Stay out of the schoolyard

The editorial “Australians all let us rue Joyce” (August 11–17) is regrettable. Criticising the conduct and politics of Barnaby Joyce is one thing – one can even rubbish his new book and media appearances. The editorial, however, goes further. It belittles Joyce’s (claimed) mental health problem, apparently on the basis of your paper’s disagreement with his politics. Your paper is better than that type of ugly – dare I say schoolyard – writing. Leave the amateur psychology out of your editorials.