Bitter, angry Joyce is a perfect fit for One Nation

3 months ago 15

I’d have far more sympathy for Barnaby Joyce’s frustration at no longer being at the Coalition’s top table if he’d left parliament altogether (“Joyce resigns, clears path to One Nation”, November 28). But, like so many other disgruntled MPs (from all parties), his principles obviously don’t extend to surrendering the seat he won on the back of his former party’s endorsement. The salary, the travel and the platform for sounding off about pet causes are obviously too alluring, and make all the high-minded huffing about service and making a difference so much hot air. And if he genuinely wanted to save the expense of a byelection by sticking around, he should have just sucked it up until the next general one, where he could have either got a mandate of his own or left with at least some integrity. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

Barnaby Joyce should do the right thing and resign as the member for New England. The constituency did not vote for an independent and a prospective member of One Nation. Otherwise, New England will not have a member with any influence, only one happy to collect his pay and perhaps have more Wagyu beef dinners. John Jones, Armidale

One Nation can only be represented by people who don’t understand irony. Mark Porter, New Lampton

Barnaby Joyce has left the National Party to possibly switch to One Nation, which was and is in opposition to the Nationals. Perhaps Joyce might resign his seat to stand for One Nation in a byelection. It would seem the honorable course of action. Steve Bright, North Avoca

Who does Barnaby think he is? Daly Cherry-Evans? John Taylor, Toongabbie

One is entitled to ask what is Barnaby Joyce trying to achieve? He has walked out on his so-called colleagues so he can be an independent. He won’t change any legislation put before the House. Should he become a One Nation senator, he is unlikely to be able to change any legislation put before the Senate. He strikes me as a really lost soul, full of anger and bitterness – a perfect fit for One Nation, which has never done a positive thing to make Australia a better place. John Rome, Mt Lawley (WA)

Given the predictability of the living soap opera that is Barnaby Joyce, I wonder why this news is even worth a headline. I assume he will remain an independent until his publicity and ego require a boost, to be provided by the anticipated defection to One Nation. Meanwhile, the voters of New England will be depending on Joyce to represent their interests at least as much as his own. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls

My father, Wilhelm Breitkreutz, returned to wartime Germany after six years in Japan in late 1941. He was subsequently drafted into the German Army interpreter corp. He was not a member of the Nazi Party. After emigration to Australia in 1951 he often said that the right wing of the Liberal Party in the 1950s reminded him of the Nazis he lived under. Are we seeing the emergence of the Australian Nazi Party with the alignment of Barnaby Joyce, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and the extreme right-wing rump of the Liberal/Nationals? Wolf Breit, Mosman

Anyone who thought Joyce would announce what he’s going to do in the future doesn’t know Joyce. He got a headline by announcing his resignation from the Nats and will continue to get more media from the inevitable speculation about where he may finally land. Why be satisfied with the exposure from one announcement when you can choreograph the ongoing saga and get yourself multiple headlines? While Joyce has many skills, both positive and negative, he has always been most consistent in putting his self-interest front and centre. Joyce is the epitome of the Jack Lang truism, “In the race of life, always back self-interest because you know it’s trying.” Ian De Landelles, Murrays Beach

The next meeting of the Nationals and the Coalition will start with “Barnaby who?” while they all smile and quickly move on to a better place for the team. Peter Kamenyitzky, Copacabana

Double trouble

One Nation is feeding off the dregs of the Coalition (“One Nation is thriving despite appalling stunts”, November 28). So what? One Nation votes in line with the Coalition. The parties have always been closely aligned. What’s happening now is simply a shuffling of deckchairs, creating two unelectable parties instead of one. The racist stunts are just consolidating its base. Standard political practice. Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn

I suspect that the perceived swing of disaffected Coalition voters to One Nation is out of boredom and chagrin. The May election was overwhelming. The rejection of Peter Dutton and his mob left a bit of a vacuum in the conservatives. What to do? Squabbles and a desire “to spend more time with the family” will always take a toll and, if not, we always have Hanson and now Joyce to distract the wannabes. What our parliament needs and gets is a nice, long, paid Christmas break so everyone there can take a deep breath, relax and come back some time in the New Year, prepared to do their best for their country: that’s us. Nola Tucker, Kiama

Why does Pauline Hanson consider the very tiny minority of Australian women wearing burqas a security threat? Pauline, you haven’t complained about the Nazi demonstrators wearing face-covering masks outside Parliament House and yet they are a far greater threat to our security and social cohesion. Please explain? Amalina Wallace, Erskineville

