Letters
Letters to
the editor
According to plan
Loved the article on the Job-ready Graduates scheme, but this was no failure (Mike Seccombe, “Why Labor is stalling on real universities funding reform”, August 9-15). This policy works – to attack the humanities. The Liberals’ culture war over “Bringing Them Home” never ended. JRG is just one more battle. Also, humanities degrees offer great earnings: more than business, maths, and science. But Tehan knew this. He told a lie anyway. It’s a shame so many of us repeat it.
– Pat Cooney, Wright, ACT
Bright outlook
Jason Koutsoukis (“ ‘He’s not hunting ducks. He’s hunting David Littleproud’ ”, August 9-15) reports Ben Small as saying China emits more CO2 than Australia and if we try to achieve net zero it will destroy business and make us an “economic catastrophe”. To start with, China has about 50 times the population. A few years ago, I visited China, Mongolia, Siberia and Russia in the middle of winter. There are acres and acres of solar panels and huge numbers of wind farms. In winter the days are short but often sunny, so they work well combined with batteries. China is making a greater effort to achieve net zero than Australia. Australia emits more CO2 and methane per head of population than most other countries and this doesn’t count the fossil fuels we export. Maybe the Nationals should look at the broader picture.
– Paul Bailey, Winmalee, NSW
Why we should stop deforestation
Professor David Lindenmayer (Katherine Wilson, “Australia’s fight to host COP31”, August 9-15) makes an important point: “If we stopped native logging, we’d reduce emissions dramatically.” Forests don’t just absorb and store carbon dioxide, they help soil retain moisture, generate rainfall and cool local climates, ameliorating the effects of rising temperatures and reducing the risk of bushfire and drought. If Australia is to prove worthy of hosting COP31 next year, then we must not only stop the mining and export of fossil fuels but end land clearing and logging as well. We are in a major biodiversity crisis that cannot be ignored. Deforestation is a primary driver of biodiversity loss, thus it is deeply shocking that, according to WWF, Australia is deemed “the only developed-nation deforestation hotspot”. Destroying our forests has to stop – now – for the sake of both climate and wildlife.
– Jenny Goldie, Cooma, NSW
Quantum sense
Your excellent article by Claire G. Coleman on the continued lie of terra nullius near Maralinga and Woomera (“Country under fire”, August 9-15) also triggered other thoughts in me. I had online conversations with Aboriginal people during the Voice debate and they were voting “No” because it would give greater rights to land councils who often made decisions about other people’s Country. I have also been uncomfortable with most government efforts to close the gap being poured into schemes to make custodians of land into capitalists who exploit the land. I also remembered an article I read years ago in a philosophy magazine about Dreamtime – which is past, present and future – that said it was the “religion” most correct under the understanding of quantum scientific theory.
– Graeme Finn, Campsie, NSW
Message in loss
Thank you for the Alice Bishop article (“Emblem of hope”, August 9-15). It was a relief to read a positive story after the account of the machinations of the federal Coalition who seem far more intent in getting themselves re-elected than with concerns for the future of the planet (“ ‘He’s not hunting ducks. He’s hunting David Littleproud’ ”, August 9-15). And now Advance has told members it will run a campaign discrediting net zero and is seeking donors. Heaven help us – because political conservatives certainly have no intention of doing so.
– Carolyn Pettigrew, Pymble, NSW
Community outrage
It was such a relief to see Sarah Rees’s great article (“Beretta parks”, August 2-8) detailing the depressing saga of a Victorian Labor government putting gun-toting unionists pushing misinformation about national parks above all the past promises. The government has also reduced its scientifically trained staff to further diminish those articulating why it is now or never for the Great Forest National Park and the 3-5 per cent left of our unique mountain ash forests. We are the only state with no World Heritage Environment sites. What will it take to get through to this state government? Only community outrage.
– Sue Lewis, Victorian Forest Alliance
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This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper on August 16, 2025.
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