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Several correspondents are disappointed, even disgusted, by the Liberal Party’s decision to preference One Nation ahead of Labor (Letters, 12/11). However, given the extent of the maladministration of recent Labor governments, it would be irresponsible for the Liberal Party to give Labor any electoral assistance at all. Their first priority must be to get rid of Labor. It can then deal with One Nation in the event it has any significant power in the new parliament. It could be a case of the Liberals supporting the devil they don’t really know ahead of the devil they definitely do. Rod Wise, Surrey Hills
Torn by the choices I have always been a left-leaning Labor party supporter, but I recognise and realise that the government has run out of steam and we need a change. However, I cannot vote for the Liberal Party now that they have put One Nation above Labor. I will not support One Nation in any way. What to do? Malcolm I Fraser, Oakleigh South
Independents, where are you? Victoria urgently needs improved governance, yet the upcoming election is like “Morton’s Fork” where both likely paths of travel are unsatisfactory – the conservatives and an apparently chaotic One Nation alliance with a few “back to the future” policies or the continuation of Labor and its apparent fiscal mismanagement. Where are the strong independents? Ian Gibb, St Kilda
Forced into ‘donkey vote’ and not happy Jess Wilson, you had our vote. It’s way past time for the government to go. Sadly, you then announced the Liberal Party is giving its preferences to One Nation. I now can’t vote for you. I can’t vote for Labor or the Greens either and I don’t know if we have an independent running in our electorate or if they are even worth voting for. Your best move politically would have been to say to voters, “Vote 1 for the Coalition. We aren’t going to tell you how to number the rest of the ballot. That is up to you.” Had you said that your candidate would have had my vote in a heartbeat. It’s not too late to change your mind. If you can’t then perhaps for the first time in my decades-long voting life I will be forced into a “donkey vote”. Irene Wyld, Cape Schanck
Treaty decision factor in selection I refuse to give my votes to either the Liberal Party or to One Nation. The Liberals partly because they want to take away the Treaty with our First Nations people. Nor to One Nation because of Pauline Hanson herself as well as all her policies. Who am I left with? Ben Carroll, who needs to be given a go partly because he is neither Dan Andrews or Jacinta Allan, or to the minor parties, or an informal vote. Lesley Taskis, Kingsbury
Home a human right I don’t see the boulevard of broken dreams and routes of regret Shane Wright speaks of (“ Record plunge in loans as tax overhaul hits the property market ”, 12/11). If there is a problem it is that debt has become the engine of housing, and that housing has become an avenue for financial speculation over what it truly is, a human right. The ill-effect of credit-fuelled growth, the basis of the Australian economy, starts to show when the government refuses to fund public goods directly and looks to budgetary savings elsewhere. Anders Ross, Heidelberg
Aged care grief It was good of your correspondent (Letters, 13/11) to at least say something in response to an article on aged care (″ Aged care homes guarded amid fears of attacks ″, 11/11). The inconvenient truth is not old age itself, but the deregulated, privatised system this country so shamefully operates. I still call Australia home, but its aged care ″homes″ grieve me deeply. Ruth Farr, Blackburn South
Boot the bosses It was sad to read Dee Madigan’s article on why Qantas would want to get rid of its own staff in Australia ( Comment , 12/11). I think big business is using AI all wrong. If a company was looking to save money, AI would be best suited replacing CEOs and senior executives, instead of replacing staff who are the everyday talent and service providers of a company. AI could easily analyse commercial prospects, long-term strategic directions, global markets and financial risks to successfully steer a company. All without the need for multimillion dollar salaries and exorbitant annual bonuses. Customers could train the AI CEO through all the surveys, feedback and reviews we are asked to provide about a company’s performance to make decisions in the best interests of staff, customers and shareholders. Company staff could provide logical solutions to improve productivity and performance directly to the AI entity, providing a more rapid response to everyday customer concerns. CEOs and executives would not be missed by customers, but the staff at ″front and back of house″ would be sorely missed. The industrial revolution replaced workers on the shop floor. The AI revolution should replace executives on the top floor. Elizabeth Balogh, Heathmont
Ban fossil fuel exports It was embarrassing to listen to the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at COP31. Following António Guterres’s focused and consummate speech reiterating the major source of global heating, the PM’s response consisted of prevarication,and a total lack of self-awareness and awareness of the problem at hand. Especially when at the same time he trumpets Australia as the ″saviour″ of the Pacific. We should stop all fossil fuel exports. This would be extremely costly, some will say. Think of it in these terms: we have just commemorated the armistice following the Great War, which was hugely more costly than ceasing the use of poisonous forms of energy. And it will not cost any lives. The very opposite, in fact. Ruben Buttigieg, Mount Martha
