The strategy of the past is not the way forward
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All that seems to have emerged from the recent Liberal Party federal conference is more of the same from a failed party. In their usual militaristic, old white man stale way, they are going to “fight” this, go to “war”against that, and oppose or repeal every other thing. They think they’re the warriors fighting for Australian values (whatever they are supposed to be).
We’ve lived through the Tony Abbott leadership, and we’re still dealing with the consequences, but the Liberals are once again pulling on the helmet, fastening the safety belt and taking off, knowing the inevitable result. Good luck with that Angus and Tony. You’ll need it.
Philip West, Jan Juc
A clear-eyed, systematic thinker
There are reasons why the federal Liberal Party has selected Tony Abbott as its president (Letters, 30/5). He’s a systematic thinker who will insist on clear policies, clearly articulated, which will be released early and attached to slogans which will be repeated ad nauseam until the message sinks in. Moreover, he’s a ferocious campaigner who will insist that the opposition do its job by clearly opposing policies that it believes are wrong. Unlike in the lead-up to the last election, voters will have a clear understanding of what the Liberal Party stands for when contemplating which party to vote for in 2028.
Ivan Glynn, Vermont
No appeal to the new generation
Tony Abbott, as the new federal Liberal leader, uses the words ″freedom, tradition″ and ″patriotism″. Then also ″toxic taxes″, ″mass migration″ and ″abolish net zero″. He also has a problem with Anthony Albanese standing in front of First Nation flags. Abbott doesn’t mention one word about what his party has been doing wrong in order to be polling so poorly. His ″dog whistling″ is dated and unlikely to appeal to a new generation of voters.
David Fry, Windsor
Distant echo to Churchill’s war cry
Did anyone else think that Tony Abbott’s patriot speech sounded like Winston Churchill’s war cry ″we will fight them on the beaches″? I do not know how the Liberal Party is to be dragged into the 21st century because looking back and yearning for the ″good old days″, is not going to cut the mustard. Tim Wilson’s mantra ″we can win the next election″ is pie in the sky. Next election? Which century.
Catherine Gerardson, Tawonga South
Locking in the reverse gear
The Liberal Party puts a dinosaur into a leadership position. The dinosaur is Tony Abbosaurus, thought to have been extinct. He once was prime minister but his own party sacked him two years into his job. He wants to revisit the days when political dinosaurs roamed the continent. The Liberals are in for a shellacking in 2028 the way they are going. Reverse gear does not move you forward.
John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
And it’s farewell to you all
That the Liberal Party has devolved to zombie remnants has been made clear by the appointment of Tony Abbott. This is the man who prophetically told us in 2009 that ″climate change is crap″. Goodbye Liberal Party.
Tony Roberts, Wandin North
Was Trump’s speech writer employed?
After listening to Tony Abbott’s address to the Liberal faithful recently, with warlike references, vowing to ″fight like hell″, while referring to Anthony Albanese as a ″socialist″, in what is apparently a ″battle for the soul of the nation″, I was left wondering whether he had employed the services of Donald Trump’s speech writer.
Craig Jory, Albury, NSW
THE FORUM
Fields of dreams
The map, the photos and the article ″To VFL and back: Nostalgia perfect grounds for a pilgrimage″ (30/5) brought back memories of those VFL teams that were rooted in the community surrounding each of the grounds. Not sure that Melbourne fits that picture and I haven’t forgotten the ″Pivotonians″ down in Geelong. Back then, great tribal rivalries existed across those now inner Melbourne suburbs. Identity often related to specific local traits as with North Melbourne (the Shinboners) or at Essendon where the ground is still called Windy Hill. Ah, the memories of that rickety old grandstand at Arden Street that rocked and swayed when Jock Spencer kicked a goal. A great pity that the picture of Arden Street has a photo of Ted Whitten marking over North’s John Jenkins.
Jim McLeod, Sale
The need to listen
Free public transport has been the nudge many have needed to take a free trip. It’s been good for the roads, good for the climate and good on the wallet (“Dig out your myki, the tap on is back – for now″, 31/5).
