Politicians dawdle while climate change tightens its grip

Malcolm Knox and his brother’s devastating flood reality expose the discrepancy between life on the climate front line and life in Parliament House (“Baffling denialism in disaster zone”, May 24). As many have already noted (Letters, May 23), the Nationals’ refusal to support any climate targets, despite their own constituents bearing the brunt, is both extraordinary and baffling. Equally baffling is Labor’s looming decision to approve a 50-year extension to Woodside’s North West Shelf processing plant, a fossil gas terminal that will pump out climate pollution long past the 2050 net-zero deadline (“Green groups fail in bid to delay federal call on Woodside proposal”, May 23). Meanwhile, China seems to have turned the corner on their greenhouse gas problem (“China’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling”, May 24). When will we? Karen Lamb Geelong (Vic)

The North West Shelf gas project is set to be given the green light by Minister Murray Watt this week. At the very least, this project must be taxed at a reasonable rate or pay higher royalties than currently set. Multinational companies have been ripping out Australian resources for too long, often without paying any tax. Greg Thomas, Annandale

Malcolm Knox points out the irony in the National Party rejecting the idea of climate change while its constituents are suffering the most. Knox also suggests that part of the reason may be that Australia going to renewables alone might have no significant effect because the big emitters continue to use coal. Spot on. Australia would need to go to renewables and also discontinue coal exports to have any significant impact. It seems no party, including Labor, wants to give up over $130 billion in exports in the hope that this can be replaced by exports of renewables such as hydrogen. Bruce Johnson, Lakewood

This article by Malcolm Knox should be mandatory reading for every National Party politician and supporter, although I suspect people on the land would be too busy rescuing stock and helping others in the floods. How anyone can support a party that is in permanent denial of what is happening as a result of greenhouse gas emissions is difficult to fathom. Some, like Matt Canavan, even want to exacerbate the problem by digging up yet more coal and enriching the coal companies. One has to ask if the National Party is ever going to come to its senses and start supporting Australians in the country. Peter Nash, Fairlight

The Nationals represent the Taree area at both state and federal levels. When elections are on the emails abound, but I’ve not received a single word from the local Nationals since May 3. Everyone is feeling the impact, even if not directly flooded. It has been a stressful, heartbreaking week. Thankfully, our local council has reached out via email letting people know what is happening, including a thoughtful message from Mayor Claire Pontin. It seems everyone except the Nats are trying to connect with residents. Everyone seems to understand the trauma being experienced, all except the National Party’s elected representatives. People will remember. Jacqui Keats, Black Head

Nick O’Malley’s piece on China’s monumental efforts to decarbonise its economy certainly ought to give Australian politicians and policymakers pause for thought (“China’s greenhouse gas emissions are falling”, May 24). It explodes one of the persistent objections to climate action by Australia, which is often made in bad faith and can be paraphrased as “but China’s a laggard so we should not feel obliged to act”. Not so, and anyone arguing that despite facts to the contrary should be ignored. Jim Allen, Panorama (SA)

I was under the impression that the extreme weather events we are experiencing, and which are getting more prevalent and worse, can clearly be attributed to climate change. Now it appears various scientific groups are quibbling with each other (“Scientists debate whether NSW floods linked to climate change”, May 25). This would be music to the ears of climate change deniers, particularly those from the Nationals. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill

Unfortunately, climate science cannot yet provide a definitive answer on the influence of global warming on the present floods. Nevertheless, it is more likely than not that the severity of rain events is worsened due to warmer seas and changes in wind patterns. Considering that the climate policies of practically every nation are inadequate, it is likely that such events will become more frequent and more destructive. The scientific modelling of climate change is certainly important and will no doubt be enhanced by the anticipated power of futuristic quantum computers, but critically important is far greater action worldwide to reduce emissions. Geoff Harding, Chatswood

