Canberra Times Letters to the Editor: Siren song of unpopular leaders marching onward as to war

That would seem to be the case in the Middle East, where the Saudis seem intent on sucking US forces back into the region, probably by involving Israel in another war. But the North Korean thing is surely all about domestic politics.

The Kims are facing an increasing flood of information, which can only undermine their credibility; they're banging their old gong of Kim as the only one who can stare down the West. Shinzo Abe can only get enough people to vote for him by scaring them; he has become another Kim.

In the US, opposition is hardening against Trump with only the billionaires and the anarchists still on his side.

These unpopular leaders are all singing the same song, and if they cock up everything for everyone it will be in the interests of their own personal incumbency, not the interests of their citizens.

S. W. Davey, Torrens

I for one believe that a banking royal commission is well overdue. However, I also believe that nothing will be accomplished. After all, let's not forget that Malcolm Turnbull invited ANZ chairman David Gonski, Westpac CEO Brian Hartzer, CBA chairman David Turner and CBA CEO Ian Narev over for Christmas drinks back on December 9, 2015.

The banking industry is increasingly looked on by people as a scam, and no wonder. The concept of fiat – or paper – money is meant to be guaranteed by the bank to retain its value and in America was never meant to go beyond the amount of gold held by the banks (this is also known as the gold standard).

In the Great Depression, the Federal Reserve only had enough gold to back 40 per cent of its paper money holdings so when American citizens went to the bank after the 1929 Wall Street crash to withdraw their money the bank said, sorry, we don't have it.

The concept of lending money and charging interest on it is another of the bank's favourite nefarious activities; most countries in the world are held hostage by the banks having lent them money at interest.

Australia's national debt keeps rising every single year and it is because most of our taxpayer funds go towards paying off interest rather than the debt itself.

Our national debt currently stands at $758 billion dollars, which means that every year there is less money for utilities, services and maintenance within our country.

Tom Quinlan, Isabella Plains

If there was ever any doubt as to who runs our federal government, last week's developments should put the matter to rest. After resisting calls for a banking inquiry for nearly two years, Malcolm Turnbull suddenly performs a magnificent about-turn and agrees to an inquiry – but only when asked to by the banks. The banks! Anywhere else this would beggar belief.

Worse, and clearly demonstrating the cosiness between this arm of big business and the government, the banks are willing to do Turnbull a favour by writing the letter that gave him the only feasible excuse to change his mind so spectacularly. The letter also spells out the terms and scope of the inquiry, virtually copied by Turnbull in his announcement less than an hour later. Inconceivable! — but only in the Princess Bride sense.

When will the Coalition get the message that we, the much-abused "Australian people", want the government to run the country based on objective advice and the national good rather than the opinions of vested interests and political donors, nuanced and adjusted only by the government's own overriding ideologies, self-interest and pitifully obvious political machinations?

Julian Robinson, Narrabundah

According to the article "It's coming fast: Greens back Nats over inquiry" (November 30, p5), the Greens and some National Party members have joined Labor in calling for a formal inquiry into the banking and financial services sector.

However, Rod Matthews (Letters, November 30), while agreeing that a banking royal commission "is desirable", argues that such an inquiry "would damage confidence in our banks, particularly among vital foreign lenders".

I heard on ABC radio news on Thursday morning that the "big four" banks have written to the federal government asking for a royal commission, presumably to clear the air.

This should please Labor, the Greens, some National Party MPs and most, if not all bank customers. It should also put Mr Matthews' mind at ease.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

The Reuters report on the migration conference in Ivory Coast returned the term "illegal migration" to political correctness ("Pressure on as difficult migration talks loom", November 30, p15).

A further touch of reality which Australia needs to recognise was brought by the comment of Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara who "called for Europe to broaden the legal avenues for migration ... using mechanisms such as student and temporary work visas".

It is time we recognised these mechanisms for exactly what they are.

Ironically, President Ouattara also called for "Libyan slave traders to be prosecuted by the International Criminal Court".

