Case closed on former PM’s risky business

Yet another miserable mark for mismanagement by former multi-minister Scott Morrison (“Morrison jumped gun on memorial”, April 12), approving the upgrade of the Australian War Memorial before an expensive business case was available. The auditor-general has revealed cost blow-outs, poor oversight of contracts, financial manipulation to avoid exceeding ministerial approval thresholds, inadequate conflict-of-interest investigations, and value-for-money shortfalls. Morrison’s fingerprints are all over the botched process, but will he accept any responsibility for this scandal? Of course not. Rob Phillips, North Epping

The auditor-general has delivered a scathing report into the $500 million Australian War Memorial upgrade.

Ever notice how politicians like Scott Morrison, who never served in the military, try to make themselves patriotic and heroic by spending lots of money on war memorials? The money should be spent on services for real veterans. Mark Anderson, Coogee

Not considering the business case before approving an expenditure of half a billion dollars, allowing you to have an announcement before an election is inexcusable. Being in the top job during “sports rorts”, another half-billion for an unsolicited grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation and a huge amount of money given to a detention provider whose business address is a beach shack should disqualify this man from any responsibility involving money. Yet here he is working for a venture capital company. How good is that? Chris Moe, Bensville

Bulldozing through the extremely expensive, controversial redevelopment of the Australian War Memorial before a business case was put together, only to have the project experience huge cost overruns and conflicts of interest, is not the only damage Morrison’s government inflicted on the nature of the memorial. After Tony Abbott lost his seat, the government appointed him to the War Memorial Council, filling the position left vacant by the death of war historian Les Carlyon, writer of a definitive history of the Gallipoli campaign. This questionable move left the memorial without a historian on the council of the institution that is the repository of our nation’s military history. John Payne, Kelso

It seems that many politicians fail to act properly by seeking good-news slogans before completing a detailed business case and allocating funds. Politicians must rely on proper business cases from experts before making statements to win votes. Failure to do so should have them removed from office. Keith Woodward, Newport

Scott Morrison is the gift that keeps on giving. Robyn Lewis, Raglan

Seems Scott Morrison was also Minister for War Memorials. His ego knows no bounds. John Rome, Mt Lawley (SA)

Kudos to taboo-busting Weaving

Hugo Weaving’s take on intolerance echoes others recently expressed in the Herald (“Weaving scolds backlash to pro-Palestine protests”, April 12). Tight-lipped cancel culture, strident minorities, far left or right bigots and trolls neuter freedom by making it a commodity at prices set to their own taste. We’ve gained the trappings of a cosmopolitan nation but, as Weaving suggests, geographical isolation continues to make us our own worst enemy. Being badgered into small targets even isolates us from our essential selves. Peter Farmer, Northbridge

Hugo Weaving says the STC was “not front-footed enough” amid the furore over actors wearing keffiyeh on stage in a show of solidarity with Palestine.

Good on Hugo Weaving for speaking out against the silencing in Australia of objections to Israel’s actions in Gaza. The ruthless killing of Palestinians is not justified. A two-state solution is the clear solution. Britain, the US and Germany, as well as Australia, should insist on and recognise the state of Palestine. Otherwise, this conflict will never end. Stephen Wallace, Glebe

I agree with Hugo Weaving. Not just Australia, but the western world has been cowed into not speaking out about Israel’s invasion of Gaza. For decades Israel has subjected Palestinians to inhumane treatment and repression. John Macintosh, Merewether

Hugo Weaving has missed the point entirely. The incident at the Sydney Theatre Company came at a time when Australian Jews were first being targeted here. Many were, and still are, very frightened. There were people in that audience who thought that guns would come out next. The STC has refused to support our Australian Jewish community and deserves to be boycotted. This wasn’t simply a small protest, it was an attack on Australians and Australian values. Pamela Shepherd, Balgowlah

Like many of us, Hugo Weaving has a firm opinion on the Israel/Gaza situation. However, his opinion should carry no more weight than Henry’s or Hetty’s. He’s an actor. So? Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield

Dutton’s mining of misery disgusting

On April 28, 1996, I wasn’t actually on the Port Arthur Historic Site, though I was working for the organisation at the time (“Dutton rebukes Wong on Palestine”, April 11). After the massacre, I served on the recovery committee and I still live in the district. Thirty-five people died that day, including a girl I had worked with at the site, and another whose parents were friends of mine. Many more were seriously injured, including people I knew well and hundreds of people were thrown into grief. The ramifications for the community of the Tasman Peninsula were horrendous, and it took a long time for this community to recover. Some people never did.For Peter Dutton to claim that a peaceful demonstration (however unpleasant in his eyes) inSydney is somehow equivalent to a massacre in Tasmania is just beyond belief. And to useall that misery, which I witnessed and was part of, for political ends is just disgusting. Ihope and pray that such a person never comes to power in Australia. James Parker, Premaydena (Tas)

Don’t go there: Peter Dutton likened the Opera House protests to the Port Arthur massacre.

