Identity politics and capital on a collision course in Australia

"Labor is getting worried about the Muslim vote," warns beltway journalist Michelle Grattan.

Oh dear, we feel Labor's pain. Did that group not get a sufficient share of their one-million net migrants over the last 24 months?

Luckily, at the last election, it was the Liberal's Morrison, and not Labor's Albanese who was seen to have displeased the Chinese vote.

And, since the last election, Labor has moved on the Indian vote, signing one-sided immigration and qualifications agreements with Narendra Modi.

Still, Grattan is particularly concerned, that our multicultural nirvana has entered a "new, more challenging phase".

Oh dear, once again.

In keeping with the norms of her journalistic caste, we enter that phase with little reflection on the astonishing levels of immigration.

And there is no consideration of what hapless voters might be thinking.

I'll give you a hint. They want much lower levels of immigration.

Every poll during and since COVID says so.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if, after the next election, a minority Anthony Albanese Labor government survives with the grudging support of faux Greens, posh teals, Muslim teals, and the emerging Chinese and Indian voting blocs.

In reality, for all his scholarly analysis, Thomas Piketty (Capital in the 21st Century, 2014) has fallen on deaf ears in Australia.

Our 21st century identity politics has moved further away from his now apparently outmoded and neo-Marxist considerations of class, wealth, and inequality.

After several decades of mainly army personnel as leaders of the Australian Defence Force we now have a naval officer, Vice-Admiral David Johnston, as the country's military top dog.

One can only hope that our defence forces will not find themselves "all at sea" under his command.

First we pay Chief Minister Andrew Barr to oversee the ACT government. Then we pay Chris Steel to oversee his relevant portfolios.

Then we pay a CEO to oversee the CIT operation until someone recognises there's something amiss. After that we pay the CEO to stay home, eventually with an increase in salary. Then we we pay for her legal representation.

Meanwhile Patrick Hollingworth demands further payment under a contract no doubt entered into with legal advice that we, the people, paid for.

Luckily for us we now have a human resources system we paid for, and that is now said to be "fit for purpose" to pay all these people that have done such a "wonderful job" (sarcasm intended).

What next? A rerun of this well-worn narrative with the education directorate. Once again there is nothing to see here. There are no consequences for mismanagement and, to date, no recovery of ratepayers' funds.

We the people foot the bill yet again.

With the ACT election approaching it must be time for the Chief Minister's quadrennial fuel price temper tantrum when he pretends to care about Canberra fuel prices and makes a few hollow threats to service station operators.

I recently purchased diesel in Wagga Wagga for 23 cents per litre cheaper than my local "discount" service station in Scullin and for 31 cents per litre cheaper than the "major" service stations in Belconnen.

I await with interest to hear how the Chief Minister proposes to end this massive rip-off by service stations.

A terrific story about the new Governor-General on Saturday (July 6) reporting Sam Mostyn is beginning well in her new position.

Like many Australians, I wish Ms Mostyn every success in her position and tasks ahead.

But wouldn't it be fantastic if she is the last one?

When is Australia going to grow up and run its own country?

After watching Midsommer Murders for almost 30 years I am now surprised to be told it may contain "violence" and "crime scene images".

Somehow the 388 murders, 250 attempted murders and the title of the show hadn't alerted me to the fact that there was likely to be some violence during the episodes.

The warning is a reflection of either the sensitive nature of some people who may be upset easily or it's just a warning to us that the woke world is stupid.

The real mystery is why are there people still living in the village given the high murder rate.

The heading in The Canberra Times on July 4 said it all: "Independent schools grow amid cost of living stress".

It's hard to see much evidence of a cost of living "crisis" in Canberra.

Restaurants and coffee shops seem full and there of flashy cars around.

Meanwhile the only home we have, Mother Earth, bit by bit is being destroyed through a lack of action on climate change and biodiversity loss.

The so-called rescue package for the Brumbies by Rugby Australia is an absolute disgrace. Rugby Australia (AKA NSW Rugby) couldn't manage a trip to the toilet as is evidenced by its dismal failures with the Wallabies and the Waratahs.

