Abbott won’t give up Warringah without a fight

Readers reacted yesterday to the news of the first high-profile independent making a run at Tony Abbott’s seat of Warringah. While most wished broadcaster Susan Moylan-Coombs well, others approached it a little more hesitantly. Elsewhere, readers tucked into a primer for a new Crikey series on denialism, Guy Rundle on the trouble Brexit is causing Northern Ireland, and the issue of rampant superannuation fees in Australia.

On the Susan Moylan-Coombs’ run at Warringah

Ray O’Brien writes: The voters of Warringah have an excellent opportunity to unburden themselves of this political dinosaur. Let’s hope they take it.

Mark E Smith writes: Abbott is much loathed and seems determined to make things worse with his every utterance lately. He can be guaranteed to use every piece of bullshit with gravy come election time so it will take a tough opponent as well as a quality one.

On rampant denialism in Australia

Gavin Moodie writes: I would add denial of economic reality. There are many candidates, but since I live in Canada I nominate Trump’s denial of the law of comparative advantage and thus the benefits of free trade.

Wayne Robinson writes: I’m personally pro-vaping. As a non-smoker, I find vapers less offensive olfactorily than cigarette smokers, who smell as though they’re burning old rags.

Roger Clifton writes: A conceptual problem for the decarbonising movement is the eradication of gas. We find it easy to talk to each other in terms of getting rid of coal or gasoline, but we seem to gag on the idea that we must get rid of gas. Trouble is, if we cannot envisage a realistic replacement for gas-fired power stations, we might as well be sacrificing goats to appease the climate gods, as Tony Abbott would put it.

On the trouble brewing in Northern Ireland

Philip Swain writes: Why is it that there is no reference in Australian media to this being a “terrorist” attack? Is this deliberate sanitising of Christian terrorism? I am sure if this was referring to Muslims it would be all over the media as “terrorism”.

On the superannuation fee rort

Peter Schulz writes: The cost of the age pension is currently about $50 billion per annum. Cost to the taxpayer of super concessions is already approaching this amount and growing rapidly, and then there’s the $30 billion in fees to the parasites. So without super, we could afford to spend nearly three times as much on the age pension. Most of the age pension goes to those most in need. Most super concessions go to those least in need. But maybe that’s what our super scheme is really all about.

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