Latest news with #Letters
The Age
a day ago
- Automotive
- The Age
Gadget-filled cars are driving up distractions on the road
To submit a letter to The Age, email letters@ Please include your home address and telephone number below your letter. No attachments. See here for our rules and tips on getting your letter published. ROAD SAFETY On the debate about making driving safer, I wholeheartedly agree with your correspondent (' Take a leaf from my book ', Letters, 17/7) about the inattention of many drivers of 'smart modern cars'. I too have observed drivers of these new cars, which appear to be equipped with so many gadgets that one would need an IT licence also. I have also observed the continual fiddling on screen, which distracts from observing the traffic, while they try to 'optimise their driving experience'. I have an ageing, well-kept and serviced, 15-year-old (automatic) Corolla, which has none of the beeps, squarks and an inclination to decelerate for no reason as in many modern cars. The quality and safety of the journey lies more in the competence of the driver, and maintenance of the vehicle, irrespective of age. The new obsession with so many gadgets in cars, are a distraction in many instances. Petrushka Owen, Hawthorn One foot at a time Your correspondent (Letters, 18/7) suggests that in an automatic, the left foot should be used for brake and the right for accelerator. This ignores an important aspect of driving – driver stability. An advanced driving course I attended emphasised the need to use the left foot on the footrest to help stabilise the driver, particularly when braking. Without this, heavy braking can cause additional body weight to be inadvertently transferred to the brake. Another consequence is the driver's feet hovering over both pedals and playing them like an organ – very confusing for the following car. Bill Clifford, Caulfield North Slower but steady I'm perplexed by the argument calling for an increase in national maximum speed limits, particularly on freeways (' Will the maximum speed limit in Australia ever be raised? ', Drive, 19/7). The author claims that Sydney and Melbourne are 'going backwards' due to reducing speed limits to 40km/h across large parts of their central municipalities. However, lower speed limits are crucial to making walking and bicycling safe for people of different ages, abilities, and capacities. I hardly call this going backwards. There are very real safety implications – in Sweden and France, after speed limits on country roads were reduced by 10km/h, crash fatalities decreased by 8 to 14 per cent. Nathan Pittman, Flemington Dangerous riding The report by Cara Waters (' Injury fears as food delivery riders turn to e-bikes ', 21/7), relating to e-bike injuries is timely. I have watched in horror as these delivery riders weave in and out of traffic, run red lights, speed, and just do all manner of dangerous things. It is time these bikes be registered, and the riders licensed. Kevin Drinan, Bentleigh Overpowered e-bikes As a legal e-bike rider since 2017 with over 20,000 kilometres clocked up, it is obvious to me that there are an increasing number of e-bikes on our suburban streets, foot paths and shared use trails that are too fast to be legal. That is particularly obvious when they are going up steeper hills, or perhaps the riders assisting with peddling are Tour de France athletes! These bikes may have been ordered to comply with the rules, while the motor's label may well confirm that they do, but who knows if the motor is really only 250 watts? Graeme Daniels, Balwyn North Manage compliance The suggestion to classify e-bikes as motor bikes and require their registration is onerous and unworkable. To my knowledge no jurisdiction anywhere in the world has taken such a draconian step. Surely a simpler solution would be the fitting of small compliance plates or tags to e-bikes that state they comply with Australian design rules. This would allow law enforcement officers to quickly identify and deal with non-compliant bikes. Guy Ward, Nunawading
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Rolling the dice on tax reform? Be prepared to bet the house
If it's true that two out of five Australians are willing to 'make a personal sacrifice to improve the nation's standing', Treasurer Jim Chalmers' intended taxation summit must address the capital tax-free status of the family home (' Voters wary of reform surprise from Albanese ', July 22). Because all other asset classes including shares, cash at bank and rental housing are all relentlessly taxed, the obvious investment choice becomes the family home, which drives prices up. Worse, because of the crippling level of mortgage repayments, it denies people the freedom to otherwise invest in productive, income-producing parts of the economy. If you want cheaper housing and more investment, the odious reality is that you probably need to tax family homes. Russell Murphy, Bayview I am not sure what is more disappointing: an electorate seemingly suspicious of major reform or a government with such a large majority in the lower house avoiding that much-needed structural reform. This is a generational opportunity that we all need to embrace to set the country up for future generations. We need to stop pandering to Baby Boomers, those with large property portfolios and the tax-shy rich, and just get on with it. Tim Overland, Castle Hill Alan Morris' letter was worryingly true – negative gearing and capital gains discounting are costing the government a staggering amount of revenue (Letters, July 22). And it's only set to