Letter to The Editor - The defence of traditional Australia combined with wise flexibility and alteration at a slow pace

To The Australian          Jennifer Oriel sensibly remarks that, as election time approaches, "the government needs to present a united front" ("Turnbull should go to future-proof his Liberals", 20/8); but how can this be done? A fundamental premise that still remains true is that the Coalition must function as a genuine, whole-hearted compromise between the Centre and the Right, as John Howard has never wearied of saying. Perhaps we need a new, comprehensive statement from the Coalition parliamentarians as a whole as to what are the main issues to be contested at the election and where they stand on these.  Five points in that statement could be as follows.

     (1) The holding of a referendum on the republic proposal only if there is clearly majority popular will for that. (2) The holding of a referendum on indigenous constitutional recognition only if there is clear public support for such. (3) An impartial and even-handed approach to the administration of any referendum. (4) Firm effort to widen the range of free speech while safeguarding the welfare of minorities. (5) Firm defence of Australian sovereignty and independence in the face of UNO and internationalist pressures. (6) An immigration policy that takes account of the wishes of all Australians and the ecology and climate of the continent. In summary: the defence of traditional Australia combined with wise flexibility and alteration at a slow pace. Let the ALP and the Greens then be seen as fools rushing in where angels fear to tread.
  Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic