Peter Gleeson’s (Courier Mail, 20 Dec) recent reference to “Putinesque behaviour” when it comes to hospital authorities, is like George Christensen likening COVID restrictions to the Nazi holocaust. Both comparisons are ridiculous and shows an ignorance by one of Putin the man and a complete failure by the other to comprehend one the most horrific events in history.

Their mindless utterings are only equalled by the cluelessness of Donald Trump.  

Vladimir Putin has a litany of ways of dealing with dissidents and/or those who subject him to personal criticism. If Gleeson gave the Russian leader a smidgen of the criticism that he pours incessantly on the Queensland government he would well have been a target for poisoning by polonium-210, imprisonment, or simply wiped off the face of the earth by other clandestine means.

He can regard himself as most fortunate that he lives in Australia, where he is given a front seat to attack his nemesis, Annastacia Palaszczuk, no matter how ludicrous the criticism, knowing that there will be no repercussions.

Morrison’s pork barrel a threat

When Paul Williams (Courier Mail, 27 Dec) weighs up Scott Morrison’s chances at the next election, he overlooks important issues that may well have provoked a mood for change. The PM will be hoping his “quiet Australians” will forget the inadequate response to gender issues when his party tried to “neutralise” Grace Tame and Brittany Higgins’ cry for justice.

Polls show that the female vote has moved significantly away from the Coalition since 2019.  He will also hope they forget the massive misuse of taxpayer’s money to ensure victory in closely-contested seats at the last election.

Meanwhile, Morrison continues to resist a transparent Independent Commission Against Corruption. He has put forward a threadbare alternative, one that top constitutional legal expert Anne Twomey has described as deliberately written to spare politicians. Geoffrey Watson, SC, asserts that neither the “sports rorts” nor the selective commuter car parks handouts would be able to be investigated under his plan.

With no substantive federal ICAC in place, the dangers of a gross misuse of the public purse remain. Despite this, Morrison will not be easy to shift. He has the incumbency, the purse strings and often enjoys sympathetic media coverage.