Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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ELECTION
So the Liberal candidate for the seat of an independent made a misleading, but technically true, statement to gain empathy (“Amelia Hamer pitched herself as a renter. She owns two properties”, 7/4). This is hardly a hanging offence, nor is it evidence of political corruption. But it does remind us of what is wrong with our tax system, which helps the better-off to buy property, arguably making housing affordability worse. Investment is encouraged in unproductive property, for example with negative gearing. Australia needs a long-term tax and housing affordability plan. If there is a hung parliament, this could be one demand from the teal independents in return for supporting a minority government.
John Hughes, Mentone
Many aspire to home ownership
Amelia Hamer is a fortunate young person to be in a position to own two valuable rental properties. The details of their acquisition are her business, but she has misrepresented herself to the electorate as “a renter”. The message being that she, as a real renter, understands the struggle of young people attempting to enter the property market. It would appear that Hamer rents by choice while being “stuck in Australia”. Hamer is in a position denied to many young people. They would love to be able to take out a mortgage to realise their dreams.
Jennifer Quigley, Balwyn
Value in being upfront
Amelia Hamer has been found by The Age to have not disclosed ownership of two properties – one in London and another in Canberra. This doesn’t suggest she shouldn’t own property – many people do. But it does raise the question of why this information wasn’t made clear from the beginning. A simple declaration could have avoided the need for media investigation. As others apply for positions of public trust, how many might overlook – or forget – to declare assets held in their name?
Anne Kruger, Rye
Forgetful
Remember David Feeney, the former Labor member for Batman, forgetting to declare for three years that he owned an investment property? Well, Amelia Hamer appears to have done a Feeney. Apparently forgetting she owns properties in London and Canberra.
Shane Dwyer, Northcote
Worked hard
One can only admire Amelia Hamer. Here we have a wonderful example of a young person who has studied hard and worked hard to be able to own a couple of properties before the age of 40. Congratulations Amelia!
Barrie Dempster, Balwyn
Much to learn
The most significant revelation in the Liberal candidate for Kooyong, Amelia Hamer, failing to declare her ownership of two properties when affirming herself a renter, is not the ownerships per se but the lack of acumen to know that this information would most likely be revealed and then look somewhat deceitful in being undeclared.
Jenni King, Camberwell
Seeking clarification
I read the front page Age article about Amelia Hamer with interest. Her great uncle, Sir Rupert Hamer, was leader of the Victorian Liberal Party for nine years in the 1970s. He was very progressive and popular with moderate Liberals. Among other things he made it lawful for Indigenous people to own land in Victoria and also legalised both abortion and homosexuality. Despite being from the same party, he and Peter Dutton are worlds apart. Where does Amelia Hamer sit between the two? Is she seeking to reform the Liberal Party or just its image?
Last week she pulled out of a Kooyong community forum at the last minute, so we are yet to have the opportunity to ask her.
Jan Downing, Hawthorn East
THE FORUM
Help, for some
Can someone please explain how those age pensioners, single mums and general welfare recipients can possibly enjoy the benefits of the new subsidised home battery plan? (“Labor to subsidise home batteries up to $4000 for households”, 5/4). They don’t have the savings to get onto a scheme which is simply a gift to the wealthy from ordinary taxpayers. It will certainly help those who can afford the initial cost of an electric car.
John Capel, Black Rock
Gains are shared
It’s thought by some that Anthony Albanese’s 30 per cent home battery subsidy would benefit only those well-heeled home owners who can afford a big solar array and the $8000 or so still to pay. The less wealthy and all renters would miss out. However, this is not the whole story. Increased home and business battery use will reduce demand for grid power, easing price competition for all customers. Second, more battery use will help smooth out the drastic morning and afternoon demand-driven price spikes, again reducing power prices for all. Lastly, this battery plan addresses the overarching need to cut emissions and save the planet. Everyone in the world will benefit from that.
