Former Governor-General, Major General, the Hon Michael Jeffery was a career soldier who fought in several conflicts abroad and was decorated with a Military Cross for action during his time in Vietnam. He served as governor of Western Australia and as Governor-General until his retirement in 2008.
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Since then he devoted himself to addressing what he often said was the greatest battle that we in our nation are ever likely face; feeding of our nation in a world with ever growing population. Moreover, he predicted future battles will be fought over water, an ever-diminishing resource and commodity.
General Jeffery spent the last 12 years of his life drawing attention to the need for all parties to focus on water and soil resources and the growing of crops vital for everyone's future subsistence. He knocked on many doors from the Lodge to the man on the land to focus attention on the challenges he foresaw and the actions needed.
In July 2019, during the Dubbo drought conference, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a special unit of his own department to focus on and address the challenges. He installed General Jeffery as the National Soils advocate. It was with some considerable irony that he had achieved this success, as shortly after, he was diagnosed with an incurable cancer. Still, he carried on until he could do no more. Sadly, he passed away peacefully on December 18 at 83 years of age still wanting to do more.
General Jeffery had no time to write his memoirs or tell the story of a life of service. His story, his memoir, will live on in his predictions and the minds of the men and women on the land as well as those bureaucrats who have now been charged to fight on in his absence. Vale Major General, the very Hon, Michael Jeffery AC, AO, (Mil), CVO, MC, retd.
P M Button, Cook
The Queen it is then
I recently received a The Canberra Times news alert headed: "Former G-G Michael Jeffery dies at 83". It then went on to say that he served as our head of state.
General Jeffery served as the Queen's representative in Australia (and did it well). The last time I looked at our constitution it still indicated that Australia has a constitutional monarch. It is disappointing to see The Canberra Times make such a fundamental mistake.
This error does not serve it readers well nor does it support the many Canberrans, and Australians, who believe Australia should be a republic.
Deborah Crossing, Glengowrie, SA
Orwell no Fascist
As Thomas Mautner points out (Letters, December 15), John Malouff's article ("Ever felt like you've been an idiot? You're in good company, December 13, page 18) got Orwell's political allegiance wrong.
While Orwell was indeed a rebel he was not on the side of the Spanish rebels. Orwell was no more an idiot to enlist to fight the Spanish Fascists in 1936, than were Australians who enlisted in the Second AIF to fight the German Fascists in 1940. His book Homage to Catalonia remains a classic.
If Malouff was relying solely on John Sutherland's olfactory biography, Orwell's Nose, for his verdict that one of the 20th century's greatest journalists and writers was an idiot, then, as John Rodriguez concludes (Letters, December 17), his article was "not worthy of a university professor". For homework, and a real estimation of Orwell's stature, Malouff should read Orwell's encyclopaedic Collected Essays, Journalism and Letters.
However, the point is Malouff is neither an historian, a literary critic nor a bomb disposal engineer. He is a psychologist and, as his article actually shows, his concerns are human frailty and foolishness, and how we might address our own - first and foremost through acknowledgement.
For a real estimation of Malouff's humane and delicate touch, read his Accept - and Live Life (The Canberra Chronicle/The Queanbeyan Age, December 18, 2018, page 8).
P O'Keeffe, Hughes
Deserving women
Ian Warden's question "Where are all our statuesque women?" (Sunday Focus, page 15, December 20) invites us to consider why there is a large statue of a man (Andrew Inglis Clark) on the corner of London Circuit and Constitution Avenue and no woman. The explanation is simple. There was no woman involved in writing the Australian Constitution.
However, I have a suggestion to make. The electoral system we use to elect the Legislative Assembly is called Hare-Clark, the Clark being that statuesque man. A little known fact is that the system was originally known as Hare-Spence, the Spence being South Australian Catherine Helen Spence (1825-1910). No one would dispute me when I describe her as Australia's greatest ever non-politician electoral reformer.
There's no doubt about these male politicians. They know how to be recognised, hitting the women for six in that department. Thus, the politician Clark gets his name remembered in the electoral system, not Spence.. Likewise, William Guthrie Spence (1846-1926) has a suburb named after him which is not co-named.
So, place a statue of Spence near the Legislative Assembly building.
Malcolm Mackerras, Campbell
Iron ore is safe
I totally disagree with J Hutka (Letters, December 17) that iron ore will be next as a banned Chinese import. The Chinese are heavily reliant on our ore for their construction and production programs. It's simply not in their interest to do so.
I personally avoid buying Chinese products wherever possible; food products in particular as their health standards during both production and packaging/canning are considered suspect.
The first thing I do when purchasing foodstuff is to check on it's country of origin. If it is made in China it goes back on the shelf. I urge everyone to do the same to show our displeasure with their petty trade bans to date.
It is wishful thinking on J Hutka's part to expect China to act in a mature manner on trade.
