source : the age
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Ross Gittins is allowed to be in two minds about climate change because he can explain clearly what that entails and why he thinks so (Comment, 1/7). There’s no excuse, though, for the federal government to be similarly ambivalent, such as claiming it’s doing all it can to reduce emissions, while approving new gas projects and mining ventures? To pay lip service to the uptake of electric vehicles, while doing so little to facilitate a realistic charging network? To brag about how well we’re doing with renewable energy, while ignoring how easy it would be to do it more quickly and responsibly?
And finally, to claim there’s still plenty of time to achieve net zero, when we’re actually lagging dismally behind our targets? It’s time to face hard facts and stop relying on hopeful reassurances. And it’s long overdue to call out all the climate-change-deniers for the misguided people that they are.
Jenifer Nicholls, Windsor
The paradox of denial versus impact
Ross Gittins nails the paradox for Pauline Hanson of denial of climate change and yet recognition of its impact. Europe has just endured deadly heat that has claimed thousands of lives. We’ve known for decades that the planet is warming, yet we’ve kept hoping emissions would fall before the heat became unbearable. They haven’t.
While cutting pollution through renewable energy is more important than ever, we also have to adapt to the reality of hotter summers. This year is forecast to bring an intense El Niño, with more heat and drought. An obvious approach is to protect people at home with air-conditioning from heat pumps, run from rooftop solar panels, backed up with batteries. Leaving aside the rhetoric of denier/supporter, the approaching state election should highlight the difference between parties on this practical approach to protection from risk.
Carolyn Ingvarson, Canterbury
Imagine if we pulled together on renewables
Pauline Hanson has poured more fuel on the fire of climate wars. Ross Gittins writes a clear headed analysis of the situation and the facts. In the face of his article, and many scientific opinions on the matter, many still rail against tackling the issue. Why? For some politicians it’s about gaining a following for their own achievement of power from consolidating disenchanted voters. Some may resent the set-up costs of solar panels, batteries and buying EV cars. Some just don’t like change. Some figure they’ll be dead before the worst of it and don’t consider younger generations.
With the increasing summer temperatures in Europe now, the natural disasters increasing and the change to agriculture practices, people procrastinate and deny at their peril, or rather, the world’s peril. Imagine if we all pulled together towards renewables to create energy, stored in batteries. We could even export our knowledge and product, provide more jobs in the field and be a more harmonious society.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Australia too keen to sell fossil fuels
Australia might be at the “forefront of that (global renewable energy) change”. (“Hanson’s climate denial stuns me”, 1/7) And that is wonderful. But Australia ranks fifth of 15 countries responsible for nearly 80 per cent of global oil and gas extraction since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. Since 2017, Japan’s gas use for electricity generation has fallen 37 per cent. Japanese companies are selling LNG they buy from us to the developing parts of Asia. This undermines their shift to renewables.
Sadly, Australia is currently too keen to sell fossil fuels to be the world leader we need in this battle for our children’s lives.
Lesley Walker, Northcote
THE FORUM
Government duty
Surely, the most important purpose of democratic governments is to balance public and private interests in creating a fair society for all? We trust our major parties to govern competing interests through robust processes in our judiciary, policing, financial systems, government administration and in the wider economy.
Every unfair process or corrupt act denies someone a fair opportunity and denies the public a better value for its taxes.
Organised crime survives only where corruption persists. The costs of this is very real and direct harm to our community.
Why, then, is fighting corruption and protecting us from its many costs not the very highest priority of all governments and candidates?
Our minimum expectation must be adequate funding for robust integrity bodies and investigation triggers that fall well short of a criminal threshold. Coverage needs to include all those who hold public office, are employed in public service or are contracted to government. And let’s not omit any corrupting behaviours undertaken through political influence.
The stream of media revelations about the failures of governments at all levels and the practices of increasingly powerful corporations is sickening and should motivate us all to be demanding better.
