Political leaders don't have a plan to consolidate Australia's future Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten in a rare moment of unity.
Our current political leaders are off and running to try to fabricate a winning advantage over each other that will take them into government following the upcoming   July 2 election.
It is a pity that neither of them has an overarching strategy or corporate plan to consolidate the future of our nation. 
There is a tourism strategy, a local government strategy, ecological strategy, information sharing strategy, OH&S strategy; counter terrorism strategy and a national binge drinking strategy but no overarching corporate strategy or plan to achieve a cohesive outcome for Australia's future as outlined by Quentin Grafton ("Time to demand coherence", Times2,   May 6, p4).
The United States uses input/output analysis to marry up different but related sectors of its economy and does this efficiently and effectively and has done so for at least the past 30 years.
Just imagine the benefits that would accrue to Australia if our politicians were competent to replicate the experience of the US. Australia currently has a "mine is bigger than yours" mentality when the goal should be "mine is better than yours".
Les Brennan, Sunshine Bay, NSW Experts should lead Quentin Grafton suggests that with the election not that far away we the voters ought to hold our politicians to account for their decisions that are made on our behalf .
I believe that such responsibility is that of experts like Professor Grafton who are able to identify the flaws in the politicians' policies. Therefore, these experts ought to speak on behalf of the voters, most of whom cannot make sense of what the politicians are rambling on about, except the contempt for their opponents.
Looking back at the election time in Britain, I recall that voters openly supported those politicians who would promise them a better pay packet.
Surely, that is not unreasonable if people were treated equally.
Sam Nona, Burradoo, NSW Breath of fresh care I have the feeling that 99 per cent of voters will have already made up their minds as to which party they will support in the coming election. Thus perhaps it would be a good idea to bundle Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten (together with their wives) off on a six-week cruise, all expenses paid.
They could come back completely refreshed for a final week of politicking whilst we would be relieved of the tedious interviews that the media have no doubt already scheduled.
If they happened to be on the same cruise for six weeks then perhaps they might even come to some agreement on various policies and thus save the eventual winner a lot of angst in the future. Baden Williams, Lyneham Labor in glass house So Bill Shorten is going to run an election campaign based on the politics of envy. Would the Labor Party please provide a list of all current and former ALP parliamentarians and their partners (both State and Federal) who: 1) have ever owned investment properties, or 2) are currently multi millionaires (for example, Paul Keating, Graham Richardson, Neville Wran, Eddie Obeid).
I have no objection to politicians or anyone else getting ahead either through hard work or investing in the economy.
I also believe we should do much more to assist those who are doing it tough.
It is the hypocrisy of Labor politicians I cannot abide - claiming to fight for the underdog while they are the ones who appear to get ahead.
Les Neulinger, Farrer Time to get real Tentative tinkering by the budget around the core issues lifts my electoral policy rating for the Coalition from 0/10 to 0.2/10 and Labor's response gives them a little lift from 2/10 to 2.5/10. The Greens remain far ahead at 9/10. Let the competition for best policies now begin. My tests for credibility, honesty, rationality and obfuscation will start to kick in and adjustment factors to the policy ratings will now be applied.
Peter White, Flynn Trump as spoiler The CT editorial "Trump divides but he could still conquer" (Times2,   May 6, p2) argued that the Republican Party's biggest fear is that Donald Trump "will lose   November's presidential poll comprehensively and in the process cause it to lose its hold on Congress."
That's likely because I have yet to see it suggested that the Republicans have any chance of winning this presidential election in the USA.
It's quite probable that Trump's just running interference for his old mate Hilary.
Sure, he's spending a lot of money to do that but he donated to her 2008 campaign and raved about her credentials.
As he explained to The Wall Street Journal last year, "very important people, when you give, they do whatever the hell you want them to do. As a businessman, I need that."
Presently, it doesn't look as though the Clintons have any real competition.
Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor Rape victim cruelty Our Immigration Minister sent an asylum seeker from Nauru to PNG for an abortion. Is he insane? Abortion is illegal in PNG! A month passed ... and with further expected delays, the danger to the woman's life increases.
The woman has special medical needs and severe mental health issues; she has attempted suicide, has uncontrolled epilepsy, and was raped while under our duty-of-care. Australia's duty-of-care. Our Immigration Department's duty- of-care. Minister Dutton's duty-of-care.
Rape is a horror of its own; no amount of "semi- consciousness" can diminish it. The woman knows, and she knows that something grows inside of her, something that she's made clear she doesn't want. Something that a judge has asserted must be addressed.
Instead of providing the woman with a legal, safe procedure, the minister plays political football with her fragility. I no longer hope Dutton has any heart or humanity in him; I pray he can still find some modicum of self-respect to ensure Australia complies with all obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention and other international humanitarian agreements.
Judy Bamberger, O'Connor