PM needs courage

James Massola’s excellent reporting (“Husic’s dare to PM’s complacent army”, November 28) on Labor’s missed legislative opportunities and Ed Husic’s downgrading should be compulsive summer-break reading for Albanese and his crew. Husic points clearly to the areas that show Labor’s reform-shy approach to issues that seem to matter to many. It has become clear that Albanese hasn’t yet got the courage to do great things. He has stamped himself as a moderate of small proportions when we require a braver, more urgent government response to issues such as negative gearing and the broken housing supply systems. Let us hope, then, that over the summer break Anthony Albanese discovers courage and Richard Marles finds a conscience. Rob Asser, Balmain East

Ed Husic and most Australians would be rightly enraged to find out that Japan is buying gas that it does not need at dirt-cheap prices and then selling it at a tidy profit to other countries. When Australian gas consumers are facing ever-increasing prices and supply shortages, this idiotic situation cannot be allowed to continue. Husic’s suggestion that supply to Japan be cut by the amounts it sells, and clearly does not need, seems eminently sensible and would largely solve Australia’s domestic supply and cost problems. Sadly it would require Albanese to have the courage to take on the gas giants, and that is unlikely. Ross Hudson, Mount Martha (Vic)

Oily customer

Following the logic and detail of the article on Putin’s ghost ships (“How Putin’s ‘ghost ships’ put billions worth of blood oil into Australian cars”, smh.com.au, November 28) it shouldn’t be difficult to identify which branded outlets the refined Russian oil is retailed through here. Then we can boycott them. Gary Stowe, Springwood

Learning exercise for use of AI

The looming significance of AI is highlighted in this front-page story (“Official used husband’s AI tool to fast-track housing”, November 28). The job was urgent, a public servant could see the potential of AI and had access to such a tool. Job done. Or not, as now it has to be reviewed. Hopefully this contretemps is a valuable learning exercise for the use of AI in other public sector agencies. Margaret Johnston, Paddington

Oh my god: an official from the Department of Lots of Things trying to speed up development approvals. We can’t have that – isn’t using your initiative against the rules? And think of the public servants who might become redundant. I don’t get all the fuss about AI. Just turn it off at the wall. Brian Haisman, Winmalee

Not only does AI not create new knowledge, it ignores all knowledge that has not been written down. What about all the wisdoms passed down orally, from generation to generation, in off-the-beaten-track languages? So what do I say to AI? Bah, humbug! Pen Layton-Caisley, Marrickville

No misses here

As a feminist who believes all people are equal and entitled to equal opportunity, I’ve been a Ms for yonks, but thank you, Cherie Gilmour (“Am I a Miss, Ms or Mrs? This teacher’s had some near Misses”, November 28), for your witty analysis pointing out the conundrums of using a simple title for women. I chose Ms to make a political statement: females are equal to men. At the time it felt a bit subversive. A small thing but not. So let’s remove Miss and Mrs, they’re outdated, and as a male champion of women once announced, “It’s time!” Jennifer Fergus, Croydon

In everyday life I’m a Ms but have decided to embrace the term “madam” and from now on would like to be known as Madam Clarke. Lisa Clarke, Watsons Bay

From 1963 to ’68 in a suburban Sydney government boys’ high school it was only ever “sir” or “ma’am”. Uncomplicated, respectful, and marital status irrelevant in both cases. Jeffrey Mellefont, Coogee

Pricy hose

$122 million and they have to fill it with a hose duct-taped to a handrail (“Nearly five years after it was drained, there’s water in North Sydney pool”, smh.com.au, November 28)? Gobsmacked! Peter Hull, Katoomba

Take good care

Like all others I am devastated by the recent death and severe injury by shark of a young couple doing what so many Australians love to do: swim in the sea (“Climate change a factor as shark bites increase”, November 28). And I, too, have a constant and uneasy awareness, when in the sea, of the possibly lurking danger of a shark attack. At the same time, while records show the number of shark deaths in Australia is increasing, this totals only 56 between 2000 and (so far) in 2025. At the same time, Australian road deaths (of all road users, from drivers to pedestrians) in 2000 totalled 1817 and, while this number has steadily decreased since, by 2024 the total had only declined to 1300. And yet, by that odd quirk of the human mind, when it comes to a vehicle that we feel is indispensable to our lives we manage to shut down that fear factor. And more often than not, those deaths do not become front-page news. I used to tease my mother when she worried, every time I crossed a road, about what might happen. Looking back, it was she who got it right. And we should all do more about that. Anne Ring, Coogee

… and then the sharks started driving big utes ...

