The Liberal Party has created history by electing Rhodes scholars to head both their political and administrative wings, but if Tony Abbott is the answer to saving the Liberal Party from extinction, they must be asking the wrong question.
The electors of Warringah got it right in 2019, ending his parliamentary career. I believe the party's decision to go further down the One Nation road, as seems to be the intention, is an experiment that will inevitably end in tears.
Mr Abbott securing the top job unopposed says much about why the Liberal Party finds itself in such a malaise. There appears to be no clear path for them to return to the government benches other than to mimic One Nation, and there's little indication this strategy will have the desired result.
Liberals I know are saying that Mr Abbott's role is only organisational. While this might be true in normal times, by his own admission, the party is facing an existential threat to its very survival. I believe his messiah complex means there is no way Mr Abbott is going to be satisfied with an organisational role.
I'd argue evidence Mr Abbot has not yet given up his desire to be back at the centre of politics is the recent floating of the suggestion that he was actively looking to re-enter parliament. Interestingly, Warringah was not one of the seats under consideration.
Steve Barnett ("Tax changes confuse", Letters, 1/6), you say "I don't know who's more confused about this budget and the tax changes; myself, my accountant or the Albanator and the Treasurer".
Well, perhaps you should sack yourself and your accountant.
The budget has outlined five different documents (22.7Mb) showing the budget details to give you clarity pending negotiations to get it through parliament.
The prime minister and Treasurer have been clear in my mind in outlining the changes - I cannot fault them.
Perhaps you are letting your anti-Labor views affect your thought processes. If you didn't you could hire an accountant that does his job where he could go through the budget papers and explain to you where you were so wrong in your conflicting desires to throw mud and the desire for detailed analysis of the documents that are clearly out there for all to view.
It is after you received that analysis that you could see how it could benefit your own personal desires - alternatively you could wait until it passes parliament where you can see if any changes were made.
But I do have a heads-up for you. Given you have an existing business and the existing capital gains tax changes are being grandfathered, if you sold your business there would be no changes to existing capital gains tax arrangements for you. But your young workers are more likely to be able to buy a home. Wouldn't you not want that for your employees?
I was shocked to read that Fiona Lee's MidCoast Council has applied for disaster funding 16 times in the seven years since the 2019 Black Summer fires ("High Court's ruling could have nationwide repercussions", Opinion 19/5). It is a grim example of how climate-fuelled extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and intense, bringing growing hardship to regional communities. The emerging phenomenon of "climate whiplash" - the rapid swing from one extreme weather event to its opposite - is a new threat communities must now prepare for.
However, when it comes to climate action, Ms Lee is right to be encouraged by recent court rulings and decisions. The day after the Newcastle Herald published her article, the UN General Assembly endorsed the International Court of Justice ruling that countries are legally obliged to curb emissions and protect the climate because "a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a precondition for the enjoyment of many human rights." It is pleasing that Australia was among the 148 countries supporting the resolution.
To remain consistent with that ruling, Australia must stop approving new coal and gas projects. As president of negotiations for COP31, Australia risks losing credibility if it fails to match its climate rhetoric with action.
Some say that promises are made to be broken, while others are fast to despise anyone who doesn't keep his/her commitment.
Personally I believe that before assuming the worst of a promise breaker, the possible motives for doing so should be first taken in consideration.
Without jumping to the current federal executive's defence for not going "full steam ahead" on what they promised, I believe that it takes a much bigger persons to change position on what they promised if they find they are heading in the wrong direction. It's better than some hardhead who, for fear of being judged a deal-breaker, continues heedless.
I'm not at all inclined to believe that there has ever been, anywhere in the world, a government that hasn't broken a promise during its tenure.
I totally agree with Peter Davias ("Daring to dream of a basketball future", Letters, 28/5) and Ethan James ("Stadium welcome, location's not", Letters, 1/6). Anyone who takes a drive past the old basketball stadium can see advantage in demolition and rebuild. There's lots of area for whatever they need in a pretty dated location. Why uproot sporting fields and cause major traffic disruption when the traffic could be spread to both sides of McDonald Jones Stadium? It's a no brainer, but I guess that's what we get from this government.
A wonderful, factual letter by Nico Leka ("Make renewables, not weapons", Letters, 30/5). Meanwhile Graeme Kime is blaming the cowardly December attack on our government ("Passing the buck", Letters, 30/5). Perhaps Mr Kime is unaware of the map of greater Israel, which is part of the IDF uniform and is based on forcefully taking other countries' land. In the same Herald issue, Benjamin Netanyahu states his intention of taking more of Gaza while continuing to deny those Palestinians the IDF hasn't yet murdered their basic needs. Who are the real Middle East terrorists?
Not bad work if you can get it. The increase in base wage for Newcastle council CEO takes his wage well above that of the NSW Premier. Not to mention the fee for being on Newcastle Airport's board. As I said, not bad work if you can get it.
After reading John Ure's excellent words, which rightly headed the letters page, it is clear that the title is wrong ("It's no "robbery" to tax our way towards equality", Letters, 1/6). The title should be that it's no robbery to undo years of taxing our way to inequality, the point the letter sharply makes. Being clear beyond doubt on this is vital to Australia restoring its currently-broken prosperity and social cohesion.
