On Jo-Ann Miller

Andrew Vickers, National Secretary of CFMEU Mining and Energy Division, writes:  Re. “QLD Labor’s factional players spar with Jo-Ann Miller” (Tuesday)

First let me say that I generally enjoy reading Crikey, but I continue to be dismayed at the publication of albeit irregular articles from correspondent “Ben Chiefly”, an obviously biased ALP wannabe who doesn’t even have the intestinal fortitude to publicly disclose his/her true identity.In yesterday’s missive, the correspondent linked to a Queensland Times article and dubbed it an “abrupt public intervention” by me, suggesting that it was somehow orchestrated by Mrs Miller’s office. As the source of the article, I can confirm that the correspondent is completely wrong on both counts. The Queensland Times article arose from an unsolicited and direct contact by the reporter to me. There was no prompting by either me or Mrs Miller’s staff for the contact. If “Chiefly” is going to continue to be a correspondent for Crikey, could she/he at least be requested to be less biased and better informed?

On lazy energy policy reporting

John Kotsopoulos writes:  Re. “Closure of Hazelwood” (Tuesday) David Edmunds is spot on when he slams the “pox on all their houses” attitude that lumps Labor in with their opponents on energy policy. This is the sort of lazy reporting that turns people off politics by creating confusion and fostering a fatalistic attitude to the possibilities of reform. The only beneficiaries are the one-trick political fringe dwellers who invariably do more harm than  good with their blinkered agendas.

On the aluminium industry

John Richardson writes:  Re. “Closure of Hazelwood” (Tuesday)

I could accept David Edmunds’ suggestion to use excess electricity to smelt aluminium might be a good idea if there weren’t other significant reasons for canning the industry, including the fact that it contributes 16% of the electricity sector’s greenhouse gas emissions and is operated by foreign-owned multinationals benefiting from significant taxpayer subsidies — both in the form of substantially discounted electricity tariff prices and other significant government subsidies and loans And we should not forget that a significant reduction in demand would likely generate substantial downward pressure on electricity prices to the benefit of both business & consumers.