No tears for Ley’s criticism of Wong

Sussan Ley continues to complain that she hasn’t yet seen Penny Wong shed a single tear (“I haven’t seen Penny Wong shed a single tear”, December 23), but has she seen them running down the faces of Michaelia Cash? Andrew Hastie? Anne Ruston? Sarah Henderson? Jane Hume? Jacinta Price? David Littleproud? Pauline Hanson? Barnaby Joyce? Cry me a partisan river, Sussan. This is not the time for cheap political jibes. Shaun Davies, St Peters

One wonders whether Sussan Ley’s attack on Penny Wong is genuine or merely part of a confected campaign to improve the Coalition’s position. Sussan Ley is entitled to criticise the Albanese government, but a personal attack on a minister based on one statement has the smell of a tawdry attempt to gain a political advantage from a tragic event. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill

I am at a loss to know how Sussan Ley knows Penny Wong has not shed a tear since the mass shooting at Bondi. Has Ley been stalking her 24/7 since the tragedy occurred? Robyn Lewis, Raglan

Sussan Ley says that she “never saw Penny Wong drop a tear or attend a service”. In other words, all she tells her supporters is that she saw nothing. In any Australian court that would be thrown out as hearsay or even uncorroborated opinion. Such a cheap political barb by someone who believes she can run the country? Donald Matthews, Fennell Bay

Sussan Ley is demonstrating a pattern of making personal attacks that reflect poorly on her. Her demand that Kevin Rudd be sacked because Trump did not like him, and her criticism of Albanese for wearing a Joy Division T-shirt fell flat. Now she has attacked Penny Wong for not attending funerals of the Bondi Beach victims, and for not crying in public. Does it not occur to Ley that whether a person cries, and the volume of their tears, does not denote the depth of their grief? Also, she has not criticised any male politician for not crying on camera so underpinning her criticism are anachronistic gender stereotypes. Ley has failed again by not being bipartisan when the nation requires unity. One only has to look at her NSW counterpart, Kelly Sloane, to see how it’s done. Salvatore Sorbello, Campsie

Sussan Ley will never be a prospect for prime minister of our great country. She has set new lows in appalling misjudgment. Apparently, she and her Liberal Party colleagues think leadership in a time of deep sorrow means creating greater division, fear, confusion and opportunity for political game playing. Penny Wong is strong, respectful and thoughtful, everything Ley and her party are not. Let’s ignore such vile commentary and wish each other kindness and safety this Christmas. Christopher Hill, Kensington

Sussan Ley’s current behaviour is no less than shameful. Slapping her hand on a lectern was a childish act of petulance. She appears to have forgotten that divisive, belligerent politics brought Peter Dutton crashing down. Now is not the time for any form of verbal abuse, least of all by our federal politicians. Donna Wiemann, Balmain

It’s hard to believe that Sussan Ley would be haranguing Senator Wong because she supposedly did not attend Bondi and cry enough. Even for Ley, this is a new low. Are you sure she has not also joined Pauline Hanson’s Hate Party? Frankly, she would fit right in. Lynn Nadjarian, Forster

Sussan Ley, how low can you go? You’d win the Limbo Competition hands down. Judith Hall, Cabarita

In her extraordinary outburst, how did Sussan Ley confirm to the Australians that Penny Wong did not shed a tear? Judging by Ley’s recent performance, Andrew Hastie will be taking over her position when parliament reconvenes next February. Peng Ee, Castle Cove

Call me a cynic but, in my humble opinion, there is only one reason why Sussan Ley was so prominent in the seat of Wentworth last week. Politics at its worst. Bernadette Scadden, Earlwood

That Susan Ley takes a backhanded swipe at Penny Wong is typical of the abysmal state of our federal political system. Her attempt to place personal blame on a member of an opposing political party is disgraceful, it shows she is oblivious to the fact (or else ignoring it) that the shooters were responsible for their actions. The PM and the foreign minister did not facilitate the actions of the perpetrators, and to claim they did is scaremongering at its worst. Ideology of both religious and political natures (racism included) have created resentment, conflict and social disharmony for decades. It is not a recent phenomenon. Playing “the blame game” shows a real disconnect in understanding the foundations of multiculturalism. Politicians are meant to bridge any divisions in society not create them. Graham Tooth, Kings Point

An emotional response is understandable to the horror of Bondi. Anger, tears, grief and lashing out is natural to anyone affected, especially family, friends and community. But apart from empathy and sorrow, I expect a dignified, considered but determined response from our leaders. Sussan Ley’s extraordinary vitriol against Penny Wong and the general tirade by the opposition is what the terrorists would want. Whether this is cynical political opportunism or just juvenile hyperbole, it is unwarranted and ill-advised. Antisemitism has burgeoned, and I expect our leaders to collegiately address it, as with any recent national crisis, in a bipartisan, apolitical process. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle

Right-wing outrage

They first rolled out old Johnny Howard to accuse Labor of “attempted diversion”, a statement of Australian political hypocrisy at its finest. From then on, a conga line of right-wing political light-weights, each delivering their lines, spoke out in pantomimed outright faux rage. History will record this as one of Australia’s most disgraceful acts of political opportunism. Not only that, this cohort of right-wingers has exposed the great Australian lie that we as a nation come together in times of tragedy. No matter what tragedy may be imposed upon the Australian populace in the future, this same cohort will always be hell-bent on pulling this nation apart. Tony Lewis, Mount Victoria

