Albo not a path out of wilderness
If Anthony Albanese can’t see the benefit of opening up the Galilee Basin (“Doesn’t add up: Albo’s mine craft”, 28/5) he is not the man to lead Labor out of the political wilderness. Apart from questioning the economic benefit, Albanese fails to understand the political damage Labor suffered at the May 18 election will be replicated at next year’s Queensland election.
The Queensland Labor government is controlled by the dominant Left faction of the party, led by Jackie Trad. Earlier this year, Trad told miners to re-skill because mining is dead. The Deputy Premier and Treasurer is in a battle with inner-city Greens to hold her South Brisbane seat and Albanese would be in the same situation if he were to back Adani.
Labor should forget appeasing the Greens; there are more votes to be had from working men and women trying to keep their jobs and look after their families. The Labor Left and Albanese, in particular, are not the right combination to unify the party.
I don’t care if Albo destroys Labor with nonsense learned from the false prophets in the climate church, but I do care that he is the alternative PM and might cause serious collateral damage as he does so, especially in his ignorance about future coal consumption. Half an hour with Mr Google would tell him that the International Energy Agency predicts a growing market for thermal and metallurgical coal in our main markets, especially China and India where coal-fired plants are being built in their hundreds and will need fuel for many decades.
These two countries combined produce about 40 per cent of all human-generated CO2 and plan to produce even more in the future. They have clearly looked at the facts and do not believe they are risking the future of their grandchildren by burning coal. We, too, should impartially examine all the facts and do the same.
I agree with supporters of renewable energy that we must have an orderly transition to this form of energy but do entreat them to respect the science. It’s very clear that here in Australia we’ve gone too far, too quickly as evidenced by rising power prices and reducing industry confidence.
We’re still having difficulties in convincing folk that provision of reliable power for electricity (and for electric cars) is a costly and complicated business. Notwithstanding the deluge of misinformation we’re beginning to appreciate that lowering the price of solar panels has just a small effect on power prices and encouraging India and others to use cleaner Australian coal, including that from Adani, will be environmentally beneficial for at least two decades. I suspect we still have a hard row in front of us to desist in comparing Australia, with its much smaller population density, to other G20 countries but there now seem to be glimmers of hope.
Labor leader Anthony Albanese has rediscovered aspiration. The concept had largely disappeared from Labor language with former deputy leader Tanya Plibersek declaring in 2018 that the term “mystified” her.
However, Albanese’s understanding of aspiration may also mystify many people. Speaking this week, he said Australians aspire to a better life for themselves, their family and friends. Then he went a lot further by saying Australians want a better life for their neighbours, their communities and, in fact, the entire nation. Albanese faces a considerable challenge in convincing Australians his broader view of aspiration is more appealing than the Libs’ narrower focus on the individual and their family.
Does Anthony Albanese have to shout it in capital letters? He is opposed to Adani. Labor is opposed to Adani. The Queensland Labor Government has been stalling, waiting for a federal Labor government to do what it secretly wanted to do. But the voters have forced Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk to backtrack big time.
If we really are in a “climate emergency” then why do climate activists never take any action that inconveniences them? Will they boycott coal-fired electricity? No.Will they refuse to fly in planes or drive cars? No. Will they ditch their smartphones and the copious carbon dioxide released from their manufacture? Of course not.
Gender intervention a betrayal of the nation’s vulnerable youth
Major policy statements from democratic institutions, led by the UK’s Cass Review and the US fightback for common sense, are dropping totally disproved medical procedures.
Food industry brings home extent of our energy crisis
With big increases in electricity bills leading to higher food prices, the conclusion is that by placing ideology over pragmatism, the Albanese government has failed us.