Keith Duncan, Pimilco
Surprise surprise, the hopelessly divided Nationals are once again tearing themselves apart, bugger the country, over-inflated egos and grandiose illusions seem more important. Intellectual ability and common sense have never been among the Nationals strengths. Their ‘strength’ comes from foreign-owned fossil-fuel and irrigation industry donations. After the turmoil Joyce caused when last a Minister, the destructive Nationals should never be allowed to control energy, water, or environmental policy again.
Barnaby Joyce regaining the Nationals leadership and Deputy Prime-ministership is an insult to all Australians, especially women, and will be a Godsend for Labor. The fellow is a walking disaster. ‘Shifty’ Morrison is going to need all his marketing skills dealing with this treachery; and will now have to deal with an even more belligerent, coal-driven, anti-climate change action and anti-environmental National Party, now completely out of control.
There is now a massive growing movement within the Liberal Party, to set an enforceable net-zero emissions target by 2050 that will not go away, and ‘Scotty’ can no longer ignore them. At the Glasgow climate summit in November, the rest of the world may impose sanctions or tariffs on our exports if we fail to commit. Australia, be prepared for more energy sector turmoil and expensive, government subsidised, coal-fired electricity generation, at the expense of cheaper renewables.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
