Credit:Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
To submit a letter to The Age, email [email protected]. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email.
Gas prices
Energy and minerals companies, which have been price gouging at the expense of ordinary Australians, start waving a big stick whenever governments try to rein them in (“Gas supply pact at risk as price caps loom”, The Age, 13/12). We are told that the energy companies are attempting to co-operate with government to ensure supply. Yes, as long as it is on their terms and they can continue to make enormous profits.
The Rudd government never recovered from the attack of the mining industry when introducing its Minerals Resource Rent Tax and no doubt the energy companies are looking to replay the same game this time around.
I trust that our new federal government will stand strong at a time when they have the backing of the vast majority of Australians.
James Young, Mount Eliza
Resources belong to Australians
Apparently gas industry chief executives are outraged that the Australian government is protecting the Australian people and not their massive profits and their own massive bonuses. These huge profits are made because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and not through any skills or hard work of the gas industry. These chief executives seem to forget it’s our gas.
They remove it from the land that all Australians own and supply it back to us. They can charge a fee for doing that, but our gas still belongs to all Australians.
Doug Steley, Heyfield
September deal has failed
Shell/QGC has said it “would not be accepting new offers to supply the 50 petajoules (PJ) of gas it had been offering under the agreement” struck with the Commonwealth government in September. QGC says that the government’s proposed changes to cap wholesale gas prices announced last week “will materially change market conditions” and is therefore unacceptable to it.
Well, of course the government’s recent change of arrangements is meant to “materially change market conditions”. This is just as the September agreement was intended to do but is clearly failing.
The basis for the September agreement was far too small, as an extra 56PJ directed to the domestic market. What was needed to produce a material change in market conditions was extra supply needed more like 100 to 350 PJ/year rates. To supply the domestic gas market at the higher end of that range the LNG plants would need to cut exports by 25 per cent.
To maintain their social licence, the gas exporters need to play fair with our government and realise that they can’t scare us any more with their “no more investment in gas” scarecrow. Shell and others must supply the gas required to change currently unacceptable market conditions or have the government resort to stronger weapons in its armoury.
John Robert, Surrey Hills
The crisis is emissions
We have a gas crisis. But it is not a supply issue, it is a carbon dioxide emissions issue. Climate change requires us to significantly reduce our demand for gas, and this is an exciting opportunity we can’t afford to miss.
The government needs to be supporting the transition from gas to electricity – for homes, small business, and large-scale industry to reduce demand. Most have financially viable electricity-based alternatives available right now. Certainly there needs to be some protection from high prices in the short term, but ultimately we need to let gas price itself out of the market.
Bob Hale, Malvern
Gas merely a transition
Gas and coal supply should be seen as a transition mechanism to clean energy such as solar and wind. Arguing that exploring for more of these pollutants will solve the energy problem is a false economy in our dire climate change circumstances.
Bernie Chandler, Donvale
THE FORUM
Change the age
The state government’s commitment to treaty and truth telling is commendable but is undermined by its ongoing refusal to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14 years. This inexplicable policy impacts unfairly on Aboriginal children, who are six times more likely than non-Indigenous children to be imprisoned.
Co-Chair of the First Peoples’ Assembly, Aunty Geraldine Atkinson, wrote to the government one year ago requesting immediate action on “raising the age” and is still waiting for a response (“Elder pushes for rise in age of responsibility”, 13/12).
Action to rescind this draconian and discriminatory policy is in the interest of all Victorian families and their children – Indigenous and non-Indigenous – and should be a priority for the re-elected Andrews government.
Jennifer Wills, Portarlington
Generation gap
At what age do young people develop the ability to take responsibility for their own actions? There is debate about lowering the voting age to 16, and 18 is the recognised age for consent in other domains. Given this, I cannot understand why 10 is the age of criminal responsibility. Unless we allow 10-year-olds to marry, drink alcohol, drive a vehicle and vote, this law is profoundly unfair.
Helen Pereira, Heidelberg Heights
Wrangling a result
The people have spoken, and the ALP retains government in Victoria. Meanwhile, in the upper house, the preference wranglers have whispered, resulting in the loss of one of the most accomplished members, Fiona Patten (“The age of Reason comes to an end as Patten concedes defeat”, 13/12). What a loss – you were the voice of reason Fiona, and will be sadly missed, but you can be proud of your record.
