“The secret of being boring is to say everything,” according to Voltaire. Was he taking the pith? Welcome to the Readers’ Comments column, where brevity is the soul of wit and the bell tolls for trolls.
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Hell hath no fury like a sponsor scorned: Israel Folau felt the wrath of Joyce as Qantas threatened to pull its Wallabies sponsorship after the rugby star suggested gay people were on the highway to hell. Ian was incensed:
“Qantas is in a partnership with Emirates, an airline owned by a government that jails people for being gay. Alan Joyce’s hypocrisy is astounding but no journalist seems to ever bother calling him out on this.”
Rod replied:
“It seems that Israel Folau was asked a question via social media and he gave a candid response based on his personal beliefs.
“I don’t know if anyone asked Alan Joyce for an opinion but he seems to spend an inordinate amount of time preaching to his staff and the public at large from the Qantas CEO’s pulpit.”
Niels wanted to know:
“So it’s OK for Qantas to ram Joyce’s view down everyone’s throat, but no one else can speak freely?”
Bad form, said Jack B:
“Qantas, though Joyce, has its wires crossed. Folau is entitled to this religious beliefs and personal opinions.
“What IS NOT acceptable is an employer using bullying tactics to change those beliefs and personal opinions of those he wields power over.”
Richard asks:
“The next question is: Where is Hell? Some would answer: On a Qantas long-haul flight, down the back in cattle class.”
Deplorable, said Peter the Deplorable:
“So Joyce can have an opinion and express it, but Folau can’t. Interesting version of free speech.”
Linda lamented:
“Aren’t we supposed to have and protect religious freedom in this country? I sometimes have to remind myself that Qantas is a commercial airline and not a social engineering entity, hell bent, not just on controlling what people say, but what they think. This is scary.”
Lisa was logical:
“I don’t particularly like, nor support, the politicising going on within Qantas but at the end of the day, when we fly, it’s all about safety, safety and safety. So yes, we’ll stick to Qantas with its well maintained fleet and pilots that are second to none.”
John joined in:
“As a gay man I think I am a rarity in that I respect others’ point of view and personal liberties. People are entitled to their beliefs, as ridiculous as I may consider them, and they are entitled to express them. They are also entitled to make a commercial decision to withhold their services to whoever they want for whatever reason they choose. Of course existing anti-discrimination law applies here, but that is another discussion.
“If Qantas wants to grandstand its liberal values, that is also a commercial decision that it must make. What they must bear in mind is that, whilst they will please many of their customers, they will offend many others.”
Last word to Vikki:
“Oh give me a break, The Pope’s just said there is no hell.”
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As Tony Abbott zipped up his Lycra for the Pollie Pedal through coal country, Snowy Hydro boss Paul Broad weighed in, warning the Monash Forum that “Hazelwood 2.0” would do their dough in a renewable future. “World A is a non-decarbonised world,” he said. “World B is a decarbonised world. We have moved away from World A.” David thought he was being dim:
“Just went onto AEMO website 4.20am. Coal power generation 15,900MW, Tas Hydro 1000MW, Wind and solar 539MW. So the clear future of wind and solar is only producing 3% of Australia’s energy at this moment.”
Seamus snapped:
“Drinking the global warming cool aid Mr Broad? World A is a world where plants thrive, billions are rediverted away from renewables and into things that way more important. World B wipes billions from the poor to feed the global warming hoax and the snake oil salesman that profit from it. No one is better off in world B other than the elite few who profit from the subsidies. “
Sanchia saw a circus:
“Another clown in the emissions circus comes out to dance. Why is it that those who are charged with the responsibility to do the right thing for ordinary Australians fail to do their duty?”
Ian iterated:
“Calm down Paul Broad. Let’s be real mate, you’re just an employee when it’s all said and done.
“The fact that you leave out the subsidy on the solar and wind side of the equation brings into the light either your shifty attitude or your incapability of seeing a situation holistically.”
Richard waxed rhetorical:
“He wouldn’t have a vested interest, would he?”
