Give franking credit where it’s due

The cash rebate returns tax that has already been paid

Thank goodness for Janet Albrechtsen’s article revealing the truth about franking credits and the sleight of hand by Chris Bowen (“Loved by good? Not Labor’s wayward Robin Hood”, 20/2). Bowen wants to wrest such credits from those entitled to them by law, namely the shareholders, so that they may improperly fund the shortfall in Labor's financial program. The franking credits are never the property of anyone other than the shareholder to whom they have been imputed as an entitlement to tax withheld. That is the case regardless of the number of shares held.

Ian Dunlop, Hawks Nest, NSW

The fairest way of dealing with franking credits is to allow companies to deliver dividends tax unpaid. Thus the dividends would then be subject to the individual tax circumstance of that investor. If that investor’s income is below the tax-free threshold, no tax is paid on that dividend. It’s that simple.

David Gibson, Castle Cove, NSW

Data doubts

Dr Andrew Johnson, chief executive of the Bureau of Meteorology, claims it is wrong to say the BoM has rewritten the climate record (“Clean record”, 20/2). Yet the latest homogenised data indicate a faster increase in temperatures than the previous homogenised data.

Johnson also refers to an “independent assurance process … not just our climate data”. But he would be aware that there are independent experts not invited to be part of the assurance process who argue that the adjustments made to “raw” temperatures have had an upward bias.

Government policies of reducing emissions are subject to intense differences of opinion between experts.

Des Moore, South Yarra, Vic

Border skirmishes

The independent federal MPs and the Greens’ Adam Bandt have been done like a dinner (“Medivac allies split on where patients treated”, 20/2). They are outraged that medivac patients will go to Christmas Island, seemingly unaware that the external territory was always an option for the Government. Similarly, the Opposition has been blindsided and in a move that will leave the crossbenchers and Greens swinging in the breeze has capitulated to the Christmas Island plan. The Coalition Government may have lost the battle in the Parliament last week, but it will never lose a war that’s waged on border protection.

Kim Keogh, East Fremantle, WA

Farmers cast adrift

Labor’s promise to support struggling dairy farmers (“Labor fails in milk price floor bid”, 20/2) is a welcome change and underlines the unwillingness of the Nationals to persuade their Coalition partners to do likewise. It is one aspect of the wider need for all political parties to preserve agricultural industries in Australia in their attempts to bring quality products to the market. One example is SPC, which has struggled for decades to compete with cheaper (but inferior quality) imported fruit and vegetables.

As the son of a farmer who struggled to survive I find it ironic that Labor is at least taking the lead in the dairy industry rather than the National Party. Its predecessor, the Country Party, was originally set up to support agricultural producers and the country towns that they nurture.

Ken Barnes, Glen Iris, Vic

Kiss not tell

I wonder if in the latter years of his long life, the Kissing Sailor, George Mendonsa, ever reflected on his likely fate were he to repeat that kiss today. Most likely he would be charged with assault and his “victim”, Greta Friedman, whom he had never met until that kiss celebrating the end of World War II, would require extensive counselling as a “survivor”.

Terry Birchley, Bundaberg, Qld