Pathetic stab at patriotism last straw for dud leader

Illustration:Cathy Wilcox

Illustration:Cathy Wilcox

Niki Savva clearly presents the problems facing our ruling parties,both in Australia and in the eyes of the world. References by our PM to the “Australian way” should be the last straw for would-be supporters (“Margins tight in net zero gambit”,October 28). Slogans over substance,excuses masquerading as policy,blaming and zero integrity are not the Australian way. Just another dud prime minister trying to keep the backers and factions happy.Geoff Nilon,Mascot

Savva demonstrates that if we’re serious about addressing climate change,we need to effect political change. We can no longer afford to have “leading” us a bunch of self-interested dropkicks like the current crew who are indifferent to the reality of global warming while constantly side-stepping real issues,pretending they know what they’re doing,and providing proof beyond doubt they are unfit to occupy their noble offices.Fred Jansohn,Rose Bay

Being Prime Minister does not bestow any right to claim ownership of a nebulous concept as “the Australian way”. The “Australian government’s way” maybe,but nothing more. I doubt that it was a feel-good moment for many Australians when our PM linked our “way” to an approach that is considered by the rest of the world to be all spin and no substance.Mike Hooper,Woollahra

The Treasury Secretary’s startling admission that treasury has not done any climate-related modelling for years shows that climate action has never been a serious consideration for this government (“No modelling on climate’s cost for years”,October 28). Morrison once again,as minister for announcements,delivers a grandiose launch of a plan for a plan that doesn’t yet exist and has no costings.Alan Marel,North Curl Curl

The government’s proposal to address climate change is long on technology but short on the availability of scientists and engineers. Where are all these highly skilled professionals going to come from to do the hard work of innovation,development,implementation and training of the workforce who will maintain this new,beaut technology? Immigration? It’s more likely that the ones we have got will up and move somewhere with a more realistic and urgent approach.Bernard Robertson-Dunn,Forde (ACT)

Illustration:Matt Golding

Illustration:Matt Golding

There is only one way to prove your authenticity in genuinely facing up to climate change — by putting a price on carbon (“Business pushes to put price on carbon”,October 28). Our business leaders are calling for this. The IMF is calling for it and the OECD too. This organisation is headed by Mathias Cormann. As finance minister in the Coalition,he was vigorously opposed to the Gillard carbon tax and now he leads an organisation that is strenuously calling for it.Michael Kennedy,West Pymble

Of course Australia should do its bit,but what is puzzling is the extent to which many think their future,if not that of the entire planet,depends on the actions of the Australian government (Letters,October 28). Canberra has about as much chance of significantly affecting the climate anywhere as King Canute had in stopping the tide. In the mission of impacting the interconnected global climate system,it’s the big carbon emitters — the likes of the US,China,India and Russia — that will determine how much the world (including Australia) sizzles and swims.Doug Walker,Baulkham Hills

Jacaranda plan fails to flower among natives

While jacarandas do look impressive for a month or two,surely it would be better public policy to give residents native trees (“Ultraviolet donations to extend city’s purple daze”,October 28)?Tony Doyle,Fairy Meadow

Why would a council encourage even more exotic plantings? It is time for councils to concentrate on planting some of our beautiful native species that are much better for the environment including the local wildlife. Give away natives instead which are suited to the LGA.Augusta Monro,Dural

In this era of climate change the CO2 uptake and storage of trees is important and the decision on what tree to plant for the urban landscape should consider this. The jacaranda tree certainly has a transient beauty,but its name does not appear on the list of the top 10 trees of CO2 absorbers. A member of the magnolia family,the tulip tree,also has a transient beauty and is high up on that list. Perhaps North Sydney Council could consider this tree.Cornelius van der Weyden,Balmain East

I bear no relationship to the mayor of North Sydney,nor am I a resident of her LGA,however,if I was,I trust she would not be offended if I were to decline her giveaway. These trees may well look pretty,however,their flowers drop,creating a carpet across roadways,parks and gardens. And when it rains,they leave a mess for others to clean.Allan Gibson,Cherrybrook

We all love jacarandas,but have you seen what they do? The rows planted in Bellevue Street,Cammeray,some years ago don’t flower very well,have had to be cut because of power lines,and the roots have already dug up the street once. In my tiny house some idiot planted one long before I came here,and it had to be removed because the roots were starting to tipple my,and my neighbours’ foundations,and it took years to get all the roots out of the drain pipes.
By all means plant a jacaranda,but in the middle of a park where its glory can be seen and admired.Jane Howland,Cammeray

As a horticulturist and lover of trees,I am concerned with the council’s plan. The gardens in this council area are generally too small for such a tree. Also,this tree is deciduous but loses its leaves at the end of winter so winter sun and light will be lost. The flowers drop and attract bees (and stings for those who walk barefoot on them) and create a dangerous slippery surface.Bernard Chapman,Lindfield

Gifting trees to constituents to encourage tourism is a colourful idea and could be done in the regions. The Illawarra flame tree could be easily disseminated from Wollongong Council,for example.Janice Creenaune,Austinmer

Trashing trade training is tragic

By the time I left my full-time position at TAFE,my manager and others above her no longer referred to “TAFE”. It had become “the business”. It’s no surprise,then,to see 19 places listed for disposal (“‘Suitable for disposal’:TAFE campuses earmarked for sale”,October 28).

While lamenting the shortage of skilled tradespeople,the NSW government is throwing away premises that are ideal for training trade skills. The Grenfell site is my old high school. It had dedicated woodwork and metalwork rooms. It has a large science lab and many classrooms.

Wouldn’t you hope the NSW government might invest in sites such as this and convert them into full-time trades training facilities? Grenfell could serve Cowra,Young,and Forbes,all of which are less than 50 minutes away.

