Letters: What is a ‘reasonable’ gas price?

That is what floating the dollar, removing exchange controls, reducing tariffs and moving to enterprise bargaining did.

Those reforms used the market to increase competition and productivity. Yes, we need to reform new sectors, but he proposes doing it through state regulation, subsidies and intervention. As we are seeing, the unintended consequences may be perverse.

Rather than a carbon price, we have handouts to selected industries and increased reregulation of the labour market. As Lynas Rare Earths boss Amanda Lacaze pointed out, rather than grants to individual companies to encourage critical minerals, it would be better to invest in infrastructure to support multiple companies.

The treasurer has not learnt the right lessons from what happened in the 1980s and risks steering Australia onto new rocks.

Edward Shan Brighton East, Victoria

Boards must sharpen focus on emissions

Jim Chalmers writes of the need to focus on “creating new industries and turbocharging traditional ones” (“Hawke, Keating for the 2020s”, January 9) and Blair Comley (“Companies still lack bankable incentives to invest in net zero”, January 9) identifies the need for “clearer and more specific signals about mandatory obligations on firms” to drive reductions in emissions through the financial investment processes of businesses.

While there continues to be big investment in the energy sector, there is little in the way of a forcing function on emission reductions in transport, manufacturing and agriculture.

Meeting the extreme challenge of attaining a 1.5 degree trajectory will require a much more intense focus at the board level than is typical. If it is too much to ask that a carbon price drive this, then other powerful and effective drivers are needed – for instance, boards over a threshold turnover ($50 million?) being required to report possible emission reduction projects for their businesses and providing regular updates on timing.

Activist action seems to be the strongest of current motivations, and while this may play a part it will be inefficient and insufficient to change the thinking at board level.

Robert Brown, Camberwell, Vic

If only Diana had been wearing a seatbelt

In all the deliberations from Prince Harry and others regarding Princess Diana’s accident, one huge aspect of the Paris tunnel crash is that she failed to wear a seatbelt. He keeps blaming the foreign press, but the fact is that had she been exercising personal responsibility, she just might have survived.

Patricia Paech, Bayview, NSW

Harry’s boast risks provoking terrorists

Prince Harry boasting about killing Afghans will provoke retaliation from terrorists against his family, and ours. It’s only a matter of time before the next attack on us.

Joan Smith, Rye, Vic

Expanding gas supply a shocking own goal

Almost two years ago, the International Energy Agency released its road map to net zero by 2050. This conservative and authoritative body said that the world needed, “from today [March 2021]no investment in new fossil fuel supply projects”. The idea that we should “expand the east coast supply” of gas, (“Labor can’t afford more unforced errors in 2023”, January 7-8) is advocating a shocking own goal in the global contest for a safe climate.

Lesley Walker, Northcote, Vic

Putting people before profits is a worthy aim

Your editorial (January 7-8) questions Labor’s intervention in the gas market through a price cap. The big argument you put forward is that this policy will scare investors. In fact, energy company profits remain high.

There is no mention of the hardship faced by consumers battling high energy costs on top of rising interest rates.

The government deserves credit for a policy designed to help low- and middle-income earners. Too often profits and shareholder returns are put before the welfare of consumers.

Graeme Lechte, Brunswick West, Vic

Lib candidate no match for teals’ independence

Kylie von Muenster, Liberal candidate for Coogee, has read the room and recognised the importance of the environment to inner-city electorates (“Eco-aware Liberal candidate says teals are the same as her”, January 9). Her claim, however, that she is the same as climate-championing teal independents needs to be questioned.

Thanks to Matt Kean, the NSW Liberals are more ambitious on climate than the rest of the party, but an independent candidate has the benefit of acting solely in the interests of the community they represent. Candidates like von Muenster remain beholden to the interests of the party room and party donors. Australians cannot afford to be complacent on climate action or be influenced by the fossil fuel lobby. We need representatives who champion integrity and the wellbeing of the people and our environment.

Amy Hiller, Kew, Vic