Jobs key to climate debate Your reporter writes that "Queenslanders are sick of southerners waltzing in to protest against coal" and that in "key electorates, it's all about jobs" ("Rocky road to power goes through north Queensland", May 8). This is where the great divide about climate change lies. If your job, business, community, overall standard of living and livelihood depends on coal, then you are all for it. If you have the luxury of living in the city, working in the public or private sector and your livelihood is not affected by mining, your pretty much against it. It all comes down to heart versus head. A steady job in a country town is solid gold.

So the question to be asked of all of us who want climate change action, would you change your stance on climate change agenda and the banning of coal mining if it meant you would lose your livelihood? - John Partridge, Manly I am surprised how few people, both opponents and supporters, seem to recognise the threat to employment posed by coal mining in the Galilee basin. The basin will produce thermal coal. The global demand for thermal coal is finite and gradually declining as the world comes to grips with global warming. Any new employment generated by mines in the Galilee basin is likely to be offset by even greater losses in employment in existing, competing thermal coal mines in the Hunter Valley and in the Surat and Bowen basins in Queensland. By supporting Galilee basin developments we may well be just robbing Peter to pay Paul.

- Col Nicholson, Hawks Nest Saying coal mining is good for all the young jobseekers of Queensland may sound all right on the surface. But dig a little deeper, and it is like saying all pollies distribute resources to improve outcomes in the areas of most need, and not to improve their own chances in the marginal areas where outcomes are uncertain. - Joy Cooksey, Harrington The expensive shire All this means is that others will rate the LGA as the expensive shire ("Sutherland Shire Council wants to increase rates by almost 50pc", May 5). - Allan Gibson, Cherrybrook

Funny because it's true By declaring that "comedy is simply a funny way of being serious", comic Jane Kennedy nails it with her sober advice that perfection is a recipe for failure ("Perfection a recipe for failure: comic", May 5). - Steve Ngeow, Chatswood Abbott grins and bears it We can't lose Tony Abbott ("New GetUp poll shows crash in support for Tony Abbott in Warringah", May 5). He's our fighter, our boxer, our tough religious dad. He's taken his share of political punches, meanwhile he runs, cycles, swims, gives us his time by fighting our fires and keeps on smiling. Without him you'll be all ying and no yang. - Mary Julian, Glebe Raise a glass to Albo