As for the fig leaf of offsets, it’s a scheme to allow business as usual. The only thing Chris Bowen’s safeguard measures will protect are the assets and profits of the major fossil fuel extractors.

John Mosig, Kew, Vic

As the IPCC reminds us, it’s no time for games

Jennifer Hewett writes: “This week’s dire warnings from the [IPCC] about the urgent need for stronger action provide a timely foundation for the Greens to grandstand about their determination to ban any new coal or gas projects.”

If the IPCC’s warning is serious, and I see no reason to doubt it, all politicians must agree to combine their efforts to avoid, if still possible, the worst effects of climate change. This is not the time for playing games.

Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin, ACT

Doing too little is the same as doing nothing

Graeme Lechte’s letter “IPCC shows safeguard mechanism isn’t enough” (March 22) should have reminded the government of the right perspective for policymaking. Chris Bowen seems to have ducked into an alleyway from an alternative reality where scientists aren’t telling us that the window of time is closing. Has he read that report? Voters are reading that report.

I hope to read of a collaborative approach rather than Mr Bowen saying over and over that doing something is better than doing nothing. Doing something that isn’t big enough when time is the dominant factor at play is, tragically, the same as doing nothing.

Jo Jackson King, Gidgegannup, WA

We can walk and chew gum at the same time

How long do we have to read statements like “energy security must remain a priority” (New Hope in “Green-left split over carbon plan”, March 23)? Of course we need energy security, but so what?

New Hope and Whitehaven must come to terms with a fact that there are other absolutes to be considered in prosecuting the country’s energy strategy.

We are a wealthy and well-resourced nation which the rest of the world rightly expects to do its share in getting greenhouse gas emissions down. We are big enough to walk and chew gum at the same time, and digging up ever-increasing amounts of coal is neither walking nor chewing gum.

John Gare, Kew East, Vic

It’s all happening – but this isn’t cricket

Last week, the Productivity Commission called for more facilities in the safeguard mechanism by lowering the threshold (“Make safeguard mechanism economy-wide”, March 18). On Tuesday, chair of the Carbon Market Institute, Kerry Schott, supported the mechanism in its current form (“Schott urges crossbench to pass reforms”, March 21). On Wednesday, Bob Brown resigned his life membership of the Australian Conservation Foundation because, like Schott, it is prepared to overlook the science for “pragmatism” (“Green-left split over carbon plan”, March 23). As Bill Lawry used to say, “It’s all happening.” But is it? Unlike cricket, this is not a game.

Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Vic

People need protection from gaming excesses

Joe Aston has laid bare the hypocrisy and delusion of the leaders of our rapidly growing gambling sector (“Sportsbet CEO Barni Evans is kidding himself”, Rear Window, March 23). It should surprise nobody that the CEO of a foreign-owned online gambling company is seen to put profits before the welfare of Australians.

What remains shocking is the number of Australian directors and executives willing to associate themselves with the giant casinos and betting companies.

Aston points out that 20 per cent of gaming profits come from 1 per cent of gamblers. He could also have pointed out that Australia has 0.5 per cent of the world’s population and 20 per cent of the pokies, or any number of other statistics showing the crazy lack of limits on our gambling obsession.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has promised more regulation in NSW to curb problem gambling and money laundering. Other states and other leaders must also do more to protect us from these rapacious companies.

Carol Bennett, CEO, Alliance for Gambling Reform

Chain of responsibility laws needed for pokies

It is time legislators consider the benefits of applying chain of responsibility legislation to underpin gambling law reform.

Such legislation currently underpins heavy-vehicle law and workplace health and safety law. National institutional arrangements are in place to ensure high levels of harmonisation between jurisdictions.

Applying these legal principles to poker machine gambling would see all parties including poker machine manufacturers, clubs and pubs, as well as the gamblers themselves, share the burden for responsible gambling.

Such laws could also apply to casinos, racing and other types of gambling. Well-designed laws should allow the majority who gamble for pleasure to do so, while reducing the harmful impacts on the minority of gamblers and their loved ones.

Hugh McMaster, Hurstville, NSW

When a floating idea sealed the deal at RBA

The death of Bob Johnston last week reminds me of the surprising way in which he was appointed as Reserve Bank governor in 1982. Back then, there was a very orderly process for appointment: you served as deputy governor for seven years, then as governor for the next seven years.

So in 1982, when Harry Knight was coming to the end of his seven years as governor, his deputy, Don Sanders, was at unbackable odds to succeed him. No one in their right mind would have been betting on Johnston, who was only the RBA secretary.

As a young journalist at The Sydney Morning Herald, I went to a press conference at the RBA where Knight was going to announce his successor. I expected it to be a non-event. Imagine our disbelief when Knight announced that the next governor would be Johnston.

The story made the front page of the Herald. But the RBA wouldn’t say why he got the nod over Sanders. Years later I finally got the answer.

The federal treasurer at the time was John Howard and the Fraser government was keen to float the Australian dollar. So when Knight’s term was about to end, the government asked Sanders what he thought about floating the dollar. He was against it. So they asked Johnston. He was in favour. So Johnston got the job. Simple as that.

Paul Keating was treasurer by the time the dollar was floated – a move facilitated by Johnston’s appointment.

Malcolm Wilson, Darling Point, NSW

Boards can gain from banking experience

Professors Dietmar Leisen and Peter Swan write compellingly on the structure of bank boards (Opinion, March 22). It would be interesting to know if their research could refine the definition of “independent” from “prestigious outsiders” towards “hard-nosed, banking industry experienced people”?

Ex-bankers have a great role to fill here – a bit like having a property guru on a property company board?

Stephen Maitland, Red Hill, Qld