Letters
APRIL 22
Cheques paid in all the wrong places
10:33 PM What a sad sordid matter the Sally Faulkner case has been ("Deal reached", April 21). Because of the actions of adults two children may never see their mother. Their father Ali Elamine may never let Lahela and Noah leave Lebanon to holiday with their mother. So they'll be virtual prisoners and how will they feel about that when they're old enough to rationalise it.
Letter writers celebrate the Herald's 185th birthday
11:09 AM The Herald's 185th anniversary this week prompted many readers to write congratulation notes to the editor. Here are some of the fond and amusing memories of our letter writers' Sydney Morning Herald.
APRIL 21
ASIC gets more power, but is still wanting
After concerted pressure from the Labor opposition for a royal commission into the banking and finance sectors, the Turnbull government says it will restore more than the $120 million cut from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's budget by the Abbott government in the 2014 budget ("ASIC to get $120m extra, more powers", April 20).
APRIL 20
Election 2016 is a marathon, not a sprint
I fear for my mental health at the prospect of a seven-week binge in electioneering ("Trigger happy: building watchdog rejected, July 2 election looms, high-risk strategy for PM," April 19). In view of the success of the 5:2 Diet, I plead for its adoption by all forms of the media. Two days each week free from the words and images of politicians.
APRIL 19
Everyman PM was bound to disappoint
The disappointment of Turnbull's leadership, the unethical approach to the trucking industry and the lack of colour left following Bronwyn Bishop's departure.
APRIL 18
Where are the Liberal women?
The only regrettable aspect of the demise of Bronwyn Bishop in the Mackellar preselection is that the number of women in Parliament is further reduced
APRIL 17
Price of a lunch
To claim that the Australian taxpayer is paying for an expensive "gala" lunch in China to woo investment rather misses the point.
APRIL 16
Who is really looking after our urban public space?
Elizabeth Farrelly's article ("Parks and Trees make way for profit", April 14), in highlighting the loss, degradation to Sydney's public space amenity poses the obvious question: who is really looking after our urban public space ?
APRIL 15
Furor over new public transport proposal
Those of us who live on the Bankstown line will now have to take buses while this new rail line is built ("Thousands forced onto buses for six months", April 14). But when it is finished will we be any better off, as there will only be seats for 30 per cent of passengers, the rest will have to stand for the 40-minute trip.
APRIL 14
Keep stadium, spend money on schools
Your front page story ("Baby boom puts the squeeze on schools", April 12) tells us that many schools are now facing severe overcrowding.
APRIL 13
School woes due to funding, not teachers
Students should always come first but politicians just don't 'get' it.
APRIL 12
Why are bank scandals still happening?
The prime minister has claimed the powers are available to regulate the banks . . .
APRIL 11
St Cath's saga a lesson in school funding
St Catherine's will have no problem going ahead with its $63 million renovation – it has St Malcolm on its side.
APRIL 10
Teachers are our best resource
The value of laptops and other gadgets used to impart knowledge, depends upon the knowledge and skills of the classroom teacher who will always be the best teaching resource.
APRIL 9
No excitement in thought bubbles
Malcolm Turnbull needs to realise that a good leader is not a searcher for consensus but a moulder of consensus.
APRIL 8
Time for reform of financial services industry
Malcolm Turnbull seeks reform in the banks, but is he brave enough for full reform of the financial services industry.
APRIL 7
Boys' toys have no truck with violence
Children will play with any toy the way that suits them regardless of the toy's gender identity or theirs
APRIL 6
If only Turnbull was more like Piccoli
Thank god for Adrian Piccoli. He is a brave and very atypical Coalition minister: he aims to govern for all, not just the privileged few. Would that we had a prime minister like that. Would that we had a federal education minister like that.
APRIL 5
Opposition to Adani mine is about the reef not politics
The widespread opposition to this unbelievably destructive mine, nationally and internationally, rests not on political beliefs but on the recognition of the kick in the guts it delivers to our children and grandchildren, along with the fatal blow it delivers to the Great Barrier Reef.
APRIL 4
Election bubble burst along with tax plan
So what went wrong for Malcolm Turnbull? Why did the Council of Australian Governments' version of A Fistful of Dollars fail so miserably? Was it because the Prime Minister and Treasurer could not present a united front? Did Turnbull simply fall foul of federation? Were the states and territories being handed a poisoned chalice?
APRIL 3
Church was right to settle
The Catholic Church can be criticised for many things about its handling of clergy abuse, but not for settling civil claims for damages.
APRIL 2
Righting wrongs to aid healing
Thank you Waleed Aly for articulating how I feel about the blind spot we Australians have concerning Indigenous history.
APRIL 1
Turnbull tax idea dismantles Federation
Either we have federal leadership for the good of the whole country or we ditch the whole idea and break apart.
MARCH 31
Peter the Great better than Packer the Great
How much longer must Sydney suffer further outrage at Barangaroo? ("Packer presses his luck for Barangaroo casino", March 30)
Letter of the day: Peter the Great had more vision than Packer
One of Sydney's leading architects, Philip Drew says James Packer and the Department of Planning could learn a lot about urban planning from Russia's Peter the Great.
MARCH 30
PM must act quickly on campaign funding
Your editorial's call for reform of campaign funding should cause Malcolm Turnbull to emulate Premier Baird.
MARCH 29
Pollies must wise up to the effects of tax breaks on housing
At last some really sensible factual comment on the impact of negative gearing and reduced capital gains tax.
MARCH 28
Education in Australia: a race to the Finnish
It's about time that our politicians stopped blaming young teachers who are "not up to scratch" for our falling standards.
MARCH 27
The rise of the telegenic politician
Following the rise and rise of the telegenic Malcolm Turnbull the Goldstein branch of the Liberal Party has acknowledged the appeal to the electorate of the handsome face and the winning smile ("Wilson wins federal seat fight", March 20).
MARCH 25
Old doesn't mean unable to decide
As someone who is approaching my 80th birthday, and suffering from an incurable debilitating disease, I commend the article by Avril Moore ("Kids, don't hide us away when our end is nigh," March 25).
