Canberra light rail long overdue

If the nimbies can't remember Labor taking this proposal to the last election, they have short attention spans indeed.

Whether the train system makes a profit in the first 25 years is irrelevant when compared to a 300-year vision for Canberra. Walter Burley Griffin's vision stretched further than the first 25 years of Canberra and so should the ACT Liberals' regarding the train system. On the 100th anniversary of the completion of the train system, those who opposed it will be nothing more that the butt of jokes. Now, where's my train?

Chris McMullen, Kambah

Simon Corbell nailed it when he described the Green's light rail proposal as "a completely unrealistic, unstrategic and unconsidered approach to the real challenges of transport in this city" in September 2011, as Graham Downie reminded me ("Parties need to come clean", May 6, p1). Truly, a rail without a cause.

Public transport is a public good. Whether by providing access to education and health services, employment, or just facilitating independence and enjoyment of life, the benefits of increased mobility accrue to the traveller, their families and the community. Inadequate transport diminishes us all. Expensive public transport creates funding tensions, which ultimately exacerbates social division.

Enlightened governments from Singapore to the UK, Adelaide to LA are now planning for universal, egalitarian, inexpensive and efficient public transport systems based on fleets of autonomous electric cars. Surely the Greens can be convinced to reconsider their proposed wasteful and impractical duplication of transport infrastructure in favour of an approach that would both meet "the real challenges of transport in this city" and build local expertise in an emerging global industry.

Kent Fitch, Nicholls

Simon Corbell's huffing and puffing about his mandate to build the tram doesn't do him much credit. The fact that a government announced something in an election doesn't mean it has to build it. Corbell and his colleagues are supposed to be there for the "good government" of the ACT. They said, before their back flip on the subject before the election that, at $614million, the tram was too expensive.

Now, they are going to do it without taking a serious look at the alternatives and damn the cost. That is not responsible government. Whenever a government appears to be behaving irrationally, there is always a reason and it is invariably political; in this case to retain the support of Shane Rattenbury so that they stay in office. Canberrans are paying $800million or $2700 each to have this lot in office for four years. That is about as irresponsible as you can get.

J. J. Marr, Hawker

Harriet Alexander's article "More than half junior doctors failing the GP examinations" (May 11, p5) failed to mention some critical facts:

1. The GP professional body, Royal Australian College of General Practitioners , has not trained junior doctors since 2002, because the government took funding from the RACGP and gave it to independent organisations called regional training providers. The RACGP does, however, examine GP registrars once they have nearly completed training with an RTP. Former AMA president Dr Mukesh Haikerwal's assertion that the RACGP is not producing a product that is "80per cent fit for market" is, therefore, incorrect. One must rather question whether training being delivered by government-funded RTPs is "fit for market".

2. Every other medical specialty training program (physicians and surgeons) is managed by its professional body. General practice should not be the exception. For the sake of patients, it is time GP training was returned to the profession to ensure high standards in our future GP workforce.

3. Some of the candidates for the RACGP examination do not undertake a GP training program. These are mostly international medical graduates who have come to work in Australia to fulfil workforce needs and are required to obtain an Australian GP qualification (Fellowship of RACGP or Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine) usually within five years.

Some exam candidates are Australian-trained doctors who entered general practice before training became mandatory (1996) and now wish to upgrade their qualifications.

Dr Jenny Thomson, Giralang

I congratulate Ainslie Primary School for embracing Molly the assistance dog's attendance at school to assist Hannah and Olivia Weber ("Nose for trouble makes Molly perfect pet for twins" May 11, p1) . However, I was concerned to hear the biggest hurdle the Webers face is people refusing Molly access to places because she is not a Labrador.

It is timely to remind people offering services to the public, and in other areas of public life such as employment, education, hospitality, and accommodation, that it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because they have an assistance animal, regardless of its type or breed. The law protects people with an assistance animal from discrimination if the animal has been trained specifically to alleviate the person's disability. If any person has concerns, they can contact the ACT Human Rights Commission on 6205 2222 or by email human.rights@act.gov.au.

Dr Helen Watchirs, ACT Human Rights and Discrimination Commissioner

John Thistleton's article on Mount Ginini ("Ginini means we are able to fly", Gang-gang, May 12, p8) is an interesting part of ACT history, more of which can be found in Matthew Higgins' Skis on the Brindabellas (Tabletop Press, 1994). The Duntroon ski run can still be seen from parts of Canberra, notably from the high part of the Monaro Highway between Gilmore and the former railway to Cooma.