Wealth tax in disguise

Political editor Peter Hartcher’s article on superannuation tax is long on politics but bereft of knowledge of taxation principles (“With this much power, Albanese can think big. But here’s why he won’t”, May 24). The two areas attracting virulent criticism are lack of indexation and taxation of unrealised gains. Failure to index is beloved of incumbent governments of whatever stripe because it is a de facto annual increase in the tax rate without the political opprobrium of announcing it. Inflation will see the broader community eventually subject to the new tax. Income tax is not levied on unrealised capital gains because capital is not income. Capital Gains Tax is equally inapplicable because there has been no actual gain. Taxing unrealised gains has been tried only once – in an ill-fated experiment in Norway; following consequent capital flight, it was quickly repealed. The true nature of the changes is the imposition of a new wealth tax. A diminishing number of OECD countries, now down to five, levy wealth taxes. If Australia is to join them, the treasurer should at least be up-front about it. Bruce Watson, Kirribilli

From Hartcher’s analysis of the complaints raised, and controversy caused, by the “half of 1 per cent of taxpayers” affected by the proposed super reforms, you’d have to conclude this cohort did not vote for Albanese’s government in the last election. In the absence of this voting bloc, Labor nevertheless won 94 out of the 150 available seats in parliament. So, one has to ask: just how does this small minority constitute a “political straitjacket” to the substantial reform now potentially within Albanese’s grasp? Frederick Jansohn, Rose Bay

I can’t believe the fuss being made about taxing unrealised gains on superannuation funds with more than $3 million (“What you need to know about Labor’s new super tax”, May 24). Such accumulation, even earning just 5 per cent a year, would yield $150,000, double the amount the ASFA estimates is needed for a couple’s comfortable retirement. To describe such a tax as “punishing younger Australians working towards their nest egg” is laughable. Do people need to be so greedy? John Flint, St Leonards

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers says the proposal to increase tax on super balances of more than $3 million is “fair and reasonable”. If this is the case, why are public servants, including federal MPs and the judiciary, exempt from this new rule? Paul Anstee, Darlinghurst

Peter Hartcher writes scathingly about my generation and their super tax issues. These are Australians who have worked and contributed and followed the rules when planning their retirement. To be criticised in your later years for questioning the Albanese government’s unfathomable changes to super earnings and paper earnings deserves derision. Christine Fenton, Birchgrove

Heartbreak over Gaza

I am writing to you not only as a concerned Australian but as a mother of young children whose heart is breaking over what is happening in Gaza. Each day, I witness the unimaginable suffering of Palestinian families through the screens of my phone – mothers just like me crying out for help as their children starve and are targeted by drones. Thousands of innocent children facing death by starvation. I cannot turn away from this, and I ask – can you? This is not a distant tragedy, it is a humanitarian catastrophe unfolding before our eyes. The international community, including Australia, has a moral obligation to act. This is not about politics, this is about children. This is about life and death. Please, stand with humanity, stand for peace. Georgina Whitton, Orange

Gershon Baskin and Samer Sinijlawi, two proponents for peace in the Middle East and a two-state solution, urge the Albanese government to recognise the Palestinian state (“Why two men from opposite sides see Donald Trump as a ‘saviour’,” May 24). They should also ask the government why Australia hasn’t joined Britain, Canada and France in threatening sanctions against Israel. As well, they should not just urge Hamas to free the remaining hostages, but also demand the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned without charge in Israel. Alison Broinowski, Paddington

Bedside manners

A few days ago, I had a midnight emergency visit to Lismore Base hospital, treated in the ambulance by two very competent young “Aussie” ladies. While held up by an ugly disturbance at the ward’s entry, I met a strong, young policeman from the Congo. Inside, a nurse from India and a doctor from Cornwall settled me in. I have since been attended by male and female hospital personnel from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, China and Samoa and, of course, locals from the north coast. And I had a lengthy chat about the fire ants threat with an in-house security officer from Texas. As I lay in bed, watching multicultural rugby from Perth, I wonder why all the concerns, and at times, fear persists against our “new Australians” as it has for most of my 79 years. Eoin Johnston, Alstonville

