Peter Garrett, Tasmania and Gunns:

Harry Goldsmith writes: Re. “Peter Garrett: I haven’t lost my passion and I’m not missing” (yesterday, item 13). One has to take the side of Peter Garrett, rather than Crikey’s. Unfortunately, Crikey sounds rather shrill at times, and less reliable than even the Sunday Truth. Just because you have an audience, and the power of the metaphorical pen, does not mean that you have to act like smart-alec bullies.

Ian Dunn writes: I think he’s right and you’re wrong! I heard him in an extensive interview with Jon Faine on the ABC last week, and he spoke sensibly. It’s not by any means clear that NO pulp mill should be built in Tasmania to enable us to value-add to the timber plantations, increasingly coming on stream. We’ve all urged the use of plantation timber — now do we condemn those who’ve grown it, to the lowest productivity from it, ie. wood chips? It seems to me that the site is wrong, and unless the discharge issue can be overcome, the thing should not go ahead at all, but I’m happy to let Jim Peacock and his crew assesses this. And that’s what the ALP and Garrett are awaiting. What’s wrong with that?

Peter Lloyd writes: Plant physiology consultant Mike Walker (yesterday, comments) raises some excellent points regarding Gunns’ proposed pulp mill, shedding some light on the hidden, and largely unspoken, agenda behind the projectn — to entrench Gunns in an unassailable position in Tasmania, starve the rest of the business community of resources and space, and thus ensure the continuation of crony capitalism on the island for a generation. However, readers should beware that while plantations are excellent carbon sinks and certainly have an important place in a sustainable Tasmania forest industry, they have limitations. Plantation forestry Gunns style means clearing native forest, or buying productive farm land, for tax-subsidised plantations (Gunns recently reported they made $80 million from selling these schemes last year). Once cleared, the native animals are killed with 1080 baits and liberal quantities of chemicals are sprayed around to keep the bugs away. Plantations are often in corridors right alongside protected forest, ensuring these areas are affected as well, unless of course the animals can read the “keep off” signs. The final odious aspect of plantations is that they allow Gunns and its dozens of front organisations (such as the Tasmanian ALP and Liberals) to constantly parrot that “Tasmania’s forests are getting bigger”, even as Tassie Devils are becoming locally extinct in many areas due to “mystery” cancers.

Polls and polling:

Stephen Matthews writes: Re. “Poll-of-polls: ALP gap growing; no nail-biting in sight” (yesterday, item 12). Your fixation with the polls is growing tiresome. The voters that matter … the ones who are yet to commit … will commence to make up their mind once the electioneering material lands in their postal boxes. That’s when I’ll start to consider the polls more seriously. Meantime you could commence an analysis of the respective policies for each of the major parties.

Jeremy Bath writes: A Current Affair has its mortgage buster stories, Today Tonight its anti-pokie stories and now it seems Crikey has its “The polls still predict a Rudd election victory” pieces. Can Crikey please find something else to write about? If however your answer is something by the woefully irrelevant and worse, boring, Helen Razor, then please delete this email immediately. Crikey and Razor have never been less thought provoking.

Jim Hart writes: Last night as I was getting ready to go out I received yet another unsolicited and inconveniently ill-timed phone call. For once I gave them 15 minutes of my time as it was a market research survey on behalf of the government about my understanding of the current IR laws. Now it will be interesting to see whether the results of the poll are released to the public. 

Howard, APEC and a hangover cure:

Moira Smith writes: Re. “Time to say goodbye to Howard… after his week of glory” (yesterday, item 8). Helped by Richard Farmer’s comments on John Howard’s “terrible decision not to step down as Prime Minister” until after APEC, I’ve finally worked out why the PM has outstayed his welcome … Also why APEC is being held in Sydney, although apparently everyone who knows says security would be more effective (and far less intrusive) in a remote resort or on an island. It’s because he wasn’t allowed to open the Sydney Olympics!

