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Sydney Morning Herald
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Barnaby Joyce should admit that he has no clue about climate change
It is crystal clear from Nick O'Malley's article (' His war on net zero's already sunk ', July 26) that Barnaby Joyce knows nothing about climate change, or the dangers its effects have for all of us, so it is hard to understand how the electors of New England put up with his inane prognostications. While he has sometimes been amusing as the comic relief in parliament, he refuses to abide by the best science we have on the future of our planet and the dangers that our changing climate will wreak on his constituents. Joyce's best days were long ago and the voters deserve better than having the village clown as their representative. Peter Nash, Fairlight Why doesn't Barnaby Joyce just admit he doesn't believe in climate change? The reason is obvious: saying so is no longer viable politically. The science has been settled for decades, but now observed reality has also caught up and the public is aware of this. So Barnaby has to couch his opinion in tangential form, suggesting net zero is impossible or too expensive or futile, given inaction in the rest of the world. His problem is that fewer and fewer people are listening, making his words sound ever more desperate, ever more disingenuous. Will no one rid us of this turbulent beast? Ken Enderby, Concord Barnaby Joyce appears to be suffering from relevance deprivation. Rejected more than once as leader of the Nationals, the creator of a string of stunts and meltdowns, he seeks the limelight and goes to extraordinary lengths to find it. At times Joyce's 'facts' seem less believable than the rubbish we hear from Donald Trump. Nick O'Malley's expert-driven article disproved many of Joyce's claims about net zero and the efficacy of renewable energy. The National Party travelling circus rolls on, its leadership a poisoned chalice in Australian politics; but still they seek it. Geoff Nilon, Mascot By introducing his private member's bill next week, to repeal all net zero by 2050 laws, Barnaby Joyce will flush out his followers. Being those opposing rational environmental, social and economic progress, indeed even the ultimate survival of humans and most flora and fauna. They need to be identified. Their epitaphs need to inform future generations of who caused the damage to their lives and world. Howard Charles, Annandale I suggest everyone in positions of public influence, such as politicians, have a moral responsibility to fact-check their opinions with relevant experts on matters that concern the public good where pertinent evidence is available. As such, because decisions about the reality, extent and effect of climate change affect the survival of the planet's ecosystems and its inhabitants, these decisions inherently have a moral dimension. Nick O'Malley's demolition of Barnaby Joyce's case for his proposed private member's bill to discard Australia's goal of net zero by 2050 makes it clear that Joyce has not done his homework. In a similar vein, I argue that Senator Matthew Canavan, who is conducting on the Nationals' behalf an internal review of the net zero policy, the same person who has publicly given his support to Trump's withdrawal of the US from the Paris Agreement on climate, has a moral responsibility to show that he is consulting relevant recognised experts. Paul Casey, Callala Bay Here is something Barnaby Joyce can learn about one of his three issues about wind turbines. The Netherlands has historically used windmills for water management and various industrial processes and continues to embrace wind energy, with extensive wind farms both onshore and offshore. Wind turbines are a common sight, contributing significantly to the country's electricity production. It is a tiny country compared to Australia, and they don't seem to have any issue with windmills. So, it is ludicrous to think that wind turbines are eyesores, etc. After some time, no one will even notice those windmills. That American John Davies is so right when he says, 'Much like inland Australia, we have a lot of wind, sun and land'. Joyce has made a career as a politician and has never been into vision or policies for the country. Mukul Desai, Hunters Hill Children overlooked As Opposition spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Michaelia Cash's response to Anthony Albanese's stance on the current Gaza crisis is inhumane (' PM lashes Israel over aid, killing of civilians ', July 26). Just because the Opposition's policy is supporting Israel, there is no reason to overlook starving human beings, especially children, who have every reason to have an opportunity to live a decent life. Peng Ee, Castle Cove Michaelia Cash is 'disappointed' with the prime minister's statement on Gaza. Nowhere near as disappointed as we feel night after night seeing images of dead or starving children. Nothing could possibly excuse such cruelty. I'm beyond caring which bully boy is right. I