Letters to
the editor

Prime target

The waste of money and effort by Australia on the AUKUS agreement is appalling (“‘Rich dummy’: How the AUKUS deal is set to fail”, January 17-23). There are so many better things to spend and concentrate on. Australians should be less concerned, however, that the deal seems likely to break down. As operators of long-range nuclear strike weapons, Australia would become a prime target in the event of nuclear war. Despite the squandering of so many billions, it is almost comforting to hear that Australia’s support for the idiotic policy that is nuclear deterrence will mainly be financial.

– Tom Van Sebille, Northcote, Vic

Some friend

Australian governments should stop the ridiculous assertion that the United States is Australia’s ally. It’s certainly not one that can be relied upon under the present administration. President Donald Trump’s America is purely transactional and will support the country Trump thinks offers the best “deal”. Not an ally to be trusted.

– Juliet Flesch, Kew, Vic

Careful consideration needed

In his article (“Inside the Adelaide Writers’ Week collapse”, January 17-23), Jason Koutsoukis asserts the Adelaide Festival’s collapse was a failure of governance. Getting governance right when it comes to free speech is extremely difficult, and while we can all see the political advantage for the federal Labor government in rushing through hate speech laws, the unintended consequences at the Adelaide Festival should prompt all to pause. Hot heads and reactionary decision-making never make for good governance, whether that be in the context of a festival or a parliament, especially in a matter as nuanced and complex as freedom of speech. 

– Luke Vanni, Nundah, Qld

Nature neglected

The rate of land clearing and the impacts on critically endangered Australian species is appalling (Editorial, January 17-23). Our oceans face the same neglect. In Tasmania, for example, fewer than 100 red handfish survive in two small pockets of water near Hobart, polluted by Albanese‑supported corporate salmon farming. The ongoing plundering of habitats our unique species rely on is pushing wildlife to the brink and worsening the climate whiplash Greg Mullins describes (“We fear the summers to come”, January 17-23). Thanks to the Greens who worked constructively with Labor, we now have new environmental law reforms, but it remains to be seen whether wildlife will benefit and begin to recover.

– Sharee McCammon, Pelverata, Tas

Wrong direction

A few years ago I would have described the message in Greg Mullins’s article as a wake-up call, but how many wake-up calls does our federal government need? If a Labor government won’t act on the science and advocate globally for the phase-out of fossil fuels, what hope have we got? Where is the logic in transitioning to clean energy domestically while continuing to promote coal and gas exports? The Albanese government has just opened up a huge area of ocean off Victoria and Tasmania for new gas exploration. This is not about meeting a short-term gas shortage; it is long-term support for gas. People are already suffering the consequences of the heating planet and future generations are going to pay a huge price for the failure of many governments, including ours, to address the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels.

– Ken Russell, Redcliffe, Qld

Small mercies

Thank you, Stan Grant ( “A squeaky hinge in NYC”, January 17-23). Your column is the thing I look forward to most for my weekend read. This one was my favourite so far. You’ve laid out some raw truths that really hit home. It was confronting and inspiring. Please keep up the good work. I love having your voice in the world. This week you reminded me that despite our smallness and inability to control what happens, it is so important to keep showing up with “a smile and good manners”.

– Peter New, Jindabyne, NSW