In a country renowned for its abundant and affordable power, it is a disgrace that we have a full-blown energy crisis. For more than two decades our politicians have chosen to sacrifice energy security in favour of climate change zealotry.
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We need to appreciate how important the coal and gas industries are to the states and our national economy, so here is a few facts. In the past 12 months, the coal industry exported $110bn worth of product overseas, employing 270,000 people directly and over a million people indirectly. Coalmining employment has trebled since 2002, up from 83,000 to 270,000 employees.
Our coal, gas and oil export earnings combined were $425bn in 2020-21 alone. The Queensland Labor government is forecast to reap $8bn in royalties from coal in 2021-22. The Palaszczuk Labor government wants to close down these industries. However, if it didn't have coal and gas royalties, it would have to shut down the state's hospitals.
This is why the new Albanese Labor government need to be careful about our energy future supply and give it certainty, not intermittent unreliable power sources.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
Protect whistleblowers
It would appear the Albanese government is attempting to negotiate with the US administration not to proceed with the extradition of Julian Assange from the UK to the United States to front an obviously stacked court. Assange's charges: making public, sensitive and embarrassing US intelligence information. Information given him by Chelsea Manning whose prison sentence for this was commuted in 2017.
Meanwhile, back here in The Land of Oz , since 2018 a "Star Chamber" has been in action against former ACT chief minister, Bernard Collaery and "witness K" for the "crime" of blowing the whistle on the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, (ASIS) and former Howard government minister, Alexander Downer who approved ASIS "bugging" the Timor-Leste Cabinet Room in 2004 during the negotiations on the Timor Gap gas reserves, in order to "rip off" the financially poor Timor-Leste of billions. Sadly, both Bernard Collaery and, Julian Assange appear to be victims of embarrassed "spooks" intent upon punishing truth tellers!
Barry Swan, Balgownie
Questions over Barilaro
I see John Barilaro has been given a plum job in New York with a $715,000 salary plus $112,950 living expenses per annum. After reading all about him and the outrage by fellow politicians over this appointment, I am now of the opinion that this state Liberal government is also on the nose, just like the federal mob we just got rid of. I hope that the inquiry organised by state Labor will sort this out and put this man back on his NSW farm.
John Pronk, Wollongong
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