Prime ministers need more than just bold ideas

Nick Bryant raises an interesting point (“Cue bolder national thinking”, April 10). If we raise the status of the position and make our prime ministers more presidential, we might get bolder national thinking. As it stands, our prime ministers are largely products of our political system and their own party politics. Many of the prime ministers are underwhelming and have little vision. Usually, contenders with decency and big ideas get a chance, but have to battle lies and media partiality to get in. It is difficult for our prime ministers to hang in for any length of time, as about half the country didn’t vote for them, or their party. I believe the problem may lie in the falsehoods they pedal about each other as they vie for our votes, which both lower their esteem among voters and make their tenures less secure. Prime ministers don’t just need bold ideas, they need leadership and governance skills. The recent line of duds from the Coalition meant a good bloke like Anthony Albanese won through and seems like a fair dinkum human being, rather than the last bloke. Er, what’s his name again? Geoff Nilon, Mascot

Nick Bryant forgets the other memorial to past prime ministers, the Corridor of Oaks at Faulconbridge in the Blue Mountains. Each oak tree is dedicated to an ex-PM and the great ones themselves have first refusal on planting rights – if they’re still around and interested. It’s curious that no such memorials yet exist for Abbott, Turnbull or Morrison. Too busy or too nature-averse to plant one perhaps; or too wary that such living symbols of their tenure might grow larger than their egos. Then again, you don’t get the job by being a shrinking violet. Come on fellas, step up, plant your tree and at least do something for the environment. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

No, Nick Bryant, let’s not. Imagine if Donald Trump only had a musical rather than this conflated sense of exceptionalism that the United States bestows on its presidents regardless of their abilities. Australian prime ministers are relatively well paid and receive life pensions. When they bow out one way or another at a relatively young age they have plenty of opportunity to use their skills and reap benefits of their office without any further public support. They are often gifted diplomatic posts, honorary and paid positions in institutes and corporations or lucrative speaking tours. Some even contribute in lasting ways to social, academic, entertainment and other fields.
Leave the Americans to do what they do best while we keep our political leaders well grounded. Anne Skates, Bomaderry

Look where venerating their former presidents got the Americans – it hardly delivered a quality incumbent down the track when Trump was elected.
Reflecting on the variety of ways Australians remember past PMs makes the point about “Of the people ...” quite heartwarming, even reassuring. The rather folksy Lodge is a nice contrast with the White House. We’re a bit suspicious of all that presidential hype – one reason for our ambivalence about becoming a republic. Margaret Johnston, Paddington

Politicians’ cherry-picked Christianity a big turn-off

I share Ross Gittins’ bewilderment (″⁣Christianity more suspect in politics and economy″⁣, April 10) at the disconnect between the teaching of Jesus and the words, actions and policies of many politicians who profess a Christian faith. However, as well as teaching care for the hungry, the destitute, the prisoner and the stranger, Jesus taught the importance of righteousness and died to deal with the moral failure of all humanity. The message becomes confused when we pick and choose which aspects to follow and when to follow them.
Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls

Scott Morrison is not the only openly Christian prime minister to indulge in cruelty towards the disadvantaged. John Howard, Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott also all had no trouble spouting the words of Christ at the same time as vilifying asylum seekers. Rudd labelled these innocent human beings “illegal” and packed them off to the horrors of offshore detention on Nauru and in New Guinea, where many remain, 10 years later. Atheist Julia Gillard was no better, but those still trapped must now put their faith in Anthony “religious views not specified” Albanese. Christine McNeil, Ballina

Ross Gittins seems to object to Christians promoting their values, especially in the important area of sexual behaviour, a big part of life if advertisements, drama plots and internet offerings are to be believed. The important question, of course, is whether the beliefs of Christianity are true, especially the bit about the risen Jesus being Lord (or Boss) and commanding our allegiance. The injudicious behaviour of believers can be just one more excuse for not looking at the evidence for these truths, which is extensive.
David Morrison, Springwood

Now, if only all Christians practised what they preached, things would be better. Besides, to borrow a quote, ″⁣Religion’s in the heart, not in the knees.″⁣
Edward Loong, Milsons Point

For me, Ross Gittins often hits the nail on the head with his concise and understandable analysis of our times through his economics lens.
This article is a case in point. All I can say is “Amen”. If Jesus had not risen from the dead, then I’m sure he would be rolling in his grave at what many have done to his core revelation that God is love (1 John 4:8 and 16). Allan Havelock, Surrey Hills (Vic)

What an inspirational article from Ross Gittins. Such a clear way for us all to live and think about getting on with our neighbours of all sorts. Mary Lou Cook, Lindfield

More public holidays, please

The chance of a few days break over Easter gave us a chance to escape the daily treadmill and take a break from the relentlessness of modern life. It was pleasant to drive around roads with much less traffic. I even saw some people with smiles on their faces. Life was not meant to be easy, but a few more public holidays would go a long way to making it sweet. To any politicians, make up some reasons for a few more holidays, just as you do for everything else. James Athanasou, Maroubra

