Whoever would have thought that MLA Shane Rattenbury would use the words "paying for" and "light rail" in the same sentence? Incredibly, the article that reported this completely unprecedented sentence ("Momentum halted for Queanbeyan light rail link", Sunday Canberra Times, October 4, p8) didn't constitute front page news, not even on a quiet news Sunday of a long weekend.
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Regrettably for ACT ratepayers, however, Mr Rattenbury's other reported comments were all too predictable. As far as he is concerned, the light rail project has already moved on from the $1billion Gungahlin to Civic first stage to a multibillion dollar, Canberra-wide network, apparently without any regard for the budgetary impact of the first stage, let alone the full cost of completing the project.
Given that Woden Contractors has had to pay wages that are more than a $1000 a week above the award in order to buy industrial peace with the CFMEU for the Majura Parkway project ("$1000 a week for 'peace' on parkway", CT, October 5) and with the prospect of similarly large wage incentives having to be paid to secure industrial peace with the CFMEU for the light rail project, ACT taxpayers should brace themselves for a massive blow-out.
Given the amount of political influence that the CFMEU wields in Canberra, it's no wonder that Unions ACT secretary Alex White is so keen on the light rail project.
Bruce Taggart, Aranda
The ACT Liberals plan to tear up contracts for light rail and justify this economic vandalism with the excuse of giving people a say.
This undermines the principles of representative democracy. We elect governments to govern and to make decisions that are in the best interests of the governed. If it is decided that governments have not acted in our best interests then we can vote the government out. What we should not do is to put every decision to a popular vote otherwise nothing will ever be done.
If we have a popular vote on light rail then where does it stop? Do we all get to vote on whether to build any public infrastructure, be it a road, a hospital, a school, a sports complex, a footpath, a golf course, a suburb or a shopping centre?
The ACT government has a very extensive public consultation process. This is a moderating influence on government and helps them come up with good outcomes.
The Canberra Times letters to the editor on light rail are dominated by letters from a pressure group of what appears to be predominantly elderly males. They advocate putting light rail to a vote. They support everything except light rail. Whose judgment should readers trust? The professionals in the ACT government or Can the Tram?
Kevin Cox, Ngunnawal
Loosening the ties
George Bush's propaganda machine effectively sold the idea that US history began on 9/11. Bush's, "you're either with us or against us" has echoes in the fear-inducing: "Daesh death cult ... they're coming after us".
Australian policymakers have been preaching from the same textbook, that anti-social events occur in a vacuum. As in physics, every action causes a reaction – likewise in society.
With bipartisan assent, post 9/11, freedom-inhibiting legislation – in excess of 50 acts – has been passed. This legislation reverses onus of proof, restricts access to legal counsel, contain no safeguards against human rights abuses, permits imposition of control orders, and allows detention and questioning of non-suspects.
Legislation presently being considered may permit ministerial discretion to strip citizenship, without right of appeal. The impressively armed and uniformed Australian Border Force flexed their muscle in an aborted Melbourne (mis)adventure, with a remit "to target potential visa fraudsters".
Hockey's budget sought to strip unemployed under-25s of benefits for six months, a measure subsequently defeated in the Senate, but resuscitated as a one-month denial.
Education "reforms" foreshadowed degrees costing $100,000. Youth unemployment, at July 2015, was 13.81per cent, with positions available offering little career advancement.
Loosening the ties which bind community members, i.e. security, identification and belonging, predisposes to alienation and extremism ("Online extremists harnessing youth anger", Sunday CT, October 4, p3). Implying race or religion as their origin is overwrought reductionism.
Albert M.White, Queanbeyan
Protect the foreshoreThe editorial "Developments must protect treasured lake" (Sunday Canberra Times, October 4) and the advocacy of the "newly formed Lake Burley Griffin Guardians group" are fine as far as they go. Both are rear-guard actions which admit the ascendancy of the developers and their political agents. The debate has been published in this newspaper since 1983. As the following excerpt from a letter published on June 13 of that year shows, neither the issues nor the terminology have altered.
"Walter Burley Griffin's plan for a garden city with a hill-dominated skyline and the recent designation of the lake foreshores as an Area of Special National Concern are both unchallenged. The height of the proposed tower would place it effectively upon the foreshores since the site is only 250 metres from the lake. The existing height of the Lakeside must not be taken as justification of the proposed tower.
"The development of this site is part of the 'plans for revitalising Civic' announced by the previous minister, Mr Michael Hodgman. These aims are realisable without a high-rise tower. The continuing quality of the lifestyle being provided in inner Canberra is more important to Civic's role as Canberra's central business district than is the gross number of units supplied on this site."
Just as hospital patients recover quicker given a view of trees and sky, the maximum utilisation of the lake foreshores lies in the idle glance of those passing by. The lake foreshores should be inviolate.
Gary J.Wilson, Macgregor
Hidden costsThe Liberals cost a proposed flyover at $35million, the government says $50million ("Our worst black spot", Sunday CT, October 4, p1). The Liberals have obviously forgotten to include the CFMEU costs.
Roger Dace, Reid
Let's scrum itFollowing our Trent Bridge humiliation, the Poms produced a T-shirt that showed the result of every ball bowled in Australia's innings of 60. May I suggest that we now produce one that reads: "We'll take another scrum please, Sir".
W.A.Reid, Crace
Email: letters.editor@canberratimes.com.au. Send from the message field, not as an attached file. Fax: 6280 2282. Mail: Letters to the Editor, The Canberra Times, PO Box 7155, Canberra Mail Centre, ACT 2610.
Keep your letter to 250 words or less. References to Canberra Times reports should include date and page number. Letters may be edited. Provide phone number and full home address (suburb only published).