Credit: Illustration: Badiucao
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TARIFFS
There is no “global” tariff war. There is a multitude of bilateral tariff battles instigated by Trump with many of the other 193 countries in the world. But there is no war between those other countries.
In fact, what seems to be happening is that the countries targeted by Trump are coming together, forming new alliances and trading pacts. Countries that have become reliant on the US are seeking greater self-reliance at the same time as they strengthen other connections and trade opportunities.
The US may well go into a recession, and this may endure until Trump is gone. The US will be badly damaged, but at least Trumpism will be damaged more.
The rest of the world may have a slowdown, but they will recover quickly and emerge stronger, especially China.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s response thus far has been exceptional, unlike Trump emulator Peter Dutton, who as always seeks any opportunity to disparage our PM, even when it is against the national interest.
Graeme Henchel, Yarra Glen
Let Trump go his own way
It seems that the purpose of Trump’s tariffs is to bring other nations to the table to force a new deal for the US. Given that most of the damage to be caused by these tarrifs will be in the US - at least in the short term - it might be strategic for other trading partners to do nothing and let the greater carnage roll out on the US economy.
Trump clearly wants to ″make a deal″ and the tariffs are his way of opening negotiations. What would be the impact if the rest of the world just let him go his own way? There will be some pain for us, but the greater pain for the US.
Gary Heard, Bullsbrook
This too, will pass
Will everyone please stop taking the Donald so seriously? He’s up to his old trick which he used so successfully in business, that of destabilising all around him, and then extracting a concession from those wishing to retain the status quo.
He’s stepped up. Instead of employees and associates, now it is the countries of the world. The door’s open for negotiation. Just wait until his demands are conceded, then it will be all back to normal.
John Marks, Werribee
Cambodia’s ledger of damage done
Cambodia cops tariffs of 49 per cent, as if it has been bullying and exploiting the poor old US for years. It does, however, hold the record for the world’s highest per capita rate of amputees, courtesy in part, of US landmines and cluster bombs, which America still hasn’t paid for.
Michael Challinger, Nunawading
Tarrifs throw light on meat consumption
The Australian beef industry is being increasingly challenged from many directions (“Farmers to take tariffs over disease”, 4/4). These include preventing livestock diseases like hand foot and mouth disease and mad cow disease, plus droughts, and the recently dreadful floods. These all have negative financial consequences.
There is also the issue of animal welfare that should be considered in relation to disease and climate scenarios. The recent floods in Queensland killed over 100,000 animals. And now on top of this, we have US tariffs to add to the troubles.
It is time to rethink, or to use the trendy term, reimagine our meat-eating habits and reduce meat consumption and substitute plant-based products for animal flesh. Animal farming has always been a historical feature of Australia, but this should not be a reason for continuing it at all costs, given the adverse environmental, animal welfare and economic disincentives it now faces.
Leigh Ackland, Deepdene
THE FORUM
Climate attention
While the issue of international trade, and the antics of a certain US president are understandably occupying the headlines, it is somewhat depressing that the approaching climate catastrophe is not receiving the attention it should in the context of an election.
One of the world’s largest insurance companies, Allianz SE, has warned that the vast cost of extreme weather events is likely to undermine the entire world financial sector, and that a three degree warmer world will prove impossible for governments to manage or adapt to. Unless there is a drastic and urgent shift away from burning fossil fuels, that three degree warmer world will arrive within a few decades.
Australians like to kid themselves that our contribution is too small to matter, but that is patently untrue. With our exports, Australia contributes around five per cent of world emissions, and our major political parties try to keep their donors happy by continuing to facilitate the exploitation of the resources that should remain in the ground.
It is no wonder, therefore, that many of our young people (and those who care about their futures) are looking elsewhere for political representatives who take the science seriously and who will fight for an urgent transition away from fossil fuels.