Mario Stivala, Belconnen
A case in point
Douglas Mackenzie (Letters, September 19) disagrees with Ian Morison's (Letters, December 17) claim setting emission reduction targets without announcing a means of reaching that goal is "simply a gesture".
Mr Mackenzie then goes on to ask how Mr Morison explains the fact that each Australian state and territory, and more than 113 other countries, have committed to net zero emissions by 2050, with China having a target of carbon neutrality be 2060. I think you have just made Ian's point, Douglas.
Bill Deane, Chapman
Change is happening
Stephen Jones (Letters, December 21) writes "If renewables are genuinely cheaper, investors should be rushing to construct solar and wind farms without any government regulation to penalise their competitors". In fact, this is already happening.
The 2020 Global Energy Review from the International Energy Agency (IEA) concludes that in most nations, electricity produced by solar photovoltaics (solar panels) is cheaper than that from coal or natural gas power plants. The IEA also projects that, under a conservative "business as before COVID-19 scenario", renewables will meet 80 per cent of the growth in global electricity demand until 2030.
Furthermore, Dr Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, sees solar becoming the "new king of the world's electricity markets". Professor John Hewson ("Another ridiculous and indefensible decision", December 18, p47) is right.
Dr Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin
Mixed up confusion
Having just done an Internet scan of the many and varied COVID-19 instruction sites I found there is still stuff out there from February this year. Is it any wonder people get confused? What we need is one national site where the very latest updated data can be found.
With people returning from Sydney to the ACT we can only hope they do the right thing. But will they? What will be the local rules in and around the ACT? Can we have local ACT family visits or will we be all locked down for Christmas and the New Year? We need clear and correct data.
Warren Browne, Lyons
Andrews was right
The speed and severity of the Victorian towers lockdown has been severely criticised by Ombudsman Ms Deborah Glass. The behaviour of Sydney residents this week shows just how wrong she was in suggesting the towers needn't have been locked down with immediate effect.
As soon as it became apparent other states would likely close borders Sydney-siders flocked to the airport to catch early Christmas flights. How improbable is it to imagine that large numbers of residents of the towers would not have exhibited similar behaviour had they been given advance warning. And then the super spreader event that hit Victoria could have been much worse.
Keith Hill, EPIC, Canberra
TO THE POINT
WORD OF THE YEAR
My word for 2020 is "Scomoing" which means "abrogating individual responsibility at time of national crisis for self indulgent purposes". For example, the PM going on a scheduled holiday to Hawaii irrespective of the fact that the country faced a national bushfire crisis.
Rohan Goyne, Evatt
BORDER WARS AT THE AWM
One would hope the outrageously expensive, and jingoistic, expansion of the Australian War Memorial to include our multiple military failures in Afghanistan and Iraq, will also make room to pay homage to the thousands of First Australians slaughtered in the original British invasion and the land theft, penury, enslavement, paternalism and cultural abuse visited on them ever since. Makarrata anyone?
Gerry Gillespie, Queanbeyan, NSW
MOVING ON, MOVING OUT
The secretary to the Attorney-General's Department, Chris Moraitis, has been "ex-portered".
Peter Baskett, Murrumbateman, NSW
HOPE AND FEAR
David Pope irreverently paid homage to the Christ child living in a world overshadowed by anything but a star of wonder (Editorial cartoon, December 19). We continue to live in the hopes and fears of all our years that once more we may be able to joyfully say "Merry Christmas".
Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook, NSW
THE PETER PRINCIPLE?
Senator Rip Van Winkle Seselja, who only seems to be briefly stirred into action in the lead up to an election, is now a fully-fledged Minister. What does that say about the Morrison Government?
Brian Wenn, Garran
A SILENT RISE
It's good to see Senator Seselja promoted. This just goes to show that being selectively silent and compliant will be rewarded.
Graeme Rankin, Holder
A BLEAK FUTURE
With Pacific Islands "sinking" assets, abandoned by Morrison's recalcitrance to accept the Pacific Island Forum Declaration, and what's not water-logged being blown away by global-warming driven cyclones, Seselja's appointment may see him responsible for a landless ocean void ("Minister Zed for the first time", December 19, p5).
Albert M. White, Queanbeyan, NSW
ON THE MONEY
Objective, concise and spot on. Bob Douglas' long term observations on humanity's frailties and the need to address them (Letters, December 21). Forget Scomo, the moneyed interests he represents, and the federal Treasury's short term growth economists; listen to Bob.
Vince Patulny, Kambah
EVERYBODY IS IRRESPONSIBLE
I've long felt that the problem with the world is that only terrorists want to take responsibility for anything.
Gary Frances, Bexley, Vic
IT'S UNPRECEDENTED
It just wouldn't be 2020 if this year let us celebrate Christmas under near normal circumstances and without any nasty shocks and surprises. I'm with the person who posted on Facebook that they were going to sit up on New Years Eve - not to celebrate, just to make sure this "annus horribilis" had left.
M Moore, Bonython
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