just want the slaughter of innocents to stop. Michaelia's disappointment is irrelevant. Lynne Poleson, Kingsford Missing the point Well spotted, George Fishman (Letters, July 25), obviously your point is that the picture of the starving child is fake news, and people starving and being killed in the moonscape that is Gaza is just Hamas propaganda, no matter how many independent journalists, photographers or aid workers report back. Interesting that with the horrific image of a starving child you decide to question, what is it exactly, that she's not the mother? Maybe it's a Hamas set-up for the journos? The point you seem to be missing is that the child is starving. Alex Nikulin, Forestville I was both astonished and disheartened to read the claim by George Fishman that the mother of the emaciated child featured on the front page of the Herald appears to be very healthy and well-fed. This would be extremely unlikely in the catastrophic situation being endured by all people in Gaza. Cheryl Wilson, Crows Nest Thanks to all the letter writers who, like me, are appalled at the inhumane suffering occurring in Gaza because of aid not being distributed properly and the starvation it has caused. I get distressed every time a medical facility is bombed, the children that live will have PTSD forever. The IDF can pinpoint where a particular person is in a home yet when they claim Hamas people are in the hospitals and schools they bomb, they weren't. We have to be allowed to call it genocide, most of us are anti-Netanyahu not anti-Israel. I was alarmed that one man wrote of the picture of the starving child that his supposed mother looked well-fed. How could he tell as the woman is wearing a shapeless tent-like gown? If he looked harder, he could see her knuckles are quite bony. Carole Baxter, Woodgate Beach (Qld) Thank you to the 15 letter writers who expressed shock and outrage at the starvation of innocent children in Gaza. And thank you, Herald, for publishing these, along with the sole letter of denial from George Fishman. A letter which speaks volumes – and left me speechless. Rob Wills, West End (Qld) Mr Fishman: 'Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.' Edward Loong, Milsons Point Free uni for all Your correspondent (Letters, July 26) begins her letter by saying 'no one expects free university education'. Sorry, but you are wrong. I know many people, like myself, who do expect tertiary education to be free. Getting a university education should not only be for those who can afford it or have to go into debt to obtain it. Con Vaitsas, Makronisos, Greece Ignore wall – build flood buffers No doubt the awareness of horrendous historical flooding in the Hawkesbury/Nepean basin will again stir ill-advised calls to raise the Warragamba Dam wall (' The megaflood catastrophe that is hidden in Sydney's 'bathtub' ' , July 26). To reduce the possibility of such a catastrophe befalling existing vulnerable development, substantial flood buffers in both the Warragamba Dam and upper Nepean dams are required. Flood mitigation can be further augmented by strategic capacity reduction based on rainfall forecasts for their catchments. To compensate for the reduced storage capacity, Sydney's water supply would be supplemented by additional desalination plants, providing the added advantage of assisting to drought-proof the city. Above all, the scale of any future disaster can be minimised through strict control of development once the extent and probability of historical flooding has been established. Roger Epps, Armidale It is great to see new science and oral and written history applied to understand the floods that have occurred in the Hawkesbury-Nepean valleys. Even First Fleet officer Watkin Tench found flood debris high in the trees along the Nepean River in 1788. On our behalf, government should consider an overflow for the 'bathtub', mining across the sandstone ridges that cause the river to take such a tortuous path to Lower Portland and Colo River Junction. The flow of the river in normal circumstances would be little affected. Peter Egan, Fairview Park (SA) Although not in the same flood boat as those in the Hawkesbury-Nepean area, many other areas in NSW live in flood-prone areas. Why has our NSW government continued to allow new developments on coastal NSW floodplains (such as my area, the Clarence Valley) by allowing hundreds of thousands of truckloads of fill to be 'imported' to create man-made islands? To borrow a line from Pete Seeger's Where Have All the Flowers Gone, 'Oh, when will you ever learn'. Col Shephard, Yamba Decades of mismanaged population growth and planning have left western Sydney at risk of drowning in a 'bathtub'. But even banning immigration from overseas and reducing environmental pollution won't reduce flood risks. People in small towns invariably move to big cities, searching for more diverse and secure job opportunities. But while governments once planned for such growth, they stepped back, purportedly to reduce public spending, and they just let people come before upgrading local infrastructure – often too late. Long-term locals know that Hawkesbury-Nepean catchment rivers need to flood as it's part of their natural character. But vested interests seemingly push authorities to ignore risk and allow houses on land where they shouldn't be built. Authorities must take time to properly assess land and declare it off-limits to any development. Just building anywhere quickly exposes more people to huge floods and taxpayers to ever-growing costs of rebuilding. Warren Grzic, Hornsby US beef an unknown Australia made monumental mistakes in the past by allowing the importation of rabbits, foxes and blackberries (' Government 'won't give up' on tariff relief by US ', July 26). It seemed a good idea at the time. These pests cannot be eradicated. They are still decimating our landscape and wildlife, and are costing our farmers a fortune. Why risk importing US meat when we do not need it and with it might come mad cow disease, foot and mouth disease and hideous screw worms? We produce in Australia all the beef we need for domestic consumption and to export. Why import US meat for any reason, including Trump's crazy tariffs? The tariffs might be gone during or after his term as president, but the pests will be a lot harder to eliminate. Elizabeth Vickers, Maroubra There is a simple solution to the problem of US beef imports into Australia. Do not purchase. Let it rot on the supermarket shelves. If everyone refuses to buy US product, it will soon be withdrawn from sale. Do as the Canadians have done: refuse to buy all US products. Graham McWhirter, Shell Cove If US beef is allowed into Australia, I doubt Australian retailers would want to carry it anyway. If they do, I hope it's prominently marked so buyers can avoid it. Ian Adair, Hunters Hill One can but hope that Australian food importers will take a lead from Canadian importers and wholesalers and simply not place any orders for US beef. If Australia simply refuses to countenance inferior US beef, Trump may reconsider the efficacy of his absurd and ineffective tariff policy. Martyn Yeomans, Sapphire Beach Australia is in no danger of having its biodiversity compromised with the decision to allow US beef imports. Who in their right mind would choose an inferior product when we produce the best and safest beef in the world? So Albo has given Trump his little 'victory' to protect our cattle farmers and export income – good move, PM. Anthony Malivanek, Bray Park Smoke and mirrors The manipulative selection requirements imposed by some high schools on students wishing to study HSC advanced English (' Anger and frustration at schools' hard line on HSC English Advanced ', July 26) are devised to make the schools look better than they are. Restricting students who are good but not exceptional will increase the percentage of students in high achievement bands in both standard and advanced HSC English. If something can be measured, it will be – and the statistics from those measurements used to bamboozle us. Ian Falconer, Turramurra E-rider dangers It is unlikely that this is the first letter complaining about the poor behaviour of some e-bike and e-scooter riders. In my area they regularly drive on the footpath, go against the traffic flow on the roads and generally ignore the traffic rules. I strongly urge the authorities to pursue these people and enforce some type of penalty. Graham Russell, Clovelly
7NEWS
07-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Busy roads and small spaces don't stop auction prices soaring
In an unorthodox morning of bidding, a Fairlight auction packed out the Cunninghams office to compete for a home on busy Sydney Road. On the National front, auction activity eased last week, with 1,786 homes taken to auction across the country, the lowest number since the King's Birthday long weekend four weeks ago. While volumes were down, this figure remained slightly above the same time last year, when 1,776 homes were brought to market. Despite the dip in activity, the preliminary clearance rate held firm at 73.1 percent, slightly down from 74.5 percent the week prior. That earlier figure was later revised to 67.9 percent, which still marked the highest final clearance rate recorded since March. Encouragingly, the preliminary clearance rate has remained above the 70 percent mark for four consecutive weeks and in eight of the past ten. Melbourne led the nation in volume, with 756 homes going under the hammer, a significant drop from 962 auctions the week before. So far, 75.5 percent of reported Melbourne auctions have been successful, edging up from 75.2 percent the previous week, which was later revised to 68.2 percent. The city has now maintained a preliminary clearance rate above 75 percent for three straight weeks. Sydney followed with 691 auctions, down from 771 the previous week. Its preliminary clearance rate slipped to 72.5 percent, one percentage point below the week prior, with final figures likely to be revised similarly to previous weeks. Among the smaller capitals, Brisbane led