Last Post, March 6

Labor-Greens tax policies are going too far.

I see Julian Burnside supports death duties. Any more tax grabs by the Greens and Labor and we will have to pay for the privilege of going to work.

Tony Brownlee, Sydney, NSW

What’s with all the hysteria about Liberal defections? This happens at every election when MPs make a decision whether or not to stand again. Seven Labor MPs are leaving compared to six Liberal, four Nationals and one independent. It’s no big deal.

Margaret McKenzie, Wanniassa, ACT

Julie Bishop’s view that she would have won the election displays the sort of hubris that leads to defeat being snatched from the jaws of victory.

Roseanne Schneider, Toowoomba, Qld

Memo to Julie Bishop: most retiring MPs wait until they have actually left parliament before suffering from relevance deficit syndrome.

Paul Tooker, Bald Knob, Qld

Christopher Pyne was all show, no substance. A political time server and an opportunist. He won’t be missed.

Michael J. Gamble, Belmont, Vic

Tom Murphy (Letters, 5/3) is absolutely right that we need a debate on nuclear power, but it hardly gets a mention in political circles or the media. What’s the problem? Is it the fear that a debate would lead to the conclusion that nuclear power is the only solution to our energy crisis? Everything else is either too expensive, too unreliable, not available when needed or emits greenhouse gases.

Don Higson, Paddington, NSW

Janet Albrechtsen says “ABC staff laughed at McDonald behind his back” (“Warning to Ita: don’t fall for the seduction of ABC management”, 4/5). I was a staff director on the ABC board for two years and only ever saw respect for Donald McDonald. A staff scholarship to Oxford named in his honour is a permanent reminder of the link between him and the staff.

Ian Henschke, Toorak Gardens, SA

Now that the Queensland government has decided saving inner-city seats with Greens preferences by blocking Adani is more important than jobs and reliable power in the regions, it is time should we be discussing north Queensland seceding and showing the southeast where all the money really comes from in this state.

Karl Krajewski, Balnagowan, Qld

A problem with Ken Lynn’s battery powered future (Last Post, 5/3) is that the necessary batteries don’t exist. Elon Musk’s $100 million battery would power an aluminium smelter for seven minutes and there is nothing on the way sufficiently better to meet our needs. We are stuck with coal for decades yet.

Doug Hurst, Chapman, ACT