Oi said Joy:
“Well he would say that wouldn’t he? All that lovely taxpayer largesse in the bag with only the pesky Monash Forum getting in the way … enough already from another boring missionary for the great global warming swindle.”
Julian’s rejoinder:
“LOL. Snowy Hydro provides electricity when power prices are at their highest. It is in their best interest to see as much baseload power closed down.”
Keith channelled Keating:
“I think a bloke called Keating once said ‘in a two horse race, always back self-interest’.”
JohnB discovered a new source of renewables, and earns comment of the week:
“If AGL could harness the hot air blown by the cranky Tony lovers in these pages they would be able to power a massive wind farm twenty four hours per day and charge the cheapest prices in the world.”
Peter looked to Asia:
“China and Japan are building more coal power plants. This guy doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”
Right! said Fred said:
“Coal would be viable IF the subsidies supporting wing and solar were removed. Before all this madness came along coal was powering us without subsidy quite nicely.”
Not on, said John:
“If ‘wind and solar now cost $40-$50 per MWh’ were true, I’d be happy. But perhaps Mr Broad could explain why current wholesale prices per AEMO are $98/MWhr in SA and $96 in Vic? And why in addition to those prices, wind and solar generators continue to receive an additional $80/MWh through the sale of certificates under the government’s RET scheme?
“Meanwhile Mr Broad is part of the gravy train receiving more money from electricity consumers. Does the cost of intermittent wind/solar he quotes reflect the additional $4.5 billion to build Snowy 2 to pump water uphill?”
Peat, said peter:
“Funny how we export so much high quality black coal that fuels HELE plants overseas but then it’s ‘uneconomic’ to use it here. Alternative energy receives annual subsidies of over $3bn a year here.
“Have these people no shame? Snowy 2.0 is a shambles, only going ahead because of massive subsidies. This is a very cynical game being played. Can we have the Productivity Commission do a review of the costs and reliability? Why do we have such high energy costs when we have so many natural resources that are energy based?”
Erasmus was irascible:
“The RET is what is killing us. It’s like having two shops selling identical products but with one charging four times as much for their product. Imagine if the government made it compulsory for us to buy from the more expensive shop and only allowed us to buy from the cheaper shop when the expensive shop ran out of stock.”
Roger pushed back:
“Awful lot of messenger shooting going on here. I would have thought that Paul Broad’s opinion was worth listening to. The character assassination is fairly low ball IMO.”
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Former Australian cricket captain Steve Smith has decided to accept his one-year playing ban from Cricket Australia. “I would give anything to have this behind me and be back representing my country,” Smith said. “But I meant what I said about taking full responsibility as Captain of the team. I won’t be challenging the sanctions.” Forne applauded:
“Good decision which will hold well with most people. Accepting you made a mistake and the consequences of that action is a bold step and shows you are made of the right stuff.”
Well done, said David:
“Brave man. He will be accepted back with kindness.”
Erzsebet agreed:
“Bravo Mr Smith, I fully support your most ethical position to cop it sweet, and I’m sure the way you handle your amazing gift of acceptance will inspire many others.
“Some say acceptance is an agent of change. I hope we see you back on the cricket field, in twelve months’ time.”
Peter was proud:
“Utmost respect for Steve Smith on accepting his punishment so graciously. Now he is setting a good example!”
Douglas was down on du Plessis.
“The ACB should refuse to play any South African team that has Faf du Plessis as a member. He is a serial ball tamperer yet he received nothing more than a couple of slaps on the wrist. He has contributed greatly to bringing the game into disrepute. He has no moral authority at all. Nor does Philander who is also a ball tamperer.”
Richard rapped:
“Class.”
Another Peter saw it differently:
“Australia thinking we are world leaders again and all this blood- letting and own bum-spanking will make a difference. Like climate change nutters, we are just throwing the baby out with the bath water. Give them a six game ban, ban Warner from any leadership duty and get on with cultural change. Stop the righteous rubbish.”
