His name was on everyone's lips during the federal election campaign and ever since Herald letter writers have been keeping an eye out for the Prime Minister's favourite former Eels player: Jobson Grothe. But he's proved elusive.
John Howard was fond of saying the Liberal Party was a broad church. Not broad enough that Kristina Photios was able to speak her mind without having first quit ("Liberal Party powerbroker's wife Kristina Photios quits over lack of action on climate change", December 9). Are Liberal Party membership and integrity now mutually exclusive? Malcolm Turnbull should take note as he tries to lead the country while he doesn't even lead his own party. Bill Gillis Hallidays Point
How is it that our Premier, Mike Baird, can spew forth blatant lies about the veracity of the land title system changes he has initiated?
My advice to policy makers: avoid tossing out the baby with the bathwater.
As an octogenarian who has voted Liberal all my life I am now sick and tired of yesterday's men sitting on the backbench sniping at the government.
When the chief executive of the Law Council of Australia tells Mike Baird that leasing the Land and Property Information unit is not a good idea, maybe the Premier should listen.
The problem with recruiting IT and skilled technicians to Sydney is more likely to come down to a world shortage of these qualified people than boredom.
We write letters and then along comes Cathy Wilcox and in four frames summarises the Baird ethos (Wilcox cartoon, November 27).
As I watched Mr Turnbull crow about what his wonderful achievements this year I realised that he had finally reached the logical conclusion of his journey as Prime Minister. He ends the year equal in stature to those who surround him in Parliament. He has become a moral pygmy.
Maths students of Kazakhstan take a bow. When our front page story blared "Australian students fare worse than Kazakhstan in maths and science", readers were quick to provide some solutions to the problem: "what's wrong with maths standards in Australia." As Peter Baker of Smiths Lake pointed out: "It's seems that despite the brilliance shown by its maths and science students, the country of Kakakhstan continues to be used as an example of what a country shouldn't be.... The story also gave a backhander to our students.."Is this the best you can achieve? You can't even beat Kazakhstan of all countries?" But as Robert Fisher, a Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Sydney we should not dismiss this central Asian country as some mathematical backwater.
The additional $549 million cost of the inner-city light rail project is only the tip of this emerging dinosaur ("Public were misled on light-rail costs", December 1).
Simon Birmingham says he wants evidence-backed action to stop Australia's slip in international school rankings. Here it is: the more we privatise our education system, the more we slip in the rankings.
The government constantly uses Australia's growing budget deficit to justify ever more punitive crackdowns on the reporting errors of welfare recipients who are already struggling to survive.
Look Malcolm Turnbull, end this time warp and give yourself the opportunity to be dumped with dignity.
Fidel Castro started his political life as a ruling-class nationalist, opposed to the corrupt US supported/appointed regime of Fulgencio Batista.
The statistics show that new NSW cycling laws so blatantly favour motorists over cyclists ("New cycle fines top $1.3 million", November 20).
Congratulations to Rob Stokes for breaking ranks and telling it like it is.
Readers had plenty to say about the resignation of the Independent Commission Against Corruption's chief this week and many smelled a rat.
It is a very difficult job to excise corruption in politics. Since the founding of NSW, government leaders were more inclined to buckle to corruption than confront it.
It is good to see you giving good coverage to the need for a sugar tax.
Your front page photo of Sydney's fastest growing suburb, The Ponds ("Terracotta warriors, November 22), paints a bleak picture of where urbanised living is heading.
We are fortunate to live on the lower north shore, yet our family pays over $3000 a year in tolls.
Once again we see that the Baird government has not consulted broadly about the increasing population of Sydney, although he has consulted with property developers ("Sydney set to pack in 185,000 new homes", November 19-20).
Education, aged care and health in this country should not be regarded as they are now – as avenues for immense gain.
Malcolm Turnbull and his conservative backbench still don't get it ("PM on collision course with Trump over trade," November 18). The victory of Trump in America is a knee-jerk reaction to the stubborn refusal of governments to abandon neo-liberalism with its insidious inequality, precarious employment prospects and lack of a decent, secure, living wage. Globalisation, privatisation and tax cuts for business have brought about a society resembling a sort of new feudalistic order. Voters increasingly know they are being lied to and are revolting in the same chaotic way they have in the past. The old way no longer works anymore and the future does not look too bright for any of us, including Malcolm. Bruce Spence Balmain
Malcolm Turnbull can dismiss Gillian Triggs, but her legacy will live on. ("Triggs' contract will not be renewed," November 17). I suspect she has more compassion and integrity in her little finger than the whole of the Turnbull government put together. She has been relentless in her staunch defence of human rights and exposure of the cruelty inflicted on asylum seekers, in spite of the most vicious personal attacks. She was pilloried for one error by a government plagued by errors and mediocracy.mediocrity. Her dignity and leadership have been a source of encouragement, and a shining light in some very dark times in our country. We owe Professor Triggs a great debt of gratitude. Mr Turnbull et al, should not expect their contracts to be renewed at the end of the present term. I suggest their legacy will not be a source of pride. Graham Lum North Rocks
The proposal to move to a three-person ICAC will result in a restriction on the commissioner's power to hold public inquiries, which have played a large part in the ICAC's success, both as a deterrent to corruption and as a means of stimulating other witnesses to come forward.
To distract us from the disaster of the Orange byelection, Magic Mike's Coalition government has announced its "commitment" to a metro rail line from the Sydney CBD to Parramatta.
So Troy Grant has suffered for the Nationals' debacle in Orange. That might get rid of the puppet but the puppeteer will remain.
It is wonderful to see the suffering crowds on Manus and Nauru offered a home in the land of the free ("Secret deals end offshore detention", November 12-13). Their treatment to date has been a dreadful stain on our national history. Based on our actions many of them have probably decided already that Australia is no longer a place they want to call home. However I am very confused about how this acts as a deterrent to people smugglers. A back door to the USA seems a real incentive to try for Australia with hopes of a home in another fine place. Malcolm says "once only" but he is of the professional expediency class who live in our own Disneyland beside Lake Burley Griffin. Other than the saving of face for our political leaders, how has can this be more practical than finding them place in our country. They are now shown to be real refugees. Why are we so proudly and stubbornly merciless in this aspect of Australia's refugee policies. Peter Copleston Westleigh
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