Coalition flicks the switch to Trumpism

EVs and energy security
Thanks to Mike Foley (″⁣Five battles that will define Australia’s climate war election″⁣, 12/1) for highlighting policies on climate and energy for both major parties.
The LNP’s plan explained by energy spokesperson Ted O’Brien is contrary to the national interest. It is foolhardy not to plan for energy insecurity; reducing consumption is the best long-term strategy. Rather than pushing prices up, the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard will save consumers money by reducing overall fuel consumption. It incentivises manufacturers to bring their more efficient models to Australia, rather than flogging bangers with outdated technology they aren’t allowed to sell in other markets. Tradies, farmers and grey nomads will soon be able to purchase equivalent battery EVs. In 2025, we already have cost parity for light passenger battery EVs.
Road transport consumes 54 per cent of our liquid fuel imports, as opposed to 16 per cent for all other transport where alternative fuels are currently more complex. Electrification of road transport is low-hanging fruit with mature technology available now.
As to O’Brien’s comments that Australia is a loner in renewables, think China. It installed 180 GW of solar from January to October in 2024, at least two times the capacity of our ″⁣national electricity market″⁣.
Jo Oddie, Lyonville

A people problem
How could Mike Foley’s article (″⁣Five battles that will define Australia’s climate war election″⁣, 12/1) not mention overpopulation which strains all the earth’s resources?
Concern over our children’s future means I suffer distress when our journalists and politicians talk about climate change and neglect the cause: Homo sapiens.
Graeme Dennerstein, Essendon

The big picture
The devastating fires threatening lives in California (“Death toll likely to rise as infernos grow,” 12/1) and those struggling in the Grampians (“Scarred but still standing, Grampians community counts cost of two fires in a year,” 12/1) bring back stark memories of Australia’s 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Those fires, among the worst in our history, consumed more than 18 million hectares, destroyed thousands of homes, and claimed 33 lives.
As Grampian locals and the CSIRO report, bushfires are an essential part of ecology in the Australian bush. However, the fires unfolding today reflect a global pattern: intensifying disasters, worsening biodiversity loss, and communities left with insufficient resources to recover.
This crisis demands urgent action. Governments must collaborate globally to tackle climate change while investing locally in solutions like better forest management, robust evacuation plans, and long-term support for rebuilding lives. Equally critical is learning from past inquiries, like those after Black Summer, to ensure recommendations for emergency response and community resilience are implemented – not ignored.
We are at a turning point. Will each fire season be treated as a separate tragedy, or will we finally act on the broader crisis?
Julia Paxino, Beaumaris

Flooding the zone
Since reading last November that Peter Dutton’s ally Gina Rinehart and her key adviser, former Liberal Party vice president Teena McQueen, attended Donald Trump’s election win celebrations at Mar-a-Lago, I’ve expected during our Australian 2025 federal election, that the Coalition would take the Trump approach as his adviser Steve Bannon advocated, to “flood the zone with s—“.
That approach, now in motion here, greatly lowers Australian democracy standards and indicates weak leadership and character.
Why doesn’t Dutton explain in detail his actual economic and energy policies and evidence that these will produce the results about which he so glibly boasts?
Jennifer Gerrand, North Carlton

Character goes missing
Until recent times, character was considered an essential quality of leadership. Leaders promoted their values such as honesty, integrity, concern for world peace and protecting rather than exploiting our natural environment. While governments should pursue policies that improve people’s economic prospects, I am disappointed that the character and integrity of leaders seems less important these days.
Self-interest, including corporate self-interest is more common now, particularly in the energy sector. As the catastrophic events in Los Angeles remind us, the science behind climate change is real. Science directly links the world’s extreme weather with our dependence on fossil fuels.
Renewables are the cleanest, cheapest, fastest growing form of energy and yet, some government leaders are still not committed to stopping more fossil fuel mining.
Many people tirelessly strive to improve the lives of others and care for our natural world. Integrity in leadership towards climate action is an essential part of that care, today not tomorrow.
Caroline Rogers, Surrey Hills

No more camp fires
The consequences of camp fire error can be, and all too often are, catastrophic. It is time to discuss all-of-summer, everywhere, total fire bans.
The good of preventing people and animals being burned alive and the destruction of entire ecosystems and regions far outweighs the deprivation of a campfire experience.
Sorry for the heresy, but we actually need more governing here, not less.
Lawrence Pope, North Carlton

