One Nation is not conservative, it’s reckless

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NET ZERO

As we watch the ongoing horror and human tragedy of Nepal, face our own record El Niño and see Europe on fire we are treated to a total reversal of what it means to be conservative on climate action.
Barnaby Joyce claims that One Nation is “the most conservative party in Australia (‴⁣⁣You just can’t’ say we are evil’, Joyce backs Hanson on claim PM inciting violence”, 1/9) as the party symbolically bury the coffin of net zero by 2050. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The parties on the right side of politics have lost sight of what it means to be conservative. Its definition of being careful and cautious, eschewing risk and valuing stability is upended in their rush to gamble ever more recklessly with the future of life on Earth.
Denying the science and evidence of a heating planet, going against the decades of research and work of the vast majority of climate scientists is risky in the extreme. Climate science and the action required to stabilise our planetary future should be a bipartisan policy. It is neither a right or left side issue, but is to be conservative with our future and that of all future generations.
Mary-Jane Walker, Geelong

Little time to address climate change effects
Pauline Hanson wants to develop fossil fuels and to get rid of Australia’s goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions. Oh, and she also wants to use nuclear energy. That creates radioactive waste that has to be stored safely for thousands of years, and it would take a long time to develop it.
We don’t have time to wait before climate change becomes irreversible. The devastating Nepalese floods and bushfires in France and Spain demonstrate the tragedy that climate change is bringing the world, unless we work very hard to prevent it.
Although Australia has a small population, we have massive resources of sun and wind, which we can share with other countries. For instance, we are now planning to construct Australia-Asia Powerlink, a subsea cable to export solar energy to Singapore.
Marguerite Marshall, Eltham

Inhumanity appears to be on the rise
I am incredulous. Just three days after the catastrophic landslide and flood in Nepal, which according to scientific experts has been caused by global warming, Pauline Hanson thinks it appropriate to hammer a nail into a coffin marked ‘net zero’. Do her supporters have no compassion?
People who are against renewable energy often cite its cost. Do they ever count the cost of these disasters in economic terms (never mind the trauma and emotional cost to those affected).
When we consider Nepal, the recent wildfires in Canada, USA and Europe, more frequent and severe cyclones/typhoons, the cost of recovering from these disasters needs to be factored in.
I write not because I solely support this economic argument, there are far more existential concerns. I just despair at the inhumanity that surrounds us and appears to be on the rise. Is this what we want for Australia?
Susan Humphreys, Strathdale

Joyce distorts Albanese’s words
Barnaby Joyce has put his foot in it again, this time misquoting the prime minster and using words like ″⁣malfeasance″⁣ just to make sure we all understand (1/9).
Albanese didn’t actually use the polarising label ″⁣evil″⁣ in relation to One Nation, he simply highlighted its divisive influence in the Australian community.
Although trying to present himself as the more reasonable, intellectual face of One Nation, Joyce ended up distorting what Albanese said via the lens of his own projections.
The more diplomatic PM had no need to go as far as identifying a ″⁣fundamental character malfeasance″⁣ of One Nation, as it appears they can always manage that very capably themselves.
Bruce Watson, Belgrave

THE FORUM

First world gripes
It has been suggested that some will be ″⁣punishing″⁣ the major parties by voting for One Nation. That’s a really, really dumb strategy. A bit like chickens voting for KFC. For all their faults, the major parties have us living in one of the world’s most stable and affluent democracies.
Terry Kelly, Coburg

Unhappy Vegemites
The cost of living is always trotted out by disgruntled voters wanting change, and especially One Nation voters. They mostly think about the cost of food, insurance etc. which is controlled by huge corporations in it to make a profit.
Voting for One Nation won’t bring down the price of Vegemite or your car insurance.
Polly Mish, Hawthorn

Too little too late
The massive mandate for reform given to Anthony Albanese’s government has been squandered, with the many recommended and needed policies and reforms dismissed as ″⁣populist″⁣, while they continued to govern for big business interests.
Just like the much-needed and supported gas extraction tax, the chance to fix the population issue is now probably a little too late.
John Marks, Werribee

