Ministers must also answer questions over Pezzullo affair

George Brandis presents an interesting philosophical analysis of the rise of the behemothic Department of Home Affairs under Mike Pezzullo (“Why a dedicated servant must fall”, August 7). He claims Pezzullo should fall on his sword as his Hobbesian philosophy of a centralist government is out of step with our liberal democracy. But Brandis seems to overlook one of the key conventions of many modern liberal democracies, the principle of ministerial responsibility. He claims the Department of Home Affairs is almost entirely the work of Mike Pezzullo. If that is so, where were the relevant ministers: asleep on the job or too fearful of a powerful public servant?
If the investigation into offshore contracts does expose corruption or exposes deficient due diligence by the department, where was the ministerial oversight? The robo-debt royal commission exposed ministers implementing bad policy and then casting aside any responsibility on their part. Think how much better our government would be with a liberal dose of ministerial responsibility. Peter Robertson, Stanmore

That Pezzullo’s self-created empire is starting to implode should mainly concern those like Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton who were supposedly in charge of the department, to paraphrase Morrison’s own words. However, these two will no doubt claim any misdeeds were not their fault.
Ross Hudson, Mount Martha (Vic)

Brandis has joined the “industrial campaign of blame shifting” of the Coalition in condemning a public servant for the deeds of the minister. This smacks of a sense of entitlement, that the rules are for others and not for ministers. Ministerial responsibility has long been a tradition of parliament and any attempt to shift blame needs to be called out as rubbish. Allan White, Kingsford

The very idea that a government agency wants to “embed itself invisibly” and ubiquitously into “civil society” ostensibly as a self-perpetuating, unaccountable safety watchdog fills me with horror that it would turn into a self-righteous and merciless bloodhound. Too many other countries have suffered that experience and you have to wonder to what extent it has also happened here. It’s not my idea of what makes a civil, or safe, society.
Adrian Connelly, Springwood

Brandis fails to acknowledge the role of the Coalition government and particularly Dutton and Morrison in enabling Pezzullo and concurring with his Hobbesian vision. Peter Hull, Hat Head

Thank you for continuing to publish articles by Brandis. On those days if I feel cold or low, his penmanship gets my blood to boiling point faster than a 100 metre sprint. Even on the infrequent occasions I share his views, he has a special way of being so sanctimonious that the impact is the same. Thanks for the workout, George. Rod Cunich, Vaucluse

Four Corners: How to revolutionise football’s scoring system

Peter Kamenyitzky (Letters, Aug 7) is right about football’s out-dated scoring system, and the recent loss by the US to Sweden is a prime example. It was clearly the better team but lost because of the penalty shoot-out system, which has been fabricated to create suspense in otherwise dull games. However, there is no need to increase the size of the goal or to introduce a complicated scoring system. Simply keep track of corners. While they should not contribute to the score, if they were used to decide draws, the better team (the one that earned the most corners) would win. Only if goals and corners were equal, should a penalty shoot-out occur. This change would have two effects. It would give supporters something other than goals to cheer about, and it would put defenders in two minds. If they were less willing to give away corners, it would create more opportunities for goalscorers.
Tom Orren, Wamberal Heights

Your correspondent bemoans the “boring” nature of soccer rules and the lack of goal scoring. On the other hand, it can make for a more tense and exciting match with just as much focus on ball skills as balls in the goal. The spectre of penalty goal scoring at the end of such a match, which for some is an excruciatingly unfair spectacle, is for others a wonderfully nail-biting crescendo to the game. Leave the rules alone. Judy Finch, Taree

I agree with Peter Kamenitzky. Here’s a suggestion: at the end of the set time, withdraw 2 players from each side, and play a further 20 minutes. If that doesn’t resolve the issue, withdraw another 2 players from each side, and go again. Surely that would speed things up? Mia David, Wollongong

Why stop there? Four points if the ball goes in clean without touching posts or crossbar, and the goalkeeper hasn’t been able to get a hand on it, and an extra point if the ball was kicked from the other side of the half-way line.
David Gordon, Cranebrook

Your correspondent fails to realise that the low-scoring nature of football is precisely what makes it such a joy to play and to watch. It is fast-moving chess on grass, a sport in which a single act of brilliance or a single lapse of concentration can determine the outcome. The scarcity of goals in football is the very reason that scoring delivers such an adrenalin surge. If you prefer a game where “points”, as you call them, are scored every few seconds, try basketball. I’ll stick with what Pele called “The Beautiful Game”.
Steve Cornelius, Brookvale

Closing ceremony time for the Olympic and Commonwealth Games

Ted Hemmens (Letters, August 7) makes some interesting suggestions as to the futures of both the Commonwealth and the Olympic Games. I have another - do away with these anachronistic farces. The Commonwealth Games were cobbled together to patch over the crumbling of the exploitative British Empire and now include in this hodgepodge of ex-colonial countries, some five which were never part of that Empire. Farcical indeed. Both Commonwealth and Olympic Games, today, exist for the benefits of the egos of competitors and the personal status of the largely self-appointed administrative officials, particularly at the highest levels, who contribute nothing to the welfare of anyone or anything other than their egos.
Ian Usman Lewis, Kentucky

Unfortunately, staging the Commonwealth or Olympic Games in the one city would be unlikely to receive support from participating countries. Politics, unfair seasonal training advantages, objections by locals regarding disruptions, travel costs, TV contracts etc would be difficult to get any unanimous agreement. The Commonwealth Games seem destined to disappear from the sporting calendar. World tournaments in most sports are taking over and maybe the Olympics may just survive for the time being.
Denis Suttling, Newport Beach

