The partners who can't live together, or apart

The Age

21-05-2025

Who are the Liberals?
So the federal Liberal Party, not to mention the state Liberal Party in Victoria, is now facing the prospect of its irrelevance as if it was not already apparent before the recent federal election.
Party spokespeople repeatedly say they must define and return to their fundamental values. What are they? Small government and respect for personal freedom. Is that it? Could someone flesh this out? What does this mean for state education, for aged care, for workers' rights, for small and middle sized business and so on?
The problem is that there is no one among the Liberals with the vision of a Menzies let alone his oratorical ability to sell his vision. There is no one who can move on from this moribund bunch of lightweights and rejuvenate, let alone start another party, as Menzies did in similar circumstances. Yes, that is what he did and this is where they are now.
John Whelen, Box Hill Sth
Power failure
Net zero now describes the chances the Liberals and Nationals have of regaining power until they shed their ideological aversion to renewables.
Craig Jory, Albury, NSW
Hiding the truth
The article ″⁣ Australia rebukes Israel ″⁣ (21/5) is notable for two revelations. One, the timidity of our response to Israel's weaponisation of starvation in Gaza in withholding backing for the direct warning of sanctions by our closest allies. We've been similarly exposed before, and there's not even an election now, as an excuse.
The second is even more interesting: as Benjamin Netanyahu pushes on with the plan to take full control of a mostly empty Gaza, in which 'just enough aid to prevent hunger' will flow, the Israeli PM is disarmingly frank about the calculation behind this policy tweak.
Dependent on international finance and materiel to further his campaign, he confesses the (limited) renewal of aid is to placate supporters who 'cannot handle images of starvation'.
This is surely a new cynical twist to the old maxim: ″⁣the first victim of war is truth″⁣. Hide it if you can – just don't scare the horses.
Ken Blackman, Inverloch
It's not working for me
Premier Jacinta Allan, would you please define 'working people' for us Victorians? I get confused because I forever see you and your colleagues in Hi-Vis vests and hard hats on those major infrastructure projects that have blown budgets and our state's debt levels.
Charles Griss, Balwyn
No boastful patriots
Tim Soutphommasane (Comment, 21/5), rightly invokes ″⁣an ethos of fairness, equality and humanity″⁣ as central to an intelligent framing of patriotism for Australia. For too long, the lazy, reflexive boofheaded values of advertising copywriters embodied in the ″⁣Come on Aussie, come on″⁣ tradition have defined a love of this nation. A humbler Scandinavian-style pride in a society that treats its citizens as deserving of well-funded educational, health and aged resources should be our focus.
Decency should be celebrated. If the Anzac martial tradition at Gallipoli is to be acknowledged, it should be in the context of recognising the common values shared in 1915 by young Ottoman Turk country boys with their prayer mats and Korans; and Anglo-Celtic bush lads from a Christian tradition acknowledging each other's courage, as attested in historical accounts of their encounters. Patriotism need not be boastful.
Jon McMillan, Mount Eliza
Applaud those protesters
Well done to the farmers, firefighters and everyone else who protested in Melbourne on Tuesday. They managed to do what so many of us would love to but haven't, and that is to mobilise against the increasing cash grab by this state government to prop up its gross mismanagement.
Jan Grutzner, Richmond
The wasted years
Correspondents to the Letters pages seem divided between the need for major infrastructure and the cost. The current problem is that developments like the Suburban Rail Loop and the North East Link are necessary components for a fast-growing Melbourne, but are seen as unaffordable in the eyes of many due to the state's parlous budget situation.
Federal funding, which is really essential, is limited and in recent years has tended to favour the north-eastern states at Victoria's expense. On an Australia-wide basis infrastructure development has been too late, having regard to the speed of growth of the nation this century.
It is regrettable that at the height of the mining boom, when federal funds were more than adequate, the financial benefits were dispersed in the Howard years as tax advantages instead of being invested in infrastructure development, which would have been far less costly then, and beneficial to the nation as a whole.
Brian Kidd, Mt Waverley
Change investment
In relation to comments that the proposed changes to superannuation will hinder investment, I ask, why does this investment need to be within the superannuation framework? What's to stop the wealthy from investing outside of superannuation?
Since superannuation is intended to provide a reasonable income during retirement, can't we simply stick to that vision, rather than turning self-managed funds into huge investment facilities, with incomes far beyond what most people have in retirement.