In rural areas,in particular,the shortage of plumbers,electricians,carpenters and builders is severe. But NSW Inc increases fees to make courses less affordable,flogs off buildings and relies on international students in cities for profit. It seems “the business” has no genuine interest in serving society.Peter Thompson,Grenfell

The news is full of stories of business people unable to fill vacant positions due to skills shortages yet the NSW government is planning on selling off 19 TAFE campuses. There is no logic to this decision. We need to increase investment in TAFE and make it free again. Privatised further education has been a disaster and has contributed to the current shortage of skills.Graeme Finn,Summer Hill

Chalk up for experience

Department of Education head honchos (HHs),especially directors of educational leadership and their ilk,should lead by example and provide a partial solution to the problem of teacher shortages (“Jab mandate may trigger teacher shortages”,October 28). This is a golden opportunity for HHs to go back to the “chalk face” in schools and demonstrate their exceptional teaching skills and,perhaps,refute any allegations they have been refugees from the classroom.Col Shephard,Yamba

‘Flexibility’ for celebrities only

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was firm and direct yesterday when he threw his Minister for Home Affairs under the bus (“Victoria rules out exemptions for unvaccinated tennis stars”,October 28). Alex Hawke had declared that every visitor to Australia would have to be double vaccinated.

Talking about the mandatory vaccination rule in relation to tennis players and obviously seeking to undermine Victorian Premier Dan Andrews,the PM said,“it’s nice to have hard and fast rules but there needs to be some flexibility”. Morrison failed to tell us how his “some flexibility rule” applied to refugees and to Australians trapped overseas over the past year.Kevin Farrell,Beelbangera

Now that the federal government has seen fit to loosen the rules,beware an influx of unvaccinated tennis players roaming our streets. It’s a shame the Murugappans don’t hit balls.Wendy Crew,Lane Cove North

There is one very big difference between last January’s Australian Open tennis and the one coming up. Vaccines were not available last time so the quarantine compromise (proposed again by Morrison) was reasonable.

But vaccines are now available,which means that any remaining unvaccinated players are clearly anti-vaxxers,and to let them in on any terms,even with quarantine,means the government has thrown out the nation’s hard work and is endorsing anti-vaxxers.

Dan Andrews is right — we cannot send out the message that anti-vaxxers are OK after all.Graeme Smith,Daceyvile

Federal integrity essential

The revelations at the ICAC hearings will make it more likely that the government will run scared of creating a federal ICAC as powerful as the NSW one (“We expect bombshells. Ripples will do”,October 28).

The need for such a body is obvious. To their credit,the ALP have pledged to set up a federal ICAC with teeth when returned to office. Bring it on.Andrew Macintosh,Cromer

Italy’s masterstroke

Dr Fabrizio Carinci’s article on Italy’s successful response to the pandemic misses one important feature of that nation’s management of the crisis (“How Italy fought its way back from COVID chaos”,October 28). To the extent possible,the government decided to depoliticise the response. Even before the March 2020 lockdown,when it was clear the burden on health and mortuary services would be a major challenge,the government established a high-level commission headed by the director of the civil protection department to take all logistical steps to manage the crisis and inform the public.

Nightly news conferences were given by the commissioners,not politicians. There was a careful and highly respected distinction between political matters,such as imposition or lifting of lockdown conditions,and day-to-day logistical and epidemiological management of the crisis. This has continued – in a modified form - in the second phase of the pandemic from October 2020 until now.

By leaving specialists to do the reporting and management,the government was able to concentrate on,and take responsibility for,the political issues:lockdowns,economic measures. The end result was public confidence and cooperation in the response.

A similar non-political commission was established to manage the vaccination campaign,one of Europe’s most successful.Alan Randell,Rome (Italy)

Education is rigged

Ross Gittins likens education to housing:something we divert a bigger proportion of our spare income towards as our increasing wealth allows us (“Vested interest:How the home-ownership game is rigged”,October 27). The tax privileges on real estate and tax cuts on the higher incomes of those who own most of it has ballooned house prices and rigged first-house ownership in favour of those whose parents can help fund them. So it is with education:the system is rigged so that it allows a widening gap between “the rich” in private schools and “the rest” in public schools.David McMaster,Mosman

Parliamentary privilege

Pity we don’t have a parliamentarian with a background of working in an unskilled job on low income (“Pathways to Parliament take many directions”,October 28). Perhaps then the parties would better understand the concerns of these people.Con Vaitsas,Ashbury

Checked out

After reading about the possibility of COVID-19 alerts via the Service NSW app,I attempted to check my recent QR code check-in history (Letters,October 28). All I got was this message:“There are no check-ins from the past 28 days. Any check-ins while signed out won’t appear in your history.” I’ve dutifully checked in and out of numerous venues in the past 28 days so what’s going on?Merona Martin,Meroo Meadow

Scoot through

Canberra is not quite as overrun with e-scooters as the 194,000 suggested by your correspondent (Letters,October 28). There are about 1500 available in central Canberra and Belconnen and they are owned and operated under government licence by Beam and Neuron. Extension to other areas is currently under consideration. Apart for some battery theft and a little hoonish behaviour,the scooters seem to be well treated and appreciated. I have yet to see one in Lake Burley Griffin.Alan Robertson,Campbell (ACT)

The digital view

Online comment from one of the stories that attracted the most reader feedback yesterday onsmh.com.au
Voter ID laws on the cards ahead of next federal election
FromAngus Burns:″⁣You can’t really exist in mainstream society without ID – can’t open a bank account without a 100 point ID check,same with Medicare,driving licences. This is all about making the process clearly fair and open.″⁣

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