increase unless reform is legislated from the top down. What better way for our treasurer to make a difference in the long term than to rein in tax concessions while encouraging investors to look away from residential property towards more productive areas that need capital injections for jobs and growth. Negative gearing should be encouraged on all income-producing assets except residential property, and with the fine-tuning of capital gains tax to help, more people will become homeowners as investors won't be tax-privileged and will have to compete on a level playing field with owner-occupiers. Productivity might be this government's new direction, but we need more than a 'round-table' talkfest if results are to be achieved. John Kingsmill, Fairlight Complex? Not half Fay Semple (Letters, July 22) asks for someone to set her straight on tax being charged on only 50 per cent of capital gains, so I will try to do so. Most forms of income – salaries, wages or business profits – typically accrue over one year and so are taxed in full at the end of that year. Capital gains usually accrue over many years, often decades. Prices generally increase a lot over that period. So if an owner sells a property or shares after holding them for many years and is then taxed on the full amount of that gain, there is no chance they would then have the funds to buy a similar property or shares. So when capital gains tax began the original purchase price was adjusted by the change (increase) in the consumer price index, so only the 'real' gain was taxed. That was later deemed too complicated so the much simpler, but much less accurate 50 per cent discount was introduced. I hope that helps explain why the 50 per cent discount exists. David Fraser, Ballina Antisemitism antidote Thank you, Alynn Pratt, for eloquently expressing the link between anti-Israel sentiments and perceived antisemitism at home (Letters, July 22). I am sure most Australians would denounce the ruthless actions of Israel, its prime minister and the IDF over the past 18 months. I believe the best way to discourage antisemitic activities in Australia would be for Australian Jews to unequivocally denounce the actions of the Israeli government and military, as many Israelis themselves are doing. Dale Bailey, St Leonards If Australia's Jewish people would disassociate themselves from the worst things happening in Gaza, other Australians may indeed, as Alynn Pratt urges, disentangle Australian Jews from Israel in their minds. It must be difficult after the acts of Hamas monsters on October 7, but to acknowledge that the response should stop now would align with the decency and judiciousness of all the Jewish people I have ever known. Jennifer Briggs, Kilaben Bay Genocide, persecution, starvation, ethnic cleansing, lebensraum – these are words and concepts that conjure up memories of horrific crimes against humanity. Are they overused tropes from the past, or valid descriptions of the dark place into which Netanyahu has led the people of Israel? His dismissal of all such claims as Hamas propaganda is a poor attempt to justify the killings. Saying 'Israel has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history' is simply untrue. Gaza has been systematically dismantled, tens of thousands of innocents have lost their lives and the daily killing of Palestinians and the occupation of their land has been normalised. Condemning these actions is not enough. The world community needs to use every means at its disposal (short of warfare) to free the Palestinian people from this despot. Furthermore, no nation should call Israel an ally while Netanyahu remains in charge. I live in hope that some day the people of Israel will rise up and make Netanyahu answerable for his crimes. Geoffrey Dyer, Bundanoon Blooming disaster The federal government still avoids the D-word when describing South Australia's algal bloom (' No disaster-level relief for algae bloom ', July 22). Why? The marine heatwave has lasted nine months. Beaches are buried under hundreds of tonnes of dead marine life – more than 400 species – but most of the devastation is underwater, across an area twice the size of the ACT. The International Disaster Database (EM-DAT) defines a natural disaster as 'a situation or event which overwhelms local capacity, necessitating national or international assistance, and likely to cause serious harm to safety, health, or livelihoods.' To qualify, at least one of four criteria must be met: 10 or more people killed, 100 or more people affected, a state of emergency declared, or a call for international help. Clearly, at least the second applies here. But EM-DAT's definition is too human-centric. Like our outdated nature and duty-of-care laws, it ignores the scale of harm to ecosystems. Climate change threatens all life, and the law must catch up. Whatever the International Court of Justice rules in the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change case on Wednesday, climate legal leadership is urgently needed. Ray Peck, Hawthorn (Vic) The contribution of $14 million to clean up the disastrous algae bloom devastating the South Australian coast is equivalent to the selling price of a house in an affluent part of Sydney. Labor MP Mark Butler stated he had never seen a bloom of this scale and duration. Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt needs to reassess his decision to not declare this a natural disaster. John Cotterill, Kingsford Why punish Boele? Liberal candidate Gisele Kapterian is aggrieved that she did not win the seat of Bradfield. She has decided to contest the result in the Court of Disputed Returns (' Libs say 151 ballots should overturn Bradfield result ', July 22). She will only do so because she has been indemnified by the Liberal Party. The fault, if there is one, lies with the Australian Electoral Office. Why then, does Kapterian feel it appropriate that Nicolette Boele (who is not alleged to have done anything wrong) should pay towards her legal costs if the decision goes against the AEO? Just another example of the Liberal Party's clearly discredited sense of entitlement. Nicolas Harrison, Evans Head Gisele Kapterian wants the High Court to overturn her election loss. Our system allows for this. But why on earth should winner Nicolette Boele have to pay for Kapterian's challenge should Kapterian win? She didn't make the decisions on which votes were accepted. Is this another Liberal Party strategy to attack independents by threatening them financially if they don't roll over when failed Liberal candidates demand it's their right to rule? Derek Elmes, Faulconbridge No books for boys If boys and young men aren't reading, maybe it is because there's nothing for them to read (' Young men have stopped reading books – and these are the reasons why ', July 22). At school, we boys were given authors such as Alistair MacLean, Jules Verne, Gerard Durrell, Paul Brickhill, HG Wells, RL Stevenson, Sir Walter Scott, Joseph Conrad and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to read. Such authors have been purged from reading lists by a largely female corps of English teachers and replaced with poorly written tripe. Teenage boys aren't interested in books like Hitler's Daughter. Furthermore, given that boys find reading more difficult because (a) they have no male role models left and (b) their literacy skills develop more slowly, it should be of no surprise to anyone that they do not read. Programs like DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) are great, but dwindling. Ryszard Linkiewicz, Woolooware Multicultural riches Australia is by and large a fine example of a multicultural melting pot, and it is pleasing to note that we are soon to celebrate the settling of one million refugees since World War II. As pointed out in your editorial (' Australia has been enriched by refugees ', July 22), what has allowed us to live together for the most part, harmoniously and peacefully, is the prevalence of shared values, especially human values. Curious to know just what these values might be, I reached out to Siri, only to be required by a website I was assigned to verify that I was, in fact, human. This sadly set me wondering if, in the not-too-distant future, artificial intelligence may render the human values that give us meaning dispensable – and just a mere tick of a box. Mary Carde, Parrearra (Qld) For crying out loud, we're all immigrants and refugees. This country, which we stole, has offered refuge from the partisan madness of the old world, and together we've done quite a good job in building a working model for a peaceful world – that is, a tolerant, multicultural democracy that celebrates diversity. Now, if we could just pay long-overdue respect to the original Australians we might have something to crow about. Phil Bradshaw, Naremburn There can be no doubt that Australia has been enriched by refugees. Those who work in education can attest to the attributes that many refugees bring to a classroom, especially their gifts in speaking and understanding languages other than English. As a nation, Australia needs to understand and better utilise these gifts. One policy area for the treasurer's forthcoming growth summit, as it explores productivity, is to consider how better to utilise and harvest our immense bilingual riches. Rod Leonarder, Roseville Croc or crock? For Captain Hook, the tick-tocking of the clock was a forewarning of the approaching crocodile, a symbol of his fateful predicament. Soon, if not already, crocodiles will become regular visitors to the holiday town of Noosa (' Jury still out on Noosa's claimed crocodile sightings ', July 22). As for Hook, the crocodile for us is also analogous of a forewarning – time ticking away while climate change does its worst. The warming ocean currents have already ominously manifested themselves. The demise of intricate marine communities along the South Australian shores; the vast tracts of reef from NSW to Tasmania decimated by long-spined sea urchins encouraged southward in ever-warming currents; the whale migrations with truncated northern destinations, evidence of shrinking food reserves in warming southern oceans. Tick-tock, tick-tock. Steve Dillon, Thirroul Margot Saville's claim that the Noosa crocodile is just a 'lizard' may have a grain of truth to it ('I've seen one up close, so Noosa's reptile may be a croc', July 22). In fishing parlance, a 'lizard' is a flathead, a common species in the Noosa River. Perhaps the croc is just that – a wildly overgrown flathead in the manner of Razorback, the huge wild pig that tore its way into Australian cinematic glory back in the mid-1980s. If such were true, Noosa could immediately benefit by the construction of the Big Flathead, a great addition to the local tourist industry, and of course the movie would follow – a riot of chewed-up tinnies (and fishermen). Only in Queensland. Peter Cooper-Southam, Frenchs Forest Choice in care Wendy Syfert talks of her 'guilt, grief and anger' at having to return to work for financial reasons (' Focus on profit demeans childcare ', July 22). She describes 'prising her crying baby from her chest each day' when leaving the five-month