From the road to Mount Ginini between Picadilly Circus and Mount Franklin turn-off, for many years the wreckage of a Studebaker truck supplying fuel to Ginini was visible 50metres below the road on the NSW side. It had crashed in 1953, and the driver escaped.

Jack Palmer, Watson

Amanda Vanstone's prediction of the federal budget ("Increased taxes a sure loser", Times2, May 11, p4) presupposes a win-win outcome for both low- and high-income earners with a profit for job-creation model. So far, so good. That's if you're on the top end of the scale, where apparently "hard work, brains and luck" will guarantee multimillion-dollar success.

All this in light of the Senate's inquiry into corporate tax avoidance amongst 30 anonymous multinationals, and in an amount that cannot be disclosed.

But while the government remains tight-lipped about happenings amongst the big, powerful players, Vanstone's article suggests that "big savings" should come from cuts to our biggest areas of expenditure: health, welfare and education. A direct attack on the most vulnerable within society. That the government deserves voters' trust and is acting on behalf of national interest is questionable, given its lack of transparency.

Perhaps the government's hyperbolic slogan of "debt deficit disaster" should be replaced with a focus on disclosure.

Kim Carter, Wanniassa

In the past, we had Julia Gillard's school halls, but in Tuesday night's budget we were presented with Joe Hockey's "farming fodder sheds". Let's hope the tabloids follow the sheds' construction as closely as the school halls – somehow I doubt it.

R. Stewart, Weston

Just watched the budget speech and noted the "small business" incentives. Wish I owned a Toyota HiLux franchise.

Brian Bell, Bonython

Humanists, Christians and people of most other religious faiths will be appalled at the decision of the government to cut our budget deficit by trimming our international aid budget to the lowest point for years. This action brings shame on the whole nation. Yes, we have to cut the deficit, but not at the expense of the most defenceless.

John P. Brown, Belconnen

Mark Sproat (Letters, May 12) is correct in stating that the constant struggle depicted in Struggle Street on SBS has been going on for years. He does need, however, to understand the current problem and not gloss over the facts. The difference now, under this government, is that the "sharing and caring" once provided by charitable and other organisations offering such critical assistance in such things as emergency relief, job search, education , etc, have been left unfunded or suffered such massive cuts that they have either folded or have been left ineffective.

Not only has this government rendered these organisation in ruins, but also the hope of many.

John Malouf, Hawker

Matt Wade was on the money when he raised population growth as the budget pressure that the budget won't address ("The budget pressure no one talks about", May 10, p20). But his solution fails to reveal the extent of the cost.

It is not merely the dilution of spending on services for each Australian that hurts, but the diversion from services and welfare to the upfront costs of infrastructure to cope with more people.

Instead of the apparent $9000 per person in government spending, it is more like $7000 per person in the general population, plus $120,000 per person added this year.

It's no wonder that WA, with a disproportionate share of the growth, feels it is getting a raw deal on the GST revenue. Cut down the number added and, after catching up on the infrastructure backlog, we get to spend more per person. Conversely, tote up how much the past decade of accelerated population growth has cost, and you can see why services and welfare are now being cut.

Jane O'Sullivan, Chelmer, Qld

Why is it that people like W.G.Priestly (Letters, May 11) are still deliberately misquoting Julia Gillard to support their point of view ?

What she actually said about her government's carbon policy was, "There will be no carbon tax under a government that I lead, but let me be clear: I will be putting a price on carbon and I will move to an emissions trading scheme".

I think that the broad intent of her government's policy is quite clear when all of the sentence is quoted.

Jocelyn Sutherland, Holder

Matt Wade's article "Really Tony? $185k is not especially high?" (canberratimes.com.au, May 11), is well written and successfully argues the point. But it actually misses the real point, as do almost all of the discussions I have read in the last year or so. The real point is incomes are highly skewed at both the top and bottom end, and in such cases, averages are meaningless.

In an equitable society, incomes would follow the classic normal distribution, ie, a symmetric bell-shaped curve, where the average is the middle of the curve: the average cuts the peak in half. In such well-distributed distributions, the average is also the median. The median is the point where the area under the curve to the left of the median line equals the area under the right. In terms of population versus wages, for instance, the median is the line where half the people earn more than the median wage, and therefore half earn less. If wages were approximately normally distributed, then the median would equal the average.

