The credibility of Opposition Leader Sussan Ley has suffered a severe blow over the past seven months, according to a wave of reader letters published in The Canberra Times. The criticism, dated January 19, 2026, paints a picture of a leader struggling to define her stance and maintain public trust amidst party dysfunction and national tragedies.
A Leadership Under Fire
One correspondent, Gordon Fyfe from Kambah, argues that Ms Ley was given a fair chance after the Coalition's election defeat in May but has since squandered it. He draws a direct parallel to former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, suggesting Ms Ley failed to learn from his experience. "She quickly rolled over in relation to environmental policy due to pressure from the more conservative elements of her party," Fyfe writes, accusing her of making compromises that cost her credibility.
The criticism intensified following the Bondi massacre. Fyfe condemns Ms Ley for using Foreign Minister Penny Wong's lack of public tears as a metric to question her emotional response to the tragedy, calling it a "ridiculous metric." He further alleges she is now backing away from supporting government legislation prompted by the massacre, implying she opposes for opposition's sake to retain her position. "It seems that she is happy for her reputation and integrity to be subordinated to her desire for power," he concludes.
Broader Debates: From Gaza to Summernats
The letters column also featured robust debates on international and local issues, reflecting the national conversation. Roger Terry from Kingston responded to a previous letter questioning why Israel faces more criticism than Iran over civilian deaths. Terry argues that as a "Western-style democracy," Israel is held to a higher standard. He condemns Israel's destruction of civilian infrastructure in Gaza and notes that unlike Iran, which faces sanctions, Israel's actions are "tolerated, and in the case of the US, supported by Western democracies."
Closer to home, Stephen Jones of Bonython defended Summernats organisers regarding burnouts on Dryandra Street. He pointed out that most cars involved lacked event stickers and argued policing public roads is a job for "the actual police," whom he accused of prioritising harmless car park gatherings over residential street offences.
Urban Planning and Social Cohesion
Other letters addressed Canberra's urban heat and post-Bondi social tensions. Professor B.M. Bodart-Bailey from Narrabundah urged the ACT government to use updated CSIRO heat maps to combat the urban heat island effect in planning decisions, a move she said would protect future retirees from "health-injurious heat."
The complex debate around Middle East protests in Australia was also highlighted. Herman van de Brug from Holt expressed sympathy for the Palestinian cause but refrained from joining marches he felt were infiltrated by extreme elements. He acknowledged the Albanese government's difficult balancing act, while Alex Mattea from Kingston offered a scathing view of the "Adelaide Writers' Week" cancellation, linking it to the ABC's Antoinette Lattouf case and criticising performative gestures of mourning as potentially damaging to "social cohesion."
Finally, 85-year-old migrant Peter Gabler from Bowral advocated strongly for assimilation over multiculturalism, sharing his own positive experience joining a surf club in 1958. He warned against bringing overseas conflicts to Australia and expressed concern that overreach could endanger the classic "larrikin Aussie character."