old in care. What was this distress about: a child's broken attachment needs (critical at six months of age), objections to the quality and consistency of care, fear of strangers, missing her mummy? Was the mother not typical of many parents who in today's society are not allowed to care for their babies and toddlers? Prime minister, it's time to put children's needs first and give families real choice about childcare. Stop subsidising for-profit centres and give mothers and fathers adequate paid parental leave. Susan Tregeagle, Yarralumla To ensure that early childcare is safe, caring and reliable, the federal government will need to spend a huge sum of money. Another option, which I'm sure would be welcomed by many parents and children, would to pay the basic wage to the caring parent until the child is two years old. The partner would be required to allocate half their superannuation to the carer for those two years. If they do the sums, the government may come out ahead. Denise McElhone, St Ives Research confirms the lifelong benefits of at-home parenting (Letters, July 22). Norway has modernised this traditional approach with the addition of generous taxpayer-funded paid parental leave, and their approach provides our government with a successful working model ('Treasurer in race to form agenda ahead of summit', July 22). In Norway parents are entitled to a combined total of 49 weeks of paid parental leave at 100 per cent salary replacement or a longer period at 80 per cent, which can be shared between parents. The potential long-term benefits are enormous in terms of mental health outcomes for children and the wider community. Australia could readily adopt this generous model to resolve many of the problems with the for-profit childcare sector. The program has been funded largely by Norway's high fossil fuel taxes. Maybe we can do the same here. Or maybe we can fund paid parental leave from one of the other 'hollow logs' available to the Albanese government, such as the $10 billion to $15 billion revenue lost annually to negative gearing and capital gains tax on investment properties, a major reform that might resolve two of our biggest social problems – runaway house prices and a childcare system that's been exposed as not fit for purpose. Rob Firth, Red Hill (ACT) Fair play With our PM purporting to be a big tennis fan, I wonder if he mentioned to Xi Jinping the inexplicable disappearance of Chinese tennis champ Peng Shuai after she accused a high-ranking Chinese official of sexual assault. Rosemary O'Brien, Ashfield
The Herald Scotland
4 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
What has Scotland gained from having voted in 37 Labour MPs?
It's also the case that, by rejecting out of hand the Octopus Energy proposal of seven or eight "zones" for electricity, the Labour Government is ensuring that Scotland's economy will be more depressed than needs to be the case. Had zonal pricing gone ahead, there would have been a boost in economic activity for Scotland, with energy-hungry business operations looking to relocate, or to expand, their business in Scotland to benefit from the lower price of electricity. Our NHS and public services, hospitality sectors, and every other business would have benefited instantly. Across Dumfries and Galloway we previously sent Tory MPs to London to do their bit for Scotland in government but, instead, we got Brexit. And that despite Scotland voting 62% Remain in the EU. And now we have Labour in Westminster failing to as much as rejoin the European Economic Area with a single market) with the resultant loss of freedom of movement for people both ways; nor the customs union to facilitate the movement of trade and services. The question must surely now be: "What is the benefit to Scotland of being a part of this UK that is so much against what the people of Scotland want and need?" Ian Waugh, Dumfries & Galloway Indy Hub, Dumfries. SNP's wise policy on offshore wind Jill Stephenson (Letters, July 13) claims that the Scottish Government does not own any energy sources for wind generation and that these are actually the property of private companies. Is this the same Jill Stephenson who berated the Scottish Government three years ago for selling wind farm seabed licences at a much lower price as compared to Westminster? How do you auction off something you do not own? As regards the efficacy of that decision, it is perhaps worth noting a January 2022 article in the industry magazine WindEurope which commented as follows: 'The Crown Estate Scotland has announced the results of the 'ScotWind' seabed tender. They auctioned 8,600 km² of sea space which could host almost 25 GW of offshore wind. 17 projects won. With 15 GW most of the capacity that will now be developed to be floating offshore wind, the system the Scots have used for awarding seabed leases ensures the new offshore wind farms will be delivered at the lowest cost for taxpayers. "The option fees are much lower than in the UK's recent Offshore Wind Lease Round 4. Scotland chose a more sensible tender design with a maximum price ceiling of £100,000/km². This has avoided bidding at very high prices – which keeps the costs of offshore wind low for consumers. As seabed leasing costs are usually passed on to the electricity consumer, a price ceiling ensures that new offshore wind volumes are also delivered at the lowest cost for consumers." A business ceases to become commercially viable when its customers can no longer afford to buy its products. So keeping that price as low as possible becomes a pre-requisite for any energy