Defending our planet and our children’s rights

Labor succumbs to gas addiction

So, there is a growing push for the government (“Gas critical to transition: Bowen”), like the Coalition before it, to become more supportive of the gas industry? This has been apparent since the 2022 election. It is clearly advantageous to internationally owned gas producers, but not necessarily to voting citizens.

Why, for example, should Chris Bowen reject a recommendation of the Climate Change Authority to ban gas connections to new homes? This has been accepted in the ACT and Victoria as a commendably gentle strategy to prepare the way for an eventual phasing out of the fossil fuel, gas.

To argue that the use of gas is a credible way of underpinning efforts to decarbonise fails the test of logic. “Natural” gas, predominantly methane, CH4, is a carbon fuel, and releases CO2 when burnt. When not burnt, methane is a greenhouse gas of global warming potential 20 to 80 times that of CO2.

To contribute in any practical way to decarbonisation, the use of gas as a fuel must be reduced as soon as possible, not allowed to continue at a steady rate of 60 terawatt/hours per year through to 2035.

John Gare, Kew East, Vic

Loss of Kissinger leaves a void for China

The Chinese people have lost a cherished friend with the demise of Henry Kissinger at the age of 100. According to Chinese tradition, reaching such an age is considered a symbol of white happiness, distinct from the red happiness associated with marriage.

Acknowledging his pivotal role in fostering bilateral ties, the Chinese government bestowed upon Kissinger the highest honorary title of “Chinese People’s Old Friend”, which testifies to his enduring impact on the diplomatic landscape.

In 1971, Kissinger undertook a historic and clandestine visit to China to initiate direct contact. This marked the beginning of a strategic alliance against the Soviet Union – which ultimately contributed to the US winning the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Kissinger made over 100 visits to China, cultivating personal relationships with leaders from Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai to Deng Xiaoping and Xi Jinping, solidifying his unique position as a trusted intermediary between two superpowers. During Kissinger’s last visit, in July this year, Xi expressed his deep, Confucian-style respect for the former diplomat.

In the current economic climate, with China experiencing a downturn, Xi has shifted his diplomatic strategy away from the confrontational “wolf warrior” approach to a more amicable stance, seeking to attract American investment. Kissinger was seen as a crucial bridge in this endeavour, and his passing leaves a void that Xi surely mourns.

James Wang, Artarmon, NSW

Truth about Hamas is key to ‘balance’

Emily Dixon wants your coverage of the Israel-Hamas war to be more “balanced” (Letters), but balance doesn’t extend to making false statements for the sake of even-handedness. She mentions the right of civilians living under occupation to resist under international law. However, to exercise that right, those resisting are required to observe the laws of war, including wearing uniform.

No one can argue it extends to targeting civilians, let alone indiscriminately massacring them and kidnapping them, as Hamas did.

It also doesn’t extend to Gaza because Israel no longer occupies it, and arguably not to the Palestinians at all because they have alternatives to resistance, as Israel has offered them a state three times, but they refused. Moreover, Hamas has made very clear that it is not interested in two states, and it has a history of ramping up terror attacks whenever peace looked more likely.

Danny Samuels, Malvern, Victoria

The biggest barrier to Mid-East peace

Might I suggest that the reporting of the Gaza conflict should not glorify the success of hostage/prisoner swaps when Hamas has so obviously taken and kept hostages for a specific military purpose, namely leverage. The PR machine of Hamas cannot explain why it and its supporters kidnap babies, some of whom are now dead or missing inside Gaza.

War is no doubt an atrocity, but only sensible Palestinians can solve this conflict by ridding themselves of Hamas.

Matt Howlin, Sydney, NSW

How about public ownership of ‘public licence assets’?

My mind started to muddle early in Paul Keating’s piece (“Brookfield taking suckers for a ride”) when confronted with this econo-babble: “Given the long tenor of investments required to meet the needs of those entering retirement, a match is needed on the long-run asset side to anneal the superannuation circle.”

I became so discombobulated that I found myself asking this crazy question: Wouldn’t all this nonsense be avoided if “public licence assets” – as Mr Keating describes electricity generators in Australia – were owned by the public?

Clinton McKenzie, Cootamundra, NSW

I want my super money invested in Australia

It makes no sense for industry super funds to chase higher returns by investing overseas when foreign investors provide the capital for driving Australia’s economy (“We’ll chase green money overseas, super funds warn”).

I want my super money invested in Australia. The premium I get is control of our own destiny for my grandchildren, and theirs.

Greg Cameron, Wamboin, NSW

What’s Tony Abbott’s trade-related value for the UK?

In the aftermath of Brexit in 2020, Boris Johnson anointed Tony Abbott as a special UK trade adviser. Since then, the UK’s “potential trade agreements with third countries have been revealed to be worse than the ones the UK had with the EU” (“The far right rises in Europe”). With this special trade envoy now lunging even further to the right in various northern hemisphere locations, via his conservative media sector gigs and board memberships, anti-democracy linked clubby gatherings and lasting engagements with organisations like the ultra-right, government-supported Hungarian think tank the Danube Institute, surely the current British prime minister must be wondering about the trade-related value of this globe-trotting Boris-inspired legacy.

Sue Dyer, Downer, ACT

Vilifying the incarcerated non-citizens

Judging by news reports over the past week, it appears Anthony Albanese and his ministers have succumbed to the Peter Dutton disease of vilifying the people illegally held in detention.

The politicians seem to have forgotten that those who were released from detention had served out their criminal punishments, and the only reason for their continued detention was that they are stateless.

I will say this slowly, so all our parliamentarians understand: there are thousands of ex-prisoners (some of whom were incarcerated for heinous crimes, including terrorism-related offences) roaming the streets of Australia. The only difference is these ex-prisoners are Australian citizens.

Peter Lowing, Port Moresby, PNG