But public transport is not everywhere and many regional and outer suburban areas miss out.
There is a growing need for more transport options to address equal access to health, education and civic services. Community transport can play a role.
As more people in some areas turn to One Nation and say they feel they are missing out, we all need to listen. Their concerns should not be brushed aside, as some are literally left behind. Community solutions to community problems may be the way to go.
Jenny Kashyap, Bentleigh
Hit pause button
Your correspondent (Letters, 31/5), says that AI may not be any worse than the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters and the COVID pandemic, so we shouldn’t panic about them.
The nuclear disasters killed tens of thousands of people and the COVID pandemic killed 7 million people. I don’t feel reassured.
What we definitely know about AI is that it uses enormous amounts of water at a time of drying climate and enormous amounts of electricity at a time when we are struggling to reduce emissions to prevent further climate damage. Those reasons, by themselves, are enough to justify a pause to reassess its use.
Jan Ratcliff, Forrest
Call in reverse
Interesting that as the headline states “Coalition calls for review of politicians’ use of Chinese electric vehicles″ (30/5). Wasn’t it the Coalition, via Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey, who, in effect, shut down Australia’s car-making industry?
Helen Moss, Croydon
It’s time to act
Unless our species can drastically reduce our environmental impact we are in for a very rough ride (″How lethal humidity threatens to displace millions in our region″, 27/5). We need to work out how to reduce and stabilise our population and level of consumption in a human rights framework to a sustainable level; otherwise nature will do it for us in a very unforgiving way.
Jennie Epstein, Little River
Alien invasion
The term artificial intelligence should be reserved for Donald Trump; whereas, alien intelligence better suits the human endeavour in building giant computer algorithms to mimic our own. It’s called alien, not because it comes from outer-space, but rather, it’s alien to the way our brains work. And, of course, if used by tyrants for evil, the operator can just switch it off at the wall.
Henry Herzog, St Kilda East
Importance of reading
I agree strongly with your correspondent’s comments about reading (Letters, 30/5). As a former primary school teacher who tutored children after COVID, I became increasingly concerned by the number of students who had become focused on finding the right answer rather than understanding the information behind it.
Many lacked the comprehension skills needed to locate relevant information independently. If the answer was not immediately obvious, they often struggled to read, interpret and analyse the material in front of them. Instead, they searched for clues, keywords or shortcuts that would lead them directly to the answer.
Reading is how children develop understanding. It builds vocabulary, comprehension, critical thinking and the ability to evaluate information. Without these skills, students may be able to find answers, but they cannot fully understand or apply what they have found.
Technology has made information instantly accessible, but access to information is not the same as knowledge. The ability to read deeply, think critically and make sense of information remains one of the most important skills we can teach.
Nadine McMaster, Port Melbourne
Not a charity
The article “Brethren instructions to election workers exposed” (30/5) confirms, as those on the frontlines during 2025 pre-poll and election day already knew firsthand, that the Christian Brethren are actively engaged in partisan politics in Australia. This disqualifies them from charitable status which the Australian Charities and Non-Profit Register confirms they have.
The government must ensure that the Brethren lose their charitable status.
Amy Bachrach, McKinnon
Not good enough
Have we completely lost our minds? Re. “a man who recently returned from an area near Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo arrived at Monash Medical Centre’s emergency department with symptoms of the disease” (″Hospital systems pass first test after suspected Ebola case in Melbourne″, 30/5). Just to state the obvious: there should be no one flying in from the DRC or Uganda until Ebola is fully under control – and then some. Excellent that our health system passed the test. And if it hadn’t?
Lawrence Pope, Carlton North
Hezbollah’s role
The plight of Lebanon and its people as set out by Lyda Dankha (Comment, 29/5) is indeed tragic, but her article is missing one crucial word – Hezbollah.
Hezbollah has repeatedly dragged Lebanon into conflict with Israel in the service of its Iranian masters, including in 2006, on October 8 2023 and in March this year, each time launching unprovoked attacks on the Jewish state.
