Yoorrook inquiry’s political push fails to resolve delusions

An eerie silence has greeted the Victorian government’s Yoorrook inquiry (“Yoorrook inquiry’s truth-telling is an egregious fraud”, 4/7).

We urgently need truth and facts from historians to correct prevailing delusions, starting with false claims of genocide. It is important to solve problems by defining the facts in context, not by simplistic groupthink about colonialism as the woke oppressor to be punished for no good purpose.

Yoorrook affirmations of Aboriginal poor school attendance and differential tolerance of misconduct at school contradict Noel Pearson’s priority of top quality and explicit education as the priority path for Aboriginal advancement. We need Pearson’s voice now.

As observed by commentators, Yoorrook is “pushing politics”, not truth.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s Liberals are mastering the art of silence and irrelevance, except on trivia such as gender solutions for policy deficits.

Betty Cockman, Dongara, WA

Get the broom ready

Go, Shaun Turner (“Sacked council worker: it’s time for clean sweep”, 4/7).

I believe the heading and contents of the article articulate the concerns of a huge number of Australians.

However, these sections of the community often feel unable to express their frustrations concerning the condition of Australia today.

I do not wonder why young people do not apply to join the armed forces because why should they put their lives on the line for a country they are told constantly is not morally theirs?

June Zentveld, Newrybar, NSW

Power lag will hurt

Robert Gottliebsen’s article (“Data boom will pass us by”, 4/7) should be compulsory reading for politicians and other net-zero zealots.

It is now well-known that our renewable sources of energy will be inadequate for our rapidly expanding data requirements. Artificial intelligence demands large, reliable sources of power.

We are already behind the eight ball when it comes to advanced productivity; we cannot fall further behind.

Until we accept nuclear power as essential to a modern functioning economy, our nation will continue to decline.

Lyn D. English, Chapel Hill, Qld

Robert Gottliebsen has again pointed out the inadequacies of Chris Bowen’s all-renewables-focused energy policy when applied to the demands of imminent data storage requirements.

While the rest of the world is already taking steps to ensure it will meet the energy challenges ahead by strengthening gas and nuclear production, Australia is drifting aimlessly on a dead sea of ideology.

Julie Winzar, Palm Beach, Qld

Gas supply disruption

The unplanned outage at ExxonMobil’s Longford gas plant once again exposes the fragility of Australia’s gas market (“Outage sparks surge in gas price”, 4/7).

For more than two decades, the Victorian and NSW governments have actively discouraged investment in natural gas, leaving the market dependent on ageing infrastructure and declining fields.

Yet with state policy pushing for alternatives to gas, there is little incentive, or likelihood, that facilities such as Longford will be replaced any time soon.

The result? Gas users should brace for increased market volatility and potential supply disruptions. This is not just a technical issue – it appears to be a policy-driven vulnerability.

Don McMillan, Paddington, Qld

Petrol self-sufficiency

Is someone senior in Canberra capable of proclaiming it is a massive national defence mistake our island nation imports a large percentage of our petroleum needs and has only about 24 days of petrol supply available?

Would they then arrange to implement policies that will see us self-sufficient in petroleum supply within, say, three years? Surely there is someone of practical and responsible bent among those many in Canberra we pay more than $1m a year to administer us?

Barry Fox, Blackburn, Vic

Rethink childcare

The current serious offences in the industry should cause a complete rethink of childcare.

It is not part of the education system and never should have been classed as such. There is no evidence that a child in childcare will achieve any better education outcomes than a child never in the childcare system.

The priority must be the safe care of children. The children need quality carers, not quasi-teachers.

All facilities must have electronic surveillance, and penalties for improper conduct or inadequate care have to be much more than removal of funding.

Tony Hennessy, Casino, NSW