PM’s climate failure The Prime Minister Anthony Albanese travelled to COP31 as a person of little credibility when it comes to effective climate change mitigation and it is unsurprising that he failed to mention fossil fuels. It was he, in response to pressure from WA Premier, Roger Cook, who immediately after the last federal election installed Murray Watt into the environment portfolio with a brief to approve the extension of Woodside’s NW Shelf gas project to 2070. This was effectively an Albanese-Watt green light for Woodside to pour copious amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere for more than another four decades. A decision to accept or reject Woodside’s enormous and controversial Browse gas project is due by the end of this year. Once again, this project would run until 2070 and produce an estimated 6.4-6.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. Albanese tried to convey the impression at COP31 that he is serious about climate change mitigation but if a few weeks after his return he announces his government’s approval of the Browse project, his credibility will be zero. Ian Bayly, Upwey
Questions for voters Gay Alcorn’s profile captures Opposition Leader Jess Wilson as a young but capable, relatable, decent leader (“ How a daggy Millennial came to hold a party’s hope in her hands ”, 13/11). Many of her Coalition’s policies, particularly those on climate, energy and reconciliation, however, raise questions for voters. As Alcorn reports, in 2022 Wilson said we must “accelerate the transition” to clean energy and modernise transmission; now her Coalition would scrap the VNI West transmission line and “throw open the doors” to gas. Where is the evidence these choices will lower bills or improve reliability? And how do they align with climate targets? Her party has made a similar reversal on Treaty, from bipartisan support to promising repeal. Decency is welcome in politics; consistency and evidence-based, fair policy matter too. Larni Dibben, Glen Iris
Election ripple effects It’s disappointing that so many seem to view the election as no more than an opportunity to punish the government for past albeit significant mistakes, though the extent to which there is corruption rather than mismanagement and overreach is yet to be determined. However, government is a job to be done into the future not a trophy to be awarded or denied based on past performance. The campaigns are effectively the equivalent of a job application. As a state we have to live for years with the consequences of our decision at the end of this month. The two credible options for government offer many similar commitments as they always do but one also takes away things like a pathway to sustainable, low emissions energy, significant revenue necessary to fund services without increasing debt and sadly one of the most significant steps toward constructive reconciliation, Treaty with First Nations peoples of Victoria As the old saying goes “marry in haste, repent at leisure”. Richard Jamonts, Williamstown
One Nation, one party Warren Pickering, One Nation leader in Victoria, blames “a bit of a hole” in vetting candidates (“ One Nation leader Pickering blames ‘bit of a hole’ in vetting for pro-Nazi candidate ”, 13/11). It seems that Pickering has not realised that people with extremist views are going to be attracted to One Nation as the party openly espouses similar views that candidates have been criticised for. It’s even more astonishing that Jess Wilson seems to have a view that she can distinguish between One Nation candidates with “offensive views” to whom she won’t direct preferences, and the rest of the candidates, as if the One Nation party itself is completely acceptable in its leaders’ policy statements and are therefore deserving of Liberal Party preferences. Heather D’Cruz, Geelong West
Leave green spaces I read with dismay articles (High-rise horizons) referring to high-rise activity centres and the need to jam more people into areas near transportation, which I support in principle. However, what is lost in this argument is that I see and hear absolutely no mention of providing balance with green open space where one can walk a dog or simply sit on a park bench and get a little sunshine. Charge ahead by all means – and create overcrowded ghettos of the future. Vince Vozzo, Elwood
Not all unions bad The behaviour of the CFMEU should not distract us from the fact that the majority of trade unions act honestly and fairly to uphold the rights of working men and women. Without them children would probably still be working down coal mines. Rob Willis, Newlands Arm
Politics Time for a royal commission into redacting (″ Redacted notes spur fierce rebuke at royal commission ″, 13/11). Peter Randles, Pascoe Vale South
The Liberals’ decision to preference One Nation is in cricket parlance a reverse sweep. It seemed like a good idea at the time but can go horribly wrong. Dan Drummond, Leongatha
Perhaps it’s time to ban parties’ how-to-vote cards. Not only should voters make their own decisions but think of the paper that will be saved. Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Labor is really on the nose when voters are preferring parties that refuse to support the generation of electricity by the cheapest means. John Groom, Bentleigh
“Bring back David Jones” sounds like another great back-to-the-future policy for One Nation. Bernd Rieve, Brighton
Furthermore If we keep outsourcing to other countries, not only will brands suffer, but what will become of the Australian workforce? Are we to be just a country of cafes and couriers? Big business is selling out the Australian identity. Catherine Leos, Brunswick West
If the homeless can be accommodated during lockdown, why not now? Katriona Fahey, Alphington
Give AI the task of working out the best way to reach world peace, end poverty, solve climate change and find how Essendon can win an AFL flag (″AI could be utopian, or destroy humanity″, 13/11). John Hughes, Mentone
Could we please have some debate before it is too late on this mad rush to build data centres. I am no expert but the many downsides on the environment and abuse of power and water resources plus loss of jobs just doesn’t make sense. Tony Jackson, Fitzroy
I chuckled when Pat Cummins said while describing his appraisal of the Australian team when he first came on board: “I thought that the way we acted on the field was quite abrasive.” Pure gold. Nick Brennan, Rowville
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