UNFORTUNATELY, “CityNews” is starting to read like a weekly supplement to the tendentious left-wing “Canberra Times”, with Robert Macklin misrepresenting Tony Abbott’s reply to Angela Merkel’s supposed question, “what drives his China policy?” (Seven Days, CN, April 23).

The question was not about “his” policy but about “Australia’s policy”, a much more general inquiry, and one that he answered in that light, as “fear and greed”. Which is a correct summary of recent years, if not longer.

Also, it was clearly a satirical answer, indicated by his smile, but it is not the first time that honest answers from politicians are deemed by their critics to be shooting themselves in the foot. No wonder it is hard to get a straight answer from members of parliament. Abbott’s comment certainly isn’t a state secret.

Wasn’t Macklin in China recently badmouthing Australia’s history? Seems like he’s been shooting a few bullets himself.

Glyn Myfyr, via email

Playing ‘Pied Piper’ on cash

JOHN Griffiths is playing Pied Piper when he suggests in “Pockets full of cash, who needs them?” (CN April 16) that cash is irrelevant.

In fact, his suggestion further catapults Australia down the slippery slope we began long ago by proposing to retire cash.

Cash has become one of the last bastions of privacy where you can make transactions that are not recorded and used for marketing and tracing your whereabouts.

Journalism is usually the first freedom pillar to fall and now John is proposing an assault on cash. Yes, there are pitfalls in having a cash-based society, but all of these pitfalls are the consequence of government-gone-rogue in all liberal democratic nations.

Surely, John, you must have had cause to reflect on your own industry’s misfortune and wondered how it got there? When will journalists stop regurgitating the zeitgeist of our time, namely the progressive mindset that drives government into every aspect of our lives?

Peter Twigg, Kambah

No ‘vaccination’ against drugs

WHY is it that governments will act swiftly to punish those who refuse to have their children vaccinated, but won’t lift a hand towards “vaccinating” young persons against illegal drug use.

The whooping cough vaccination is a prime example of the application of the first law of public health when dealing with epidemics – primary prevention. That is, to aim to reduce to nil the number of first-time contacts with the infection, just as is happening with Ebola.

With our jail overflowing and rehabilitation services turning away addicts, we are reaping what consecutive governments have sowed in following blindly the ideology and propaganda of vested interests seeking to feather their own nests.

Colliss Parrett, Barton