with 155 auctions and a 70.8 percent preliminary clearance rate. Adelaide recorded 102 auctions with a success rate of 65.7 percent, while the ACT saw 69 auctions and a strong 73.1 percent success rate, the territory's best result since mid-March. Auction volumes are expected to decline further, with around 1,445 homes currently scheduled for next week and approximately 1,500 the week after. Luxe, leafy, locked in. Toorak apartment fetches $1.73m in hotly contested auction A generously proportioned apartment in one of Toorak's most tightly held enclaves sold under the hammer on Saturday for $1.73 million, as competitive bidding reaffirmed buyer appetite for premium, house-sized apartments in boutique settings. Set amid lush north-facing gardens at 8/40 Lansell Road, the oversized three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment impressed with its refined interiors, separate living and dining zones and expansive balcony designed for year-round entertaining. Positioned on the second floor of a rarely offered block, it offers scale, style and seclusion. David Stringer, listing agent at Marshall White, said the property attracted 50 groups during the campaign, with five bidders stepping forward on the day. "There was strong interest because it's hard to find apartments this size in such a quiet, private location," he said. "These types of properties always perform well, and this one didn't let down." Stringer described the auction as "spirited," noting that only two bidders were registered pre-auction, but more joined in as the momentum built. "This is the kind of place that works as a permanent home, a Melbourne base or a lock-up-and-leave. It really doesn't get much better than this on Lansell Road," he added. With features including a designer kitchen, luxurious main suite, ducted heating, Versace tiling and two secure carports, the move-in-ready residence offered both immediate lifestyle appeal and long-term investment confidence. Packed office and happy tears as Fairlight townhouse commands $2.6m A sun-soaked Fairlight townhouse with sweeping views and serious family appeal has sold for $2.68 million after a dramatic auction that ended with hugs, happy tears and exchanged phone numbers. Set in a boutique block of six at 1/190 Sydney Road, the four-bedroom residence blends house-like proportions with easy Northern Beaches living. Landscaped gardens and a gated courtyard provide a peaceful welcome, while two north-facing terraces capture sweeping views from Seaforth to Collaroy Plateau. Georgie Bates of Cunninghams said the campaign drew strong crowds, with buyers loving the sunny terraces, solid build and flexible tri-level floor plan. Despite only two registered bidders, the auction delivered drama. The owners moved it from the property site to Cunninghams' Balgowlah office to avoid the noise of Sydney Road. The office quickly filled with bidders and their extended families, creating an unexpectedly intense setting. Bidding jumped in $10,000s, $20,000s and $40,000s. The underbidder shook his head four separate times, then stepped outside for a five-minute breather before finally conceding. The winning buyer, overcome with emotion, teared up and exchanged numbers with the sellers. "They're already talking about buying some of the furniture," Bates said. "They're thrilled and keen to renovate." Featuring a Bosch kitchen, double-glazed bedrooms, multiple living zones and a versatile lower-level retreat, the townhouse balances privacy, light and family function. "This kind of property rarely comes up," Bates said. "It has space, sun and a great community around it." When detail counts, 13 Gavin Street Warrnambool sets a new street record A crowd of 40 gathered to watch a tightly contested auction in Warrnambool on Saturday, where 13 Gavin Street sold under the hammer for $790,000, a new record for the street. Ray White listing agent Fergus Torpy said there was strong interest in the modern, renovated home throughout the campaign, culminating in three "solid bidders", all families, going head-to-head on auction day. "These were people genuinely looking for their forever home," Torpy said. "There wasn't a lot of showboating. It was a determined, respectful back-and-forth. Just really straightforward, steady bidding." Bidding opened at $750,000 and climbed in $5,000 and $10,000 increments with no pauses. In the end, it was a couple with deep ties to the neighbourhood who came out on top. "They were expats from the area who had grown up nearby and always wanted to come back," said Torpy. "So it wasn't just a property purchase for them. It was about coming home." Torpy said the sellers had put a huge amount of thought and detail into the renovation, and buyers could see that. "The house has that clean, modern look that people want, but it also has warmth and personality. It's not cookie-cutter," he said. "It just really resonated with the families who walked through." The result, he added, was no surprise. "It deserved to break the street record. The response from buyers backed that up."