The level of destruction is because Hezbollah so completely embeds its military infrastructure among civilian properties. UN Security Council resolutions and ceasefire terms have required Hezbollah to disarm, but it refuses, and has threatened to start a civil war if Lebanon’s government makes a peace deal with Israel.
The poverty referred to is also due to corruption from Hezbollah, which controlled Lebanon’s government for many years. The economy was already a basket case, requiring record international bailouts, in 2020.
Athol Morris, Forde, ACT
Trumpian logic
Donald Trump was going to invite all Republican presidents to the 250th US anniversary UFC cage fight, living and dead. Both Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight Eisenhower said no in case they had to clean up Trump’s wars. Nixon is a maybe as Trump makes him seem like a saint. But the most telling of all was Lincoln who said he’d rather go to the theatre.
Greg Tuck, Warragul
No retro decisions
Regarding the article “Boy facing adult time over crimes” (30/5), many people support tougher penalties for young people who commit serious crimes, and parliament is entitled to legislate for future offending. However, changing the law moving forward is one thing, but retrospectively changing the law and consequences for acts that have pre-dated new legislation is another matter. This breaches fundamental principles of fairness, the rule of law and the separation of powers.
The question is not whether the young offender deserves punishment. The question is should we accept a court system that adopts legal consequences of an act that can be retrospectively manipulated by the government and the community after the act has been committed.
The rule of law and separation of powers should not in any way be undermined – however this type of negotiation or manipulation undermines that rule of law and legal safeguards in place for all parties to a case.
Anna Radywonik, Moonee Ponds
War’s hidden costs
The article ″The exploding cost of war″ (31/5) explains nicely why working out the cost of a war is so difficult. Partly it is governments’ preference for concealing much of it, but mainly the problem of what to include as a cost.
In 2008, Nobel-laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz published a book on the cost of the Iraq war, The Three Trillion Dollar War, another war in which the then US president gloated weeks after the first attack that Mission Accomplished could be announced, at the start of what turned out to be a 10-year involvement.
One big cost is post-war care for veterans and their families, and the backup civilian workforce needed to replace all the discharged missiles, drones and bombs. And especially in the US, which funds almost everything by borrowing, (with interest outlays for decades), the rise in national debt will add much more to the cost of the Iran misadventure.
Robert Bender, Ivanhoe East
Go, ‘Tiger Moths!’
Richmond and Essendon should merge under the name “Tiger Moths”. I am still working on a suitable theme song anthem.
Howard Mitchell, Mount Eliza
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
With Tony Abbott as president, the Liberal Party will be able to slash its advertising budget. Three words will now sum them up: No, Stop, and Won’t.
Mark Kennedy, Sebastopol
We’ve tasted that onion already.
Christopher de Silva, Ashburton
Sorry Tony Abbott, ″The worst government in living memory?″ You are clearly amnesic.
Bryan Lewis, St Helena
No one has forgotten Tony Abbott’s previous form of negativity and misogyny. A cynical desperate appointment that is a master stroke in self-sabotage.
Barry Davies, Eltham
With Tony Abbott as president, the final nail in the Liberal coffin gets hammered in. Vale.
Robyn Westwood, Heidelberg Heights
The ″Clive and Pauline Party″ sounds like the perfect title for a John Clarke-style comedy.
Merryn Boan, Brighton
The Nationals are calling for an early election over tax reform. They should be careful what they wish for.
Reg Murray, Glen Iris
Furthermore
Rail operator underpays staff (″Rail workers bypass unions to sue for wage theft″, 30/5). That wouldn’t happen on the Big Build.
Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South
“Who needs four guns?” (Letters, 30/5). Who needs four of anything except T-shirts, socks and jocks?
Peter Rushen, Carnegie
Lucky for E. Jean Carroll that Donald Trump set up his ″anti-weaponisation″ fund.
Elizabeth Long, Fawkner
Helen Garner nails it again (Letters, 29/5). Where do I hit the Like button on her defence of the phone call?
Bill Jacobs, Malvern East
Finally
It is amazing how a change of coach can improve a team’s performance. Who knows, Carlton could be in finals contention.
Doug Springall, Yarragon
