It is quite likely that those members of Sussan Ley's electorate who chose her as their representative, are now also of the belief that they have made an "error of judgment" ("Health Minister Sussan Ley apologises for Gold Coast trip, agrees to repay expenses", smh.com.au, January 8).
Paul Dolan Concord West
Will Minister Ley be charged a 10 per cent recovery fee or is that only for Centrelink clients?
![Illustration: David Pope](/web/20170110204723im_/http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/t/n/c/4/v/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gtnn9v.png/1484023157202.jpg)
Thos Puckett Ashgrove
Here we are only a few days into the new year and another alleged rorting of the parliamentary entitlement system emerges. The first item of parliamentary business in 2017 must be the reform of the parliamentary entitlement system. The research has been done and Malcolm Turnbull must instruct the Special Minister for State, Scott Ryan, to present changes to the Parliament on day one. If this is not done then Bill Shorten or one of the crossbenchers must present a private members' bill on that day and test the government's mettle.
Our patience has run out.
Greg Loder Springwood
For goodness sake let's move on. Is this a stopper at a BBQ? No. Surely if someone is on a business trip and has free (private) time they can do what they like. Have a meal with a friend, buy a car or do other private things.
Let's concentrate on important matters such as a review of climate change issues. Perhaps people could focus on advising Cory Bernardi that he does not know as much as the Chief Scientist or the CSIRO scientists on the subject.
John Butcher Roseville
If Sussan Ley bought a property on the Gold Coast for $795,000 on a whim without having taken advice regarding the auction contract from someone experienced in Queensland conveyancing law, and without funding approval, she is a negligent risk taker. If she sought prior advice it is difficult to escape the conclusion attending the auction was a prime purpose of the taxpayer-funded trip. In that event it is a cynical exercise to obtain approval for her partner from the Entitlements Management Branch without disclosing that purpose.
Either way she is unfit to be Health Minister.
Robert Crawford Cheltenham
The media are missing the point about Sussan Ley's taxpayer-funded trip to Brisbane. Why did she need to go there to make an announcement about Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme changes? She could have done that from a TV studio anywhere. Perhaps it was in a marginal electorate, in which case we are paying for party political travel.
Colin Simpson Menai
As an age pensioner, I am sick of reading about how the politicians we Australians have elected choose to devise ways to get money back from Centrelink recipients, while at the same time gorging themselves from the money trough that their jobs provide.
Maybe it's time for all of this to be changed. History shows that other countries have done this via revolutions. One speculates if it is now time for Australian politicians to review their entitlements, and for a better and fairer system to be implemented.
Karen Eldridge Leichhardt
I can imagine buying a $200 pair of shoes "on impulse", but a $795,000 apartment?
Carolyn Wills Cremorne
I wonder if Sussan Ley has managed to negatively gear her new apartment yet – you know, like on an impulse.
Justin Brash Surry Hills
We seem to have two-tier system for those that receive money from the public purse. Those that require help from Centrelink, who are vilified, threatened with prison and debt collectors and trashed by politicians, certain media groups and shock jocks, and politicians who think that the taxpayer should pay for their extravagant life style.
We see the Minister for Heath able to bill us more than $4000 for air fares and accommodation for herself and spouse, why?
We are constantly told by the Treasurer we are living beyond our means yet these parasites continue to flout the rules concerning travel expenses.
It's time that these entitlements were reined in or stopped. If politicians want to gain the respect of the voter then they should use the cheapest form of travel and accommodation and every three months publish an itemised account of their expenses.
Will Ley receive a letter to ask her to refund the taxpayer these outrageous travel claims or face being sacked? Of course not, because they all do it.
Robert Pallister Punchbowl
"The Minister met with patients on the Gold Coast; however, because of patient confidentiality and sensitivity reasons she does not intend to provide any more information on this meeting."
Bronwyn Bishop lives!
Harry Williamson Federal
I suspect Sussan Ley has just negatively geared her career.
Bill Carpenter Bowral
What about pursuing large corporations over tax?
Governments should make no apology for pursuing people's debts 'in the interest of the taxpayers' but they should apologise for pursuing people who have no payable debts. (No apology for debt clawback, says Joyce", January 7). Christian Porter says that the government will persist with this new Centrelink system even if it upsets a minority of people. He is not referring to people who are criminals but to some of the most vulnerable people in the country who are wrestling with a system which has been said to be a debacle on many levels. I don't suppose that this is the time to suggest that 'in the interest of taxpayers' the government pursues a few large corporations that are not paying taxes?
Lyn Savage Coogee
Joyce had no qualms wasting an estimated $25.6 million of taxpayers money to move the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority to his electorate. Yet he has the audacity to claim he is protecting taxpayers when he defends the government's atrocious data (mis)matching and debt collecting program.
Samantha Chung Newtown
As a former assistant commissioner of taxation in the Australian Tax Office, allow me to ask a question. Of course, the misuse of the tax office data by Centrelink is reprehensible, but how is it that the ATO could allow this to happen? Making more than 3000 tax officers redundant might have contributed to it, as might the lack of vision of the commissioner and the other private sector cronies now common in the office. If so, it makes the ATO culpable in this disaster too.
John Passant Kambah (ACT)
No apology for the Centrelink debt clawback, eh, Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce? No problem, Joyce, as long as you don't mind us not apologising when we boot out your government at the next federal election.
Bruce Stafford Tascott
Short-stays: end unit residents' suffering
Before and after it initiated a review of short-term holiday letting there have been consistent requests to the NSW government asking it to amend the state's strata legislation to give owners corporations the unequivocal power to adopt by-laws banning Airbnb-type uses within their own specific residential developments, provided a majority of individual owners agree.