William Puls, Mentone
Reducing power costs
There are clear benefits for those who can afford battery installation, as highlighted in “Battery ‘bill buster’ for millions of households, but renters and cash-strapped may miss out” (The Age, 7/4), but let’s not lose sight of the bigger picture. The most important outcome of this policy is the potential for a system-wide reduction in electricity costs.
I’m sure we can all agree that any initiative helping to shift energy use away from peak periods, when electricity is most expensive, can ease pressure on the grid and make power cheaper and more stable for everyone, not just those with batteries.
Julia Paxino, Beaumaris
Street batteries
Even with the ALP election promise of a 30 per cent rebate on home batteries, they are still a middle-to-upper class luxury given the pay-off time of up to a decade.
Solar panels can feed into electric vehicles (EVs), which can then act as batteries. But many lower and middle-income households in cities have no off-street parking – so they are unable to combine solar panels with an EV to reduce their electricity costs and demands on our national grid.
How about some federal funding for councils and electricity companies to enable EVs to be charged from power poles in streets with no off-street parking? With equitable credits given for power from solar panels feeding the grid.
Caroline Leslie, Hawthorn
More spending
Another $2.3 billion election sweetener comes in the form of solar battery subsidies for households announced by Anthony Albanese. This joins $8.5 billion to boost bulk billing, $7.2 billion to upgrade the Bruce Highway in Queensland, $3 billion for student debt reduction, $1.8 billion for power relief, $500 million for women’s health and $37 million to support salmon farming in Tasmania.
Voters will ask how these promises are to be kept, as budget documents indicate deficits for a number of years even without these outlays.
The question must be asked if Labor will need to hike taxes, increase the Medicare levy or the GST, eliminate certain franking credits or introduce superannuation charges.
In the absence of additional revenue, this additional spending will only fuel inflation, keep interest rates high, worsen the cost-of-living crisis and reduce living standards.
Martin Newington, Aspendale
Flick the switch
More than 4 million Australian households have already embraced rooftop solar, cutting bills and carbon in one smart move. Now, Labor’s pledge to provide a $4000 subsidy for home battery systems offers the opportunity to extend those solar savings well into the night. With battery storage, we can flick the switch after sunset and still run on sunshine.
The savings – up to $2300 a year according to the government – aren’t just good for household budgets; they’re a powerful antidote to rising energy bills and the broader cost-of-living crisis. And perhaps just as significantly, generating and storing your own clean energy loosens the grip of volatile power markets and fossil-fuel-reliant electricity providers. Investing in home solar and batteries isn’t only a practical step towards energy independence — it’s a collective stride towards a cleaner, fairer grid.
Karen Campbell, Geelong
A world of profit
Anthony Albanese announced a subsidy for new solar battery installation and it gained widespread press coverage. Why is it that much media coverage, and general discussion, of investment in solar panels and batteries invariably goes on to talk about “the time it takes to get your money back” from the investment? The implication is that financial factors are the only return on the investment and one should aim for a fast “profit”. People don’t perform the same calculation when purchasing a car, clothes, holidays etc. They understand purchases provide other benefits. Investment in solar provides incremental benefits to those purchasing but, more importantly, to the whole world by protecting our planet.
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn
Bold on reform
Sean Kelly’s opinion piece (“Australians want change, but not if it looks like Donald Trump” 7/4) offers an analysis of the dilemma of any significant policy initiatives that will challenge the status quo in the upcoming election. The timidity of both the major parties in offering any substantial reform is disappointing.
As Australians we have much to be proud of for the social policies that our governments have enacted over time to deliver a high standard of living, which impacts our health and wellbeing as evident in our OECD rankings on a number of indicators. However, we cannot be complacent and risk seeing growing inequality in our society.
The Grattan Institute has called out the need for policy reform in a number of areas including housing, climate change and tax reform. Interestingly, it is the independents who have been forthcoming on tax reform which is fundamental to tackling inequality and supporting social policies.
Yes, we are in a tumultuous period, but it is not a time for retreat from bold policy reform. We must offer a better future for generations to come.
