Comment

Letters to the Editor

Crabb's take on Pyne leaves 'em laughing

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Being a crusty old curmudgeon, one tries to avoid laughing out loud in private, lest one forgets oneself and does so in public one day. However, Annabel Crabb's column on Christopher Pyne's apology ("An event of breathtaking enormity", July 2) had one guffawing on a number of occasions, not least at the suggestion that "it's probably time to start looting".

Stand against slicing up our Royal park

SMH Letters

We need to "Stand up for Royal" and ask that allocated funds to investigate this flawed expressway option are put into better integrated transport planning.

Inspiring homeless

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I can't believe the City of Sydney has shut down the homeless people's makeshift shelter in Martin Place, on the grounds that it was a "public nuisance" and "causing inconvenience" ("Martin Place homeless community unseated", June 25). I work alongside the building every day and haven't been inconvenienced at all. I've stopped for a chat and been inspired by the care and support the people provide each other, whether it be washing-up duties, cooking, or having a yarn. Why can't we have a similar, permanent, dedicated shelter for homeless people in the city?

Trump hair-raiser

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Your columnist Imre Salusinszky's challenging essay attempting a deconstruction of the US President's "construction" prompted this disturbing image: "Trump must sleep with a hairnet" ("Fascinated by Trump's style over substance", June 18). Heaven forfend us if he should have to act in our defence without sufficient time to arrange his strands. Does he have a team of hairdressers at the ready?

Climate overwhelms federal government

Illustration Ron Tandberg

Further to your spot-on editorial, the famous quote from investment guru Warren Buffet can now be amended to "if you are tied to coal, you are the problem" ("A compromise can still break through climate change policy fog", June 17-18). Translated into plain English, the federal government is the problem we have with any resolution beneficial to the country, exemplified by stupidity within the ranks and an intractable, regressive attitude to any opportunity to deliver progress. Is this really what we voted for?

Lessons for ALP

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Labor would be misguided in believing there were lessons to be learnt from the successful performance of its British counterpart ("Corbyn's success leaves ALP reflecting on way forward", June 11).

Dutton's defence demolished

SMH Letters

Congratulations to the Herald editorial for exposing Peter Dutton's dissembling defence that the $90 million Manus Island refugee settlement saved us money as just another contemptible and puerile attempt at distraction from the truth ("Secrecy is the only winner in Manus Island settlement", June 16).

New approach to radicalisation needed

Illustration: Cathy Wilcox

Although there is no easy answer to spotting the outliers, there are problems with the current orthodoxy of "last-minute" intervention against those who are undergoing radicalisation.

Gin and no tonic

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Attempts to downplay the risks associated with alcohol is in no one's best interests.