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For Pauline Hanson to describe domestic violence as “a two-way street” is an appalling, populist attempt to diminish the seriousness of a crime that is predominantly against women and children (“Swift backlash after Hanson says domestic violence a ‘two-way street’”, July 23). Whether the violence is perpetrated by a man or a woman, it is one person hurting or killing another and cannot be depicted as being shared or “two-way” in any sense. Hopefully, every woman understands the extreme misogyny in Hanson’s view and in her bald attempt to win over male voters. Dorothy Kamaker, Whale Beach
Pauline Hanson’s comments about domestic violence have drawn wide criticism.Ross Swanborough
What will this attention-seeking woman say next? Never mind the facts, her simplistic solutions bear no resemblance to reality or history. I have a relative who over many decades repeatedly attempted to leave her abusive husband and take her children with her. On one attempt she crashed the car, so her husband removed the battery and locked it away, ensuring she had no further access to a vehicle. Finally, at the age of 80, with the help of her doctor she managed to escape. Because services are so thin on the ground for women fleeing abusive relationships, my relative lived with family members until suitable aged-care accommodation could be organised for her. The life of victim-survivors is no walk in the park. Rhonda Seymour, Castle Hill
Pauline Hanson, in her clumsy attempt to blame domestic violence victims, says “women lose their cool too”. Such a minimisation of the abuse experience for victims is outrageous. Domestic violence is most cases is not just a temporary loss of cool. For many victims it involves months or years of coercive control, denigration, disrespect, stalking and fear, apart from any physical assault. Hanson’s lack of empathy and her anti-feminist stance is once again on display. Toni Lorentzen, Fennell Bay
Despite generally soft media coverage – and a particularly fawning sit-down with the ABC’s Annabel Crabb this week– Anthony Albanese’s cautious approach hasn’t stopped Labor from losing ground to One Nation. Conversely, Pauline Hanson’s political fortunes continue to soar, despite the media pack gleefully pouncing on her every mistake. This doesn’t apply to Liberal leader Angus Taylor, who’s constantly belted in the media, and belted in the polls. Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield
Lasting legacy
I suggest that Gina Rinehart could leave a lasting legacy by providing $1 billion to establish a network of women’s refuges across Australia. Admittedly, it would reduce her net worth to $38 billion; however, I doubt her standard of living would be affected. This would be a far more worthy use of her wealth than supplying One Nation with cash. Hopefully this suggestion finds its way onto Gina’s desk and work can commence on desperately needed women’s shelters. David Goldstein, Balgowlah
Sit down, Barnaby
Barnaby Joyce may find that his dog could be more worthy of trust than some of his recently acquired political colleagues (Letters, July 23). I suspect that he is currently a deeply troubled man. Frustrated by the direction of the Nationals, his embracing of One Nation seemed a good idea. Now he is in a position of having to defend a group of loonies whose ideas are a far cry from his normally pragmatic approach. Now he is exposed, with few political options other than perhaps a return to the Nationals’ fold. I suggest he should “sit down” with his dog and ponder an escape from his precarious situation. Derrick Mason, Boorowa
Photo: Cathy Wilcox
I confess, I have occasionally yelled at my dog, only to be forgiven in 10 seconds flat. However, should I raise my voice to my cat, I’m banished to Siberia for at least 10 days. Alicia Dawson, Balmain
Stuck in reverse
Even if belatedly, Angus Taylor had no option but to part company with Pauline Hanson who, despite her current popularity, has neither the policies nor the personal capacity to become prime minister. As leader of a floundering Liberal Party, Taylor must try to restore its place as the main (and viable) opposition to Labor. However, as Shaun Carney makes clear (“Coalition stuck looking backwards”, July 23), Taylor’s Abbott-infected “plan” shares much with Hanson’s flawed stance on major issues like climate change, immigration, healthcare and workers’ rights. At present, Taylor is stuck in reverse. What he currently offers is likely to be unacceptable in a general election to the majority, including to many voters for whom cost-of-living pressures are the prime concern. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne
The headline to Shaun Carney’s article spells it out in that both the Liberals and One Nation refuse to recognise the current world as it really is. Record-breaking temperatures in Europe have frequently passed 40 degrees and caused major public health emergencies as well as causing five nuclear power stations in France to be shut down due to the river water being too warm for cooling. The Lowy Institute’s 2026 poll found that 49 per cent of Australians believe that global warming is a serious and pressing problem that requires strong action, which means that both conservative political parties are ignoring the wishes of nearly half of Australian voters. Angus Taylor’s statement that One Nation is worse than Labor is true, yet to many, the Liberals and One Nation are two peas in a pod. Peter Nash, Fairlight
Wasted talent
Vivienne Parson is so right to condemn the appointment of factional allies over talent when choosing ministers in the federal government (Letters, July 23). Has there been a greater waste of talent in recent times than Harvard-educated economics boffin Dr Andrew Leigh languishing as assistant minister for competition, charities and treasury, or Ed Husic warming a backbench seat after being deposed from his position as minister for industry and science in a factional deal? I know that the ALP’s factions are meant to bring stability and avoid infighting over appointments, but surely there is a role for merit-based appointments in the national interest. Dale Bailey, St Leonards
Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury Dr Andrew Leigh.Alex Ellinghausen
I was gobsmacked watching Insiders recently when Liberal senator Adam Bragg accused Anthony Albanese of being a communist and by inference, leading a communist government. His remark suggests either a misunderstanding of what communism actually is or a willingness to use the term as a political slur. To describe the Albanese government as communist diminishes the experiences of those who have actually lived under communist regimes. Anyone with an understanding of history, or who has lived under a genuinely communist regime, knows how far removed Australia is from that reality. Ray Armstrong, Tweed Heads South
Family is everything
Like your columnist Anne Ring, I was struck by the outpouring of love and affection by children for their parents, grandparents and older people in their lives in their wonderful, colourful pictures on display at the Young Archies (“Young artists could teach Hanson about monoculture “, July 23). I also noticed that many of the contributions were by children from Asian backgrounds. We have so much to gain from our mix of cultures. Older Australians, including Pauline Hanson herself, are fortunate to have a growing population of younger people to help us as we become increasingly dependent. Multiculturalism benefits everyone. Gay Shanahan, Glenbrook
My husband and I dined at a Middle Eastern restaurant in Kiama this week. The food was superb, the service warm and the walls were hung with paintings carrying messages from both Jewish and Arabic traditions – all of them messages of connection and goodwill. One read simply: “Spread hummus not hate.” It struck me as a quiet criticism of the political climate we currently find ourselves in. At a time when One Nation continues on its anti-immigration platform, favouring a “monoculture”, and especially an anti-Islamic sentiment, here was a small country-town restaurant modelling something far healthier – two communities, each with their own painful histories, sharing a wall and a menu. Australia has always been strengthened by its diversity, not threatened by it. The scapegoating of Jewish and Muslim Australians, whether through overt political messaging or the slow normalisation of suspicion and division, does real damage to real people and to the social fabric we all rely on. Respect for our fellow citizens shouldn’t depend on their background, or their faith. If a restaurant in a regional town can get a message of harmony, why are we allowing elements of society to stoke the fires of disharmony and division? Julie Fugaccia, Cherrybrook
Salt in the wounds
Donald Trump is a champion joker. Having torn up Iran’s existing nuclear agreement and having “obliterated” its nuclear capabilities (repeatedly), he now rubs Iran’s proverbial nose in its loss by signing a nuclear pact with Saudi Arabia – the enemy of my enemy (“US and Saudi Arabia sign controversial new nuclear deal”, July 23). Moreover, reports indicate that Trump’s pact with the Saudis defies “gold standard” international norms and ignores expected safeguard protocols. The Saudis will not be compelled to import nuclear fuel for their reactor: they have not been barred from enriching uranium or from processing spent atomic fuel. The Saudis will not be expected to submit to comprehensive international oversight and rigorous inspection as indicated under Atomic Energy Agency guidelines. If that is not enough to cause concern, let’s not forget that it was agents of the Saudi government who infamously assassinated journalist Jamal Khashoggi, nor that Saudi Arabia was the motherland of Osama bin Laden. To offer some Trump balance, “a lot of people didn’t like that gentleman [Khashoggi] … things happen”, and there were worse threats than bin Laden, “bigger by many, many times”. Trump avoids consistency at all costs. The only thing we can be certain about is that he and his cronies stand to gain hugely from this deal. Nell Knight, Avoca Beach