Anne Lyon, Camberwell
Attention misplaced
Thanks to your correspondent (“Climate attention”, Letters, 7/4) who writes how the saturation attention being given to Donald Trump diverts us from fundamental existential problems such as climate change. Climate scientists have been warning for decades about what the long-term effects of this will be on our younger generations, but so little has been done to alleviate it or to prepare those generations for what is coming.
As such it is hardly surprising that both major political parties have barely mentioned climate change in their campaigns, preferring to focus on cost of living and how to “deal” with Donald Trump. This is a serious omission by them and voters should take notice and vote accordingly.
Greg Bailey, St Andrews
Hollow promise
Donald Trump has been US president, again, for 77 days, which makes his “promise” to end in a day the Ukraine war hollow. While Trump talks about Greenland, Gaza and saving the US economy, Putin relaxes in the Kremlin. Trump talks the same talk, the language of demagogue, but he is completely at sea in walking anything like the walk of Putin and Xi.
And as for ending the Ukraine war, Trump’s failure to recognise that Ukraine is not just another golf course to be parlayed, and his erosion of NATO, means it is Putin who will decide. And with an enthralled Trump at the poker table, Putin will always find a reason to not engage in a real ceasefire or peace.
Greg Malcher, Hepburn Springs
Protect the public
Recent reports remind us that many young people committing crimes have intellectual disabilities, have experienced violent and dysfunctional homes, and have lost contact with the education system. They will not learn to stop offending by being imprisoned. They are more likely to be entrenched in a cycle of reoffending. And imprisoning young people now costs over $3000 per day – more than
$1 million per year. The National Children’s Commissioner points out “there is nowhere in the world where you find that locking up more children for longer is going to prevent crime by children”. The experiences are often horrific.
Addressing the causes of young people’s offending before it happens is the only way to protect the public from such crimes.
Bronwyn Naylor, Elwood
Challenging racism
In regards to your recent article “Racism complaints surge in schools” (The Age, 6/4), all is not bad in schools today. Many teachers are trying their best to counteract the racism and intolerant viewpoints of pupils in schools. Pupils are influenced by a range of factors, including from the media and their friends and family. It is left at times to the teachers to eliminate negative attitudes.
My friend is helping to plan for a busload of Catholic school students to travel to meet with a group of Muslim students. The intent is to visit the others’ schools to meet together in the spirit of finding shared values.
I am confident this isn’t the only example of the efforts made by schools today.
Blanche Mulligan, Ocean Grove
AND ANOTHER THING
Backtracking
Peter Dutton’s backflips on working from home and cuts to the public service (“Dutton makes U turn on job cuts, working from home”, 7/4) speak of his willingness to adopt whatever policies it takes to become prime minister. It reminds one of Groucho Marx- ‘Those are my principles, and if you don’t like them ... well, I have others.’
Grace Brisbane-Webb, Skye
Seems Peter Dutton has belatedly realised demonising public servants is not a vote-getter.
Dawn Richards, Huntingdale
The politician we support changes his mind after due consideration. The politician we don’t support lied in the first place – even if the rationale is sound.
Les Aisen, Elsternwick
Does Dutton know what track he is trying to get back on?
Michael McKenna, Warragul
In the wake of the Liberals’ about-face on working from home and public service redundancies, I look forward to them going for the trifecta by jettisoning their nuclear power policy.
Sue Peterken, Berwick
Furthermore
Whilst Rome burnt, Nero played the fiddle. Whilst world stock markets crash, Trump plays golf.
David Fry, Moonee Ponds
Peter Dutton should realise that providing high-quality education to international students is an enormous benefit to our economy. These students fully fund the university resources they consume as well as paying their living expenses in Australia. Further, they add another dimension to our society.
Rob Willis, Newlands Arm
Peter Greste (Comment, 7/4) reflects that there is no explicit protection for freedom of speech or press freedom in our Constitution. Is it time for a Bill of Rights?
Robin Jensen, Castlemaine
Finally
Does my club the Crows get a free coffee if they have six apologies from the AFL over incorrect umpiring decisions in the final minutes of close games?
Ross Hosking, Blackwood, SA
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