Savings spin
Eden-Monaro Liberal Member Peter Hendy is crowing about how households will be $550 better off because they have scrapped the price on carbon.
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What he is not saying is that households will be better off because his government has scrapped the tax and kept the compensation.
Households were always fully compensated for the cost increases of a tax on carbon pollution, so to claim that households are better off just because they have kept the compensation is fraudulent.
He is also saying there is a budget crisis, so taking away a tax and keeping the compensation makes no economic sense.
Scrapping the most efficient way of curbing carbon pollution makes no environmental sense either.
Global warming needs a global response.
Australia must be part of the global action to reduce carbon pollution.
This is just another example of lies and spin from the masters of lies and spin - the Abbott government.
Max Mosig
Runnyford
Our fair share
I am writing regarding your article “Electricity asset sell-off 'lunacy’” (BDN, 18/7).
While concern about the plan to lease the poles and wires is understandable, it is important this issue is properly appreciated by people in our region, because it’s the difference between having more jobs and cheaper electricity – or staying the same.
The lease of the poles and wires will give NSW $20billion for new infrastructure.
This is money that could be used to upgrade infrastructure in our region – such as making the Princes Hwy safer for motorists and better for freight.
Public operation of the poles and wires has added $580 per year to electricity bills for small businesses and households.
Higher electricity bills make manufacturing, agriculture, tourism and other sectors less competitive, making our goods and services on the Far South Coast less competitive.
High electricity bills also reduce the amount of money that people can spend in our local businesses, because people have to pay their bills first.
NSW and Bega cannot afford more of the same.
The lease of the NSW electricity grid can be the circuit breaker for business, jobs and households.
The South Coast should be focussed on how we get our fair share of the billions that will be available for infrastructure in our region.
Gary Ryan
NSW Business Chamber membership manager Capital Far South Coast region
Kindness appreciated
Last week I fell victim to a badly fractured wrist and elbow, shattering my winter gardening plans, as well as my ego, and resulting in my becoming a guest of the emergency department at Bega Hospital.
We are all aware of the “horror stories” allegedly perpetrated against patients by our public hospital system, so how lucky we are to have a hospital facility whose staff are totally dedicated to providing complete kindness and the absolute best in professional care, in what can only be described as very harsh working conditions.
In any event, I would like to publicly thank the nurses and doctors who took such very good care of me when I needed it most.
John Richardson
Wallagoot
Devoted carers
Recently my husband was seriously ill and spent some time in Bega District Hospital.
Our family wish to thank all who helped in Ray's recovery and hope to show our appreciation by sharing this letter.
We are extremely lucky to have such devoted professional carers working in almost archaic conditions.
The new hospital will be great, but the heart of it will be all the wonderful staff we already have.
Joy Brunton
Tathra
Well-informed?
Christian Democrat Bob Day says he once studied science and is a climate sceptic.
Amazing how he thinks his opinion on global warming is right rather than the presidents and prime ministers of our major trading partners and now, almost all climate scientists!
Have Day and other conservatives not listened to BOM say this was the hottest year on record, nor heard that the ocean is warming fast and undermining the Antarctic ice shelf, guaranteeing sea level rises?
The Senate is a house of review for the states, so has a legitimate right not to pass bad legislation.
Yet senators with very small majorities can decide to support a coal mining baron's PUP-pets vote against pricing carbon, which threaten coal profits.
Democracy is wonderful, when well informed.
Prue Acton
Wallagoot