This won't just affect Liverpool

Meanwhile, the courageous and unforgotten Mordechai Vanunu has just been locked up by Israeli Rosetta Stone authorities for another three months. Give us a break and stop trying to excuse every illegal Israeli action by referring to Iran. Kambiz Afrachteh Potts Point I've been racking my brain to think of something Israel has offered us in friendship (Letters, May ). Could someone enlighten me? Rod Denson Point Clare Unemployed in two languages Perhaps the study of Asian languages has ''sunk to new lows'' because the belief that it opens opportunities for young people is simply not true (''Rudd boost fails to stop slide in study of Asian languages'', May ). As a prospective graduate of economicsMandarin, topped off with a year of in-country study, my job prospects are far from plentiful. In fact, my inbox is full of rejection emails. Not only do my language skills and cultural awareness seem unwanted, but I will always be competing with Australian-born speakers of Mandarin. Very encouraging. Katherine Passmore Epping Liverpool won't keep on truckin' With the federal government now showing its true position on the Moorebank Freight Terminal, it is good to see some are finally realising the true effect this will have on Liverpool residents (''Council fights huge freight terminal plan'', May ). Liverpool Council is to be commended on its stand against this proposal. This does not move 1 million trucks off Sydney's roads, as the federal government claims, but simply moves them to Liverpool. The Treasurer revealed this on budget night by saying it would relieve the pressure on Port Botany. This won't just affect Liverpool. Any suburbs that have the freight lines and the M5 servicing the terminal will cop the noise, pollution and traffic from freight trains and an increase in truck numbers. Peter Langsam Wattle Grove A true LiberalThe oddest thing in Miranda Devine's column is her lack of interest in Malcolm Fraser's performance as prime minister (''A convert to the preaching will have no power to change'', May ). He first won office in 1975 and had it renewed by election in 1977 and 1980. He must have been doing something right, an idea that attracts no attention from Devine. His public appearances make it clear he still has all his marbles. Some of his achievements in domestic and foreign Rosetta Stone Software affairs were remarkable. It's a pity Devine substituted rather spiteful commentary about Mr Fraser's advanced years for any account of why his opinions might have value. Paul Lynch Elizabeth Bay By espousing commonsense ideals of individual freedom, equality of opportunity, tolerance and more astute foreign policy, Malcolm Fraser hardly resides within ''the bosom of the progressive left''. Rather, he represents those Australians, like myself, who feel dispossessed by both Kevin Rudd's big government, ''working families'' agenda and Tony Abbott's confused, quasi-theocratic ravings. Far from being ''unelectable'', the Liberal Party would get my vote, and the vote of many others, if it remained true to its name. Adam Murphy New Lambton Heights It's the Howard years: the sequel On Tuesday Tony Abbott told Liberal members conservatives must look to the future and that his government would not be a Howard replica. Yesterday he reissued the old Howard asylum-seeker policy, apparently without the courtesy of a party room discussion (''Lib moderates furious as Abbott fails to consult on asylum seeker policy'', smh.au, May ). How can a person who cannot manage himself or his party be trusted to manage the country? Peter Rutherford Barwon Heads (Vic) Tony Abbott says ''yes, I am a risk - a risk to people smugglers''. In my view, if elected to government, he is a scaremongering risk to everyone. Where is a bit of compassion for those people who, through no fault of their own, are forced to flee from countries torn apart by devastating civil war? John Fryer Ryde Asylum seekers should seek work, clamours the opposition. How many vacant jobs are there on Christmas Arabic Learning Software Island and Nauru? Peter Mahoney Oatley The true liberal philosophy concerns the economy I'm surprised Peter Hartcher makes the mistake of questioning the liberal philosophy of the Liberal Party (''It's not my party and I'll quit if I want to'', May ).