Adrian Robb, Kyneton
This is not a choice
With the Victorian election looming, I’m wondering whether the Victorian Electoral Commission might consider waiving fines for those who don’t vote.
Labor offers the Big Build, ballooning debt and the lingering CFMEU saga. The Liberals offer the spectacle of perpetual infighting. One Nation continues to blow its familiar dog whistle, while the Greens remain absorbed in ideological navel-gazing.
Compulsory voting assumes voters have meaningful choices. This year, many Victorians may feel they’re simply choosing which disappointment they’ll be living with for the next four years.
Kurt Elder, Port Melbourne
Appoint administrator
I simply cannot bring myself to think of voting for Labor again after seeing the massive corruption being exposed by The Age. However, after seeing the Liberals spend 2 years squabbling among themselves, is that really a party fit for government? What about a group of well-meaning independents? A right-wing wannabe?
Who on earth is there in Victoria to provide decent government? Maybe Victoria should be put
into administration until the mess is sorted.
Valerie Johnson, Eaglemont
JPs recruitment needed
I have been a Justice of the Peace for more than 40 years (“Numbers rapidly dwindling”, 1/7). I am now 80. I, along with colleagues, am regularly rostered at the local police station but this is only a couple of hours in a week. This means that police are taken away from their policing duties at other times to deal with documents. This is a complete waste of their time.
I have a landline shown in the Department of Justice website and can be contacted via that but like many JPs nowadays, I do not feel comfortable having strangers in my home to sign documents. This is a big change from the past where it was common practice.
I was shocked to see the low number of JPs currently registered in Victoria. I believe the government must make every effort to recruit suitable people. I also think efforts must be made to get JPs at police stations more often so that officers may get on with their policing duties.
Given that these rostered times are during the day, perhaps a recruitment drive should be held among retired people who wish to give back to the community in some capacity. Those in the workplace are unlikely to be able to fill the slots during the daytime when they are most needed.
Judith Armstrong, Elwood
Not taking queries
I was inspired by the article on the great shortage of Justices of the Peace in Victoria to consider volunteering as one. To my surprise, the relevant webpage said that they were not currently recruiting, and offered no option to express an interest.
Clearly, the Victorian government does not agree that there is a shortage.
Dave Torr, Werribee
Bravo, writer
Bravo to your correspondent (Letters, 1/7) for coming up with the line of the week (and exquisitely perfect description of our inspiration-free and courage-absent political system): “mouldering conservatism and tepid managerialism”. Full marks.
Ian McKendry, Kew East
Who audits AI?
What I find quite astounding about the AI revolution is not only the speed of its development, but the complete lack of any investigation or study of its arrival and progress. A few years ago, I was laughing at the ineptitude of the answers I received to my AI queries. Now, there are companies virtually established overnight, building massive constructions without any apparent restriction.
There are significant electricity and water demands, but again no inquiries. Add to this, its use in education and even medicine and literary endeavours. All happening without the slightest official examination.
David Fry, Windsor
Is the truth out there?
One wonders about AI and the truth. One would assume that all AI companies would come up with the same answers as all the others. In other words, we would only need one AI. I am sure that all the AIs will have different answers so which one is true?
John Rome, Mt Lawley, WA
Dream to aspire to
Intelligence, in my view, is knowing where to look or who to listen to in order to solve your problems. Perhaps Pauline Hanson, One Nation supporters, and those who voted no in the referendum should have listened to Martin Luther King jnr’s words, referenced by Nelson Mandela: “I have a dream my children that one day you will be judged by the content of your character not on the colour of your skin.″
Ian Todd, Leongatha
Supporting tenants
Nothing secret in the state’s public housing research (“Warning on secret housing overhaul”, 1/7). We already knew much of the development would not be public housing as such,
and of course, this has the possibility of conflict between different tenants-owners.
What is news is that Redbridge polling found “there was great public sympathy for public housing tenants”. Perhaps this support could be harnessed to provide a better outcome for these tenants.
