ECONOMICS 
Dear editor,

The current government’s heavy reliance on “Keatingera economics” feels like a rerun of a 1980s textbook, not a serious response to the very different world we face today.

That playbook—dismantling protection, ending tariffs, and opening the economy to unrestricted imports—may have pleased bluechip economists, but it also hollowed out Australian manufacturing and left us dangerously exposed in an increasingly unstable global order.

We are now paying the price in lost jobs, weakened supplychain resilience, and dependence on foreign production at a time when security and selfreliance matter more than ever.

The same kind of thinking is now being applied to housing and capitalgains tax.

The government promises that changes to CGT and to the ability to offset investment losses against income will relieve rents and improve housing affordability. Yet these are not new ideas: similar rules were introduced in the 1930s and modified again in 1985–87 precisely to respond to rent spikes and housingsupply shortages.

History shows that tinkering with taxdriven investment incentives rarely delivers the stable, longterm housing outcomes politicians claim, while still distorting markets and disadvantaging different cohorts of savers and investors.

Now Canberra wants to layer on a complicated new inflation-based modelling system for calculating CGT, despite the headaches and market blockages such systems caused in the past.

Mechanisms that gum up the tax code, create uncertainty, and favour complex financial engineering over genuine investment are the opposite of what families and small landlords need.

Keatingera economics had its place in the 1980s and 1990s, but the world has moved on.

In 2026, it is time to demand policies that build real, secure housing supply, rebuild strategic manufacturing capacity, and design tax rules that are fair, simple, and robust—not recycled ideas dressed up as bold reform.

Colin Caudell,
Coolum Beach.
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SOCIAL MEDIA 
Dear editor,

Blame it on “TikTok”, where, via the popular global social media platform, users can upload, create and discover short-form video content. It is a highly addictive app, where users can become instant “heroes” or “stars”, for all the wrong reasons!

Many “wannabees” want to show how many followers they can attract when displaying negative incidents; desperate for millions of “likes”. Desperate for attention in a social media world, the most anti-establishment actions are promoted to gain notoriety! What is this demographic yearning for fame-seeking? Obviously, they have not drawn enough attention to their real-world  lives and achievements!

Desperate to be “liked”, they endeavour to outdo the most chaotic and illegal actions, to become popular – simply for a tick! Recent displays of anarchy and chaos saw two of these users running through a Scientology book room, filming themselves. Caught by two workers who shut the outside doors, they were arrested. Then a large group of these trouble-makers decided to run through a Scientology Church, filming the chaos. They, too, responded to a TikTok craze to invade a Scientology Church!

TikTok allows these users to promote ideas, and recently, it was used to gather a group of multiple e-bikes, which were ridden through the Brisbane CBD en masse, causing disruption to traffic and normal business. Any attention is better than none, apparently, even if the actions are not acceptable to our social norms.

Social media is a fake world, where anti-establishment events promote online status for those who have no positive contribution to either genuine personal ambition or contribute positively to our society in general.

E. Rowe,
Marcoola.
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SALVOS RED SHIELD APPEAL
Dear editor,

Across Australia, the sight of the Red Shield appearing outside local shops, and worn proudly by volunteers in their communities marks a special moment each year, a reminder that it’s time for Australians to come together to support those doing it tough.

On the weekend of May 30 and 31, The Salvation Army’s official Red Shield Appeal collection weekend will once again see thousands of volunteers take to streets, shopping centres and local communities across the country, raising vital funds for Australians in need.

This year, the need has never been more urgent.

New Salvation Army research has revealed the devastating impact the cost-of-living crisis is having on families across the nation. Parents and children are going without food, and alarmingly, families are struggling to even afford to take their children to the doctor when needed.

Every day, The Salvation Army is supporting people facing homelessness, financial hardship, family and domestic violence, addiction, loneliness and crisis. Last year alone, through our network of more than 2,000 services across Australia, the Salvos aided one person every 17 seconds.

But none of this happens without the generosity of the Australian community.

The Red Shield Appeal is more than a fundraiser; it is communities helping communities. Whether it is dropping a few dollars into a collection bucket, tapping your card, volunteering your time, making an online donation or simply spreading the word, every contribution helps provide hope to someone who needs it most.

Importantly, funds raised locally stay local, directly supporting people and families in your own community who are struggling right now.

This year, The Salvation Army is aiming to raise $41 million nationally to continue delivering critical support services across the country. We know times are tough for many Australians, but if you are able to give, your support can make a life-changing difference.

So when you see a Salvos volunteer across the Red Shield Appeal weekend of May 30 and 31, please stop for a moment, say hello and support this important cause however you can.

Together, we can be the hope our communities desperately need right now.

To donate or volunteer for The Salvation Army’s Red Shield Appeal or if you need support from the Salvos, visit salvationarmy.org.au or call 13 SALVOS. You can also donate at any Salvos Store.

Lieutenant-Colonel Paul Hately,
Secretary for Communications
Salvation Army.
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CONSTRUCTIVE JOURNALISM 
Dear editor,

Many Australians are switching off the news, not because they don’t care, but because they’re exhausted by conflictdriven coverage.

The old “if it bleeds, it leads” approach might grab attention, but it no longer serves communities like ours, who want clarity, not combat.

That’s why the Advertiser’s constructive journalism matters. It doesn’t sugarcoat the news or avoid hard issues. It simply provides nuance, context and solutions – serving as a compass rather than a megaphone.

Readers don’t just want information; we want connection. We respond to journalism that listens, that reflects our lived experience, treating us as partners rather than spectators.

Constructive journalism doesn’t t fix everything, but it helps restore something we’re losing: calmer conversations, broader perspectives and a sense that we’re still in this together.

At a time when many Australians are tuning out, constructive journalism offers a way to tune back in – not just to the news, but to each other.

Garry Reynolds,
Peregian Springs.
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POLITICS  
Dear editor,

It’s easy to see the results of immigration policies now being promoted by some political parties. Look no further than the round-ups, the jailing ,the deportations, even killings all sanctioned by the  Mad King’s USA Race and Immigration policies.

Margaret Wilkie,
Peregian Beach.
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