The Indigenous voice to parliament debate would give the voting public a clearer picture

Voice debate would give the voting public a clearer picture

The Australian public deserves to hear the contested views of the leading advocates of the Yes and No campaigns (“Price proposes voice debate with minister”, 19/7). The debate should be held at the National Press Club in Canberra and televised live. If Linda Burney declines the debate invitation, the NPC should invite Jacinta Nampijinpa Price to address the media and answer journalists’ questions in the same manner afforded the Minister for Indigenous Australians two weeks ago.

Riley Brown, Bondi Beach, NSW

The road trip of the voice lurches on, moving closer to the cliff. The Yes and No cases have released their arguments. The Yes is all about hopes and wishes with no details. The No is a rebuttal amplifying doubts and uncertainty. Neither really says anything, which paradoxically says it all. Noel Pearson tells us it’s all about “morality” and if it succeeds all politicians will decide on how it works. Morality as an argument can have a reverse effect because it implies your opponent is not as “moral” as you. Better to stick to the facts in exactly what is proposed. Any constitutional change must be precise and directed so the people know what they are voting for. The current impasse is why the referendum could fail. So be it.

Alasdair Cameron, Woodend, Vic

University plight

Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil states that international education is “the biggest export we don’t dig out of the ground”. What an indictment of government policy over many years, and so far nothing has been done about it. It is very sad to see the plight of Australian universities in 2023. I believe it is fairly well recognised that there are now far too many of them. Thus we have the Group of Eight, on which the international reputation of the country largely rests, and a number of other universities of high quality, but the smaller of these might be more useful as training colleges, technical and vocational. Australian universities were set up to educate our young people. While it is beneficial that some foreign students come here to study, the intention was never that they arrive in such government-approved large numbers that we use them to bolster our economy. As for our Australian undergraduates, would it be too much to ask that the government weans itself off the profits of these student-crippling HECS debts? How are they to study when the need to earn money for rent and to feed themselves blows out the normal time for them to complete degrees? It is a ridiculous situation, and the question is, does the government have the will and vision to do something about it?

Olga Parkes, New Lambton, NSW

Transition pains

Former deputy governor of the Reserve Bank Guy Debelle says unless Australia accelerates the development of renewable energy generation projects, electricity prices will soar for households and businesses (“Power prices ‘will soar without faster switch to renewables’ ”, 19/7). Debelle left the RBA to join mining magnate Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue Future Industries, and what Debelle doesn’t mention is that ever since renewables were granted unfettered entry into the nation’s energy system overall electricity prices have risen, not fallen. Putting even more renewables into the system will not only see prices skyrocket but, because renewables are totally dependent on the weather, the nation’s energy security and reliability will be put at grave risk.

FFI is heavily involved in green energy, which explains Debelle’s push for accelerating the switch to renewables. What is inexplicable is Australian Energy Market Operator chief executive Daniel Westerman’s avid support for the transition. The AEMO states its role as “helping to ensure Australians have access to affordable, secure and reliable energy”. Yet we have Westerman saying: “Australia is on the cusp of a vast, new economic opportunity, the likes of which we haven’t seen in decades.” Rather than laying a vast economic opportunity at our feet, all that the transition to renewable energy will bring us is vast economic pain and the certainty of blackouts.

Dale Ellis, Innisfail, Qld

Chris Bowen can’t distinguish the forest from the trees when stating that renewables are cheaper than nuclear energy. Renewables by themselves are hopeless and will necessitate trillions of dollars in new transmission lines, more Snowy 2.0s, giant batteries, and standby gas and diesel-fired generators. In comparison, nuclear plants on old coal-fired power sites would require none of the above, generating power 24/7 over 60 years. I feel for the people of the regions whose agricultural land, natural bush, ecosystems and beautiful vistas are being destroyed largely due to Labor’s climate policies being determined by inner-city voting preferences. Alternatively, the regions could be the manufacturing hubs for the componentry of small modular reactors, playing a key role in the development of a homegrown nuclear power industry.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic