Foley resigns, Elliott and Abetz must quit over their roles

Sadly, too often public figures choose to follow “legal advice” rather than listen to their conscience and act with honour. Until more of our politicians show courage and integrity and own up to their mistakes, they do not deserve our respect – Vincent Wong, Killara

There has to be a better way to protect victims who willingly or unwillingly tell their story. At present, victims are publicly humiliated and their reputations trashed. Whatever happened to ethical behaviour and the dignity and rights of individuals? – Elizabeth Starr, Chiswick

Michael Daley has my vote already. His forthright condemnation of Foley’s damaging and spiteful proposed defamation case against the ABC is to be applauded. – Michael Clayton, Hunters Hill

Jodie McKay should be the only person being considered as the new leader of the NSW Labor party.

She is ethical, has experience and, above all else, is a woman and therefore best qualified for the job of cleaning up after the men. – Charmain Brinks, Newcastle

When will they ever learn? Politicians, journalists and alcohol just do not mix. – Tony Re, Georges Hall

Australian politics? Just another season of House of Cards. – Peter Wilkosz, Byron Bay

Foley’s alleged actions do not make him unfit for leadership (“Once again, the woman has to clean up the mess”, November 9). And I am not even on his side on the political spectrum. For that matter, I did not believe that Bill Clinton was unfit for leadership.

The “Me too” movement has gone far too far and unfortunately has equated genuine nasty badual harbadment and badual badault a la Harvey Weinstein with a man resting his hands on a woman’s bad. I believe there should be some scale of wrongdoing and penalties. I don’t believe that Foley should have resigned or take defamation action. – Nikki Riszko, Canberra

Luke who? – Michael Deeth, Como West

badr is the only person with integrity

It is harrowing to read ABC reporter Ashleigh badr’s statement. With the clarity, precision and balance of the best reporting, badr details what occurred in the Luke Foley incident (“‘My one and only statement on Foley'”, November 9).

She did not want this to become public knowledge, but this personal choice was removed from her by the dirty political tactics of a desperate NSW Liberal Party. The only person who emerges from this sorry episode with dignity, principles and integrity intact, is badr. – Sue Lubbers, Killara

I weep for Ashleigh badr. – Lorna Denham, Cardiff Heights

The only person who emerges from this whole tawdry episode with their dignity intact is Ashleigh badr. The others involved have demonstrated yet again why politicians are held in such low regard. – David Wellham, Broulee

Like badr I would really like cheap political point-scoring in Parliament to stop. If this is the best that the boys can do, step aside and let the grown-up women run the show. – Debra Miniutti, Ashbury

It is a brave woman who goes public as we all know the consequences to ourselves. Bravo Ashleigh! – Augusta Monro, Dural

Let’s hope that it is not too long before we see the return of badr to ABC news. – Robert Pallister, Punchbowl

No one need ever again ask why women remain silent. The answer is all there in the news, and being played out in the courts. – Anne McDonald, Summer Hill

Vote for women candidates next time, whatever your political stripes. This. Has. Got. To. Stop. – Angela Namoi, Crows Nest

The #MeToo movement seems to have given way to #YouToo – a movement in which people in power pretend to support women who have been abused, in order to increase their own power. I agree with badr – this behaviour must stop. – Judy Christian, Castle Hill

Systemic faults

Pleading to keep Mark Latham out of the NSW Legislative Council is playing the man and not the ball (“Keep Mark Latham out of NSW Parliament”, November 8).

It is the system that is at fault. The very fact that an obtuse party such as One Nation could win a quota for a seat in the Legislative Council with 4.5 per cent of the vote is ludicrous.

