What a good election to lose (“Crisafulli claims victory, promising to ‘honour’ contract with voters”, smh.com.au, October 27). The 2032 Olympics will drain billions from successive budgets that will leave Queenslanders worse off for many years. Taxes will have to rise, education and health services will be in trouble and voters will soon forget that Labor initiated the crazy commitment to stage them. The Olympics cannot continue unless a streamlined program is agreed to. Forget sports such as golf, tennis and rock climbing, and concentrate on traditional Olympic sports. Otherwise, Queensland will be in financial difficulties for a long time. Denis Suttling, Newport Beach
Queensland premier David Crisafulli, with his Liberal National Party deputy Jarrod Bleijie, at Parliament House on the morning after the state election.Credit: Cameron Atfield
I’d like to ask the Queenslanders who voted for the LNP over “cost of living issues” how the Miles government was responsible and how the LNP will fix them. Nicholas Triggs, Katoomba
Until about just over a week ago it was widely accepted that the LNP would cause a bloodbath, wiping out the Labor Party government, forcing them into a rump. But having been in Queensland for several days it was noticeable from talking to many women and some men that they had changed their intended vote from the conservative side to stick with Labor due to one solitary issue – abortion. They did not trust the LNP would continue to allow women to have the right to decide for themselves what to do with their bodies. Even though the ALP lost the election, it was not a slaughter of such huge proportions to have the LNP crow about their win. Con Vaitsas, Ashbury
I’ve never seen a politician improve as much as Steven Miles did in this Queensland election campaign. He came across as awkward and almost shy when he took over the leadership in 2023, but the campaign (and perhaps a friendly voice and delivery coach) had him believable and communicating well – and recovering in the polls. Yesterday we heard that, contrary to promises made, the Queensland LNP will accede to Dutton’s crazy too-late nuclear plan. Miles now has ballast on which to patiently build his next campaign. Sue Young, Bensville
Inconvenient climate truth
When will our politicians look at the big picture and acknowledge global warming is a global issue, as the name suggests (“King warns of slow progress in climate”, October 26)? In criticising King Charles’ stance at the Commonwealth Summit in Samoa, Nationals MPs Barnaby Joyce and Keith Pitt, and Senator Matt Canavan appear to take the very narrow view that climate change is a domestic political issue. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is right to point out that the effects of sea level rise in the Pacific make it an “existential threat” and “above politics”. But our new Climate and Energy Partnership agreement with Britain focuses only on the renewable energy transition. Conveniently, Albanese neglects to mention Australia’s coal and gas exports, which create billions of tonnes of emissions, undoing any good done by domestic emissions reductions. The global pollution caused by Australia’s fossil fuel exports are the Labor government’s “inconvenient truth”. Anne O’Hara, Wanniassa (ACT)
King Charles III speaks during the bestowing and farewell ceremony on the final day of the royal visit to Samoa.Credit: AP
It’s all too easy for world leaders to deflect blame for the climate crisis onto China because that nation is still responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas emissions. However, it is no longer credible for them to say China is doing nothing to fix the problem. China has reached peak emissions, six years ahead of schedule, and will soon start seeing its carbon footprint shrink. Last year it installed 300 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity – more than the rest of the world combined – and it’s on track to do the same this year and every year for the rest of the decade. Renewables now account for 40 per cent of its electricity supply – a huge leap from a decade ago and comparable with the grid in Australia. So yes, China is still blameworthy for the climate crisis, but is also the world leader in climate action. Our politicians need to stop making excuses for their lack of action and do what they must to save the planet. Ken Enderby, Concord
Certain Coalition politicians object to King Charles’ lamenting Commonwealth countries’ slow progress on mitigating climate change. It is ironic that many are staunch monarchists. Obviously, they want the monarch to be seen and not heard. Kim Woo, Mascot