Donald Trump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House last year.Bloomberg
Edge of the abyss
“Forgive them for they know not what they do.” These timeless words encompass an infinite forgiveness. But they have no application in the world of AI. These people do know what they’re doing. Prime example? Elon Musk says he expects AI to “exceed the sum of human intelligence” in “roughly five years”. He thinks it is “unlikely” that humans will still be in control in 10. I find it hard to forgive those mindlessly pushing ahead with technology that may well annihilate humanity. That’s my family you monsters are messing with. Time to hit pause, guys. Please. Brian Haisman, Winmalee
Home truths
If the history of Sydney in the 21st century ever comes to be written, it will not paint a favourable picture of successive NSW governments, including the current one (“How a Sydney developer bypassed council to gain approval for 250 homes”, July 22). We are constantly told there is an availability crisis in housing, especially for low-income workers and affordable housing, which is the justification for political hand-wringing and fervent announcements that the government has approved thousands of “affordable” new homes for low-income earners as part of developments under the new state significant planning laws. But the strange corollary is that existing homes are being bulldozed and replaced by luxury apartments, resulting in far fewer affordable homes. Who benefits? Developers and their real estate friends, but certainly not those on fixed or low incomes. There’s just a whiff of, let’s just say “something that stinks”, about this recurring cycle of approvals that always seem to have a path leading to the highest offices in the state. It appears that in NSW, politicians really have sold their souls to developers and vested interests. Patrick McGrath, Potts Point
Peter Skrzynecki need not worry about living in sardine cans (Letters, July 23). Australia has the largest houses in the world, bar none. Sydney is one of the least-densely populated cities of its size in the world – in fact, we could double our population in the same footprint and still not make the top 40. Densification around existing transport hubs is just common sense and necessary if we are to do anything about housing more people where they want to live. Andrew Taubman, Queens Park
Double standards
To your correspondent Garry Feeney (Letters, July 23) and others who insist that Israel is inappropriately intervening in Australian affairs, let me get this straight. It’s fine for our government to repeatedly tell Israel what it should and shouldn’t be doing in its own region and in its own self-defence. However, when Israel responds by telling Australia what it should do or say in relation to Israel, that’s inappropriate. Got it. That’s typical of the double standards that are applied to Israel. Danny Samuels, Malvern
In relation to the Israeli ambassador’s intervention on the ALP draft policy platform, your correspondent asks whether the Australian ambassador publicly comments on policy discussions at Likud party conferences (Letters, July 22). The Likud party doesn’t include paragraphs in its policy discussions about Australia that are totally one-sided in a way that is detrimental to our country, so the comparison is invalid. Alan Shroot, Forrest (ACT)
Tired trope
Watching Sam Neill in The Dish was an eye-opener. Not because it showed Sam as a great actor – we knew that – or because of the incredible story that the country town of Parkes and its big dish was so central to the 1969 live images of the moonwalk, or because we then saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin being the first people to walk on the moon. Rather, it was because of the patronising portrayal of the cast of Australians in the movie as unsophisticated, awkward townies. Mary Julia, Glebe
Tom Long, Patrick Warburton, Sam Neill and Kevin Harrington in The Dish.AP
Sail away
Kay Abrahams writes that the Manly ferry Freshwater could cruise up to Yamba for refurbishment (Letters, July 23). Now that would be a fabulous trip for ferry enthusiasts. I would gladly pay for the ride up the coast, as would many others, I suspect. Our tickets could help cover the cost of the trip. Take your own sleeping bags, food and drink. Wow, what a ride that would be. Neil Duncan, Balmain
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