One Nation and Coalition in a race to the bottom

For all the current hype surrounding the One Nation party, it remains a non-alternative for serious governance (“Surge in One Nation popularity hits a wall”, April 20). Built primarily on racial and cultural differences, One Nation has thrived on division rather than unity. In these times of acute economic pressure, the appeal of a semi-protest vote is understandably strong. One Nation provides a ready channel for voters to register discontent with the incumbent government and the opposition alike. Yet the party’s appeal rests almost entirely on opposition and grievance. It lacks detailed, costed policies on broad taxation reform that could deliver meaningful relief to working families, and its approach to defence and national security remains vague or underdeveloped. In practice, what One Nation offers differs little from the current, diminished Coalition. Both appear locked in a race to the bottom, competing on resentment rather than delivering substantive solutions for Australia’s future. Chris Rivers, Port Macquarie

Virtues of the Paragon

I was surprised to read in your editorial that the Katoomba Paragon was “one of the best examples of an art deco” Greek cafe (“A simple ticket could help save much of what makes NSW special”, April 19). One of? It was, without doubt, the best (sorry, Goulburn). As an architect who regularly used to take visitors into the wonderful rear rooms that few people ever saw, I believe it’s an absolute tragedy that it is so neglected. I just hope that somehow community sentiment will come to the rescue to restore (and, hopefully, find the original neon sign) this absolute icon of Australian-Greek architecture. Robert Hosking, Paddington

As a long‑term resident of the Blue Mountains and an architect working in heritage, I have been appalled by the deterioration of the Paragon and other significant buildings in Katoomba. These places are central to the town’s identity, yet many have been left to decline for far too long. The Savoy Cinema, empty for 30 years at the top of Katoomba Street, is another landmark that should be contributing to the cultural life of the community rather than fading into disrepair. For years, when we hosted overseas visitors, the Paragon was one of the first places we would take them. To see it barricaded and deteriorating is deeply disheartening. The proposal to establish a dedicated lottery to fund heritage preservation is an excellent idea. I never buy lottery tickets, but this is one initiative I would gladly support. Jesse Mowbray, Blue Mountains

Power to the Pope

Unlike your correspondent Vivienne Parsons, I am most impressed by the current pontiff and his pointed criticism of Donald Trump (Letters, April 19). His direct comments stand in stark contrast to the vague language adopted by his predecessors. Political leaders the world over are forced to comment on the current Iran war in highly restrained, diplomatic terms given the economic and military relationships many countries have with the USA. The Pontiff, as a spiritual leader, is not so constrained. If his words make American Catholics reflect more deeply on the actions and words of their president, particularly in the run-up to the US mid-term elections, the pontiff will have done the whole world a great service. Peter Ernest, St Ives

I hope Vivienne Parsons has read Maureen Dowd’s piece about Pope Leo XIV’s responses to Donald Trump (“Trump’s making a papal mistake”, April 19). Trump treats any kind of “conciliatory approach” as weakness by those he regards as “losers”. And the only way to deal with that kind of bullying is to push back. It’s a pity more world leaders haven’t done so. If anyone’s being a hypocrite, it’s Trump and his acolytes, who have the effrontery to conscript a religion grounded in love and peace as cover for their hatred, selfishness, greed and belligerence. When “ruling powers” engage in that kind of monumental deceit and behave like thugs, they deserve no respect. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

I wonder why Vivienne Parsons did not mention Trump’s AI meme portraying him as Jesus, or his womanising and dubious morals, but finds the time to criticise Pope Leo for doing his job. Leo is not pretending to be God, he’s trying to act as a sort ambassador, whereas Trump seems to think he is the Messiah. Her faith in Trump gets in the way of rational thinking and sensible judgment. Tony Sullivan, Islington

As a very lapsed Catholic I was intrigued at your correspondent’s stance on the Pope and politics. From where I stand, the Pope is simply doing his job by upholding Jesus’s teachings, something that many on the conservative/evangelical side of Christianity fail to understand. Tony Ramsay, Armidale

Vivienne Parsons fears that the Pope is becoming more of a political figure than a spiritual leader. When you absolutely reject violence, you cannot avoid becoming political. Mark Porter, New Lambton

Your correspondent says St Peter and St Paul instructed their followers to “obey and respect the ruling powers”, therefore so should Pope Leo. Really? Even when the ruling powers are so clearly a threat to the world? Peter Thompson, Grenfell

Maths pluses and minuses

It’s a concern that one-third of students attempting Advanced Mathematics for the HSC abandon it after one year (“The HSC subject 8000 students dumped last year”, April 20). “Advanced” maths is not the highest level, yet it includes the study of basic calculus, which is advisable and often a prerequisite for many diverse tertiary subjects ranging from psychology to economics, in addition to the more obvious engineering. I suggest that “real” mathematics begins with HSC Advanced because of the calculus content, whereas the more popular standard level could be regarded as advanced arithmetic. The message that “ambitious parents” are responsible is not surprising. Former teachers, myself included, have witnessed the increasing influence of parents in the conduct of school affairs, particularly in the past decade, and school administrators giving in to parental pressure, ill-advised or otherwise. Max Redmayne, Drummoyne

