One didn’t have to be directly impacted by robo-debt to feel its impacts (“Robo-debt will haunt Libs, unless …” , September 27). Imagine – a stubborn prime minister hell-bent on a self-idealised agenda, someone whopretended to have no accountability burying scrupulous public servants who were opposing it. We should never just ask, “Remember robo-debt?” On par with Malcolm Knox’s message, we ought to be entitled to also say, “Yeah, remember how Morrison, Tudge, Porter and Robert got kicked out of their broad church”. That would be leadership. And some peace for the masses. Ted Bush, North Epping

Malcolm Knox has examined the elephant in the room, the issue that haunts the current Liberal Party like no other. Robo-debt is, and will remain, the low act that destroyed the heart of the Liberals. To turn against Australia’s most vulnerable in this way is inexcusable. When Scott Morrison swore an oath as social services minister, accepting ministerial responsibility, he understood the onerous task ahead. Robo-debt became the vehicle for his rise in the Coalition cabinet, his opportunity to gain kudos as the “new welfare cop on the beat”. Everything he did after that was to gain the top job, consequences be damned. His lack of integrity and “Pontius Pilate” act to deny knowledge of the illegality of the scheme flew in the face of evidence before the Royal Commission. It is unlikely the Liberal Party will expel Morrison or Tudge because it is a party without heart or unity. Justice in this saga is illusive. Geoff Nilon, Mascot

Nail-gunned it again, Malcolm Knox. If that Christian happy-clapper ScoMo had thought to run the idea past “Jen and the girls” and, say, the Salvos, then robo-debt, that act of sheer bastardry, might never have condemned so many innocents to persecution. Kent Mayo, Uralla

Liberal governments have a particularly awful track record when it comes to honesty and integrity. Our cause of involvement in Vietnam, the fate of the original Medibank, the Tampa and “children overboard” incidents, the non-existent Iraqi weapons of mass destruction, the wheat board kickbacks saga, the “never-ever” GST, the dog-whistling and divisiveness over race and immigration, the hollow “no cuts to anything” election promises, the abandonment of the French submarine deal and the gaslighting over the seriousness of climate change are but a few. Add to that list the disgraceful and indefensibly callous robo-debt scheme, with the subsequent half-hearted remorse and non-existent consequences for the perpetrators, and a “gesture” of just expelling a handful of has-beens from the party doesn’t go anywhere near removing the continual taint. Contrition should be made of sterner stuff. Adrian Connelly, Springwood

Two outstanding articles in one day: Malcolm Knox on what’s wrong with the Liberal Party, and Peter Hartcher (“Aping Trump will slay Coalition”, September 27) on what’s wrong with Trump (how long the list is!). I’m waiting to see if the Libs have the courage to take Malcolm’s advice and expel Morrison and Tudge. Only then can we feel that Australia has a soul. Dick Barker, Epping

“After a royal commission, numerous other inquiries and legal cases, the government has offered a record $1.8 billion settlement” (Malcolm Knox). That is 1.8 billion reasons to vote against the Coalition until they accept responsibility and face consequences. Greg Bugden, Armidale