Peter Dutton has shown he is unfit to lead the nation

Peter Dutton is a very effective opposition politician who is extremely clever in appealing to the most basic negative instincts of fear,anger and resentment (“An ugly fight we do not need”,November 16). Whilst extremely ineffective in government,Dutton is proving to be far better in opposition. Therefore,with the greatest respect to his talents,it is recommended that Peter Dutton stays where he belongs;in opposition.Warren Marks,Hill Top

As David Crowe rightly points out,Peter Dutton chose to start an ugly,unnecessary fight in parliament with no consideration of the potential dangerous consequences for our fragile society in these uncertain times. His aim was purely selfish:to damage the prime minister’s reputation by wrongly labelling him weak and antisemitic. Desperate Dutton has demonstrated on many occasions how low he will go to get at Albanese. Hopefully one day he will stoop so low he won’t be able to get back up.Donna Wiemann,Balmain

Tactical blunder,overreach,reckless,inflammatory,dangerous,bad judgement,poor leadership. Call it what you will but the fact is that Peter Dutton chose to promote his self-interest at a time when what was needed by our divided communities was calm and reassurance.Lyn Savage,Coogee

New levels of darkness and gross ineptitude were achieved by Peter Dutton in his shameful circus act in Canberra yesterday. Unable to devise a response to the High Court detention decision,Dutton again dove deep by instead using it as opportunity to promote fear. Fear is a form of ignorance that blocks our intelligence and its repeated abuse by Dutton demeans us all. He doubled down on his failure to lead by then attempting to polarise our great nation over the loss of innocent life in Gaza. The Liberals must grow up and let Dutton go.Martin Bell,Balgowlah

Peter Dutton is an opposition leader we do not need. He is unfit to lead the Liberal Party of Menzies and Fraser. Decent Liberals who wish to live in a harmonious multicultural democracy must consign Dutton to the backbench and build a leadership team that can see beyond conflict and division as a mode of winning government. Australia’s conservative party pursues victory for its own sake and seems to stand for no considered long-term policies,having discarded genuinely Liberal principles.
Philip Bell,Bronte

How very refreshing to see our prime minister finally lose patience in question time. Dutton’s cynical,divisive negativity needs to be seen for the opportunistic play that it is. His attempt to conflate the recent High Court decision with the Gaza conflict is a step too far and demonstrates that he’s unfit for public office,let alone leadership.Tim Parker,Balmain

My advice for Peter Dutton is,if you are unable to make a positive contribution to the country,step aside and make room for someone who can.Tim Roche,Stanmore

Peter Dutton’s xenophobic outburst in federal parliament is a new low in Australian politics. If this man is the alternative prime minister - what a dystopian future he is leading us towards. Hopefully the Australian people can hold to our essential humanity rather than embracing such ugly,tawdry political theatre.Barry Ffrench,Cronulla

Our minority groups don’t always vote the same way

Shaun Carney makes some good points in challenges that our politicians face with the dominant ethnic or religious populations of their electorate (“Melting pot at boiling point”,November 16). But he makes an error in seeing these groups as mono-blocks of votes,as they contain sub-groups within them with their own motivations and world views. For example,not all Indians living in Australia are Hindus but are also Christians,Sikhs and atheists and might at times have opposite views on the politics or government of their “home country”. Trying to satisfy one sub-group might come at the peril of another. I feel this will become more pronounced as time progresses;our politicians need to understand these nuances and depend on their own conscience to speak about issues than just mollycoddling larger groups as re-election strategies.Manbir Singh Kohli,Pemulwuy

Shaun Carney has dwelt on the political challenges of multiculturalism without perceiving the opportunities it represents. Within Australia there are many people with family or cultural links to those actively involved or suffering from the current Middle East conflict who are grieving for the victims on both sides and craving for a just peace. Surely it is possible for these people to come together with others of goodwill to propose a path beyond the cry for vengeance. Australia is possibly better placed than any other nation to develop such a forum and to demonstrate the positive power of multiculturalism.Richard Walsh,Woollahra

Post-World War II migration sparked the rise of multiculturalism,hitting its straps in the 1960s. The comedy film “They’re a Weird Mob” portrayed the journey of Nino Culotta from Italy,showcasing his integration into a welcoming society despite language and customs hurdles. However,the innocence of migration waned after the September 11,2001 terror attack. This event led to the introduction of Operation Sovereign Borders to curb illegal immigration,alongside the establishment of the Manus Island detention centre,raising concerns about who enters our country.
While our economy seeks skilled workers capable of assimilation,there’s no necessity for them to abandon their ethnic customs. Yet,recent unsightly demonstrations in Germany triggered Henry Kissinger,former US Secretary of State,to criticise the influx of people from markedly different cultures and religions,citing the formation of pressure groups in the host country. The reality remains that politicians are indebted to their constituents. To avert adverse policy consequences,our government and officials must meticulously vet immigration applications,striving for a balanced population in terms of both numbers and ethnicities.John Kempler,Rose Bay

Opposition mocks basic rights

It is a feature of non-democratic countries to detain people indefinitely without recourse (“Labor to introduce laws on detainees”,November 16). If refugees are detained after serving their sentences it becomes a slippery slope which defies the basic tenets of a democracy,that is,freedom from arbitrary arrest,detention and exile,and imprisonment without a trial. These rights have existed since 1215. The federal Opposition wants to defy the Magna Carta,the United Nations,the Constitution of Australia by overruling a High Court decision. The Opposition’s defiance of the institutions which protect our basic rights should be called out.Vanessa Tennent,Oatley