More students dropped Advanced Mathematics between years 11 and 12 because more students do maths in the first place. If you look at the percentage changes in the table, Advanced Mathematics isn’t even the worst and there is a reduction for almost every subject. There is a minimum number of units that students must do for the HSC, so many students start year 11 doing more than the minimum and then drop one or two units in year 12 to concentrate on preferred subjects that will give them the highest result. There is nothing sinister in these results. It would be more interesting to see how the subjects being studied were changing over time, and particularly if that showed a drop in the proportion of students doing Advanced Mathematics. That would be worrying. David Rush, Lawson

As a former head of the NSW Department of Education, Mark Scott would understand that there is clear guidance on time allocation for mathematics in primary schools, with approximately 20 per cent of the school week dedicated to the subject. In practice, school leadership teams, alongside classroom teachers, are responsible for planning and implementing this within their timetables – and in my experience they do so with professionalism and care. The reality is that the vast majority of primary educators work diligently to build strong foundational mathematical skills. Comments suggesting otherwise undermine the work of committed professionals and misrepresent the quality of teaching and learning taking place in primary classrooms every day. Margie Christowski, Roseville

Tax timing

Everyone seems to forget that the indexation method for capital gains tax still exists (“Chalmers leans towards scrapping Howard-Costello tax discount”, April 20). The actual index figure was frozen in time as of 1999; an asset acquired before that date and sold today has a choice between the index method and the discount method. Certain time periods (we all remember high inflation in the late 1980s) and the actual sale price may mean the index method is better. It may also be more beneficial if you have carry-forward capital losses. The back to the future is already here. Michael Blissenden, Dural

In Harry’s corner

I lost my mother in 1967, at the same age that Prince Harry lost his. In those days, you were expected to carry on, keep a stiff upper lip and all that, bottle it all inside, as I did. I also ended up being sent to boarding school, which blighted my childhood and teens. The effects are still with me. I feel I understand where Harry is coming from, so I won’t hear a word against him. He may stuff up on occasion, but we all do, so cut him some slack. He has my admiration and support (“Russell Myers weighs in on Prince Harry and Meghan’s Australian tour”, April 20). Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba

Afghan outlook

My hope is that Ben Roberts-Smith will be afforded every opportunity for a fair and just trial (“A chance to clear name : Roberts-Smith,” April 20). If it is found that illegal killings indeed took place, I also hope that in a country under Taliban control, where women are powerless, the widows and families will be adequately compensated. Bernard Moylan, Bronte

Free loaders

Your correspondent considers that people that illegally camp near a beach and public toilet do no harm (Letters, April 20). I beg to differ. In the townships that surround Jervis Bay there are ample opportunities for people to stay overnight in our motels, bed and breakfasts and caravan parks. The owners of these facilities pay rates that fill the potholes on the roads, clean the public toilets and employ the rangers that enforce parking rules. Fly campers are free loaders. They are welcome to enjoy our beautiful coastline – as long as they obey the rules. Mike Reddy, Vincentia

Considerate campers are one thing, but here in Wyong over Christmas two groups blocked off the only picnic shelters at a river park for two weeks. They destroyed a barrier to give themselves car access, put up curtains for privacy and even lit a fire during a fire ban. It was a case of a few selfish people co-opting public property for their own enjoyment and denying access to everyone else. They decamped on New Year’s Eve, leaving their rubbish and damage for the council to deal with. Randi Svensen, Wyong

Enduring mateship

I’m writing this with tears in my eyes after reading my favourite Saturday column Two of Us (“They’ve been mates for nearly 50 years. Then one day, Russell brought out a book”, April 18). There I was, touched by the enduring friendship between Russell Thompson and his former teacher Russell James, 83, when I came to these words in the latter’s account: “Whenever I knock on the Russells’ door the words are always the same, ‘Oh, Mr James, good to see you. Come in’“. Those words, he says, make him quite emotional. Me too. Human connections are such an important part of our lives, and are what keeps us going. And this beautiful one is very much par for the course. May this column endure. Anne Ring, Coogee

Ghost in machine

Looking through The Sydney Morning Herald archives, I read that on July 21, 1969 a clergyman from Ashfield asked how a computer could keep sending mail to a man who had died years earlier. His frustration with inaccurate data and impersonal systems feels surprisingly current. Today we have privacy laws, automated address validation and ethical guidelines that answer many of his practical concerns. But his deeper question – how to ensure technology treats us as people rather than numbers – is even more relevant in the age of artificial intelligence. His 1969 letter reminds us that public trust in technology has always depended on something simple: the human values built into the systems we create. Neil Langstaff, Port Macquarie

I first came into contact, literally, with The Sydney Morning Herald when, as a paper boy in the early 1950s, I would lug a large pile of copies to Parramatta District Hospital to provide patients with their daily news fix. Saturdays were harder because the thick edition made for an especially heavy load. I became a daily reader in 1968 and to this day still am, although nowadays I read the online edition. Barry Wooldridge, Harden

Suck it up

Not one of the vacuums in Tim Biggs’ article cost less than $1200 (“Done and dusted: The best high-end stick vacuums”, April 20). I bought mine new on eBay for $38, and it sucks. Shane Nunan, Finley

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