The Herald Scotland
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
Review: Holly Johnson at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Backed by a tight band, including keyboardist and backing vocalist Daisy May Khan – at 21, quite possibly the youngest person in the room – and led by a guitarist in David D'Andrade who clearly saw himself as part of the spectacle (never has the slicking back of hair looked more performative), Johnson gave us what was in effect an extended Rewind Festival set; a run-through of the hits and the best-of-the-rest tunes from his band days and his solo career – stretching from the mid-1980s to the start of the 1990s – concentrating, inevitably, on that fierce hot moment in 1984 – a moment that stretched out through the whole year – when Frankie Goes to Hollywood were the biggest band in the country. (The band's debut single Relax remains the sixth-best-selling UK single of all time, despite the fact that it was banned on Radio 1. Or more likely because of it.) Johnson came dressed for the party, in black leather jacket and black leather kilt which showed off his knobbly knees. Inevitably at one point he threatened to lift it up to show what was underneath. Read more: But then Johnson's personality has always been an endearing mixture of the sweet and the salty. This evening he reminded us of a story he has told before; that of his first visit to Glasgow when he 'shagged a postman'. Loucheness was always part of the appeal. Nostalgia doesn't really do surprise and so there were no real departures in the set list. It stuck pretty rigidly to the Frankie era and Johnson's early solo records, though there was the odd Frankie deep cut, like Happy Hi!, the B side of Welcome to the Pleasuredome which probably should have been left there. And it's fair to say that, ultimately, Johnson's songbook is a relatively slim one. There were a few longueurs between the sugar high of his more familiar songs. It's also true that the accompanying visuals were pretty basic, pretty budget, and at times frankly rather twee. Maybe only the half-naked musclemen dancing along on the screen to Relax seemed of a piece with the music. But in the end this show had two big advantages. The first was Johnson's voice. Back in 2019 Trevor Horn – Frankie Goes to Hollywood's producer and Johnson's bete noire – played the same venue with a crack cadre of session musicians and singers, singing some of the same songs. But when they did essay Frankie classics what was clearly, painfully, missing was the texture of Johnson's voice and his explosive vocalisations (that throaty 'huuh' at the, ahem, climax of Relax). Because, the truth is, Johnson was as essential to those Frankie records as the Fairlight sampler. And, it has to be said, the big tunes played tonight – Pleasuredome, Relax, Two Tribes – are frankly indestructible; epic confections of pop, full of sex and horror and the perfume of youth. They remain so all these years on. The evening inevitably ended with a performance of The Power of Love, Frankie's shot at a Christmas number one (seen off by Band Aid's Do They Know it's Christmas) and Johnson's favourite song. Certainly his best shot at posterity. 'We always say it's not for Christmas, it's for life,' Johnson, now wearing a crown and a sparkly jacket, reminded us. Time for the glitterball and a few minutes revelling in the sweet sadness of time passing. In the end we are our memories. As Holly says, make love your goal.
News.com.au
16-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Family's dilemma exposes flip side of housing boom
They secured it during the Covid property chaos — a dreamy, sun-drenched Fairlight unit with views, a north-facing deck and room to grow. But now, five years later, Tom Norris and wife Sarah are reluctantly putting their beloved home on the market, facing the emotional flip side of Sydney's property story: the heartbreak of having to sell. While much has been said about the struggles of getting a foot on the property ladder, the quiet grief of stepping off it — even just to upgrade — is often overlooked. 'It ticked a lot of boxes for us,' said Mr Norris, who bought the two-bed unit in 2020 as Covid social restrictions were being implemented. 'It has a townhouse feel. It's got a great layout, lots of sun, and there is a nice outlook out to Manly Dam. But now, with two young kids and a dog, we need more space.' The home, on Sydney Rd, is a short walk from Manly and Balgowlah shops, along with Fairlight and Manly beaches — a dream setup for a young couple starting out. But Mr Norris said the dream has evolved. 'We're getting in the car more now anyway — with kids, you've always got bags and baggage. Being able to walk everywhere isn't as big a deal anymore. Now it's about space, and a bit of quiet.' But finding that next step isn't easy, especially when the jump from a two-bed unit to a freestanding house in the same suburb can mean coughing up another $1 million or more. 'We'd love to stay close to Manly, but we'll have to look further afield — probably Allambie Heights or Cromer. That's where most of our friends with young families are buying.' The couple's agent, Eddy Piddington of Ray White Northern Beaches, said homeowners often had to face a similar dilemma. 'The price gap between a unit and a house in this area is significant,' he said, adding that the days of tightly localised moves — where downsizers from Balgowlah Heights might trade into Manly or Fairlight — were changing. 'Five years ago, 80 per cent of buyers came from the next suburb over. Now it's more like 50 per cent. We're seeing buyers from Killara, Northbridge, even the Upper North Shore coming in.' According to Mr Piddington, the Covid period shifted people's priorities in a profound way, sparking a wave of sea-change dreaming that still lingers — but has also evolved. 'Back then, it was like: imagine if we lived near Manly — we could swim every day, walk to the beach. That was the dream. And while that's still strong, people are also weighing up other things too.' Among the ultra-wealthy, the allure of Manly and its surrounding suburbs wasn't going anywhere, Mr Piddington noted. 'We have high-end buyers you only used to see in eastern Harbour suburbs before. They will call and say 'I want to spend $12m. What do you have?' That didn't happen before.'