Demonstrating he is a monarch for the people, King Charles is prepared to speak up for those already affected by climate change and the rise of technology. Redressing the wrongs of the past may take more time but preventing mistakes of the present from exacerbating the inequalities of the past and robbing the vulnerable of their future is something Commonwealth and world leaders should aspire to. Philip Cooney, Wentworth Falls
The Coalition is pursuing Senator Lidia Thorpe for disloyalty to the Crown. All members of parliament must swear allegiance to our King and Thorpe’s recent display puts her loyalty into question. King Charles recently declared climate change a problem of the utmost emergency and is a renewables advocate. Many in the Coalition are on record at some point declaring to some degree that climate change is mistaken. Indeed, the Coalition is also on record as having been instrumental in stalling the implementation of renewables in favour of fossil fuels. It could also be argued that their improbable nuclear power policy is another stalling tactic in favour of fossil fuels. So I declare that on the surface at least, the Coalition, like Thorpe, is acting to defy King Charles of Australia and his wishes to expedite a response to climate change. Therefore, I implore that the possibility of treason to the Crown by the Coalition be investigated immediately to ensure that they, like Thorpe, are held accountable for their pledge of allegiance to the King. Anyone guilty of disloyalty should be purged from our parliament. Rex Hill, Blacksmiths
Tony Abbott is an avowed monarchist. He is also in an ongoing passionate battle against what he describes as “woke” culture and a “climate change cult”. The head of the monarchy, King Charles, has always been an environmentalist committed to action on climate change. How does Abbott justify his love of an institution with a hatred of what drives its head? Judy Hungerford, Kew (Vic)
Uncomfortable voice
Go, Lidia Thorpe (Letters, October 26)! The senator is following a well-established precedent of political activism that makes polite people uncomfortable. As they say in the classics, well-behaved women seldom make history. Nor do they effect real change. Keep it up, Lidia! Justin Bowra, Paddington
Lidia Thorpe, and more power to herCredit: Alex Ellinghausen
For thousands of years, a prophet has been recognised as a person who denounces actions taken by those who engage on purpose in the destruction of a people, their beliefs and culture, their land, seas and environments. The prophet also announces to those destroyers an invitation to begin to work constructively to benefit with all those who have been harmed, and, in doing so, to regain their own integrity. The response that destroyers often make to those who denounce them is to suppress those prophetic voices, to drown them out rather than engage with them truthfully in conversation. Senator Lidia Thorpe spoke up in public to denounce colonial occupation by monarchy in the land where we live. We would all benefit from listening to each other to learn how to walk together. Alex Nelson, Lalor Park
Sometimes you can follow the correct procedure and things happen. Sometimes you have to shout and chain yourself to the railings – as the early suffragettes did. Lidia Thorpe is just doing as they did. Sometimes shouting is necessary, as hard as it is to hear. Mary Anne Kennan, Burwood
Value of independent thinkers
It’s good to have an article to clear up some points about what it means to be an independent MP (“Teal tidal wave sends Barnaby puce”, October 26). Barnaby Joyce harnesses his old friends fear and entitlement. Independents do not say which party they will support in a hung parliament because they vote on the issues based on what their constituents prefer. This does not lead to “chaos”, just to a better and more democratic outcome. Another achievement for independents is being able to work with the government to suggest a better outcome with various pieces of legislation, such as the moratorium of HECS debt indexation recently announced. Jan Marshall, Collaroy
Should New England voters re-Joyce at the next election?Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
No purple prose from Malcolm Knox, just black and white facts with a code red message from the teals to the duopoly that they can no longer hide behind their political shades of grey. My local northern beaches community has proudly shown its colours by backing the independent teal wave. Joy Nason, Mona Vale
Malcolm Knox tore a new hole in Barnaby’s Akubra. Probably not that hard because Joyce stretches towards the unbelievable when his personal risk position is elevated.