Quoting the median rather than the average for population statistics that are highly skewed gives a better picture of how we live. For instance, because of astronomically high wages for the few (even leaving out those who fiddle their true income to avoid paying their fair share of taxes) and pitifully low or no wages for the many, the average is meaningless: the statistics are not easily available to me, but my guess is that more than 80per cent of the population earn less than the average wage.

I suggest if the media took up quoting median values, the true state of the economy as seen by "average" people would be seen to be much harsher than currently imagined.

George W. Gerrity, Campbell

Recently Medibank Private Health Insurance was sold by the Commonwealth, which had previously been the sole shareholder. Around the same time, the company sharply raised contributions.

Although I had been a member (customer?) for some time, I began to look around for less expensive alternatives, including a not for profit which might place member/customer value higher than shareholder value.

Bear in mind that I contribute at the highest rate, with "extras" and a modest excess.

I did locate a not for profit which seemed promising, and began exploring the options. I found almost a mirror image of cover, for about $250 less a year. This seemed worthwhile.

When I advised Medibank Private of my change, by telephone, the agent did suggest I might like to reconsider if they made an offer. This I declined, feeling that Medibank Private had had quite a long time to decide I was such a valuable customer that they could offer me a better rate.

Then 10 days or so passed, and Medibank Private called me, to urge me to reconsider during the "cooling off"period. Again, there was discussion of a better offer, and request for information on the insurer I had chosen and the level of cover I had purchased.

Surprisingly, it rapidly proved possible for Medibank Private to offer me a "corporate rate" at exactly the (significantly lower) price I had agreed with the not for profit.

I sought, and have obtained, written confirmation of that quote.

So it is now clear that just as one must haggle over car and house insurance, health insurance has become entirely profit driven in the business enterprise model of today.

The moral from this is that should your readers have their health insurance with Medibank Private, they should review the price, and demand a corporate rate. If not forthcoming, then do search for a not for profit.

Marie Coleman, Watson

THIS BACKFLIP THE BEST

Tony Abbott says he won't replace Joe Hockey with Scott Morrison. Just as he said he would repeal part of the Racial Discrimination Act, introduce a GP co-payment, boost Defence pay, give subsidies to the car industry and increase paid parental leave ("Federal budget 2015: Parental leave could be Tony Abbott's biggest backflip yet", May 1).

Michael McCarthy, Deakin

WHAT'S BEHIND THE GRIN?

Leaner than before, but still not a lifter, the always grinning Joe Hockey ("Business tick for Netflix tax", BusinessDay, May 12, p7) calls to mind the T-shirt slogan, "I smile because I have no idea what's going on".

Gordon Nevin, O'Connor

COST NOT DISCLOSED

Capital Metro Minister Simon Corbell (Letters, May 11) says that "Labor's plan to build light rail... was clear on the timing and the costing", and implies that ACT residents have thus accepted that cost. The 2012 policy document to which he refers did not spell out the cost. It is less than honest to suggest that it did.

Chris Whyte, Higgins

WOMEN IGNORED

In 16 pages of sporting coverage in Saturday's Canberra Times, the only mention of females in sport was in the racing guide and they were mares, jockeys and trainers. Did no other women play any sport anywhere in the world last week?

Chris Barrett, Turner

WHY PICK ON WHITES?

SBS's TV documentary Struggle Street appears to have been a ratings success. Will the network now turn its gaze on another ethnic group – or is it appropriate that only whites be blamed and shamed?

Rod Matthews, Fairfield, Vic

FOCUS ON THE GOOD

Here, here, Ollie Raymond (Letters, May 12)! My wife, Cath Connolly, died, aged 42, of soft cell sarcoma in 2007. She was an internationally respected orthopaedic operating theatre nursing specialist and educator. She mattered. She helped people.

Find the good ones, editors and reporters, instead of battering us to feel sorry for crims.

Randy Knispel, Bywong, NSW

THOSE EMPTY DESKS

Your article "Taxpayers fund public service's empty office black holes" (May 12, p1) states that "reliable figures ... revealed no signs of life at nearly 29,000 desks at government buildings".

During my career as a consultant to government here in Canberra, I think that I worked alongside many of those people.

Terry McDonald, Curtin

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