Liberal chivalry lost at Griffin door

James Griffin’s reflections on his time in the NSW legislature as a Liberal member present a neat encapsulation of the dilemma now facing the Liberals at the local, state and national levels (“ Retiring MP slams Liberal hacks as moderates wane ”, September 6). For some reason, they seem unable to accept the world (electorate) as it is, instead focusing on niche issues that frequently appeal to a particular audience, rather than the general one of the electorate. Which, in turn, continues to make them broadly unelectable in the macro sense. Issues around renewables, climate, women, gender, internal politics/governance or global impacts on our economy. They seem to think that much of our current situation is linked to what is happening now, without considering previous policies of theirs. Examples include removing carbon tax, negative gearing (a government subsidy to reduce tax on high incomes at the expense of those on low incomes buying a home), privatisation/outsourcing, robo-debt, aged care reforms and various others. None of these are “nation building” policies, but rather divisive ones that set us against each other. What One Nation is doing is effectively doubling down on this approach, effectively cannibalising them. Until Liberals realise that they are pushing policies that aren’t dealing with the world as it is, rather than some halcyon time of the past, they will continue to flail about and continue to lose ground. Bernard Stever, Richmond

Retiring Manly MP James Griffin stands out as one of the rare figures in politics who appear genuinely decent – not a retail politician who dodges accountability or hides behind the usual excuses when things go wrong. He took his responsibilities so seriously that it affected him when he couldn’t assist one of his constituents. He is young, capable, and possibly a future NSW premier. But he clearly sees what many moderates in the Liberal Party have been feeling for years: the endless culture war battles offer nothing to the voters they are meant to serve. It has become increasingly difficult for politicians with principles, empathy and a moral compass to survive in that environment – let alone thrive. Griffin’s departure is a loss for Manly, for the Liberal Party, and for moderates generally. It is challenging for values-driven MPs to stay the course in a party increasingly defined by internal conflict rather than public purpose. Voters are forgotten. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill

I recently met James Griffin, and I was left with the strong impression that if the Liberal Party could nurture people of his calibre, there was still some hope left, not only for his party, but for politics in general. His intelligence, capacity to listen and desire to make a positive contribution were clear. It leaves me with immense sadness to hear of his retirement. This is everyone’s loss. Elizabeth Darton, Lane Cove West

As a professional patient advocate, I endorse Maddison Teigan’s plea for a serious review of AHPRA (and the HCCC) (“ AHPRA accused of failing patients ”, September 6). From personal experience, and on behalf of clients, I’ve found their processes punish the victims.