Sydney Morning Herald
04-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Albanese's steady approach no longer meets the challenges
As columnist Ross Gittins and cartoonist Cathy Wilcox show, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has lost his spine (' In one awful decision, Albanese has revealed his do-nothing plan', June 4). Labor has been intimidated by the reaction of mining companies to the prospect of a resource rent tax, and then by business opposition to changing negative gearing and capital gains tax, despite majority support for such measures. The electorate thought Labor would better protect our environment, do more to help prevent climate change and provide more funding for the ongoing needs of its constituents. Instead, its steady-as-you-go approach to government is now totally inadequate to address our current issues, let alone those to come. Peter Nash, Fairlight An awful decision indeed. It is difficult to comprehend why Labor approved the North West Shelf gas project extension. There is, as Ross Gittins details, more or less nothing in this for Australia. Doing all this damage to our net zero credibility, and for what? The companies will sell all the gas overseas, none will flow to the struggling east coast, and they will pay little or no tax or revenue to Australia. The only winners are Woodsides shareholders. Why, Albo, why? Make it make sense. Ross Hudson, Mount Martha Defence fail I am already considering taking my vote away from Labor come next election. I am very unhappy with the prime minister's un-cooperative response to the US request (and the obvious need) to significantly increase Australia's defence spending (Letters, June 4). As a former employee of the Department of Foreign Affairs and current small business owner, I understand that spending decisions are always about trade-offs, however a government's primary responsibility is the safety and security of its citizens. In this regard, our prime minister unfortunately either has his head stuck firmly in the sand, or in another part of his anatomy entirely. David Sinclair, Franklin If the US wants us to increase our defence spending in order to do our 'fair share', our response should have been 'OK, as soon as the US rejoins the Paris climate change agreement and does its fair share on reducing global emissions'. After all, the biggest global security risk is climate change. There is no room for leaners like the Americans, who won't do their bit. Brendan Jones, Annandale Mike Reddy's letter hits the nail on the head when he says Ukraine's drone attack on Russia is the way to go (Letters, June 4). To invade Australia, the only way is by air or water. The way to defend us is drones and satellites looking over our coastline. Brian Ireland, Burleigh Heads (Qld) Free up homes Taxation of unrealised assets is a current target for OECD finance ministers (' Housing crisis singled out by OECD ', June 4). However, much of the motivation is resulting from the huge increases in wealth accumulation from property, an asset that rarely reduces in value over time. In Australia, we have only allowed property investments to be included in self-managed super funds since 2007. Rather than drafting complicated legislation to tax unrealised assets fairly, why not simply remove property from the allowable list of assets an SMSF may purchase from July 2025? This would not only reduce excessive wealth accumulation in super, but take some pressure out of the housing market. Ray Thompson, Randwick Labor's disastrous tobacco taxes are a timely warning about their proposed super taxes (' Only Canberra can stop the black-market tobacco trade it fostered ', June 4). Hundreds of billions in productively invested funds will be quickly diverted into tax-free family homes, created by Labor's 1985 capital gains tax. Minimal tax will be collected and housing affordability will be much worse. William S. Lloyd, Denistone It seems we've learnt nothing from our achievement of the trifecta in failed 'get tough' attempts to manage humanity's vices. Trifecta? The US prohibition on booze. Failed. Australia's drug laws. Failed. And now, huge taxes on smoking. Failed. I know these let's-get-tough laws are beloved of conservative folks, but is it not time we used our brains and adopted a new approach? This is a health issue, not a law enforcement issue. And who knows? It might just work – and be cheaper. Brian Haisman, Winmalee I hate smoking, and ideally the rate of tobacco use would be zero. But I'm also a realist. Our lawmakers are making the same mistakes with cigarettes and vapes as they've been making for decades with the unwinnable 'war on drugs.' Excessive price manipulation incentivises criminal gangs. Banning vapes in the hope they disappear is deluded. Forget about being tough on drugs. When will our legislators be smart on drugs? Jeffrey Gabriel, Gladesville Rampant hunters the real pest No professional vertebrate pest manager I have spoken to supports recreational hunting as an effective means of reducing the damage caused by feral animals (' Shooters Party demands new hunting body ', June 4). That's