Labor government’s house building nothing to write home about

In pledging to build 40,000 affordable homes through a $10bn housing fund, Anthony Albanese’s Labor government has spent $30m and not delivered a single house (“Labor at home building unintended consequences”, 5/6). Such poor performance mirrors former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, who promised but failed to build 100,000 affordable homes in a $NZ2bn scheme. At least Ardern can trumpet that she built 1365 affordable homes.

Riley Brown, Bondi Beach, NSW

Bureaucrats supposedly building houses have spent $30m already and have nothing to show for it.

With $30m you would have thought at least 10 houses in each state would be under construction with land cleared and foundations poured – since we know the money won’t run out.

“Yes, Minister” is alive and well. At least Jim Hacker had a fully manned hospital to show for it – admittedly without patients.

Brian C Povey, Churchlands, WA

Red tape useful

For the first time, I am grateful for some red tape, (“Renewables red tape holds projects back”, 5/6).

Red tape entanglement in a web of ridiculous laws gives breathing space to critically analyse the force-fed attempts to replace reliable coal-fired power with government (taxpayer)-subsidised, costly and unreliable contraptions that will litter the landscape long after they have stopped working.

Coal has done the heavy lifting to get us to unprecedented levels of wellbeing. Coal can continue to do this if it is not undermined by having to carry the extra burden of “firming” (providing baseload backup) and indirectly funding subsidies to a parasitic industry carrying the duplicitous name of “renewables”.

Sun and wind are renewable energy sources but the machines used to harvest these have to be renewed, using energy provided by the fossil fuels they disclaim as their legitimate forebear.

John McRobert, Indooroopilly, Qld

Chris Bowen should tell us a bit more about Italy’s electricity production which l am sure he is aware of. Italy is in the sweet spot for renewable energy – the Italian Alps for hydro, plenty of coastline for wind and plenty of sun for solar. The Italians use fossil fuels for 55 per cent of their electricity. This is their baseload power production.

Bowen needs to tell those who are enthusiastic about renewable power how we are going to shore up the system when renewables won’t power the whole grid.

Murray Horne, Cressy, Vic

The current energy policies are pricing pensioners and self-funded retirees out of existence. The fact is they’re not trying to heat or cool the Sydney Opera House, just a normal home, leaving the McMansions for the next generation and their never-ending supply of credit.

What we of the dismissed regime aren’t being shown is the price tag on renewable energy and when it will be on special so those who must can boil the kettle – if the power is still on.

John Bain, South Bunbury, WA

Indian example

Salvatore Babones correctly praises a nation where 642 million voted in an election (“Disparate India shows US how to do democracy”, 6/6). Many of these people would have travelled long distances, in extreme weather conditions, to wait in long queues. He refers to their patriotism and hopes that the second-largest democracy, the US, will be equally mature.

However, he also writes that it is easy to maintain democracy in a peaceful, prosperous society such as Australia’s. I respectfully disagree. Australia’s “democracy”, unlike India or the US, does not allow an important third option; to choose not to vote.

It will be interesting to see how many people in the US take the mature and patriotic option of withholding their vote in order to express their disapproval of the candidates on offer.

Michael Doyle, Ashburton, Vic

Not-so-perfect ABC

I refuse to believe that there is any bullying at the ABC or any sexual misconduct, for that matter (“Bullying, sex pests ‘rampant at ABC’ ”, 6/6) Not at the finger-wagging Aunty who loudly and vigorously exposes and condemns such conduct when she detects it in others.

Frank Pulsford, Aspley, Qld