On Q&A

Richard Middleton writes: Re. “Mallah hurt Q and A, but this tweet wrecked ‘em” (yesterday). The fuss over the silly handle that slipped through is unfortunately playing into the handles of Captain Chaos and cronies. Really a silly, schoolboy prank. Could this even be a false flag, to distract from important things like not governing the country, perhaps? Thought Annabel Crabb’s comment was priceless. She said she was (mildly) upset that TonyLovesAnnabel was misspelled. That woman is a genius.

Bryan Bilham writes: Congratulations on an article that touched my agreement-button! I sincerely hope that the ABC stops the tweets. Their extremely high-pressure selection process explains why many rubbishy and irrelevant tweets go to screen. I agree with Jonathan Holmes, that we can’t read one thing and watch-and-listen to another. We get only a fraction of the value of either.  I wish I had his will-power and be able to “just not read them.”

John Kotsopoulos writes: The Herald Sun on its website rushed in to condemn the Q&A tweet no doubt seeing it as an opportunity to yet again apply the lash to the program and the ABC. It was all coy about the nature of the tweet handle in the story but inexplicably accompanied it with an uncensored screen shot on its website and in the newspaper itself. Given the ABC promised to delete the tweet from rebroadcasts of QandA, hundreds of thousands of readers became aware of this oh so wicked act for the first time as a result of the newspaper’s  incompetence.  I trust Bolt will demand an apology from his employers for its mistake. The use of ridicule as a political tactic against Abbott is indicative of a leadership that has moved into its terminal phase.

On Hockey’s empty words 

John Richardson writes: Re. “Hockey’s ‘moral imperative’ fades into lame cynicism’” (yesterday). In a startling announcement, Treasurer Joe Hockey claims that the Abbott government can walk and chew gum at the same time. In defending criticism of his claim that the federal government can cut the federal deficit and taxes at the same time, while not specifying how it will meet the cost, Joe Hockey says he has “been talking about tax reform for years”, but the conversation with the Australian people “was only part-way finished”. Pity the big fella can’t stop trying to blow-up his own tyres and start listening to those intent on stealing his wheels.

On Kaspar Wowser

John Falconer writes: Re. “Kaspar Wowser” (yesterday). As editors, do you actually read the “cartoons” you publish in Crikey? If so, why did you publish the tasteless and insensitive cartoon by  Kaspar Wowser where he or she tried to combine the recent plane crash at the Shoreham Air Show (where at least 20 people were killed) with Mark Latham’s behaviour. Why not use the recent bombing in Bangkok. Or the huge explosion in China earlier this month. Etc. Etc. The cartoon is just not funny or satirical or anything that should be published!

Ban the cliches

Jen Rosenberg writes: Re. “Literary cliches” (yesterday). Not so much literary theft than sheer laziness, but can we declare war on all things “-gate”.