It should concern every Australian that an elected member of parliament can be attacked and seriously injured while carrying out their public duties (“MP Haines ‘critical’ after attack at elecorate office”, October 20).
asserted
Haines → concern → office
Is this the Australia we have become, where political disagreement increasingly gives way to hostility, intimidation and violence?
asserted
disagreement → become → hostility
We witness growing thuggery in public life, accompanied by language in parliament that should be unacceptable in any civilised democracy.
asserted
that → witness → democracy
Liberal MP Angie Bell reportedly suggested that the prime minister and small business minister should be “shamed and stoned in the square” for proposing changes to taxation arrangements benefiting wealthy Australians.
uncertain
minister → suggest → Australians
Meanwhile, the Liberal leader repeatedly brands the prime minister a liar, apparently with support from the Nationals’ leadership.
asserted
leader → brand → leadership
One Nation, and sometimes the Greens, also contribute divisive rhetoric.
asserted
Nation → contribute → rhetoric
When political leaders normalise personal abuse and hostility, should we be surprised when others follow their example?
asserted
others → normalise → example
After the appalling attack on Helen Haines, Angus Taylor released a statement that included the following sentiment: “Our nation cannot become a place where violent attacks are normalised.”
asserted
attacks → release → sentiment
Last week, one of his own MPs, Angie Bell stood up in parliament and stated that “Anne Aly and Anthony Albanese should be shamed and stoned in the square”.
asserted
Aly → stand → square
As a proud Australian, I am horrified at the attack on Helen Haines.
asserted
I → horrify → Haines
She has the qualities of a politician we wish for: integrity, honesty, intelligence, and works hard for all.
asserted
we → have → all
Everyone wishes you a speedy recovery.
asserted
Everyone → wish → recovery
Aussies love to laugh.
asserted
Aussies → love → ?
Bea Hodgson, Gerringong
Given the boundless respect now being shown for Helen Haines by Right and Right Light political parties, you’d think she wouldn’t have had to fight tooth and nail for – and in substance largely been overruled on – the setting up of a properly empowered national anti-corruption body.
asserted
she → give → body
The only valid way for a constituent to act against a politician is at the ballot box.
asserted
constituent → act → box
Peter Butler, Wyongah
‘Satire’ sad and dire
It appears that Pauline Hanson does not know the meaning of satire when she regarded the mocking of Jacqui Lambie’s health issue in her “Please Explain” cartoon as “satire” (“Hanson dismisses Lambie’s anger over attack”, October 20).
asserted
Hanson → appear → attack
In order for something to be satirical, it needs to expose and ridicule some kind of folly or injustice.
asserted
it → need → folly
Senator Lambie’s health issue, shared by many women, is not, and never can be an object of satire.
asserted
issue → share → satire
Pauline Hanson’s attitude just exposes her ignorance and insensitivity.
asserted
attitude → expose → ignorance
Surely, it’s time for Ms (I’ll have a whinge about anything and everything) Hanson to show herself to be a genuine Aussie and claim personal ownership and authorship of the demeaning character “put-downs” of respected people’s representatives, or else make known the identities of the faceless employees of her organisation that are orchestrating the offensive campaign of propaganda being issued by her political party.
uncertain
that → ’ → party
Whoever is the source of these snide put-downs contributes nothing to uphold the ethos of Australian culture.
asserted
is → contribute → culture
How low are Pauline Hanson and One Nation prepared to go?
asserted
Hanson → go → ?
Do we really want to find out?
asserted
we → want → ?
Christine Ahern, Byron Bay
So the crybaby that leads One Nation thinks Jacqui Lambie should “get over it” when jokes are made about her medical condition.
asserted
jokes → lead → condition
Remember how upset she got when a comedian used the term “Pauline Pantsdown”?
asserted
comedian → remember → term
Talk about thin-skinned sook, and she wants to lead the country.
asserted
she → talk → country
A bit like not liking a painting of yourself and doing everything to get it removed from display.
asserted
it → like → display
Philip Dowle, Wickham
Real Greens revealed
Since their “creation”, the Greens have always sanctimoniously claimed they aren’t like the “old parties”, as unlike them, they don’t have factions.
asserted
they → reveal → factions
If there were ever any doubt as to the fallacy of this claim, it was debunked by the fallout of the aftermath of their recent leadership ballot (“‘Nasty political games’: Steele-John claims rumours were weaponised”, smh.com.au, October 18).
uncertain
rumours → be → ballot
To confirm that factions do indeed exist, Senator Steele-John is blaming an “unofficial” faction for undermining him.
asserted
John → confirm → him
Ian De Landelles, Murrays Beach
Time to tweak tax
Surely, it’s a no-brainer (Letters, October 20): raise the GST to 15 per cent on luxury items such as boats, cars, jewellery and the like that cost more than $150,000.
asserted
that → tweak → 150,000
If you have that sort of money, a bit more won’t be missed.
asserted
bit → have → money
Brian Roach, St Ives
You can’t fight poverty with increasing the regressive Goods and Services Tax, nor just by raising the income tax threshold.
asserted
You → fight → threshold
The only times in my living memory that poverty was reduced were under Bob Hawke, when pensions and benefits were increased and indexed, and during COVID, when Scott Morrison significantly increased pensions and benefits.
asserted
Morrison → reduce → pensions
We have a community of people solely reliant on pensions and benefits who suffer with every cost-of-living increase.
asserted
who → have → increase
It is beyond acceptable that we fail to address the needs of our most disadvantaged.
asserted
we → fail → disadvantaged
If the Grattan Institute wants more money in the Australian economy, rather than increasing the GST they should advocate for a 30 per cent gas-export tax, less tax-avoidance loopholes, and a minimum tax payment for the one in four Australian companies not paying tax.
asserted
they → want → tax
Oh, and while they’re at it, get Meta, X, Alphabet and the AI companies to pay their fair share or be turned off.
asserted
Meta → ’re → share
There ... cash shortage fixed.
asserted
shortage → fix → ?
Allan Kreuiter, Roseville
You can do better than that, Ed (“Labor MP wants party to ‘unshackle the economy’” , October 20).
asserted
party → want → economy
…and 60 more, not listed.
The Aporia
