Credit: Cathy Wilcox
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FEDERAL POLITICS
The headline reads “Voters desert Coalition as Labor builds on win” (The Age, 21/7). While I see this as good news, I would implore the government to develop some courage and take advantage of this situation where it can get something done. Cases in point: banning TV gambling ads, providing a more socially equitable tax system, and taking global warming seriously. There are many other issues. Now is the time for the Labor government to grasp their collective courage and act on some of those issues.
Louis Roller, Carlton
Who are the Liberals?
On the international stage our prime minister appears a bit daggy. But at least he’s our dag. And somehow he’s been able to pull together a team who can effectively communicate that they have the best interests of ordinary Australians at heart. Meanwhile, the Liberal Party is no longer the liberal party. Who are they? The Conservatives? Reform? One Nation? As Shane Wright points out, opposing everything all the time is not going to work. Can they demonstrate some constructiveness during the upcoming parliamentary session and productivity summit? A big test awaits.
Allan Dowsett, Preston
Voters look to female leadership
We always knew Susan Ley would have a difficult time as federal opposition leader due to the vast loss of Liberal seats. We need to ask why support for the PM has not increased much and the Coalition’s has dropped.
Voters were looking for decisive action and a leader with a vision for the country. Ley has gone some way in this, speaking of consensus, remaining calm in difficult times thereby increasing her likeability. Most female independent MPs kept their seats at the last election or lost narrowly. Clearly we need more women in parliament and in leadership with their tendency to moderate, to bring together differing opinions and usually not to play power games. Yet the Liberals are still in the dark ages by opposing quotas.
Jan Marshall, Brighton
The problem with the Nationals
With the 48th parliament about to commence, it would be a welcome event if the Nationals do finally break away from their Coalition partner after decades of holding the whole country back on environmental progress. Based on very narrow and generally undeclared interests, their drive to do away with a net zero policy of any kind is anathema for the 21st century and an insult to the youth of this country and the world generally. Having the Nationals fully exposed and undiluted by partnership with the Liberal Party will allow the broader voting public to see the self-interest and lack of public interest that their policy entails.
Thinking outside of the square is fundamental to solving a problem but of course it is first necessary to acknowledge that there is a problem.
Robert Brown, Camberwell
A new path
Does Barnaby Joyce (“Joyce urges Coalition to ditch net zero”, 21/7) not understand what happened at the federal election just those few months ago? He wants the Coalition to dump net zero when the majority of Australians who voted for Labor, teals, Greens (and for almost anyone other than the Coalition) obviously want net zero pursued as a policy objective. Further he wants the Coalition to find points of division ignoring another clear learning from the election. The majority of Australians want politicians of all persuasions to work collegiately seeking outcomes that improve the lot of ordinary Australians. Partisan politics of the ilk we’re witnessing in the US isn’t what Australians want and won’t improve the Coalition’s chances of recovering the political capital they have squandered over the past decade.
David Brophy, Beaumaris
THE FORUM
No more regrets
Your correspondent’s regret about their solar panel installation and declining feed-in tariffs (“Solar panel regret”, Letters, 20/7) is a valid concern. As someone who has studied electricity, its industry and associated engineering and economics for 57 years, I can assure them that even though it feels like theft, it is true that solar energy during daytime in much of Australia is at best worthless and sometimes costly to export due to the shortage of energy storage in the power system.
The feed-in tariff will only be restored when sufficient battery capacity has been installed in homes and the grid to fully absorb the surplus daytime energy. That’s why governments are subsidising battery storage.
Your insulting 1.5¢ feed-in tariff is better than most offers. You could get more value from your solar by installing a battery, moving what consumption you can to daylight hours and by changing retailer to access wholesale electricity pricing.
Ross Gawler, Malvern
Balance of power
I’d like to ease your correspondent’s pain a little with the reminder that the real benefit is the power you don’t have to buy. Take the amount of electricity you generate and subtract what you fed back to your provider for a pittance. That will tell you how much of your own power you use – multiply that by the rate you pay for electricity and see how much you have saved. Increase those savings by running your dishwasher, washing machine, etc in daylight hours.
