We received a renewal notice for our car insurance today. Also a notice of gas price rises from February 1. Our car comprehensive insurance last year was $462. The renewal this year is $609 and no claims have been made. That's an Increase of 32 per cent on last year's premium.
Current gas price is 3.23 cents MJ increasing to 4.88 cents MJ - a 51 per cent increase on 1/2/23. Our groceries average increase so far is 21 per cent and rising. Petrol is forever going up and down but on average it's costing an extra $25 to fill up.
It's getting to a stage where we just can't afford to live. Holidays and dining out, things of the past. Not sure what the answer is, but hopefully the federal government can give pensioners a substantial increase to cover these cost blowouts.
Terry Stretton, Dapto
Cardinal Pell a good man
Response to the article by Don Woolford, "A 'muscular' defender of the faith" (Mercury, January 12). There will be those who will be almost rejoicing at the death of Cardinal George Pell; not so those who believe in the key principles that underpin Christianity and justice.
His conviction on charges of child sex abuse in St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, was a legal disgrace. He was convicted of heinous crimes on the uncorroborated testimony of a single witness, yet more than 20 witnesses placed Pell elsewhere at the same time. Nevertheless he maintained his dignity and resoluteness throughout that ordeal. His faith shone for all to see in the way he went about conducting himself privately and publicly.
The cardinal was faithful and orthodox while also approachable and easy to speak with. Yet, the media-driven false characterisation of him has been presented to the public for the past 25 years.
Adrian Devlin, Fairy Meadow
Solar panel motives
David Curtis (Climate change sceptics - January 10) writes about cotton farms hosting 800 hectares of solar panels. Now, why would they do that?
Could it be they are trying to stabilise their power costs and supply?
There's no doubt the price of power from the grid is on a long-term trajectory upwards, while at the same time the reliability trajectory is headed down.
David might ask: 'If WDP is so bad why did these cotton farmers go for it?' Could the availability of taxpayer subsidies have influenced their decision and its timing?
Or was it because this industry is often criticised for its high use of irrigation water (73 per cent nationwide in 2020-21), and these farmers didn't want to antagonise the climate natives further by 'hosting' a few acres of diesel-powered generators, or something similar?
Richard Burnett, Wollongong
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