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You have a strange idea of the relative importance of news items when you put on page 3 (Sunday Canberra Times, February 1) a large photo of a child eating Weet-Bix and a much smaller article about the "ground-shaking" Queensland election result at the bottom of page 4. Of course, the Weet-Bix eating is for a good cause but you could have drawn attention to it just as well with a headline indicating what the article was about and a smaller photo. Even though it's Sunday, we expect the first few pages of the paper to have news – keep the cute stuff for the magazine.
Sylvia Jamieson, Hughes
Software outdated
In his regular Sunday feature in The Sunday Canberra Times (February 1), Tony Trobe highlights the problems with the (old) age of the computer software used to determine the star energy rating of houses in the ACT.
The Nationwide House Energy Rating scheme has accredited the software of only three suppliers – one of which proudly boasts that "... the current version [of its proprietary software] has been compiled for Vista, XP and Windows 2000 but also works under Windows 7".
Goodness me, how advanced is that? Vista, XP and Windows 2000 are no longer supported by Microsoft, and Windows 7 has been superseded by Windows 8, then Windows 8.1.
I think any stated star energy ratings should be taken with a good dose of doubt!
Paul E. Bowler, Holder
Terrorism takes over
Paul Malone's approach to the Lindt Cafe siege is measured and framed within the context of events which are not rare in Australia, with 600 people being victims of kidnapping and abductions each year ("Let's involve families in siege talks", Sunday Canberra Times, February 1, p19). Events surrounding the Martin Place siege, somehow, became conflated with terrorism, the flavour of the month. Terrorism fitted a neat narrative, which could be used for crass political purposes. If Canada had its terrorists surely Australia, with its humanitarian refugee aid and clandestinely deployed contingents dispatched to degrade and defeat IS, would not be left off a potential terrorist target shopping list, lest the PM suffer relevance deprivation.
Sydney's siege signalled to the world Australia's coming of age and its high priority on terrorism's hit list. Politically this message was sold with enthusiasm and propagated by media unprepared to do its own thinking. It then became evident that untreated, mental health symptoms had been displayed, for years by the event's instigator.
Since the 1983 Richmond Report's implementation, mental health has become a medicant to the advantage of the penitential system.
The inquest should seek to determine why legal pathways were pursued, while obvious mental health needs were ignored. Mental health is the poor cousin, this time to terrorism.
Albert M.White, Queanbeyan
New road may 'backfire'
Matthew Raggatt only got half the story about the new entrance road into Radford College from Haydon Drive ("New $2million entry at Radford College aims to reduce congestion", Sunday Canberra Times, February 1).
While the new entrance road may reduce congestion for those driving cars in the area, it drastically reduces the amenity for people riding bikes.
The heavily used trunk cycle path along the western side of Haydon Drive is closed for more than six months during construction, forcing people using the path to cross Haydon Drive twice.
That is likely to reduce the numbers riding, and increase the numbers driving. When completed, the entrance road will be another speed-reducing and hazardous location within the bike path network, reducing the amenity to people who want to ride bikes. This too is likely to reduce the numbers riding and increase the numbers driving, adding to congestion.
John Widdup, Lyneham
Gently does it ...
Getting young people on side demands a watchful and tactful eye and help from more experienced teachers, in the workplace and day by day – not the time-wasting in-service days and endless navel-gazing and form-filling so beloved of education administrators. From my staffroom I once saw a squadron of paper planes float down from a room upstairs and went to investigate. Inventing the pretext of an announcement, I restored order gently without embarrassment to my staff member.
More recent classroom experience suggests that these days there could almost be a murder in an ACT classroom and nobody would notice till the time came to clean up the mess.
Barrie Smillie, Duffy
Hockey needs PM to stay
If people are wondering why Joe Hockey is the cabinet minister most outspoken in his support of Tony Abbott, one needs to look no further than self-interest. If Abbott is no longer the PM then Hockey will no longer be the Treasurer.
Ian De Landelles, Hawker
Hospital stay unhealthy
Canberra Hospital is a health hazard and/or an epidemic waiting to happen. In November I had the misfortune to be admitted to the hospital and stayed in two separate wards, both of which were filthy. After a day and a half in the first ward I complained about an uncovered bin of contaminated waste and the state of the floors. A cleaner came and ran a damp mop over the floor to little avail.
On the third day I was moved to another room which was even worse – there were holes in the walls, the tiles in the shower were filthy and the grout black. The lavatories in both rooms looked as if they had never been cleaned and no bench surface was cleaned or wiped over during my stay. The nurse in charge of the second ward explained she was not permitted to close a bed to allow maintenance to be carried out.
On the fourth day I elected to leave the hospital, still far from well but fearful I would catch something worse than the condition I had. With vast amounts of money being spent on new buildings, it seems the older ones cannot be maintained in a manner appropriate for a health facility.
Beverley Carmichael, Deakin
A 'privileged position'
Ross Kelly (Letters, January 28) writes perceptively that "since 2001 ... views too divergent are now not simply 'wrong' ... but are heretical and even unpatriotic", creating an atmosphere which can very easily cower "all but the most committed and thick skinned pundits". His contention Jack Waterford is one of the "un-cowered" gives Waterford too much credit. Waterford bristles against easy targets like politicians and "white men" but he steers well clear of analysis of any topic which exposes the raw underbelly of power in the world. He occasionally waves a stern finger at Israel but he knows he can't go much further lest he lose his lifetime sinecure. The views which are now "too divergent" which do not even get mentioned in The Canberra Times are such as would fill a book.
I might just see if I can get one published using all the letters I have sent in recent years which the CT has refused to print. Waterford has been there the whole time – he should have done more in his privileged position to protect genuine freedom of discussion.
Chris Williams, Griffith
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