The State’s upper house is an anachronism and should be abolished. – Ray Alexander, Moss Vale

Latham’s biggest test will be to remain on speaking terms with his equally divisive leader for the five months leading up to the election. History has not been kind to many of Pauline Hanson’s opportunistic disciples. – Col Nicholson, Hawks Nest

Yes, Latham is “smart as paint” – paint very liberally applied to a flat, horizontal, non-absorbent surface (Letters, November 9). – Al Svirskis, Mount Druitt

He may be as “smart as paint”, but, given the tenor of much of his commentary, the trouble is that he’s of a similar depth. – David Baird, Burradoo

I’ll believe Latham “has had the rough edges knocked off him” when he not only ceases to employ the phrase “conga line of suckholes”, but also manages to kick his habit of joining such conga lines. – Steve Cornelius, Brookvale

More to Remembrance Day than our fallen heroes

My grandfather returned from the First World War physically and psychologically damaged. He never recovered. My grandmother ended up leaving him. My father too suffered (“The long reach of old war ties, sealed in blood”, November 9).

On Remembrance Day we remember the fallen. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the horror and futility of war, especially the First World War.

As a poignant statement of the horror inflicted upon young men of the Great War, I am always moved by the words of the German soldier from the anti-war clbadic All Quiet on the Western Front: “I am young, I am twenty years old, yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow. I see how peoples are set against one another, and in silence, unknowingly, foolishly, obediently, innocently slay one another. I see that the keenest brains of the world invent weapons and words to make it yet more refined and enduring. And all men of my age, here and over there, throughout the whole world see these things; all my generation is experiencing these things with me … Through the years our business has been killing; it was our first calling in life. Our knowledge of life is limited to death. What will happen afterwards?” – Craig Smith, Cronulla

It is timely that Remembrance Day focuses on the “surprising and little-known ways World War I has shaped modern Australia”.

However, the loss of 61,514 lives in that conflict should be seen in the light of a conservative estimate of 65,000 Aboriginal lives lost in mbadacres in Queensland alone.

It would also be appropriate to consider the shameful plight of Indigenous servicemen who served in the Great War.

The shaping of Australia needs also to be seen from an Aboriginal perspective. – Bruce Hulbert, Lilyfield

I disagree with your correspondent. War is futile when you look at the loss of life and PTSD suffered. It is settled, eventually, around the conference table. So why not go direct to the conference table? – Lindsay Somerville, Lindfield

Turnbull’s turn

It was good to see that former PM Malcolm Turnbull was back in form while speaking on Q&A (“Turnbull spills on nine party plotters”, November 9). He again had the opportunity to tell all that it was shameful for a few Liberal ministers to rid Australians of such a wonderful PM. – Carolyn Wills, Cremorne

Craig Kelly claims many in the Coalition believed they had a better chance at the next election with a change of prime minister.

It might have worked if they actually had a suitable substitute. Obviously they didn’t think of that before inserting the knife. – Graham Lum, North Rocks

If the answer is so simple, Craig Kelly, why weren’t we given it sooner? Perhaps because it’s inanely inadequate and spitefully opportunistic. – Meredith Williams, Dee Why

Turnbull is upset at the treatment extended to him by his colleagues. Perhaps Turnbull has forgotten that many voters were also upset with him when he skewered Tony Abbott, for whom they had voted overwhelmingly.

Live by the sword, die by the sword. – David Sayers, Gwandalan

What a wasted opportunity; an audience with Turnbull and a chance to ask why he didn’t prosecute his long-held beliefs on many of the issues that endeared him to both sides of political faiths for so long.

Turnbull’s lack of vision for the future and insistence that the Liberal movement is a “broad church” for all to live under is delusional. – John Kingsmill, Fairlight

Late call on Sessions

Although the US Attorney-General is the top legal post in the United States and that individual represents all Americans, he is also the President’s top legal adviser (“Attorney-General dumped by Trump”, November 9).

The most important investigation affecting Trump is the matter of Russian interference in the US presidential election in 2016 which resulted in the appointment of a Special Prosecutor.

