to THE AUSTRALIAN
     It is regrettable that Noel Pearson has not learned anything from the Government’s decision on constitutional recognition (‘Prime Minister’s rejection is a kick in the guts for Aboriginal Australians’, 28-29/10). Instead he has resorted to a mixture of emotional special pleading and discourteous attacks on the Prime Minister and Tony Abbott.
     It does not help when he engages in excessive claims (‘Turnbull has broken the hearts of all Australians of goodwill.’) and misleading attributions (implying that Greg Craven, Anne Twomey, Julian Leeser and Damien Freeman are ‘true conservatives’, while ignoring the real conservatives on this issue such as Keith Windschuttle, Frank Salter, Greg Sheridan, Andrew Bolt and Gary Johns).
     Pearson has badly damaged any claims he has had to statesmanship.
     NJ, Belgrave, Vic