Perfect time for Albanese to deliver bold reforms

The $12 billion invested in Snowy Hydro battery is six times more than originally budgeted for. But at least at the end we’ll have valuable storage to support renewable power generation. The diesel Fuel Tax Credits Scheme has cost the taxpayer $122.7 billion since inception in 2007. It currently costs $11 billion a year, projected to climb to an annual $13 billion by decade’s end. The scheme’s anticipated total cost to us by then is $184.3 billion. Why are we having a “line-by-line reassessment of costs, overseen by independent experts” of the $12 billion Snowy Hydro while the subsidising of climate-damaging, mostly imported diesel goes unremarked? Lesley Walker, Northcote (Vic)

The Coalition’s Snowy 2.0 project started life as a $2 billion, four-year project and is now, at the very least, a $12 billion, 11-year project. The Coalition also paid $30 million for Leppington Triangle land valued at less than $3 million, they paid $92 million to develop a new visa system and got nothing, ditto $5 million to Green Day Energy. They paid $40 billion in JobKeeper to entities that were not eligible for any funding at all, including $233 million to entities that increased turnover by more than 300 per cent during the qualifying period. It’s no surprise that they delivered nine consecutive deficits, but despite this the Coalition still claim to be superior money managers, and just this week attacked Anthony Albanese for the paltry cost of attending a Labour Party function in Britain. Barry Harrod, Fig Tree Pocket (Qld)

I’m pretty sure that the Coalition’s pre-election nuclear power costings were done on the back of the same envelope Malcolm Turnbull used for costing Snowy 2.0. John Pick, Cremorne

Slater’s shame

As your editorial on Michael Slater’s intractability makes clear, sexual violence is a sickening, persistent scourge not easily ameliorated (“Shameful issue too important for us to ignore”, October 4). Among the key findings of the recent report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare are that nearly 3 million people aged 18 and over have experienced sexual violence since they were 15, that women are the major victims and that, overwhelmingly, men are the perpetrators. Surely the loopholes you mention and the exploitable legalities can be amended to produce better outcomes for victims. There should also be a government-sponsored campaign to help boys become mindful about their responsibilities toward females. Ron Sinclair, Windradyne

I understand from your report that Cricket NSW is considering removing Michael Slater from its Hall of Fame and revoking his life member status. In my opinion, this would be wrong. Slater the cricketer was both brilliant and harmless. Punishment such as this sends a wrong message to those with mental health problems. A retrospective decision such as this would be as incongruous as removing the runs he scored from the record book. Rather than take this action, Cricket NSW should add a subscript to the effect that, following his cricket award, Slater suffered a severe deterioration in his mental health (acknowledged by himself), resulting in serious harm to other people. If Slater did not agree with that then there would be a case to remove him from first-class cricket history. Bernie Bourke, Ourimbah

Lawyer Paul McGirr has accused Herald reporter Jordan Baker of engaging in “bottom of the barrel journalism” in the matter of Michael Slater. If just one woman who may be susceptible to the superficial charms of Slater reads Baker’s article and thus avoids contact with him, we can all thank Ms Baker. The gaslighting engaged in by McGirr is not just toxic, it encourages Slater not to accept responsibility for the harm he has caused. Monica Fletcher, Turramurra

Costs keep rising

The government’s First Home Guarantee is a sure sign it has no interest in making houses more affordable (“The new first home buyers scheme is to help people like me. But there’s one major flaw”, October 3). All the media focus has been on the obvious lift in demand, or the risks of higher repayments if the deposit is lower. But, in truth, this is a government guarantee provided to assure the lender. It actually displaces the need for mortgage insurance. So if interest rates rise and prices fall, or even just slow, buyers mortgaged to their maximum would face the need to sell distressed properties, and taxpayers would pay the lender any losses. But working against this risk to government are their own inflationary housing policies, like open-ended negative gearing and tax-free capital gains. These have been the real drivers of our record housing prices, and now they have been cemented in place to keep those costs rising. Otherwise, any risk of inflation driving up interest rates will expose the government guarantee and, indeed, our national credit rating. The cost of raising a family in Australia just got higher and riskier. Peter Comensoli, Mangrove Mountain

Take it slow

The proposal to cut the default speed limit from 100km/h to 80km/h on smaller country roads has my support (“Why speed limits could be slashed from 100km/h to 80km/h”, October 4). I have done a lot of country driving since getting my licence in 1973 (you do the maths), including yet another trip around most of Australia over the past 16 weeks. We normally cruise at 90km/h, but would happily drop this to 80km/h. We talk on the UHF to radio the truckies who want to pass us at their supposed 100km/h limited speed, ensuring they can do so safely. Occasionally, we chat to an owner/driver who is also happy to do 90 to save fuel costs. We see more, are less stressed, use way less fuel and produce less CO2 emission, and the vehicle and tyres lasts longer. And we can stop a lot quicker, which my shutterbug co-pilot is apt to require on a very regular basis. Surrounded by such awesome scenery, who can blame her? Dick Clarke, Elanora Heights

