The federal government has voiced concern about the loss of 1000 direct jobs and numerous indirect jobs caused by the closure of Hazelwood, but we didn't hear as much concern about the 250,000 jobs cast aside by Joe Hockey's petulant closure of the car industry. We used to have a very well designed strategic plan to accommodate the closure of coal-fired power stations – complete with billions of dollars revenue each year for re-training and "structural adjustment".
It was called the carbon tax. Remember that?
Most people apparently voted for its removal (but not the compensating tax cuts and pension increases) after an ill-informed and emotional campaign by unprincipled politicians and shock jocks. It was the most deceitful, ignorant and short-sighted piece of legislative vandalism in our history. Let's bring back a price on carbon emissions so that the polluters pay for the job replacement and re-training of those who lose their jobs in the interests of a habitable Earth.
John Robert, Surrey Hills
Politicians not up to the job
Both the coal-fired generating plant at Port Augusta in SA and Hazelwood were at the end of their economic life. Both privately owned, the decision to close them was made for commercial reasons. Although entirely predictable, the closures will decrease competition and generation capacity, resulting in higher power costs. But the fact that they are closing well before new capacity is in the pipeline is an indictment of government policy. The rules governing the National Electricity Market, designed with cooperation between the states and Commonwealth, omit the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This "business as usual" approach has contributed to the current predicament. And when designing the system, a major concern by all governments was to distance themselves from responsibility for the operation of energy markets. Once again citizens have to bear the consequences of failures of the political class, whose interests and motivations are quite different from those of mere mortals.
John Rolls, Vale Park, SA
Left behind in renewable revolution
Hazelwood is closing, but without the transition plan for the Latrobe Valley that should have been in place. Instead, workers and their families have been left high and dry by both energy companies and a federal government pursuing a "business as usual" line. This year, renewables exceeded all other forms of new power generation globally, led by China, India and the US.
Half a million solar panels are installed every day around the world, and two wind turbines were installed for every hour of 2015. We are undergoing a transformation in global power markets, led by renewable energy. But Australia is being left behind, burning dirty coal at a high cost to our health and to the environment. With community and government support for new industries in the Latrobe Valley, the closure of Hazelwood could be seen as the beginning of a better future.
At the very least it will be a healthier place to live.
Dr Liz Bashford, Doctors for the Environment Australia
Retraining is vital
The need for training/retraining for new jobs in the Valley has become even more urgent. It's a great pity the region's main trainer, Federation, has dropped the "TAFE" from its title. The "FE" part stands for Further Education. Many adults who left school early do not have the necessary maths and English skills to train for new jobs unless the development of these skills is integrated into their training. Unfortunately, basic adult education is presumably deemed unprofitable in the Latrobe Valley. It's another casualty in the disastrous attempts by state and federal governments to privatise TAFE.
Neil Hauxwell, Moe
THE FORUM
Use payout wisely
In the 1980s, I worked in labour market research when the Thatcher government closed "inefficient" UK coal mines, which were key employers in areas with few alternatives. Many workers used their payouts to buy their council-owned houses or clear mortgages. For those near retirement, this was a rational decision. But for those still needing employment, it entrenched them in areas with limited opportunities that were only going to get worse.
There is more than an echo of this in what is happening in the Latrobe Valley and what could happen if Alcoa were to close in Portland. The best learning that came out of the devastation of the Thatcher years is that workers need to be nimble and be able to move to areas where jobs are available. A redundancy payout is valuable seed money to enable workers to create a new future.
Sam Bando, St Kilda East
Give back to the Valley
As a former resident I can testify that the Latrobe Valley has many beautiful areas, but the views are frequently tarnished by smog. This lovely part of Victoria is crying out for major investment. A very fast train from the CBD would encourage the overflow of Melbourne's population to move to the Valley, along with businesses of all sorts if they are given sufficient tax breaks. Victorians have benefited for many years from the Valley's coal mining. Now it's payback time.
Christine Grayden, Phillip Island
Cheap politics
How disappointing that Josh Frydenberg has used the closure of Australia's dirtiest power station to berate Premier Daniel Andrews. If only the Coalition government had embraced the innovative, renewable energy industries of the 21st century instead of clinging to the damaging industries of old that the rest of the world is casting aside.
Imagine the real jobs and growth that would have ensued had this government not dithered, delayed and defunded the exciting alternative energy research and development that our talented young scientists and adventurous investors were poised to implement. The lack of preparation for the inevitable closure of Hazelwood power station is a disgrace. The role of King Canute is unbecoming for this minister.
Jo Vandermark, Larrakeyah, NT
Ambition thy name
Josh Frydenberg, if I didn't know better, I could have sworn you were one of those 16th-century Catholics, denying that the earth revolved around the sun, teleported into our century to deny that coal is on the way out.
How can an intelligent man who is across the data peddle nonsense about coal and ignore the fact that businesses globally are moving into renewable energy? But wait, I think there's a 21st-century explanation and it has leadership ambitions written all over it. But I don't think playing to your party's hard right will play out well for you in the end.
Gillian Unicomb, Sandford, Tasmania
PM protects his dough
After spending $1 million of his own money to retain his job, Malcolm Turnbull is completely compromised. The right wing of his party now just have to say "spill" and he will do whatever it takes to protect his investment. Since the election his only consideration before announcing one extreme policy after another has been to avoid doing his dough. Nothing else matters. Has there ever been a clearer demonstration of why political donations should be banned?
