I have to disagree with Peter Hartcher (“PM must change with the world”, October 3) that the Howard/Costello regime was a “doer” government.
asserted
regime → have → world
It’s easy to achieve surpluses when you don’t spend on infrastructure and allow the health system and other services to deteriorate.
asserted
system → ’ → infrastructure
Governments since the fall of the Howard government have been scrambling and borrowing to deliver on the things that weren’t done during the wasted years 1996 to 2007.
asserted
that → scramble → 2007
Not to mention trying to unravel the tax concessions and other subsidies that Howard and Costello lavished on wealthier sectors of our nation.
asserted
Howard → mention → nation
Before Peter Hartcher gets too misty-eyed over Peter Costello, remember his multiple budget surpluses didn’t create a massive Norway-style sovereign wealth fund.
asserted
surpluses → get → fund
Instead, the surpluses were largely frittered away on vote-buying middle-class welfare, CGT discounts and super concessions, creating a permanent structural budget deficit.
asserted
surpluses → fritter → deficit
Lay the blame for today’s mess where it’s due, I think.
asserted
I → lay → mess
After reading Peter Hartcher’s piece I came back to his words: “The idea of a tax on gas exports could raise tens of billions.
uncertain
idea → read → billions
The proposal has considerable backing, but the government has ruled it out for now.”
asserted
government → have → it
Tens of billions are to be spent on being part of a war machine called AUKUS, and yet when it comes to offering tangible relief in the face of the “entrenched realities” of higher costs of living, interest rates and oil prices the government this time shies away from being a doer to being a (dis-)pleaser.
asserted
government → spend → living
Joblessness in context
Let’s not forget: it’s one thing if others are out of work, but something totally different if it’s you out of work (“Higher jobless rate may be the price”, October 3).
uncertain
rate → forget → work
It is appalling that multinational gas corporations are poised to reap a $23 billion windfall from conflict in the Middle East (“Middle East conflict fuels $23b windfall for gas giants”, October 3).
asserted
conflict → poise → giants
More appalling still is that ordinary Australians continue to receive little in return from our gas resources.
asserted
continue → continue → resources
Thanks to Senator David Pocock, most of us now know that we pay more in beer excise than gas giants pay in Petroleum Resource Rent Tax.
asserted
giants → know → Tax
If introduced by the Labor government, a 25 per cent gas export tax would raise an estimated $17 billion a year.
asserted
tax → introduce → billion
It would also help restore faith that the nation’s resources are being managed in the national interest.
asserted
resources → help → interest
Isabelle Henry, Ascot Vale (Vic)
Great surcharge rip-off
Something I have never understood was how banks were allowed to charge a percentage on card payments (Letters, October 3).
asserted
banks → understand → payments
My research shows the real cost of sending the data from a retailer to the card issuer is between .01 to .05 cents.
asserted
cost → show → issuer
This data transfer costs the same for a $5 cup of coffee as for a $100,000 transaction.
asserted
transfer → cost → transaction
When the dollar value, transmitted as data, hits the payee’s account there is a payment transfer to the retailer’s bank account.
asserted
value → transmit → account
Again, this transfer of data still only costs between .01 to .05 cents, and probably less if the customer and retailer use the same bank.
asserted
customer → cost → bank
Victor Marshall, Meander (Tas)
When offered a credit card, now without surcharge, the coffee shop owner responded with a discount for cash.
asserted
owner → offer → cash
Like the tobacco tax fiasco, the consumers will vote with their wallets while retailers pay zero tax on the cash.
asserted
retailers → vote → cash
William Lloyd, Denistone
I am wont to saunter along my high street every few days to do errands, popping into the pie and pastry shop for a spinach quiche and a couple of dinner rolls while I am at it.
asserted
I → wo → it
As usual, this week I proffered my card to tap the EFTPOS terminal where it is normally kept on the counter top, but it was not there.
asserted
it → proffer → top
The attendant politely but firmly said to me: “Cash better now”.
asserted
attendant → say → me
Alicia Dawson, Balmain
Why do banks, which make millions, if not billions, in profits, expect businesses to pay card transaction fees?
asserted
businesses → make → fees
And for such charges to be passed on to consumers?
asserted
charges → pass → consumers
Who is fooling who?
asserted
Who → fool → who
The reaction to David Shoebridge becoming leader of the Greens seems to be mixed.
asserted
Shoebridge → become → Greens
But it was pleasing to read (“US bases making Australia a ‘target’, warns Shoebridge”, October) that he is opposed to AUKUS and that he has called for “the United States military to be evicted from its prized Australian facilities”, and, generally, that he doesn’t want the US to wage any war with China from our shores and have bases and facilities here that will make us a target.
asserted
us → read → bases
These are important issues that he raises and hopefully will lead to public discussion and perhaps some explanations and release of details from the Albanese government.
asserted
he → raise → government
Shoebridge just may be the right person to follow up on these matters, and he should also constantly remind Albanese and his government about climate change and the need to accelerate progress on renewable energy.
uncertain
he → follow → energy
Good luck, David Shoebridge, pursue and hammer this Labor government which has gone to sleep on these important issues – just don’t expect any support from the Coalition or One Nation.
asserted
which → pursue → Coalition
Ken Butler, Mount Colah
Your correspondent (Letters, October 3) says David Shoebridge needs to drop the “replace Labor” line and get back to the Greens’ core issue: the environment.
asserted
Shoebridge → say → issue
The Climate Council’s website informs us that “since coming to power, the Albanese Government has approved 37 new, expanded or extended coal, oil and gas developments”.
asserted
Government → inform → developments
Given Labor’s track record of continuing to approve fossil fuel extraction, while hypocritically assuring our Pacific Islander neighbours of its concern about rising sea levels, how exactly do the Greens adopt your correspondent’s suggestion?
asserted
Greens → give → suggestion
As has been said before, climate change depends on the laws of physics and the laws of physics do not permit for compromise, a concept that Labor clearly cannot grasp.
asserted
Labor → say → that
Having been a victim of Youth Break and Enter and realising its impact (“Judges slam bail laws”, October 3), I am keen for something to be done.
asserted
something → realise → laws
Bored, disengaged youth requires mentoring, supervision and boundaries, not prison.
asserted
youth → require → mentoring
…and 57 more, not listed.
The Aporia
