Labor’s reluctance to include a climate trigger in environmental legislation (“PM to force Greens’ hand on housing policy”, September 17) implicitly acknowledges that, on proper consideration, the scientific evidence would rule out any further investment in fossil fuel projects. Fossil fuel proponents, evidenced by their strident opposition to a climate trigger, have clearly drawn the same conclusion. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has warned “Countries must phase out coal and other fossil fuels to avert climate catastrophe”. There remains a continuing disconnect between science and climate policy. Labor correctly says it has much better climate and energy policies than the Coalition, but it can also be true that their policies fall well short of what is required. Garry White, Lindfield
I used to be a Greens supporter but now not so much. It started with the rejection of Rudd’s emissions trading scheme in 2009. The perfect being the enemy of the good. Perhaps they will learn from this, I thought. Seems not. Unless a policy aligns precisely with their view of the world, they spit the dummy – no room for compromise or trading. Our way or the highway. Perhaps it should be pointed out that a democracy works by consensus. I think I was about four when I learnt that I couldn’t get my own way all the time. Maybe the Greens didn’t get the memo. Neville Turbit, Russell Lea
What is being built and called housing?Credit: Ross Swanborough
In my area each new house replaces an existing house. Developers demolish an existing one to build a new one, hence the net gain in supply is nil. I have no doubt this is occurring in other suburbs too. The simple fact is housing has become overpriced and only a property crash will rectify the situation. Like other economies, ours has become unstable. There are many reasons for this. The attack on unions and reduction in their influence via legislation means that wages have remained flat in relation to prices. Removal of so called “red tape” has enabled unscrupulous businessmen to flourish. Scams are prevalent. Too many government services have been transferred to the private sector. This has increased costs to consumers and reduced services. We have a system that controls wages but has no limitation on prices. The ultimate insult is those on million dollar salaries claiming businesses cannot afford to pay adequate wages to cover the cost of living. Barry O’Connell, Old Toongabbie
I live in the Southern Highlands and I often travel up and down the freeway. I have often thought that in the suburbs being built near the new expressway to the new airport, there would be plenty of room for housing plus necessary infrastructure and open space. But I am horrified to see cheek-to-cheek houses built with not much space between them facing the M31. They are uniformly white/grey and I think that the two side windows would enable neighbours to shake hands across the divide. Is this the answer to the question of more housing in NSW? I can’t see any parkland from the car, but I am sure residents would enlighten me if I am wrong. I would love to know where the schools and shops are too – again, no sighting. This ugliness is gradually creeping along the M31, kilometres from anywhere and taking down every tree in sight as they are built. I do not envy them come summer as they are in one of the hottest areas between the highlands and Sydney. Carol Humphreys, Bowral
Super lesson not learned
The Coalition’s hatred of compulsory superannuation is once again on display (“Coalition’s plan could save $1b, but there’s a catch”, September 17). While in government, the Coalition permitted raiding of superannuation, ostensibly to provide support during the pandemic. Now it is suggesting using retirement savings to prop up a failing housing market and to “resolve” the current housing crisis – again proposing a scheme that will leave millions of Australians worse off in retirement. I suggest a new motto for the Coalition: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it” (George Santayana). Tony Heathwood, Kiama Downs
In 1943-44 when the states (temporarily) handed over taxation functions to the Commonwealth for the war effort, there was a separate social security levy to fund pensions. After the 1949 election, when the Coalition won, they gradually incorporated the social security pension levy into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, then in 1956 removed the legislation covering that levy. Now, nearly 80 years later, they are at it again, trying to destroy the age pension base for (some) financial security of those Australians who don’t have the wherewithal to afford to save during their working lives. It almost looks as though the Coalition is running a continuing campaign against young and disadvantaged Australians. Denis Cartledge, Tenterfield
Monkey business
The Business Council of Australia is nothing if not predictable (“Business to confront PM on direction of economy”, September 17). Along with the Minerals Council of Australia, their criticism of the Albanese government’s industrial relations reforms is an all too familiar whinge predicting doom and gloom. What is conveniently overlooked by these two councils is that under the previous Coalition government the balance between capital and labour shifted significantly in favour of employers and the ALP came to power committed to redress some of that imbalance. Now, with an election looming and the government on the back foot, there is an attempt to apply pressure on these businesses, many being the beneficiaries of market concentration, to undertake internal reform and improvements to become more efficient and productive.