The speed limits are not the problem: it is the selfish drivers who ignore them. Recently while on cruise control doing the limit of 110km/h on the Hume Highway, two cars raced past me doing at least 200km/h. They were obviously racing each other. The cars were both European luxury sports cars. Lowering speed limits will not stop that sort of behaviour. David Sayers, Gwandalan

Win for Hamas

Why should Hamas agree to relinquish control and lay down their arms when so many countries endorsed the establishment of a Palestinian state and are still funding them? Hamas has learnt that terror wins. Thanks for nothing, Albo and Wong (“Hamas responds to Trump’s plan for peace in Gaza,” October 4). Michele Sharp, Bondi Beach

How can any sovereign state (Israel) negotiate an “enduring” peace agreement with a regime like Hamas, which is publicly committed to wiping it off the face of the earth? A dangerous fantasy. Michael Gamble, Belmont (Vic)

Joanna Aurebach has a definitive answer, which she deems to be credible, as to the outcome should Hamas accept Trump’s peace plan (Letters, October 4). That is, the hostages come home, the war ends and a new future for the Gazan people begins. I can add something even more credible: “Pigs might fly.” John Boutagy, Mosman

Doomed to fail

Philip Bell’s letter pinpoints the predictable result of pouring millions of philanthropic dollars into the AGNSW’s Sydney Modern vanity project without a viable business plan or any guarantee of future funding (Letters, October 4). A recent AGNSW marketing brochure confirmed early predictions that the design and size of the Naala Badu gallery might suit use as a function centre if blockbuster art shows didn’t make enough money. Gillian Appleton, Paddington

Property paradox

Reading Saturday’s Title Deeds (“The $27.5m estate that’s set to smash records for Sydney’s inner west”, October 4), I realised that while our state government has been busy implementing new planning rules around the provision of medium-density housing in the suburbs, there has been no discussion about the ultra-rich consolidating properties to create mega compounds of many thousands of square metres for a single large dwelling in inner suburbs. It goes hand in hand with their reluctance to address the issue of developers buying up older apartment blocks and boarding houses providing low-cost accommodation and replacing them with a lesser number of luxury units, further displacing the poor from the inner city. Gina Hay, Bayview

Fruits of labour

I’m enjoying another long weekend, but reflecting on how this one came about. The Labour Day weekend celebrates the eight-hour day, an achievement brought about with blood sweat and tears. But do we still have cause to celebrate in this era of casualisation of jobs and the gig economy? Margaret Grove, Concord

Changing times

Why don’t we adjust the clock by 30 minutes and make that the year-round time? This would save a lot of time and confusion and money. So, come April, move the clock back 30 minutes and leave it that way all year round. That will save confusion, especially around state border areas. Ron Field, Bermagui

On the equator, sunrise and sunset is at 6am and 6pm. However, in December 1983 Singapore decided to put the clock one hour ahead and left it there, creating permanent daylight saving. So now sunrise and sunset is at 7am and 7pm all year round. How sensible. Jimmy Bilimoria, St Ives

Holiday essential

Christine Helby drives to the servo every day to get her Sydney Morning Herald (Letters, October 4). I fondly recall the morning scrabble on holidays to get a Herald before they all sold out, as the local shop near the beach would only have a few each day. My husband got brownie points for returning triumphant with a cappuccino and a Herald. Now solved by the electronic version, but I still miss the morning debate over who got the news section and who got Drive first, and chatting over the contents at breakfast on weekends. Eva Elbourne, Pennant Hills

Last laugh

I only have to think about “the Bouquet (Bucket) residence, lady of the house speaking” and it sends me into fits of laughter. I will always associate the Chinese takeaway, candlelight suppers, Daddy, the postman and tins of fancy biscuits with the hilarious Hyacinth. Thank you, Patricia Routledge, you are a legend (“UK comedy icon Dame Patricia Routledge dies aged 96”, October 4). Julie Robinson, Cardiff

The final word

Kate Halfpenny rightly says that to guarantee a great funeral, you write your own eulogy (“My dad went to an 86-year-old’s funeral. She was carried out to Rod Stewart’s ‘Hot Legs’”, October 4). I wrote mine years ago and it is regularly updated. It starts: “This eulogy was written and authorised by Terry Cook. You always knew I was control freak.” Terry Cook, Ermington

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