An increase in true public housing is needed as is the government consulting more with public housing tenants to address delays and dislocation.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
Coming together
Peter Hartcher (Comment, 30/6) outlines the sad and frightening experiences of many Jewish families, and focused on the disgraceful events experienced by the Lowy family. One of the solutions suggested by Steven Lowy is national service for young people. The laudable aim is to break down prejudice and build bonds. I have an alternative option. My children attended a public school with a large Jewish population among a broad mix of students. Their friendship group, now many years later, still comprises friends from various faiths, including the Jewish faith and some with no faith. The school celebrated Christian, Jewish and Islamic festivals as a source of pride. The student experience broke down prejudice and built lifelong bonds.
But alas in Australia this is not always the case. We have let develop an educational system that divides students into tribes that don’t interact. The tribes are principally based around various religions and socio-economic advantage. If we want our young people to gain an understanding and appreciation of difference, the place we should start is with the education system. We go on about how egalitarian we are. I wish.
Brian Burgess, Middle Park
Bless this weather
As a former farmer and still living in the country, when I heard a someone complaining about the cold, wet weather, I was inspired to write the following.
Rain
Whilst humans are whinging,
The bush is singing,
Dams and tanks are filling,
And the crops are heaving a huge sigh of relief.
Dallas Kinnear, Daylesford
Working for our ‘luck’
Kylie Moore-Gilbert’s article (Comment, 1/7) is a strong answer to the jingoism of the far right.
We are the lucky country in terms of our institutionally secured freedom. This is never more evident than in the fact that older people here can continue to insist on how good life was in
the 1940s.
For most of the world, that was a time of bleak horror, of war and of terror.
Only those Australians who were lucky enough to have been born to migrants who came here before then could be nostalgic about those decades.
We need to continue to work to maintain our “luck” by supporting the institutions that safeguard our freedoms.
Kay Moulton, Surrey Hills
Attacking corruption
The editorial in The Age (1/7) is both brave and accurate. Widely held opinion is that The Age is left-leaning and
pro-Labor but the editorial unashamedly attacks the corruption in the Big Build which has been tolerated by the Premier, Jacinta Allan, and her Labor government.
It is apparent the government is resisting the establishment of a royal commission before the November election because the results will be telling.
John Guy, Elsternwick
AND ANOTHER THING
Politics
Roadside rubbish, potholes, shabby road signage and graffiti. Public school buildings and grounds in disrepair. Voters want a little build instead of The Big Build.
Geoff Gowers, Merricks North
Something’s on the nose in Victoria, and it’s not the waste bins at Victoria market (″Allan’s office ‘pressured’ builder″, 1/7).
David Cayzer, Clifton Hill
It’s simply embarrassing to see the premier offer up every conceivable excuse but take no responsibility for the Big Build financial debacle.
Peter Venn, East Bentleigh
Impossible to argue a case for returning the current government in the state election. Unthinkable to contemplate voting for the alternatives. Seriously, where to from here?
Chris Millgate-Smith, Sandringham
It seems Angus Taylor has caught the disease that so afflicted Jeff Kennett, foot-in-mouth.
Phil Alexander, Eltham
Surely we voters in Victoria are not so blind and deaf to re-elect Labor.
Bruce Severns, Toorak
Furthermore
Pussyfooting around the One Nation Party will not win the Liberal Party any plaudits. It will just make it look like a bunch of scared gits.
Eric Palm, Gympie, Qld
Christian Brothers: neither Christian nor brotherly.
Peter Knight, St Arnaud
Support for gambling reform seems to have petered out.
Greg Curtin, Nunawading
As a Labor voter I agree with the Greens and opposition that Anthony Albanese’s been spineless on gambling reform.
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
Criticism of the actions of the Israeli government and the IDF cannot possibly be antisemitic. If it were, it gives the Israeli government and the IDF licence to disregard international law.
Roger Christiansz, Wheelers Hill