Jimmy Thomson's article ("Vandalism, dirty tricks, dodgy laws as Airbnb fight gets nasty", January 7-8). provides yet further, and forcefully compelling evidence, why this should have already happened and why it is critical for it to happen as soon as practicable .
One reason why the government would refuse such a request would be if it had too many members who owned residential investment properties that were presently being used for such financially rewarding but socially unacceptable uses. But that couldn't possibly be the case, could it?
Harvey Sanders Paddington
Jimmy Thomson does not exaggerate. Those who live in residential strata are cranky and suffering.
In our complex, over the break, the partying, loud music and yahooing in the pool from just one apartment meant sleepless nights for so many more. Our building manager checked the apartment on the internet and there it was, advertised for nightly lettings.
The occupants took no notice of his requests to cut back on the noise and to think of others. But they did offer the reassurance, "We'll be gone in two days' time".
What can we expect next?
John Hutchinson Waterloo
Too-busy Morrison
Keith Hardie (Letters, January 7-8) bemoans the fact that Scott Morrison usually doesn't reply to letters. Like Hardie, I too am an elector in Morrison's seat of Cook and have long ago given up on ever receiving a reply from our local member.
Morrison is presumably provided with paid staff to work in his electorate office. If he doesn't reply to letters from his electors one can only wonder how they fill their day. Crosswords? Knitting? Tiddlywinks?
James Prior Sylvania Waters
The art of trumping
After reading the weekend SMH, I am convinced that Donald Trump should change his surname to "Trumputin" ("Putin's team seen toasting Trump win", "Trump's Russian bromance", "Trump and the post-truth world", January 7-8)
The new name can then be used as a verb, for example instead of saying "I will trump you" one can say "I will trumputin you".
Or it can be used as a noun, for example, by saying "we are living in an age of "trumputinism" or "I am opposed to "trumputinism, and hopefully, sooner rather than later, we will be living in a post-trumputin world".
Geoffrey Williamson Woollahra
Violence begets violence
That the Ultimate Fighting Championship can take place in modern Australia demeans our standing as a civilised nation ("Brutal sport leaves tragic legacy", January 7-8). What hope is there of ever ending the scourge of domestic violence when some 56,000 people in one of our greatest cities will pay to watch an appalling spectacle that has every appearance of a legally sanctioned incitement to violence.
Bernard Weaver Gymea
Mindless driving
There are already thousands of driverless cars on the roads, particularly on freeways ("Driverless cars: if a robot is given a choice, who will die in a car crash?", January 7-8).
Tasks such as lane changing and overtaking trucks at 110km/h-plus on cruise control are no longer top of mind when even the person at the wheel is concentrating on GPS, WiFi music, hands-free mobiles and other mind-sapping distractions. The actions quickly become virtual random decisions.
When people can't even remember their credit card passwords at a supermarket checkout, what chance do they have of becoming the default option driver when the computer declares, "Error in updating, please renew your interest in living."
John Ward Bangor
Man of character
Min English (Letters, January 7-8) should indeed be proud of her father, Jon. I had a colleague who was a member of Jon's school rock band at Cabramatta High School. He told me how the band continued as a part-time group long after Gentleman Jon had left to become famous. Jon used to come back and join them for a few weeks every Christmas holidays. They had no trouble getting gigs with Jon in the band. I asked my friend how they split the fees. Equal shares to each band member. Truly "Gentleman Jon".
Graham Tucker Kiama
Life's like that
Denis Wolff (Letters, January 7-8) reminded me of an unfortunate but ironic event at a pensioners' Christmas party where I was playing piano accompanying my late dad on sax. One old chap suffered a heart attack so the music stopped while attempts were made to revive him. After the man was taken away by ambulance, we noticed the next tune up was Enjoy yourself (It's later than you think). We didn't play it.
Peter Cowan Mount Keira
Can't hear – if only
Not since Trainwreck has a dud movie been more aptly named (Letters, January 7-8). All you want to do for the duration of La La Land is close your eyes, put your fingers in your ears, and sing loudly "La La La La".
Alicia Dawson Balmain
Stupid is as stupid does is the lesson
George Fishman (Letters, January 7-8) thinks Malcolm Roberts is self-evidently not a "village idiot" because he has two university degrees, while New Zealand MP Kelvin Davis is because he merely has a teaching diploma.
Perhaps he thinks there is some sort of sliding scale of village idiocy that can be applied to people simply by looking at their tertiary qualifications.
I think George needs to reflect carefully on that exquisitely perceptive aphorism, stupid is as stupid does.
Michael Hinchey New Lambton
George Fishman, I am reminded of a quote by the late, great Groucho Marx: "He may look like an idiot and talk like an idiot, but don't let that fool you. He really is an idiot."
John Collins Loftus
Thank you, George Fishman, for pointing out that you can have two degrees and still be the village idiot.
Anthony Malivanek Bray Park
Hunting for bug game
Given that Nick Jarvis is serving up a native species, won't he need a hunting licence ("Cockroach canapes," January 7-8)?
Dave Horsfall North Gosford
A blank line!!!!
Since exclamation marks are nearly always edited out in these pages (Postscript, January 7-8), I would not object to you putting my name under a blank line.
Meredith Williams Dee Why
Short, pithy one-liners? Will half-pithed ones do?
Rosemary O'Brien Georges Hall
Short enough?
Craig Moore Bondi