Catherine Rossiter, Fadden, NSW
Battery benefits most
There has been some commentary that Labor’s recently announced subsidy for home batteries is not well targeted and will only benefit families who are already reasonably well off. It is true that the direct benefits will flow to families who have solar panels (which we do not have) and who can afford to pay the substantial upfront cost of a home battery.
But home batteries will benefit us all by adding more storage into the grid, helping to smooth out supply and demand as excess solar energy during the day is stored, and then used during the evening. Assuming one million households will take advantage of the offer in the coming years, this will add greater than 10 GWh of storage into the grid, predominantly paid for by private capital (householders), and without the constraints of planning, community consultations and additional transmission capacity.
Home batteries alone are not a panacea to our energy problems, but they can play an important part in an integrated system. Any initiative to add storage is positive and should be supported.
Simon Bennett, Hawthorn East
Dutton’s student cut wrong
The Opposition leader’s election policy to reduce international student numbers by some 80,000 aimed at alleviating pressure on housing availability and cost, has potential to add to revenue shortfalls in the federal budget.
The federal budget already identifies deficits in the forward estimates to 2028-29 with net debt as a percentage of GDP expected at between 21 and 24 per cent.
In the context of significant and protracted global volatility in financial markets resulting from comprehensive trade tariffs applied by the Trump administration, future federal budgets are under pressure from loss of confidence in international trade and investment. From these scenarios, it can be anticipated that federal budget revenue sources and levels will be constrained and less predictable.
Revenue from international students support university teaching and research, but existing government cutbacks to the sector have already necessitated major staffing reductions and restructures. The sector’s viability is key to preparing students for professional careers, to innovation and research advances. With its key contribution to the Australian economy and society it should be supported to flourish rather than confront further cutbacks.
Liz Burton, Camberwell
Goldstein’s choice
I was astonished to see Peter Dutton in Victoria last week, explaining he has a deep concern for our state. I’m in Goldstein and in the last election, I voted for the independent, Zoe Daniel. I did so because the Liberals took my safe seat for granted. They gave me Tim Wilson, a career politician who votes as his party directs. If I vote for Zoe Daniel, I get a sensible centralist who consults and understands Goldstein as a community and advocates extremely hard. If I vote for Tim Wilson, I get someone whose loyalty is to Peter Dutton from Queensland (or Sydney).
Tony Howe, Brighton
High rise non-appeal
I was interested to see data that supported my observations about the supposed housing crisis (“The Melbourne suburbs with hundreds of cheap, brand-new apartments”, 4/4).
The experts and interested parties quoted in the article said they fear these unsold apartments will lead to a further shortage, somewhat missing the point that there are thousands of vacant homes available.
Hard to square that with a ‘shortage’. The government needs to take a good hard look at the data. It just doesn’t seem that Victorians have bought into the future of high density living.
Christina Cox, Coburg
Public housing
Thousands of unsold lower priced new apartments in areas earmarked for densification. Yet, the state government is failing to meet targets to meet public housing demand. Seems a perfect match for government to buy many of these as public housing stock to ease lengthy waiting lists. And, achieve salt and pepper objectives of integrating needy families.
Jackie Fristacky, Carlton North
Welcome Canadians
There has been a dramatic decrease in the number of Canadians wanting to holiday in the US. Surely, this is a great opportunity for Australian tourist bodies and companies to pitch the advantages of holidaying here. It may currently be our autumn with winter approaching, but northern Australia would still be great compared with the weather in some parts of Canada. There must be thousands of Canadian holidaymakers looking for alternatives. The West Indies are a traditional option for Canadians, but some smart marketing might make us very attractive.
Noel Turnbull, Port Melbourne
Top of the half-hour
Twice a year, we have to go to the trouble of adjusting our clocks either forwards or backwards one hour to have six months of daylight saving, and suffer the impact on our sleeping patterns etc.
Wouldn’t it make more sense if next spring we put our clocks forward half an hour and left them there permanently? This would result in exactly the same amount of daylight saving averaged out over the whole year and mean that this would be the last time we’d ever have to adjust our clocks and lives.
The term daylight saving would disappear, banished from our lives forever.
