Comment

Letters to the Editor

Illustration: Cathy Wilcox

Pignominy risked

Surely experiments in burying pigs could have taken place in a remote location rather than risk upsetting some with a present or future connection with burials at Rookwood.

My mate represents the best of Aussies values, and he's house trained too

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I think my best mate ticks all the boxes for what represents Australian values ("Australian values testing starts at home", Letters, April 21). He was born in the outer western suburbs of Sydney, with a working class background going back many generations. He is passionate about all water and ball sports, fiercely loyal to friends and family, and loves a barbie.

Australian values testing starts at home

Illustration: Jim Pavlidis

I was born in Australia, as were my parents and their parents before them. When my grandfathers fought in World War II, I suspect they did so at least partially in defence of a clearly understood set of Australian values. These were the same values I was taught at home and at school. 

Well-travelled Millennials failing to save

Illustration: Ron Tandberg

So it seems the real problem with housing affordability is that the Millennials' parents are selfish and vote for the wrong side of politics ("Locked out: Nation in grips of housing affordability crisis" April 17). Codswallop!

Qatar shows way

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The Australian public is not being fairly compensated for the extraction of a finite resource, which is being depleted while corporations are making huge profits.

Young Nats ignite a tremble in the vacuum

SMH Letters

The Turnbull government must be shaking in its shoes on hearing that the Young Nationals, through their support for a carbon trading scheme, are now effectively backing renewables.  ("Young Nationals back emission trading scheme", April 11). The policy vacuum in Canberra is becoming clearer by the day: no recognition that "black coal Morrison" and friends' promotion of coal to India is out of step with India's move to cleaner energy; fearfully tiptoeing away from previously toying with the idea of an emissions intensity scheme for energy generators; sidling away from Labor's policy on negative gearing; floundering around trying to find budget savings – "Is Abbott's work for the dole scheme fit to ditch?" Oh yes, "Policy Vacuum" is the new normal in the conservative realm – just take a look at the US!

A loving last act

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How sad to read of the thousands of unclaimed boxes of remains stored at crematoriums and funeral homes ("Dust to dust: ashes of loved ones remain", April 2).

Attitude to Assad is as chilling as the acts

Illustration: Alan Moir

"Quite frankly there are worse people and you simply don't know what you'd get if he were to be replaced," is as chilling a thought as the actual release of chemical weapons against Syrian civilians.

No need to lie when half a truth will do

SMH Letters

While Coalition politicians repeat the mantra that Australia has one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, Australian "mum and dad" investors are enjoying an effective corporate tax rate of zero, due to dividend imputation. This is obviously the lowest in the world. 

Is Julie Bishop still smarting from a previous ticking off?

SMH Letters

In launching chagrined annoyance at her Coalition colleagues who prevented the ratification of a 2007 extradition treaty with China is Julie Bishop still smarting from a previous ticking off by the Chinese Foreign Minister?

Sale of titles registry a dumb move indeed

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Entities like the Land and Property Information service are the invisible manifestations of good government: unglamorous, unremembered, generally unappreciated (until they disappear), but nonetheless critical to the successful operation of the state.

Premier's train of thought derailed

Illustration: Alan Moir

Why is Berejiklian pushing ahead with the building of new tunnels to substandard dimensions, and conversion of the Bankstown line to cattle-class metro, when cities all over the world are moving to double-deck trains?

Introducing the Department for Human Rights Abuse

SMH Letters

One has to wonder about the contorted policies and twisted minds controlling Australia's Department of Immigration and Border Control when we read of its lax "control" of the labour-hire companies run by Queensland businessman Emmanuel Bani.

Disenchanted voters want bipartisanship

SMH Letters

If the latest polling figures don't get the message across to Malcolm and his crew that the electors are heartily fed up with adversarial politics then there is little hope for them.