With apologies to Oscar Wilde, I wonder if Mr Turnbull's Dorian Gray, horribly twisted by Tony Abbott's Lord Henry Wootton and fellow travellers like Pauline Hanson, has his portrait hanging behind a door in the bowels of his Point Piper mansion. If so, it must be looking very shabby, and bear little resemblance to the old, whimsical, leather-clad, seemingly liberal star of Q & A sessions past. That is a tragedy for him and his family, but through initiatives like the cruel, proposed crank-up of asylum seeker abuse, he is taking us all with him, at huge cost to our international reputation and self respect.
Norman Huon, Port Melbourne
PM's cruelty is shocking
How many voters thought when Mr Turnbull became Prime Minister that Australia would reclaim international respect? Only overwhelming disappointment and disgust remain. His latest announcement banishing refugees from ever settling in, or entering, Australia reveals the moral fibre of fairy floss. The cruelty in his words is shocking, not just because of the inhumanity of the proclaimed lifetime prohibition "under any circumstances", but also because of the implication that these asylum seekers are criminals simply because they have tried to preserve their own and their children's lives. One should never doubt that political injustice is what breeds future terrorists.
Janet Upcher, Battery Point, Tasmania
Powerless to prevent right-wing takeover
Mr Turnbull is now completely compromised by the right wing of his party. After adopting the draconian ideas about asylum seekers proposed by Peter Dutton, we now have the erstwhile PM Tony Abbott usurping the role of the Foreign Minister, flying to Papua New Guinea to extol the virtues of his administration. I don't remember Mr Abbott having any official role in the government other than as a humble back bencher. After recently jetting around Europe espousing his right wing ideas he has now turned to our region. It seems the right wing now sets the agenda and Mr Turnbull is powerless to prevent it.
Hans Pieterse, Narre Warren North
Is he stupid or just stubborn?
As a teacher in frustration I once asked my class of students who could not take in what I was teaching: "What are you? Stupid or stubborn?" A little voice answered: "A bit of both." So I ask Mr Turnbull the same question about his volte-face on issues like climate change, marriage equality and now refugee resettlement. He is stubbornly not listening to the majority of Australians, whose reaction to his lurch to the right is reflected in the polls. Can he be that stupid to think that by acquiescing to his right wing he will retain the leadership and the Coalition will be re-elected in 2019? Dream on.
Robert Ray, Sassafras
A man who stands for nothing
Kevin Rudd was his own man, but Mr Turnbull is not, yet he has nothing to lose and everything to gain by standing on his feet – if everything is self-respect and public respect. Mr Rudd wasn't beholden to unions and factions in Labor. When they took the leadership off him he kept his pride, and fought another day. Mr Turnbull, with his "Paris is worth a Mass" mentality as he kowtows to the party right, can only be dismissed by history as someone who stood for nothing; is it worth it? Perhaps he should listen to the Who and say to the right: "Why don't you all fade away..." Better still, apply Christian values since the lot of them say they are and ask the question: "What would Jesus do with refugees?", for example. What is the Jesus-like way, Malcolm?
John Dobinson, North Balwyn
THE FORUM
Jail won't help my son
Please let there be no more talk of mandatory sentencing. It is not a deterrent to crime, which is often a result of irrational behaviour that is drug – or alcohol – fuelled. It prevents magistrates and judges from taking into account all circumstances and it clogs our jails with people who have a better chance of being rehabilitated in another setting.
My youngest is 22, and has suffered drug/alcohol addiction for the past five years. He has been in and out of the court system, and has avoided prison by being placed on community based orders. For the past five months he has been making progress in a rehabilitation facility, and finally glimpses a future for himself.
He has one serious charge still pending. Under the proposed laws he would go to jail but under the current legislation he may receive a further community based order because he is trying to tackle his issues. How could a jail term at this point help him or the community?
We must ensure sentencing arrangements are flexible. More rehabilitation centres throughout the state would also ultimately reduce crime and give our addicts hope for a future.
Name and address withheld
High recidivism rate
Victoria's prison population is soaring disproportionately to the level of crime (The Age, 3/11). This costly "tough on crime" approach is unlikely to make our community safer, with Victoria's recidivism rate remaining high at 42.8 per cent.
While people must be held accountable for their actions, we know that many in our overcrowded prison system are dealing with multiple, complex forms of disadvantage. More than half have alcohol or drug problems and 43 per cent expect to be homeless on release. If we truly want to reduce crime, we must provide prisoners with education and counselling and treatment services while in detention and stronger transitional programs upon exit. But to reduce criminal behaviour in the first place we must invest in housing, health, and education and training pathways.
Julie Edwards, CEO, Jesuit Social Services
Teachers, not police
The recent increased disturbances at youth detention centres are the result of a foolish decision by the then Baillieu government five years ago. The Liberals had promised there would be no cuts to education, but once in government they cut school funding for VCAL courses and cut $300 million from TAFE, also a major VCAL provider.
The Baillieu government also built jails rather than schools and funded extra police rather than extra teachers. It was no coincidence that crime rates, after years of declining, began rising, despite more police, harsher penalties and more jails. A generation of "at risk" students has missed out on educational opportunities and we are seeing the consequences. It is much easier to destroy than to build.
Paul Kennelly, Caulfield North
According to the script
One of the arguments against the privatisation of Victoria's power stations was that new owners, particularly foreign ones, could let the asset run down and walk away from it. This was dismissed as being ridiculous by the government at the time. Yet that is what is happening with Hazelwood. Just the latest example of the "success" of privatising Victoria's power generation grid.
Geoff McNamara, Newry
Slash use, cut bills
With the closure of Hazelwood, much has been written that transitioning from coal-fired power to renewable energy will increase electricity prices, and thus our bills ("Closure to force power bills higher", 3/11).