policy. However Westminster has not only ignored that logic but has transferred the high prices it charged for its licences onto Scottish consumers. This has led to a number of businesses in Scotland closing as rising energy costs have made them uneconomic. How could any Scottish Government create a viable business in these circumstances? Robert Menzies, Falkirk. Read more letters We need a vote on Holyrood The cost of running Holyrood is spiralling out of control. With a total budget of over £41 billion it is questionable if Scotland really needs this expensive additional layer of government. The previous system before Holyrood was established was to have a Secretary of State for Scotland with a small team of Scottish civil servants running Scotland very efficiently at a fraction of the cost of Holyrood. There is growing support for having a referendum in Scotland to consider closing Holyrood and reverting to the old system, thereby saving billions. Dennis Forbes Grattan, Aberdeen. A disregard for human life Thank you so much for printing Denis Bruce's letter (July 13) regarding the statements of Lily Allen and Miquita Oliver on how much they are relishing their easy access to abortions, and how exciting an experience it is, totally disregarding the fact that for every abortion they have had, they have taken a human life, and all those involved in the process are now conditioned into seeing this as a service and part of the rights of any mother. Is that the road we are going down? Once this disregard for human life seeps out into all other avenues of what is acceptable, living in such a society for future generations looks very bleak indeed. Respect for human life is at the very centre of a civilised society. If this bill to decriminalise abortion, which is not yet passed, and still has to go to the House of Lords, could be stopped in its tracks, a great many people around the country, not just Denis Bruce, would be very relieved indeed. Let us learn from those countries who chose to go down that route some years ago and are now living to regret it. I never thought I would live to see the day when a mother could legally take the life of a baby about to be born. God help us all. Nancy Gilfedder, Glasgow. Am I worthy of preservation? "Every human has immeasurable value" asserted several distinguished academics (Letters, July 6) in response to the question of the merit of human life, otherwise "we descend into a jungle of barbarity". Indeed. In making their case, they cited various debates in society currently querying the sanctity of life but, frankly, they had plenty to choose from. An embarrassment of riches stretched out before them in that respect. We seem surrounded by politicians and commentators, expert on price but conspicuously poorly advised on value. Nowhere more so than upon the issue of welfare reform. Chancellor Rachel Reeves was literally brought to tears during a discussion on the theme (though, we were assured, for wholly unrelated reasons, and that the source of her obvious distress was "a personal matter"). As someone who has relied on benefits for many years, I consider myself a dab hand at budgeting. I have to be. When the sums do not add up, I am not afforded any claim to personal matters. Were I to tender such emotion, the barbarians around me would have a field day at my expense. So what are we worth? And whom amongst us should we prioritise for preservation? The aforementioned academics argued that the calculation is immeasurable. But someone will measure it. They always do. With or without hankies. Archie Beaton, Inverness. Has the Scottish Government got it right on offshore wind? (Image: PA) Crack down on charities This Government is spending, or should that be wasting, money like water and taxes are increasing and increasing. Cuts must be made. What about starting with charities? There are 200,000 charities in the UK. For the tax year to April 2025 the tax relief for these charities and their donors totalled £6.7 billion. Yes, billion not million. That is £6.7bn less to spend on where it is more needed. The Government should be more critical in allowing new charities and challenging existing charities with a view to reducing the numbers to see where savings can be made and whether they are still in the public interest. Just think what could be done with a 10 per cent saving. Top of the hit list should be the 1,717 migrant charities (up from the 2020 level of 1,104) which play a dominant role in preventing the deportations of migrants who had no right to remain in the UK. Clark Cross, Linlithgow. UK is at war with Russia Of course the latest Russian drone attacks on Ukraine should be condemned ("Zelenskyy's plea as Ukraine is bombarded", July 13), but let's not forget that Russia proper is being attacked with UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles, meaning the UK is effectively at war with Russia (that Brits aren't firing them is immaterial). Given the increasing importance of cyber warfare, Keir Starmer (who recently told us to prepare for war) is risking attacks on UK infrastructure. If the coming winter is marked by regular power cuts, with hospitals having to run on generators, we'll know who was stupid enough to up the ante. George Morton, Rosyth. Hypocrisy over Trump I see that the usual suspects are lining up to protest at the forthcoming visit of President Trump – left-wingers, the Greens and the SNP. Not that long ago, there was a visit from the Chinese leader, head of an odious government, with very few of the above turning out to protest. Why not? William Ballantine, Bo'ness.