Unheralded partnership

The public airing of conflict between organisations representing GPs and pharmacists belies the reality of the day-to-day positive relationship shared as individuals (“Pharmacists and doctors must call truce on scripts”, April 10). The source of many patient referrals to GPs is a pharmacist they know sending a patient along who has a problem outside the pharmacist’s skill set. Pharmacists regularly contact doctors to facilitate patients receiving timely and accurate prescriptions. Vaccination clinics run by pharmacists proved to be of immense value in the battle against COVID-19 and eased the pressure on busy GP clinics. It is to be hoped the final decision made will be one as suggested in the editorial, which is arrived at by negotiation, taking account of patients’ interests and safety and the reality of pharmacists’ ability to comply with the requirements. Louise Dolan, Birchgrove

People-friendly trams

Your correspondent (Letters, April 10) presents something of a contradiction, describing George Street as a “people-less canyon”, apportioning blame to trams and their infrastructure, yet spruiking e-buses with greater frequency.
I see a thriving street on my regular visits; so typically Sydney being narrow and twisted, and vastly improved by the near-banishment of rapacious road traffic. This popularity is due to increased pedestrian space, superior ambience and the predictable path of the trams with sensible frequencies. It would be good, though, if our new government could twist the arm of our road authority to improve CBD traffic signal operation to the benefit of pedestrians. Chris Downs, Stanwell Park

As your correspondent points out, some of the usage of the light rail is a result of inconvenient reductions to bus routes in the city. The destination of the 504 and 506 is now The Domain but while the first stop travelling from the city is behind St Mary’s Cathedral, the last stop into the city is Riley Street, Woolloomooloo, further away from Macquarie Street or the Art Gallery. If buses could let passengers off at the cathedral, we would not have to change. My suggestion to Transport for NSW has fallen on deaf ears.
Judith Campbell, Drummoyne

Roundabout confusion

Perhaps one of the state’s greatest driving problems (Letters, April 10) concerns twin-lane roundabouts, with drivers’ strange indications and lane-changing. From what I saw of the instruction manual, some time back, learners were given complicated rules to be learnt for each movement. A simple directive would be to tell learners to treat the roundabout as a normal intersection: if turning to the right, stay to the right and put your right blinker on; turning to the left, keep to the left and put your left blinker on; if you are going straight ahead, take either lane and don’t use your blinker. As for any roundabout, use your left blinker to exit from the roundabout.
Donald Hawes, Peel

Your correspondent rightly complains of lack of police action against various traffic offences. In nearly half a century of driving, I’m yet to hear of anyone convicted of tailgating, an extremely dangerous yet commonplace offence.
Peter Mahoney, Oatley

Plastic not fantastic

With 44 secret sites found to be stockpiling 11,000 tonnes of soft plastic, soft plastics could be described as the gift that keeps on giving (“Secret plastic stashes, $5m debt revealed”, April 10). These plastic piles highlight the lack of government policies to promote reductions in the food industry’s profligate use of plastic packaging. In short, plastic waste was sent down the road, via dutiful consumers, to REDcycle, a third party. Plastic production and consumption across the globe is set to triple by 2060. If we do nothing, experts predict plastics in oceans could outweigh fish by 2050. This represents catastrophic policy failure. Karen Campbell, Geelong

While Coles and Woolworths wring their hands and desperately try “to find a viable mass recycling option” after the collapse of REDcycle, which ran their program for soft plastic recycling, they continue to fill their shelves with the stuff. Here’s one idea: no more packaging of fruit and vegetables. Just stop it! Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown

Audacious acronyms

The Coalition is trying to flog its bedsit (Letters, April 10); worn LINO covered by a magic CARPET: Conservative Angst Restores Paternalism Every Time. Les Shearman, Darlington

Bradman’s bowler

There are many other unheralded contributors to sporting greats apart from the ball returners (Letters, April 10). Don Bradman honed his batting skill by hitting a golf ball against a corrugated iron water tank. Acknowledgment is long overdue for his mother Emily (nee Whatman), who played cricket at a high level and who bowled her left arm spin to him every afternoon after school. Alan Marel, North Curl Curl

Budget-busters

Surprise, surprise: the Sydney harbour tunnel will cost more than expected and take longer to complete (“Harbour tunnel’s $1.4b cost blowout”, April 10). I don’t know why they bother to provide costs or completion dates for projects because they’re always over budget and never finished on time. Graham Lum, North Rocks

Another day, another story of public infrastructure projects running into cost blowouts. It is just as well the bean counting bureaucrats are not in charge of household budgets. Steve Ngeow, Chatswood

Another set of familiar headlines. A huge tollway construction blowout, and a bike path to go (“Bike path to shut five months after opening”, April 10). As usual, clean solutions and the common good are bulldozed by rushed decision-making, vested interests and lack of foresight. Before squandering another $1.4billion, the government should think about how far that sum would go in addressing such problems as Sydney’s housing crisis. Peter Farmer, Northbridge

I thought bottom of the harbour schemes were designed to make money, not have it float away. Doug Walker, Baulkham Hills

The digital view
Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday on smh.com.au
Forget the bridge and Bondi Beach: Culture at heart of new tourism plan
From Lucinda: “Bravo. People visit once for the icons and return for the culture. There is so much focus on sporting events in the news that even vast swathes of the NSW population don’t know of all the amazing concerts, theatre, musicals, recitals, exhibitions and events happening all over. It’s time they took pride of place.”

• To submit a letter to The Sydney Morning Herald, email letters@smh.com.au. Click here for tips on how to submit letters.
• The Opinion newsletter is a weekly wrap of views that will challenge, champion and inform. Sign up here.