This paper’s reporting of the McKinnon Index shows a worrying lack of trust in the political system and politicians themselves (“Poll shows plunge in trust for politicians”, November 2).
asserted
shows → show → politicians
NSW voters will go to the polls on March 13.
asserted
voters → go → March
Between now and then we, the voters, have a great opportunity to engage in the process.
asserted
we → have → process
Campaigning has begun.
asserted
Campaigning → begin → ?
You will soon start seeing doorknockers and street stalls with your local candidates getting their faces out there and, if they’re smart, listening and responding to local people.
asserted
they → start → people
I worked for a state politician for one four-year term and have been actively engaged in local campaigning for more than a decade.
asserted
I → work → decade
Two things amazed me.
asserted
things → amaze → me
First, how few people engage with their local MPs and the day-to-day political processes.
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people → engage → day
And second, how positive it is to chat to local people about local (or big) issues; sharing information and getting under the bonnet of sincerely held opinions and grievances.
asserted
it → chat → opinions
So if you would actually like to feel more engaged and connected, then look out for opportunities over the coming months to have an in-real-life conversation about issues that are of concern to you.
asserted
that → like → you
You never know, you might walk away feeling more optimistic about our cherished democracy.
uncertain
you → know → democracy
It’s worth the time and risk, surely?
asserted
It → ’ → ?
The research foreshadows the need for a standalone subject of civics and citizenship in schools.
asserted
research → foreshadow → schools
Trust in democracy is based on knowledge and critical thinking.
asserted
Trust → base → knowledge
The 2027 NSW educational reforms provide only limited hours for topics with embedded principles of democracy.
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reforms → provide → democracy
It is mandatory, but I suspect that chance learning is still a factor.
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learning → suspect → ?
We need to be more strategic about teaching our democracy if we want to entrench trust in its processes.
asserted
we → need → processes
Then all citizens will be skilled in critical thinking to bring political accountability.
asserted
citizens → bring → accountability
Anne Eagar, Epping
Even as the body she leads, the McKinnon Institute for Political Leadership, reveals an alarming dive in Australians’ respect for their elected representatives, Dr Susan Close presents a positive view (“Don’t let intimidation drive good people away”, November 2).
asserted
intimidation → lead → people
More than 75 per cent of Australians “still believe democracy is preferable to any other system of government”, and more than 80 per cent “believe protecting it should be a priority”.
asserted
protecting → believe → it
Full marks to her organisation’s efforts to equip politicians with “the skills they need to govern well”.
asserted
they → equip → skills
An outstanding instance would be if Prime Minister Anthony Albanese refused to cave in to the ogres of the AI industry and sell out Australia’s writers, artists, musicians and performers (“Tech’s national security case to gut copyright laws ‘is a bluff’”, November 2).
asserted
case → refuse → laws
Will he stand up for those who fire our imaginations?
asserted
who → stand → imaginations
Will he play his part in rebuilding the nation’s trust in our political leaders?
asserted
he → play → leaders
Only time will tell.
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time → tell → ?
Tom Knowles, Parkville (Vic)
Time to increase revenue
The commentary about the state of the federal budget is curious because it’s nearly all about spending.
asserted
it → increase → spending
The latest is Finance Minister Katy Gallagher noting there are real pressures on the spending side that will be very difficult to avoid (“Search on for budget savings”, November 1).
asserted
that → note → savings
If the prime target is a lower deficit and spending can’t be curtailed, then the only option is to increase revenues.
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option → curtail → revenues
The low-hanging fruit are an increase in the current GST and a 25 per cent tax on gas imports.
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fruit → hang → imports
The government is between a rock and a hard place because cutting essential services or increasing tax will both result in noisy criticism.
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cutting → cut → criticism
Graham Hansen, Denistone
Your correspondent refers to the government as “a crew of socialists”.
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correspondent → refer → socialists
My understanding is that socialism is a political and economic philosophy embracing public or worker ownership of the means of production rather than private, corporate ownership.
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socialism → embrace → production
As far as I know, this cautious and unusually conservative Labor government has not nationalised anything lately nor returned corporate ownership to the workers.
asserted
government → know → workers
In fact, it’s recently been selling off public defence property and is retaining substantially privatised delivery of essential services such as childcare, aged care and the NDIS.
asserted
it → sell → childcare
It’s a centrist, pragmatic government committed to a capitalist economy.
asserted
It → ’ → economy
Alison Stewart, Riverview
There seems to be a common opinion that the Commonwealth government could combat its spending excesses in part by raising the GST.
uncertain
government → seem → GST
It seems to be forgotten that raising the GST would require the agreement of all the states.
asserted
raising → seem → states
And in any case, all the additional revenue would be distributed to the states unless they all agreed otherwise.
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they → distribute → states
So, of itself, a higher GST would be of no benefit to the Commonwealth unless it reduced other distributions to the states.
asserted
it → reduce → states
And the states would surely just spend any additional funds anyway, thereby adding to inflationary pressures.
asserted
states → spend → pressures
…and 62 more, not listed.
The Aporia