Jeff Sessions should have resigned the minute he recused himself from overseeing the Special Prosecutor and the investigation. When he resigned at Trump’s request, it was two years too late. – Michael Clarey, Pyrmont

Trump slammed the caravan of asylum seekers making its way north, saying many of them are a violent threat to US citizens and must not be let in (“Race-baiting saves his furniture”, November 8). This amazing ability to discern a possible threat and act tough to prevent it sadly could not keep his people safe from the latest mbad shooting, this time by an American veteran. – Joan Brown, Orange

Little faith in old view

What a reversal of views by Archbishop Glen Davies in one very short week (“Archbishop ‘deeply sorry’ for schools’ signed letter”, November 9).

He must have had a lot of opposition from students, parents and Old Boys of these 34 private schools.

This apology comes because of concerns that enrolments might fall because of the outrage of many of these private school families. – Helen Simpson, Curl Curl

Congratulations have to go to all those Anglican schools for having taught their students to critically think about a topic, to outwardly care about their fellow students and teachers (no matter their beliefs or badual preferences) and to stand up and clearly state their views so as to bring about change.

These students wrote letters, signed petitions and used social media to let their schools know how wronged they felt. – Margie Christowski, Roseville

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Sinking money

Australia’s extraordinarily expensive submarines are not expected to come into service until 2035 (“Future subs need long trial”, November 9). In a further 17 years, warfare will surely have moved on from these cumbersome underwater tin tubes. Sophisticated detection and weaponry controlled by satellites will render submarines obsolete.

The billions set aside for this purchase could surely be put to better use. – Ramon Jones, Carcoar

Making a meal of it

Kids have a right to an enjoyable childhood, but is going to restaurants a way of achieving that (Letters, November 9)? Jill Murphy has to provide books, drawing materials and access to a screen to keep her children happy during the meal. That to me sounds like children being somewhere they don’t want to be.

I remember my first restaurant outing at around the age of 10. Mum and Dad had decided the kids needed to be taught how to behave at a restaurant so took the family to the local Chinese restaurant. We were old enough to sit still without entertainment, to talk quietly and eat properly, even when the wonder of fried ice cream was brought to the table. – Anne Kirman, Kellyville

I was brought up to believe that there is a time and place for everything. Some places and times are for quiet respect, others for gaiety and noise.

Each generation evolves from the ethics and practices of the one before. We live in a time when noisy egotistical adults are creating havoc. Our survival is becoming ever more dependent upon adults, as well as children, knowing when to be noisy and when they should have respect and consideration for others. – Joy Cooksey, Harrington

Postscript

After another week in politics ended on a rancorous note, it might be refreshing to remember a practitioner of what can sometimes be a noble art.

Ted Mack, former mayor of North Sydney, and independent MP in both state and federal parliaments, died on Cup Day, aged 85. “If there was a Melbourne Cup for the great and the good politicians, Ted Mack would win in a canter,” wrote Eric Viana, of Denistone.

Peng Ee, of Castle Cove, hailed an “honest politician, who responded to constituents concerns as soon as he could”. And in unexpected ways, as Des Walsh, of Narrabeen, elaborated: “My late mother, who lived in Neutral Bay in the 1970s, remembered when North Sydney Council was receiving complaints that there were insufficient public rubbish bins as most were overflowing and spilling rubbish on the footpaths. Ted’s response was to remove the bins and make citizens responsible for disposing of their own rubbish.”

Such observations tally with your correspondent’s memories of reporting on Mack Town for a suburban newspaper. One minute this environmentalist and endlessly quotable mayor would boast of making the municipality money from nothing (selling air space above train stations), next he was taking advantage of the SCG redevelopment to procure the Bob Stand for North Sydney Oval (at “a dollar a bum”, he boasted).

Helped by Wendy, his wife of six decades, Ted sent us his last letter last December. Aptly, it concerned probity in politics (specifically Sam Dastyari’s dealings with Chinese officials). “It took a lot of effort for Ted to write the letter and I do hope that it will be published,” Wendy wrote. It was.

Vale Ted Mack.

Mark Sawyer, Letters co-editor