Voters must wake up to energy-rich nation’s gas import debacle

Judith Sloan in her article, “How our blinkered leaders created an import absurdity” (28/1), explains clearly the predictable and avoidable energy debacle that has been created by Victorian and NSW governments.

Importing LNG to avoid undertaking gas production is counter-productive and economically damaging. The resulting higher energy cost will cause loss of industries and associated jobs, and ultimately a lower living standard for Australians.

Both state and federal governments should be held accountable for this at the next opportunity at the ballot box.

David Agostini, Melville, WA

The energy disaster Australia is facing makes it the laughing stock of the energy-producing nations of the world.

Nations needs energy for industry, homes and transport. This energy must be “reliable, affordable and secure”.

Judith Sloan’s article also highlights the cost and the timelines to build new gas pipelines and import facilities. To think we are importing gas from overseas countries defies all economic sense. Ideology appears to be the governing component, not common sense. It’s Australian industry and Australian citizens who will bear the cost, unfortunately.

Peter Fuhrmann, Watermans Bay, WA

When our governments’ only solution for the gas crisis about to descend on resource-rich Australia is to build import terminals for LNG, it is no wonder that a clear-sighted economist such as Judith Sloan is struggling for words to describe this situation. The east coast failure to reserve gas as WA has done and Queensland’s long-term export contracts are water under the bridge as governments persist in this madness.

Sloan explains that the Queensland pipeline is already at capacity and the cost of LNG is twice that of piped gas, which means that the ample reserves in Victoria and NSW must be exploited. As we approach a federal election, this war on new gas extraction remains the policy of Labor, the Greens and the teals.

Voters must wake up to this reality.

John Morrissey, Hawthorn, Vic

Fiji’s view is sensible

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka’s perspective – that Australia should not be blamed for climate change and that Pacific nations must walk apace with development and affordability in transitioning to green energy – reflects a thoughtful understanding of the complexities involved in addressing climate change (“Pacific dose of green clarity”, 28/1).

If Australia were to halt the expansion of gas and coal production, it would likely affect energy affordability across Asia and the Pacific. These regions would need to source energy from alternatives that are often of poorer quality and from countries less environmentally conscious, such as Russia.

Australia has an opportunity to make a meaningful contribution by assisting Pacific nations in meeting their energy needs, particularly through improving energy efficiency and supporting the implementation of renewable energy solutions.

Don McMillan, Paddington, Qld

Support young families

Help young parents with stable and affordable housing, rather than supporting ever increasing costs of yet more tax-funded daycare (“Childcare in focus in revised agenda”, 28/1). Better a healthy and happy young family than a nebulous promise of financial wellbeing in old age, with superannuation withheld at the time of most need in their lives.

Suzanne Blumer, Wembley, WA

Homes with backyards

Peter Dutton’s proposal to reduce migration to 140,000 (“Coalition’s migration cuts ‘are unreachable’ ”, 28/1) will still have us as one of the fastest-growing nations in the Western world.

The proposed migration numbers will greatly reduce the demand for housing, which can also be tackled by cutting back on overseas students, and if we learn to be like most of our Asian neighbours by making it very difficult for foreigners to buy our land. A demand reduction solution to housing may also avoid the need for Soviet-style apartment blocks and allow many to achieve what was once possible for most Aussies, a home with a backyard.

Tony Nicod, Collaroy, NSW

Movable feast

This year there were thousands of people around the harbour on Australia Day, not the usual trickle, and it dawned on me the next day was a holiday.

I got to thinking that they should make the holiday a movable feast like Thanksgiving in the US so that every year there is a day off the next day and people can enjoy the fantastic night show. Make it the last Sunday in January and that would also defuse the whole January 26 dissent as well.

Mara Scotton, Milsons Point, NSW