Perhaps what we saw in Parliament last week is the real Malcolm? He attacked Bill Shorten for having the temerity to move among the circles of the rich and powerful. How dare Shorten grovel to protect the rights of workers or care for their workplace health and safety. How dare he assume he has the right to lead this country when we all know that's the birthright of those in the Liberal Party. Oh and he also has the gall to come from Melbourne! We all know the real power and wealth resides in that small spit of land from Double Bay to Vaucluse. Perhaps Turnbull's attack somewhat explains the significant shortfall in federal funding towards Victoria. I know many Labor voters like myself who thought in Turnbull we had a Liberal we could vote for. What has happened to the man who seemed to have a strong set of values and progressive ideas on the republic, the environment and equal rights? Perhaps those were never his views or it is politically expedient to deny them because being in power is all important. I am afraid we have seen the "real" Malcolm, and it has been a massive disappointment. Greg Powell, Surrey Hills Understand parasitism As a person who enjoys the natural world I find the PM's sudden interest in parasitism encouraging. Some parasites are adapted for survival only by permanent attachment to a dominant host. They often ruthlessly exploit vulnerabilities in the host organism, weakening it and at the same time influencing its behaviour to their own advantage. (Morning, Barnaby.) Other parasites attach to a particular host for a limited time only to gain access to the resources and niche opportunity it provides before abandoning the host and operating independently. (Hi, Cory). With the PM's new-found interest in parasitism he might find other examples. Such as, if a person donated $1.75million to a political party to shore up their job and then claimed a tax deduction such that taxpayers paid almost half the amount it could also be described as parasitism.

Alan Cooper, Ashburton THE FORUM No passion for policy Like many Australians I don't care much for Turnbull or Shorten, or their empty shells of parties. However, it was Turnbull's attack on Shorten that reminded us why we don't like them. Where is a similar passion to implement Gonski so all students receive a high quality public education? The passion to improve health outcomes, particularly in rural and remote regions?

Where is the leadership to create a strong renewable energy sector that positions us to be a key player as the rest of the world surges ahead? Or voices for constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians? Where is the strength to rebuke Trump's racist approach to immigration? Personal attacks diminish not only yourselves, but your parties, your positions, and most importantly, your country and its people. Craig Jory, Glenroy, NSW Give us vision, purpose How can we have any confidence in either main party when its members constantly assure us the other is deserving only of contempt? Scorn and derision is the automatic response to any stance taken by the government. Then, of course, we are treated to rounds of reciprocal mud-slinging. Flying both ways are accusations of stupidity, incompetence, bad judgment, hypocrisy and moral turpitude. Meanwhile, we, the people increasingly have misgivings about the calibre of those we have chosen to represent us.

Vision, strength and purpose might impress us a whole lot more than a talent for abuse. Vivienne Player, Beaumaris Get out in real world Ian Macdonald is correct; MPs are not freeloaders. They work hard and demonstrate admirable commitment to their vocation. But lots of people work hard and show great commitment but do not get $200,000 per year, a generous pension and a gold travel card. If the senator feels he could do better in the real world, he should go for it. In the meantime, stop bleating. Jane Edwards, Peterhead, SA

Paying homage to relic In the grand "suppository" of wisdom known as Parliament House, Treasurer Scott Morrison held aloft a religious relic. He beckoned others to pay homage, declaring that this holy relic of energy generation would bring prosperity and wealth to the faithful while striking down those who dared to label it a false idol. Blinded by the riches bestowed upon them by the high priests of coal, the Liberals fail to understand that coal is a vengeful god who will take revenge on the planet's inhabitants for ripping it from the place where it has quietly slept for millennia. Leonie Ashton, Maribyrnong Coal-fired IQ? What a strange day in federal parliament on Thursday. The Coalition engaged in a heated debate over the power cuts in SA – caused by extreme heat, conditions that are likely to worsen due to climate change. And the Coalition's answer is to build more coal fired power stations, a point emphasised by MPs handing around a lump of coal. It didn't seem to occur to these mental giants that blackouts were caused by burning the material they were proudly handing around and that more such burning will lead to more power problems. You have to wonder about the IQ of some of our federal MPs.

Colin McLean, Montrose Tough climb out The government wants to ensure those under 25 who lose their jobs do not receive any assistance for four weeks. Few 24year olds or younger, living independently, have the savings to cover life expenses for that length of time. If this bill is passed many young adults will be unable to pay rent and other expenses and will have nowhere to go but the street. The politicians who support this bill assume all youth can move home and that their parents can afford to support them. This isn't the case. And once homeless the climb back to paid employment is even harder. Ruth Hudnott, Canterbury Fake political parties

It's now clear that party names are alternative facts. The Liberal party is ill-liberally fostering inequality; One Nation openly promotes social division; Labor spends most of its time leaning on its shovel uncertain of what to do. Meanwhile assuming it gets enough numbers to hold a party, Cory Bernardi's Conservatives are destined to be fascists. They are all fake parties. It's time we had some real ones. David Champion, Ivanhoe Values not so noble Bernardi's defection speech employed the noble language of a venerable elder statesman. The pity is that the values so nobly defended are the self-interested and morally bankrupt values of free enterprise and small government. Bernardi wants to defend the rights of the powerful to continue doing what they please. For the good of all Australians, of course. Tim Hartnett, Margaret River, WA

School funding issue The Howard government ramped up federal funding of elite private schools largely to the detriment of spending on state schools. The Coalition under Tony Abbott and now Turnbull enthusiastically continued this policy. Indeed, critics were labelled as promoting class warfare. So the headline "Rich schools in firing line" (5/2) has to be viewed with a substantial grain of salt. Phil Alexander, Eltham Needs being ignored Another driver behind the growing trend to vote not just for One Nation but anyone other than the two major parties is that a large swath of people across metro and regional areas are vulnerable to Pauline Hanson's nasty rhetoric because they have lost faith in the main parties. These people are sick of their needs being ignored. They resent being expected to take on mega mortgages or help their children to do so. Many would love to move to a smaller regional centre but know neither jobs nor basic services are available there, as so eloquently put by John Fitzgerald (Letters, 5/2).

Rather than accept being taken for granted while watching job losses and politicians indulge in rorts, many Australians are sending a clear message. The question is, are the major parties prepared to listen? Bernadette George, Emu Park, Qld Youth detention centre Some 28 years ago I wrote to The Age recommending a purpose-built secure psychiatric and treatment unit for adolescents (Editorial, 5/2). This followed criticism by a Supreme Court judge that he had no effective sentencing options other than "Turana" or the "J-Ward" (the now-closed prison for criminally insane) in a murder case involving a youth whose life had been ruined by years of neglect. Young people caught up in the "youth detention crisis" are among the most disadvantaged in the community. They certainly need containment. The levels of violence involved attest to this. But "warehousing" alone is clearly ineffective.Victoria has never had a secure forensic mental health unit and such a unit is long overdue. In a secure multi-disciplinary in-patient assessment and rehabilitation program attention would be given to all levels of a young person's development and integration back into the community, including individual, family, group and employment skills. More importantly, care would be given to the development a positive group culture – a skill and technique refined in the late 1960s. Not benign neglect of group dynamics to the point of dysfunction, drug addiction and riotous behaviour. Continuing the current approach will result in some very damaged people being loose on our streets.

Richard Polkinghorn, Bundoora Boost country town If a new youth detention centre is needed, why not build it near a regional city instead of in the metro area. Country towns continually tell us they need more opportunities for employment. Such a centre near a regional city would do just that and probably make it easier for police to apprehend any escapees. Come on, Premier, think creatively. Stan Thomson, Sandringham Money for nothing

Last Tuesday at about 1pm I banked a CBA bank cheque from a property settlement for approximately $500,000 into my CBA account at a CBA branch in the city. I paid the optional $15 fee for "Special Clearance" to be able to access my money without delay. Two days later I remained without my funds, only to be told by CBA phone support that the "special clearance" only prioritises the clearance, but it can still take up to the three days that it takes without paying the optional fee. It certainly appears to be a scam for CBA to take three days to clear its own bank cheque. In the meantime it can park the cash on the short-term money market and make money on it. How can the bank get away with charging a fee but not guaranteeing delivering anything for it? Neil Fookes, Carnegie