Curtain falling

Craig Hassall’s analysis must tick a lot of boxes for opera lovers (“Opera Australia’s predictable  woes”, May 24). It does, however, bypass some fairly significant issues. The Sydney Opera House doesn’t have an opera theatre. It has a drama theatre converted to an opera theatre, which has no wings and is too small for grand opera such as Wagner and many French operas. Every year it loses audience to natural attrition – Baby Boomers being the last generation to admire opera in significant numbers. And the perfectly understandable and unavoidable increases in costs of production make ticket prices increasingly prohibitive. The concession on concession tickets is laughable. Do the people of Australia want to pay for an opera company you can see only in Sydney? I don’t think so, Craig. Garry Feeney, Kingsgrove

New life forms

Unease about the so-called Enhanced Games is growing (“Arbib’s warning to Australian Olympians about Enhanced Games”, May 24). But the reality is that a tsunami of bio-engineering and artificial intelligence is about to transform humanity. Goodbye purely organic humans. Welcome to the age of transhumanism. There’s no escape. As poet William Carlos Williams warned: “That which is possible, is inevitable”. Already, we can create life without eggs and sperm, and we can alter bodies and minds to amazing levels. The fusion of artificial intelligence (AI) with the human mind is creating new scenarios for “life”. It’s expected that our brains could one day merge with AI via “the cloud”, making us millions of times more intelligent. What then happens to millennia of philosophy and culture? The end of history, maybe. And what of our psychological wellbeing? The human need for spirituality is embedded deep in our DNA. But religions have long been teetering on the edge of irrelevance, still dwelling in a bygone age. Sadly, none of our institutions appears likely to serve us well in this new world. Governments seem particularly clueless. The dissolution of the Coalition into meaningless irrelevance may simply be a harbinger for more to come. Time to wake up. Brian Haisman, Winmalee

I read somewhere that when you take steroids your muscles might get bigger, but other things get smaller. Is that what the young men really want? Good gracious, not in my day. Maggie Ramsay, Woolloomooloo

Academics available

Now would it be a good time for the government to offer extra support for Australian universities to recruit talented staff and students from Harvard who are being laid off or expelled due to Donald Trump’s vengeful antics (“Trump blocks Harvard’s international enrolments”, May 24). These are the cream of America’s intellectual capital and surely would be a valuable addition to our institutions, particularly in STEM areas of study such as quantum computing. Such an opportunity to import top-level talent rarely presents itself. Extra help would be needed so Australian applicants don’t suffer rejections and lose opportunities they would have otherwise gained. Stein Boddington, St Clair

Poor, bullied Donald

Oh dear, poor Donald is miffed. There are some celebrities who don’t like him (“Sorry, Donald, the cool kids just don’t like you”, May 24). This can only be an example of their poor judgment and fading talent. How dare they judge him; do they not recognise perfection when they see it? Never mind, Donald, it is their loss, not yours. Cheer up. You still have Gina Rinehart and Elon Musk enthralled. I expect Putin is also a fan. What more could anyone want? Nola Tucker, Kiama

I hear Donald Trump reckons Bruce Springsteen is a dried-up old prune. That’s a bit rich coming from an orange blancmange. Julie Robinson, Cardiff

While under fire from Donald Trump, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa should have asked him to provide the numbers of mass shootings and those killed this year in the United States by fellow Americans (“Trumps tirade over ‘white genocide’” , May 23). Rob Peard, Beacon Hill

I was sickened to learn that COVID vaccines in the United States will soon have their FDA warning about heart damage expanded to include young men and boys. This is the sort of malignant disinformation that causes vaccine hesitancy. James Cottee, Petersham

Political performer

I would like to nominate Nationals senator Bridget McKenzie for this year’s Gold Logie. Her frequent appearances on morning, afternoon, evening and late night television – as well as popping up almost daily on news bulletins starring in the Nationals’ shambles – has given her more exposure than most of the usual celebrities. She is always smiling and has rehearsed her lines well. Phil Peak, Dubbo

Coalition: Impossible?

They used to be the NOalition. Can we believe they’ll now transform into the GOalition? Maybe they’ll get some ideas and become the GOALition. Either way, I fear they’ll still be the COALition. Rob Baxter, Naremburn

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