Cherry-picking facts
If I followed your correspondent’s line of thought (Letters, “Rest is history”, 11/1), who knows what would have happened in the intervening years since 1947?
One thing that we also know is that Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by an Israeli extremist who was unhappy with Rabin’s efforts to bring peace to the region through the Oslo Accords.
Yes, each point is cherry-picking pieces of fact to illustrate a point of view. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Extremists on both sides have little regard for the humanity of the other. Peace in the region is troubled by extremists of both sides. While it is obvious that the actions by Hamas were totally abhorrent, and that those kidnapped should be returned, what is now happening in Israel is that we have an extremist government conducting actions that the UN and many others have found to be abhorrent, and unlikely to bring peace. The actions are plainly for Israel to get the upper hand, while showing little regard for the well-being of millions of Gazans.
Chris Larson, Oakleigh East

Post-truth speech
My interpretation of Mark Zuckerberg’s definition of free speech: ″⁣The freedom to express belief and opinion, irrespective of whether it’s ill-informed, entirely false or socially harmful, knowing that it will carry the same weight and influence in society as well-researched, evidence and fact-based information.″⁣
Kevin Bailey, Croydon

Respect the architect
I found it refreshing to read in ″⁣What’s wrong with Melbourne? Nothing that these design gurus can’t fix″⁣, (11/1) seven architects providing thoughtful suggestions on how they would improve and incorporate new vision into the future development of Melbourne. Each one considered the environment, and a need to design residential buildings with community in mind.
Mike Macleod asks ″⁣why aren’t we putting solar panels on commercial buildings?″⁣
Karen Alcock suggests more landscaping and trees.
James Legge wants to know why we are not developing widespread affordable transport with the aim to reduce cars on roads and replace roads with trees. Suggestions were made by many to capture more of our water, plant more trees, share community spaces, with a view of a more self-sufficient city. All short and long-term visions for a liveable city.
If you ask the right people, the solutions are solvable.
Sharon Hendon, Glen Iris

Numbers game
Re “Who is the greatest GOAT of them all? Our top 50 revealed″⁣, 11/1). I could only find five GOATs in your list – Bradman, Pele, Nicklaus, Jordan and Graf. How your journos left out Rod Laver and Margaret Court is beyond me, and what is Hulk Hogan doing in there? He may have been on the cover of Sports Illustrated in 1985, but WWE/F, or whatever it is called these days, is entertainment, not sport.
Nick Jensen, Canterbury

Game changers
I have enjoyed reading the GOAT series on the world’s greatest sportsmen/women.
Surely, numbers one and two must be (with no suggestion of jingoistic prejudice) Don Bradman and Walter Lindrum. These are the only two, I believe, who were so good, that the rules of the game were changed. Greg Taggart, North Prahran

Kitchens’ rules
When Gordon Ramsay, swears and shouts at staff in his kitchens, it is called “entertainment″⁣. When real chefs in real kitchens do it, it’s called “bullying” (“Top chef rejects claims of bullying”, The Age, 11/1).
Perhaps we need to reconsider what we are willing to accept as “entertainment”, and ask ourselves whether a steady diet of abusive behaviour on screen (not only in TV kitchens) has the potential to contribute to the increase in unacceptable behaviour off screen.
Claire Merry, Wantirna

AND ANOTHER THING

Elon Musk
The man who makes billions from electric cars doesn’t see climate change as a cause of the LA fires. He blames lesbians. We’re in for four more years of this approach to the truth.
Tim Durbridge, Brunswick

Elon Musk believes that funds for DEI programs are a waste of money and could be better spent on firefighting equipment and infrastructure. Presumably, tax cuts for billionaires don’t fall into the same category.
Frank Jones, Melbourne

Elon Musk: Why would anyone buy a car which in any way benefits this man?
Ted McCabe, Barwon Heads

Truth has become a casualty of our time.
Jane Cheong, Aspendale Gardens

Musk’s outrageous and unsupported statements make him a perfect partner for Trump.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick

Musk and Trump are similar to magnetic poles that repel each other. Standby for the big bust-up.
Max Langshaw, Sunbury

Musk and his cronies needn’t worry about a global plot to bring about the collapse of America. They’re making a pretty good fist of it themselves.
John Mosig, Kew

Furthermore
Putin wants Ukraine, Xi Jinping wants Taiwan and Trump wants Greenland. Is there a message for democracy there?
Bruce Cormack, Kilsyth

Looks like Peter Dutton is creating an image of a strong, honest, no-nonsense and empathetic leader who wants to look after working families. Very similar to Donald Trump, what?
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor

Cara Waters can donate her husband’s CD collection to our local op shop (″⁣For years, I’ve asked my husband to ditch his CD collection. Then I sifted through it″⁣, 6/1). At $2 each. I’ve sampled many unknown and surprisingly good bands. The duds are just donated back.
Andrew Smith, Leongatha

I say let Novak be. We can’t expect every tennis player to have a personality like Roger or Rafael.
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill

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