Gun technology

We have technology to control guns (“NSW parliament may have to sit late to pass gun laws”, December 23). First, it escapes me why all new guns cannot be equipped with an interlock that prevents the gun from firing if it cannot communicate with a mobile phone service. Second, why the movement of a gun outside of a licenced range or area of use cannot immediately be reported to the police electronically. Unlocking a gun cabinet should also alert the police, who can follow up with a phone call. Third, why the government cannot require retrospective fitting of a gun control device as a condition of retaining both a gun licence and guns rather than buy-back schemes. Fourth, why guns cannot be limited to firing at two rounds per minute by a retrospectively fitted device. Every time a gun is fired, it alerts a database electronically. We seem to forget that many gun offences are committed by people who lawfully acquire guns. Many gun owners pride themselves in being able to kill an animal with a single round. Finally, there should be an insurance scheme, just like there is for motor vehicles, so that victims can be compensated. Peter Woof, Mollymook

Spare us the royal commission

A royal commission will take years to complete and achieve nothing more than line the pockets of many lawyers and provide future terrorists with a road map (“The tragedy at Bondi Beach demands a federal royal commission”, December 23). Any investigation should be undertaken without public scrutiny, within the police and ASIO to identify areas for improvement. Subject to “national security” issues, the findings may be published. A report to parliament should have a deadline of no more than six months –this may not satisfy those who wail about the shortcomings of whatever they want to wail about and want to get their names in the public media. But it may improve our ability to predict and minimise the impact of any future “terrorist” event. We do not need a religious or politically driven witch-hunt to provide a platform for all and sundry to vent their spleens, while informing terrorists how to achieve their goals. We need to identify what, if anything, was done wrong and from that improve our alertness and readiness. No politicians, no religious leaders, no racism commentators – just a factual analysis of precisely what happened, what was the motivation, how it went under the radar and what can be done to prevent it happening again. Undertaken rapidly and dispassionately. Doug Vorbach, Narwee

I am not convinced by calls for a royal commission in response to the Bondi Beach attack. Will it serve the many needs growing from our collective grief? Could it prejudice the trial of the gunman held in custody? The recommendations of the robo-debt and banking royal commissions, plus other commissions, are yet to be acted on. What happened in Australia on December 14 calls for a new process that is forward-looking and genuinely committed to building a dialogue to which we can all be accountable. That would turn our collective regret about what happened into a turning point for our nation. Sandy Killick, Glebe

Clamour is noise, and that’s what we’re getting in response to the tragedy at Bondi Beach. Do we need an expensive, convoluted and time-consuming enquiry when federal and state investigations can quickly identify what happened and how to help prevent future hate-based acts of terrorism? Are there guarantees that recommendations made by a royal commission will be adopted? Finally, after a week of recriminations, I get the feeling that a royal commission would simply give those in the community with the loudest megaphones – the Jewish lobby, the opposition and right-wing media outlets – the platform to bash the government. Do we succumb to this clamour? Mark Paskal, Austinmer

Your editorial needed to go further. On balance, Minns and Albanese are incorrect. The premier has a reputation for rushing through legislation (youth bail reforms, the softening of the doli incapax principle), expecting the courts to sort out problems. Although needed, the speed of the latest hate speech and gun laws may suffer the same fate. And the PM has clearly misread the mood over a royal commission. Surely a bipartisan approach between NSW and the overarching government of the country is paramount? Michael Blissenden, Dural

Unity, not division

It’s now 20 years since the Herald published my email inspired by a bout of civil unrest on one of our iconic beaches (Letters, December 24, 2005). At that time, it was an orchestrated ethnic naming and shaming that created and fuelled the mayhem. It was as unAustralian as it was grotesque. Fast-forward to now: why are we constantly finger-pointing at ethnic groups rather than embracing one another in understanding? Where is this never-ending childish blame game supposed to lead? Didn’t we good Christians and other respectable citizens learn that this behaviour is the mockery of the very spirit of love and togetherness we should be celebrating now? And how dare we negate creating the most successful multicultural nation in the current confused world where so many cannot even tell democracy from autocracy? Time to understand that the solution is in unity, not division. Greg Jargiello, Glenmore Park

Hot as hell

First, during the heat of this year’s summer, I’d like to thank those editors who have published some of my best letters this year, but as a public-transport-using pedestrian making my way through the heat and humidity of the longest days of a Sydney summer, I’d more particularly like to thank the bus and train drivers, whose showing up to work on Sundays and public holidays allows me to get around. I would also like to bless those of my friends and relatives who had the good sense to have birthdays and other family gatherings during the other, cooler months of the year. In Australia, people should breed during the heat, and give birth in the cooler months, I say. With a Vegemite-loving visitor of some years, “Friend of Australia” as the current Pope, might we petition him through your newspaper’s pages to ask for an official dispensation to shift the official date for celebrating Christmas in Australia to a cooler time of year? Garry Dalrymple, Earlwood

Not-so-smart phone

Along with your correspondent (Letters, December 23), I feel disturbed when I see mothers distracted by their smartphones while dragging an unhappy child along. Equally concerning is seeing young children heading to school, heads down, engrossed in their screens, no social interaction or awareness of their surroundings. What is this doing to their developing brains? Ingrid Haydon, Long Jetty

Reason for the season

Christmas Day is the event that really stops a nation. It is astonishing that practically everything stops to mark the birth of a child in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago. Those who think Santa Claus is the most important thing about Christmas should remember that Santa Claus is based on an early Christian, Saint Nicholas. The people who regard ethics as more important than religion will be pleased to know that the teachings of most religions are indeed ethical. David Linfoot, Castle Hill

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