Correction

Crikey writes: Re. “Two shock departures leave WA Labor up preselection creek” (yesterday). We mistakenly said Fremantle MP Melissa Parke had only risen as high as parliamentary secretary and shadow assistant minister. Parke was in fact international development minister for a few months in the dying days of the Rudd government.

On the ACL

Rewi Lyall writes: Re. “No taxpayer funds to preach hate” (Monday). On Monday, Crikey said:

“This is an organisation that has questioned whether same-sex marriage could foster another “stolen generation” and suggested Australia needs to have a debate about the right of gay people to have children. These are the kinds of messages we can expect on our televisions and in our newspapers if the ACL leads the plebiscite’s “no” campaign.”

The simple fact is that these are the kinds of messages we can expect if there is a plebiscite at all. Does anyone believe that the ACL or its fellow travelers (including in the Commonwealth parliament) won’t be actively promoting these notions in a no campaign, whether running it or not?

Parliament has the power to legislate on this issue. The people have spoken by electing a majority of representatives who, if allowed the freedom to do so, would vote according to their conscientiously held beliefs and, many believe, amend the Marriage Act. If they’re afraid that they’ll lose their seats and value that more highly they’ll vote accordingly. Get it done and let the people judge their actions at the forthcoming election.

On negative gearing

David Hand writes: Re. “Property sector gears up, but who speaks for the victims of negative gearing?” (yesterday). Every single opinion piece I’ve read since Shorten’s announcement last Monday focuses on the destructive impact of changing negative gearing rules. Not one has restated the case for why it’s a good idea in the first place.

It’s like they’re saying, “we’re all dependent on this toxic drug but it will kill us if we come off it”. Rehab is hard but it’s better to get off toxic drugs in the long term.