AAA<\/p>\n
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Photo: Megan Herbert<\/p>\n
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@theage.com.au<\/a>. Please include your home address and telephone number. No attachments, please include your letter in the body of the email. See here<\/a> for our rules and tips on getting your letter published.<\/p>\n As one involved in their formation, I must say that the Australian Greens were not started to supplant a party of the left, as the new leader has stated (\u2033\u2063New Greens leader sends a shot across the bow of Labor<\/a>\u2033\u2063, 1\/10). The original concept was to move from the destructive narrow-minded left-right economically based spectrum of politics ie, socialists v capitalists. The idea was to replace this decrepit self-serving notion with one based fundamentally on a healthy environment. Without environmental protection and nature conservation as a foundation principle, society was perceived, as the evidence of the past 50 years has shown, to be spiralling into economic and social chaos. Unfortunately, the election of yet another NSW-based leader in love with politics rather than outcomes means that many of us electors are left with voting at the next election for the least worst party. What a sorry outcome for anyone deeply concerned about the natural environment in Australia \u2013 the fundamental basis for a healthy, fair and just society. Die may already be cast for next election The new idea is the new radicalism THE FORUM<\/p>\n The cost of business Transport priorities E-bike risks A botched killing Ideas of entitlement Climate blind spot Out of control
Geoff Wescott, Northcote<\/p>\n
Waleed Aly is surely correct when he identifies the potential for a Greens resurgence under new leader David Shoebridge (Comment<\/a>, 2\/10). But the key electoral movers for 2028 are already locked in. A combined One Nation\/Coalition vote has more potential to replace Labor, based purely on the numbers. Our preferential system creates immense advantages to parties that preference each other, and at present the biggest bloc of votes sits on the right. It\u2019s true that Greens voters generally follow the card, meaning their votes eventually find their way to Labor. But we\u2019ve never had a situation where the Liberal vote is going to flow, en masse, to another party, due to its woeful primary position. Liberal voters, like Greens voters, follow the card ensuring a swag of seats can fall to One Nation. This doesn\u2019t require a formal preference deal, but does anyone believe that the Coalition will preference Labor over One Nation? I think not.
Greg Gardiner, Brunswick<\/p>\n
Now is the time for a leader to inspire us with a vision of a better Australia. Their speeches will be about how to re-energise the economy and to ameliorate climate change. It will not be about bagging the other parties. One wonders whether someone like David Shoebridge is such a person. His opening salvo is about radicalism. His burden is to defeat the perception that the past Greens history under Adam Bandt was about seeking the perfect over the good. In devising policies to increase Australia\u2019s productivity, which is much needed, and to show leadership on dealing with climate change, perhaps we need a bigger vision. This may involve working with parties because it is doubtful any one party will have an outright majority. Concentration on original and new ideas is the true radicalism.
Jan Marshall, Brighton<\/p>\n
I was left scratching my head recently after hearing a retailer complain about the negative impact of removing card surcharges. He argued that people paying cash would now be subsidising card users, who would no longer pay the typical 1.6 per cent fee. This overlooks a few important points. First, it was the banks and financial institutions that steered us away from cash, closing branches and removing ATMs. Second, legitimate dealings in cash are not cost-free. There are labour and other costs involved in counting, sorting, bagging, securing and transporting cash to an ever-diminishing number of deposit facilities, where it must then be processed again and credited to the merchant\u2019s account. Cards and computers are convenient, but they reduce many of the costs and inconveniences associated with handling cash. People should not have to pay an additional fee simply for paying for a product or service. The cost of accepting payment, by whatever reasonable means, is simply part of the cost of doing business and should be reflected in the price. Profit takes care of the rest.
David Fox, Beaumaris<\/p>\n
My husband recently had to take the airport bus from Southern Cross to Tullamarine and was very impressed. A bus left every 10 minutes and they all seemed to be full. It was easy to catch a train to Southern Cross and connect with the bus. We fail to see how a very expensive train line to the airport is going to improve on this experience. Surely there are far more important public transport projects that are needed in our outer suburban areas?
Anne Maki, Alphington<\/p>\n
My sympathy to Margaret Throsby (\u2033\u2063Throsby faces new injuries after e-bike collision<\/a>\u2033\u2063, 2\/10). As a now elderly pedestrian, I\u2019m far more concerned about e-bikes and scooters than I am about cars for the risk to my safety. A long time ago, to ride my slower and noisier moped in London, I had to be at least 17, have a licence, the moped had to be registered with a number plate, and I had insurance.
It\u2019s not unreasonable to require the same for these electric projectiles.
Adam Thomson, Collingwood<\/p>\n
If the botched execution attempt of Christa Pike in the US doesn\u2019t have us comprehend what a grisly practice state-sanctioned murder is, nothing will.
John Rawson, Mernda<\/p>\n
And I thought I was the only one fed up with noisy children disrupting the quiet of a public library (Letters, 1\/10). Yes, they\u2019re just being children, but their behaviour is the responsibility of the parent. The problem is another example of people believing they\u2019re \u2033\u2063entitled\u2033\u2063. They\u2019re entitled to let their children \u2033\u2063just be children\u2033\u2063 in a library. Dog owners are entitled to leave their dogs tied up outside the supermarket where they can \u2033\u2063just be a dog\u2033\u2063, barking intrusively.
Brian Thorpe, Northcote<\/p>\n
Recent Treasury modelling of the cost of no further action on net zero found that Australia\u2019s GDP could be 14 per cent lower by 2050, equivalent to an estimated $6.8 trillion reduction in GDP over the next 25 years. Yet the Coalition wants to scrap net zero.
We also learn it wants to scrap the trade deal with Europe because it could \u2033\u2063lock Australia into legally binding action on climate change\u2033\u2063 (\u2033\u2063European envoy warns of $10 billion hit if trade deal fails<\/a>\u2033\u2063, 2\/10). Even former Coalition finance minister Mathias Cormann, now in his second term as Secretary-General of the OECD, warns against scrapping the deal. It seems the self-labelled best economic managers still have a blind spot when it comes to climate.
Ray Peck, Hawthorn<\/p>\n
I welcome columnist Cherie Gilmour\u2019s timely reminder to \u201cBeware lifestyle creep turning little luxuries into staples<\/a>\u2033\u2063 (30\/9). This comfort or \u2033\u2063lifestyle creep\u2033\u2063 quietly emerges with oat lattes,Uber eats and streaming services as an increasing number of small comforts \u2033\u2063now feel like entitlements\u2033\u2063. Perhaps like governments, we barely notice that \u2033\u2063our discretionary spending had gotten out of control\u2033\u2063?
Kevin Burke, Sandringham<\/p>\n
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Photo: Matt GoldingAND ANOTHER THING<\/p>\n