Labor has made significant progress, despite latest poll

I doubt Labor will lose any sleep over the Resolve Political Monitor’s latest results (“PM slips in ratings as Greens prosper”, March 26) showing that voters have trimmed support for prime minister Anthony Albanese’s personal performance over the past month. Since forming government, Labor has made significant progress at home and abroad. They have sound policies and vision. Job growth is impressive, wages are rising and the economy is in better shape, though there’s much more to do. By contrast, the Dutton opposition has nothing on offer other than negativity, obstruction and the distraction of an uncosted nuclear power thought-bubble. I suspect voters are disengaged from politics at present due to their preoccupation with cost-of-living pressures, which can’t be solved overnight. In any case, polls are only a snapshot of those polled at a particular time and need to be kept in context. Graham Lum, North Rocks

“Many voters simply don’t rate them highly”, ain’t that the truth? Perhaps we are experiencing one of the worst eras of political leadership at the federal level in most people’s memory. On the one hand, there is the ALP, elected with high voter expectations despite a small target campaign, all but paralysed to act where it knows it should and its members demand, which does not possess the oratory firepower to counter opposing arguments. On the other hand, there is the opposition, led by a leader completely lacking in subtlety or nuance, whose first thought is to attack and to manufacture a negative stance based on exaggeration or misinformation yet unable to propose alternative ideas or feasible solutions. So poor is the presentation and record of both the major parties and their leaders that a third of voters are undecided and therefore unable to distinguish which is the better on four measures of political performance. It is no wonder there is a drift in first choice voting to the Greens and independents who are definite in their proposals and display energy and passion in their beliefs. Ross Butler, Rodd Point

Things never cease to amaze me. It appears from the latest opinion poll that the majority of Australians believe that the Coalition are better economic managers than the current government. While it is true that the Albanese government is far from perfect, it needs to be acknowledged that they are dealing with a multitude of problems, many of which are the result of neglect and incompetence of previous governments over many years. I have not heard a single policy initiative from Dutton, Ley, Hume or Taylor that would indicate that they would have a clue on how to deal with any of these problems. Their main preoccupation seems to be to lower taxes as much as possible for individuals and corporations, when in reality we need to increase taxation to fund the needs of future generations. Then we have the fact that apparently many Australians are being sucked in by the nonsensical so-called nuclear energy policy of the Coalition, which makes no economic sense and stalls any hope of Australia meeting its emission targets. Go figure. Phil Peak, Dubbo

Call blocking shows ATO not engaged with taxpayers

The ATO’s admission that they hang up on calls so that their phone stats look better is astonishing (“ATO rejects one in four calls to fudge waiting times”, March 26). I know what their reaction would be if I fudged the figures in my tax return to maintain my tax burden “at acceptable levels”. They’d be all over me like a cheap suit. If you expect honesty, it’d be nice if you showed it. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

The ATO call blocking 26 per cent of inbound calls is a disgrace and reveals contempt for the “small end of town”. However, readers should be reassured - the measure doesn’t affect bigger taxpayers, only the “small end of town”, condemned to use 13 numbers. The ATO has under resourced the “small end of town” for several years, notwithstanding its knowledge of the significant tax gap that exists and all the while aware of the significant time and financial costs the unfair resourcing policy imposes on both those “at the small end of town” and those serving the “small end of town”. By way of contrast, professional advisers serving the “big end of town” expect, and get, the “express lane”. As a bonus, they also get experienced personnel. The incoming commissioner must change current ATO policy on resource allocation - continuing the current policy will result in increasing disengagement of those at the small end of town. The incoming commissioner would do well to ponder how he reconciles the ATO fudging with the ATO’s powers to penalise a taxpayer who fudges. Chris Wallis, Albert Park (Vic)

I deplore the commonly held view that the ATO is out to get us, and am a staunch advocate for paying taxes willingly and in full. However, its behaviour to make its wait times look better sorely tests my commitment. The ATO wants and needs the average taxpayer to view it as an ethical organisation working for the general good of Australian society. This is clearly not the way to progress that reputation. I wonder how it would feel were the tables turned and Australians decided that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander? I know my bank balance would look much better if I randomly rejected the ATO’s annual call for me to pay my taxes. Prue Nelson, Cremorne Point

I am one of those who has had my call repeatedly blocked by the ATO. Yet I was calling to attempt to sort out how to pay tax - not avoid it - and the ATO will blithely apply interest if tax is not paid on time. Will this become another robo-debt scandal? Katriona Herborn, Blackheath

Whose idea was this? Sir Humphrey’s? Rowan Godwin, Rozelle

Back to the future for teaching

Those of us who became teachers long ago when it was normal to teach explicitly and impose rules and regulations in the classroom will be gratified to know that finally there are signs that contemporary teaching practices are slowly returning to this model (“What degrees don’t impart: teens want teachers who enforce rules”, March 26). The educational experts who decided that the modern classroom should embrace student-centred learning, ie the teacher simply draws information from the student rather than formally instruct, have set back learning for generations. Students have always respected rather than necessarily enjoyed, boundaries being imposed on their behaviour with firm but fair expectations, and it’s no surprise that this model is proving once again to be effective. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne

