The Rooty Hill mission: readers rally behind Western Sydney

Neal Morrissey writes: Amber Jamieson’s silly story “PM’s four-star Rooty Hill blitz — try the wagyu, say locals” (yesterday) fails because she relies on Fin journalist Phillip Coorey for information. Still, on the subject of politicians spending taxpayers’ money, let us venture where Coorey never did. For 10 years, taxpayers paid for John Howard’s seemingly endless flights between Sydney and Canberra, and back again, either because he, or his wife, did not want to live in the national capital and/or preferred to live in Kirribilli House in Sydney. Now let us imagine the cost to taxpayers of that little exercise over 10 years? Sometimes Howard changed his mind and decided to sleep over in the national capital. In which case, pilots and other flight staff also had to be accommodated at taxpayers’ expense in Canberra hotels. Ah, the costs the media forgot.

Steve Turbit writes: Tell Amber Jamieson Re: PM’s four-star Rooty Hill blitz — try the wagyu, say locals” (yesterday) Julia Gillard could always stay at the Voyager Hotel down on the Great Western Highway.  It is cheap, has nice rooms, and even better is owned by Labor Party members. I know this because I am a party member and I used to live out there. They were members of the branch of which I was the secretary.

Catherine Beatty writes: Does it cross your mind how offensive and unfunny Amber Jamieson’s Rooty Hill comment (yesterday) is? Our PM is going to Rooty Hill and some ill-formed kid decides to stereotype a place as beige, unappealing, on some other planet than planet Australia. It is Australia. By the way — I’m urban, very inner city but cannot tolerate such ignorance.

More substance, fewer polls

Dylan Taylor writes: Good one, Bernard Keane Re: “The evolution of ‘Direct Action’: soil magic to magic pudding” (yesterday)! At last a discussion of Coalition policy — good or bad, let’s have more. Such analysis has been missing from the media for two years — ever since Tony Abbott knocked over Malcolm Turnbull by one vote.

If only we could see some policies and question how and at what cost they can be implemented,  this long campaign may be worthwhile.

To date, everyone including the ABC has been fixated on reporting polls and personalities. That’s the lazy way.

Lachlan Murdoch’s record

Kim Lockwood writes: It may be too hard to collate, but I’d like to see a list of Lachlan Murdoch investments and how they fared Re: “Ten good sports?” (yesterday).

One.Tel? Belly up. Western Kingfish? Belly up. Network Ten? Stay tuned. There must be heaps. Stephen Mayne might know.