Australia's experience is that many here on student and temporary work visas become effective slaves, toiling under duress for a pittance.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor

The news that the AEMC has finally decided to abandon the dreaded 5-30 rule (the maximum 5 minute bid sets the 30 minute price for electricity) in favour of a much more logical and equitable 5-5 rule is commendable. Why should we wait until 2021 for it to take effect? The big gentailers have been gaming the 5-30 rule at consumer expense for years and reaped handsome – dare I say usurious – profits. We, the consumers, don't owe them a thing. The new 5-5 rule should be made effective ASAP and certainly not any later than the proposed NEG becomes effective. Let the agile new energy providers who are ready now get into the market.

Brad Sherman, Duffy

Who else has come under the influence of wealthy Chinese businessman? Does the Australian public have the right to know the identity of their politicians who might be under foreign influence regardless of which side of politics they come from?

Rajend Naidu, Glenfield, NSW

Turnbull's Christmas goose is cooked.

M. Flitcroft, Belconnen

I must protest at Doug Hurst's criticism of Queensland voters' supposed support for a 50 per cent RET (renewable energy target) (Letters, November 29).

People cast their votes for many issues, not just one!

To build more CO2-emitting, coal-powered electricity generators would really be blowing off both legs.

Like most of us in Canberra, Doug would have little idea of what it must be like to live near an open-cut coal mine in the Hunter Valley.

Your ideal rural "escape to the country" property would be subjected to a constant plume of pollution and cancer-causing particulate materials from the mine and the power station stacks.

The dust is known be dangerous to the vineyards, crops and pastures, not to mention the ecosystem and human health.

Solar panels are quietly efficient and wind farms much quieter and less obtrusive on the environment compared to a mine and power station complex.

We have installed solar panels on our roof. We try to economise on our use of electricity.

Coal-fired power stations are now close to the end of their economic lives. It is a complete myth to claim they are low cost and reliable sources of power.

Their cost is the damage they do to the atmosphere and environment, and as was shown in last summer's heatwave, they can be unable to operate at peak output due to operating issues, ironically caused by the heatwave.

Gavin O'Brien, Gilmore

The fixation with renewable energy has driven Australia to the point of not having adequate power to meet current needs.

Instead of calling for a banking royal commission, a royal commission should be set up to examine the deleterious effect that renewable energy has had on energy prices and the reliability of the national power grid.

Australia has spent tens of billions of dollars in subsidising and pursuing renewable energy projects at great cost to the Australian taxpayer – and with no discernible impact on climate.

The claim that humanity's carbon emissions are causing global warming needs to be tested.

The inconvenient truth is that wind and solar are not suited for despatchable power. We need to keep coal and gas-fired power as they are needed for backup for renewables and they alone are suited for running a modern economy.

We are not facing a climate crisis; we are facing an energy crisis. Time for a royal commission on climate.

Alan Barron, Grovedale, Vic.

Wind and solar power at this stage of their development are neither better nor cheaper than coal or gas, won't be for decades and require multibillion-dollar subsidies.

Batteries will not be capable of storing significant energy for some considerable time to come.

Pumped hydro is the fool's gold of energy policy.

The money wasted in this folly should be spent on building the suggested coal/gas-fired power station (s) and the balance applied to research and development of a renewable energy sector that can actually produce clean, reliable inexpensive power.

Mark Sproat, Lyons

Finally we will have a bank review, although a wimpy quick version at their request. Why do we need a review at all, everybody already knows they rip us off – please send me 10 per cent of the commission cost for writing the report conclusion.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Box Hill, Vic

Apropos "Wage earners' woes stem from the gap between CPI and retail prices" (Letters, November 30), why is Australia a wealthy country?

Many reasons no doubt, including our resources base, universal education and, since the late 19th century, a strong union movement. Australia has been built on the back of the shearers' unions struggles, the builders' labourers struggles in the '60s and '70s for decent wages and conditions and innumerable other similar campaigns.

