Parnell Palme McGuinness can write all the puff pieces she likes about One Nation candidate Warren Pickering. She even fantasises that his story is one of “redemption” (“Why Hanson’s candidate with a drug-taking past will win”, September 13). But she ignores what is truly significant about Pickering and other One Nation personalities: their belief in mad conspiracy theories and the obvious bigotry that comes with running under the One Nation banner. Perhaps McGuinness would do better to emulate the ethical integrity of Liberals like Andrew Hastie, instead of trying to “normalise” white supremacists and conspiracy loonies by saying they represent “a new aesthetic”. Steve Ellis, Canberra (ACT)
Long wait for results
Paul Sakkal’s article quoting Bill Kelty highlights the federal government’s failure to “get the economy moving” and address the productivity malaise and decline in real wages (“Labor luminary unleashes over falling house prices, real wages”, September 13). After a productivity summit and a productivity budget, there is little evidence after the government entering its fifth year that any new ideas or urgency is being shown to address the accelerating decline in Australian living standards. Labor’s current majority probably means it will win the next federal election in 2028, regardless of the One Nation “threat”. It’s a sobering thought. Is federal Labor up to the task of delivering improved living standards? Unfortunately, we may have to wait five years to find out. Paul McGee, Cranebrook
Stand or fall
The civil population of Ukraine is now being terrorised by Russia, obviously in an attempt to weaken the resolve of the people against their dictatorial aggressor (“The new terror stalking Kyiv day and night,” September 13). The small nation is receiving some support from free countries, but certainly more is needed to prevent it being overwhelmed and its spirit broken. In the early 1940s we saw another small nation in a similar situation. Hitler’s Luftwaffe pounded London and other English cities in an attempt to break the will of the people. He failed, due to British courage and determination and the bravery of a small group of aviators. England stood alone against the aggressor. The support of Commonwealth countries and finally the might of American military power and industry saw that the Axis threat was defeated. This is a lesson for free nations of the world today. Unless they are prepared to bolster the Ukraine war effort, they might eventually have to face a more emboldened aggressor. Derrick Mason, Boorowa
Web of deception
Another bankruptcy and another complex web of companies hiding the true state of affairs (“Inside the complex web surrounding Sydney’s $95m trophy home”, September 13). When is the government going to tighten laws over the creation of companies? A lot of small people get hurt in these massive bankruptcies. They need to restrict the number of limited liability corporations a person can create, and each company must have a clear and open reason for existing, with the principal beneficiaries recorded publicly on an easily searched website. Graeme Finn, Campsie
Human cost
Violet Roumeliotis’ article 25 years on, and the ABC program Tampa, was an uncomfortable reminder of how we came to lose our sense of compassion and empathy (“Refugees must not be judged as a cost item in a balance sheet”, September 13). The smugness of Alexander Downer even now, when faced with the truth of the children overboard lie, was the ugly face of racism now perpetuated by Pauline Hanson. The moral stance taken by Norway and supported around the world was a reminder of what we lost in a few weeks in 2001. We lost our moral compass. Carole Hayes, Newtown
Childhood unplugged
Laptops, tablets and other digital devices in themselves are not the problem when it comes to the amount of student screen time in schools; it is how often and how much classroom teachers use these resources (“Student screen time capped at as little as 15 minutes in NSW as test results fall”, September 13). Very few school subjects mandate that students must go online or type, as opposed to read texts and use pen and paper to write. Unfortunately, yes, an entire generation of students are increasingly living in an online world, when it is simply not necessary to survive and succeed. George Zivkovic, Northmead
Cheat code
It sounds like the universities and high schools will need digital blockers to cheat-proof their exam rooms (“Cheating jackets’, button cameras, rice-sized earpieces: Is this the end of uni exams?” September 13). If prisons have needed technology like this to stop inmates using their phones for accessing accomplices and other criminal activities, it seems our higher education centres now need to as well. Rhyan Andrews, Faulconbridge
Buying votes
The Republicans’ widespread manipulation of electoral boundaries is bad enough, but Donald Trump’s bribe of $US5000 per adult if they retain control of both houses of the Congress after the midterms takes the cake (“Trump gets ‘headlines he wanted’ in poll where he’s not on the ticket”’, September 13). Neither would be tolerated by our Electoral Commission. This must be the most corrupt US government of all time. Andrew Macintosh, Cromer
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