The Prime Minister might like to think that photo recognition will make us safer but security is still dependent on the work of the intelligence and police services to identify those who are planning crimes or acts of terrorism. The Las Vegas attack is evidence of how criminals can remain undetected. It requires more than visual surveillance to recognise the motive and execution of the gunman's plan.
Philip Cooney Wentworth Falls
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
During the Hawke government in the 1980s the LNP Coalition strongly opposed the introduction of the Australia card national identification system as a "Big Brother" destruction of civil liberties. Now they intend to introduce a facial recognition system which could tell not only who I am, but where and when I am through any camera surveillance system or photo. ("Big states back surveillance upgrade", Herald, October 5) Still, at least I won't be in trouble because I can't produce my ID.
Steve Bright North Avoca
Malcolm Turnbull poses for a selfie with a driver.Credit: Joe Armao
The need for instant photo identification is cast as essential to my safety and security as are billion-dollar missiles and yet the federal and state governments are decidedly lax on gun laws. Until Mr Turnbull toughens up on the erosion of gun laws I can see his security pronouncements only as vote catching and political fear mongering.
Peter Hull Hat Head
I'm putting a "selfie" with Malcolm Turnbull on my new driving licence. Who's the naughty boy then?
Jeremy Cornford Kingscliff
PM's wolf calls distract from real dangers
While Tony Abbott has become a parody of himself, so too Malcolm Turnbull. On Wednesday he stated in his usual convoluted way "everything we do, every day, is to make Australians safe". There is little evidence to support the PM's extravagant claim, intended to obscure the void in achieving much of anything beneficial to Australians.
Simplistic jingoism by the PM distorts the banality of failings in addressing community concerns beyond encouraging cynicism that this lot is not up to the job on almost any other issue than the default to national security.
Rod Milliken Greenwell Point
Malcolm, you had it all, why did you ever enter politics? Before you did, you were admired, people said you were smart, astute, had your finger on the pulse, you made $100 million, you must be clever. Since entering politics, you have either refused to make decisions or, when you have, they were dumb and out of touch with mainstream Australia. We now realise, you just arsed it – happened to be in the right place at the right time and have the right connections. You have forfeited a reputation the envy of many and for what?
Gareth Turner Louth Park
I can only assume that Judith Ireland doesn't read the letters in the Herald ("If you can't stand the heat, then get out of the climate change debate", October 5). Judging by letter writers, there are no signs of fatigue in the community regarding this vexed topic. In fact, I suggest there is increasing anger and frustration in the electorate over the lack of action on climate change by the Turnbull government.
In the meantime we must bide our time till we rid ourselves of this morally bankrupt government. There are any number of issues they have failed to address that would lose them the election. Climate change and renewables probably head the list, followed closely by the physical and emotional abuse of asylum seekers. Just because we are not out on the streets demonstrating every day doesn't mean we have given up. I am reminded of the lyrics from Les Miserables, "Do you hear the people sing? Singing the song of angry men?". The momentum is growing.
Graham Lum North Rocks
Too much news on US ...
Why do our news outlets have to give us days and days of coverage of events in the US – if they are silly enough to allow their citizens access to these high-powered guns, let their own people have all the gory detail – I am sure that there are many like myself who couldn't care less. The space would be more productive if we were reminded how this city is being raped by our current government and its developer mates.
Hugh Darling Castle Hill
... too little on reality
Howard Hutchins (Letters, October 5), in his rhapsodic praise of Donald Trump, believes "he will prove a great president by making sure only the right type of guns get into the hands of the right type of people in America". I would also love to believe this. Alas until then I am doomed to live in the real world.
Nick Andrews Rose Bay
For months/years we have been hearing about the corruption and incompetence of the Adani Company (Bailing out Adani is the definition of absurd", October 5). This week it has been the excellent Four Corners report on the ABC and the recent IEEFA Report discussed by Julien Vincent today. It seems obvious that neither the Queensland nor federal government have undertaken due diligence when approving Adani's applications. Why not? How is it that virtually the only supporters of Adani are these two governments? It's vote-losing for both. It smells of lurking corruption somewhere. Hope you're on to it ABC and Fairfax.
Kate Ravich Greenwich
Rather than threaten states which are listening to realistic fears about hydraulic fracturing, Malcolm Turnbull should tell the coal seam gas explorers to keep their feckin' frackin' fingers off our farmers' fields until it is known to be safe to proceed. The Scientific American has published material by former EPA scientist Dominic DiGiulio that fracking contaminated ground water in Wyoming. Moreover, in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of the US where drilling commenced in 2002, there had never been an earthquake until 2008; since then there have been scores of tremors. France and Bulgaria have banned hydraulic fracturing despite having large shale-gas reserves. There are other potentially serious outcomes of fracking. Though, to be fair, there are many examples of such drilling having had no observable negative effects, caution is imperative where fracking is proposed.
Ron Sinclair Bathurst
Unions not to blame for Toyota's closure
It might suit David Hilliard (Letters, October 5) to blame the unions for the loss of our car manufacturers, but in doing so he demonstrates an outdated ignorance of the facts. Since 2008, wages have increased by about $3 a year in real terms. That is less that the price of a coffee. Meanwhile we have seen the cost of property, rent, power etc increase at obscene rates. The loss of government tax incentives, the complexity of global industries, and the transformative influences of automated technologies have rendered many shop-floor workers redundant. If Hilliard is seriously suggesting that the unions could or would be instrumental in reducing the remaining workers' wages, then I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
Bruce Spence Balmain
It's all the unions' fault! So says David Hilliard re: closure of Toyota in Australia. Even Toyota disagrees with that assertion. In a statement by the company in 2014, when it announced its forthcoming closure, it said: "Toyota Australia has never blamed the union for its decision to close its manufacturing operations by the end of 2017, neither publicly [n]or in private discussions with any stakeholders." But hey, let's not let the truth get in the way of a good old bit of "union-bashing".
