WHILE the budget's lift in rental assistance will be welcomed by low-income earners, it will be also welcomed by landlords into whose pockets will ultimately go ('Federal budget increases income, rental support payment', Newcastle Herald, 10/5). The rise in rent support also fuels inflation. This is because, unlike the energy bill assistance, it is paid to purchasers and not suppliers. Anecdotally, the 15 per cent extra is not even enough to cover Newcastle rent rises
If the best form of welfare is a job, then the best form of rental assistance is a house of your own. Housing is a special investment case. Traditionally, your own home is the sole asset of any value that most people will ever own. It is not like shares or business investments. Owner-occupied homes deliver a premium to their owners and their kids. Whenever rents are paid by home occupiers to landlords, the renter-occupiers miss out on this untaxed premium; the landlord gets it instead. What would happen if tax breaks for rich housing investors were phased out?
Initially I'd expect home prices and rents would go up dramatically. In the longer term housing would become more affordable, as demand for housing is no longer subsidised for almost half of house buyers (home investors). Forget about shortage of housing supply and the rising cost of building materials; these would moderate as markets re-adjusted. But housing investment reform is unlikely to ever happen. This is because most federal MPs have rental properties, with a reported total of 237 between them in August last year. Wealthier, older voters also have investment properties.
Geoff Black, Caves Beach
Biden's record isn't reassuring
THE editorial ('The strengths and weaknesses of age', Opinion, 4/5) stated "Joe Biden has been a refreshing president who has surprised doubters". Yes, mostly bad surprises. And "his common sense has been reassuring". What have we been reassured about over the last two and half years?
Donald Trump complaining about allies "getting too much from America and paying too little for it" was about them getting a defensive umbrella from the US and paying less than their fair share for it. This was particularly so for lazy members of NATO such as Germany. Australia could well be accused of that laziness as well. What was the "continued assertion of democratic values with Biden"? Was that Biden falling over, forgetting what he was talking about or where he was? There have been serious allegations made against Biden that have yet to be resolved and his son Hunter Biden, as a close family business partner of Joe, has allegedly been involved in drug abuse and suspected business activity in foreign countries. If Biden is to run on his strong record, would that be the tragic withdrawal debacle from Afghanistan or the open border to Mexico? If, as the editorial says, the US "economy is strong and strengthening", why is the US expected to go into recession shortly? Biden's one great advantage, in spite of his age, was stated to be that "Mr Biden had wisdom in abundance". You would have to be kidding, wouldn't you?
Peter Devey, Merewether
Doing what we can is best bet
THE tolling of the climate change bell has caused a lot of worry and panic. We are led by the beliefs of a majority of climate experts; beliefs not shared by all experts. Caution suggests that we proceed on the majority consensus. Bear in mind that only the passage of time will prove the necessity, the success or the failure.
It takes decades to decarbonise the world's industrial processes and the input of China, USA, Russia, India and Japan largely dictate the overall time to complete. It's a balance of not destroying the economy so that money is generated to make changes.
I don't believe the sky is going to fall in 2030 or 2050 if we are not at net zero by then, with China ambitious for 2060. Let's take an anxiety pill and just proceed in a cooperative mindset, doing the best possible at the time. Stopping Australian coal export, 40 per cent of world supply, would be replaced by lower-efficiency coals from existing suppliers, resulting in an emissions increase overall. Stopping fossil fuel exports before we have renewable alternatives ready to export is only going to hurt Australians and not change the world. It would be more positive for activists to lobby for the renewable industries and employment in it.
Paul Duggan, Garden Suburb
Questions linger on climate data
WHO'S clutching at straws? Out of his "enormous haystack of evidence for global warming", Michael Hinchey ('Straws won't stop climate changes', Letters, 10/5) fashions a strawman argument. I agree that homogenisation of data is a valid scientific practice, but I question the Bureau of Meteorology's homogenisation of its data. The bureau has remodelled Australia's official temperature record three times in nine years, cooling the past and warming the present, to create the impression of a continuous linear warming pattern from 1910, consistent with catastrophic global warming. Never mind, for instance, that most rural and regional temperatures show cooling to 1950 or 1960, and warming since then, back to temperatures recorded early last century. The bureau also resists scrutiny. It took a FOI campaign for the recent release of temperature data from the Brisbane Airport site, showing that the new digital probe thermometers register temperatures warmer than traditional mercury thermometers to a statistically significant degree.
