DEAR Prime Minister,

I don't suppose ordinary citizens are supposed to understand how politicians make their decisions, especially when they fly in the face of logic.

But sometimes a lack of logic and common sense, together with the seeming absence of care for the interests of ordinary Australians, let alone the world, is beyond bewildering - it fills one with a mixture of anger and despair.

Your decision to rule out even the possibility of an "emissions intensity scheme" is in this category.

Have you received advice from your chief scientist that a scheme like this is essential if Australia is going to play its part with the rest of the world in avoiding catastrophic global warming? Yes you have.

Have you received advice that implementing a scheme like this will ultimately be a net positive for the national economy? Yes you have.

Have you received advice from industry that bipartisan political support for a scheme like this would be welcome and provide the necessary certainty required for planning and investment? Yes you have.

Have you received advice that a scheme like this will save each household unnecessary escalation in electricity prices in coming years? Yes you have.

In the light of this advice and what we understand to be your own reasonable knowledge of the facts, you still chose to appease the right-wing ideologues in your party rather than act for the good of the country. Presumably your own position of power is more important.

In these circumstances how do you expect to warrant respect let alone trust as our Prime Minister?

Your characterisation of the states as irresponsible reminds me of a kinder- garten child making silly comments about other children when it is they who have refused to participate in the activity of the group.

In the adult world to which I belong, when there is a problem, wide discussion takes place as to the best way of providing a solution. One does not normally rule out best solutions because someone spits the dummy in advance.

Bishop George Browning