Jim Iveson Hornsby Heights
David Hilliard asserts that unions are to blame for failing industries, specifically the role of the MWU in the closure of car manufacturers in Australia. Unions are made up of workers, not just some ivory tower officials. In essence, he is blaming the workers because of their insistence for a liveable wage. What's his alternative? Workers propping up multibillion-dollar multinational companies by taking pay cuts and not being able to provide for their families? Or is this just union-bashing?
Paul Townsend Narara
At the end of October, the proud manufacturers of Australian cars are gone into oblivion. Toyota Camry and Holden Commodore plants are closing doors, costing more than 10,000 highly skilled workers their incomes. It is time for Malcolm Turnbull to show leadership. Invite the talented entrepreneur, Elon Musk, to set up his alternate Tesla electric car plant in Australia. This is the future. We have both talented men and material in the country to put Australia back in the automobile industry. Federal assistance is needed now.
Ranjith Samaranayake Hunters Hill
Worst decision
Bob Hawke has called the same-sex marriage survey "without any question, the worst economic decision made by any Australian prime minister" ("Evans happy to yield to rapier thrusts from Hawke", October 5). He is wrong. Certainly in my lifetime, the worst economic decision made by any Australian prime minister was John Howard's, to join the US invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. Not only has our unnecessary involvement in these wars cost many millions in direct costs, they have also cost many more millions in the damage done to our servicemen and women who are suffering horrendous physical and psychological damage. And that decision cost lives. At least we get a say in the SSM survey; we had no say in Howard's decision to go to war, and neither did Parliament.
Trevor Connell Lidcombe
Characters dissected
I thoroughly enjoyed retired psychologist, Steve Biddulph's, forensic dissection of the characters of John Howard, Tony Abbott, Peter Dutton and Eric Abetz ("The timeless problem of messed-up men", October 5). In order to counter accusations of bias on the part of Mr Biddulph, could he be commissioned to run his psychologist's rule over the entire federal parliamentary cohort? I'd love to read his insights into the mummy and daddy issues that have brought such pain to the likes of Malcolm Roberts and Matt Canavan.
Cliff Jahnsen Bowral
Anybody who has read one of his books knows that Steve Biddulph is an astute observer of the male psyche. In his "The timeless problem of messed-up men", (SMH 5 October) he correctly identifies the issue we have in our fear of vulnerability. Socrates was considered wise by the oracle of the temple of Apollo because he said "Ï don't know anything". Imagine a modern day politician saying that?
Garry Feeney Kingsgrove
Fuelling bad policy
In relation to petrol ("State spends $5m pushing unwanted ethanol fuel", October 4), this is yet another example of bad public policy caused by an organisation (Manildra) donating to both major political parties. Neither of them will end this ethanol rort in case the other side receives a large advantage in election funding. If our politicians can't ban political donations, then at least ban donations from organisations that donate to both sides. It always causes bad public policy; you only have to look at the NRA in the US.
Peter Smith Loftus
It's not just the fuel that's inefficient (Letters, October 5), but also our outdated vehicle design. My Prius C gives me 3.4l/100km. Why aren't more hybrid options being developed and encouraged?
Meredith Williams Dee Why
Good connections
Like Graham Neal (Letters, October 5) it was with some trepidation that I approached replacing ADSL2 that adequately met my needs. Wishing to avoid a potential last-minute rush next year, I took the plunge and transferred to NBN last Thursday through Optus. As there was some problem connecting, an NBN technician came to my home on Friday morning and sorted it out from modem to exchange. No charge, and it has provided fast speed (albeit fibre to node) service since. Martin Frohlich Adamstown Heights
Quirky letters?
Where have the quirky letters disappeared to from our letters page? Oh, I realise we have massacres, and same-sex marriage "issues", and energy costs, etc bearing down on us, but isn't that even more reason for the odd slice of levity?
Rosemary O'Brien Georges Hall
Having now found Father Christmas' tomb ("Father Christmas traced to tomb at Turkish church", smh.com.au October5) and having already discovered Noah's Ark not so long ago, what other surprises do archaeologists have in store for us? The final resting place of the yeti?
Dimitris Langadinos Concord West
Edward Cox (the original owner) would be turning in his grave if he knew of Rookwood's plans to develop the magnificent landscape of Fernhill Estate into burial plots (Ministers in bid to kill off cemetery plan", October 5).
Cilla Tey Mulgoa
Living in the middle of a cemetery on Fernhill Estate would be very peaceful as your neighbours would be very quiet.
John Byrne Randwick
Sports-politics disconnect
How can it be that Australia is, today, playing soccer against Syria? Our military is engaged with the Coalition forces, in warfare against the evil being perpetrated by Syria's government forces, yet we seem to be oblivious to this in our sporting pursuits.
John Feller Randwick
Ian Falconer's assertion (Letters, October 5) that class in Australia is determined by either Vegemite or avocado on your toast. This has left me rather confused as my wife has taken to Vegemite and avocado together on her toast.
Paul Jones Glebe