Is Australia falling for another red scare?

Crikey readers are relishing the moment of a Coalition in chaos, with the mounting scandal of Liberal MP Gladys Liu’s alleged ties to the communist China. For some however, the media’s reaction to it is a little too much of an echo of past anti-communist hysteria. For others, the issue is more clear-cut. Elsewhere, readers resumed the eternal debate over Australia’s energy future, with opinion once again split over the role of nuclear power.

On the Liberals and Gladys Liu

John Richardson writes: The readiness of the Australian government and its loyal media mouthpieces to hysterically parrot the alleged evils of the Communist government of the People’s Republic of China promoted by our “special friend” the United States, ignores the fact that any of the crimes it is accused of perpetrating have been committed on multiple occasions by its accusers. While I’m not here to champion the cause of communism, I believe that it is a mark of our nation’s continuing immaturity that in 2019 we appear more afraid of “reds under the bed” than we ever have. More’s the pity.

John Herring writes: There are reasons enough for Scott Morrison to ask her to stand aside or at least refer her to the High Court for a determination on her ability to legally represent Chisholm in parliament.

On the energy debate

Roger Clifton writes: The need to replace all fossil fuels within the lifetime of today’s children is creating a mounting imperative. We have not been making sufficient progress in that direction with renewables and storage, so a global industrial response is needed. In WWII, ships were mass produced with a many-fold cost reduction to win the Battle of the Atlantic. We must similarly plan forward for the mass production of small nuclear reactors.

Mark E smith writes: Impressively comprehensive summary of a complex and fraught issue. The alleged new generation nuclear is a furphy. Where is just one successful up and running example built on time and budget? We need workable solutions now, not in twenty years. Did I forget waste disposal? The notable omission is insurance. The biggest obstacle to the Adani mine is insurance. The biggest uncertainty with new coal plants is the various construction, completion and disaster insurances. By far the biggest insurance problem is nuclear. Look at any and every insurance policy you have. All nuclear risk is carried by government which means effectively you and me.

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