Dear Mr Albanese

11 August 2011

The Hon Anthony Albanese
334A Marrickville Road
Marrickville
NSW 2204




Dear Mr Albanese,

Thank you for your letter.

I apologise for not recalling when we met. I assume we’ve met as you used my given name in your salutation. Mind you, if we’ve been introduced, it’s more likely you’d have employed the common abbreviation of my given name.

Anyway, thanks for the invitation to hear you and Mr Combet discuss the carbon tax. Regrettably, I was unable to attend, though I do have a few questions for you.

In your letter, you say the carbon tax won’t be a tax paid by “ordinary Australians”. I was wondering if you could tell me the criterion by which you determine which of us is ordinary and which of us is extraordinary?

If some of us are not considered ordinary, will we be paying the tax?

What do you say to the proposition that Australians, regardless of their ordinariness, are less concerned about who’ll be paying the tax directly to your government than with whether they’ll be paying for it indirectly?

Can you provide an assurance that even “ordinary Australians” won’t face increased costs and charges as a result of the tax? I’m happy to pay my share, but I’d just like you to be straight with me.

Finally, though I applaud you getting young people involved in the democratic process, it does seem a bit tough to have primary school children signing your letters for you.*

I look forward your reply.

Yours sincerely,



Merely Being


* Oh, sorry, it’s just been pointed out to me that’s what your signature looks like. Suddenly, things are becoming clearer.