Imagine if the Howard government had heeded climate scientists instead of the fossil fuel lobby (and its shareholders) 20 years ago (“Government under Howard ignored 2005 climate report”, January 11). Was he sceptical – as he claimed to be – or simply opting in favour of the fossil fuel business-as-usual path? Whatever the case, he and subsequent Coalition governments have shown little appetite to build a cheaper, more sustainable electricity network for all Australians. Now their energy policy includes the farcical nuclear option, which would delay the already burgeoning move to renewables. But you also have to wonder what will be the legacy of the current Labor government in 20 years. Fiona Colin, Malvern East (Vic)

If Howard had acted on climate reports 20 years ago, think how much more prepared we would be today. Imagine all new suburbs having shade tree-lined streets and yards (large trees in each house), homes built with lighter coloured roofs, solar panels on all new builds, playgrounds under huge canopy trees with heat-reflecting play equipment, covered bike lanes connecting facilities, safe cool zones … Maybe now we can actually start following the science and get it right for future heatwaves. Janet France, Northbridge

Discredited epithet

Once again, Parnell Palme McGuinness attacks Anthony Albanese over perceptions that he is a weak leader (“Albanese risks being seen as tricky”, January 11). This type of character assassination of the prime minister is not new and was a common if not central feature of Peter Dutton’s criticism during the 2025 election. Not only did Dutton and the LNP fail in historic proportions to land a blow on Albanese and the ALP, but they helped return the government to a record-breaking majority in the lower house. The electorate readily accepted the PM’s retort that kindness is not weakness. Now that a Commonwealth royal commission has been established, it is most likely that Australians, rather than punish, will look towards the government to deal not only with their security but also the day-to-day issues that confront us all. John Bailey, Canterbury

Block amoral Musk

There’s absolutely no point in appealing to Elon Musk’s moral sensibilities when it comes to “meeting community standards” on his platform X, and ending the enabling of “abhorrent sexual images without consent of the people depicted” (“‘Abhorrent’: PM slams Elon Musk’s X over sexually explicit images”, January 11). The EU’s enforcement body has now joined Australia’s eSafety commissioner in calling for the ending of this dangerous practice, while Musk continues to publicly criticise world leaders such as Keir Starmer who are calling for change, while defiantly posting that his chatbot Grok is Britain’s “most popular app”. It is clear that Musk’s conscience is not troubled in the slightest by the harm that his platform is inflicting. It’s time to hit him where it hurts and for governments and their tech safety agencies to block X if Musk does not comply with national laws. The world wouldn’t be worse off if X disappeared; it would actually be a lot better. Kerrie Wehbe, Blacktown

Built-in heat

If the residents of western Sydney want someone to blame for the appalling cheek-by-jowl black-roofed sweat boxes they have to live in (“Official temperature was 42 degrees, but west felt like 55”, January 11), here’s a list to choose from. State government (of both parties), Department of Planning, (now defunct) Greater Sydney Planning Commission, councils (though they have had their planning powers stripped from them and planning rules foisted on them), the Urban Development Institute of Australia NSW and then all the land development companies who have lobbied to have smaller and smaller lot sizes so no shading trees of any size nor any green heat-absorbing surfaces can be accommodated. It’s simply a disgrace, of which we should all be ashamed, and a far cry from the garden suburbs to the east built on planning principles of Ebenezer Howard, established more than 100 years ago. Mind you, those suburbs are now under attack by the current government’s fervour to build more dwellings for unchecked immigration. And all the while, regional towns are shrinking. Peter Thornton, Killara

Rabbits on the run

The exponential growth in the feral rabbit population, combined with a lack of current virus management, as well as federal government funding shortfalls and the loss of 350 jobs at the CSIRO all combine to create a dramatic environmental disaster for our pastoral regions (“Australia defenceless against feral rabbit boom”, January 11). Control of feral animals, in this case rabbits, is essential. The problem must be solved quickly with renewed funding for effective and current virus production. It is the government that must step up to ensure success. Alternatively, rejuvenation of The Rabbit Factory just over the border in Texas, Queensland (once Australia’s largest employer during the Depression period), could provide meats and skins on an international scale as well as jobs in a regional town. Janice Creenaune, Austinmer

Bring back nostalgia

I love the Summer Series, describing best beaches and so much more. Hamish Macdonald’s story (“Ready and be-snorkelled in treasure hunt”, January 11) of backseat driving as a child across the Monaro plains desperate to arrive, the ocean swimmers and the close-knit community who gathered to find a needle in a haystack, in this case a lost wedding ring, reminds me of similar treks from Glebe to Yamba each September (cheaper than Christmas, but equally perfect). Beach in the morning, a cleansing ale for dad, and red lemonade for us kids at the pub on the hill, banana rolls for lunch, and afternoon tennis each day calmed us, slowed us down. More please. Lisa Williams, Dulwich Hill

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