Many thanks to Darren and Mrs Chesterfield for a beautiful spread. It was very much appreciated. 

Also congratulations to the Quantong cricket in winning the C Grade premiership. Well done. You’ve certainly done me proud. 

Congratulations to the board on a job well done. 

Lyn Flack, Portland

WITH the utmost haughtiness I accept Gary Howard’s facetious reference to me as president of the Climate Change Sceptics Society (Wimmera Mail-Times, March 27).

We of the Sceptics Society are in good company. It was the sceptic Ferdinand Magellan who rid the world of the “scientific” belief that the world was flat like a plate and if you travelled far enough west you would fall off into space.

Magellan, in fact, was forced to quell a mutiny among his flat-earth crew who were convinced by the scientific propaganda of the time that every day could be their last before they began to fall.

Where would we be today if it were not for Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), himself a scientist of note who questioned the validity of the Earth science of his day that the Earth was the centre of the universe and that the sun, moon and stars revolved around it.

As a sceptic he developed the model used today that the sun is the centre only of our galaxy, one of many in the universe.

We cannot pass on without a mention of Galileo Galilei who disproved the “scientific” theory that heavy items accelerated when dropped at a faster rate than light articles.

With all the haughtiness that I can muster I claim to be one of the few true scientists today, using the definition of a scientist as “A person who asks questions”.

The major question today is: “What is the empirical evidence that carbon emissions influence the climate?”

“Most scientists believe” is religion, not science.

Ron Fischer, Horsham

I WATCH this week with great anxiety as the shutdown of the Hazelwood Power Station begins. Its closure will cut 22 per cent of Victoria’s electricity production and 1000 jobs.

Already businesses are reporting 30 to 50 per cent increases in power bills.

These are the obvious outcomes. 

But what is less known is the real cost of the power price hike to the people of Victoria.

The Andrews Government has not told the public what the additional costs will be to run public facilities, local councils and institutions.

Places such as hospitals, police stations, state government offices, schools – publicly run places – they too will have to pay bigger bills.  And that means the taxpayer.

So – residents will be hit twice for this – paying their own bills and paying for the hikes that government-run institutions will also pay. It might be a hidden cost now – but it won’t be for long. Just watch the Budget.

Local councils already stressed about a 2.5 per cent cap on rate increases will be sweating. So, too, volunteer-run organisations like Surf Life Saving, Girl Guides and sporting clubs.

Can you imagine a small country football-netball club affording the cost of lights for training during winter?

Fundraising will now be directed towards paying for the Premier’s expensive power.

Daniel Andrews is too busy chasing the South Australian energy ‘dream’ that now resembles a nightmare.

Victorians need to start asking questions – either way, they pay.

Simon Ramsay MP, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Rural and Regional Transport