The Herald Scotland
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
10 years to make indy the settled will? Not a hope
The current administration has been let off the hook for far too many years through the absence of robust, effective and dynamic opposition. The result of this has led to unimaginative, lazy policy-making and the highest taxation levels in the UK to no visible benefit of anyone. The most vehement and hard-hitting critics of the SNP have come from within its own ranks, when even their long-held allegiances weren't enough to quell their outrage at their party's management and policies. There is no spark or dynamism from any quarter of Scottish politics. Scottish ministers are only rarely seen in public except to trot out to apologise profusely for some failure or another. With a predicted high number of established, long-serving MSPs standing down at the next election, along will come a raft of untried, untested candidates lacking in political experience to take their places. The current batch of [[SNP]] MPs is largely anonymous and the much-lauded 'newbies' (for example, Neil Gray, Màiri McAllan and even Kate Forbes) have not exactly set the heather on fire, and many of the current ministers will not be missed. So in answer to the original question posed by Andy Maciver, I would say the likelihood of 10 years being long enough for independence to become the settled will under the SNP, is as unlikely as the Arran ferries fiasco being resolved in a similar timeframe. But we can but live in hope… Colin Allison, Blairgowrie. Read more letters • I read with some interest Andy Maciver's article today. I would call it part two, his part 1 being last Friday ("Move over, Labour and Tories: there's room for a new party", The Herald, July 11). Both articles are excellent, show good insight and are worth a read. The original was in relation to Labour's failed attempt at effective welfare reform. Mr Maciver's opinion seems to be that without significant welfare reform the current financial position within the country is not sustainable. I would agree with that. This week's article provides an independence slant to the argument in that he sees opportunity for the SNP to make political capital with this. He unfortunately does not offer any suggestion as to what it may do. He also conveniently forgets that the "welfare class" (Mr Maciver's term) provides much core support to the SNP and that the SNP has already committed to increasing welfare spending. Also the the middle third of electorate he describes as " they probably work" and are open to the independence argument, are currently paying more tax than anywhere else in the UK. Maybe if next week he is to provide a part 3 he could advise how the SNP could ditch these two flagship policies and still hang onto their vote. Kenny Watson, Renfrew. Romanticising independence Ruth Marr (Letters, July 17) claims that "many of our European friends and neighbours would welcome an independent Scotland into the EU". I'll bet they would, because we'd be net contributors as the UK always was, pre-Brexit to the tune of some £9 billion annually (equivalent to roughly £160 from every adult). Indeed the per capita sum would be a lot more, since by then the ultimate basket-case Ukraine would have been admitted. As for "friends and neighbours", it romanticises what upon independence would have to be a sober calculation, at a referendum, of national and personal advantage. George Morton, Rosyth. Let's end the secrecy Who was the member of the Tory government who decided that a super-injunction should be put in place to make sure that neither the Members of Parliament nor the general public should be aware that this cover-up over the release of the list of Afghans eligible for a safe refuge in the UK after helping out our British forces there to maintain law and order ("Tory ex-ministers defend record as pressure mounts after Afghan data leak", The Herald, July 18)? Rule by super-injunction is hardly the way to run a democracy. It amounts to keeping people totally in the dark, costing the country large amounts of money and threatening the freedom of anyone who, privy to that knowledge, wanted to be a whistleblower on that very subject. We surely cannot be going down the route favoured by autocracies which revel in secrecy and intimidation buttressed by agencies specialising in informers to keep the public both passive and compliant. This situation must be thoroughly explored and the persons responsible for initiating that course of action brought to book for a strategy that brings democracies into even more disrepute than they already deserve. Denis Bruce, Bishopbriggs. • The word scandal is overused, but recent revelations about thousands of Afghans being moved to the UK without any public disclosure let alone debate is scandalous. The Government ought not to be conducting large-scale immigration in secret. It also ought not to be spending taxpayers' money to gag the press from covering a story that is undoubtedly in the public interest to know about. This attack on the free press is both unprecedented and utterly unjustifiable. We already have far more immigrants from cultures