(Image: Adobe/Private Media)

Playing Australians for chumps 

Fergus Moffat writes: As with casinos and gambling revenue, our governments are revealed as grovellingly dependent on the putrescent munificence of the fossil fuel miners (“Petroleum Resource Rent Rip-Off — fossil fuel rent taxes to fall amid global price surge”). Remember, they don’t “produce” anything. They can legally strip away Australia’s publicly owned resources for the benefit of overseas investors. Some of their shareholders may be Australians. Some may even be “unsophisticated” mum-and-dad investors, but if so they’re complicit. There is an obscene, repugnant inconsistency between the pretension of governments producing budgets and sprinkling funding around for survival, for women, for those in caring roles, for education… even as they knowingly forgo the colossal tax revenue otherwise available from their fossil-fuel donors. I am just disgusted. 

Karen Swannie writes: It would be interesting to hear the government’s rationale for this. Why the reluctance? Why be protective towards these companies and not implement much-needed reform?

State MPs bid politics goodbye

Kerry Grant writes: I think the real reason MPs are quitting (“403 years of parliamentary experience lost as 26 state MPs jump ship”) is because the Liberal Party has taken a wrong turn with climate deniers, the longevity of many politicians, and the ever-increasing right-wing so-called Christians. And don’t get me started on some of the self-entitled mediocre private school boys who seem to think they are born to rule. The Libs are so out of touch with the community, and the scale of city-centric development is evidence.  Issues such as raising dam walls and the stupid Western Sydney Airport, built without places to store fuel!  Not to mention their leaders. Dominic Perrottet!? Matthew Guy?!  The mind boggles.

Is there a doctor in the house?

Lorraine Bates writes: Re “Medicare is broken — but there is more to the story”, my husband went to the same (inexperienced, erratic doctor) to get his driver’s licence 75+ medical certificate fixed because she’d dated it for one month instead of the usual 13 months. She did it again and had to cross out and rewrite it. All up, 10 minutes to fix her own error. She bulk-billed the visit. 

Bob Pearce writes: What is needed is a NAPLAN-like test for patients, a test that would prove we are getting worse by world standards in a system that lets selected private providers get very rich and more selective of who they provide a service for so they can appear to look more effective.

Erin Workman writes: I’m 85 and in good health thanks to Medicare over 25 years. I have had good GPs and necessary hospitalisation for Western medical treatments for hip replacements, stroke recovery, melanoma cancer surgery and skin cancer (Bowen’s disease).

However, I have observed a deterioration in GP and hospital services after recent years of funding cuts. Referral to a specialist is about the upfront fee that starts the recommended medical treatment that may not be a cure of the cause but a relief of the symptom. I became a cancer survivor 31 years ago when, after cancer surgery, I changed my lifestyle. Now I see Medicare via the GP system as 50% precisely effective and half struggling to do what alternative health can provide and continues to provide me. This part is addressed by GPs talking to patients to resolve non-pharmaceutical issues. GPs need more money and licence to talk. Then work out how to address specialists to prevent charlatans.

House rules for MPs

Peter Hunter writes: Re “Thorpe’s ‘grave error’ shows why Parliament needs code of conduct”, time and again our politicians seem unable to grasp the concepts of “honesty“ and “conflict of interest” on which as a federal public servant (since retired) I and colleagues were briefed (lectured) annually. We were left in no doubt that the slightest transgression would be severely dealt with. A federal ICAC is long overdue. Or maybe a confidential confessional where they can air their sins and seek guidance on the moral and just path.

Cheryl Marquez writes: Do Albanese and his mates have a “conflict of interest” accepting large donations from mining companies? Do they show a “lack of judgment” when they approve new coal and gas mines along the east coast of Australia?

Spoilsports

John Falconer writes: I wonder what Pat Cummins, Australia’s Test and ODI cricket captain, thinks about the tiny Alinta Energy logo on his sleeve now that company no longer sponsors Australian cricket (“More than a game: sports sponsorship an ethical can of worms”)? Cummins wasn’t happy about Alinta being a sponsor because it uses fossil fuel to generate electricity. Perhaps he’s thinking about Aramco, the major sponsor of the T20 World Cup? The Saudi Arabian Aramco, according to a 2019 Guardian article, “has produced about 4.4% of the world’s total carbon dioxide and methane emissions since 1965”. It is one of the biggest oil and gas companies in the world. Is Cummins thinking whether or not he should be taking the Aramco dollar to replace the Alinta dollar? Oh, the conundrum.  

Cummins also plays for an awful lot of money in the Indian Premier League. An awful lot of money. The main sponsor, TATA, is one of the biggest car producers in the world and a big fossil-fuel electricity power generator in India.  

Made in Australia

Teresa Russell writes: Bernard Keane’s article on the rise of manufacturing protectionism is right on the money (“Australia’s sovereign capability to… manufacture nonsense”). Apart from the 25-30% premium — at least — that would be added to the price tag, where will the workers come from? Australia no longer has the educational or skills capacity to train the welders, fitters and turners, steel workers/fabricators, electricians, specialist engineers, etc, even if people could be enticed to have careers in these industries. And we don’t have unskilled labourers who would make what is manufactured at a low enough cost to then export to other countries, given the cost of manpower in Australia. 

Once Sydney’s three to five ferries are built, what will the workers do? If we build missiles, wouldn’t we be more highly invested in countries going to war? 

Living on the lands

Margery Renwick writes: In the October 20 issue of Crikey I was very unimpressed with the information that a writer “is living in the Kulin nation”. What rubbish! What is the aim? To totally divide Australia? According to the information I can find there are 500 different “nations”. I used to be very sympathetic to the cause of First Nations peoples, but no longer. And I am not alone. Originally I supported the Voice to Parliament. No longer.

An article of faith

Oliver Mayo writes: Rishi Sunak will be the UK’s second “non-Christian” PM (“Who is Rishi Sunak, the United Kingdom’s first Hindu prime minister?”). Benjamin Disraeli beat him by nearly 150 years. There may be others, too. It’s a small point in a sense, but not in other ways: history matters.

If you’re feeling pleased, annoyed or inspired, write to letters@crikey.com.au. Please include your full name to be considered for publication. We reserve the right to edit for length and clarity.