Arguments in favour of nuclear power just don't make sense

This unnuanced assertion is difficult to accept when the ABC reports that some developers are offering landholders $15,000 to $30,000 per annum for each turbine, not to mention new employment opportunities in regions where jobs are scarce.

As for nuclear being cheaper than renewables, the CSIRO GenCost report found that it is the most expensive option. De Percy is "unclear" about how much renewables are subsidised, but as far as I know every nuclear power plant in the world receives government subsidies.

This is partly in the form of taxpayer funded insurance, since no private insurance firm will insure against nuclear accidents. I am also puzzled that for de Percy, transmission infrastructure appears to be a specific and costly burden for renewables because they are "far off".

It seems to me that any conventional nuclear reactor, which also requires transmission lines, would also need to be "far off" to be politically acceptable. I think that de Percy overhypes the alleged threat to agricultural production from solar.

The Australian Energy Market Operator estimates that NSW will need approximately 20,000MW of large-scale solar generation to replace coal-fired power stations by 2050.

This would require about 0.06 per cent of rural land in NSW.

Even if solar farms were exclusively (and unrealistically) only on the most productive land, only 0.4 per cent of this important land would be required.

Ian Morrison (Letters, February 19) trots out nuclear as the solution to our energy problem. There are two types of nuclear reactor; the dinosaurs and the unicorns.

The dinosaurs are the massive old-style reactors that are notorious for their voracious appetite for cash and enormous gestation times. Over the last few decades, while renewables have become dramatically cheaper, these reactors have become more expensive.

A case in point is the Flamanville 3 reactor in France which, with luck, will be connected to the grid midyear - 12 years later than originally estimated.

On the other hand, the unicorns, or small modular reactors are wonderful to behold. They make up for the inefficiency inherent in their small size by having component modules mass produced in factories and then quickly assembled on site, massively reducing construction costs. Sadly, they are non-existent and likely to remain so for at least a decade.

NUSCALE, an American company, proposed to build a pilot reactor but gave up when it was unable to find a buyer for its electricity.

Either way a nuclear solution to our energy needs is unlikely to be producing electricity much before 2040. Our geriatric coal fired generation grid can't wait that long, nor can the need to reduce our emissions.

Politicians who advocate nuclear are using it as an argument to curtail the rollout of cheap renewables and to prolong our dependence on expensive and polluting gas.

I am 84 years of age and a week ago my doctor ordered a comprehensive blood test, which also included a test of my prostate. Then I received a bill from the pathology group doing the testing, billing me for $60. Normally all my blood tests are free as I am an aged pensioner.

When I questioned the charge I was told that Medicare only allows one free test every three years. Until last year it was one test per two years. What is going on?

Women can have free mammograms, but men of pension age are allowed only one free test every three years - as if pensioners are particularly flush with cash.

What a damn hypocrisy by our government when they laud King Charles' "courageous" revelation about his own troubles to encourage men to take greater care in that department.

The good news is that prostate cancer can be curable, especially when identified and treated early. Tell me, why does our government punish older men financially when they try to keep on top of that disease? Wake up Minister for Health and Mr Albanese.

Canberra an awful place Premier Miles? No, rather, home to a half million very happy Australians, blessed with four seasons, a healthy economy bigger than the NT and close to that of Tasmania. A city purposely designed to perform the role of national capital and seat of government and to concentrate the national treasures of the Commonwealth, the AIS included.

It is an achievement second to none which a number of your close regional neighbours Mr Premier are attempting to replicate.

You might simply concentrate on bringing your state capital infrastructure up to a 21st century standard. You might also consider not adding to your already over-budget and underperforming infrastructure backlog for the very Olympics you bid for.

The way some reporters were delivering the news of Australia's naval build up - the first of the kind at that level were are told since World War II - you would think they were having an orgasm.

Will this naval arms race deliver a better world for humanity?

Did that cross the minds of the journalists delivering the news of the naval build up?

All I can say in response to Mr Miles's comment is that "Queensland is a more awful place". It is hot and humid in summer and miles from the snow in winter.

