The cost of politics
“Michelle Grattan is correct that the Liberals need more policy and less politicking with their new migration policy. The trouble is the Liberal party may no longer be interested in policy if they can win the politics and with the guaranteed backing of News Corp they could be right. After all, Murdoch’s Fox News played a big part in getting Trump, a convicted felon, elected for a second time and Murdoch didn't have the near monopoly in the US that he has in large parts of Australia. The misinformation and disinformation platforms provided by social media have turbocharged the reach of propaganda and AI is unlikely to make it any better. Our electoral system is robust and should provide protection. But our politics certainly isn't. We would be foolish to assume that what happened in the US couldn't happen here.”
Gary Barnes, Mosman NSW

Public housing reset
“We need to invest far, far more into public housing. The current idea of building affordable housing with private developers that can be sold off after 10 years is merely tickling the current problem and kicking the can down the road to the future. Distributed social housing in established areas is the answer. This housing should also be quarantined from future sell-off by future governments so a pool of affordable rental accommodation is always available.”
Doug Foskey, Lismore NSW

Space vandals
“The planet would be much better served if regulators took steps to prevent big companies like SpaceX from blotting out the magnificent spectacle of the Milky Way with a million more pseudo-stars. Ground-based light pollution is already killing the view quite enough, thank you. Doing it from up there would be a giant step too far.”
Graeme Osborne

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