vastly different to our own than we can or should support. Afghanistan is a backward Islamic society with a strong tendency to violence and very different conception of society to our own, a lesson we learned on our misadventures there from the 19th century onwards. Secretly airlifting thousands of Afghans to live here at our expense and purposefully hiding that fact is an outrageous attack on the fabric of our society and democracy by those supposed to lead it. Christopher Ruane, Lanark. Give locals a say on wind farms Most renewable energy is generated in Scotland and zonal pricing (which the UK Government has just rejected) would have lowered prices. But this is only part of the problem in the privatised energy industry. For example, the price of (cheaper) electricity is also tied to the price of (expensive fossil fuel) gas. Profits move out of the country. The devolved Scottish Government does not control energy but does control planning. The planning permission is in a mess; it doesn't look at the numbers of wind farms in one area nor the grid and infrastructure problems. Applications for pylons and big wind farms are decided centrally, by ECU ([[Scottish Government]]'s Energy Consents Unit). Just now SSEN Transmission has a massive application for a project at a tiny hamlet at Fanellan. It will involve a 66-acre substation on 800 acres of farmland( 600 football pitches in size). Local people need a meaningful say on what happens in their backyard and the countryside. In the Highlands, Aberdeenshire and elsewhere where wind turbines are, energy goes elsewhere – mainly to England (34% in 2023). This is likely to go up hugely with the construction of the super connector from Peterhead to Yorkshire. Now 53 community councils have asked for a halt of development and for real local involvement and an energy strategy to benefit the Highland Council and [[Scottish Government]]. Professor Brett Christophers who studies renewables, suggests that the state should play a bigger role: "For me [public ownership] is [the answer]. I think the UK is the standout case, not just in electricity but in water too, for public ownership of these assets.' 'In almost every conceivable regard, privatisation has been a bit of a disaster." Scotland needs an independent government implementing a wellbeing economy. Pol Yates, Edinburgh. Is the planning system for wind farms fit for purpose? (Image: PA) Frustration with ScotRail I suggest there should be an inquiry into [[Scottish Government]]-run ScotRail's fitness for purpose. Twice this week there have been major disruptions due to problems with the overhead line equipment. Today, I wanted to go from Bearsden to Helensburgh. I checked before making my journey (as we are advised to do) and found there were limited services from Anniesland to Dumbarton Central and from Dumbarton Central to [[Helensburgh]] Central. I took the bus to Anniesland, where the majority of trains were shown as cancelled with some running. The 14:55 service was shown as "on time" until 14:57 when it was cancelled. The 15:26 was shown as "on time" until 15:28 when it was cancelled. Other passengers on the platform shared my frustration. It seems we have a sophisticated computer-driven passenger information system that is not fit for purpose when serious disruption occurs. No explanation was offered by any person. Automated messages saying "Please listen for further announcements" are clearly inadequate for anyone trying to make a decision about travel options. I cannot believe it is not possible to make an "all stations" announcement. What would ScotRail do in a true emergency where there was no automated "script" available? The irony is that I was going to Helensburgh to pick up my car from the garage. Scott Simpson, Bearsden. Airport questions Your article detailing the increase in "drop-off" charges at UK airports ("Most UK airports raise drop-off fees while busy EU hubs still don't charge", The Herald, July 17) made interesting reading, particularly the reasoning for the increases as provided by Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK. I am sure the multitude of air travellers who avail themselves of this facility must wonder: do the taxi drivers or bus companies who also use this facility pay some form of charge? Perhaps the chief executive might like to inform the air traveller, and the general public of the nature and detail of the mandate the various airport owners have received from government and local authorities. Mike Dooley, Ayr. Hey, what about me? The result of Peter Martin's diligent search for a gender-neutral personal pronoun (Letters, July 19) would, he admits, lead to yet more disputation. My bete noire is hearing that John and Jean have invited Joan and I to dinner. The use of "I" instead of " me" in this context pervades all walks of life, including those whose job it is to speak publicly on a regular basis. My raising the subject at my golf club led to a heated argument, not normal in that environment. I used to think that only posh people made this mistake and that I might be considered vulgar in declaring that Jim had driven Jack and me into town. David Miller, Milngavie.