But why is there no talk about what can be done to reduce how much electricity households use? What about that energy efficiency and conservation stuff we used to hear about?
It is time governments introduced mandatory energy performance standards for existing dwellings (especially rental properties); strengthened energy efficiency requirements for appliances; provided free home energy audits (remember them?); and even green loans.
There is no shortage of ideas on how to slash energy usage and save money. And these measures will help enormously in cutting carbon emissions. We just have to get serious about it. Increased power bills are not inevitable.
Andrea Bunting, Brunswick
Crack down on visas
And now it is Caltex; yet another company accused of underpaying and intimidating workers (The Age, 3/11). And for every business that is reported, many go unreported.
Australia led the world with the Eight Hour Day in 1856 and the basic wage in 1907, guaranteeing a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. This changed with the Independent Contractors Act in 2006, which resulted in some companies no longer employing staff directly to avoid paying sick leave, holiday pay and superannuation and setting the stage for the exploitation of workers.
Furthermore, the introduction of 457 visas have meant foreign workers are not only taking jobs from qualified locals, but the companies importing these workers are not adequately policed to ensure they pay appropriate wages and supply safe working and living conditions.
The government, Fair Work Australia and the unions must cooperate to restore decency and fairness in the workplace. A media campaign would also ensure workers knew their rights and could name and shame dishonest businesses. Benign neglect has proved disastrous.
Meg Paul, Camberwell
Pushed to medicate
I recently applied for a disability pension after six years of struggling with health issues. I have been told by Centrelink that my depression and anxiety are not adequately "treated".
I have been receiving psychological treatment and have been taking anti-depressants. Perhaps with more time and therapy things may improve, but at the moment I need support after 40 years in the workforce. However, I have been told by Centrelink staff to see a psychiatrist for further medication. I have done so grudgingly, feeling that my current therapy is best for me. But I have been pushed by the "system" to accept this, and now have to take stronger medication. I wonder if this is happening to others.
It must be disheartening for psychologists when their clients are making progress with therapy but are then considered not "adequately treated" if they are not heavily medicated (Letters, 2/11).
Jacque Macdonald, Bentleigh East
Beware giving advice
The most common killer of people aged 15-44 in Australia is not car accidents or cancer; it is depression leading to suicide. Anyone can develop depression. Between 10 and 15 per cent of women will develop depression in the year after childbirth.
Research shows that mild depression, like mild diabetes, may respond to non-medication treatments, but significant depression is a disabling and, at times, life-threatening condition. Such severe illness requires medication and non-medication interventions over a suitable period.
Suggesting to a friend or family member that they stop taking antidepressants is equivalent to telling a diabetic to stop insulin, and such advice has caused deaths.
Associate Professor David Horgan, Australian Suicide Prevention Foundation
Meaningless message
Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Gamble responsibly. Given the message is meaningless and has no impact let's repeat it as often as possible.
Marco Mercadante, Eltham
In a manner of speaking
In discussing "the broader issue of how we often treat poorly those with the courage to speak up on inequality and discrimination" ("Race for jockey equality has a long way to run", Editorial, 3/11), one of the things we need to evaluate is the manner in which people go about speaking up. I'm not sure publicly telling detractors to "get stuffed" did Michelle Payne and her important cause many favours.
If a man had said something like that, I wonder whether we would have been as quick to pass it off as "endearing". Offence is unfortunately easily stirred up nowadays and maybe Payne gave her patriarchal industry too easy an excuse for continued intransigence.
John Skaro, Malvern
Tenacity of a spider
Last night, while driving, I was disturbed to find a massive huntsman spider on the side window, just 300 millimetres from my face. In the dark, I couldn't tell whether it was inside or out. However, on the (hopeful) assumption that it was outside, I was struck by its ability to walk on the newly washed window of a car travelling at 110km/h.
A simple maths sum indicates it was hanging on to the glass in spite of being blown by a force at the very least four times its body weight. Inspection of the car afterwards indicated the spider tethered itself by laying down a short single strand of silk. Isn't that simple, natural thing marvellous?
Colin Simmons, Woodend
AND ANOTHER THING...
Politics
Tony Abbott must be getting frantic to have a friend send a job application to newspapers.
Maureen Goldie, Blackwood, SA
What is Abbott really up to?
Sheridan Rodgers, Berwick
Is Malcolm guilty of misleading and deceptive conduct ("Turnbull tougher than Abbott", 31/10)?
Jenny Bone, Surrey Hills
Turnbull PM – Plasticine Moulded.
David Clarke, Eltham
You obviously can't hear the children cry from Point Piper.
Craig Jory, Glenroy, NSW
Malcolm's dream of exciting times ahead seems to be getting out of hand somewhat.
Hugh McCaig, Blackburn
Disgraceful, these babies. Just because they can double-dip from mum they think they can do it from the nation.
Hugh Niall, St Kilda
Today's Senate: One (whitebread) Nation, (my) Family First, National (agribusiness only) and Liberal (anything but).
Greg Curtin, Blackburn South
Who are we to mock the circus that is the US election when we look at our appalling Senate.
Lesley Black, Frankston
Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini promised to make their countries great again. When I listen to Donald Trump, my blood runs cold.
Anna Summerfield, Bendigo
Elsewhere
Placing wind turbines on top of the Hazelwood chimneys would improve the look of them immensely.
Steve Melzer, Hughesdale
I wonder how many Dreamworld employees are hapless "casuals", stood down without pay.
Terry Godden, Heidelberg West
Served in the Birdcage, Penfolds 2012 Grange, $850 per bottle. Newstart allowance, approximately $265 per week. I'm just saying. Again.
Moira Burke, St Kilda