Should have appealed, said Stephen:
“Smith has made another bad decision not appealing. Heads should roll at Cricket Australia. Not sure how the suits add to the game. Sutherland has well and truly passed his used by date, 18 years in one job, come on!”
Kym was unconvinced:
“Accepting the penalty is OK if the punishment fits the crime, which it does not. Our best cricketer will be badly underdone for The Ashes (oh joy).”
Katherine’s advice:
“Dignified and grown-up. He will come back a better person. In the meantime please stay away from socialite PR teams. I don’t want to see you in ‘No Idea’ when I go to the hairdressers.”
Ian D differed:
“Steve Smith is, for all the world to see, a likeable man but, in failing to appeal, has shown he is not a leader, not a captain who’ll fight when the game gets tough.
“When Steve Smith should have stood strong at the head of a united triumvirate he has, in accepting a flagrantly disproportionate penalty, surrendered to forces playing an entirely different, self-interested game.
“Perhaps he sees his decision as a prerequisite for regaining captaincy. In hard reality it disqualifies him.
“Cameron Bancroft has, predictably, followed the leader. Understandable In terms of the length of career he hopes to resume but wrong because his return is far from guaranteed and he is tarnished.
“David Warner should be true to himself — the tough man who raised the profile of Australian cricket that his judges may profit and nation adore as long as it suited. He may be well advised to sue based on the conflict of interest of the party that, in fear of repercussions, brought the charges, prosecuted and then delivered judgment of unprecedented severity.
“Any man who stands by his wife, as David Warmer has done, deserves admiration. Instead he has been mercilessly attacked by a lynch mob fuelled by a media with a long history of prejudiced good guy, bad guy reporting.”
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Richard Di Natale showed that the fairies at the bottom of the garden were alive and well with his proposal for welfare for all and turning the Reserve Bank into a ‘people’s bank’. Timothy tittered:
“Absolutely brilliant. Nobody will ever have to work again. I am truly amazed that nobody has thought of this before.”
Maureen was his mate:
“I want to register today. How do I collect my pay?”
John grumbled:
“The harder I work, the more I earn, the more freeloaders I carry on my back.”
Bad, mean and mighty unclean, said Philip:
“An irrelevant green cockroach. Where’s the Mortein?”
Louise liked largesse:
“Of course the system is workable. Di Natale already receives a comfortable wage with no requirement to work; he is just seeking to share the government largesse with the rest of us.”
Julia saw no joke:
“You can laugh, sneer, be outraged or show the logical economic fallacy of this idea, but because your kids and grandkids are being indoctrinated in school to follow the Marxist line, we’ll have this sooner or later. Our kids are not taught the history of western civilisation or to value democracy, so they fall for this stuff.”
No joke for James either:
“Let’s call this policy out for what it is. It’s called Communism. Communism has spectacularly failed everywhere it has been introduced, it has led to horrific loss of wealth as lose incentive to work, it’s led to famine, and destruction of all individual freedoms, this combined has led to destruction and collapse of society.”
Farmer Chris changed colours:
“Proof they should be called the Reds instead of the Greens.”
Tim touted:
“I’m going to take my new Universal Basic Wage (me) and use it to buy a house in Byron Bay through the Peoples’ Bank (you) and smoke some pot with my new greenie mates for the rest of my life.”
Damien wasn’t for turning:
“As Margaret Thatcher said, the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”
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Readers’ Comments will be on hiatus for the next two weeks. Thereafter, the cream of your views on the news will continue to rise as we honour the voices that made the debate great. To boost your chances of being featured, please be pertinent, pithy and preferably make a point. Solid arguments, original ideas, sparkling prose, rapier wit and rhetorical flourishes may count in your favour. Civility is essential. Comments may be edited for length.
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Miners change tune on climate change
Peak mining industry body The Minerals Council of Australia has joined the fight on climate.
Easy to point the finger
Demanding we abandon coal for climate is akin to asking NZ to give up love affair with sheep.
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