Mind you Andrew Barr and his cronies are trying very hard to turn Canberra into an awful place as well.

The latest crazy idea is the concept of a 15 minute city from Chris Steel. Canberra was designed by NCDC as a car city, it is 70km from north to south, virtually everywhere I want to go - GP, medical specialists, bowls club, golf club, family and friends is more than 15 minutes away.

If I go by public transport then some services are one hour and 20 minutes away compared to 25 mins by car.

At the next election we need to get rid of this lunatic fringe running Canberra, maybe by electing some independents of the ilk of David Pocock who can block some of Barr et al's crazy ideas.

So the Queensland Premier doesn't like Canberra because the AIS is here. The current leader of our most disaster-prone state really does have more pressing matters to attend to. He's just not used to being told "no".

I'll remind him that Canberra was selected as the nation's capital as it is situated between the two largest metropolises.

Further, our athletes need to train to likely competition conditions. Tellya what Giggles, you stay there and I'll stay here.

Thomas Wasserman declared Mohkles Sidden's comments regarding the disparity between Palestinian and Israeli casualties as flawed and asked "why aren't the Gazans turning on Hamas? Are they still hiding them? Protecting them? Helping them fight?".

I would suggest the answer to this is that Palestinians are more than a little bit preoccupied with trying to stay alive and do not have the headspace or capacity to activate politically.

My question is, why do we not have a laser-focus on protecting all lives, regardless their country or religion?

My plea is for us all to show some humanity, stop the schoolyard finger pointing "he started it" nonsense and not treat this awful horror as a spectator sport where we barrack for our side no matter what.

Please, let's all hope for an end to the insane and barbaric horror playing out in the Middle East.

Thomas Wassermann (Letters, February 20) asks: "Why aren't the Gazans turning on Hamas? Are they still hiding them? Protecting them? Helping them fight?"

The answers must surely be "yes, yes and yes" - under pressure at the point of a gun and by threats to harm them and their loved ones.

With Hamas, as with all dictatorships, might is right.

So the City Renewal Authority will "build on community feedback" in planning the use of public land in Dickson. I hope planners heed community views more than they did over Common Ground and the new Dickson "Village". They listened to developers but ignored community concern about multi-storey buildings. The government has a great deal of lost trust to recover.

The Australian government has announced a significant upgrade to the navy. You can bet it won't be long before China wades in and starts preaching to us like naughty little children about why this is wrong.

News of plans to greatly expand the navy are most welcome. Now, if we can convince our potential enemies to wait 10 years until it has happened, we can all feel much more secure.

Barnaby asserts he doesn't have a drinking problem, but he certainly has a judgement problem.

Alexei Navalny's wife has accused Putin of killing her husband. This is, of course, not true. Putin would not have had the courage to do the deed personally. He will have done what all cowardly dictators have done in the past, get some willing enabler to do it.

Obviously Putin got up one recent morning and muttered aloud "who will rid me of this troublesome priest?"

In the survey released by the Presidential Greatness Project, social scientists and other scholars asked to rank US presidents put Trump dead last. That is the absolutely right spot for Trump given the way he debased America's democracy and showed an affinity with dictators.

I completely agree with John Grace (Letters, February 19) that the Labor-Greens annual kangaroo slaughter is "cruel and unnecessary" and based on total falsehoods. I will be showing my opposition to this hideously cruel policy on polling day.

Politicians of all colours certainly do make well intentioned promises they ultimately renege upon. Then again, given the divorce rate in this country, so too do a sizeable number of Australians. Not too many are labelled liars for going back on what they once promised. For all sorts of reasons circumstances change.

Queensland's non-elected Premier Steven Miles claims that "Canberra is an awful place" and "he hates going to Canberra". Hopefully for Queenslanders and us Canberra residents, after this year's October Queensland elections, he won't have to come here.

Premier Miles whoever dreamt up the name "Queensland"? When mentioned overseas, the listeners break up in fits of laughter.

Is the Premier of the "sunshine state" jealous because Canberra is sunnier than Brisbane?