Over recent decades the unrelenting attacks on the union movement mean that we now have stagnant wage growth, job insecurity, exploitation of migrant workers and people not able to afford the basics.

The rich have got richer and many parliamentarians have numerous investment properties, contributing to the housing crisis, and it's no surprise that negative gearing and capital gains tax have not been addressed. This government wants to reduce tax on big business – the question raised in many people's minds is, "who are they governing for?"

Labour, physical and mental, is what creates wealth and it is just not possible for one person to work that much more to justify them getting an income hundreds of times the basic wage. The national minimum weekly wage is around $695 – some would like to push this down to the level of US starvation wages.

In building a more just society, as well as looking at a universal basic income, perhaps we also need to look at a (generous) maximum income?

Kathryn Kelly, Chifley

Adrian Jackson (Letters, December 1) is even more extreme than most with anti-US diatribes bereft of context, nuance and facts.

Guam, US territory since the 1898 Spanish-American war, was invaded by the Japanese not the other way around.

Cuba was liberated from the Spanish, not invaded, by the US.

Okinawa was captured to help end Japanese aggression in World War II and handed back to Japan in 1972.

The US intervention in Grenada was authorised by its Governor-General following a Marxist military coup that arrested the government.

The US did not "invade Vietnam". North Vietnam did end up conquering South Vietnam contrary to both sets of Paris Peace Agreements.

The 2001 US-led multinational intervention in Afghanistan was endorsed by the UN Security Council.

China is building artificial islands for military purposes in international and other country's waters, not Chinese territory, in the distant reaches of the South China Sea, not "its approaches", contrary to international law, good neighbourliness and conservation commonsense.

Neil James, executive director, Australia Defence Association, Canberra

SHIFTING THE DAY

Bill Deane is upset because students on government grants may have voted to change the day for Triple J's "Hottest 100" (Letters, November 30). Scholarships do not oblige the recipient to vote in the way he would prefer. Since the Hottest 100 was not intended as a celebration of Australia Day I don't see how shifting the day will somehow deny the benefits of civilisation in Australia.

David Roth, Kambah

'CANBERRA CONCORDE'

Still looking for a name for the light rail system? May I suggest "Canberra Concorde"?

Eric Zurcher, Page

NEED TO KNOW

Phillip Benwell wants us to know that his monarchist's league "is delighted" at the announcement of Prince Harry's engagement to Meghan Markle (Letters, November 29). For the life of me I can't understand why. Nor, for that matter, even if the league is convulsed with ecstasy, why he'd imagine that we have a need to know.

Bronis Dudek, Calwell

BANKING ON APPROVAL

Presumably the banking royal commission terms of reference will be available once the big banks have approved them.

Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

STOP BLEATING

Come on people. Open your other eye. Time to cut some slack for our representatives from both sides and not expect perfection every time. It's becoming quite childish. And in the case of the SSM vote, it was a conscience vote and not only government senators abstained, so stop bleating. Give them respect in a difficult decision for some.

Maria Pellegrino, Gungahlin

SECURITY CLEARANCE

I cannot believe that any person with any political belief in our parliament, state or territory, can serve without having a security clearance.

John Hutka, Ngunnawal

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

As they munch on their separate breakfasts of cucumber sandwiches washed down with piquant Earl Grey tea, how beside-themselves with excitement must HRH Prince Harry and the commoner Ms Markle be to have received felicitations from the Australian Monarchist League (Letters, November 29).

Dennis Hale, Beecroft, NSW

GET OVER IT

How many of these oldies having a sook about the Hottest 100 date change from January 26 even listen to the countdown? The date's changing, get over it.

Erin Cook, Waramanga

NOT JUST MARRIAGE

The same-sex "Marriage" survey asked us for our opinion, and now the "yes" supporters are telling us all what we must think, regardless of our opinion. They told us it was just about marriage – clearly it never was.

J. Coleman, Chisholm

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