Keith Wilson, Rye
Landlord’s duty
The spot price (what electricity suppliers pay for electricity from generators such as coal power plants) at 9am on Monday was 2 cents a unit in Victoria. Solar panels produce most of their electricity in off-peak periods, when the spot price is very low and sometimes negative (with generators having to pay for their electricity to be taken) and little during peak periods when the spot price is very high, so if suppliers pay an average for the feed-in tariff from solar panels it will be much closer to the off-peak spot price.
It’s a little clearer in WA; Synergy’s off-peak feed-in tariff is 2 cents a unit, and 10 cents a unit in peak periods – and on average I get little more than 2 cents a unit.
I regard having solar panels to be an altruistic deed necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change. And adding home batteries is an extension of this, making solar electricity available when it’s needed. I have solar panels on my two rental properties, and I’m also getting home batteries installed at both. As The Age’s recent report noted (“Home batteries for renters? A solution could be coming soon”, 20/7), as a landlord I won’t get any financial return from solar panels and home batteries at my rental properties, which will go to my tenants. But I regard it to be my duty as a member of the community.
Wayne Robinson, Kingsley, WA
Winding back the gains
I am chuffed that the federal government has finally realised that Australian housing supply will be somewhat alleviated by abolishing accelerated capital gains tax on home investment (“The tax change that could allow thousands of new homes, ease rental pressure”, 20/7).
John Howard introduced this measure in 1999, as a means of temporarily increasing the supply of housing. Twenty-six years later it is still there. The cost of housing and rents (7 per cent per annum average) has far outstripped rises in the CPI (2.1 per cent), and now housing investment is preferred to investment in shares, units or super.
If the composition of demand is sorted, then the upward spiral of rents and house prices should be dampened. Maybe the house price surge influenced the Reserve Bank’s decision on July 8 to leave interest rates on hold.
Perhaps the accelerated capital gains concession should be left on new housing and be extended to new home buyers. Maybe then investors can get back to the type of investment that benefits all Australians such as medical research and renewable energy. Maybe then Australia can reduce the inflationary rise in house prices and rents and the rising cost of living for younger Australians.
Geoff Black, Frankston
More guns, more war
Donald Trump’s insistence that Europe, Australia and other countries increase their spending on arms suggests the same mindset that drives private Americans to buy more guns.
While everyone and every nation has the right to defend themselves against attack, the lessons learnt from American’s fixation on guns, the advocacy that more people should be armed and the mortality that has created, should not be discounted. The more guns there are, the more likely that people will be killed.
Michael Meszaros, Alphington
Age of curiosity
Regarding reading aloud to children (“End of story: Parents have dropped out of reading aloud to their children”, 20/7), grandparents can assist in doing this very rewarding and heart-warming activity. As fewer parents read aloud to their children, digital technologies can be of assistance, but it can never replace the human touch.
I look after my two grandsons (nine and 12) after school once a week and, earlier this year I started reading the book Runt to them. Once I started reading it to them, I was happy to leave the book at their place for them to read it on their own. However, they wanted me to read it to them, which I was more than happy to do. I’d read it for about half an hour or more and sometimes we’d chat about the story, predict what may happen, the language used, the humour, etc. By the time I’d finished reading it each time, they’d rested their head on my shoulders. What a joy that was! It took a few months to finish reading the book. These were special bonding moments.
Reading material doesn’t need to be confined to books. As the children grow older, parents and children can read aloud and discuss articles in newspapers and magazines.
It’s a pleasure to see my four grandchildren, who are avid readers, borrow piles of books from their local libraries and their grandparents’ local libraries.
Marise de Quadros, Newport
Respect for educators
After many years in early childhood education, I’ve seen the stark difference between community-based, not-for-profit centres and those run for profit (“Forget knee-jerk measures – parents know the change needed for safer childcare”, 18/7). Community centres typically have consistent staffing, maintain regulated ratios, and reinvest surplus funds into the service. When profit is the goal quality often suffers.
