Commenting on the story: Numbers gaffe mars Labor campaign’s opening day

Can  we ask journalists (as much as they are able) over the next month to focus their questions to both political parties on serious issues and not sound bite, one grab puerile questions about the price of milk, beer and petrol.

At the same time can we ask (on our behalf) that they hold politicians to account and not let them ramble on with nonsensical answers. There are serious domestic issues of poverty, of social exclusion, domestic violence, of unaffordable rent and housing, the lack of any wage rise over the last 10 years, homelessness, education funding and standards, boosting productivity accompanied by higher skill formation and more.

There are important environmental issues including to address climate change, the Murray Darling Basin, support for drought and flooding. There are serious international issues to address. There are reforms that need to be contemplated including the political process itself, the influence of lobbying and transparency in government.

There are false claims that continue to be regurgitated such as “we are better economic managers than you guys” (despite no evidence to support this assertion), and the claim “you can trust me more than the other guy/girl.” For example, take one issue, there can be very little trust and very little claim to good economic management when $5.5 billion of costs is the result of cancellation of the submarine contract with nothing to show for it. – Michael O’Neil

Commenting on the story: The Stats Guy: What the budget tells us about the future of migration

Simon Kuestenmacher states: “In urban planning circles we say that there isn’t a population size or population density that is simply too much for a system to cope with – there is always only inappropriate physical and social infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, in reality circles, we say that only six per cent of the desert continent of Australia is arable land and we have already become a net importer of food in dollar terms. And what food production we do have is very dependent on diesel fuel delivered from Asia and the Middle East via disruptable shipping lanes.

Then there is the worsening world fertiliser crisis that will surely impact our grain production from Australia’s ancient, nutrient-depleted soils. But hey – how can we worry about population size when Australia has so much unoccupied space! So import more consumers we must. To infinity and beyond! – Michael Lardelli

Noticeably absent from the Stats Guy’s prattlings on immigration-fed population growth is any reference to the fairly obvious environmental consequences of this part of our unsustainable economic model.

That he imagines the folly of our recent obscene levels of immigration is all about infrastructure is an indication he has a great deal of homework to do. Time for him to think outside that little box of his. – Graham Clews 

Commenting on the story: Locked out History Trust eyes new North Tce home

SA needs both the National Trust and the History Trust. I fail to understand why Ayers House has turned into a battleground between them, which has hugely damaged the reputations of both organisations, and their previously close relationship in the cause of heritage.

Surely both could have been accommodated at Ayers House as the National Trust needs little office space as its HQ is Beaumont House. The two organisations could have arranged a continuing program of visitors to the historic sections of Ayers House, while the History Trust urgently needs to move from the Parade Ground and was going to have new space created at Ayers House, not removing public access but enhancing it. – Susan Marsden

The identification of the Freemasons Hall and other possible locations for the History Trust begs the question why previous Environment Minister David Speirs caused such chaos and disruption by pursuing the eviction of the National Trust from Ayers House.

The substantial bureaucratic needs of the History Trust, a Government agency, to accommodate administration, office and public facilities should never have been proposed to appropriate and desecrate a State Heritage icon such as Ayers house.

The National Trust has an overwhelmingly more visible public face and role in the maintenance and promotion of our heritage than does the History Trust, and should never have been summarily removed from its long term stewardship of Ayers House. – Warren Jones

I remember well dining and providing the entertainment for Ayers House for patrons the likes of Rod Stewart and colleagues in the late 1970s. It was sad to see its deterioration during a visit there two years ago.

We were excited to hear about the plans of the History Trust to restore and revitalise it back and some to its former glory. Let’s hope that the National Trust can do a better job this time round of looking after it and returning this magnificent Adelaide tourist icon to its former glory. – Trevor Elburn

Commenting on the story: Touch of the Fumbles: Lucky 13

Dear Tom, I loved your article! – Julie McRae