Has the prime minister lost our trust (“Trust in Albanese evaporates with broken promises”, September 14)? As a staunch Labor man, it pains me to agree, but there it is. Anthony Albanese has sold out to the mining, gambling and sports lobbies. He sold out to the Coalition to deliver a spineless Integrity Commission, and he sold out to Scott Morrison to saddle us with AUKUS. He has to be dragged kicking and screaming to any sort of compromise while still masquerading as a man of the people. He has, however, one thing in his favour – the alternative is so much worse. Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba
It’s time we realised broken political promises have always been a fact of life, but to be realistic, the Labor government has no control over world events like wars and the economic instability caused by an unstable US president (“Poll reveals that Albanese is losing the nation’s trust” September 14). Would we be better off with a change of government? I doubt it. Just look at the current crop of would-be leaders. There is little reason to think they could improve our lot, and I certainly wouldn’t trust them. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach
The government’s unheralded changes to the taxation system took us by surprise, but we accepted that change was necessary and copped it. No, it wasn’t a good idea to spring the changes on people at budget time – the government should have called a tax summit. But it didn’t. So what? Are we going to punish the government by turning to two parties, the Liberals and One Nation, which are in a race to the bottom in their attacks on the government, migrants, refugees and multiculturalism? It seems to me that the electorate doesn’t know what it wants. I thought it wanted homes to be more affordable, but prices have come down and now people are complaining. What has happened since the last election? Peter Dutton got more than the boot, but the electorate is now turning to two parties that are even more right wing than his Coalition. The country is going to hell in a handcart if you ask me. Genevieve Milton, Dulwich Hill
PM Anthony Albanese has had a lot to deal with. There has been the rise of Hanson, the personification of hate-mongering, not to mention her nation-damaging attitudes on migration. Then there have been his efforts to maintain stable relationships with allies. It is beyond time he considered stepping down, well before the next federal election, to give a younger, more articulate candidate a chance to win on their own terms. Albanese’s resoluteness on negative gearing and capital gains tax policy, his failure so far to mitigate cost of living pressures and his embarrassing gaffes, especially about the likes of Grace Tame, Kylie Minogue and Sanae Takaichi, suggest it’s time. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
The Japanese melon, or more rightly, the objectification of women saga, plus his watered-down gambling reforms, leaves me feeling that Albanese needs to either start being dynamic or disappear. It’s not that he hasn’t achieved something – the CGT and negative gearing changes prove that – but it’s the answers he can’t or won’t give, the obfuscation, some would even say lying, that is disappointing. Your heart is either in it, Albo, or not, but you musn’t bring Labor down. Claudia Drevikovsky, Croydon
I thoroughly approve of the way Albanese changed negative gearing and capital gains, but where he’s lost my trust is refusing to sanction Israel, for proceeding with AUKUS and allowing the US to establish more military sites here, for not addressing the huge cost of humanities subjects at universities as he said he would, for continuing with destruction of our forests through land clearing, for continuing to support gas and coal production, for a pathetic response to the scourge of gambling – even for putting the intelligent, outspoken Ed Husic on the backbench one week after the election. The list goes on. Patsy Chingwile, Leichhardt
Kent Mayo, I totally agree with your plan of action for the Labor Party (Letters, September 14). If they don’t get things happening, they will lose a lot of votes to the teals, other independents and even the Greens. I, for one, would be voting for a teal if one stood in my electorate. Gail Grogan, Toongabbie
After reading about the political polls and their conclusions, I would remind the Australian public to be careful what you wish for. Eileen Kennedy, West Pymble
Value learning
Is Australia’s education system an industry? As someone who highly values learning and education at any level, I had never thought of it as such. So I was taken aback when I read that that’s how Premier Chris Minns views it: “I think the education sector’s got to think about externalities associated with their industry” (“Minns urges universities to build more student housing”, September 14). Irrespective of his argument, I reject his belief that education is a commodity, an industry, based on balance sheets, as it cheapens its value, both to the individual and to society. I wonder how he views teachers – workers whose job is to contribute to the bottom line? Jennifer Fergus, Croydon
One Nation’s posturing is designed to convince us it is deadly serious about Fortress Australia (“Migration plan that would slash 750,000 visas”, September 14). This is populism at its most unashamed. The idea is to secure votes regardless, then see what the wash-up looks like. Just how badly hit healthcare and aged care might be will be a problem for another day. Hits to university finances probably don’t matter too much – unis are hotbeds of lefties, anyway. The adjustment pain will fall unevenly, and One Nation can make hay during the inevitable delay in feeling the full impact. Irresponsible barely describes it. Margaret Johnston, Paddington
Let me get this straight. As an export, education brings in more than $53 billion to our economy, but we need to (temporarily) import the students to unlock this boon, and they all need to live somewhere, which puts pressure on the housing market. In response to this, Chris Minns says he wants the universities to build more student accommodation, while Pauline Hanson wants the students to be kept out of the country. I suspect the NSW premier has mastered accountancy 101, but the One Nation leader still struggles. Maybe an analogy that’s closer to home might help. Say you have a fast food business and a tour bus pulls in. The people on it want to sit at the tables normally used by your regulars while they eat the food they buy from you. Do you tell them to go elsewhere, or do you invest in more tables and chairs? Lance Rainey, South Grafton
Heartless jibe