Younger MPs needed
Your correspondent urges a reduction in the voting age so that young people can vote in the interests of the planet they will inherit (Letters, 1/9). Indeed, but without a youthful parliament, they will still struggle to bring their issues to the fore. There’s a powerful argument to be made for young people to mobilise and nominate as MPs or to be elevated for preselection by ordinary members of the major parties.
Too often, the preselection process favours factional players who have spent decades cultivating their relationships in order to win the prize and their youth has been left behind. The present parliament, swollen with property investors on both sides, is highly unlikely to favour affordable housing initiatives.
Pat Hockey, Clunes

Federalism’s fault
Incompetent and parochial state governments are blocking urgently needed solutions to growing social division and the cost-of-living crisis afflicting many Australians today.
Australia’s federal system of government reached its use-by date long ago.
It’s time for the states to hand over to the Commonwealth a wide range of their jealously guarded powers – especially health, education, aged care and childcare, and infrastructure (particularly roads).
The airport rail link to Tullamarine, for example, is clearly a national issue. Tullamarine is an international gateway serving all of Australia, not just Melbourne or Victoria.
The airport rail link should be the Commonwealth’s responsibility. Over decades, Victoria’s state governments have shown they are incapable of getting it done. There are far too many bureaucratic and political hurdles that have to be negotiated to get things done on time and properly.
Ridiculous duplications and entrenched local interests, aggravated by a lack of financial and technological resources and expertise, are the symptoms of a backward 19th century federal system.
Allan Patience, Newport

Future shock
Almost every day, we read or hear commentators on diverse fields of human activity blithely talking about trends and conditions that are likely to play out in the future.
The article, “Melbourne on track for megacity status: How will it cope?” (28/8), examined population growth in Victoria and concluded that after factoring in births, deaths, international and interstate migration, Melbourne “is well on the way to becoming a megacity of more than 10 million people by 2101″. Astonishingly, there is no mention of climate change, and for this reason, it is not too harsh to label its projections as absurd because at the current rate of global heating, some parts of planet Earth will be uninhabitable by the human species by 2101.
Even if this dire situation is avoided, global heating will decimate human populations worldwide in forthcoming decades and render the growth rates assumed in this article as overestimated.
Ian Bayly, Upwey

Fast track where?
Melbourne’s growth is not being handled well (″⁣Councils want billion-dollar payout for state growth plan″⁣, 31/8) Developers have had a dream run for the past 20 years with their ″⁣knock down and rebuild″⁣ approach in the inner city, largely without concern for local values or need for green space.
Now, under the guise of meeting housing needs, the Victorian planning minister is fast-tracking development behind closed doors. Arbitrary decisions are made about ″⁣great design with a social housing component″⁣. But we find developers can opt out of any commitments and instead pay a fee towards social housing ″⁣somewhere else″⁣. Where?
I do not know of any social or genuinely affordable housing built in the City of Yarra since the planning minister introduced ″⁣fast tracking″⁣.
This lack of transparency is a recipe for disaster. If a Labor government can break the trust of communities who elected them, how can we hope for density done well as our population escalates?
Susan Mahar, Fitzroy North

Help starts here
The extreme flash flooding in Nepal and Tibet had an underlying cause of global heating due to fossil-fuel burning.
Rather than sending a few million dollars to Nepal, a better federal government response would be to address this by stopping the subsidisation of diesel fuel by $10 billion each year and banning the sale of obsolescent petrol and diesel vehicles in Australia.
Tom Maher, Aspendale

Property ups, downs
The fall in property prices may hurt sellers but is a gain for buyers, yet it’s often framed as a crisis (″⁣Property market crunch″⁣, 1/9).
There is a long way to go before reasonable ″⁣affordability″⁣ returns for first home buyers. I purchased my home in 1990 at a multiple of three times my annual salary. To buy an equivalent home in my street now is about seven times the average annual salary.
It remains tough for new entrants, even with fairly small decreases in property prices.
Geoffrey Conaghan, St Kilda

Community service
Your correspondents (Letters, 1/9) appear to be unaware that prisoners in Victoria are already put to work on tasks such as manufacturing number plates, furniture, metal goods and agricultural equipment.
While the pay is minimal, the considerable expense of housing prisoners is already fully covered by taxpayers. The government’s proposal is for low-risk prisoners to carry out tasks such as mowing grass, weeding, graffiti removal and rubbish collection to free up road crews for repair work. Nobody is proposing ″⁣chain gangs″⁣.
And this no more amounts to ″⁣slavery″⁣ than the unpaid work routinely required by community service orders.
Mark Summerfield, Northcote