The Herald Scotland
6 days ago
- General
- The Herald Scotland
I fear for Glasgow's listed buildings in the hands of city's leaders
This week, Mark Smith wrote that an appeal by the owner of the Vogue cinema in Possilpark to revoke the category C listing was thankfully rejected by the reporter appointed by Scottish ministers ("Incoherent, inconsistent, confused and ineffective", The Herald, July 14). Due to a communication failure between Glasgow City Council and Historic Environment Scotland, the empty cinema had already been partly demolished, a failure which was underlined in the reporter's decision. On June 17, Glasgow City Council's planning committee met to approve or reject the proposal for a 356-bed student block which would utterly obscure the south elevation of Mackintosh's Category A-listed masterwork, the Glasgow School of Art. It was clear that some members of the committee could not read the drawings provided by the applicant and I was utterly astonished by their complete lack of critical assessment as they approved the proposals, against the advice of Historic Environment Scotland, thereby putting in jeopardy the 'faithful reinstatement' of the building promised by the art school leadership. Consequently, I am genuinely fearful about the future of the city's listed buildings and its architectural heritage in the hands of its current leadership, councillors and planning officials. Professor Alan Dunlop FRIAS, Aberfoyle. Read more letters When small isn't beautiful Alister MacLeod (Letters, July 14) asked whether large numbers of mini-wind power generators might feasibly replace 'giant wind turbines' and be effective suppliers of electric power to the grid. Unfortunately, small turbines can deliver only small amounts of power and, as he surmised, the number of mini-generators would be huge. To a first approximation, the power generated by a wind turbine is proportional to the square of its diameter. A typical turbine at the Whitelee wind farm has a diameter of 93 metres and generates a 'notional' 2.2MW of power. To generate the same power using turbines one hundredth of this size (0.93 metres diameter) would require 10,000 such units. Deploying turbines only two feet (0.6 metres) in diameter would require in excess of 25,000 units. Connecting such large numbers of generators to the grid is quite impractical. In our lifetimes we have become used to simply flicking a switch to get power in our homes and we fail to appreciate just how 'power hungry' we have become. The electric kettle in our kitchen requires power equivalent to that of four horses. A toaster needs the power of a pair of horses. A typical domestic gas boiler used to provide hot water and central heating uses power equivalent to that of 40 horses. We are perhaps used to feeling the power of the wind blowing on our faces or the heat from the sun burning our skin. In reality, however, neither wind nor solar power are energy-dense and, as long as we seek to enjoy our power-hungry lifestyles, we will require energy-dense power sources such as fossil and nuclear fuels. Norman Bolton, Newton Mearns. Let's have more culture For good reason the Letters Pages in The Herald tend to be dominated by political, economic and social issues such as the constitution, international conflicts, taxation and the gender debate. Many of the contributors take entrenched positions and there is a limit to how many circles can be gone round. Should there be space for discussion on arts and cultural items that have featured in The Herald? In the last few weeks I took on board two of Neil Mackay's recommendations and would have missed them otherwise. Firstly the film Make it to Munich is simply a heart-warming story, in particular the genuine friendship between Ethan (he suffered life-threatening injuries in a road accident) and his consultant. Despite, I'm guessing, having a 40-year age difference, they came across as simply being great mates out cycling. Secondly I've just finished the first part of the book On the Calculation of Volume, which Mr Mackay also strongly recommended. It's not the sort of book I'd normally hear about, never mind buy and read, but I found it strangely intoxicating without really understanding why. I'm looking forward to the second part and trying to figure what it is about the writing that grips me. I'm aware of the occasional letter for example on a concert review or about the BBC. I think it would be good to broaden the Letters Pages even further. Certainly Neil Mackay broadened my outlook and that can never be a bad thing. Willie Towers, Alford. Protect our libraries With the desperate situation in today's USA of libraries being metaphorically set on fire, could we in Scotland show an example by expanding the service instead of shutting down access? The pathetically small amount of cash needed to continue staffing school and local libraries doesn't come close to the wasted finances over recent years. No matter what your beliefs, woke attitudes, whatever, being able to research and discuss should always take precedence. Jim Campbell, Bearsden. Yesterday's Picture of the Day by reader Jackie Gordon (Image: Contributed) Damselfly confusion Jacki Gordon's Picture of the Day today (The Herald, July 16) was labelled as being a dragonfly and damselfly feeling the love. Sorry, it's a nice photo captured well, but let down by an inaccurate caption. The photo, as probably most viewers will realise, is in fact of a male (the blue-coloured one) and a female damselfly mating. Whether or not they are in love is not for me to say. While this not a guaranteed identification of the species it's likely they are common blue damselflies. (Other blue species are of course available.) Alastair Clark, Stranraer. Just sport, please. Nothing more The padding-out of every single sports event on television, to include pre-match, mid-match and post-match interviews and analyses, has reached new lengths (or heights/depths /limits?). Perhaps we could have just watch the sports without expert advice? Allan McDougall, Neilston.
