Towers to the people

Jeremy Wright writes: Re. “Abbott’s longstanding fear of made-up science” (Friday). While our PM may be taking objection to wind turbines and anything else that doesn’t produce carbon emissions, at least we have some young Australians leading the way as we head towards the Paris Climate summit. Here’s a recent article from The Guardian featuring 12 young international champions for climate change action, with two being from Australia; Linh Do and Chris Wright. I’m the unashamed father of one of them, and proud he is telling the Climate Change conferences a different story than what they hear from our official delegation.

On ASIS and cover-ups

John Richardson writes: Re. “Open and shut: ASIS’ crime, and the Labor-Liberal cover-up” (Friday). Bernard Keane demonstrates a wry sense of irony in using the words of Alexander Downer to evidence the criminal behaviour of ASIS in illegally bugging the government of East Timor whilst he was foreign minister. Having made this subtle connection, it’s a pity Bernard didn’t finish the job by teasing-out the minister’s role in this sordid affair, including exploring questions of potential conflicted loyalties & doubts about whose best interests were being served throughout? As to concerns about Australia’s commitment to the rule of law, surely the denizens of our remotest place long ago showed that they are wedded to the highest democratic principles that money can buy?

James O’Neill writes: “If that unfettered power is to include immunity from the consequences of breaking the law, then there is no rule of law in Australia.” And that is exactly the position we have reached. We have decided also for example, that engaging in an unlawful war of aggression (Iraq 2003), the “supreme international crime” according to the Nuremberg Tribunal is something for which its perpetrators should not be held accountable. The response to 9/11 and that war marked the real beginning of an unending slide down the slope of contempt for basic notions of the law, to have now reached the point that Bernard makes encapsulated in the first quote. That Labor are no better only compounds the tragedy.

Don’t look to Bishop for PM material

Joe Fitzgerald writes: Re. “‘Clever, diligent, effective’: Bishop every bit the better PM” (Friday).

How to begin. Bishop will never challenge. This is a naive article. Perhaps her humiliating period as shadow treasurer escaped the writer? She has zero credibility amongst her colleagues after that ham-fisted performance. Australia’s Foreign Minister is the easiest job in the cabinet. More than that, she’s smart enough to know she’ll never win the leadership.