It is certain that climate change has become worse under our watch. This will have dramatic effects, perhaps unexpected, and some of us will bear a bigger burden than others. It is not reassuring that our decision-makers will be among those least affected. Greg Baker, Fitzroy Falls

Another life senselessly lost. The main reason for the increase in deadly shark attacks is the total protection of sharks. The argument that “we’re in their environment” is ridiculous. Sharks are not an endangered species. The sanctity of human life must take precedence over the life of animals. A controlled culling program should be implemented to save lives. Our beaches should an escape for enjoyment not fear. Riley Brown, Bondi Beach

Grammar come first

Frankly, I do not care whether they are male or female (Letters, November 28). All I want are announcers who can speak English properly. The airwaves seem to be full of people who have no idea about subject-verb agreement, correct use of prepositions, or the difference between the past participle and the past tense. Incorrect cadences abound, as do malapropisms. They all seem to have used a grammar book written by Rex Mossop. Ryszard Linkiewicz, Woolooware

Those ABC radio listeners concerned about over-representation of the male sex on the Sydney station should try ABC Illawarra (FM 97.3). The presenters are overwhelmingly female at present and the Illawarra is a much more interesting place anyway. John Croker, Woonona

Your correspondent’s view says it all. What makes him think that it is ABC Sydney? It may have escaped his notice that the wires now extend beyond Broadway, from the days when rural listeners had to use their crystal sets for reasonable reception. One reason the ABC may have lost listeners is because of Sydney-centric listeners in Mosman and the gentrification of the eastern suburbs et al, who have long thought NSW revolves around their orbit. When the ABC realises some of its programs should be directed to its rural audience (as it used to be), ratings might improve. Les Sisley, Kelso

The ABC needs to stop worrying about ratings and strive to be informative and entertaining. It could start by ending the ridiculous situation where shows are dropped over the summer “non-ratings period”. Surely the time could be used for new talent to get experience? Graeme Finn, Campsie

Is anybody else puzzled by the totally underwhelming, vanilla background screen behind the NSW ABC TV newsreaders’ desk? In one of the most picturesque harbour cities in the world a producer chose an amalgam of tiled roofs, generic glass city buildings and alleyways. Baffling. Edward Grieve, Woolloomooloo

Fire safety mandatory

It is heartbreaking to see so many lives lost in the Hong Kong apartment fire (“Survivors reveal frantic escape from Hong Kong flames”, November 28). Condolences to all families and friends affected. It is, at the same time, a wake-up call to local councils in Sydney. Bring building certifications back to statutory bodies. The strata I am living with in Sydney had its fire safety measures installed by a firm 14 years ago and then certified by the same firm year after year until 2020, leaving many non-complying issues not discovered until recently. Owners must now fork out tens of thousands of dollars each to make the building fire-safe and avoid becoming another tragic fire statistic. Paul Lau, Dolls Point

Value of pet restrictions

The evidence of continuing “pole posting” of missing-cat photos in my neighbourhood clearly shows there is a pet owner’s problem in safeguarding pet cats. Surely there should be no discrimination against pet owners when it comes to laws requiring pet/public protection and/or restrictions. Our government needs to impose the same restrictions/requirements for all pets as now apply to dog owners, with all pet owners being required to confine their pets to their properties. This would eliminate the current nuisances to neighbours, pedestrians and motorists, and thus greatly reduce the number of feral cats. It would also lead to a reduction in: cost to the government’s feral cat/fox eradication programs; loss of our valuable fauna; and the proliferation of missing-cat signs on local poles and the associated heartache. Brian McDonald, Willoughby

We’re all winners

Congratulations are in order to the Herald’s journalists once again for their success in this year’s Walkley Awards (“The Herald shines at 70th Walkley Awards”, November 28). And our thanks for continuing to provide us, the letter writers, with so much to work with. Graham Lum, North Rocks

Opening gambit

Despite all this chatter about Aussie batters (“Taylor urges selectors to make tough call on Khawaja”, November 28), everyone seems to be ignoring the obvious: Beth Mooney to open, with Ellyse Perry at first drop. Problem solved. Ashes regained. Jeff Apter, Keiraville

Sale away

Yesterday’s Black Friday shopping extravaganza represents yet another dubious cultural import from the United States. Biscuits have become cookies, zed is now zee, and young people speak with American accents, often announcing “I’m done” when really they have finished. At least the US discount day has warrant to put shops in the black, overcoming otherwise bleak trading immediately after the public Thanksgiving holiday, which itself would make for a much better export. David D’Lima, Sturt (SA)

All these “Black Friday” sales every day in November seem to be aimed at enticing me to spend extra on items I don’t really need or want, just for the “thrill” of a “sale”. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland

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