Not like the Irish

Put yourself in his shoes

I’m thankful that I don’t have access to the vile speak of social media, given it is tiring to read printed letters to the editor that are so anti-Malcolm Turnbull. It is very easy for people to sit back and imagine how they would run the country if they only had the chance but the reality is that they don’t and are never likely to. We can be thankful for that. The Prime Minister is not indecisive, often expressing his personal opinions on subjects relevant to running the country but, unlike an autocracy, Australia is a democracy, where the people have the right to a say on any given topic. The PM gets out and about and I’m sure listens to what the public has to say to him, whether he likes it or not, but he also has to take into account what the elected members of the Government say on behalf of their constituents and he must try to maintain a balance. The PM regularly needs to have discussions with the independents to see if they can reach agreement. We may often not agree with what our government decides but hope it is for the best and often have to wait for the outcome to see if the decision was the right one after all, or not. The Opposition, currently Labor, can put forward any position it wants to gain popularity because it is exactly that, the Opposition, and their leader is desperate to become part of history as our next PM. Keeping any promises made during an election is the hard part as the reality of keeping the budget intact and the knives at bay hits home. Sticking to his

Stick to tradition

HERE we go yet again, a kindergarten in Victoria wants to change the name Father’s Day to Special Person’s Day. This is being promoted to cater for those children who do not have a visible father. As soon as you create legislation to cater for some, you disadvantage others. Why not leave it as it was traditionally known? Do we change tradition to cater for 3 per cent of the population? I REMIND A.J. Ritar (Letters, August 16) that Ireland needed to have a referendum to legalise marriage equality because a constitutional change was required. Australia’s circumstances are entirely different because the Marriage Act was created by the Parliament and can be amended by the Parliament. Indeed the provision that marriage is between a man and a woman was an amendment by the Parliament in 2004. In Australia, the Government is intent on a non-binding, voluntary postal vote at a cost of $122 million. This was not the case in Ireland. About the only similarity is the damage a public debate has on the LGBTI community. I remind the community it’s more important than ever to be honest and respectful in the debate.