Letter-to-the-Editor/Opinion Piece

    20 July 2020

    Aussie Politicians Fight Three Wars at Once - Climate, Covid and China

    Australian politicians are trying to maintain their never-ending Climate War on carbon fuels while waging a Lockdown War on the elusive Covid virus and also provoking a Trade War with China, our biggest trading partner. We cannot afford three hopeless and costly wars at once. One would be too many. The political war on carbon fuels has damaged the environment with forests of "green" power poles, flats of ground-sterilising solar panels, hills of
bird-slicing wind turbines plus spider-webs of new power lines and roads. This mess produces unreliable expensive electricity, sterilizes land, and wastes water to keep solar panels clean. And imagine the debris when a cyclone sails through a "farm" of panels or a "forest" of turbines. This expensive and unreliable power, plus green taxes and regulations, has destroyed much of Australia's manufacturing, processing and refining industries - all for ZERO climate benefits.

     The Covid Lockdown War is crippling many industries especially tourism, aviation, education, retail, sports, local pubs, media, rural shows and auctions and even the famous Brisbane Ekka. Attempts by politicians to hide their Lockdown damage with handouts for everyone has destroyed budgets and will cripple the currency, reward unemployment and produce another depression generation.

     On top of all this, our politicians are stumbling into a trade war with China.  This has produced swift retaliation on Australia's export industries and we will soon discover that most of our manufactured goods now come from
China, because we have driven our factories out of Australia with uncompetitive power and labour costs and excessive red and green tape. What to do? Four simple things:    

     Firstly, abandon the climate war on carbon fuels and withdraw from the useless and destructive Paris Climate Agreement. It will never cool the climate, even if that was a sensible goal. Abolish all subsidies and taxes supporting intermittent green energy and legislate that any generator feeding into the grid must be able to supply 24/7 power, either from their own backup facilities or under contracts.

     Secondly, unlock the gates - dismantle Covid barriers, green gates, red tape and bureaucratic barriers.

     Lockdown can't stop the virus - it just slows down its spread, delaying the development of community immunity. Individuals and families are free to self-isolate should they choose that option. Keep them informed but don't
lock healthy law-abiding people behind barriers, spy cameras, police and troops.   

     Economic recovery needs to encourage and fast-track sensible infrastructure and development proposals. We should also abolish stamp duty and capital gains tax and reduce income tax. Governments should prohibit real pollution of land, air and water, but allow farmers, fishermen, foresters, explorers, miners and entrepreneurs to get on with building and expanding their businesses.

     Thirdly, spread the recession pain to all protected government sectors. Cut taxes, and reduce the numbers and benefits for all in politics, bureaucracy, government media, academia and all able-bodied welfare recipients with no dependents.

     Finally, stop publicly poking China with a pointy stick (as we did in the Covid witch-hunt.)

     We do not need a trade war which will cost us dearly.  Wait until Bunnings runs out of Chinese-built Ryobi tools and lithium batteries, the greens run out of Chinese solar panels, and Chinese imports of Australian coal, cattle,
wool, barley, wheat etc are hit with tariffs or quotas.

     Quiet diplomacy and more competitive industry will achieve more than populist public posturing and provocation of our powerful neighbour. We need to quietly restore our secondary industries, diversify our markets, get some real defence capacity and cultivate allies in Asia and the Anglosphere.

     "Speak softly, and carry a big stick." - President Theodore Roosevelt