because hunters take out a tiny percentage of a pest population in an area, leaving the majority free to breed and continue wreaking havoc. In contrast, professionals, like the company I recently engaged to manage a large feral pig population on my farm, adopt best practice methods to rapidly remove the animals from the landscape. In our case, 37 pigs were trapped in a single night. There is no way a group of hunters would achieve these results and in fact, by scaring the survivors who simply melt back into the bush, the problem gets worse over time. If the NSW government is serious about controlling feral species, they should engage professional vertebrate pest management specialists to work in national parks and state forests on a permanent basis. Paying bounties to weekend warriors for taking out a couple of animals will do next to nothing for people like me, who end up footing the costs of trapping the pigs and repairing their damage because the population was allowed to get out of control inside a national park. Cath Henshall, Bungonia I live near a state forest where some shooters have special licences to hunt. Some try to take shortcuts through private properties to the hunting grounds. Some shoot without permission on private properties, from public roads, at anything that moves. I have had several altercations on our property. Some intoxicated hunters have even threatened me. I have recorded these incidents and reported them to police, and thankfully they have stopped. Shooters care not that so-called 'conservation hunting' is known to be ineffective. It's simple – it's not in the interest of shooters for pests to be eradicated, and most would not be skilled enough to shoot small feral animals like foxes and cats. Australians are proud of our gun laws and to diminish them for votes is a crime. They have been watered down enough already. Katherine McKenzie, Putty Nick O'Malley deftly exposes what is wrong with the Shooters Party bill to set up a new hunting authority. This taxpayer-funded agency would have its own hunting minister to effectively promote the hunters' wish list, regardless of the impact on the rest of the community. The push for 'cultural hunting' is risible. Guns were a colonial import, and the so-called 'culture' of non-Indigenous hunting is seen by many as cruel, ugly and violent. Just ask Emma Hurst MP, who gets death threats and vile abuse from hunters. 'Give them an inch and they take a mile' is an apt adage for the hunting fraternity. Let's hope Premier Chris Minns shoots down their bolshie demands. Em Wilkinson, Blackburn South (Vic) Cox on the run Dorinda Cox has left the Greens for the greener grass of the Labor Party (Letters, June 4). But why did she defect? Was it losing the vote for the Green's deputy leader position? Or was it losing the vote for the party's deputy whip position? Perhaps all of those could have come into play. It might also be the case that she is simply a bad loser. Whatever the answer, I suspect that the Greens are better off without defector Dorinda. Michael Davis, Balmain East Outdated idea Well said, Brian McDonald (Letters, June 4). A woman taking a man's name is an archaic tradition signifying ownership. But let's take it further: why does a baby almost always inherit the father's surname? After his fleeting contribution, the man steps aside while the woman endures nine months of pregnancy, navigating the immense physical, mental and emotional demands, and ultimately faces the agony of childbirth alone. Given that she carries 99.9 per cent of the burden, shouldn't she at least have the right to share her name with her child? Jane Lieschke, Woonona Brian McDonald must associate with very different women from the ones I know, none of whom are or feel owned by or inferior to their husbands – probably the reverse. The ancient practice of taking a husband's name is to create and denote a family unit and is more for the benefit of children feeling secure. Some women choose to retain their maiden names for professional reasons. On the other hand, at least two I know told me they didn't like their maiden name and were more than happy to take their husband's. Peter Thornton, Killara Ah, Brian McDonald, you may be right, changing your surname is a small thing, signifying much. I remember feeling sad as I signed the marriage register, thinking 'this is the last time I'll use this name'. But conditioning was such that I did not complain and saw it as a given. How naive we were. Unfortunately, many religions still assume that men are innately superior, are 'head of the house' and wives must obey 'til death do us part. Jennifer Fergus, Croydon Voices silenced How ironic that Tuesday's edition included, first, an article about new Sydney University restrictions on public comment and internal communications (' New rules for Sydney uni students ', June 3), and second, an article by former student Sophie Gee, who I remember as articulate and unafraid to speak up during her undergraduate days (' Trump fears Harvard's excellence ', June 3). In my 40 years lecturing at the university I was often asked by students if they