Knox delivers fair points about teals and the balance they may hold. He expertly indicates that the public is tired of the duopoly, the lies and the ranting. Joyce, exit stage right; teals with science and credibility, please. Ted Bush, North Epping
Why do the voters of New England still choose Barnaby? On any rational assessment, he and most Nationals achieve very little for their voters, as seen by gaps in healthcare, transport, schooling, jobs et cetera. Under Tony Windsor they actually got benefits. Guess it is like thinking that voting for Donald Trump or Peter Dutton will alter reality and manna will flow from heaven. Tony Sullivan, Adamstown Heights
Certainty for beachgoers
Like Penny Sharpe, I look forward to the expansion of the valuable Beachwatch program (“Sydney beaches get a health check”, October 26). However, your article didn’t refer to the fact that funding of the service is now under review. Last year the state government threatened to shift the cost of the program onto 14 metropolitan councils. Environmentalists, swimmers, surfers and other recreational beach users deserve an assurance from the minister that the government will continue to bear the full cost, rather than pass it on to hapless ratepayers. Peter Mahoney, Oatley
When’s Thanksgiving?
The article about Halloween (“Send out the clowns (but best read this first)” , October 26) reminds me of how educational The Brady Bunch was when I was growing up. Not only because of its quaint moral lessons (don’t play ball in the house or you’ll break a vase), but also because we learnt about Valentine’s Day, Halloween, going to the “bathroom” and other Americanisms that were unknown to us kids in the early 1970s. Now I see that the show had another function: prognosticator. Shopping centres here are now festooned with Halloween gear, “bathrooms” have replaced “toilets” without a “dime” spent on renovations, and earlier in the year Valentine’s Day merch sat on the same shelves that the Halloween merch sits on today. Oh, well. At least when Thanksgiving arrives, I can look forward to loud political arguments with otherwise scattered relatives around the family table. Thomas Gough, Casula
How much Halloween does Australia need?
Here I was thinking the inner-west was a progressive electorate, but celebrating Halloween is apparently near-compulsory in some streets. What a pity! All that plastic crapola will be around much longer than any decomposing corpses or rotting pumpkins. Dorin Suciu, Eleebana
Service fit for a king
Perhaps no Australian politician should swear allegiance to the hereditary monarch of another country (Letters, October 26). Rather, our politicians should promise to serve all our people. And for conservatives, Matthew 5:34 says, “Swear not at all” and 5:37, “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” Bob Elliston, Bruny Island (Tas)
Migrants no longer have to swear allegiance to the British monarchy to become Australian citizens, so why should senators have to swear allegiance to the British monarchy to become senators? Natalie Gould, Newtown
Hare you are, one of His Majesty’s Scottish hares.Credit: Mark Caunt / Alamy Stock Photo
“... allegiance to the Queen’s hares?” (Letters, October 26). Should we also mock his Britannic majesty’s Warden of the Swans now that the succession requires that the (unmarked) swans of England pass directly into Charlie’s protection and care? Actually, our wildlife must be envious. Ronald Elliott, Sandringham (Vic)
Pillars of strength
A book you should readCredit: Allen & Unwin
I was privileged to attend the Melanoma Institute of Australia conference in Sydney this weekend. Apart from the brilliant presentations, Richard Scolyer and Georgina Long as co-chairs opening the conference outlined a “road map” for defeating melanoma. And your excerpt from Scolyer’s book (“How Scolyer won Australian of the Year with a broken neck”, October 26) highlights his dedication, intelligence and humility. We are blessed to have such shining icons to represent and guide us. Rowan Godwin, Rozelle
Digital doubts on cash
I wouldn’t put money on predictions (Letters, October 26) that Australia will be cash-free in five years’ time. Cyberattacks and scammers can disable or disrupt personal or systemic access any time. Natural disasters, cosmic events, warfare or terrorism always have the potential to greatly affect whole networks. And what about kids’ pocket money? Are five-year-olds going to need a credit card for the school canteen? Rod Bartlett, Woonona
Going off the grid
A 3G mobile, going, going, gone ...Credit: Publicity
With the closure of 3G telecommunications from today, I am saying my final farewell to you all. I will be uncontactable except by snail mail. My Nokia will be hung up like a horse’s bridle in a museum for future generations to comment upon. And so it’s “Goodbye from me and goodbye from him.” Bruce Clydsdale, Bathurst
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