This is the organisation that saw Australia coached to the bottom in the World Cup and rugby crowds decimated.

This is just the next attack to bring the ACT Brumbies to the lowest common denominator, and remove the competition for the inept Waratahs. RIP Australian rugby.

I am weary of politicians who are elected then abandon the party under whose umbrella they were elected.

Where does that leave democratic representation?

They retain the seat, given to them by people who are mindful of the party policy.

If they find themselves needing to leave the party, should there not be a byelection to explore the electorate's preferences?

Is there a government in this country that is going to apply the law to these protesters?

It doesn't matter how justified you see your cause, illegal activities must be dealt with by the government of the day, whatever its political persuasion, instead of being too scared to act on the basis of political cowardice.

Though heading a Labour party, and addressing a nation that pays 10 per cent of its budget to service a growing debt while living standards are falling and the National Health Service is faltering, Sir Kier Starmer felt obliged to promise an increase in defence spending from existing 2.3 per cent of GDP (6 per cent of budget) to 2.5 per cent of GDP (6.5 per cent of budget if GDP remains the same).

The statistic stirred a memory.

Searching through Tom Paine's Rights of Man, I eventually found what I was looking for.

It was a time after the French revolution when there seemed to be a chance that the ancient enemies might instead combine navies to ensure security.

He wrote: "If men will permit themselves to think, as rational being ought to think, nothing can appear more ridiculous and absurd, exclusive of all moral reflections, than to be at the expense of building navies, filling them with men, then hauling them into the ocean, to try which can sink the other fastest."

More than two centuries later, when the weapons are far more powerful than muzzle-loading cannons aboard ships, when we face threats unknown to the 18th century, we continue to seek security in weaponry.

The gravity of the situation of respiratory viruses this winter is very well highlighted by David Pope's cartoon of July 11.

If only the viruses were as obvious in the public mind as Pope has drawn them.

As always you need to look very closely at the detail.

The discarded mask on the pavement, the deathly face in the window and the rubbish bin with the poster "Missing, have you seen this public health campaign?".

Talk about ABC standards slipping. A Melbourne reporter informed us that "... the vehicle careened [sic] off the road". "Careened" is the act of beaching a ship to clean its keel. Unnecessarily confusing your words isn't the best way to improve communication, especially if you want to build a successful "career" in the media.

During the Second World War, suburbs in Melbourne were lit by gaslighters. Now gaslighting is common terminology again. Perhaps it is a renewable after all?

In many American states there is an "offence" known as "driving while black". Well, the ACT seems to have taken that presumption of guilt literally and extended it to accessing one's own property: "owning while black"?

How on Earth does Mark Sproat (Letters, July 10) know that Qantas asked Fatima Payman "where she was going"? Is he the seventh son of a seventh son? Do I detect whiffs of bigotry and racism? Surely not, in this age of alleged enlightenment.

Australian War Memorial director Matt Anderson, in boosting the oculus in the "southern entrance" of his half-a-billion dollar redevelopment, claims that there is "nothing quite like it" in other Australian cultural institutions. Except for the oculus in the southern entrance of the Anzac Memorial, Sydney installed in 2018. You should get out more, Matt.

Senator Lidia Thorpe tells us the establishment of a national commission will be the critical first step towards self-determination for First Nations People. Shouldn't someone gently tell her it happened around 60 years ago.

After an extra bountiful Christmas, imagine what the Easter Bilby might bring ("Watchdog witness finds more evidence while looking for Christmas decorations", July 9).

Prior to the establishment of the Integrity Commission there were no findings of corruption in the ACT. Now corruption appears to be rampant. Perhaps we should get rid of the Integrity Commission?

It is ironic our Prime Minister derides faith-based political parties while justifying his support for a whole country (Israel) that is based on a single faith; a country that is using religion to justify killing approximately 40,000 civilians in Gaza and on the West Bank.

Herman from Holt is recommending that we install foil board between roof battens for insulation (Letters, July 10). He needs to be careful to still allow the roof space to ventilate, or he'll get condensation and black mould.