Christian Kent writes: Finally! Richard Farmer seems to have found a recipe for the Liberal Party to win this election. A bit of Kyoto, some carbon trading, a couple of apologies … and with the excitement of a new leader, this could actually work. (Seriously!) So here, I’ve turned it into an easy-to-prepare hangover cure — if you’re suffering from the Rudd Honeymoon Hangover.

Janette Howard:

Phylli Ives writes: Re. “Janette Howard — the Patti Newton of diplomacy?” (Yesterday, item 5). The polls being what they are, I hope Janette is preparing to move out of what is not HER home. I also hope that Rudd will not be persuaded to leave Janette and Johnny-boy living in Kirribilli House.

David Lenihan writes: While Hyacinth of Kirribilli is deeply distressed at the no show by Laura Bush, perhaps the pinched neck could be more easily interpreted as, the whole shindig being a “pain in the neck”. Somehow I doubt Dubya would argue too much with the first lady, me thinks, as with the original Mrs Bucket, she wears the pants in that household. Perhaps the thought of five days sipping from the bone china and hearing about the boys and leafing through the family album was even too much for the enduring Laura. Oh well now that George has a few nights alone, he could always take a few ideas from Kevin 07, certainly wouldn’t harm him in the eyes of the American public, judging by Kev’s poll results.

Water cannons and APEC:

Tom McCardell writes: Re. “Water cannon restrictions” (yesterday, item 7). Perhaps the water cannon would be best spraying beer at the revolting masses. The happily drunken rabble would be easier to round up and subdue. It could even blare out a Tom Jones tune from the loud hailer as it was gushing…

Frank Neilson writes: Thought that having the two Dubya’s in the same room together this week is noteworthy. The below image might be of some amusement to your readers.

Trading Post:

Steve Simmonds writes : Re. “Tips and rumours” (yesterday, item 7). As an avid user of Trading Post and such classifieds it would seem that it is now official, the Trading Post is cr-p. What once was a very useful, efficient and well run site, enough to elevate it to Australian Folklore (The Castle) only to be bought and then ruined by Telstra. Would you expect anything else, given that the same company has systematically made their own EWP searches useless and frustrating to use. The Trading Post is now slow and is not as flexible as it used to be and the second yet major issue is that advertising is no longer free as it used to be and the costs of doing so is unbelievable. I paid about $28 to sell a car which used to be free and for this amount I only got an internet ad. The result is that the pages are becoming increasingly clogged with Dealers and Commercial advertisers meaning that persons like myself are obviously flocking to EBay! Not happy Jan! (And do you know what really makes me mad about these things? They have the cheek to introduce these changes while saying words like, improved features, better customer focus, increased efficiency – spin, spin, spin and spin!)

Helen Razer and Bindi:

Paul Hampton-Smith writes: Re. “Crikey! New Idea readers worry Bindi might Britney” (yesterday, item 4). Could Helen Razer please join up with Mikey again on JJJ? I know it’s been a long time, but I found their on-air wit a delight to consume, certainly more than her indigestible humour in Crikey.

Chris Blackie writes: Helen Razer’s articles for Crikey seem more suited to a personal blog, especially the one yesterday. I don’t see the value in paying to read someone incoherently recounting a New Idea article they haven’t even really read.

Nick Place writes: With regard to Bindi Irwin, all you need is this URL: www.freebindi.com

The PM’s joke:

Robert Stephenson writes: Re. Yesterday’s editorial. Interestingly the “PM’s Joke” was in the Sunday Age magazine last weekend. My kids chuckled, and it won a prize for the 8-year-old that sent it in. Is that what he means by being a “man of the people”?

Calling Crikey citizen journalists:

Louise Crossley writes : Re. “Calling Crikey citizen journalists” (yesterday, item 15). Are you trying to be cute or what? Item 11 calling for “citizen journalists” in the “handful of seats that will decide Election 2007” lists over 50 of the 150 House of Representatives seats. Since when has one third of a total been regarded as a “handful”? It’s certainly more fingers and toes than I’ve got – or is Crikey a millipede in disguise?

