It is wonderful to read such an outstanding article by Jacqueline Maley (“Trump’s dubious choices prove one thing: the boys are back in charge”, November 24). In America, any article on Trump would be written off as belonging to one camp or the other and thus only read by true believers in one of the camps. We have the benefit of having someone of the quality of Jacqueline Maley able to share her considerable insights, someone who can boil down the craziness of Trump’s nominations into two threads; “almost all of [Trump’s nominations] have been accused of sexual misconduct, just like their boss” and the “utter lack of relevant experience among Trump’s picks”. These threads combine to form a “revenge module that has been mandated by the 75 million American who voted for Trump”. All this comprehensively underlies what we will not look forward to in 2025. Who knows what policies will actually emerge? Bill Johnstone, Blackheath

Hands off my vote

Come on Michael McGirr, surely you can’t be serious (“Over 65s should hand over their voting rights – the young have much more to lose”, November 24). The right to vote is a privilege to be treasured, a priceless obligation which should not be squandered. Our constituency represents the fabric of a vibrant society with views, ideals, values and a shared sense community, ensuring the wishes of everyone can be counted regardless of age (declaration: I am over 65). Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

The only justification for optional voting is complete ignorance of candidates and policies. The infamous “donkey vote”, which unfairly favours candidates at the top of the ballot paper, has no doubt determined the winner in some close contests and attempts should be made to minimise this possibility. The best solution may be a box clearly labelled on ballot papers that provides the option of an “informal vote due to lack of knowledge or unconcern regarding candidates or policies”. Geoff Harding, Chatswood

The cheek of Michael McGirr telling me I should hand over my voting rights as I am over 65. Having withstood and ignored the pressure of males in the family when young to vote a certain way, I am certainly planning to continue to vote. Marjie Williamson, Blaxland

Policy peeves

Customers would reasonably think that they have a monthly policy (“How paying car insurance monthly could cost you twice”, November 24). Not so. What they have is an annual policy where the annual premium is paid in 12 instalments. NRMA is not the only one that does this. What the insurers do is establish a debt for the amount of the premium that is still outstanding. And if a claim is made, that debt has to be repaid. And insurers have been comfortable to continue this historic practice. However, under a new accounting standard that recently came in for insurers, the liability that the insurers have to hold for the policy is essentially the same, whether it’s a monthly policy or an annual policy paid in monthly instalments. Maybe this will be the motivation that insurers need to align their policies with customer expectations? David Rush, Lawson

Built to last

When Messrs Alex Kell and Les Rigby built the North Sydney Olympic pool in 1935/36 they took only twelve months to complete it (The Herald’s View, November 24). Their plant in those days would have been horse and dray and maybe a steam-driven stiff leg crane. The tradesmen were artisans as is evident in the brickwork in the arched window facade, which thankfully has been retained. Peter Mortensen, Mortdale

High and dry

In the upcoming changes to bus routes, Tempe is losing the one service that connects us to Sydenham station and our nearest shops on Marrickville Rd (“Balmain to get 24-hour weekend bus service in timetable shake-up”, November 24). For those without a car, this service is essential. For people with accessibility issues, Tempe train station has no lift so connection to Sydenham station is vital. Transport Minister Jo Haylen’s office is on Marrickville Road – perhaps she wants to discourage visits from annoyed Tempe residents? Penny Szentkuti, Tempe

Whisky sample

It seems many athletes have different urine to the rest of us (“Urine sample match triggers trots drug-testing scandal”, November 24). Not only does it appear some have urine with matching DNA, but the Irish Olympic swimmer and gold medallist at the Atlanta Olympics, Michelle Smith, provided a urine sample that contained so much whisky that a drink containing that much alcohol would have proven near fatal. She, too, was banned from competition – not because she had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs but because it was believed she had tampered with the sample. She got to keep her gold medals. Merilyn McClung, Forestville

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