Jacqueline Maley is right to say most Australians are concerned about the cost of living, however, research shows the majority of us are also concerned about climate change (“Trump’s victory has fired up Dutton’s culture war, starting with Australia Day”, January 26). The two issues are inextricably linked. Rising insurance premiums are one example very close to home. In my own household, our house and contents insurance bill has risen by hundreds of dollars in the past year. Many homes are now uninsurable due to an increase in the risk of property loss and damage driven by climate change. Millions of Australians also know the value of investing in renewable energy. Contrary to what the Coalition would have us believe, renewables are saving people money. Overall, the uptake of rooftop solar by Australian households is saving us about $3 billion a year on power costs. The Coalition’s plan to build several nuclear plants would leave less room in the grid for clean energy, including solar panels. Will we be asked to stop adopting rooftop solar on our homes, for the sake of nuclear energy? Dutton and his cohorts are pulling the wool over our eyes. Anne O’Hara, Wanniassa (ACT)
Cook wasn’t the villain some people think
The destruction of statues of James Cook are aggressive acts of ignorance (“‘Absolute mess’: Captain Cook statue vandalised ahead of Australia Day”, smh.com.au, January 24). Cook is the man who effectively put the southern hemisphere on our world maps. He was not a coloniser, as such, but first and foremost an explorer and a cartographer, whose grasp of astronomy, science and nautical navigation allowed for innumerable advances in Western medicine, technology and geography that still bless us today. Cook had a notably conciliatory approach to his commanding of vessels and his interactions with islanders, in stark contrast to the general practises of the time. Whether it was actively attempting to keep scurvy at bay – rather than dutifully allowing for the given 50 per cent mortality rate when appointing crew – his use of the lash as a last disciplinary resort, his remorse at strained interactions with the peoples of Pacific islands and his genuine efforts to foster dialogue with Aboriginals through the use of a Tahitian translator, there is so much to admire about the man who shaped so much of our current culture. History is often precisely about flawed people like us achieving remarkable feats. Seeking to airbrush or physically attack it is to be guilty of what British author C. S. Lewis shrewdly labelled “chronological snobbery”. Peter Waterhouse, Craigieburn (Vic)
Randwick Council is working to repair the statue as police investigate the vandalism.Credit: Nick Moir
Dutton plays a risky card
Peter Dutton’s focus on the fraying of society is reminiscent of Trump’s first inaugural address, in which he spoke of American “carnage” (“Accused of ‘grotesque’, trumped-up politics, opposition leader leans into his strengths”, January 26). In 2020, Americans realised there were other, more important things, and Trump lost the election. But then he won again in 2024. You can guess which result Dutton is hoping to emulate, but it all depends on what Australians think is more important. David Rush, Lawson
What does political correctness have to do with the cost of living? Supporting “woke” issues doesn’t affect your hip pocket. The policies the Albanese government has introduced to help with the cost of living are many. Cheaper childcare, cheaper medicines and energy bill relief are some. They have increased the minimum wage, created 300,000 fee-free TAFE places, created more jobs. They have halved inflation and had two budget surpluses. And in recognising climate change, legislated an emissions reduction target. They have delivered for Australians. The hip pocket is hurt, but it isn’t empty. The conservatives will undo many of the above achievements, try and introduce nuclear energy and take away our abortion rights. I’ve yet to hear one thing from the Liberals that supports all Australians. Claudia Drevikovsky, Croydon
Beat the bloat
Parnell Palme McGuinness reminds us that government is a monopoly (“Trump counts the true cost of liberalism”, January 26). Like all monopolies, government attracts bloat. Trump wants to ditch a lot of “bloatware” in language and government programs, much of which may actually be needed. Time will tell. Private investors love monopolies. Private consumers hate them as they stifle innovation. Our competition regulators should force the creators of the original “bloatware”, the giants of the common software office tools we are essentially forced to use, to include settings features that allow us to turn off thousands of “bloat” items. The supplier of keyboards should also be forced to offer programmable boards where we can choose the letter, number and feature each key represents - I loathe the QWERTY layout. Peter Egan, Mosman
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