Lucy Y. Niu, Mount Waverley
Traffic stop
On Sunday, my daughter was driving back to Geelong with her young children from Melbourne. Tragically, there had been an accident on the freeway and cars were diverted to Werribee, where the traffic was at a standstill with no police presence. After 3 hours the traffic started to move and she arrived home after a five-hour trip, instead of two, with very upset children.
The very concerning issue is what would have happened if there had been a medical emergency among all the people waiting to get through? Surely there is a better way to manage an accident when it occurs.
Anne Bennett, Blackburn
COVID measures
Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly minimises many health measures as “COVID exceptionalism” and “bespoke arrangements” (“Australia to move away from ‘COVID exceptionalism’ in 2023 plan”, 12/12). Yet these very arrangements were put in place to protect the vulnerable and try to control the spread of a killer infection. Today, as COVID still mutates, it is killing hundreds of Victorians each month, and he knows that.
John Boyce, Richmond
Vaccine rates
I note in the Victorian Chief Health Officer’s weekly report, in the past three months there have been 586 COVID-related deaths in Victoria. Of those deaths, 39.8 per cent were unvaccinated and 46.4 per cent had not received their third COVID vaccine dose.
Marg Ludowyk, Brunswick
Help needed
Liam Mannix once again has written a great article – this time around 11-year-old Lulu (“Little help in sight for Lulu’s long COVID”, 13/12). Lynne, you and your daughter have a struggle on your hands, that’s sadly for sure.
It is a fact that long COVID and chronic fatigue syndrome patients here are pretty much on their own, but for some really decent GPs. I do hope Lulu, her mother and the many people affected will hear about breakthroughs at some stage.
Rosaleen O’Brien, Toorak
Support wound back
I consider the cut-back of psychologist visits from 20 to 10 a year to be the current government’s first major misstep. I have had occasion to use a psychologist and the cost difference even with a mental health plan is pretty prohibitive.
Therefore the people who need this help will not be able to afford their visits with all the other financial restraints in their lives.
Rita Reid, Port Melbourne
A bigger solution
That funding additional psychologist consultations was only benefiting existing clients, further blowing out waiting lists, is no reason to reduce funded visits, making that cohort less well. Surely it means funding should be increased across the board so all get the treatment they need. Our jails are full of people with mental health issues. So many homeless people are similarly blighted.
And many more struggle on as best they can in the community.
Australia is a wealthy country. But just what sort of society have we become that the gap between the haves and have-nots is more than it has been for some time and keeps growing?
Margaret Callinan, Hawthorn
Why target H&M?
Why is Kate Halfpenny subjecting us to her dislike of Meghan Markle (“The Harry & Meghan show spares the royals, so far, but not the hyperbole”, 10/12)? There is something disquieting about the media’s constant vilification of Meghan Markle.
She is guilty of what, exactly? There is a prince in the royal family who fraternised with a known paedophile and child trafficker. His civil settlement raises a number of questions. Where is the prolonged vilification of him?
On the throne is a king who seems to be an unapologetic adulterer, his current consort is his former mistress. His young wife lived in despair throughout the marriage, suffered bulimia and mental health issues. The Countess of Wessex and Prince Michael of Kent have also been caught selling royal favours.
Instead we are asked to condemn and vilify Harry and Meghan, a couple who may have their faults, but are surely not worthy of perpetual vitriol.
Adnas Aneem, Glen Iris
Spiral limits
Numerous recent comments on the Candalepas design of the new NGV building have concentrated largely on the building’s exterior and interior appearance. There hasn’t been much discussion about the main function of an art gallery – to exhibit art for public viewing – despite the comparisons of its inner spiral to New York’s Guggenheim museum. As numerous visitors to the Guggenheim in New York have learnt to their frustration, the spiral ramp gallery design does not make for a satisfying viewing experience. Confined by the gallery width, you are often too close to the artwork.
Do we have to repeat this mistake in Melbourne?
