Commenting on the opinion piece: Adelaide’s size issue isn’t what we think

Having lived 22 years all up in Copenhagen from the mid 1990s and 10 years on an off in Adelaide since 2002 it is remarkable to see and have experienced the transformations that Copenhagen (nearly went bankrupt mid-90s) has undergone whilst the same cannot be said for Adelaide. Yes, some things have certainly improved here but when considering the amount of time it took to decide and the cost incurred it is hard not to be pessimistic about the future. Comparing these two cities hardly makes sense any longer… and the murmuring will say “but we don’t want it any other way” not realising what they are missing out on whilst maintaining the things that Adelaide are good at. Sigh. – Kenneth Abraham

David Washington’s article should be compulsory reading for everyone, and not least the Adelaide City Council and those in State Parliament. We are headed down a disastrous track unless we act. Adelaideans need to think as a city not a village. There’s so much pretence, so little facing up to reality. – J. Richard Green AM

Commenting on the story: ‘Draconian’ child sex offender laws ‘will result in injustice’: Lawyers speak up

This initiative by Malinauskas does not appear to be in response to any particular call for change. Everyone would prefer a system where the convicted do not re-offend, but if that is the case then why limit the scope of such laws to one niche of the criminal population?

Surely the purpose of the proposed law is to protect the most vulnerable in our community, in which case it would be equally applicable to recidivist rapists, domestic abusers, financial swindlers, etc.

It begs the question: are paedophiles simply an easy political win for such draconian (Malinauskas’ words) laws? Maybe there is more to come if Malinauskas can get these laws through, or perhaps it is a “tough on crims” distraction from a failure to stop the ramping. Either way, it appears to be a policy in want of an escalating threat. – Paul McKinnon

These laws are long overdue! Maybe the legal profession who believe this is unfair can supply figures as to the number of sex offenders who do not reoffend. As to judicial discretion, maybe this should be reined in as well! How often have we seen ridiculous sentences which do not take into account community expectations? The legal profession and the judiciary have been out of touch with the real world for far too long! – Edward Jaeger

Commenting on the analysis story: Israel-Palestinian conflict: is the two-state solution now dead?

What is the alternative to a two-state solution? One secular state with equal rights for all, which would include, amongst other things, the right of return for all displaced Palestinians? Very unlikely indeed, less likely, in fact, than a two-state outcome. So what’s left?  The status quo, an apartheid state with cycles of violence, similar to or even worse than what we have seen in the last four months? How awful is that?

Netanyahu and his right-wing government have led the country up a blind alley with no good way out. Only when they have been removed will there be a slim chance for a just resolution. – John Guy

Israel dismantled its settlements and withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005, leaving a completely autonomous Palestinian ‘state’ (even if not one recognised by the international community). Well, that worked well, didn’t it: rocket attacks, suicide bombers, border riots, arson via fire bombs, street stabbings, car rammings etc.

Why on earth would they do the same thing again and leave themselves open to a similar response? No thanks. People also forget that Jordan was created as an Arab state at about the same time as Israel came into being. There’s your two-state solution. – Julie Paul