Dave Cole, Viewbank
Potent message
John Hewson is right when he says Malcolm Turnbull should look to Gough Whitlam, especially with the next election in mind (Comment, 4/11). However, it was Whitlam's taking on "the sick man of the Australian Left" and his "Crash through or crash" – as Professor Crisp put it – that is the more potent message.
Why does Mr Turnbull, for all his so-called intelligence, worry about the "hard right"? Its MPs didn't vote for him in the party room and limping along until the next election will do little for Australia or the Coalition.
Paul Carolan, Brighton
Culleton's club of one
Pauline Hanson would do well to keep far away from Rod Culleton if she wants to retain credibility. He attends a media conference but won't answer questions; he pleads guilty to theft but says that at "all material times" he has been innocent. Maybe he wants to live in an immaterial world, but he'll have trouble finding it. It certainly isn't the Senate, once a serious House of Review. Meanwhile, he's redefining "One Nation" to be "Me, Myself and I", an exclusive club of one.
Marguerite Heppell, East Hawthorn
No end to disgraces
As if continuing reports of politicians using taxpayers' hard-earned money for personal gain are not bad enough, new information points to the federal government buying a crossbencher's vote, again with our money ("Fresh questions over $2m Coalition grant to college", 4/11). This is not democracy; it is bribery, pure and simple. Votes on legislation must be gained by reasoned argument, not money. Are we now a society with no principles?
Jenny Callaghan, Hawthorn
On a slippery slope
Donations have one purpose; they are a blatant attempt to buy political favour for the donor. They must be stopped. The huge grants to a trade school backed by Senator Bob Day fail every sniff test. As do Day's electoral office arrangements. Governments today seem focused on buying favours and looking after mates, and the public be damned. We are on the same slippery slope that is plaguing the politically bankrupt US.
Graeme Scarlett, East Malvern
Relaxed about abuse
If organised criminal gangs targeted private schools to relieve students of half their pocket money, the law would spring into action. However, we seem to be quite relaxed about foreign students, who are far from home and "powerless to protest", being relieved of half their wages by organised franchisees in the "money back" twist of employee abuse (The Age, 4/11).
Is the message to family and friends of abused employees that Australia has minimum wage laws but it will turn a blind eye where foreign students are concerned? Are we creating a growing pool of residents who will resent their treatment when they were vulnerable students?
John McNally, Kew
At home with cruelty
The government's proposal to lock refugees out of a future in this nation reveals an ugly reality. Mr Turnbull parades to the world images of Australia built on the Anzac tradition but the reality belongs more to Donald Trump. It is certainly not the liberal, compassionate Australia that Turnbull's leadership first promised.
In this post-Anzac Australia, cruelty is far more at home than kindness and compassion, sentiments that demand courage to implement. When the underdog is kicked, and when the injured are punished, we witness the flag being lowered on Australian values. We have the Liberal and Labor parties to thank, who have compromised not just our human rights reputation but the best outcomes for vulnerable people.
Archdeacon Peter MacLeod-Miller, Albury
Hostages to the right
The proposals to ban those in offshore detention from ever coming to Australia has changed the terminology. We no longer have refugees, we have hostages. The message to people smugglers now amounts to: stay away or we will hurt the hostages more.
Eventually, after creating many more broken lives, we will understand that people smugglers have not been out of work for one day. They continue to move helpless people all around the globe and our part of the world. What the major parties are focused on are boats in seas bordering Australia, not giving a damn about any other direction. They have the cry of Lady Macbeth, people smugglers "in our house?". It is feigned, self-righteous indignation that they know can be milked for all it is worth. Labor and Liberal fear the consequences of hospitality.
Ken George, Geelong
Our taxes at work
Moira Burke (Letters, 4/11) highlights the conspicuous consumption of $850 bottles of wine at a racecourse marquee. For the hosts, meanwhile, it is a tax deduction for their marketing budget.
Jim Spithill, Ashburton
AND ANOTHER THING
There is no place for jockey exuberance in the feudal world of Victoria's racing stewards.
Ian Powell, Glen Waverley
Hazelwood
Jobson Growth has left the Latrobe Valley.
Nicholas Melaluka, Fairfield
Hazelwood to close? Holy smoke.
Andrew Remington, Travancore
The irony is that the capitalists decided to close it, not the Greenies.
Robert Ward, Lake Tyers Beach
Install the real NBN across the Valley, not a half-baked copper and wireless version, and jobs, medical technology, educational services and a future will follow.
Tom Danby, Coburg North
An average payout to workers of $330,000 explains why employers want a casualised workforce.
Phil Lipshut, Elsternwick
Malcolm Turnbull
Government in limbo – with Pauline Hanson holding the stick. How low will Malcolm go?
Greg Curtin, Blackburn South
Malcolm's Senate muddle. What a difference a Day made!
Graham Cadd, Surrey Hills
On difficult bills, "timid Turnbull" will use avoidance rather than negotiation. His rhetoric doesn't match his actions.
Joan Segrave, Healesville
From promising to compromising. He must surely be now known as Malcolm Turncoat.
Kevan Porter, Alphington
Turnbull is now more unpopular as PM than Abbott was. David's Lament for Saul and Jonathan seems appropriate: "How have the mighty fallen."
Harry Kowalski, Ivanhoe
Rumour has it that Malcolm's leather jacket is up for sale (Letters, 4/11).
Marcel Hoog Antink, Portland
And finally
Networking in the Birdcage, says Julie Bishop. I don't think so. Politicians already attend to fat cats' every word, without interfering with a rollicking good time.
Dee Morice, Croydon