Tony O’Brien, South Melbourne
Behind the play
We often hear that sporting heroes can be big disappointments when their on-field behaviour is dreadful. AFL players are the most visible; however, their actions have become poor examples for young people to see.
There was a time when the AFL looked at having more than one field umpire, as too much illegal activity could not be umpired well. One of its experiments was to have two field umpires, and at the same time allow the four boundary umpires to adjudicate the same decisions as the field umpires.
Suddenly, the players found the wrong things would be seen and penalised. All the behind-the-play hits were being spotted and pinged. Play became fairer and better.
Today, we have four field umpires, but no boundary umpire input, and the behaviour is as bad as it ever was. The solution has been found, so that previous system should be reinstated. Young people in particular would have the bad examples no longer being shown every week.
Ian Payne, Epping
Not America, yet
We can be grateful we don’t live in America for another reason. It must be security mayhem at sporting venues in America when fans turn up claiming their second amendment right to carry guns. Contrast this with the extraordinary incident at the MCG at the Carlton-Collingwood game when two men were charged with firearms offences. And we should be concerned how it could happen. We are not America, yet.
Nick Toovey, Beaumaris
Colour my world
I Iove reading The Age magazines every weekend, particularly Domain and Sunday Life. It amuses me though that most homeowners in Domain timidly follow the current bland fashion of pale neutral colours, while Sunday Life inevitably celebrates an eclectic home full of artefacts, vibrant colour, life and personality I often wonder who determines what any current “fashion” will be and why most people want to blend in and be just like everyone else?
Julie Christensen, Blackburn Nth
Condemn atrocities
Within the space of a week, Myanmar military fire on a Chinese Red Cross disaster relief team trying to save lives and provide relief after the earthquake, and Israel kills six Palestinian Red Crescent workers, UN relief workers and smashes yet another hospital in Gaza. We have read the reports, but where is the international outrage?
The Geneva Conventions were conceived by the international community to protect civilians, prisoners of war and the Red Cross/Crescent going about its neutral humanitarian assistance. The two disgraceful incidents tear up those conventions, yet it is difficult to find any world leader denouncing the atrocious behaviour.
In former times, warriors fought warriors. This century, some nations have spruiked humanitarian values, but the international community has collectively failed to condemn and act against barbarism.
Alan McLean, former Secretary General, Australian Red Cross, 1988-1993
AND ANOTHER THING
Trump world
I see that the plan to inject bleach into the global economy has been a stunning success.
Ken Richards, Elwood
Many of Trump’s acolytes and sycophants say that Donald Trump is the smartest person in the room. I think this tells us more about them than it does about Donald Trump.
Alan Inchley, Frankston
Re “Musk is failing on child support”, 6/4. How would the American public respond if its tech billionaire and unofficial vice-president, wielding enormous influence, was a woman, with 14 children to four different men?
Craig Jory, Albury, NSW
Here’s my suggestion for reducing the size of the US government: Everybody whose last name begins with the letters A to L stays, those last names beginning with the letters M to Z, go. Not only will this halve the size of government, but will get rid of Musk, Trump and Vance.
Chris Hubbard, Edithvale
Federal election
Peter Dutton says limiting numbers of international students will help more Australians buy homes. Is he seriously saying that international students are actually buying significant numbers of houses? Presumably, they are using food delivery wages to pay off mortgages.
Denny Meadows, Hawthorn
Given the contribution of 28 per cent of the primary vote amongst “young women” who prefer the Greens, lifting “the Labor vote in two-party terms” (6/4), one could think that the ALP should have more respect for the Greens.
Michelle Goldsmith, Eaglehawk
If Clive Palmer spent as much money on housing or hospitals as he does on propping up the advertising industry he would get his candidates elected without any problems.
Catherine Greenop, Colac
Hand guns at the footy and fake security guards at the Grand Prix. These shows weren’t listed as part of the Melbourne International Comedy festival.
Geoff Gowers, Merricks North
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