Good deeds done cheap
I was very surprised to read that Premier Ben Carroll has proposed low-risk prisoners do road maintenance work around the state. Readers will be surprised that this is not a new idea at all.
Almost 40 years ago, I was the manager of Brunswick Citymission Family Centre. A small group of prisoners worked one day a week weeding the laneway behind our buildings as part of a public works program. The men were certainly not worked hard. They spent time chatting together and with passers-by and enjoying time outdoors.
I wasn’t offended or upset by the program. To me, it looked more productive than being behind bars.
Pamela Bores, Eltham North

Restorative justice
“Chain gangs” is surely an exaggeration as is actually fixing potholes, but the idea of low-risk prisoners rehabilitating roadsides, of which we all complain about so vociferously, seems like a reasonable idea, and restorative justice can’t be a bad thing either.
Fiona White, Alfredton

Model masculinity
As a non-binary lesbian, you might think I have non-traditional views on masculinity. But when I read about a hero racing to help a woman (1/9), I feel admiration,
and just want to say “good on you mate”.
And I feel sad if any men feel despair about their masculinity. You’re important, we need you to step up, be a hero in the everyday. Call out misogyny. Stand up for your mates, male or female.
Ange Mackie, Coburg

Sky police
Lee Tulloch daringly suggests in her article to speak up ″⁣When passengers behave badly on planes, I speak up″⁣ 1/9). As a frequent traveller, I have also often wondered whether fellow travellers are aware of good travel etiquette.
Yes, instinct does enter into the situation of being crammed into a cylinder for hours on end and a smile can work wonders. We who travel often do not need to act as police in the sky, but to demonstrate good seat-neighbourliness and speak up politely where necessary.
Judith Hudson, Elwood

Prince Harry’s move
I don’t understand how this bloke and the wife think (1/9). He resigned his job a few years ago and moved to what he thought were greener pastures. When he did that, he relinquished all rights and perks the old job delivered. Now, he wants what he gave away back.
Many years ago, I retired from a large public company, where I trust my contribution over many years was respected. On the day I retired, I lost my company car, my expense account, and the right to get paid. Why does Prince Harry think his resignation should be treated differently from mine?
Bill Howard, Essendon

AND ANOTHER THING

One Nation
One Nation is being allowed to make announcements without being questioned. Coal and nuclear power – who will pay for the building of these power stations?
Michael Brinkman, Ventnor

Pauline Hanson wants to help Australia and Australians. Well, her policies for use of gas and nuclear energy will destroy it.
Katriona Fahey, Alphington

The only political landscape that terrifies me more than an America dominated by Donald Trump is an Australian one presided over by Pauline Hanson and Barnaby Joyce.
Edward Combes, Wheelers Hill

Dan Andrews
A Dan Andrews statue is preferable to one of Pauline Hanson’s party in the future. Since $60,000 of $134,000 is completed, we may as well finish the job as a memorial without spite.
Malcolm Cameron, Camberwell

Stop blaming Andrews for all the improved rail crossings and stations.
Bruce Dudon, Woodend

Furthermore
Your headline (1/9) on falling house values should have been ″⁣Great news for first home buyers. Property prices are falling″⁣.
Grant Nichol, Ringwood North

A simple solution for under 18 voting (Letters, 1/9) would be to give 16 and 17-year-olds the right to vote, but to not make it compulsory.
Neale Woods, Wattle Glen

Re AI glasses and privacy (1/9). ″⁣Men seldom make passes, Without wearing glasses″⁣. (With apologies to Dorothy Parker, and the majority of men).
Pamela Lloyd, West Brunswick

Finally
First Tony Wright, now Cathy Wilcox. Matt Golding, you had better not be going anywhere! I take my hat off to all the journos and cartoonists that make my day, whether it be for a laugh, or something more insightful. We still have Cathy’s GST cartoon on our fridge. For me, that was the one that started it all.
Catherine Gerardson, Tawonga South

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