Your correspondent sensibly suggests a permanent home for the Olympics and Commonwealth Games. Given that historical traditional sports in Olympia, Greece were played in the nude, could well make for some interesting issues nowadays. John Swanton, Coogee

Funding needed

Dr Addie Wootten outlines the myriad of problems confronting our children with mental health problems. (“Treat mental health like any school subject”, August 7). Like many others, she finds an “easy” fix to the problems. Without additional funding, teacher training and designated time within the already crowded curriculum with programs that fit individual children’s needs and issues, programs will have little real impact. Resilience training allows confidence and a fighting chance, but for many children specialist access for deep-seated problems are long-term and essential. If we are serious in helping our children, we must provide the funding for specialists and priority access to assist our young in need. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

Psychological support services have been developed and deployed to schools as mental health issues become apparent in learning environments. What has changed over the decades is our homes - they have far fewer kids, more single adults and more devices. The home learning environment is poorer despite a large rise in the quality of housing. Longer commutes, bringing work home on devices, and more entertainment screens mean far less family discussion and visiting friends. Fewer homes provide a secure environment where kids learn about friendships and relationships from adults using the example of their own lives. For many kids, the main source of what is normal is TV shows. Schools are trying to help the child when parenting is the problem.
Peter Egan, Mosman

Ill-equipped

Sean Kelly is optimistic the prime minister can turn around the current Voice referendum polling, writing that the No case should be more closely questioned (“Dutton can’t escape heat forever”, August 7). Trouble is the No case has ready answers because there is no smokebomb alert, there’s nothing to hide, it’s No, regardless of the question. On the other hand, Yes advocates are, quite naturally, thrown specific questions about form, usage, and outcome, for which questions they’ve come to the party ill-equipped. Also, if the 1000 signed-up Yes volunteers intend widespread door-knocking, well, good luck with that. Rosemary O’Brien, Ashfield

One would hope that Peter Dutton receives as many questions from the media about the No case for the Voice as has the prime minister about the Yes case. A good starting point would be the No pamphlet which is so full of errors and red herrings that it is laughable; in future any information published by the AEC should be fact checked. The other major question to which Dutton needs to respond is why, after nearly 10 years in power, the Coalition made such little progress on “closing the gap”. Both sides of the case for the Voice need scrutiny and so far Dutton has not been put to the test. Peter Nash, Fairlight

Exciting times

How exciting for us Balmainians to hear of the plans to turn our grim stretch of Victoria Road into a continental-style boulevard (“Grand plan to fix Victoria Road once bypass opens”, August 7). We denizens of the diamond of the inner west are thrilled at the prospect of promenading in our finery on balmy summer evenings. Perhaps hopping between simple but elegant bars and enotecas, while meeting (perhaps for the first time) the good folk of Rozelle, talk of whom we have heard whispered. Truly a thrill only to be matched by gazing in wonder at our magnificent new sculpture: “The Exhaust Stack”. What a time to be alive. Tim Parker, Balmain

Another major announcement of “beautification” emerges for a Sydney streetscape. I have read the Herald long enough to find this a “record stuck in a groove” moment, just like the promised ongoing revamp of Parramatta Road. There’s the city square in front of the Sydney Town Hall, the re- imagining of Circular Quay, a possible outdoor music bowl over the Domain car park building, a kiss of life for the old Metro-Minerva Theatre - the list goes on. Architectural visualisations of all these projects appear year after year and sadly the only ones getting any work towards fruition of such plans are the visualisers. Greg Vale, Kiama

The Inner West Council’s recently published plan for a more pedestrian-friendly Rozelle town centre is very welcome. Of course the IWC proposal does not touch on the elephant in the room - who is going to pay? If the state government can spend billions on the Rozelle Interchange and associated infrastructure the cost of a revitalised Rozelle town Centre and a newly civilised Victoria Road would likely be small change. Warwick Pearson, Rozelle

Venerable Venables

Wonderful to see that my old school friend, Rob Venables, scion of the Stella folk boat building family and lover of the vintage Crossley motor vehicle, is still alive, a reader of the SMH, and living in Bermagui (Letters, August 7)!
Robert Hosking, Paddington

Lexicon aeterna

Some of us even have a list of all the words we did not know in either the clues or answers from the puzzle page. So yes, you learn something new or again every day. Jeanmaree Sexton, Lindfield

Stop the teal

I am sure that there are a few Matildas supporters besides myself who are wondering why the team wear teal blue colours instead of the green and gold colours of Australia. Rosie Miller, Randwick

Up and away

Flying cars (“‘Not if, when’; Cash pours in to make flying cars a reality”, August 7). Imagine the road toll and the hoons and how high will the traffic lights need to be? And pedestrian crossings? Don Leayr, Albury

Watch this space

I was checking what was available on free-to-air (FTA) in The Guide. The cover is a pay TV program, then pages 2-7 have many more articles about pay TV programs than FTA. Not all of us need or want to use pay TV. Please could we have more balance. Jan Garlick, Sylvania

The digital view

Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday on smh.com.au

Try looking at the Trump legal saga without congratulating yourself

From Kingo: “I get it, the uneducated and disaffected vote for Trump. But I’m surprised that they would vote for him again after seeing evidence that he didn’t change their lot one iota. Many can’t afford medical care or get a job but get whipped into a frenzy about the risk of losing their military grade gun, or about the gay person living down the street. Are the education standards so low that this isn’t bleeding obvious?”

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