Comparing the pro-Palestinian demonstration at the Sydney Opera House to the Port Arthur massacre is beneath contempt and an insult to those families who lost loved ones on that terrible day. He certainly is firmly ensconced in the ranks of those politicians who the historian Manning Clark described as “punishers and straighteners” as opposed to “an enlarger of life”. Denis Minehan, Cooma

I understand that it is Peter Dutton’s role to oppose the government and that the role is not an easy one. What I can’t understand is the reckless rhetoric that he used yesterday to attack the PM. Can anyone explain how a Sydney pro-Palestine protest in October 2023 can be linked to the Port Arthur massacre of 1996? Lorraine Hickey, Green Point

Renewable push is worthy and needs state sponsorship

As the prime minister talks up “made in Australia” renewable technology, private tech companies simply want government handouts for their profit lines. The government should heed the warning by Eslake of the historical failure of such subsidy schemes (“Battery maker charged up by PM’s clean tech pledge”, April 12). The answer, as in wartimes past, is government ownership of the means of production. When aircraft were needed in WWII, government aircraft factories built them. When trains were needed, the NSW government built them. When electricity was needed, the government’s Snowy scheme and the government coal mines and power stations provided. The climate change catastrophe is not waiting for incentives and market forces to work, it requires the strong capable hand of the state to save us by immediate legislation of renewable production under state ownership. Barry Laing, Castle Cove

Albanese’s intention of putting some serious cash into the production of renewables in Australia is admirable. The source of the cash, however appears to be rather unclear or unlikely, coming from taxpayer funds and also from large business investments. The latter, which so far seem not readily forthcoming, will apparently need to be wooed out of big business, a process that will, of course, consume more taxpayer funds.

It would be so much more effective for the federal and state governments to divert some of the huge subsidies (of taxpayer funds) currently paid to the fossil fuel industry. This would increase the money for renewables, reduce the emissions and environmental damage produced by fossil fuel extraction and, vitally, reduce the emissions produced when these fuels are burnt. Wonderful by-products of this rearrangement would mean that Australia could be run on renewables, which are by far the cheapest sources of energy, and would produce a slowing of global warming with the consequent reduction of floods, droughts and wildfires and a reduction in extinctions. Penny Rosier, North Epping

Path to peace

Most thinking people agree a two-state solution is (probably) the answer to a longer peace (“Two-state solution is a long way off”, April 12). However before the parties even get to a negotiating table, what’s needed is a complete change of leadership on both sides. Forsaking eye-for-eye rhetoric, and endless violent retribution, a real leadership genuinely intent on creating an enthusiasm among both populations for an everlasting peace, with corresponding role modelling and conversational behaviour, is a critical prerequisite. Peace will not come without this change. Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay

The suggestion that there could be a two-state solution for the Israel-Palestine problem is misguided. It will never work, and mainly for two reasons. First, both will want Jerusalem in their territory, so no agreement will be reached over that. Second, Hamas will simply use the sovereignterritory of Palestine for its attacks, as it believes that Israel should not exist.

There could be one solution for the Jerusalem problem: make it an international territory run by the UN and accessible to both. Israel, however will not agree to that. And under a right-wing government Israel will continue to push settlements into Palestinian territory. So there cannot be a solution. It will remain a trouble spot. It’s one that the world (or at least the West) created in 1949, so we’ll have to remain involved. David Ashton, Katoomba

Water wise

The companies suppressing the evidence of adverse health effects from PFAS chemicals sound like asbestos and tobacco all over again; in the case of the latter, it eventually cost them billions (“Forever chemical in tap water”, April 12). They would have better off if they had owned up in the beginning. John Frith, Paddington

How ironic that we might assume our tap water quality ranks quite well, but that a carcinogenic forever chemical in our tap water is “140 times the maximum level the United States considers safe”. Australia ranks about 27th for global drinking water quality, but the question is whether these rankings include levels of forever chemicals. As someone who’s always been cynical about the habitual buying and consumption of bottled water given our apparently good tap water, I concede that such consumers may indeed be much smarter and safer in view of sustained government and relevant health authority negligence in exposing the public to these carcinogens. How do we know that lifelong chronic exposure to these carcinogens is not contributing to our cancer rates of supposedly unknown causes? First world wealth and resources clearly make no difference in a public safety backwater. Robyn Dalziell, Kellyville