Smart schoolies

How clever young people are (“‘Sick note’ for climate strikers to skip school”,November 16). Garnering the support of three eminent climate professors has drawn further attention to this year’s school strike for climate. Missing a few hours of school to demonstrate leadership,engage with democracy,and be the moral compass holding our decision makers accountable on climate,is not just admirable but an essential lesson in itself.Amy Hiller,Kew (Vic)

Bad idea

Even in the 1980s Chevalier College had a fine academic record,but this proposal might be one step too far (“Parents revolt over four-day school week”,November 16). Many of the students will not cope without a huge amount of personal support. A school must provide certain minimum hours of face-to-face instruction in each prescribed subject in each year;this probably cannot be achieved without extending the lengths of the four teaching days. And that cannot be done without the co-operation of the local bus company that services all schools in the region. As well,it would be surprising if the teachers’ union did not object to the extra imposition on the 100 or so teaching and support staff,most of whom coach sporting teams twice a week and accompany them to games locally and in Sydney.Brian O’Donnell,Burradoo

I was the principal of a school that for some fifteen years had lessons for Years 11 and 12 over four days with a fifth day lesson-free. It created significant benefits for the students and enjoyed parent support. On the fifth day students had the option of being at home completing homework,preparing assessments,or working on projects – it was a wonderful preparation for being an independent learner and an ideal segue into tertiary studies. While I do not believe it is appropriate for junior students,the benefits for seniors were numerous.Gerard Mowbray,Warners Bay

Lying game

Martin Parkinson’s faith in politicians is touching but he misses the point (“Breaking news:all politicians are not crooks”,November 16). We understand that politics is a business in which ambition will often outweigh principles. But what we won’t accept is the way so many current politicians now believe that the deliberate promotion of lies,fear-mongering and disinformation is a legitimate part of the process.David Salter,Hunter’s Hill

Martin Parkinson worries about the rise of disinformation in Australia unleashed by alienation from our politics. He sensibly suggests teaching civics in schools and other measures to foster a more civilised political atmosphere. These are necessary and worthy but long-term projects. Yet here and now Donald Trump rides roughshod over truth and still leads in the polls. The lesson for politicians can be that disinformation works. It is no wonder societies everywhere are struggling to find ways to combat it.Gary Barnes,Mosman

In a country with compulsory voting in place surely it is a serious dereliction of duty not to have civics classes embedded in the school curriculum?Angela Namoi,Crows Nest

Martin Parkinson makes a compelling case for educating Australians on our political system. As well as teaching civics to school children,the Australian Electoral Commission should be tasked and funded to run a campaign to educate all Australians on how our system works and why it is arguably the best in the world.Andrew Macintosh,Cromer

Bleak outlook

Today’s letters by other GPs had me shaking my head in agreement (Letters,November 16). If it were not for the love I have for its many positive aspects,relationships with patients and their families built up over many years,networking with specialist colleagues,the mental stimulation required to keep up to date with rapidly changing knowledge and working in a team with supportive staff I too would be joining the many choosing to retire. A bleak outlook for our ageing population.Louise Dolan,Birchgrove

Somebody who is capable of qualifying as a GP is likely to be able to undertake further study and become a specialist. Why would you want to sit in a room for hours on end treating a conveyor belt of ailments for a limited income when you could look after a smaller,targeted cohort with your base income covered by the government and as a bonus write your own cheques to top up your income?Stephen McDonald,Goulburn

When I was locked out of my son’s apartment while he was away,I had to call a locksmith over the weekend;the “emergency” rate was $275 for a five-minute job using a piece of wire as the tool. If a GP works on a single patient at imminent risk of death for up to 2 hours,using specialised medical equipment,a Medicare rebate of $243.85 applies.Marie Healy,Redfern

Teal tiff

It is interesting to note that Zali Steggall and Kylea Tink are in battle after the re-mapping of seats in the northern suburbs (“Teal MPs face off over seat redistribution”,November 16). They can blame Liberal mayors and councils in the area. They have prided themselves in not approving new housing developments which would increase population density. This means that other suburbs become more densely populated thus causing a re-mapping of boundaries. The same thing happened in WA - a Liberal-held seat,Stirling,was abolished for the same reason.John Rome,Mt Lawley (WA)

Brow beaters

My husband has taken on the household shopping and yesterday I asked him to buy me an eyebrow pencil (“Why the pluck are people shaving their eyebrows?”,November 16). He returned safely with said item,very pleased with himself. Then I read an article in theHerald that tells me I don’t have to have eyebrows any more. Who knew?Sylvia Dewey,Bowral

Advanced years and a thyroid issue can remove one’s lush eyebrows without all those fancy cosmetic interventions. Happily out of every negative springs a positive.Elizabeth Kroon,Randwick

Credit to teachers

What wonderful news to read that the future of writing in Australia is in safe hands (“Young essayists show they have write stuff”,November 16). So it seems our much maligned teachers are getting it right after all. After so many recriminations about falling standards and styles of teaching,much good is being done.Maureen Casey,Breakfast Point

Write on

I know about 20 otherHerald letters contributors whom I come across fairly regularly in life and work (Letters,16 November). It’s heartening to be part of such a colourful,thinking,diverse and engaged group of people.Meredith Williams,Northmead

I too am part of a band of scriveners who met through ourHeraldletters.We are now friends and still communicate with each other even after my recent move to Melbourne. Thanks,Herald for my new,interesting and always stimulating new pals.Judy Hungerford,Kew (Vic.)