Years ago, I spent several days at Chifley College as part of a university assignment (administering vocational guidance assessments). At the time, Mt Druitt as a whole and the schools in particular had a poor reputation. I was pleasantly surprised: polite, enthusiastic students, many of whom related that they would be the first in their family to attend university if they engaged in tertiary education, dedicated teachers, several of whom had been educated at the college themselves and returned to support it, an attractive campus, a link between school classes and the adjoining TAFE, a new project in those days, and even a spectacular morning tea and lunch made by the cookery class. I also well remember one student of Islander origin who, when asked what he would like to do after school, replied, become an A grade footballer. Querying whether this was a realistic ambition, I was told that yes, he had already been head-hunted. My experience not only changed my previously negative opinion of the schools there, but also the whole suburb of Mt Druitt, then very much maligned, by the press and others, and it is very pleasing to read that the college is still responding to student needs in an effective and admirable way. Heather Johnson, West Pennant Hills

Old towers

The Coalition is proposing that nuclear power stations be built on the sites of closed coal-fired power stations so that the existing transmission lines can be used (Letters, March 26). They do not seem to have considered whether use of the existing transmission lines is feasible. These existing transmission lines have been there as long as the power stations, 60 years of slow corrosion, erosion of foundations, metal fatigue, and so on. There is no team of painters out there every day repainting the towers. There is no team of engineers inspecting the foundations for erosion and concrete cancers. It would be a brave engineer who would approve the use of the towers for another 60 years. I don’t think that we want our essential infrastructure to be made by “brave” engineers, but maybe the Coalition has a panel of engineers who think using 60-year-old infrastructure is a good idea? Let’s hear from them. Joe Goozeff, Leura

Now, the Coalition’s No Nuclear in My Back Yard politicians will be spending the rest of the year desperately searching for historic evidence of seismic activity in their electorates. Sue Dyer, Downer (ACT)

Public outrage

Your correspondent’s grim letter (March 26) says it all really, not just about the plight of the migratory eastern curlew arriving at Toondah Harbour from “a thousand-kilometre flight to land on a bulldozer” and seeing “the feathered bodies of other migrants”.

I’d much prefer the curlew landed safely in a protected wetland, littered only with the bloated carcasses of developers thrown into the deep by a public outraged at the unbridled destruction of Australia’s landscape, flora and fauna by the great twin gods of Selfishness and Greed. Kent Mayo, Uralla

Strange bedfellows

Your correspondent (Letters, March 26) is correct about the Tasmanian election. When one of the major parties tries to form a minority government, there is potential for “unholy alliances”, Perhaps the Tasmanian Liberal party should look at a party more like itself, such as the Labor Party? Now that would turn politics in its head. Pankaj Rao, Merewether

Train toilets

Recently, after a bus trip to the city, I needed to find a toilet with minimal time to spare (Letters, March 26). After descending flights of stairs and escalators from Carrington Street and searching the general area of Wynyard, the only toilets to be found required the use of an Opal card for access through the platform barriers. Max Petrie, Palm Beach

Ordinary context

Your correspondent (Letters, March 26) thinks the world would not be better if we told our children to “go forth and be ordinary”. It depends what you mean by “ordinary” though, doesn’t it? You can use it as a put-down because someone isn’t famous, or a billionaire, or (Cosmos forbid) an influencer. Or you can recognise that the vast majority of people live ordinary lives.

Doing that with honesty, dignity, integrity, compassion, and respect for others is a life of magnificence. Compare that to the hyper-competitiveness of our neoliberal world where some strive to give their children every advantage without consideration to the disadvantages being inflicted on others. I know which I think makes a better world. Peter Thompson, Grenfell

Writing skills

Gathered recently at the grave of our convict ancestor John Ireland 200 years after his arrival in Sydney Town, fifty “cousins” realised that we mostly use electronic means and no longer put pen to paper (“The joys of thinking with a pen in hand”, March 26). Our own stories, be they exciting or banal, could be lost unless we scribe to each other occasionally. Margaret Hogge, North Curl Curl

Tips to straighten out your wet copy of the Herald

We too have a heated towel rail (Letters, March 25), it’s called a washing line. Any ideas for recovering the paper after Labradorus has walked it home from the milk bar in her gob and little punctures reach page 5 surrounded by craters of drool? Ronald Elliott, Sandringham (Vic)

Unfortunately, I don’t have a heated bathroom towel rack. I rely on my iron to straighten my Herald each day. Then straight to letters to the editor with a cup of tea. Peter Nelson, Moss Vale

I used to not worry if my Herald got wet, unless it was the crossword page. That, being the most important page, I would place between sheets of brown paper and iron until dry. Peter Butler, Wyongah

Sweet nothing

Don’t expect the government to control the price of chocolate (Letters, March 25). They won’t have a bar of it. Jim Dewar, Davistown

Positive outlook

A gentle reminder - as a survivor (Diagnosed 2006 and still kicking, just, at 80) - to other sufferers that “Cancer is a word, not a sentence” (“‘Personalised’ treatments are the future of cancer care”, March 25). Edward Loong, Milsons Point

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