I’m not sure what Keysar Trad is on about:

Bruce Smith writes : Re. “Muslim students pay the way for others. Give them a prayer room” (yesterday, item 19). I’m not sure what Keysar Trad is on about. The Daily Telegraph article he linked to was hardly a “daily dose of terror, and another bold headline decrying further Muslim encroachment on our way of life and institutions”. It looked to me like a fairly dispassionate and objective account of a paper presented to a conference calling for Halal food and prayer rooms. Certainly nothing suggesting “an attack on our most secular institutions.”

Who is the NAB kidding?:

Ross Locket writes : Re. “NAB rolls back fees and rolls CBA” (yesterday, item 27). Who is the NAB kidding when they say that they are reducing fees? Their broker subsidiary Homeside Lending used to have no early repayment fee on most of their loans and only a $300 discharge fee. From later this month Homeside’s early repayment fees on all of their loans will be 0.45% of the original loan amount up to a maximum of $3,000 for the first 4 years. Early repayment fees of 0.60% and 0.70% of the original loan amount for the first 4 years apply to their one year discounted rate loans. A nice little earner especially when clients refinance to other lenders.

You lecture, you hector, you preach:

Randall McMurphy writes : Re. “Hyacinth and Howard no speakies after Laura’s no-show” (Monday, item 3). This week Barry Everingham wrote – and you published (you w-nkers) – this: “Condi alas was no help. ‘Get a grip (that phrase again) honey chile. Laura ain’t able to fly and the Massa ain’t decided whether he will or not. Baby, you’ll be the first to know,’ she told his lordship” Would this stereotype be because Condi is black? A Negro? An African American? Does working for George Bush make it acceptable to be typecast? In such incredibly simplistic and offensive terms? How dare you ever – EVER – again publish an article self righteously talking about Aboriginal conditions in Australia? You lecture, you hector, you preach – but you can’t cut it in the real world. You complete disgraceful bunch of hypocritical w-nkers. And if most of your readers didn’t write and complain, it shows your audience to be perfect for you.

Jeremy Hampton writes: I read you that you bring some balance to the Australian media; thank God it’s no longer necessary. You are far worse than them, just lunatic nonsense left wing diatribe. Our leaders, whatever their persuasion, should be shown some degree of respect, grace and dignity. It’s is organisations like yours that cause polarisation in our society. A disgrace, utterly and completely. Journalism, I think, is about reporting – not creating the agenda. A pox on your house.

Highly entertaining:

Mark Jones writes: Please keep publishing the specious reasoning of Mr Hardcastle, it’s highly entertaining. Perhaps you could give him his own column and the opportunity to review all Government portfolio responsibilities from his market perspective until the election. Though I must say that his latest contribution has already provided insights into his workplace relations policy, that we should be working 18 hours a day to ward off the devil, his family and community policy, that you should buy your friends to secure their loyalty and health and education, where we should ignore the benefits of economies of scale and privatise it all because its just not expensive enough. I’m curious though as to whether he thinks Howard can deliver the reforms he’s after, particularly given that Howard leads the biggest taxing government we’ve ever had and resides over one of the largest public services in our history. Also can I suggest he actually study economics rather than just read the writings of Ayn Rand. She has some valid points, but slavish devotion to her ideas don’t even occur in the US.

Andrew Lewis writes: Many of your correspondents have hailed the brilliant satire of Mark Hardcastle, and I too have been impressed by him, but alas, his crown has been knocked off already. Greg Watters (yesterday, comments) advice that “Unfortunately far too many people, these days, do not know the moral gulf that exists between ‘getting off at redfern’ and ‘Vatican Roulette'” means that Mark’s sterling contributions are already looking shopworn. Hail the new king. Keep up the good work Greg. The standards are just too high for me.

Oops:

Tom Richardson writes : Re. “Joe Hockey, Tony Abbott: welcome to death row” (yesterday, item 9). Just a pedantic point on your Death Row round-up; The Lib MP in the gun in Sturt is not “Kim Richardson”. Perhaps this was a reference to Kym Richardson, the member for Kingston? As I’m sure Christian Kerr is aware, the Member for Sturt is his one-time St Ignatius contemporary, Minister for Ageing Christopher Pyne.

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