Installing CCTV in centres has been widely discussed. While cameras might deter some behaviour, they are no substitute for real reform and can be misused. Better solutions exist. Strengthening working with children checks, registering early childhood educators like school teachers, and increasing unannounced regulatory spot checks would offer far more insight than scheduled assessments. Compulsory, high-quality professional development should be required, especially training to recognise signs of harm in children and colleagues. Educators must be trained – and trusted – to speak up.
Most importantly, early childhood educators deserve fair pay. Many hold qualifications equal to those of primary teachers, yet are not paid accordingly. Without proper remuneration, we cannot expect to attract or retain the skilled people our children need.
Children – and those who care for them – deserve meaningful change.
Robyn Daff, Aspendale
On the street but not art
It is surely a misnomer to call cartoons on street walls art – not unlike graffiti they are rather an inescapable blight on the suburban landscape (“This trio has mapped hundreds of murals in Melbourne”, 20/7). By all means let muralists exhibit their wares in galleries and other discreet places, but why should everyone have to suffer seeing them in their everyday out-and-about activities? The pictures (albeit often cleverly achieved) really are just in-your-face, larger than life tattoos, although I suppose, as Rod Steiger’s character insists by way of justification in The Illustrated Man “they are not tattoos – they are skin illustrations”.
Peter Drum, Coburg
Ethical shopping
Now that we know we can’t recycle opaque plastic containers in Australia (“I’m in the self-care aisle at Woolies ... I’m on a covert mission”, 19/7), there is added urgency for us to change our buying practices. Apart from the need to reduce our plastic use anyway. The big two changes are buying laundry powder in boxes instead of liquid and buying soap in bars instead of shower gel and liquid soap. And anyway, soap in bars is much cheaper.
On the related subject of microplastics, many teabags produce more of them. One solution is to make tea in teapots with a little metal basket. It’s less messy, cheaper and tastes better as well. And comes with less packaging.
It’s getting harder to find these things in supermarkets, but they’re just responding to our demands.
Lou Wilksch, Coburg
Voting age
Moving the minimum voting age from 18 to 16 is a realignment (“Could Australia follow UK’s ‘shock’ move to lower voting age to 16?,” 18/7). At 16, young people can work full-time, consent, pay taxes, drive, and make big life decisions. Their cognitive abilities are well-developed by 16; while cognitive decline affects many voters of my generation. They deserve a say in decisions that shape their futures – in areas like climate change, education, mental health, and government spending. The voting age should be realigned with that of their other responsibilities.
Jon Buckeridge, Brighton
AND ANOTHER THING
Credit: Matt Golding
Leadership
Can we skip the opinion polls (“Disaster for Coalition in new opinion poll as Albanese builds on record win”, 20/7) until parliament resumes and we have a better idea of Sussan Ley and her abilities and the Coalition’s intentions.
Robyn Williams, Sale
Those who consider that the prime minister’s visit to China is sending the wrong message should consider the maxim: Keep your friends close but your enemies closer.
John Groom, Bentleigh
Voting age
If Australia thinks it’s fair to allow 16 year olds to vote, then what about following the lead of the UK again, and have First past the post voting? That would be fairer too.
Ellen McGregor, Frankston
How about we let them vote when they have a taxable dollar in their pockets.
Jim Lamborn, Doncaster
Housing
Architect Rowan Opat comments that the Edgewater Towers was “acceptable for this site in 1961” – it wasn’t (“Lessons from Melbourne’s first apartment high-rise”, 20/7). It imposed itself on the landscape, for a privileged few, and ruined the amenity of those around it. “Something stopped” because it was such a mistake.
Marion Ryan, St Kilda
Surely the answer to housing affordability is not more tax incentives for investors?
Annie Wilson, Inverloch
Furthermore
Were the hoons doing burnouts on Chapel Street (“Police investigate Chapel Street hoons”, 20/7) at least keeping to the new 30km/h limit?
Peter Venn, East Bentleigh
I enjoyed watching several AFL games at the weekend and think that players should kick with both feet, handball with both hands, and umpires should use both eyes.
Judy Loney, Drumcondra
Finally
Trump sues Murdoch (“Trump taunts Murdoch as he files $15 billion lawsuit over Epstein story”, 19/7). It’s disappointing because one of them has to win.
Barrie Bales, Woorinen North
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To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au. Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.