ literacy and numeracy and their dependence on welfare, but, wow, doesn’t the truth hurt?
The immediate backlash from sections of the media, the humanitarian lobby and the political opportunists from Labor and the Greens was typically over-exaggerated.
It becomes daily more obvious that if Labor is elected to government we will have open borders once again. Apart from the security aspect, we have the immense costs that such a scenario would present to an already struggling budget.
While some may resent the Coalition’s stand on refugees, I am sure the majority of Australians support the existing system. It’s time Labor opened its eyes and ears and looked beyond the politics of what is one of the most serious security and budgetary issues facing this country.
John George, Terrigal, NSW
The truth of Peter Dutton’s comments about the illiterate refugees and migrants is widely known and immutable. It is pathetic that would-be unionist prime minister Bill Shorten is seeking to cast red herrings to take the heat off David Feeney’s alleged forgetfulness.
Donald Mountford, Claremont, WA
Talking about political bigotry, Labor and the Greens came down on Peter Dutton for daring to say something politically incorrect, but which is unfortunately true: migrants lack education, so they end up in low-paid jobs to survive or become a liability to the taxpayer. This cycle continues because they are unable to find time to educate themselves.
Jacques Bajayo, South Caulfield, Vic
Congratulations to Peter Dutton. He is correct, and it is a pity the Labor leader and his colleagues do not have the backbone to say the same thing. I would suggest that most taxpaying Australians agree with Dutton’s comments and they pay little attention to Bill Shorten’s responses.
It is time for this country and its leadership to toughen up. At the moment Australia is seen as soft when dealing with these issues.
C. H. Ainsworth, Kingscliff, NSW