As the Guthrie takes continue to roll in with no sign of easing up, so too are Crikey readers weighing in on the issues. There was debate in the comments of Bernard Keane and Glenn Dyer’s look into who Michelle Guthrie’s potential replacement could be (with the issue of gender continuing to be a sticking point). Elsewhere, readers had their say on News Corp’s struggle to legitimise Scott Morrison’s ailing Newspoll numbers (which Guy Rundle likened to hatters’ madness).

On Michelle Guthrie’s firing and replacement

Vasco writes: I’ll put up my hand. Having survived, almost intact, decades before the mast as a clinician and administrator in NSW Health, I could bring skills in distributing b.s. and detecting and avoiding the same; flexible attitude to doing the right thing and pretty good agility in dodging restructures; and pretending endless policy changes based on politics, not best public health practice, has no negative impacts on morale and service delivery. These skills are transferable, as is managing a budget on the smell of an oily rag. References available from numbers of disenchanted health workers. 

Linda McQuarrie-Bowerman writes: Most people in such positions as Guthrie’s are aware they can be terminated fairly quickly if not performing to expected standards. I would say that when a person is earning $900,000 per annum, that person hopefully has a multimillion dollar backup savings account for just such an event — if not, no sympathy from me. Guthrie will earn no respect from instigating an expensive legal process and would be best to just go gracefully. We ordinary people are getting more and more fed up with the wealthy whinging and bleating about how hard they are done by. Go quietly. I am sure I am not the only one sick of this story already.

Denyse Dawson, Lawyer writes: Shame on you Jon Faine for your stupid and misconceived comment re: gender. Of course gender was the underlying reason for the decision and it is ridiculous to imagine that any female could form a good working relationship with the government. No government member has respect for women as intelligent, capable, worthy individuals. This was simply another exercise in “see, we gave them the opportunity and they couldn’t measure up”. I hope that all who played a part get their just reward in the not too distant future.

On News Corp’s struggle to spin Newspoll failures

Draco Houstan writes: It hasn’t even been three months and already “The Before-times” when Turnbull lead the party have been consumed by mists. Can you believe these are serious news people who are paid by a national newspaper?

Sean Arthur writes: That the poll from the LNP leadership massacre was always going to flow, somewhat, away from it’s recent Labor high-tide is no nevermind. Newscorp will be deep in the chicken gizzards desperately trying to find some portents suggesting that Morrison and Co are on the money. It just ain’t going to happen. The lunatics have now taken control of the asylum and are trying to convince the board of governors to let them remain in charge. Good luck with that.

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