Eileen Ray, Ascot Vale
School parking jam
I live opposite a state primary school and can say that the daily 'parking stoush' is not restricted to so-called 'privileged' schools. While I am unable to park outside my house during the 'drop-off' and 'pick-up' times, these restrictions do not seem to apply to some parents. They not only park illegally, but consider it OK to straddle private home crossovers and/or nature strips.
This is not done just to drop off or pick up their children as they lock their cars, carry their child's bag and cross the supervised crossing to 'deliver/collect' their offspring at the school gate.
Parking restrictions may be a nuisance to residents, but they exist to make it safer for the school's students.
It is a pity that some parents do not seem to realise, or care, that their illegal parking eliminates this safety feature and causes traffic congestion.
Tony Wheeler, Templestowe Lower
Stop the heritage loss
In ref to ' Melbourne's character and liveability is being bulldozed – we should be alarmed' (20/5) I am alarmed. I was alarmed in 2016 when the first planning zone laws came in. I kicked and screamed, wrote letters to the government and talked with locals about how the state was bulldozing us by rushed decisions to change the zoning on our streets.
With no answers to my questions our neighbourhoods were starting to change – 12 apartments here, a high-rise there, a sign of things to come. Not content with this, the state government is coming back determined to take every piece of grass we have left, the air we breath and the safety we had as we walked, biked, and shopped in our local communities.
This heritage we have in our very young country should be placed with pride. The pride in our single-fronted cottages, weatherboards, cream brick veneers, Housing Commission flats, and our grand Victorian, Edwardian, and Federation homes. All part of a history that if demolished can never be replaced again. I come again, kicking and screaming, asking the same questions. How do we stop this from happening?
Sharon Hendon, Glen Iris
Energy alternatives
Australia started large-scale mining uranium at Rum Jungle in the Northern Territory in 1954, but has only ever used tiny amounts for medical purposes, exporting the rest. Who knows how much ends up in nuclear weapons?
France started building nuclear power plants in 1956, now has 18 supplying much of the country's electric power. In Australia, the conservative parties have had long periods of government, but only now have decided nuclear is the thing. Can anyone believe they are real?
Meanwhile, China has become the largest generator of electricity by both hydro and wind in the world. It has also built at least one heliostat mirror array using sun to heat molten salt, which retains heat overnight enough to make the steam to turn the turbines to make electricity just like burning coal and gas, but without adding to rapidly increasing planet overheating.
Why does Australia not pay for these facilities by charging those who extract fossil fuels a whole lot more?
Loch Wilson, Northcote
Some are lucky
Yes, some might enjoy seeing white fields covered in frost, but as I turn on our heater with the temperature hovering around 0 degrees, I can't help but feel for those people less fortunate, with no warm place to sleep, through no fault of their own. I feel so privileged living in my cosy and warm house.
Pam Christensen, Leongatha North
Gift of gratitude
The article ″⁣ My resurrection (thank you) cost $7 ″⁣ (21/5) made my heart sing – along with the music the author Fotis Kapetopoulos describes. Gratitude is a wonderful asset and this writer has it in spades alongside his gift for describing eras, lifestyles and our public health system, which is so often criticised.
Kay Cole, Hawthorn East
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
The Nationals remind me of my childhood. When I threatened to run away from home, my mother offered to help pack my bags.
Peter Thomas, Pascoe Vale
Sussan Ley has made her mark by stating that all policies will be reviewed given the election result. The Nationals, with no review of failed policies, served up a foolish ultimatum and failed.
Mike Fajdiga, Beaumaris
Backers of the previous coalition will now need to pick which independent party to finance. The Liberals or the Country Nationals. Interesting times ahead.
Meg Paul, Camberwell
The Nationals couldn't split the atom so they split the opposition.
Geoff Allen, Parkdale
Nuclear power brought the Coalition partners together on climate policy. But now it seems to have contributed to their split. Nuclear fusion has given way to nuclear fission.
Anthea Hyslop, Eltham
Forget about the doors being open for a reconciliation between the Liberals and Nationals because the knife drawers will always remain open. Rob Prowd, Box Hill South
Have the Nationals finally signed their own death warrant?
Chris Burgess, Port Melbourne
Bridget McKenzie (″⁣Stupid move: Howard slams Coalition bust-up″⁣, 21/5) doesn't know the difference between reasonable requests and unreasonable demands.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
It has taken a woman to stop the tail wagging the dog.
Martin Crowe, Fitzroy North