could address the lecture before it started. They were often competing groups seeking election to student societies, sometimes they encouraged auditions or performances in the faculty musical and dramatic review, support for inter-faculty or inter-varsity sport, and occasionally information about a meeting on an issue such as HECS or the environment. Once the address took the form of madrigal singing. Not once can I remember a student speaking without my permission or giving a political or racist diatribe. As Sophie Gee wrote, at the heart of a university will be different viewpoints adding to complex knowledge. I have learnt so much listening to colleagues and students. But what a hush has now fallen over the university. Barbara McDonald, Woollahra Road to nowhere The new Western Harbour tunnel may well be an engineering marvel, but that does not mean it is a good idea ('Underground city preparing for machines to connect Sydney', June 4). Despite having a diameter that allows three lanes in each direction, it only has a capacity of three lanes at 30 cars a minute, or 5400 cars an hour in each direction. Optimistically assuming two people per car, that's barely 10,000 people per hour in each direction. A much smaller metro tunnel could carry at least three times as many people and would not need expensive ventilation. As for the 5400 cars, they all need road space to their destinations and many will need parking in dedicated facilities. Meanwhile, despite policies to encourage the use of public transport, we are told that funds for rail expansion are scarce. Jim Donovan, Lindfield Fine not fair A parking fine under your windscreen wiper was never welcome, but the new practice of a fine through the post is unfair. It prevents members the public from checking the details and, if contested, taking a photograph to support their case. Parking fines carry a hefty penalty in NSW, more so than any other state or territory in Australia. I note also the new advice regarding $65 'enforcement cost' – if you are under 18 it is now reduced to $25. This is good, but reveals that the $65 is not for the cost of enforcement. It is, in part at least, a tax in disguise. David Allen, Woollahra Taken for a ride Taxi rides are not the only rip-offs at Sydney airport (' Plan to stop taxi ripoffs ', June 4). Another is the station access fee ('excess fee') charged by the operators of the two airport stations set up under a Greiner government public/private partnership (PPP – public perpetually pays) to 2030. It is currently $17.34 for adults. The Perth airport station access fee is zero. Philip Laird, Keiraville Performance anxiety Travel writer Ben Groundwater rightly questions the use of client surveys to assess a worker's efficiency (' A hotel staffer begged me for a good review. Her job was on the line ', June 4). It is one thing for an organisation to want to evaluate its own performance, it's another for each worker's efficiency to be open to the whims of whichever clients chose to complete the surveys. Client feedback surveys would have to be one of the most flawed systems for evaluating workers' performance as they are totally subjective and will vary from one client's expectations to another. I now refuse to complete such surveys. If I have a gripe I will contact the organisation's complaints section directly. My dissatisfaction should be an organisational matter to solve; not a reason for punitive action against a single worker. Such worker surveillance strategies, although sugar-coated in client relationship speak, are controlling, subversive and devalue the worker. If a worker is not performing well enough it is the responsibility of the employer, not me, to monitor that and take action. Warren Marks, Richmond (Tas) Worth the money If small business owners can't afford to pay a modest and overdue minimum wage increase, as their representatives keep telling us, then they should close their business and seek employment at the wages they object to (' Millions to get pay rise as wages boosted ', June 4). Alynn Pratt, Grenfell States of disgrace Grant Heaton's grasp of British political history is at best sketchy (Letters, June 4). He compares the House of Windsor with the Trump administration, however, since the Magna Carta was instituted in the 13th century the power of British monarchs has been increasingly restrained by the political system that has evolved into the Westminster system, the one we and other democracies use today to curb the power of elected officials. In comparison, the US Constitution hands overarching power to one individual. If you're looking for the political system that nurtures the possibility of a despot, look no further than the USA – the land of the free and the home of the insane. Elisabeth Goodsall, Wahroonga Made good Made in USA. Yes, it was once considered a plus. I remember travelling in Japan 40 years ago when goods made there were considered cheap. I bought a nice local souvenir with the label 'Made in USA'. It was a clever marketing ploy, as Usa is a city in Oita Prefecture on the Japanese island of Kyushu. Bernie Carberry, Connells Point