In many business sectors the community is not well served due to a small number of dominant players who consistently oppose any changes that represent fairness and a more equal sharing of the benefits of that privileged position. Ross Butler, Rodd Point
ABS figures show that business profits for most sectors of the economy are at record levels or close to record levels. Our global economic ranking has improved substantially since Labor took power. The BCA’s claim that Labor is taking the economy backwards is not backed up by the evidence. Graeme Finn, Earlwood
Off the rails
The decision to cut train services boggle the mind (“Peak-hour trains slashed in shake-up”, September 17). It seems the government’s solution to attracting more people to commute to the office is a longer wait time and even more crowded peak hour trains. Where do all the trains and drivers being left idle by the upcoming Metro conversion on the Bankstown Line go? Kin-Yat Lo, Croydon
Buried within the upcoming Sydney Trains timetable changes is the re-introduction of Liverpool to City via Regents Park services (removed in 2013) as part of the new Inner West Line. This is a major win residents of Berala, Regents Park, Sefton, Chester Hill, Leightonfield, Villawood, and Carramar, who were facing the removal of all trains to Central because of the Sydney Metro Southwest. After 11 years of community campaigning, we are grateful for the NSW government decision to override Transport for NSW planning to isolate the west of Bankstown. Now only Birrong and Yagoona will be without a train to Central, but we are grateful that both stations are continuing to be serviced by trains once Sydney Metro opens at Bankstown. Roydon Ng, Berala
Bring forgotten children home
Thank you, Deborah Snow (“Australians in ’living hell‴ , September 17), for reminding us of the Australian women and their children still living under hellish conditions in the Kurdish refugee camp in Syria. It’s well past time that the Australian government placed humanity over petty politics and repatriated these citizens, in particular their innocent children. Leo Sorbello, West Ryde
Women and children in the foreign annex of a camp in SyriaCredit: Kate Geraghty
Bring them home. Just do it. No more excuses, no more forgetting. They are our responsibility. Rhyan Andrews, Faulconbridge
Twelve women and 22 children. Why are we so terrified of them? Bring them back. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill
Indictment on society
Two tragic, disturbing and unacceptable occurrences. The death, unobserved, of a woman in severe mental distress, imprisoned as the result of an apparent administrative error (“Mother died in jail after run of errors”, September 17), is reported alongside the suicide of a 12-year-old girl (“Parents distraught after daughter’s tragic final act”, September 17). It is a grotesque failure of all of us as a community that we allow anguish of this kind to go unnoticed, that we fail to take action, and that we believe providing the services required to help those in distress is too difficult or too expensive or too impractical. Mental suffering is not only intolerable to the sufferer, it should be intolerable to us as a society, but there is a gaping black hole of awareness, care and services. We need not ask who is responsible – we are all responsible. James Wall, Sutton Forest
The death of 12-year-old Charlotte is heartbreaking. It’s a shocking indictment on society that a child should find life so unbearable. We are collectively responsible for the bullying, intolerance and lack of respect for one another, and whatever we are doing to address this issue isn’t good enough. Our children deserve so much better. Shame on all of us. Graham Lum, North Rocks
The tragedy of Tammy Shipley’s death in custody is deeply concerning. Drinking too much water, which proved fatal to her, is not a well-known hazard. Apparently, five litres drunk close together causes cognitive dysfunction from brain swelling, so people don’t know to stop. Many conditions can cause a thirst that’s not easily quenched. This risk needs to be made widely known. Andrew Cohen, Glebe
Lost language
If you think the shortage of maths teachers is dire (Letters, September 17), take a look at the situation with languages teachers. At my school I’ve not had a trainee languages teacher this century. For last year’s HSC only 6 per cent of the cohort studied a foreign language, and no doubt this year that number will further decline. Universities have been closing their language courses at an alarming rate: three have closed their Indonesian departments in recent years. Last year a paltry 73 students sat an Indonesian language HSC exam; 40 years ago the figure was almost 1000. This year’s numbers are below 50. A number of HSC language courses are going to be discontinued because of a lack of numbers. In a world where the vast majority of humans are multilingual and less than one in eight speaks English, is it wise to be so obdurately monolingual? Ryszard Linkiewicz, Caringbah South
Women at work
Your correspondent (Letters, September 17) has lanced the sore of kids unable to walk the suburbs fearlessly, highlighting how women at work have so affected our security. The way forward is clear. It is now the turn of men to stay at home as women march to work. Female financial independence and abuse minimisation would be a great side product. Ramani Venkatramani, Rhodes
Women at work in 1971Credit: Fairfax Media
Most adult women I know did work and did have a car in the 1970s, despite having young children. And we did not have parental leave. Our now middle-aged children mostly turned out to be outstanding human beings, and have given us equally outstanding grandchildren. Ann Babington, Lambton
Heat test
I recall a ghastly hot day in Sydney (Letters, September 17) when our students sat for the HSC in a gym with a corrugated iron roof. Some had to leave the room suffering heat stress. At another school, students sat the same exams in an air-conditioned hall. Hardly a level playing field. Catherine Turner, Cremorne
Respect your vote
Repeal compulsory voting (Letters, September 17) and you take away a commitment to the democratic process. Complainers can surely manage an hour or two in election years to do their civic duty and perhaps even think about the issues at local, state and federal levels. Voting by all was a hard-won privilege. It should be appreciated. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach
Greek coffee
I’m also from a Greek background and I can so relate to Fotis Kapetopoulos’ article (“I love servo coffee and refuse to be ashamed”, September 17). On our holiday drives to Smiths Lake from Sydney I can’t wait for my $2coffee at a petrol station on the highway. It’s the best. Angie Miller, Bondi Junction
All in the name
Queen Victoria: We are not amused by your suggestionCredit: Rober Pearce
Recently we used the Metro to travel from Barangaroo to Victoria Cross station on the north shore. Surely Barangaroo had a friend on the North Shore we could have paid homage to, instead of a queen from another country, from another era? If not one of Barangaroo’s mates, perhaps Cammeraygal or Cammerra would have been more suitable names for this station. James Butchart, Lilyfield
No commas, please
Where writing space is expensive, such as on papyrus, parchment or stone, economy rules (Letters, September 17). The ancient Greeks developed a very sophisticated language not only without commas but without spaces between words. Now that we write in the ether, verbal diarrhoea reigns supreme. John Court, Denistone
In wholehearted support for the demise of the Oxford comma, I dedicate this letter to my parents, William Strunk Jr and God. Peter Russell, Coogee
I fervently promise not to use Oxford commas and, especially, not only to befriend more cats, but to offer all felines extra pats in an attempt to curry favour with the Letters editor. Will this work? Edward Loong, Milsons Point