Talking Point: Climate diplomacy underlines a defence capability gap

The draft communique from the Pacific Islands Forum (“Sogavare rules out Chinese Solomons base”, 15/7) urged the world’s big emitters to recognise climate change as a threat to the planet. Australia emits just 1.2 per cent of the world’s CO2. Surely they should be focusing their diplomatic efforts on the world’s largest emitter, China, which is increasing emissions. But this is probably the climate money game.

L. Smith, Kenmore, Qld

One just has to admire the hypocrisy of the Fijian Prime Minister and his fellow leaders in demanding Australia reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. He would have a touch more credibility if he replaced his diesel generators with wind turbines out in the ocean and up on the Fijian hills. The Solomon Islands government, snuggling up to China, the biggest emitter in the world, is also hypocritical. Scott Morrison had called their bluff and dried up the largesse, so it’s no wonder he was on the outer.

M. Davis, Corinda Qld

The only good thing to come out of the Pacific Islands Forum was Solomon Islands leader Manasseh Sogavare’s assurance that there would be no Chinese base in his country. The rest of the PIF was an indulgence in the nonsense that the Pacific region is facing a climate emergency, which was Anthony Albanese’s cue to push his fantasy that Australia is destined to become a renewable energy superpower.

Dale Ellis, Innisfail, Qld

It appears China may end its Australian coal import ban (“Coal’s hot as China rethinks ban”, 15/7), presumably needing coal to keep its industry fired up. For what – to manufacture solar panels and wind turbines so Australia can import them and continue to demonise coal and put its industry out of business?

Brian Ash, Pennant Hills, NSW

The government’s first duty is to secure the defence of the nation. Yet Australia’s defences are modest. The Australian Defence Force has fewer than 60,000 full-time personnel. There is no national service, no carrier fleet and our best fighters have a combat range of about 1000km. Spending on defence is a paltry 2 per cent of GDP. This capability would perhaps be acceptable if threats were negligible. But China has emerged as an existential threat to peace in the Pacific. It threatens subjection of Taiwan by force, has illegally militarised islands and seeks to create a sphere of interest among our northern neighbours.

Taking action on climate change is seen by the government as a key strategy to meet this emerging threat. This has been repeatedly announced by the PM and the defence and foreign affairs ministers in forums locally and internationally. What deterrent solar panels and wind farms provide has yet to be explained. Labor needs to stop looking at defence through ideological blinkers and the opposition needs to push for more modern defences.

Martin Newington, Aspendale, Vic

Someone should advise our Prime Minister and the Prime Minister of Solomon Islands that once a deal is struck with the Chinese government, it is struck with the Chinese Communist Party. Given past experience it is the CCP that will determine what happens in the Solomons.

Unfortunately, no amount of affected hugging is going to change that. As for the proposal for Australia to co-host the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference with Pacific Island nations, what a disaster that would be. Australians on the international stage are people of their word and this would imply that no matter what misfortune may result from reducing our emissions, we will go along with it.

Noel Hicks, Griffith, NSW

The Coalition should offer the Labor government support to pass its 2030 climate change legislation in exchange for an unbreakable promise to ensure self-sufficiency in fertiliser, urea and other strategic chemicals by the same date.

In addition, the government must promise to establish local ground-up production of solar cells, wind turbines and back-up batteries in the same time frame to free ourselves from the dangerous Chinese monopoly in these areas. In this way, the Coalition can demonstrate that it is a sensible and reliable opposition acting in the national interest, and differentiate itself clearly from the Greens and teals.

Tom Smith, Bowral, NSW