Investors hit hard too

Like many landlords, we are just mum and dad investors in an inner west home unit with a substantial mortgage (Letters, April 12). Our unit was always meant to be our superannuation and retirement home down the track. Meanwhile, we have been renting a house in Haberfield for 17 years. When the fixed rate cliff hit last year, our mortgage jumped $800 a month. Reluctantly we increased the rent of our tenant by $50 a week, leaving us out of pocket by nearly $600 a month, plus facing a not-unreasonable rent increase ourselves. It’s time that tenants and others recognised the situation of landlords like us who have had to offset rent increases through our own pockets. Brian Welsh, Haberfield

Blazer at the brothel

One of my enduring memories from when I was a receptionist at a local brothel is of one of the ladies sitting in a leopard-print bikini, mending her son’s (exclusive) private school blazer in between seeing clients (Letters, April 12). And while on the subject, why is the stigma regarding these private transactions always attached to the (mostly) female sex workers, and not the (mostly) male clients? Alicia Dawson, Balmain

Girls rise

Auburn Girls High is one of the many examples of public schools excelling with the generous assistance of retailer Harvey Norman (“Retailer’s boost for young women”, April 12). The financial support for high school girls from disadvantaged background, aspiring to pursue tertiary education, is a wonderful initiative. In a week when the state government cruelly cut funds to public education, Auburn Girls High shows a public school that is providing a quality, and inclusive, education. John Cotterill, Kingsford

Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page with Auburn Girls High School students (from left): Hasini Poddaturu, Adeena Khan and Sarah Chaudhary.

What a relief, after ploughing through the unsavoury antics of Bruce Lehrmann, our collective poisoning through tap water, further government mismanagement in the War Memorial scandal, problems arising from a freed rapist, more hospital staff cuts, ongoing reminders of rental stress at home and the Gaza tragedy, to arrive finally at the uplifting story of Harvey Norman’s support for young women at public schools, the eminently sensible comments of the chancellor of the University of Western Sydney, the inspiration of the CEO of Harvey Norman and the pleasantly formal photograph of young people with high ambitions and the determination to work to achieve them. Heather Johnson, West Pennant Hills

Bodgies’ barber

I was one of a group of apprentices at Eveleigh workshops in the 1950s (Letters, April 12). We were “bodgies” and we used to travel after work to Angelo de Marco’s fortnightly to replenish our hairstyle. Much more frequently than my visits to the hairdresser these days. Max Petrie, Palm Beach

Age of reason

Badinage is goodinyouth (Letters, April 12). Russ Couch, Woonona

Peter Fyfe will need to watch when the badinage morphs into espionage! David Gordon, Cranebrook

Top floor trysts

Jan Boyd of Sylvania fondly remembers Manning House as a women-only sanctuary in the late ’60s. I also remember that the top floor was a great social hub for both sexes. Many liaisons were made. Tim O’Donnell, Newport

MONA FOMO

I think that your correspondent is missing an important point when he defends the decision that the Ladies Lounge art work at MONA is discriminatory when he argues that “art is meant to be appreciated by everyone” (Letters, April 12). In the case of this particular art work, a man’s appreciation comes from his not being allowed in – that is the whole point of the piece. Brilliant! Harvey Sanders, Paddington

I don’t know Jason Lau, but mate, get a grip! Graham Fazio, Cootamundra

Postscript

There’s been a strong reaction from readers to a column from former political adviser and author Sean Kelly. In “Silence descends: Our inability to discuss difficult issues has never been more obvious” – Kelly discussed the polarised reaction to the appointment of Samantha Mostyn as the next governor-general. It demonstrated that “one’s political identity determines one’s beliefs and not the other way around”, he said.

“Agreement on difficult topics may not be possible. Even then, the process of working towards agreement, of honest and open discussion, can be important. We seem to have lost this ability, or perhaps the desire. And yet, this bleak fact too is something we will largely leave unspoken.”

Ross Butler from Rodd Point agreed: “Regrettably, conflict and expressions of discontent and anger have become fashionable, prompting discussions to become polarised and a zero-sum game”.

Mosman’s Gary Barnes said: “this polarisation has become so marked that we are reluctant to express our beliefs unless we believe we are in the company of friends who think similarly. How has it come to this when Australians’ belief in a ‘fair go’ included listening respectfully to someone of differing opinions?”.

This week’s other big story was our revelation that the NSW state government is slashing the budget for NSW public schools by up to $148 million this year as thousands of deputy and assistant principals are forced back into classroom teaching roles to help deal with chronic staffing shortages.

Dural’s Augusta Monro said: “What a disappointment this Labor government is turning out to be for supporters of public education”, a sentiment echoed by Dolan Bay’s Phil Widders, who wrote: “It is clear that this government does not see itself as the defender, let alone champion, of public education. What a travesty for the majority of our children who attend public schools.”

Margot Saville, deputy letters editor

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