Taxpayers subsidising ‘charities’ in global warming debate

The trouble is, the interconnector is three to four years away and may never be built if supply contracts cannot be secured.

Contracts may not be secured because those now using gas may already have gone out of business. There are some things you cannot do without gas.

Natural gas is a major input into the production of nitrogenous fertilisers, for example. No gas, no fertiliser. No fertiliser, no jobs.

Potentially hazardous medical waste — from body parts to dead infected laboratory animals — and infectious waste from surgical dressings and bandages, infectious cultures and stocks from laboratories, need to be disposed of.

Incineration should destroy these wastes at high heat (over 900C). At present, these incinerations are achieved by gas.

Finding substitutes will be difficult and expensive. Oh, and solar panels and wind turbines will not do the job.

Yet Lock the Gate Alliance, which is a charity and has deductible gift recipient status, is meant to be “beneficial to the community”. In what sense is it beneficial?

Take one of its objectives, “to protect and enhance farmland … as a result of uncontrolled or inappropriate development”.

The NSW chief scientist and engineer thinks the risks of coal-seam gas “can be managed” (Final Report of the Independent Review of Coal Seam Gas Activities in NSW, 2014). There is no uncontrolled development.

The NSW government’s “Gateway” process protects almost three million hectares of the state’s most valuable farming land. The impacts of resource development on agriculture and water are considered at the beginning of the assessment process. Gas explor­ation in NSW has all but ceased; it is just too hard.

Oh, and by the way, farmers need fertiliser.

Like charities, contributions and gifts to political parties of $2 or more to registered political parties by individual taxpayers may be tax deductible. Unlike charities, the total deduction allowable in an income year is limited to $1500.

All charities that indulge in campaigns against other Australians should have a cap on their donations or just be denied the privilege altogether.