As critical as I am of our PM and his policies, I despise the heartlessness of Pauline Hanson for criticising Mr Albanese’s late mother for occupying public housing (“Emotional PM defends late mother from Hanson’s attack”, September 13). She deservedly lived most of her life in that humble home. My own parents were lucky to be allocated a Housing Commission home in Villawood five years after my father returned broken from war service in PNG, and they paid rent on it for most of their lives. They only left it late in life because of failing health. I lived with them and my younger brother in that basic, two-bedroom fibro house from five years of age until I married aged 24. Public housing served its purpose, and Hanson should not insult those who needed it. Brian O’Donnell, Burradoo
Specialists overcharging
The most effective threat to specialists who greatly overcharge would be serious competition from an expanded, Commonwealth-funded, public hospital out-patient service providing gap-free and timely consultation (“Specialties charging huge mark-ups”, September 14). In most fields there are plenty of young specialists who would be pleased to receive a teaching hospital appointment in return for doing clinics. In fields where that is not so, entry to specialist training should mandate a binding commitment to public hospital clinic service for at least a decade. The culture of selfless service and the opportunity to contribute to teaching and research that a major public hospital provides helps to maintain a moral compass, sadly apparently lost by some colleagues. Dr Graeme Stewart, Avalon Beach
What is the cause of the GP shortage? First, inadequate numbers of medical students being educated in Australian medical courses. Two, the inadequate and pathetic remuneration of the Medicare system. Three, the ridiculous demands of the GP “college specialisation” training system. I’m sure when medical graduates look at this regime, many decide to put in the extra time and become a specialist in something that actually pays. Susan Duffy, Thornleigh
My last annual check-up at the dermatologist cost $305. Besides being amazed by the absurd amount charged for a 20-minute consultation, I thought what about all those people who cannot possibly afford a check-up and develop a melanoma as a result? The class-based nature of our medical system is deep and profoundly unjust. Alan Morris, Eastlakes
Health Minister Mark Butler’s announcement that the government will look closely at specialists’ fees is welcome. Perhaps the Herald could assist by inviting readers to provide details of out-of-pocket costs they have been hit with, and then publish a list, names and all. Ross Duncan, Potts Point
Ukraine fairy story
George Brandis gives an incredibly upbeat analysis of Ukraine’s prospects (“Putin will not win: My encounter with Europe’s new-found optimism”, September 14). The problem is his analysis is either wrong or massively exaggerated. There is not a stalemate in the Donbas – Russian forces are slowly advancing and have pierced the line of fortress cities formerly seen as essential to Ukrainian defence, albeit with high Russian losses. Ukraine has attacked Russian infrastructure, but the scale of Russian assaults has increased and the level of damage is dwarfed beside that Ukraine is suffering. Ukraine is increasing drone manufacture but Russia is out-producing it and has achieved higher technological levels which the Ukrainians have thus far not been able to match. And there is no evidence that current decision-makers in Europe (as opposed to some who were formerly in office) are optimistic about the outcome, or are really signed on for the duration. The truth is Ukraine is totally dependent on aid for survival, its infrastructure is being destroyed, it cannot recruit enough soldiers, its main export avenues have been cut off and there is an ongoing political crisis in Kyiv. What is needed are real negotiations, not the sort of fairy stories concocted by George Brandis and the governments in Kyiv and Europe. Graeme Gill, Pennant Hills
George Brandis says Russian casualties from the war Vladimir Putin started with Ukraine top “an astonishing 1.5 million”. Such horrendous statistics obviously mean nothing to Putin as he has a cruel streak no doubt developed during his career as a KGB operative. Putin’s drone just missed taking out Boris Johnston’s train, but it shows his callous disregard for civilians (“Russia hits train shortly after Boris Johnson leaves station”, September 14). Of course, we know what happened to Putin’s other opponents – they were either sent to Siberian prisons to die, like the martyr Alexei Navalny, or poisoned like Alexander Litvinenko, Sergei and Yulia Skripal and others. Then there was the shooting down of opponent Yevgeny Prigozhin’s plane, which killed nine others just for good measure. When will the Russian people turn on this callous dictator? Lance Dover, Pretty Beach
Easy rider
I was in the Postal Shed at the same time as Craig Lilienthal (Letters, September 14). My job was to distribute mail to the railway office workers, a job I had while the regular postie was on holidays. I started at 7.30am and was finished by 11, unlike the usual postie who finished at 3.30pm. I was taken aside by the union secretary and told to slow down. Instead, I went to the gym or the movies between 11 and 3.30 and clocked off at the regular time. I was also given daily transport tickets to cover having to travel from Darling Harbour to Central, even though there was no public transport on that route. Do kids have it that easy today? Keith Masnick, Woollahra
Personal driver
An interesting article in Monday’s Herald (“Insurer offers discount to self-driving car owners”, September 14). Having just surrendered my driver’s licence at the age of 90, could I now buy a driverless car and resume travelling? John Munro, Toowoomba (Qld)
Just wondering, has the Herald checked out the effectiveness of a self-driving Tesla around dawn or dusk in western NSW, when kangaroos are at their most active alongside the decrepit bush tracks that the state government calls highways? Glenn Johnson, Leura
Damage control
US President Donald Trump has offered a $US5000 bribe to all adult Americans if the Republicans hold the House and the Senate in the midterms. This is not likely to be judged as illegal by the courts, particularly the Supreme Court. The very chance of getting $US5000 tax-free will certainly sway many to vote Republican in November, despite the negative economic implications. In view of this, it seems to me that the Democrats should immediately match the offer. The harm to the economy this would do when implemented would be considerably less than allowing Trump to stay in control of Congress. J.M. Quilter, Wollongong
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