Guts and money

LAST time I was in Hobart was about five years ago to visit Mona. Since then Hobart has evolved in such an interesting, atypical way. From my hotel window I can see the MACq 01 clad in timber — open, welcoming, a friendly nod to Scandi style, then further down the bay lies the renewed Brooke Street Pier, glowing like an electric sugar cube after sundown. My vantage point is the Henry Jones Art Hotel — an undertaking that demonstrates unflinching conviction to anchoring the past to the present in a loving, respectful way. That would’ve taken incredible guts, plus a tonne of money. The same commitment you see in the vision for Mona. This approach to building is absolutely unique. Why trash it with skyscrapers? I come from two cities (Newcastle and Sydney) where character, history and good design have a history of being deeply compromised for big buildings and big bucks. Don’t let that happen here.

Vegan outrage

WILL Mona’s horse and cat meat dinners be interrupted by protesters, or is vegan outrage against animal exploitation merely selective? Perhaps government should set up safe access zones of 150 metres’ radius around abattoirs, butchers and restaurants, where peaceful vegan protesters can be fined $11,550 and jailed for 12 months. After all, the High Court upheld the legality of such zones to criminalise peaceful protest against the abortion of healthy babies.

Activists and heroes

IT was heartening to read yesterday’s paper and see three important climate action articles: Anthony Houston and his important work shedding light on the connection of farming and climate change, his sincere and humble attitude was inspiring. Next was the hundreds of climate activists

Foreign aid can pay

I APPLAUD Lisa Singh for informing us the Federal Government has reduced foreign aid by $115 million next financial year and this did not go to help “our own” (Talking Point, April 17). Britain, Denmark and Sweden contribute the United Nations recommendations of 0.7 per cent of GNP. If we did, it would bring dividends, morally and economically. It would give a clear sign to our region we are committed to establishing a more just and equitable world economic order.

Leaps and bounds

READER Raymond Harvey’s critique of the ALP’s electric car vision (Letters, April 17) is very much that of a glass (or gas tank) nearly empty. The technology is jumping ahead in leaps and bounds. Batteries are improving and charging facilities being developed rapidly. You can now recharge a battery by driving over a recharging grid — early days, but watch this space. As for people’s concerns regarding lack of towing power for their utes, I don’t see much lack of power in the electric powered locomotives on some of the world’s railways.