Linda Stern, Fairfield
Shared cost
In your article “Why AFL free agency hasn’t been a flop” (11/12) Gillon McLachlan says “when players move the clubs that they leave generally do well out of it as well, I don’t think free agency is distorting the competition.” Of course, the team who receives compensation doesn’t mind, they don’t lose anything, it’s the other 16 teams that drop one spot down the draft list to give the compensation that lose out so that a top club can get a top player at zero draft cost to them.
Brett Byrne, Melbourne
Perspective on VCE
It is timely when so many young Australians are receiving their year 12 results and when some students and parents are perhaps becoming overly concerned about their results, to reflect briefly on the actual importance of these results.
First, I would note that the results are indeed significant and do provide a gateway for students to gain entry to courses and jobs of their choice. It is important, however, to recognise that these opportunities are but one of many, many educational opportunities and pathways. Failure to gain the result that one hoped for is inconvenient, but it is not any sort of permanent educational or employment handicap.
Speaking as someone who has taught year 12, marked year 12 exams, sat on Victorian Certificate of Education year 12 examination setting panels for many years and had three of my own children sit VCE, I would urge students – and parents of students – to keep the actual importance of year 12 results in perspective.
Bill Anderson, Surrey Hills
Trip to history
The RONE Time installation at Flinders Street is such a lovely seasonal family experience. It was so moving seeing people of all ages from babies through to great-grandparents marvelling over the microscopic details in the mid-century time capsule … it felt like the seamstresses, typists and mail sorters had just left the building for lunch and we were all creeping around their workplaces.
Jo Stockdale, Belmont
Expert opinion
In his report on those advocating for Australia to acquire the B-21 stealth bomber, a “highly attractive asset” (“The case for new US stealth bombers in Australia”, The Age, 12/12), your national security correspondent Mathew Knott omitted a salient detail. While citing the authors of the ASPI paper “Impactful Projection: long range strike options for Australia”, and noting their expertise and background with the Australian Department of Defence, he omits any reference to the sources of funding supporting the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), namely the Australian Department of Defence, US State Department, US Department of Defence and “defence industries” among others.
While the authors of the ASPI paper informing Knott’s pitch report “no specific sponsorship was received” for the production of their paper, they do acknowledge the usefulness of time spent in ASPI’s Washington office and with US-based “think tanks”.
John Hughes, Brunswick
And another thing
Boochani
The photo of Behrouz Boochani in Sydney (The Age, 13/12) was powerful, depicting the human spirit triumphant over cynical politics: will Peter Dutton read Boochani’s new book over the Christmas break?
Mary Cole, Richmond
Gas prices
Funny, I can’t remember voting for multinational gas company Shell at the last election. It would be interesting if the government we did vote in stands up to them.
James Lane, Hampton East
Never get between an energy company and the windfall profits it makes for supplying its product (“Gas supply pact at risk as price caps loom”, 13/12).
Phil Alexander, Eltham
If the market says we need more gas, it needs to be put in the naughty corner. The planet says we need more renewables.
Greg Curtin, Blackburn South
Melbourne weather
Loving these early spring rains in Melbourne. Just need to adjust my calendar because it says December.
Greg Tuck, Warragul
Could Melbourne possibly have its first white Christmas this year?
John Groom, Bentleigh
Furthermore
Hats off and a round of applause to the students who achieved VCE, in spite of COVID with its setbacks; I wish you future success – and a merry Christmas!
Dawn Evans, Geelong
If a shipwrecked pair of Levi’s fetches $168,000, the worth of an original pair of Stubbies would make a tradie smile (“Possible pair of 1857 Levi’s fetches $168,000”, 13/12).
Bryan Fraser, St Kilda West
Stealth bombers aren’t likely to stop the real enemy – Russian computer hackers!
Brian Kidd, Mt Waverley
So we need missiles to protect us from ICBMs instead of B-21s (Letters, 13/12)? Israel claims a success rate of 85-90 per cent for its Iron Dome system – hardly a comforting statistic.
John Hughes, Mentone
Michael Bachelard sends an exclusive newsletter to subscribers each week. Sign up to receive his Note from the Editor.
Most Viewed in National
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article