Peter Dolan, Lambton
Lest we forget those who helped
ON behalf of the executive and members of the Stockton RSL Sub-Branch, I wish to extend our sincere thanks to the community of Stockton and surrounds for their amazing response to, and support of, our 2023 Anzac Day commemoration services. We were extremely pleased to be able to return to our pre-COVID programs, and it was especially gratifying to have schools and local groups represented in our march and service.
While our willing band of member volunteers work very hard to ensure that we deliver a high standard of commemoration on our special day, we could not make it happen without the support of many other local organisations and individuals.
We wish to acknowledge Reverend Michael Marklew of of St Paul's Anglican Church Stockton, the officers of Newcastle City Police District, the RAAF's Number 2 Expedition Health Squadron, the Cardiff North Lakes Brass Band, singer Julie Warner, Stockton Surf Life Saving Club for their on-water tribute, the City Club Group incorporating Club Stockton (formerly the Stockton RSL Club), Paul Bennet Airshows and the Stockton Public, St Peters Primary and Fern Bay Public schools. Thanks also to the City of Newcastle parks and gardens staff for the great presentation of the cenotaph and surrounds. Your willing assistance and dedication to the cause is greatly appreciated by all of our members and we hope to have your support again next year.
Vince Broady, Stockton RSL Sub-Branch president
SHORT TAKES
IT'S always refreshing to hear from generations X, Y, Z and the millennials and great to see Matt Johnson on the letters page ('Let younger generations get on with the jobs', Letters, 6/5). To all those gens, don't worry or bother with stale pedantry about contradictions; there's plenty of other things that need doing and all us boomers will be dead before too long anyway. All the very best and go for it, you'll do a fabulous job. See you in the surf.
Ian Gilkes, Adamstown
THE federal budget provides for continuing fossil fuel subsidies amounting to approximately $41 billion. On the one hand the government claims to be doing everything possible to counter human-induced climate change, and on the other hand is subsidising the use of fossil fuels that are causing our terrible climate changing problems. Actions by our federal government in relation to fossil fuel subsidies are confusing and frustrating to say the very least.
Brian Measday, Myrtle Bank
I DON'T very often agree with Peter Dutton, but I do agree with his comments in his budget reply speech about banning sports betting advertising before, during and after the event. It's about time someone decided to get this off our screens.
Greg Parrey, Rutherford
WITH all the numbers thrown about for the needed new housing, I just wonder how those numbers appear in just one year. The housing of Australians didn't seem to be an issue to the government of the day a little over one year ago. Have we populated so much so soon?
Fred McInerney, Karuah
SO where is the money for the Big Dome Jim? You know, the dome we are gonna need to encase our island and stop our perfect air being contaminated by those who are burning that coal and gas we export to fund our welfare.
Dave McTaggart, Edgeworth
IF Steve Barnett (Short Takes, 12/5) can't tell we were using him, piggy-backing off him, to get our own point published then he's not the king of very much at all.
Colin Fordham, Lambton
IT is unfathomable to me why the Greens and the Liberal Party have got together to block Labor's $10 billion plan for cheaper housing, the Housing Australia Future Fund. They want to give the money to renters apparently, which means that the money will ultimately go to the greedy landlords. In no way whatsoever will it help to alleviate the housing shortage. Shame on them.
Alan Kendall, Neath
IT seems to me, Amanda Vanstone ('Angry advocates will harm Voice', Opinion, 11/5) that the "angry activists" on The Voice are coming from the "no" side. This referendum should never have become a political issue. Instead of bipartisan support however, the Nationals and the Liberals chose to divide the country down party lines. Mr Dutton and Mr Littleproud deserve our condemnation for their negativity towards Indigenous Australians in my opinion.
Mac Maguire, Charlestown
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